At home/no equipment exercise dvd recommendation?

graceacruz
graceacruz Posts: 17 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
My schedule kind of stinks. I'm a 3rd year medical student and at least 50-75% of the time, I'm working from 5 AM - 6 PM. Although I do have a gym membership, it's been tough to try and squeeze going into my schedule. I was looking at buying one of those exercise dvds... you know.... insanity, p90x, blah blah, but wanted to f ind out others' opinions.

As an FYI, I'm not exactly physically fit. I've basically been sitting on my rear end in classes for two years, eating junk food out of the vending machines (pathetic!), lost almost all my muscle mass, and despite having to be on my feet a lot, don't get much aerobic exercise (or strength training) while at the hospital. While I'd love to be able to commit to a hour a day at the gym, something I can do at home in say 20-30 minutes a day is about all I can handle right now.

Any recommendations?? :)
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Replies

  • Jezzabelly
    Jezzabelly Posts: 52
    Ripped in 30 Jillians Michaels is great. It was my first dvd I ever stuck to. I love it & am now addicted to Jillian Michaels. My legs were so sore for the first 4 days. But I pushed through it & it was so worth it. Good Luck
  • Jezzabelly
    Jezzabelly Posts: 52
    It ens up being 34 mintues from warmup to cool down & it is circuit training. So you are getting strenth & cardio together. Yeah!!!
  • casasnovas12
    casasnovas12 Posts: 12
    I doing Insanity, day 15 and I think is great..I work long shifts and the workouts are 40-45 mins long.
  • 02tods
    02tods Posts: 126 Member
    You could start out with some gentle yoga for beginners. Hatha yoga is pretty good, and if you've lost a lot of muscle mass it'll help to loosen up before strenuous exercise.
  • getfitnhealthy12
    getfitnhealthy12 Posts: 2 Member
    If you would like information on P90x or Chalean Extreme, or many others feel free to take a look at my site or contact me. I would be happy to try to help you in any way I can.
    beachbodycoach .com / bethdobbs (no spaces)
  • rherington
    rherington Posts: 85 Member
    DDP Yoga. Ther are only 3 of the dozen or so workouts that are over 30 minutes and they are more advanced. It's not your Mona's yoga! LOL

    People also say 30 day shred by Jillian Michaels is about 20 minutes and you can check it out on YouTube for free
  • bigalfantasy2004
    bigalfantasy2004 Posts: 176 Member
    Insanity is the hardest workout I've ever done and it requires no equipment. I would highly recommend it.
  • LanaeCarol
    LanaeCarol Posts: 158 Member
    THis will be helpful info for me too. Although I don't have quite the same situation, I am stuck exercising at home for most of the week and have no equipment.
  • Vilhelmine
    Vilhelmine Posts: 3
    turbo fire is awesome!!! I am a nursing student and I started turbo fire in January and then after 20 wks added Chalean extreme to it (during the summer, no classes) lost a total of 44lbs so far and got lots of muscle!!! i am moving on to insanity next
  • mandi_2007_b
    mandi_2007_b Posts: 30
    I personally like "sweatin to the oldies" its easy on the joints and easy for beginners and advanced
  • mamagooskie
    mamagooskie Posts: 2,964 Member
    I do like P90X and have done the program twice, but I also like Jillian Michaels 30 day shred, ripped in 30 and extreme shed and shred. Her videos are quick, and I like how the levels progress plus the price is right, I bought her videos from 8-10$ each at walmart.
  • fitfocusedfamily
    fitfocusedfamily Posts: 117 Member
    Tony Horton's 10 Minute Trainer. It is a total body workout in 10 minutes. You can do up to three times a day, fitting it in whenever you have the 10 minutes to spare.

    Insanity is also excellent and does not require equipment. However, if you are not currently active, it is EXTREMELY difficult to do. I was fit when I started it and had a hard time in the beginning.

    P90X requires resistance bands at minimum but is really most effective with weights and a chin-up bar. It is also for those who have not been sedentary. The X stands for Extreme for a reason.

    Slim in 6 with Debbie Seibers is another good one for beginners and requires no equipment. I was overweight and out of shape when I started it. I, too, had been working 50+ hour weeks and going to school full time. My diet was horrendous, too. This one was hard but not so hard I couldn't hang with it....albeit with a few extra breaks.
  • danithegirl89
    danithegirl89 Posts: 203 Member
    If you have hand weights, I would definitely recommend the 30 Day Shred because you get a good workout in a small amount of time. If you don't have weights, Jillian's Yoga Meltdown is awesome. My triceps were killing me for days! And that was just with level one!
  • sunshine1992
    sunshine1992 Posts: 22 Member
    I like and have success with Jillian Michaels DVDs. I am in the process of 30 Day Shred and have tried Ripped in 30 (will move onto this once I am done with shred).

    I definitely think Insanity & P90X can be the right fit for some, they are an absolute killer workout.. However they are quite advanced, and also quite long at 1 hour per DVD (P90X at least, I see below Insanity is only 40-45 minutes, however this is the harder of the two. ).

    Personally I would recommend you try out 30 Day Shred and see how you go for the following reasons:
    *It is certainly tough but not so tough you feel like you have absolutely no hope, they have a girl doing modified versions of a lot of the moves.
    * They are only 30 minutes long warm up to cool down, maybe it's a physiological thing but I find it a lot easier to get motivated and 'just do it' when it is only 30 minutes after or before work.
    *You said you are a student - you can get 30 Day Shred on youtube for free! You need some small hand weights and a mat, but that can easily be substituted for some bottles of water and a towel.


    Goodluck! :)

    ETA: Pop Pilates on youtube are also good. (http://www.youtube.com/user/blogilates?feature=CAgQwRs=) They are mostly 10 minute targeted Pilates workouts to pop music which is quite fun. She has some cardio ones too which are good for something different. You can mix and match a few different shorter videos or even just do a 10 minute one - something is better then nothing! I find her newer vids much tougher then her older ones, so if you struggle at first maybe try some of the older ones. They are harder then they look!
  • curvygirl77
    curvygirl77 Posts: 769 Member
    Honestly if you have not worked out in a long time I would start with something a less intense. I was in the same situation as you (not being active for over a year) and I had to build up my cardio endurance. A few beginners workouts that I love are biggest loser cardio max (it starts out with the beginners workout), turbo jams, leslie sansone (walk/jog dvd), and Exercise tv DVD cardio work (check amazon) . Also you may want to check out a website called Fitness Blender (this free website has awesome workouts) and you tube be fit channel---its also free. I started out doing those workouts and eventually worked my way up to turbofire --I lost more weight than my ticker shows
  • AmandaTWaH
    AmandaTWaH Posts: 181 Member
    Leslie Sansone's Walk at Home videos are great exercise and you don't need any equipment at all! Her videos are all on YouTube as well or only about $9 each at Walmart.
  • moxette
    moxette Posts: 104 Member
    There is a new one out that I think is called tapout tv that looks like fun. I personally love bodyrock.tv and its FREE check it out. Lots of archived workouts that require no equipment. They do use things like sand bags and dip stations but you can easily find substitutes for most of them. I usually just avoid the ones that require things I don't have. Most of the workouts are 12 minutes and will target all of the good spots while giving you an amazing cardio boost.
  • fizzletto
    fizzletto Posts: 252 Member
    I recommend Jillian Michaels' 30 Day Shred.

    The only equipment you'll need are a set of dumbbells (hand weights) of whichever size you want, and a yoga mat if you'll be working out on a hard floor.

    It's a pretty effective workout and it definitely takes it out of you, but is suitable for beginners. It's a mixture of strength training, cardio, and abs, so you get a bit of everything.

    The DVD consists of 3 different workouts (Level 1, Level 2 and Level 3). Each workout is 20 minutes long. You do one workout a day, starting with level 1 for 10 days, then level 2 for 10 days and then level 3 for 10 days. People have received some great results from it. I'm half way through level 2 at the moment and I've already lost between 0.5" - 1" from most of my body parts.

    Another thing to mention is that you don't actually have to buy the DVD if you're short on money. All three workouts are on YouTube and you can watch for free. If you can't afford to buy hand weights, you can just use whatever relatively heavy things you have around the house. For example, my mum uses tins of baked beans!
  • melonerski
    melonerski Posts: 306 Member
    jillian michaels 30 day shred is really good. i couldnt walk for 2 days after i did it the first time. or else i youtube zumba videos
  • Jayme34
    Jayme34 Posts: 160 Member
    Leslie Sansone's Walk at Home videos are great exercise and you don't need any equipment at all! Her videos are all on YouTube as well or only about $9 each at Walmart.


    I AGREE! i love all leslie sansones walk away the pounds videos!!! highly recommend them.:smile:
  • hellotherecupcake
    hellotherecupcake Posts: 125
    I hadn't done any consistent exercise for years and jumped into Insanity. I've since finished it and I've kept up with exercise so it definitely worked for me. :)


    Good luck! I hope you find something that works for you!
  • JenKillough
    JenKillough Posts: 474 Member
    I'm into weight lifting now, but I bought JM's 30 Day Shred before that. I pop it in every now and then and it's a nice little workout still. I recommend it.
  • Mrsfreedom41
    Mrsfreedom41 Posts: 330 Member
    I totally agree with the Leslie Sansome videos. I was not very active for a very long time due to joint pain and a herniated disc in my back. I bought one of her videos and it has helped me a lot. You don't have to do the whole thing in the beginning, I didn't. Now I can do the total 15 minutes and feel great afterward. As a note, I am 70 yrs old and if I can do it you can to. Get up and get going!!:flowerforyou:
  • Fitness4Paul
    Fitness4Paul Posts: 166 Member
    My wife likes Kathy Smith videos. She's been around a long time and knows her stuff. She has some low impact and beginner DVDs if you're just getting back into things.
  • BeantownSooner
    BeantownSooner Posts: 254
    I doing Insanity, day 15 and I think is great..I work long shifts and the workouts are 40-45 mins long.

    Month 2 jacks up into the 50 - 60 minute range for most of the Insanity workouts.

    As others have said Insanity and P90X are pretty advanced so you would get some longevity out of them as the upper limits are likely beyond some of the other programs. You can modify them in the beginning until your fitness improves. Also, with P90X you do need some additional equipment (weights/resistance bands & pull up bar) while Insanity is just your body. My wife swears by the Jillian Michaels workouts and with some 3 & 5 lbs hand weights they'll probably get you started on the right path. You could get her 3 main programs for $30-$40 whereas Insanity and P90X are $130 each.
  • Strong_as_Oak
    Strong_as_Oak Posts: 584 Member
    I doing Insanity, day 15 and I think is great..I work long shifts and the workouts are 40-45 mins long.

    Does Insanity really work?
  • tleighs
    tleighs Posts: 16
    Zumba
  • Denjo060
    Denjo060 Posts: 1,008
    Jillian Michales no more trouble zones great work out works every part of the body and its one hour long
  • lengirl75
    lengirl75 Posts: 153 Member
    Jillian Michael's 30 day shred. You do need hand weights but could easily substitute something you have on hand like cans of veggies or something else. You could probably even use the dvd without any weights at all because I have found that several f the strength moves are challenging even without the weights. All you need is 30 minutes. You can do it!!
  • MissySho
    MissySho Posts: 126 Member
    The Biggest Loser franchise has some great dvd's and can be found at Wal Mart for about 10 bucks a pop.....only equipement needed is hand weights.....but if you buy the BL starter kit at Wal Mart for about 25 dollars you get a pair of hand weights with it. The videos are broken down into Warm up, 3 different circuits, and then cool down. Warm up is 5 minutes, each circuit is about 12-15 minutes and then another 5 minutes for cool down. You also get the option of setting your work out in any order you wish. I love the Biggest Loser line. Hope this helps a little.

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