We are pleased to announce that as of March 4, 2025, an updated Rich Text Editor has been introduced in the MyFitnessPal Community. To learn more about the changes, please click here. We look forward to sharing this new feature with you!

switching from gym to work out dvds?

Tanie98
Tanie98 Posts: 675 Member
edited November 2024 in Fitness and Exercise
i recently started using work out dvds and I love them. I still have my gym membership card but I was bored at the gym .The group exercise classes didn't mesh well with my schedule so most of the time I go on different treadmill which can get boring.

Now I find some work out dvds challenging especially the Jillian Michaels ones. I also mix them with yoga pilates and circuit training.I now look forward to use a workout dvd the first thing when I wake up I the morning :)Not to mention the convenience of not having to drive to the gym in snow.I also wanted to hire a personal trainer but they are very expensive

So did anyone got in better shape when they started using work out dvds ?

Replies

  • spickard34
    spickard34 Posts: 303 Member
    I stopped going to the gym years ago and I am in the best shape ever buy doing Jilian and Bob Harper workouts. Also there is an amazing site called fitnessblender.com and it is totally free and the instructors are awesome. You can even select the time, muscle group, and equipment you have. Also now I don't have to buy nice workout clothes I can wear what ever I want since I am at home.
  • sofaking6
    sofaking6 Posts: 4,589 Member
    Well, since I stopped going to the gym a year or so before I started doing DVDs, I *definitely* got in better shape from using them lol! I have also recently turned on to the whole youtube workout thing. It does take some effort and patience to find videos that I like, but then again they are FREE :)
  • ourtruelovewillneverdie
    ourtruelovewillneverdie Posts: 170 Member
    I like the Jillian michaels and bob Harper DVDs. I also love the insanity ones. I'm looking into the T25 for days I'm short on time.
  • Tanie98
    Tanie98 Posts: 675 Member
    sofaking6 wrote: »
    Well, since I stopped going to the gym a year or so before I started doing DVDs, I *definitely* got in better shape from using them lol! I have also recently turned on to the whole youtube workout thing. It does take some effort and patience to find videos that I like, but then again they are FREE :)

    I download and burn them from yutube as well since they are free :)

  • PerkisPower
    PerkisPower Posts: 74 Member
    Had a gym membership for 2 years when I was 22-23 (25 now) and I would always find myself chatting with others or doing a workout when someone would ask I i wanted to play basketball to make it an even number or something of the sort. I would also be very frustrated with the fact I was wasting over 30 minutes a day just driving to and from. Hated going to the gym in December/January as well.

    So I tried p90x 2 years ago and it has been perfect for me. I can focus on the workouts and it's only 1 hour a day and I do them as soon as I get home from work. Saves time and money on the gym. I also watch TV while I workout so I wont be watching TV later while doing nothing.

    Purchased a bike and treadmill for the cardio aspects (although I don't use them half as much as I should)

    I know these videos don't work for all but I much prefer them over gym memberships.

  • Raynne413
    Raynne413 Posts: 1,527 Member
    I pretty much only work out at home. I didn't like the hassle of the gym. Besides DVDs, you can search on YouTube for just about anything and find videos: strength training, dance, zumba, kickboxing, pilates, yoga.
  • Delilahhhhhh
    Delilahhhhhh Posts: 477 Member
    Fitnessblender.com works really well for me, they are no nonsense workouts. There are so many different styles you never get bored and the presenters are great.
  • FitPhillygirl
    FitPhillygirl Posts: 7,124 Member
    I'm going to be starting Insanity Max 30 in the beginning of Jan. While I could never quit going to the gym altogether, I do plan on cutting my wieghtlifting days at the gym down to 2 days a week until I finish all 60 days of that program.
  • sherambler
    sherambler Posts: 303 Member
    I do both the gym and working out at home (equipment and videos). It's hard for me to say whether one works me out better than the other, but I do like videos for the variety. You can always find a new one, and it keeps me engaged and keeps the sense of fun going so it doesn't feel so much like a workout. Fitness blender and fitsugar have ones that I really like. I've even had my boyfriend do some with me so it feels like I'm taking a class. I can't do actual classes, I end up in everyone else's space. :'(
  • lewispwest
    lewispwest Posts: 498 Member
    I went to the gym from April to November this year when I had my surgery. When I was healed up from that I switched over to P90 and it's much better for me.

    The workouts are better structured so that I'm actually doing beneficial exercises rather than just running on the treadmill until I'm tired and it forces me to workout six times a week in manageable 30min slots.
  • fivethreeone
    fivethreeone Posts: 8,196 Member
    this is like going from riding a bike to riding a tricycle.

    there's definitely a place for workout DVDs (those snowy days you mentioned, for one thing), but overall the potential for self-improvement is lower with workout DVDs.
  • jacksonpt
    jacksonpt Posts: 10,413 Member
    edited December 2014
    Tanie98 wrote: »
    So did anyone got in better shape when they started using work out dvds ?
    That's a pretty broad question.

    Can you lose weight? Sure, but that's more a function of diet than it is exercise.
    Can you improve cardiovascular health? Definitely.
    Can you improve strength? Yea, a little
    Can you improve coordination, balance, and flexibility? Maybe a little, I guess.

    So it really depends on your goals, expectations, and current fitness level. As said previously, there is definitely a place for DVDs. How effective they will be can vary.
  • MinnieInMaine
    MinnieInMaine Posts: 6,400 Member
    Whether or not it's better for fitness depends a lot of what you were doing at the gym and what workout DVDs you're planning to use. Jillian is a good start and I would highly recommend the Bob Harper workout DVDs (Inside Out method) if you need more of a challenge. His so-called beginner workout just about killed me!
  • jpaulie
    jpaulie Posts: 917 Member
    fivethreeone wrote: »
    this is like going from riding a bike to riding a tricycle.

    there's definitely a place for workout DVDs (those snowy days you mentioned, for one thing), but overall the potential for self-improvement is lower with workout DVDs.

    i dunno, I have seen a lot of very fit people who have had great success with P90X
  • sofaking6
    sofaking6 Posts: 4,589 Member
    jpaulie wrote: »
    fivethreeone wrote: »
    this is like going from riding a bike to riding a tricycle.

    there's definitely a place for workout DVDs (those snowy days you mentioned, for one thing), but overall the potential for self-improvement is lower with workout DVDs.

    i dunno, I have seen a lot of very fit people who have had great success with P90X

    And plenty of other programs as well. I'm really trying super hard to ignore the blowhards!! It's so, so difficult.

  • jacksonpt
    jacksonpt Posts: 10,413 Member
    edited December 2014
    sofaking6 wrote: »
    jpaulie wrote: »
    fivethreeone wrote: »
    this is like going from riding a bike to riding a tricycle.

    there's definitely a place for workout DVDs (those snowy days you mentioned, for one thing), but overall the potential for self-improvement is lower with workout DVDs.

    i dunno, I have seen a lot of very fit people who have had great success with P90X

    I'm really trying super hard to ignore the blowhards!!

    "blowhards", huh?
  • asaltzman920
    asaltzman920 Posts: 1
    I am a big fan of workout dvds because I keep working out until the dvd is over, whereas in the gym I'm more prone to stopping my workout because I don't feel like working out anymore.
  • Tanie98
    Tanie98 Posts: 675 Member
    Thank you eveveryone for your answers. @MimielnMaine I am going yo look into Bob Harper work out.Also if everyone have other work out dvds that they recommend , let me know thanks :)
This discussion has been closed.

Categories