Workout DVDs #20 & #21: Two Cardio Queens get at it

Denise Austin’s Personal Training System See the DVD | 20 mins

Netflix writes:

Fitness expert Denise Austin shows how to achieve an all-over toned, healthy body at any age with this customizable collection of 100 express workouts. You can pick and choose the cardio and toning segments that fit your schedule, your fitness goals and the appropriate level of intensity, allowing you to vary your workouts and advance to more intense routines when you’re ready. 2- to 5-pound dumbbells are required for some exercises.

Karen Voight’s Calorie Burn See the DVD | 30 mins

Netflix writes:

With fitness instructor Karen Voight as your guide, you’ll learn how to effectively raise your heart rate, burn calories and boost your metabolism, turning your body into an efficient fat-melting machine. And if that’s not enough to motivate you, consider this: The “after-burn effect” built into this compact cardiovascular routine ensures that you’ll continue to burn calories long after you’ve wrapped your workout.

Day 33

OK it was cardio today. I thought these two long renowned fitness experts could give me a boost. I haven’t really ever done a Denise Austin workout, just seen her on TV, so this was new to me.

The DVD comes with lots of customization options which is very nice. You can choose from cardio and toning and even add sections together and then select ‘play’ – it’s amazing what technology can do these days! I decided to go with the low impact cardio workout and it was easy to follow. Sometimes the movement descriptions seemed a little too cheesy, like ‘the rainbow’ where you move your arms in an arc – like a rainbow – and some references seemed to convey that very overweight, closet exercises were the market niche.

The workout was only 20 mins, and sans cool down just a mere 17. I had gotten a sweat going but needed more.

Calorie Burn is a great workout. Karen Voight is my workout goddess and I loved this workout because it was easy to do from the get go. But I have to add – this was because I have done almost all of her workouts over the years and this one was an amalgamation of moves from various other workouts. I’m not saying it’s going to be too hard if you’ve never done all Karen’s workouts but it can be a little confusing when you first start.

Karen is known for adding on arm work that can sometimes be a bit overwhelming. But you always have the option not to do the arms, or not do as much of the coordinated moves at all – you are the one doing the workout.

Personally I love to add the extra arm movements as it ups the intensity.

The strange part was that the cardio finished and there was no cool down and stretch. The intensity was lowered somewhat and then it was over! Most bizarre. It made me think this workout was part of a series and I didn’t get all the episodes!

Nevertheless is was a great workout and here are my stats for the day:

3/10/08

51:27 [workout time]
27:48 [in aerobic zone 60% -80% Target Heart Rate]
146 bpm [average heart rate]
174 bpm [highest heart rate]
404 [cals burned]