[shell83]

Alright so my birthday is coming up here in about a month and Im thinking of asking my parents for exercise tapes as a present....does anyone have any suggestions of what tapes are good/bad? I have one of kathy smiths which is decent and a pilates one....I just read the forum on WATP and im thinking of getting those....any other suggestions for weight loss presents? (since i dont have a lot of money to be going out and buying a ton of stuff....ah the joys of being a college student....always broke) What would you guys ask for (concerning weight loss OF COURSE) lol i want an ellyptical but theres no way in **** thats gonna happen!

[vmelo]

Shell83, what is your fitness level? What kind of workouts do you like (do you like step workouts)? Do you have any exercise equipment (step, dumbbells, etc.)? These are important things to consider when determining what type of tapes you need. (BTW, no need to worry if you do not have equipment; there are plenty of tapes out there that don’t require any).

I would suggest checking out the following web-site: www.videofitness.com. Click on Video Reviews. This is a great web site that has tons of reviews on exercise videos. When you discover what you want, you might check out the YaYa forum at http://pub129.************/bfirmbelivers . You have to register, but if you go to the section call Swapmeet, you’ll see that there are many people selling tons of exercise vids for really good deals (often ½ price or less). I’ve built up my video collection this way.

I used to work out at home years ago and had only a couple of tapes. Since discovering the VF & YaYa sites, I’ve gone nuts buying some great tapes. You’ll be surprised & pleased by the variety out there nowadays.

The tapes you mentioned (e.g., WATP) I’ve heard are good, but I think they’re more beginner tapes so I haven’t tried them & can’t offer any feedback.

Good luck!

[ozziesgirl]

I am not in the best shape so I LOVE WATP tapes. I do 2 miles a day and soon will be going to 3 and 4 miles (I have to buy them first) I am not very coordinated and this is perfect for me because there are no weird movements. Pilates is supposed to be great for gaining lean muscle and flexibility. People have lost weight doing those as well I have heard. I am getting the Firm Body Sculpting Basics soon too. It is a very intense workout and the reviews say you will have to work your way up depending on your fitness level but it is a great tape. If you like Step, Denise Austin tapes are pretty good. She is really energetic and in great shape. Good luck with your search!

[GEMonster]

I'm a fan of Yoga Booty Ballet! Sounds fun to say too!
It combines dance (ballet), cardio and yoga. It is divided in segments so if you just want to yoga you can!
I have the firm tapes but they are not my favorite. I have the slim in 6 and it has sections for beginners, intermediate and "expert" too. Good luck!

[shell83]

vmelo- Im not sure of what my fitness level is...id like to say im pretty atheletic...Im up for anything that makes you sweat. If i dont sweat I feel like I havent done anything, although I dont have any equipment. any suggestions from there? Also thanks for the websites!

GEMonster- What tape were you talking about with the carido ballet and yoga? (lol and I agree it is fun to say that i do 'ballet and yoga'.....im weird i guess but i much prefer the ballet....not a big fan of holding poses...i like to move!!! ;-)
Thanks guys!

[vmelo]

Hi, shell83. I would suggest that you stick w/ either kickboxing or hi/lo type of workouts. With these workouts, you don’t need any equipment. Unfortunately, most of the workouts I have use the step or dumbbells, so I don’t have recommendations, but if you check out those web sites I listed in my previous post, you’ll see lots of reviews (in fact, Video Fitness allows you to view the reviews based on workout type, which means you can choose “kickboxing,” for example, & see all the reviews for different kickboxing tapes).

However, if you want to invest in a set of dumbbells (pretty cheap & you can even get them at Marshalls or TJ Max) a great, inexpensive, quick workout is CRUNCH BOOTCAMP. It only takes 30 minutes, but it sure does pack a punch. I like the fact that in this workout you get a little of everything: cardio, weights, & even abs. Besides that, it’s only about $10.

I have one more website to recommended if you have a DVD player: deepdiscountdvd.com. They sell the cheapest DVD workouts that I’ve seen so far & they’re shipping is free.

Good luck!

[GEMonster]

Hey Shell

The tape I was discussing is called YogaBootyBallet!
I have to agree with vmelo Crunch Bootcamp is good too and if you don't have dumb bells use something around the house like laundry detergent (just make sure the cap is closed)

Good Luck!