Hand weights at home?

  • Good morning!

    I am not sure if this is the right place for this but I thought some of you might be able to advise me.

    I am looking for a video tape on training with small hand weights. I have just started and have a set of 3, 5 & 10lb weights. I don't have time for the gym and need to work out at home in the mornings - I have a max time of 30-40 minutes to workout before I have to get ready to go to work.

    I currently do pilates twice a week and take belly dance classes twice per week so my lower body is in pretty good shape. I am interested in toning my upper arms and increasing their strength as I use them with dance movements - i.e holding up veils, candles and canes and I hope to someday work up to swords . These may not seem like a lot of weight but after 15 minutes of holding your arms in the air you certainly feel it

    I tried "the Firm" for upper body this morning but half the tape is ads for their other videos followed by a workout circa 1980's with overly made up women in skimpy workout clothes exercising while making come hither eyes at the camera But I borrowed it from my mum so maybe the tape is old and they have updated since then?

    I know I am probably asking for a lot here but if anyone could help me out I would really appreciate it.

    Thank you!
  • Hi Mauvais

    I haven't used them, but I did some searches for you and the videos that I see getting good reviews by users are the Kathy Friedrich ones, and the newer ones by Joyce Vedral. I just looked at the Joyce Vedral website and she has about 25 videos, including 1 or two that are just upper body.

    Mel
  • I have a couple of Joyce Vedral’s DVD’s and I really do like them. The upper body workout on her “The Complete Fat Burning Workout” is exactly what you are describing. The workouts are supersets using 2, 3 and 5 lb weights. I did catch one error in the video where on one of the final sets she skipped over one of the exercises. It’s no big deal and you can easily add it in. You will get to a point where you don’t even need to run the video while you workout but initially the video helped me by demonstrating proper form and rhythm. The DVD came with the book too so you get a manual with all the routines in the order they are performed on the video, very helpful. Also, initially I received a DVD that skipped, I just sent Joyce an email telling her that I was having trouble with the DVD and she shipped me a replacement immediately, I didn’t even have to return the defective DVD. You can’t beat that kind of service.

    I also have a DVD of Kathy Smith’s “Lifting Weights to Lose Weight”. I’ve used Kathy Smith’s video’s in the past so I felt confident in purchasing this DVD. I have not had an opportunity to view it yet; hopefully I will get to some time this week.
  • Thanks meliris and Evangeline!

    Much appreciated since I don't know where to start
  • Also worth checking out is Krista Scott Dixon's Weight Training for Women website.

    http://www.stumptuous.com/weights.html

    Good stuff in there!
  • Thanks Mrs. Jim!
  • I use Cathe Freidrich tapes all the time and LOVE them. But Cathe's gym type workouts have more of an empahsis on lifting heavy. I also have several Joyce Vedral videos. Joyce is an inspiration because she is 60 years old and looks wonderful. Her weight workouts sound like more of what you're looking for: higher reps and lighter weights.
  • I have my own home gym-but I also alternate lifting with that and using videos and hand weights. If you get past some of the beginner mainstream types like Denise Austin or Leslie Sansone-some of them are really tough!

    The Firm are pretty good for mainstream videos-I do like them because they switch hand weights depending on what are you are working. I don't like the ones that don't give a few seconds to change in between muscles-and use small 1 or 2 pound weights for the entire workout.

    I do have some Joyce Vedral, and some Cathe...which are both pretty good. Corey Everson and Rachel McLish also have videos out-although I don't really care for the ab work in the Rachel McLish video. My 100% absolute favorite though is Margaret Richard. She has the morning show on PBS called Body Electric. She is also older-in her 50's I think-my mom used to do Body Electric when I was growing up.

    Her videos are sold on her website-and they are great. For starters I would recommend her set "All My Best." It is two videos or dvds-each about an hour long. Each one is "split" into two half hour routines like her show. You will find that in her splits-that she will work quads and hamstrings one day, then the inner and outer thighs the next...etc. You can do half of each video each day-or if your routine is such that you prefer to strength train your entire body one day, and do cardio the next-that you can do the whole hour and do that too. There is a small few second break between sections-telling you what you are going to be working next-so you know what weights to grab. As always-when you progress, you can intensify the routine by using heavier weights, or adding ankle weights to the leg segments.

    The thing I prefer about Margaret over Joyce-is that I feel that Margaret works the muscles in so many different ways. I like Joyce a lot-and I like her pyramid system as well. Margaret is different though-rather than doing a couple sets or a pyramid of one or two moves for each body part and counting the reps and sets, Margaret really varies her routines and the muscles are worked every which way. In the All My Best series-the exercises are different in each segment. The quads routine in one uses standing squats with numerous variations, and in the other video there is various quad floorwork with ankle weights. She has a couple advanced videos as well that are good-Sculpture Upper Body, and Sculpture Lower Body. Each are an hour long...and they are pretty intense for strength videos.

    All of her videos can be used with hand weights, ankle weights, a kitchen chair, and a towel. She also shows modifications for some moves if a certain position just isn't for you.

    She is a little..."different" though-a little quirky-but in a calm way. Watch her and you'll see what I mean. I like it though...it grows on you.
  • I love love love Kathy Smith's Lift Weights to Lose Weight. She now has a volume 2 out as well. Both include a 20-minute upper and 20-minute lower-body workout, along with a short ab workout. The second video has some additional sections like a swiss ball workout, and she incorporates a lot of Pilates principles in all the workouts. Both are very flexible and adaptable to your skill level, fitness level, etc. She also has a set of older weight videos called Secrets of a Great Body. There's one video for upper and one for lower. These routines are longer and not as trendy, but they have GREAT instructional demos at the beginning of each exercise to show you proper form and modifications.