I'm going to step out a bit here and confess that I LIKE Richard Simmons. Poor guy, he's always the butt of late-night jokes. I happened to be in Dave Letterman's audience the night Dave chased Richard (dressed like a Turkey) with a fire extinguisher. It's funny how many times I've seen that scene rerun.

But, I just had the most awesome 50 minute workout! And, I have my friend Richard to thank for it. I purchased a Boogie Down the Pounds DVD and tried it out after work today. I'm not sure what I expected, but I was really sweating as I boogied to the disco hits, and it was loads of fun! I loved the fact that he had such a varied team dancing with him, and at the end, it mentioned how much weight several of them had lost. One had dropped over 200lbs! What an inspiration!

I just wanted to see if anyone else was a Richard Simmons fan. Are there any more DVDs you would recommend?

I grew up with my mom and grandmother doing Richard Simmons in the living room. As kids, we'd join in and there are some songs I can't not do some of the movements when they come in. I've always love Sweating to the Oldies 2 and just recently tracked it down on DVD since the VHS I had was probably on it's death bed. I'll have to look for the one mentioned.

I haven't seen anything of his in so long. I miss those .. anyone have any idea where we can find his dvds?

I'd like to know where to find them, too. I have such a mooshy soft spot in my heart for him. Talk about cheeriness!

I've seen the original with the fitness DVDs at walmart. I bought the 2nd one at Hastings new but they had 1, 2, and 3.

I know you can find them on eBay but everytime I've looked they been kind of pricey. He's also got a website store.

I haven't used any of his videos I think because I'm not really into dancey workouts, but I love him and I love upbeat music from the 70's and 80's. If he have an exercise dvd that features disco music I would be all over that! lol

I love his videos too. They actually had one last week in Wal Mart. I think it was the Dancing to the oldies 2. There has to still be a lot of fans, because I had just checked the video's out a couple weeks prior and they didn't have his. That day. they, had sold all but the 1 video. You can also get them on Ebay. Having people on the videos doing the exercises, that are my size puts his a step above others. You look at some of those people and think, I'm that size, I can't stop now. If they can do it I can do it. I have the biggest loser video and all those working out are skinny and I get discouraged and stop.

I've never done any of his workouts, but I've always liked him because he seems to genuinely care about the people he's trying to help.

I like him, too and yes I think he is sincere in his desire to help people. I have his Sweatin To The Oldies, I have had it a long time, but it can still be ordered online, google it for details. I also have his Deal A Meal. I am not using it now but it is a good plan, he doesn't make wild claims that you will lose unrealistic amount as some "diet experts" do.

I just bought one for 10 bucks online through Target. I got the Sweating to the Oldies 80's music. I used to do these in high school and was thrilled to find one. Now, I have to work up enough nerve to try it!

I love him! I feel funny dancing like a loon to his tapes but they really work!
When you dance around your moving everything you have and you get toned fast!

My mom Worked out with Richard's tapes and had a rock hard body, she could have bench pressed a truck, lol. I remember me and my little brother working out with her and having fun.

That's another cool thing about his vids, if you have kids they can dance with you and have fun while staying fit.

I have a VHS tape of his "Sweating to the oldies" which is really fun! I personally want to get all of his videos.

I agree, Richard Simmons has helped am unremarkable amount of people lose weight!!!

I just bid on two different sets of his DVDs on eBay. I have a couple of his VHS tapes somewhere.

His stuff seems to be available on Amazon, as well as eBay.

I have been using his vids on and off for years and just last month I ordered two DVD's, Sweating to the Oldies 4 and Disco Sweat (which I haven't tried yet) from Amazon (they have TONS of his stuff for very cheap....both were only $16). I love him as it has REAL people working out, not skinny models and I am very aerobic challenged (I can't dance AT ALL) and can still follow his moves after a couple of tries.

Considering I have been VERY inactive for the last few years and have a slight bum ankle from a car wreck in '98 and can't do high impact work outs, I feel he gives an excellent low-impact challenge for beginning, overweight folk like me! I am hoping to pair his cardio with some Bowflex weigh training, an ab roller for sit ups and The Firm "Total Body Toner", a low impact sculpting workout vid that uses light weights to work muscles to get myself back on track!

That's what got me started 15 years ago. I had the original Sweatin' to the Oldies and at the end of the video I would get so moved by seeing the progress some of them had made. it was back when there wasn't much online, so it was helpful to see OTHER people who had made it through. I then got more videos.

I traded them away at another time I was doing aerobics on the videofitness site, but I had a hiatus in exercise and realized that having some easier videos would always be good, so I bought the 4 disc (or is it 5?) DVD set.

I tried to use them this time, but found that the carpeting in the basement wasn't good for my knees as there is some twisting moves, so I only did the original one once and not the others. I will keep the DVDs though. They are a great foundation video and as you get more fit, you just make bigger movements.

Even now when I hear some songs from the first few tapes he made, I think of doing those aerobics and know a bit of the routines.