Review: Jillian Michaels Kickbox Fastfix

Kickbox Fastfix is the most recent exercise DVD release from Jillian Michaels. I have previously reviewed her Killer Buns & Thighs DVD and was hoping this one would measure up to the quality and efficiency I've come to expect from her workouts. Sadly, this workout does not measure up as one of her better efforts. Although it can be modified and worked with to make a really great workout, the basic materials provided in the DVD do not on their own create that great of a workout.


The DVD consists of three different workouts and a tutorial on the different kickboxing moves. The first workout focuses on the upper body, the second on the lower, and the third is supposed to target the core. Each workout is only twenty minutes long and consists of four circuits of different cardio and kickboxing moves. There is a short cooldown at the end of each workout, and the warmup is incorporated as the first circuit of the workout.


The first time I did the DVD, I did all three workouts together and felt pretty good by the end of it. Although each individual workout will definitely get your heart rate up and get you working, it just seems like twenty minutes is not quite enough to really get a workout in. However, I can see how this DVD would be great for a day when you are really pressed for time, because I you'll still feel that you at least got something in, and the twenty minutes will definitely get you sweating.


A major complaint shared by many about this DVD is that she does not alternate sides of your body when repeating the different circuits. I agree that this is a major detriment to the workouts. When I do the DVD, I alternate to a different side on my own in order to work out my body evenly, but this can be confusing and slow down the flow of the workout. Also, even with the tutorial some of the moves are progressed through very quickly so it will take a little bit of time to catch on. I feel that she does a pretty good job of explaining each move quickly before jumping into it. But you will definitely need a minute or two to catch on to the flow of the workouts and kickboxing style.


A problem I experience with a few of the moves, particularly in workout two which is focused on the lower body, is that my carpeted floors don't really allow me to do some of the spinning around that she demonstrates in the DVD. This is definitely something to consider as I found myself having to modify the move because I was unable to get any momentum going because of the carpet in my apartment. 


Overall I think this is a pretty good cardio workout if you're willing to modify a few things and make them your own. It is definitely not Jillian's best DVD and not the first one I would recommend to someone who was asking. However it still gets your heart rate going in a short amount of time, and if you are a Jillian Michaels fan you'll definitely still get something out of it.


Just for reference, I'll give you how many calories I burned per workout.
I'm about 5'3" and I weight about 115 pounds.
Workout 1 - 190 calories burned in 20 min
Workout 2 - 188 calories burned in 20 min
Workout 3 - 180 calories burned in 20 min

An image from the tutorial at the beginning of the DVD.

This image is from workout one, this is the only workout that uses weights on the DVD.

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Review: Element Weight Loss Yoga

This yoga DVD is quite different from what I normally incorporate into my routine. In my practice I tend to lean toward the less spiritual, more cardio-based power yoga workouts. Such as this one, which I reviewed earlier. 


It was refreshing to have a more spiritual aspect to the workout. The instructor is Ashley Turner, who is clearly well-educated and knowledgable about what she teaches. Her credentials are clearly laid out for you on the DVD which I thought was a nice touch. Ashley guides you through the workout and often touches on different psychological aspects of fitness and overall health while incorporating a positive mental attitude into your routine. I liked that she also used the traditional yoga names for the poses in addition to using the more familiar terms like "downward dog."


Although the guidance from Ashley is a nice touch to the routine, I can see how this would be irritating after some time. She essentially talks throughout the entire sixty minutes, and after doing the DVD several times I start to wish for a few more nice pauses to focus on holding my pose. 


The routine itself is fairly standard, Ashley uses a vinyasa style yoga with smooth flow between the movements and a lot of upper body strength work. She has a few odd moves thrown in to allow the video to have the "weight-loss" in the title. Do not be fooled, this DVD will burn no more calories then most other yoga workouts. Which is not necessarily a bad thing, but when you put the term "weight-loss" in the title of a yoga DVD it is mostly just a marketing technique. 


I feel this workout would be good for beginners as well as more advanced exercisers, Ashley provides modifications to make the moves both easier and more challenging as the routine continues. Overall the workout is a great stretch and I felt mentally recharged after having completed it. However, I would not recommend it as a "weight-loss" tool and more as a complement to the more intense days in your exercise routine.

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Review: Starbucks Perfect Oatmeal

 

I am a member of the Starbucks Rewards program, if you frequent the store at all it is well worth signing up. I know they didn't really promote the program before, but I've seen some brochures popping up here and there. You get some nice perks and coupons in the mail. A coupon I recently received was for a free Starbucks Perfect Oatmeal. I decided to use that as a good excuse to get a coffee and have breakfast at my local store before running some errands.


I ordered the oatmeal and a tall nonfat latte, which is my favorite drink. The oatmeal came in a decent-sized container that was well packaged and did not feel flimsy or that it would fall apart easily if you had to transport it in your car. Starbucks describes the oatmeal as "100% whole grain goodness made-to-order with your choice of brown sugar, dried fruit, and nuts."

 The oatmeal has a nice thick consistency even before adding the toppings. But it is very obviously instant oatmeal, so the quality is not going to be as good as if you prepared it at home. I did wish the size of the container was a little more on par with how much oatmeal you actually received, that is a lot of empty space there!

You are given three individually packaged toppings, each with the nutritional information clearly labeled on the outside. I thought this was a nice touch and could make customization a little easier for those who are watching their calories. I chose to add the brown sugar and nuts, but not the dried fruit because I thought it seemed a little to much like candy when I did a small taste test. 


I mixed the toppings into the oatmeal and I loved that the brown sugar sort of melted throughout and made the oatmeal a bit gooey and sticky to eat. I thought it was at a perfect consistency and not too watery or too clumpy. The oatmeal had a pleasant taste, especially with the addition of the brown sugar. The nuts were crisp and did not taste like they had been in a package for who knows how long. You also got a pretty decent amount of the nuts, which included walnuts, pecans, and almonds. I liked that the serving did seem pretty decent with everything added in. I could definitely make a meal out of just the oatmeal and my latte. I was full for a good five hours after I ate this.

The individual add-ons.

I did not pay for the oatmeal, and I really don't know that I would on a normal day even though it was pretty good. It costs about $2.50 and you can get entire containers of oatmeal at the store for that price. However, if you are in a hurry it is probably a decent option when compared with what else is out there.

The nutrition information for the oatmeal by itself is 140 calories, the nuts add 100 calories, the brown sugar adds 50, and the dried fruit would also add 100 calories. The sodium is very low which I liked, especially for a fast food breakfast.

Check out this cutie who I got to spend some time with before breakfast! 

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Review: Bob Harper's Inside Out Method: Yoga for the Warrior

Image: My Trainer Bob

This DVD is part of a set that includes three other DVDs designed to provide a comprehensive workout system. This particular DVD comes with two options to choose from when the menu screen loads. The first is a full sixty minute yoga workout, and the second is a fifteen minute sections that focuses specifically on abs. In order to do the workout, all you will need is a yoga mat. 


I have only done the fifteen minute section on a few occasions but I found that it is one of the more comprehensive short workouts that is so often included on exercise DVDs. The moves are dynamic and there is no rest given between different moves which made me really feel the burn, especially in my lower abdominal muscles. Some of the moves include: crunches, scissors, and a variety of boat poses, which get really tough toward the end.


The second workout on the DVD is the one hour portion. This is one of my go-to yoga workouts because at the end I always end up feeling relaxed and my muscles feel limber and well stretched out. The first thing I noticed when I started the sequence was that there is a countdown clock in the lower right hand corner of the screen. It shows how much time is left in the workout and will occasionally flash the name of the pose you're in. This did not really bother me or inspire me either way, but I can see how it would be helpful to those looking to push through when they only have a few minutes left.


A lot of the moves included are pretty standard yoga fare, such as warrior positions, downward dog, chair, triangle, and a few others. However, Bob does throw in a few moves that I was pleasantly surprised to see like happy baby, bird of paradise, tree pose, and a few strength training moves. 


The sequencing is done very well and all of the moves flow together. I did not notice awkward transitions or long pauses between different moves. The people behind him who demonstrate the moves do a good job, and there is a modifier who does a simpler version of each position. The interaction between Bob and the people with him is not distracting and is sometimes helpful because he does occasionally adjust their position. Bob himself does not do most of the moves, but I did not find this distracting because the people around him do a good job. 


The moves are challenging, and the first few times I did it I definitely had sore shoulders the next day, but none of them are impossible for people with at least some exercise experience. Overall I would recommend this DVD if you are looking for something to add to your yoga rotation, it gives a full body stretch and a great relaxation cooldown at the end.

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Products I recommend: Lululemon Brisk Run Headband

Image: Lululemon

Running is one of the best ways to stay in shape and clear the mind. But when temperatures drop the excuses for why we can't get outside and run start to pile up. This is where the Brisk Run Headband from Lululemon comes in.


I've had this headband for a few months now and I would definitely recommend picking one up before it is cycled out of the seasonal offerings on Lululemon's website. 


The headband is reversible, with a striped pattern on one side and a more solid gray on the other (It is also sold in black). There is elastic around the outside that allows it to fit comfortably and stay put. 


The material is a little thin but it is still warm 
enough to where I was not bothered by it. It fits nicely over the entire ear and back of the head and did not irritate my skin or slide around while I was running. In fact, it actually helped to keep my headphones from falling out of my ears while I ran.


The only issue I had with it was that the elastic around the forehead did allow sweat to build up more in that area then anywhere else on my face. However, the headband is made of running luon, which is moisture wicking. So the end result could have been much worse.


Overall this is a solid, affordable product from Lululemon that is definitely worth picking up if you are in need of something to make those cold winter runs more bearable.

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Review: Jillian Michaels Killer Buns and Thighs

I have always been a big fan of Jillian Michaels' exercise DVDs. Overall I find them effective, efficient, and sometimes even entertaining while I'm keeled over in pain. So I was happy to see that Killer Buns and Thighs does not disappoint on any of those criteria.

I have now done all three levels of the DVD multiple times, and I think that you could get a decent workout from doing any of the levels on a given day. The main difference that I notice is that the cardio becomes more intense as the levels progress. Another minor difference is that the hand weights are used more frequently in the later levels. 

Level one is definitely hard enough for beginners, but still would serve as a good introduction to the DVD for people who are more experienced, it still got my heart rate up and I definitely felt the burn during moves like a chair pose with a leg raise. Level two really steps up the cardio, especially during a move called a one-legged burpee. I didn't think there could be something worse out there than just a regular burpee, and boy was I wrong. I would say that level three and level two are pretty similar in terms of overall difficulty. Level three does include the most plyometrics out of any of the levels.

This DVD is definitely one I would recommend picking up, it is a significant calorie burner because it focuses so much on the lower body, and the banter between Jillian and the two girls is enjoyable and makes the time go by a little bit faster.

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