While cardio is great and necessary to keep your heart healthy and your body lean, you should be doing some type of weight workout during the week. I am the first to admit that strength training is never my go to workout, but I will also admit that it tones the muscles and trims the areas that running just can’t tone and trim.
I know we all know her, but Jillian Michaels makes the BEST workout DVD’s. It doesn’t matter if you’re a man or a woman, her exercises will burn fat and make you healthier. If I go through a season not doing her DVD’s, I am always sore when I come back to them. I could be running 6 miles at a time and still be miserably sore after one of her circuit/strength training sessions. You better believe with my wedding coming up, I have worked these DVD’s back into my routine, and it is paying off!
My Top 2 Recommendations:
1. 30 Day Shred
30 Day Shred was what truly jumpstarted my weight loss 2 years ago. This DVD contains 3 workout at Level 1, 2, and 3. don’t be fooled, Level 1 will still kick your rear. All you need is 2 handweights- I use 5 pounders. Each workout is under 25 minutes longs and contains 3 circuits. Each circuit contains 3 minutes of strength, 2 minutes of cardio, and 1 minute of abs, and you repeat each exercise twice in a single circuit. Circuit training burns fat and tones like nothing else can!
2. 6 Week 6 Pack
How many of us have abdominal muscles we really love to show off? Anyone? This DVD contains 2 workouts- Level 1 and Level 2, which of course will both kick your rear into gear. You only need one handweight for this DVD- I still use a 5 pounder. Jillian uses cardio, body weight, hand weights, and static ab work to cut your abs and burn fat off of the muscles you are so desperately trying to find. Each workout is 34 minutes, where you go through an entire 17 minute circuit and then repeat it. I HIGHLY recommend this one.
If you’re like me, you may truly love cardio. However, if I go through a season without doing these workouts and then start back up, I notice instant muscle definition gain. I could have been running every day, but I would never gain the muscle tone these DVD’s give. I like to do half of a DVD and then go run just to change it up.
Your Homework:
Go buy one of these DVD’s and try it! Let me know how it goes. If you’re stuck in a workout rut, this will either help you keep losing weight or tone the muscles that are still hiding.
