Losing It and Keeping Fit!-Review
The setup
We were recently asked by Gaiam to review a new DVD starring Jenny Craig’s spoke person, Valerie Bertinelli. The title is “Losing It and Keeping Fit!“. We already own a tai chi and a yoga DVD put out by Gaiam. I figured this would be a slam dunk.
In the interested of disclosure, let’s get this out of the way right up front. The only compensation that we’ve received for this review is a copy of “Losing It and Keeping Fit!”. The link at the bottom page will take you directly to Gaiam’s website, and is not an affiliate link. On top of all of this, we’ll use it as a prize for a contest later this year.
Disclaimer – I had a crush on Ms. Bertinelli when I was a young boy. Have no fears, I will not let that sway my opinion.
The breakdown
After popping in the DVD, the menu shows a couple of choices. The first is a twenty minute beginner workout. The set uses bodyweight exercises that can be done at home with no equipment.
The second choice is a forty minute workout that adds in some dumbbells. There are some classic pilate exercises to boot. This one is an “intermediate” workout that a beginner can work up to in a short period of time.
In the bonus section of the DVD are two abdominal workouts-the first is a quick little session that will whoop most people. Then there is the ab challenge. Frankly, this is pure torture. I only watched this part, and my gut was saying, “Don’t even think about it!”
The nitty-gritty
As with any other video put out by Gaiam, the quality is top notch. From the set to the music, it’s a good product.
Unlike any other workout DVD that I’ve seen, the “Star” is not the one leading the workout. Instead, we’re lead by Valerie’s personal trainer, Christopher Ross Lane. He does a great job, so that’s okay.
Valerie was pretty much just along for the ride. At times she looked lost. You might think that this was a distraction. You‘d be wrong. It was kind of refreshing. I saw another review online (I don’t recall where) that said that it felt like she was working out with us. That’s a pretty accurate way of putting it.
The verdict
The question on hand is whether or not we would recommend this DVD. Honestly, yes, I would recommend it to somebody starting out. It’s a good product.
We sometimes enjoy training along with this type of workout on Saturday. It’s not an off day, but it’s something that we can do together. So, if you do any type of supplemental workouts, I’d recommend adding this DVD to the rotation.
To purchase your own copy of Losing It and Keeping Fit!, click on Gaiam to go to their website.
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January 25, 2010 at 3:17 pm
Sounds like a good program for beginners. But for me, after trying so many workout videos, i find the Biggest Loser workout DVDs the best.
January 25, 2010 at 7:21 pm
I haven’t seen the Biggest Loser DVD’s, however, I’m not a fan of the franchise. The monster has become as too commercial for my taste.
In the past we would have about six different workout tapes/DVD’s in the library. That allowed us to rotate through the week, thus keeping from getting bored.
January 26, 2010 at 7:01 am
You’re not the only one that had a crush on her. She’s still pretty hot.
January 27, 2010 at 4:33 pm
My wife loves this DVD. She says most workout DVDs make her feel even worse because she can’t keep up with the trainer. You mentioned that Val doesn’t actually “lead” the workout. That’s the refreshing part because you can feel fine about not keeping up with the “trainer” Christopher Ross Lande as long as you can keep up with the celebrity which, in this case, isn’t nearly as difficult.
Once you surpass the celebrity you can set your sights on keeping up with the trainer. So it’s like two levels with every workout.
January 27, 2010 at 6:42 pm
I completely agree. I’m glad that your wife enjoys it so much. So did my wife.
February 3, 2010 at 5:56 pm
I have always been a person that likes to do my own thing..so the video workouts would never be my choice. However there are quite a few women that I know that use them and they are very effective…like anything else though….you must use it to lose it
February 3, 2010 at 6:25 pm
@DorthyL, I agree with you. We will usually do a workout along with a DVD of some sort on Saturday, but the rest of the week we have our own workouts.
July 10, 2010 at 11:57 am
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