Search - 15-Minute Workouts for Dummies on DVD

Intermediate Speed, Classic Exercises

Rebecca Johnson | Washington State | 07/14/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

""Common don't quit!" ~Gay Gasper

Gay Gasper is an internationally known fitness presenter who loves exercise and has been teaching for over 19 years. She has appeared in 27 fitness workouts and has a high-energy style. Each movement has a purpose and she doesn't waste anytime between exercises. This is why I'm going to say this might be intermediate. If you have been exercising for a few months, and are familiar with the use of dumbbells then you might be ready for this workout.

Some favorite features:

15-minute Workouts for Abs, Arms, Buns and Thighs
The countdown clock - motivation to keep going to the last minute

Aerobic sections between the weight lifting - This makes the workout feel like an interval training style workout. If you do all the exercises one after the other.

Challenging modifications for advanced users - you can add weights at some point.
Icons - Jargon alert, Myth Buster, Tips, Beware and Remember Icon.

If you are looking for a nice challenge, you can do all the 15-minute workouts and make your way through all 26 toning and shaping exercises. If you want to take exercise breaks throughout the day or just want to spend 15 minutes each day - that is also an option.

The tips were interesting and Gay gives advice like using a sponge mop for balance.

The music is highly motivating, the set is uncluttered and Gay's personality and voice are pleasant and inspirational. She also uses humor throughout the exercises. Her professional attitude towards exercise makes you feel confident and you can really trust her advice.

What will you need?

A space large enough to do lunges
Two sets of weights.

You could use 3-5 lb weights or even start with smaller weights and in a few weeks you will notice you are ready to move onto heavier weights. 3lb weights sounded right to me, but they say you can use two eight-pound dumbbells. It is better to work slowly into using weights and see gradual results. I started with one-pound weights and in about 30 weeks I was up to using 3-5lb weights. I no longer believe that faster is better. If it takes you 30 weeks to get to a point where you are really proud of yourself and you are keeping with an exercise program, then that beats a quick fix any day.

15-Minute Workouts for Dummies might even become a staple in your exercise video collection. I loved it and will keep doing this workout because it is highly motivational and the exercises are very effective. You are increasing muscle that eventually helps you to burn more calories each day. If I am ever having trouble feeling motivated to exercise, I just put this video in the VCR and within minutes I'm in the mood to burn some calories.

~The Rebecca Review

P.S. You might also enjoy Basic Yoga for Dummies with Sara Ivanhoe. She is also an instructor in Candlelight Yoga which is one of my absolute favorite evening treats before bed. I feel soooo relaxed after Candlelight Yoga. It is also especially beautiful with all the candles."

Absolutely NOT for the beginner

Dave | 06/03/2004

(1 out of 5 stars)

"Dummies. The series is supposed to be for people who have no experience and want to be brought up to speed. Well, unless your an athlete and a dancer, forget about being able to follow along with these. I bought a TamiLee Title, and it is just awesome, but I am sending this back. The exercises are done at an incredible break-neck speed, and the camera angles vary constantly so it's impossible to see what she is doing. The video IS entertaining I admit, it's funny to watch someone working out so fast, but for someone who wants a serious beginners workout video, go get a TamiLee video. Because of the speed of the presenter, she has placed speed over accuracy. I just stood there ready to throw something at the TV. If you're a regular Gym bunny and are used to the super-fast dance style moves, you'll love it. If your a newbie who wants something to get them motivated, this is not for you."

Okay, is there a "Fitness for SUPER Dummies" workout?

B. S. Andrews | Toledo, OH | 07/31/2005

(2 out of 5 stars)

"This was recommended to me as a great workout for beginners, but I was totally lost in the first 60 seconds of the warmup! She keeps adding steps without a whole lot of explanation and making it look easy, which seems a bit baffling considering that she's talking to a bunch of people who think they are "dummies" at fitness!

The ab exercises were WAY too hard! I couldn't even make it halfway through that section. She does give "basic" modifications for some exercises, but even the basics were too hard for me.

To be fair, I think this program is probably pretty good--and I will keep working on it as I progress in my weight loss program--but if you are are a true sedentary beginner and looking for something to get you started, you might want to try something else first."

Outstanding

Dave | Indiana | 05/11/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This is absolutely the best workout video I've ever owned. Broken into 15-minute chunks that fit the little cracks in my daily schedule, these workouts are fun and rewarding. My favorite is the abs workout. I also own the Ab Workouts For Dummies video, and I figured this segment of the 15 minute tape would just duplicate the other video. I was thrilled to see that it was a new ab workout. Sure, every ab workout is going to have a few variations on crunches, there's no getting around that. But there were several new exercises included, and the presentation was completely different.I've been recommending this video to just about everybody I know. If you want a great workout that's fun and fits your schedule, give this one a shot."