"It Ain't Your MaMa's YOGA!"

After having a few back strains from doing high intensity exercises, I started looking into alternative workouts, such as yoga. I've never been the biggest the fan of yoga, mostly because I'm inflexible, but I did a few downward dog routines and it helped my back.

For the past month, I have been trying out the new workout program called DDP Yoga, which I received free of charge in exchange for my honest thoughts. I received the workout kit fairly quickly by USPS, which contained four DVDs in two cardboard sleeves, a reference wall chart featuring all the basic moves, and a fitness guide book.

DDP Yoga was created by the former WCW and WWF wrestler Diamond Dallas Page, famous for his finishing Diamond Cutter move. He suffered from many wrestling injures, which would normally result in a wrestler retiring, but instead he tried doing yoga and got back into fighting shape. Now, he has created a 13-week program to help others get into shape.

The workouts included in this program are:

DVD Review - Exhale: Core Fusion Barre Basics for Beginners

Exhale: Core Fusion Barre Basics for Beginners
Instructors: Elisabeth Halfpapp and Fred DeVito
Studio: Acorn Media
ASIN: B00BEZECEA
Release Date: May 14, 2013
Run Time 70 minutes, plus turtorials
Rating: Not Rated

Review:

My New Year's Resolution is to have a new me by the end of the year, which involves exercising. I'm not the most flexible person thanks to my lower back and knee problems, which has led me to try out new workouts. Most recently I've been trying out the Exhale: Core Fusion Barre Basics for Beginners, which I received an advanced complementary copy in exchange for my honest review.

I was already aware of other Barre workout programs that are targeted for ballets and dancers, which I'm neither as I'm unbalanced, but the "for beginners" in the workout title caught my attention and I thought I would give it a try.

Core Fusion was created by the husband and wife team of Fred DeVito and Elizabeth Halfpapp and they also own the Exhale mind body spas. Don't let the word Barre fool you as this DVD is aimed for anyone, even the non-athletics like me.

DVD Review - Kenya Moore: Booty Boot Camp

Kenya Moore: Booty Boot Camp
Studio: Acorn Media (Acacia)
Release Date: March 5, 2013
ASIN: B00BEZEFM4
Running Time: Approx. 90 min.
Rating: Not Rated

Review:

You may wonder why a man would be reviewing a workout intended for women. Well, I have lower-back problems, so I thought I would try out a workout that targets the gluteus maximus muscle. There aren't a whole lot of workout DVDs aimed for men, unless you count the high intensity ones, which aren't good for my back. Acacia nicely sent me a free copy of Kenya Moore" Booty Boot Camp in exchange for my honest review. Kenya Moore is a former Miss USA and is currently on the reality program The Real Housewives of Atlanta, which I have never watched before. Actually, I've never heard of Kenya before this workout DVD.

The workout DVD consist of a warm-up, a level 1 workout, a level 2 workout, a level 3 workout, a short cool-down, and a cool-down with additional ab-flattening workout. You don't have to play all the workouts straight through, as you can easily use the menu to pick out which ones you want to try out for the day. No weights are needed, but you do need to use a rug or yoga mat for the floor work.

Despite what the title suggests Kenya isn’t the instructor here, though she does take over for a few routines. The real instructor is Nikki Veal who teaches simple moves that are suppose to shrink your waist, define your abs and give you a butt lift.

Kenya Moore: Booty Boot Camp DVD Trailer

Kenya Moore's, from Bravo’s hit show The Real Housewives of Atlanta and former Miss USA, workout DVD "Booty Boot Camp was released on DVD from Acacia on March 5, 2013 to online stories. It will be released to retail stores in May. The DVD has three 20-minutes workouts. There is also a bonus ab-flattening workout.

Check out the DVD trailer below:

DVD Review: Biggest Loser: Calorie Knockout

Biggest Loser: Calorie Knockout
Extreme Cardio For Maximum Burn
Workout Instructors: Bob Harper, Anna Kournikova and Dolvett Quince
Studio: Lionsgate
Release Date: December 6, 2011
ASIN: B005N8KPD6
Run Time: Approx. 61 minutes

Review:

I have nearly an arsenal of Tae Bo workout DVDs, but I like to mix things up and try something different, leading me to buy the Biggest Loser: Calorie Knockout on eBay. I've seen the occasional episode of the series, but I have never tried any of the workout DVDs, until now. The workout instructors are Bob Harper, Anna Kournikova and Dolvett Quince. The warm-up and cool-down are both short at five minutes. Each circuit is about fifteen minutes.

Circuit #1 is instructed by Anna Kournikova as she slowly takes you through a cardio-sculpt style workout with a little bit of Tae Bo thrown in. You do need some light dumbbells for the exercises. This is more of a warm-up than the actual warm-up. I was never aware that Anna was ever on the Biggest Loser. She may be easy on the eyes, but she isn't the best instructor.

NuShape 30 Day Challenge & Giveaway

On my quest for a better me in 2013, I have teamed up NuShape (NuSirt Sciences) for a review and giveaway. I will be trying out a 30 days supply of their weight management dietary supplement, containing Vitamin B6 and L-leucine, starting today for the next 30 days. During this time I will be exercising daily and staying on a healthy diet.

I'm excited about starting this challenge. I'll be taking the tablets twice a day  and it is suppose to help increase the amount of fat I will burn off during exercising. Fifteen minutes of exercise is suppose to equal sixty minutes of fat burning, which can make you drop one pant size in a month. The supplement can help your lean muscles to use fat as energy without any unwanted side-effects.

Giveaway Details:

Review - TapouT XT: Extreme Training

Being a night owl, I happened to catch the infomercial for the 90 days home workout called TapouT XT: Extreme Training. Since I have slowly gotten myself back into an exercise routine, I became interested in this cardio intense workout program.

TapouT XT was created by Mike Karpenko and uses MMA (Mixed Martial Arts) style workouts to help you lose weight and build muscle over the 90 days schedule. The workouts are not meant to teach you any actually fighting or self-defense moves as they are meant to help you tone up.

The basic kit arrived fairly quickly by UPS in a black box with the TapouT logo printed on the packaging tape. The kit consist of the Strike Training DVD; a cardboard slip case to store the workout DVD cases; the twelve workouts on twelve DVDS; the 90 days workout schedule; the 48 pages Food Plan & Nutritional Guide; the twelve page 10-Day Slim Down Guide; the extreme resistance band; the leg training band; a TapouT XT sticker; and a TapouT XT towel. There are two DVDs in each slim case, helping you to save space and they are also easy to travel with.

The workouts range from 40 to 53 minutes, except for Buns and Guns XT that is 31 minutes and Ultimate Abs XT at 15 minutes.

The workouts are:

Cross Core Combat - This is the first workout on the schedule and it is not an easy one. I was covered with sweat by the end of the workout.

Review - 21: 2 Experts 1 Goal: 21 Days to Transform Your Body

21: 2 Experts 1 Goal: 21 Days to Transform Your Body
By Daniel Loigerot and Elina Kaminsky Rph. C.N.C. N.D.
Publisher: DL FIT
Pub. Date: August 10, 2012
ISBN: 978-0615680019
ASIN: B009GQGKMQ
Pages: 250

Review:

2013 is upon us and that means people are starting (or attempting) their New Years Resolutions, so basically everyone has regrets of overeating during the holidays and wants to try work off those extra ten pounds in January. Recently I had the chance to review the fitness book 21 Days to Transform Your Body from DL FIT in exchange for my honest review.

Can a person really get into shape in 21 days?

Review - GSP's RUSHFIT

If you are just like me, then you've probably made a few New Year's Resolutions. One of the most poplar resolution craze is fitness, due the fact that all the department stores have exercise equipment and accessories on sale, and let’s face it; you'll probably have some guilt over eating that extra piece of fudge at Christmas.

Instead of waiting until after New Year's Day to start a new exercise routine, I wanted to start a new workout program, so I wouldn't have to be feel any guilt about indulging in a few cups of egg nog. I'm a night owl, which means I have seen countless infomercials, where I happen to catch the George St-Pierre's RUSHFIT 8 week- workout program advertisement. Yes, I know that there are many fitness infomercials out there, but RUSHFIT caught my eye as it didn't require any other equipment other than dumbbells (2 lbs - 25lbs), which I already own.

I received the workout program by UPS within a week, packaged in a cardboard box with the RUSHFIT logo printed on it containing the five DVD workouts (Full Body Strength & Conditioning; Abdominal Strength & Core Conditioning; The Fight Conditioning Workout; Strength & Endurance Workout; and the Explosive Power Training), the bonus DVD workouts (Balance & Agility and Stretching For Flexibility), the cardboard box case, 3 workout programs (Beginner, Intermediate, and Advanced), the Nutrition Guide, and the Workout Guide.

Product Review - PT 24/7

I've enjoyed doing Tae Bo for about two years now and I was excited to buy the PT 24/7 from an eBay store seller last year, which I paid around $55 for it new. It came in a nice packaging box and in it was the two gloves, bands, velcro foot straps, a workout calendar, a diet guide book, and the 7 30 minute DVD workouts.

The workouts are:

Basics

Cardio

Combo Sculpt

Ripped Core

Review - Lose Weight Get Healthy & Be Happy

Lose Weight Get Healthy & Be Happy
The Rice Diet is the Right Diet, for you!
By: Douglas Jay Sprung, MD, FACG, FACP, and Denise Sprung, MSW
Publisher:
ISBN: 9780578090078
Pub Date: 2011
Pages: 226

The Rice Diet is not a new trend as it was first originated in 1940 by Dr. Walter Kempner. Many people have had life changing transformation by losing weight on this diet. Douglas Jay Spring, MD, FACG, FACP and Denise Spring,, MSW have written a colorful and simply written book for you to use as a guide while you are on your journey to a better and healthier you.

The Rice Diet consists of rice being a staple in your diet, along with fruits and vegetables. When you first start out you’ll spend a short period eating rice and fruit so your body can adjust to the diet. Slowly you’ll add more food to the diet such as vegetables, fish/lean meats, pasta, breads (low-sodium), crackers, and much more.