Normally in a review, I'd talk about if the exercises you see in the video are unique to this particular video, or if the trainer in question uses them alot. Given that this is my first experience with Bob Harper, I can't attest to that. I will say though, that given the difference in scope of each of these videos, there's very little crossover from video to video.
Now, for the scoop;
Inside Out Body Rev Cardio Conditioning
This video is gonna be a tough sell for people with bad knees. Never let it be said that Bob Harper is not a man that loves his squats - this 60 minute video starts out with TWENTY MINUTES worth of squats. I never knew so many variations on squats existed! You do them in every possible way you can imagine - holding a weight, not holding a weight, with your hands above your head, with your hands out to the side, swinging the weight. At one point, you even do them on one leg. Serious.
This video is also the video where I noticed the most soreness - the first time I did this video, I couldn't walk right for DAYS after I got done. That wasn't continuous - it was pretty much just the first time - but it was swift and severe punishment!
In doing all these exercises, I've learned about myself that I don't much enjoy cardio - I like to see real, verifiable improvements that I'm getting better. With strength training, you get that. With yoga, you even get it to a point. With cardio, you get...what? Less winded? Meh. So, I didn't particularly enjoy it, but I didn't dread it either (except for maybe the second time I did it, hah...). If you're a cardio junkie, this is cardio at it's finest.
Equipment you need; Weights! Bob generally encourages you to challenge yourself with your weight use for this whole video series, so pick your weights accordingly. If 5 pounds is a challenge, go five. If 15 is a challenge, go 15.
Space you need; Lots! You fling that weight around pretty good, so if you've got room to throw the weight out comfortably in every direction, you're pretty much set. Won't lie, there were times I had to do the exercises sideways to my TV, out of being nervous I was gonna flip a dumbbell through the darn thing. You'll do some laying down work as well, so you'll need a fair amount of space here.
What you do; Pretty standard cardio stuff. Tons o' squats, in every variation you can stand, a little bit of jumping work. Bob does also enjoy his fast feet, so you'll see them there too. The most unique exercise is probably the scorpion push up - go into a push up position. Lift one leg high, put it to the other side (so, like, put your right heel on the left side of your body). Now do push ups like that. Yeah.
Random fact; One of the dancers in this video is a guy named Zach. While I'm sure Zach is a lovely guy, and he certainly looks like he's fit, Zach is terrifying. I've mentioned before that I have a phobia of being sick. Zach spends the entire workout looking like he's trying his level headed best to not yak right there on camera. If you are like me, and you also have a phobia of being sick, it will take everything you've got to get through looking at Zach for a full hour. He comes back in another video, so remember him. In the next one, it's worse.
There is also a 30 minute "beginner" level workout on the DVD too. The same exercises, but with variations - either less reps, or a little slower, or modified to be a little easier. If you're not very brave, or haven't exercised in a while, start here. If you're brave, or experienced, go ahead and go full stop.
Inside Out Pure Burn Super Strength
I like this video alot. But like I said, I like strength training. Once again, never let it be said Bob doesn't like his squats, cause you'll see them here too. Not in as many variations, and not for as long, but they're back. I didn't struggle with this video like I did with the cardio video - no particular soreness to speak of, nothing like that.
I also did the beginner version of this workout too. Once again - if you're a beginner, or not very brave, start here. Otherwise, go on to the advanced workout. I read somewhere online that the beginner strength training video burns a measly 42 calories, which is hardly worth the effort. But the beginner workouts do something the advanced don't - he very specifically concentrates on form. Which isn't to be said that he ignores form in the advanced versions, because he doesn't at all, he actually talks about form a fair amount. But in the beginner version, he takes the time to break down the moves, and in the advanced, he just assumes you're going to know them already. Which you probably will - there's not much here that seemed particularly shocking or unique.
Equipment you need; Weights. Maybe a mat if you prefer that sort of thing, but you won't miss it if you don't have one.
Space you need; Got enough space to do a pushup? Then you're set.
What you do; Standard strength training stuff. Bicep curls (which even prompted Bob to go "And you've seen these in pretty much every exercise video ever..."), push ups, crunches. Nothing terribly unique. I think the most unique thing I saw was the Matrix lunges (standing on one leg, lunge to the front, then to the side, then the back, and come back to the center. Without stopping. Flow from lunge to lunge...).
Zach the emetophobes worst nightmare isn't in this video. He's traded for Stephanie, the mouth breather. Watch her - you'll really wonder how she keeps her mouth hanging open that far for that long without her jaw getting sore. She's also the modifer for the few exercises where Bob offers modifications.
Inside Out Yoga For The Warrior
Funnily enough, the sight of this one I think intimidated my mother in law a little bit. I got it for Christmas, and I mentioned that I was so excited to do it that I was probably going to do it the same day (which I did). She was like "You might want to work up to that. Don't hurt yourself..." Haha...
This video, you watch it, and you can easily imagine Bob having a nice career as a yoga instructor. He's so calm, and so zen, that you see him doing yoga, and you're like "Yeah, that sounds about right..."
Since I've mentioned goofy things about people in each video, I'll mention this one. Robert is the modifier in this video (poor Robert doesn't look or act like he's got a ton of experience in yoga, and is paired with two girls who clearly have alot of experience in it. Poor guy, haha...). I did the 15 minute yoga abs segment first - if you go into the 15 minute segment first, it really comes across like Bob has some sort of fascination with Robert, which gets a little weird. Then you go back into the full length video, and find out Robert is the modifier, which makes it make more sense.
What you need; A mat. That's it. Some speed doesn't hurt anything, because between each exercise, the transition (vinyasa, I think it's called...I don't have a ton of experience in yoga either) is pretty speedy. This is one of the few Bob videos I've seen so far where there isn't a concentration on form, so some amount of yoga knowledge would be helpful, but isn't necessary, as long as you're smart about your work outs.
Space you need; If you can lay down, and you've got enough room to kick straight out, you're good to go.
What you do; You keep moving, that's what you do! I've tried other yoga videos that were nice and mellow, and there was alot of sitting around and deep breathing. Not here, baby! You keep it moving! The Warrior 2 to triangle pose segment is hard to get the rhythm of at first, but nice flowing once you get going. The most unique pose that I think I found in the video, for the life of me I can't pull up a picture of it on google, so I'll have to describe it. You lunge, then bend over. Put one arm under your leg, and the other behind your back. Connect hands. Stand up. That is a hot mess. I never could do it - I made everyone I could find try to do it with me, or watch me do it, just to try to figure out what I was missing, and I still couldn't do it. That's the most unique thing about it, I think. Other than that, I love this video, and I love the abs segment too!
Inside Out Bob's Workout
Bob's Workout is a video that is exclusive to Bob's website (MyTrainerBob.com. It's a workout broken out into two 30 minute segments, and is marketed as being, obviously, Bob's Workout. I say "is marketed as being" because I'm a fan of Bob's on facebook, and as any of his facebook fans know, right now he's super charged up on Crossfit, so he's doing that as his workout right now, not whatever's on this video.
Workout one is upper body focused and workout two is lower body focused. There's crossover, of course, but the focus is clear. And he says that if you want to just get it done, you can do them back to back, or you're free to do one or the other as you wish.
This workout video is also the most equipment intensive of the lot.
What you need; Bob pulls out all the stops for equipment in this video. A variety of weights of kettle bells, a step, dumb bells, even a weight bench is employed at one point. I don't necessarily feel like you have to run out and buy all this stuff. I have a variety of weights (only one kettle bell, but a variety of different weights), and I subbed in my coffee table for some of the lifted up things. It was a pretty good sub for the plyo pushups. Not nearly as much fun though, when I kicked it. Hah!
Space you need; If you go full bore, and pick up the step and all that, lots. If you decide to make due with what you've got, then enough to be able to fling a weight and lay down, and you're all set.
What you do; A little bit of everything. Deadlifts, squats, plyo pushups, all sorts of craziness.
Know how I said to remember Zach for later? He's back as the lower body workout dancer, and as scary as he was the first time, it's worse here. At one point, there's more than a full minute of the workout, where he just pants, bright red face, while Bob has to just walk around and fill time. Mind you, there's more than a minute where he's panting, and it's only a 30 minute workout. And while it is gratifying to see that you can even outlast the dancers, that's still alot of time for your heart rate to come down while you stand around and watch the guy.
My recommendations; I liked all the videos for their own reasons, but if I really had to recommend my favorites, I'd say Pure Burn Super Strength and Yoga For The Warrior. Those two were the most satisfying for me to complete, I think. I was glad to be done with the cardio video, but I was glad to be done with it in that "Thank god that's over..." sort of way. I was glad to be done with the Strength video in that "I am such a BEAST!" sort of way, which of the two, is the feeling you want from your workout, right?
The pictures are from first day, to the end of week 3. I did this video for 4 weeks total, I believe, but didn't get a picture done at the end of week 4.
Left before, right after, like always;
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| From 2012-03-04 |
I think you can see alot of slimming through the hips in this one - I'm holding my arms the same, and there's alot more space between my hip and my elbow than there had been in the Before picture.
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| From 2012-03-04 |
In a true testament to the differences between men and women, I looked at that picture and noticed that my stomach looked alot flatter. My husband on the other hand, looked at that picture, noticed that my butt appeared flatter, and promptly got me Brazil Butt Lift from Beachbody.
Which brings me to my next review. Yes, I'm doing Brazil Butt Lift. I've only done it a couple of days, but I'll tell you - I've sweated more in a couple of days with the Butt Lift video than I did in three weeks with Bob Harper. So clearly, this video is challenging my system in a way Bob wasn't, which is exciting, because that's precisely what I was hoping for! :)
So, I'll see you guys probably the first part of April for what I hope is a lifted butt! :D
