Customer Reviews

Prevention Fitness: Shortcuts to Big Weight Loss

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I have almost all of Preventions dvds. They are great because you can do only a little workout, or combine all segments for one long workout. Plus, they aren't intimidating or too challenging that you won't do them. All the instructors are fantastic and Chris is excellent in this as she usually is.
In this particular workout, there are three different 11 minute segments. There's cardio sculpt, pilates and kickbox. I love the pilates section where you also use dumbbells to increase the effect (like a bicep curl along with a bicycle). If you like kickboxing, you are in luck - it's fast and fun and totally fat burning. At the end of the dvd there is a 6 minute tutorial.
All you need are some dumbbells and plenty of energy. I've done this twice already and really enjoy it. Chris is bubbly as usuall and I love how you can pick and choose what exercises you do and how long your routine is going to be. This is a fantastic workout that I highly recommend.

You can't go wrong with Chris Freytag leading your workout session. This DVD is great for beginners and advanced alike, though it would benefit from an additional 10 minute section. This is an effective, well-rounded workout, but intermediate and advanced exercisers may not find it particularly challenging. I also think they should have put the pilates segment at the end, because that way you won't have to take your shoes off only to put them back on. I supplement this 30 minute workout to meet my daily exercise quota.

This a a good workout when you don't have a lot of time. It targets areas that you may normally miss.

Any dvd with Chris Freytag instructing becomes one of my favorites and Shortcuts to Big Weight Loss is no exception. Although I have yet to do this dvd without supplementing the kickboxing or cardio sculpt segments with another dvd. Neither segment is adequate alone and together there is not enough cardio for my workout plan. However, Chris' cueing, instruction, and all around positive approach make this dvd a "go to" at least once a week.

Do all three of these toning/cardio segments and you'll feel it in your muscles and see it in the results! I love the Pilates segment the best but it's the cardio one that does indeed fatigue the muscles just enough to tell you it's working. The kickboxing segment is just fun! At first I did them separately, but together they are very effective. In all honesty, you need to do a variety of workouts (and eat properly) to get "BIG Weight Loss," but adding one of these segments to another cardio workout or doing all of them should work for most folks! I look forward to doing these workouts! If you're older (nearly 60) like me, stick to 2-3 pound weights.

This DVD workout video is one of my favorites, its fun and since there is 3 ten minute workouts it doesn't get boring AND it is effective. I would reccomend it for anyone, I love it!

I have several Prevention DVDs, and I like them, but I didn't like this one. Even though I am an advanced excersiser, I am 43 years old, and throwing weights around at the speed shown on this dvd is a good way to get hurt. The whole thing seems disjointed to me, and I thought it was dumb to put the Pilates section in the middle. Who wants to stop and take their shoes off, and then put them back on again? There are a lot better dvd's out there that accomplish the same thing.

This is one of Prevention's harder workouts. Its shorter too, maybe cause it's more difficult, they shortened it.

Theres a warm up and cool down. Then it's broken into 3 sections. The first is cardio sculpt. This is what I found difficult. Chris recommends 2-3 lbs weights due to its intensity. You do multiple squats, plies and lunges with the weights at a faster pace. Some of the moves I can use 4 or 5 lbs, but some, even the 2 or 3 hurt my arms alot.

The second 10 min. is milder aerobics and abs. Nothing hard here. But the ab workout is really good and you'll feel it.

The last 10 min is kickboxing. It gets pretty intense at the end. Very good and very rythmic.

I think it should be longer, cause it's shorter than the other prevention dvds.

I often look for new dvds and instructors to try to keep my workouts fresh and keep myself in good shape. This is the first I have done in the prevention series. Here are the likes/dislikes:

The instructor shows good form, is enthusiastic but not too over the top. The workouts are cued well and get started quickly which is good because they are each only 10 minutes long. As a daily exerciser a 10 minute workout is used for a couple purposes, to add to another workout for some additional work or to combine as in this case with the other workouts on the dvd to make a longer workout. With three 10 minute workouts I still was a bit short on time I would normally spend working out. The workouts were well done but nothing that I felt like I would want to do again and again. I didn't feel like as a daily exerciser this one was really for me.

Who I think this workout is for: Someone who is not a huge fan of exercise, who wants to work out for a short span of time, burn some calories, but doesn't really want to spend a lot of time doing it. This would also be good for someone in the beginner/intermediate range. Someone who wanted a warm and friendly instructor, would also find this dvd to be a good one. You will get a workout and not spend a lot of time doing it and you can expand and do more than one segment as you grow stronger and gain more stamina.

Overall, a well done workout, but not one that I would purchase for myself, though I would recommend for others who are looking for a well done workout for someone who is on the go and has minimal time that they want to spend exercising.

I have five other exercise videos starring Chris Freytag. I also have videos by other popular instructors. Chris is #1. She is enthusiastic without being perky, motivating and always is clear with her cueing and instructions. I was hesitant to try this video because I've never done Pilates. But, Chris makes it easy to follow. I liked the variety of Pilates, Kick-boxing and aerobics and got a good workout. Using weights was challenging, at times, but very beneficial. I'm 52, in pretty good shape and do an exercise video 5 times each week.