Using a Variety of Workout Instructors

J

judegirl

Cathlete
I've got a variety of styles of DVDs from a variety of instructors (Cathe, The Firm, Christi Taylor, and now Jari Love) and I typically just select whichever video I feel like doing that day. I workout six days a week and usually try to alternate weight training with cardio. I've never really been able to figure out how to put together a real "rotation" for myself, and I don't really have specific workout goals (although it would be nice to around maybe 10 lbs) or problem areas that I'm trying to focus on. I mainly workout to feel better, stay healthy, and try to get a little definition in my muscles. I tend to prefer cardio to weights, but try to do them in equal amounts. Will I see results with this sort of "random" workout system? I'm very good about not missing workouts, I just don't really know how to go about organizing them into a structure I guess, and I don't really want to focus on just one type of instructor, because they all seem to have strengths and weaknesses.

Thoughts?
 
I think your system is fine, especially since you don't have any specific goals (other than, I assume, being fit and healthy).

I think you will see results. Just be sure to balance weights, cardio, stretching and rest...which it seems like you're doing... and vary intensities.

If there comes a point where you don't feel like you're getting the results you want, then you can always try a more structured rotation (and come here and ask for help setting one up if you're not sure what to do).

I agree that different instructors have different strengths and weaknesses. It's also more interesting, IMO, to 'workout with' different instructors.
 
I think your system will work, but after awhile I think it is good to shake things up a bit. I like to take a Cathe rotation and sub my workouts for Cathe - ie a Christi hi/lo for a running day, or use Jari Love in place of ME or PH, kind of like a generic base for variety, just to mix things up a bit in a way that you may not normally do.

I am one that really loves variety, I have the collection to prove it!

:)
 
Thanks, both of you. Conni, do you have any other instructors you can recommend to me? I recently discovered previewing videos on Netflix, which is how I ended up with both Christi Taylor and Jari Love. I've got one of Rob Glick's on its way here now, and I'm pretty excited about that one. I really like hi-lo and step, the more complex the better. Are there any major sets of videos out there that I should maybe look into? (My husband would kill me if he knew I was asking about MORE videos :p .
 
I do something similar to Conni. I usually follow Cathe's rotation for the month--but usually just in terms of ideas. For example, July's rotation calls for Cathe cardio on Monday, but I prefer to run for cardio so that is what I did. Tuesday was Body Max 2 upper body weights and I did that but I just as easily could have done another instructor's strength video, etc. I really like the variety I get with this sort of rotation and I love that I don't have to do the work of actually figuring the rotation out.:)
 
I used to put together my own rotations and I did see some results, but I saw much better results following a rotation. Since I have DVD's from a variety of instructors I will substitute a DVD if I want to add more variety to my workout. I workout in the morning so it is helpful knowing exactly what I am going to do when my alarm goes off in the morning. :)
 
It's been mentioned before but I really like Kimberly Spreen who has workouts with CIA (Creative Instructors Aerobics).

I also like Kelly Coffey Meyer, Amy Bento, and Tracie Long Training (there are tough functional fitness workouts).
 
I have so many to tell you about, if you like complex. I am a junkie for that kind of workout!

You must try:

Seasun Zeigler ( sp?)
Rob Glick
Patrick Goudeau ( very dancy, so it may or may not float your boat).
Franny Bennedetto
Marcus Irwin
Rebecca Small ( I haven't tried her yet, but am hearing great buzz)
Sharon Twombley
Pam Cosmi
Kelley Coffey
Philip Gray
Mindy Mylrea


I am sure I will think of more, feel free to PM me if you have any questions about a specific workout, also.
:7
 
Oh yeah, where is my mind???

Amy Bento
Tracey Staehle


I am sure I will think of more....:7
 
Netflix doesn't seem to carry any Tracey Staehle, so I haven't been able to give her a shot yet. Kimberly Spreen looks like a kickboxing-heavy instructor, and kickboxing isn't really for me (too much quick twisting and I end up hurting my knees). I'll have to give Amy Bento another go. I tried her Advanced Step Challenge a few months ago, and something about her just seemed off-putting, like she was really aggressive or something. Still, her name keeps coming up and Netflix has lots of her stuff, so I might as well try it. :D

I must be the only one who didn't enjoy the Tracie Long Training videos. I've got three of them, and my husband and I each tried them out and thought they were really strange. The movements were hard to get down, since they weren't doing "typical" exercises, and there wasn't much cardio to them. I don't think I'd ever substitute one of those in place of a more intense weights workout. I've actually been trying to sell mine, but so far, no takers.

Thanks for the advice. Next instructors are Rob Glick and Amy Bento!
 
As far as Amy Bento, I take aggressiveness as her "energy". I've only done one of hers - Hi/Lo Xtreme - and I really liked it. Not too many good hi/lo workouts out there and she really kept my heartrate up during this one. I liked her energy and she was a nice, refreshing change. I think because the choreography was a little more athletic, the intensity was up there a little more. I love Christy, Patrick, Rob Glick but their complexity brings the intensity down a bit but I love complex choreography so much, I'll still do them whenever I can.

Marcy
 
judegirl,

I've been using your "system" for 20+ years now and it works for me, at least. I use all of the instructors mentioned above & would add Gay Gasper to the list. I have never followed a rotation, but I do "mix it up" and included weight work as well as cardio. I don't think it's necessarily true that you would get "better" results using a rotation, I think "mixing it up" is what gives results as your body responds differently to new challenges. For me it would be too restrictive to do a specific rotation and would find ways not to work out rather than do a workout that I wasn't in the mood to do.

It's very individualized, and if you get the results that you want and enjoy what you are doing, go for it!
 
Another instructor you might want to try is Nekea Brown. I got her Mix It Up DVD and previewed it. She doesn't break down too much and looked like a lot of fun from what I saw. It had a short ab section. It was step, kickbox and abs. I've also heard her Amazing Hot Stepping (I think that's the name - it's the new CIA DVD) was really good too.

Marcy
 
While it doesn't offer complex step or hi-lo, the P90X series could give you some more variety. Unfortunately, I doubt that Netflix has them.
 
You might find that compared to other instructors, Kimberly Spreen's kickboxing is much more doable. Frankly, her workouts aren't true kickboxing workouts because she incorporate so many other elements and doesn't really too much twisting and turning.

I have not tried her but I have heard good things about Katina Hunter. You can search the forums for more info. I emailed her a questions and found her very pleasant and knowledgable.

If you want to try a smorgasbord of fitness videos I did use Flickety Fit way back when and was very happy with it. They are an exercise DVD version of Netflix and offer a very good variety. Their customer service was excellent and they are proven to be receptive as they added many of my suggestions to their collection.
 
I think I'm going to need to be careful about ONLY doing videos I'm getting from Netflix. I've gotten into the habit of trying out videos, buying them, and then not doing them because I'm too busy looking for the next video. If I rent something I'll be too tempted to buy it. I've got like 70+ DVDs right now, 70% of which are new to me in the last 9 months or so. I think I'll focus on getting "acquainted" with my collection for now, although I've added one workout from each of the instructors that have been mentioned to the bottom of my Netflix queue so that I don't forget about them.

That Flickety Fit site looks dangerous for me! I'll have to give that a shot in a few months when I'm back in the market (and when my bank account has recovered from this round of purchases)!
 
I know you just said you're not buying any more right now, but another instructor to put on your list for complex choreography is Kari Anderson. Her DanceWorks video is Hi/Lo done with the Pacific Northwest Ballet Company. It's really fun and *very* dancy.

My favorite step workout of hers is Hot Steps. It's not as intense as Cathe, but it's very complex and fun. It's a nice, solid intermediate workout for me.

Just another suggestion, take it or leave it! It's fun to find all these new instructors, isn't it?

anne
 
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