Friday, December 27, 2013

Review: Leslie Sansone's Walk It Off in 30 Days

I know I've mentioned it before but I don't know why when you've lost 200+ lbs and have workouts on your wishlist that people will still NOT buy them for you!  I think it's pretty clear we use them.  It's like people buy you what THEY would want off of your wishlist or something.  Anyone else go through this?  

Just me?  

Okay.

Thankfully the Mr came through and got me this item that was on my wishlist.  


I'll say that it kind of irritates me though that he has to be the one to buy it because it's like if WE were going to buy it, we could've just bought it any ol' time and not have to wait for Christmas.  Sorry, I'm ranting again.

Anyhoo, I saw a clip of Leslie Sansone: Walk It Off in 30 Days (affiliate link) and I knew I wanted to add it to the collection.  It looked like a good new mix and little more intense than some of her earlier stuff that we own.  A friend of mine got it when I put it on my wishlist and she said she really liked it so I was excited to try it out.

It's set up like a 30 day program.  You do the "Burn" workout Monday, Wednesday and Friday and do the "Firm" workouts on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturdays.  Both workouts are 30 minutes a piece.

I got it Christmas morning and by late Christmas morning we were doing the "Burn" workout because we were short on time and it was only 30 minutes long.  Yes, please.  Right away I had to chuckle because I noticed they had the same option for her that they have for Tony Horton on his videos which is to basically mute them and only have music and cues.  Leslie is a very peppy gal and I'll admit when I first got Walk Away the Pounds, I had to mute her and put on some music to tolerate the workout.  Since then, she's grown on me a bit and I don't need to mute her anymore but it's good to know there's the option for those who have skipped the workouts in the past.

The setting is a large set with about 10-15 other people of all ages, gender and sizes and Leslie is all dolled up. The Burn workout is some of her standard moves like walking, sidesteps, kickbacks and kicks.  There are also some cha cha's and skaters thrown in for good measure.  There is light hand weight work for the upper body as well.  They use one to two pound hand weights but we used eight and ten pound dumbbells.  It was pretty non-stop and she let's you know when the halfway point is and there is a countdown for the last 10 minutes.  I think the last six minutes are spent slowing down and stretching more than I like.  So I used those six minutes to keep my heart rate up and then stretched a little afterward.  If I'm only doing a 30 minute workout, I want the whole 30 minutes to be full of cardio.  I burned 515 calories which wasn't a huge burn but you figure if I did my usual 50 minutes, that would've been about 870 calories and I consider that a good burn.

Yesterday we were going to just do a kind of mindless free weights session because I had no capacity to think by the time we got down there.  We decided to do the Firm workout and man was it challenging!  Part of that was due to the fact that we used heavier weights.  She had some pretty light weights and started with several sets of lunges.  Most people have you use heavy weights when doing squats to add resistance so I went with 20's and the Mr did 25's.  There were several variations of squats with wide stance, narrow stance and side squats.  We stuck with the heavy ones for rows and tricep kickbacks.  We had to lower down five pounds each for flies but used the heavy weights for most of the workout.  The last ten minutes are spent doing some floor exercises like flies, presses and then on to some ab exercises.  She does get a little confusing when she tells you to do curls when she means crunches.  But all in all, it was a great workout that was fast paced and went by quickly.  I don't suggest you do heavier weights especially if you're just starting out with the workout but it's nice to be able to have a good 500 calorie burn for a 30 minute strength session for us.

I know this is stupid but it needs to be mentioned.  There's this huge spot on the floor in the back left and we joked that someone spilled water on the floor.  But it never dried up as the workout went on.  It doesn't look like a logo or a picture and they get just close enough to it to taunt you and then back away from it.  If you're weirdos like us, you'll likely spend some of the time wondering what the hell it is.  You'd have to see it to know what I mean.  If you're easily distracted like us, it might be a fun game to play like guessing pictures in the clouds.

Would I recommend Leslie Sansone: Walk It Off in 30 Days?  (affiliate link) Yes.  I think if you need a quicker workout that hits all of the major points like cardio and strength this could be a good one.  I don't know that it's for true beginners but if you've done Walk Away the Pounds in the past, this is a nice little step up in variety.  There are a few points where she runs a little to get the heart rate up and jumps around pumping her fist (I couldn't make that up if I tried) so if you aren't into the whole higher impact thing, you can certainly just walk or modify to your abilities.

Did you get any new workouts lately?

This post contains an affiliate link.  Should you choose to buy through it I will get a nominal kickback to keep this blog runnin' like a well oiled machine.

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16 comments:

  1. The firming workout is no joke. It really got my heart rate up especially for a strength oriented workout and I burned a lot more than I would have in a standard free weight session. I like that they are both 30 minutes and are good to fill in when you are pressed for time.

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    1. I'll say. My knees, hips and ass were all killing me trying to do Bodystrikes tonight. You did get a great burn for strength.

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  2. "It's like people buy you what THEY would want off of your wishlist or something. Anyone else go through this?"
    AMEN SISTER! I always tell my husband, "STICK TO THE LIST!!!" He does a great job of sticking to the list and throwing in some surprises that fit my style. My MIL on the other hand...

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    1. WORD UP! It's like I know people think "then you'll know what you're getting" but I don't. I add to it all year long and we have people email the spouse to remove items from the list. Because I rarely check it, I have no clue what was bought and what wasn't. Wouldn't you rather spend money on something I WANT than something I will have to take back, regift or donate!?

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  3. When I got pregnant with my first child, I had people harrassing me to do a registry. I hate those things! I finally caved and did one. I got absolutely NOTHING that was on my list. Complete waste of time. For Christmas, my mom always specifically asks me what I want and I tell her. This year is the first year she has gotten what I've been asking her for, for the last few years. That's why I just get myself what I want and let people get me what they would anyways. Tired of wasting my time, lol

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    1. Oh now THAT would tick me off! The whole reason you do a baby registry is so you can get the theme you want, the stroller you want, etc.

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  4. Hahah I really laughed out loud on your rant.. I NEVER get what's on my wishlist. I'm forced to make one each year, and then they just disregard it! WHY!! Crazy.

    I've never tried workout videos, but it might actually be a really good idea since I have a bit of distance to the gym now!

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    1. What is UP with that!?!? Get people what they're asking for, not what you THINK they want. People rarely know you as well as they think you do gift wise. You should see some of the crap I've gotten over the years.

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  5. I am so glad you like it!! And I laughed and laughed about the spot on the floor--I obsess on it! I can see it in the firming session as well and it looks like it's just a permanent stain that's there because it doesn't change shape. I find myself looking at the background stuff (like the lemons on the kitchen counter) during the sessions. Oddly enough, the strength training goes by faster for me mentally than the cardio, even though the strength is more challenging. I'm glad you finally got it off your wish list! =o)

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    1. I wondered if you noticed it too! OMG, we're like, "is that a crap stain!?" I didn't notice the lemons, I'll have to look for them but I did notice a kitchen set and was like "why is that there??" Both went by about the same amount of time for me but man that strength session really killed me using the higher weights. When you're made of 90% dough, your strength capacity diminishes a bit.

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  6. It's on your wishlist - obviously you wish for it. It's not like someone is walking up to a random stranger and handing them a workout dvd; that would be awkward. I have a few things on my list that I never get either. I have an old VHS Leslie Sansone video that I haven't tried yet. I'm one of the few people on the planet that still has a working VHS player so I will get around to it. My big problem is that I don't do "perky" well and I know she is so I'm a little reluctant. I have a Jillian Michaels dvd that I actually like, but it make me want to scratch my ears off - but I can't mute it because then I can't hear the instructions to know when it's time to get up off the floor.

    I'm glad you got the video, but I'm sorry your Mr. had to be the one to get it. I'm glad it was worth it in the end though.

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    1. I know, right!? I don't do perky well either but with this option to mute her, you might actually like the workout! I can't even grace my DVD player with Jillian. I bought one of her workouts and I wanted to jump through the screen and sit on her.

      Yeah, I'm sorry the Mr had to be the one to get it too but at least we have some new blood in rotation to help get us out of our rut!

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  7. Hello ....I just came across your blog. Congrats to you & the Mr on your combined successes!! Having read your review of Leslie Sansone's DVD, I've placed a hold on a copy in my local library & look forward to trying it out [& also having a look at the spot on the floor!!]. Cheers! http://teesey.blogspot.ca

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  8. I HAVE LESLIE SANSONE 5 MEGA MILE WALK AND I SEE THE SPOT ON THE FLOOR IN THIS WORKOUT DVD. I SEEM TO KEEP LOOKING AT IT AND WONDERING WHAT IT IS. I LAUGHED WHEN I READ THAT I WASN'T THE ONLY ONE THAT NOTICED THAT SPOT. OH! I ALSO NOTICED THE LEMONS IN THE KITCHEN BACKGROUND TOO! IF YOU DON'T HAVE LESLIE'S 5 MEGA MILE DVD, I HIGHLY RECOMMEND IT. IT HAS CARDIO MILES AND THE FIRMING AND STRENGTH MILES WITH A COOL DOWN AT THE END. YOU CAN MUTE AND JUST HAVE THE MUSIC ONLY. IF YOU CAN'T DEAL WITH THE PEPPY TALK ON CERTAIN DAYS. I THINK YOU AND THE MR. WILL LIKE THIS DVD.

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