Biggest Loser: Calorie Knockout

I’m finally getting back into a regular (non-marathon-training) workout routine. Which means I’m digging through my giant stack of workout DVDs and seeing how much my recovered-from-an-injury body can take. The other night, I put in Biggest Loser: Calorie Knockout, which features separate workout sections by Dolvett Quince, Anna Kournikova, and Bob Harper.

I skipped Anna’s section. She’s a very poor instructor; you can’t tell when she’s going to transition to a new move, she doesn’t count reps, and her “enthusiasm” seems forced and fake. The participants, all Biggest Loser contestants, seem equally unimpressed.

I did work out with Bob, one of my favorite trainers. His section is a blend of cardio, strength, and power yoga moves. My poor knee, which I injured years ago, was cracking and popping the whole time. I had to modify a lot of the lunging and squatting moves. But I love how Bob combines both upper and lower body movements, so I feel like I’m getting the most out of my 15 minutes.

Then came Dolvett (shown above). He teaches a type of training called tabata, and I love it. It’s basically high-intensity interval training, where you do a move as hard and/or fast as you can for 20 seconds, then rest for 10 seconds. You repeat this cycle multiple times. Again, a lot of squats and lunges, but I was able to handle them fairly well. I love the idea of super intense bursts of energy, followed by recovery. I may have to try some non-Biggest Loser tabata workouts.

This isn’t my favorite Biggest Loser workout DVD, but – if you skip the Anna section, or do it with the sound off, maybe? – it’s a fun, challenging one, as long as you don’t have really bad knees. I generally enjoy using Biggest Loser workout DVDs more than, say, “regular” Jillian or Bob DVDs, because I like seeing people like me on the screen. When a fitness professional with extreme flexibility and endurance is glowing and smiling throughout a workout, it just doesn’t motivate me as much as a fat person, struggling and sweating through the workout, just like me.

As with any workout, modification is key. It’s important to push yourself, but not to the point of pain.

Do you have a favorite workout DVD? Have you tried tabata? Tell me in the comments!

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