Workout videos are not just for women and the weight room is not just for men. Both offer a way to workout in the convenience of your own home without the headache and hassle of commuting to a gym and paying membership dues. Exercise videos specifically designed to meet the fitness needs of men focus on toning a man's problem areas (upper body and core) and offer no-nonsense, gym-style classic exercises that help burn fat while maximizing overall strength.
Pilates for Men
"Pilates for Men" is a top pick for men, according to the websites Your Exercise DVDs and Ask Men. This workout offers 1 hour and 15 minutes of a Pilates-based session. Remember, this exercise style was originally developed by a man, Joseph Pilates, and practiced by other men. Pilates offers a balanced approach to strength and flexibility, and emphasizes working the muscles of the core. Core strength is essential for keeping your back healthy and is important for making functional motions, such as swinging a golf club or picking up a grocery bag, easier and smoother. The routine on this DVD is recommended for all men who want to develop long, sleek, lean muscles and enhance flexibility.
Men's Health: 15-Minute Workout
Recommended by Your Exercise DVDs website and Mademan.com, this video features four athletic-style strength-training workouts, each less than 15 minutes in length. You'll need a workout bench or sturdy chair, a stability ball, a mat and a jump rope (optional). Each workout has a different focus. The strength workout features what instructor Terry Simpson calls "offset" training, which involves using a different size weight in each hand to engage your stabilization (balance) muscles. The cardio segment alternates fat-burning cardio (jump roping) with dumbbell exercises while the final routine uses extra heavy weights to work your lower body to fatigue.
Tae-Bo II: Get-Ripped Basic Workouts
Tae-Bo workouts, developed by Billy Blanks, offer an energizing combination of Tae Kwon Do and kickboxing. These workouts are fun, efficient and effective for getting your heart pumping while helping you develop full-body strength training and muscular toning. This is a great pick for the time-crunched, intermediate-level exerciser looking for a fairly intense workout. This particular video includes two 30-minute routines. Complete one for a short workout or do them back-to-back for a full hour of fat-burning. Either way, Tae-Bo is will make you break a sweat and torch calories.
P90X Workout System
No list would be complete without including the P90X workout system developed by Tony Horton. It's not one specific video but a series that is guaranteed to produce results. An example of P90X offerings includes heavy weight training workout routines, kickboxing and yoga. Each video of the PX90 workout system adds steps designed to increase your fitness level. As you progress through the workout videos, you become fitter and stronger; evolving your personal workout. Tony Horton leads the workouts and helps you develop skills, coordination and flexibility through extremely rigorous exercise training.
References
- National Academy of Sports Medicine Essentials of Personal Fitness Training, 3rd ed; Michael Clark, Scott Lucett and Rodney Corn; 2008
- Your Exercise DVDs: Pilates for Men
- Ask Men: Top 7 Workout DVDs for Men
- Made Man: 10 Best Exercise DVDs for Men; E. Kilgour; Mar 2010
Member Comments