The Biggest Loser: The Workout – Boot Camp
- Format: Closed-captioned, Color, Full Screen, NTSC
- Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
- Video Run Time: 55 minutes
- Language: English
- Region: Region 1 U.S. and Canada only
Just like the contestants on NBC's hit show, you too can rev up your fat-burning furnace and experience dramatic weight loss in less time. Join "The Biggest Loser" trainer, Bob, and show contestant winners and finalists for a 6-8 week program that beats the bulge one intensity level at a time. Begin with Boot camp 1 and as you improve, add on Boot camps 2 and 3 for a powerful workout that challenges every muscle with dynamic moves designed to give those unwanted pounds the boot! WARM-UP (5 Minutes): Prepare your body for boot camp with athletic conditioning moves that get the heart pumping and the muscles warm. LEVEL 1 (Weeks 1 and 2) -Boot camp Level 1 (20 Minutes): Bob turns on the burn with upper- and lower-body strength intervals, then revs your metabolism with calorie-crushing cardio. LEVEL 2 (Weeks 3 and 4) - Boot camp Level 2 (15 Minutes): Pick up the pace and drop the pounds with Bob's innovative power moves that integrate fat-blasting bursts of cardio. LEVEL 3 (Weeks 5 and 6) - Boot camp Level 3 (10 Minutes): Challenge your balance and fine-tune your physique using bands and weights to further chisel your newfound muscle. COOL-DOWN (5 Minutes): Reward and energize your body with athletic and yoga-inspired stretches that soothe tight muscles and improve posture."Are you ready?" asks the tag line for
The Biggest Loser: Workout--Boot Camp. "You bet you are." Or at least you'd better be, as this 55-minute regimen will be a challenge for anyone looking to drop some weight and get in shape--and that includes those experienced at this sort of thing. Heck, even the brief warm-up, the first of five segments, is tough, as instructor Bob Harper leads his charges through a variety of squats, twists, kicks, and lunges (as one user noted drolly, "he is very fond of lunges") designed to get your motor running. The three Boot Camp levels that follow, ranging in length from 10 to 20 minutes, feature a variety of exercises, from traditional pushups (although there's nothing traditional about the so-called "walking pushup," which is better seen than described), jumping jacks, and cardio bursts to serious arm work (the use of hand weights is recommended; a medicine ball and elastic band are required for other undertakings), abs strengtheners, and so on. Many of the moves are not merely demanding but complex, especially at first, with numerous combinations of moves and virtually no pauses between; while Harper has a good rapport with the
Biggest Loser contestants, including several winners, who demonstrate these sequences, by no means does he go easy on them. But that's a large part of the appeal. These are not the kind of smarmy, smiling pros one sees on so many videos; they're fit, but far from perfect, and you can really see them working. And in the end, the results speak for themselves.
--Sam Graham
List Price: $ 14.98
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Feel the Burn and Become the Biggest Loser!,
This is a great workout that can grow with you as your strength and stamina develop. This workout is probably too intense for the true beginner, but would provide an excellent workout for the advanced beginner to intermediate exerciser. There are 3 separate workouts (called Levels) that progress in difficulty. Level 1 lasts 20 minutes and consists of an interval workout that mixes cardio with strength moves that work the upper and lower body simultaneously. Level 2 is 15 minutes and has more challenging moves such as squat thrusts, jumping pushups, tricep dips with a leg lifts and one-arm pushups. This section has some high impact moves, so be prepared to jump. Fortunately, Heba and Vicky show low impact versions, so you don’t ever have to jump if you don’t want to. Finally, Level 3 is 10 minutes and focuses on strength moves to really exhaust the muscles and add definition. A warm-up and cool-down are included. The stretching section is excellent. Bob doesn’t really do the moves, but he coaches and helps the contestants maintain proper form.
You can customize your workout by selecting which levels you want to do and the order you want to do them at the beginning of you workout. You can do each level once, more than once or not at all. Or you can choose the Maximum Results program which has preset selections based on how many weeks you’ve been doing the program.
Equipment Needed: Hand Weights, Resistance Band, Medicine Ball (however the band and ball are optional and the moves are also shown without them)
Things That Could Be Improved: My only complaint is that sometimes the contestants performing the workout don’t always demonstrate the best form, and will sometimes randomly do their own thing. Your best bet is to follow Allie if you want to do the move correctly. Heba shows modifications to make the workout easier if you are just starting out. The moves are simple and easy to follow, so you can do this workout even if you aren’t super coordinated.
Overall: This is a great workout that will really improve your fitness level and help to build strength and agility. It uses proven techniques such as interval training and plyometrics, and Bob is a motivating instructor. This is how they really workout on the ranch. Enjoy and hope you get great results!
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|Review from a PT and a NON-BL Watcher: Excellent Workout!,
I’m a physical therapist, so I am extremely critical of exercise videos, and poor form/instruction makes me crazy. I’ve also never seen the show Biggest Loser, so I didn’t know any of the participants here and I didn’t really know what to expect. But I do like working out at home sometimes and this video got great reviews, so I gave it a try. I echo the great reviews: This is an excellent workout, both challenging and well put-together, and the instruction is top-notch.
The Cast: This workout is led by Bob, who I take to be a trainer from the show. Bob manages what very few do: he is likable without being syrupy, and motivating without being obnoxious. His form is perfection that makes my PT heart sing, and his instruction and cueing are perfect as far as safe and effective form. He makes me want to watch the show. Working out with Bob is Ali, who I think is the season 5 winner and who has form as close to perfect as a non-professional gets. When Bob’s talking, watch Ali for form. There are also Bill (S4 winner?) and Bernie (at home winner – whatever that is) – they both have good form and Bernie is charming. Michelle is in 2 of the 3 segments – she has very good form herself, second only to Ali. The last 2, who thankfully are not in every segment, are Vicky and Heba. Heba is often the demonstrator of the modified form of an exercise and I think this is a HUGE mistake. (It’s why I give 4 stars instead of 5.) Her form is dreadful, in almost every exercise and position. Please don’t watch her! Having modifications is crucial, but they should NOT be given to the least fit person to demonstrate – they should be given to a very fit person who can demonstrate safe and perfect form to the beginners who are likely following the modifications. Bad call on that casting.
The Format: A very nice and easily customizable menu. There is a 5 minute warm-up, a 20 minute Level One, a 15 minute Level Two, a 10 minute Level Three, and a 5 minute cool down. You are meant to do Level One for 2 weeks, then add Level Two, and then add Level Three 2 weeks after that. It’s nice plan though a beginning exerciser would probably be best served staying on each level for 4 weeks before increasing. Of course you can do whatever you feel like doing / have time to do each day. My pre-teen son, who wants to start using weights, does just the Level Three – a few times a week. (He has no need for anything else as he is an active athlete.)
The Exercises & Equipment: Level One is no walk in the park – and it may be out of reach for the very unfit. It’s a challenging mix of low impact cardio (one high impact spot – modification for low impact given) and work with hand weights. I would advise someone new to exercise to do this level for at least 2-3 weeks without any weights, before attempting to add weights. Level Two is very hard – it uses hand weights (and a medicine ball though this is optional) with a mix of squats, lunges, pushups, tough ab work, and exhausting plyometrics. It’s a GREAT workout! Modifications are always given but still I would call this workout intermediate – advanced. Level Three is pure muscle work using hand weights or a resistance band. It’s well put together, hitting every major upper body muscle group. In my opinion, though this is not stated anywhere, Level Three is the only place where it would be appropriate to use a heavy hand weight, as you are doing specific and slow sets on each muscle group. The first 2 levels move along pretty fast, and there is some repetitive work, so my professional advice (to women) would be that nothing heavier than 5lb dumbbells (most people should keep it at 3 lbs, beginners could use 1 or 2 lb weights) should be used, or you could potentially aggravate your shoulders and/or develop a tendonitis.
Bottom Line: Excellent workout, both in terms of effectiveness and of structure, with great cuing and a likable coach. Downgraded from 5 to 4 stars because of the poor form shown in the modifications.
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