fitnessreview – The Active Bookworm

#Workout Wednesday: Zero Jumping Extreme Dance HIIT Workout Review!

Sweat rating: 7/10 (but heart rate was upppp)

This 30 minute dance cardio workout got my heart rate up! My lower body felt this one especially hard.

My Thoughts:

I had never tried a cardio dance workout that was no-jumping before, so I was super excited for this one, especially when I saw Power by Little Mix (aka my ultimate hype up song) on the playlist. And it didn’t disappoint!

This workout was FAST-PACED. Seriously. The moves are easy enough to follow after a while, so the choreography is alright for beginners, but the pace is quick! I found myself struggling to keep up in the second-last video as well as the Best Song Ever choreo- so it was a challenge for sure!

Also, although there’s a warmup and a cooldown- I felt that neither was adequate. Around the second song, I started feeling an ach in my right inner thigh (probably due to that reason) that made the rest of the workout slightly less fun. And the cooldown didn’t do the best job of stretching out my inner thighs and hamstrings.

This is a no-talking workout, but I would have loved it if it wasn’t. I felt that some moves would have benefited from a talk-through and the cool-down at the end- I wasn’t sure when to lift my head when stretching.

Moreover, update from a day after the workout- my legs are still sore! I have never done a cardio workout that made me feel it so strongly in my glutes before- my right glute was dying and it still aches!

Nevertheless, if you are looking for a fun, cardio dance workout- you have come to the right place.

What are some moves that you can expect?

Lunges, slides, knee-ins, squats, jumping jack variations and oblique crunch variations.

Overall rating: 8/10

Difficulty level: Intermediate-Advanced

Music? Solid. 1D, Little Mix, BTS, Stray Kids, Beyonce and that awesome cool-down song? Amazing!

Instructor? I loved her energy and her execution of the moves. Would have loved it even more if I could hear her voice and instructions as I would have appreciated her guidance for my lack of coordination and unfamiliarity with the choreography.

Favorite choreo? The Single Ladies choreo was so fun! Also Power was epic!

Would do again? Yes! But I would suggest doing a proper warm up and cooldown on your own!

Let me know down in the comments if you tried this workout too and what you thought of it! Also do tell me which workouts you’ve been loving and want me to review + any suggestions for trainers I should try workouts by!

“The LORD is my light and my salvation— whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life— of whom shall I be afraid?”
Psalm 27:1 NIV

#WorkoutWednesday Workout Review: 10 Minute Barre Arms and Abs Workout With Light or No Weight from Popsugar Fitness!

Sweat rating(different from workout rating): 8/10

This 10 min workout will kill your arms and abs!

My Thoughts:

Brandon Goodman of FlyBarre brings us this 10 minute, amazing, arms and abs workout that can be found on Popsugar Fitness!

You will need 3 lb weights but you can do any weight you’re comfortable with (I used 1lb weights for the first circuit, then switched to 3lb at the end) or no weights at all!

There are three circuits, repeated twice, filled with several moves that will push you. The first one hits your triceps, the second one focuses on your core and shoulders, and the third rounds it out with a bit of everything + obliques.

There are modifications provided and I definitely made use of them, from doing the workout with a lower weight or doing the push-ups on my knees.

I also loved the cool-down stretch at the end.

Overall, a solid workout that is great for a quick toning for your arms and abs! I would recommend! Well-structured and high energy!

What are some moves that you can expect?

Side plank and reach, russian twists with weights, push-ups, tricep pulses, and tricep pulse in/outs.

Overall rating: 9/10

Difficulty level: Intermediate (but beginners/advanced can do it too)

Music? Barely there. Which was alright in this case, because the instructors were awesome and kept talking.

Instructor? I have never done a workout with Brandon before, but he was so fun and encouraging that I loved every minute. He had a great motivating personality and was super hilarious.

Favorite move? The 1st “shake” (set) was so hard but I would pick those moves as my favorites.

Would do again? Yes! I’ve done this workout a few times before reviewing it and I’ve loved it every time!

“Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.”
Hebrews 11:1 NIV

#WorkoutWednesday Whitney Simmons 20 Min No Jumping Workout Review!

Sweat rating(different from workout rating): 8/10

On today’s #WorkoutWednesday, I am reviewing Whitney Simmons’ 20 Min Apartment Friendly Full Body workout!

My Thoughts:

I liked the format of the workout- the circuit repeated twice ensured that I was able to perfect the moves while not making me feel like I was bored or it was too repetitive. I also liked how Whitney put the moves on the screen and a demo during the breaks so I could mentally prepare myself for the exercises I was going to perform.

This is definitely more of a strength than a cardio workout, however it did make me sweat!

I liked that although some of the moves were more slow-paced, such as the lunge reaches or the superman pull down, you could feel your muscles working + activated!

Overall, a good choice to improve strength + toning, but I would pair a cardio workout with this one!

P.S. I’m aware that Whitney does specialize in strength focused workouts, so maybe that’s why this one felt very strength-heavy.

What are some moves that you can expect?

Crab reaches, walking pushups, tricep dips with leg lift, around the world high plank crunches and frog squats.

A wish: I didn’t really get the purpose of one of the moves, the alternating single leg DL, as it ended up making my calf muscle a bit sore while not really working my legs that much.

Another wish: The frog squats hurt my knees, so it would have been great to have some spoken instruction.

Overall rating: 7.5/10

Difficulty level: Intermediate (I feel that this is a workout that hits the sweet spot between beginner and advanced).

Music? Good, it was catchy + a good distraction from the intensity of the moves.

Instructor? I love Whitney’s energy + personality + how she keeps it real with the workouts. I also liked that it was easy to follow her movements + form.

Favorite move? Bear crawl was my favorite because it was one of the cardio moves in the WO and I really loved how challenging it was. I thought the lunge reaches did wonders for my legs too.

Would do again? Yes! If you want to up the intensity, pare this with a cardio session like going on the elliptical or brisk walking prior.

“For we live by faith, not by sight.”
2 Corinthians 5:7 NIV

#WorkoutWednesday Review- Heather Robertson’s Low Impact Cardio + Abs!

A fan of this one!

Starting a new series on my blog- I’ll be formally posting fitness reviews on #WorkoutWednesday so you can always expect to see a workout review every Wednesday!

I will still occasionally do more fitness reviews/related content from time to time, but with this series y’all can always expect at least one fitness related post a week:)

Now on to the workout!

My Thoughts:

I have done many of Heather’s workouts before, so I am quite used to her training style and am a fan so I might be slightly biased. However, a sweat sesh is still a sweat sesh and this one made me SWEAT!

This workout is no-jumping, no-equipment, no-repeats, and like all of Heather’s workouts, no-talking! I’m fine with both no-talking and talking workout routines, however I must admit that it does make it harder to know if you are executing the move correctly without the instructor’s guidance.

I really liked the no-repeats exercises as I felt that I was able to hone in on a particular move for a time, and give it all I got in that set timeframe.

The flow of the workout is stellar, it warms you up until you are sweating by the end, and then she includes a cool-down for the benefit of your muscles.

The title of the video holds true, it is very cardio and not much strengthening and there is a focus on the abs although there could have been more core-focused exercises. However, in just over 20 minutes, it gets the job done.

*If you are a no-jumping veteran like me, I would suggest adding some weights as although this gets you sweaty, it doesn’t have super high intensity at times.

What are some moves you can expect?

Knee drive and twist, inchworm and push-ups, plank and reach, boxer crunch, bear crawl and t-push-ups.

Overall rating: 8/10

Difficulty level: Beginner/Intermediate (moves were beginner-friendly, definitely one of Heather’s easier workouts for me).

Music? Good, kept in pace with each move and slowed down with the cool-down. She has taste for sure!

Instructor? I’m a huge fan of Heather’s and how she plans/executes her workouts. You can tell they are well-structured.

Favorite move? Really enjoyed the lat pull and kick-felt that one all over.

Crab dance was particularly good too. A tip I learned from another trainer, Charlee Atkins, is to have your hands out at “10 am and 2pm” in order to properly balance.

Would do again? Yes! However, I would recommend pairing this workout with at least one other video as by itself, I worked up quite a sweat but felt I could go for more.

Let me know down in the comments if you tried this workout and what you thought of it! Also do tell me which workouts you’ve been loving and want me to review:)

I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.
Philippians 4:13

1 Hour ISOMETRIC FULL BODY WORKOUT at Home by Caroline Girvan Review

A new fave for me!

Today, we have Caroline’s 1 hour isometric workout that targets your whole body + gets your heart rate up! Awesome choice for a challenging, but not too strenuous workout!

My Thoughts:

I had never before done a workout by Caroline or one that was only isometric, so I had no expectations heading in. However, I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of the workout, from how it was structured (good warm-up and cooldown) to the moves themselves.

I particularly enjoyed that she did it circuit-style, so one could really focus on certain muscle groups at a time. Also, I liked that she provided modifications for certain exercises.

For me, the tricep pushup hold was especially difficult and I could not complete the move properly. I suggest doing the pushup hold or the dips to still target your triceps if you also struggle with that one. I also had to modify the upright side plank as my hand literally collapsed after 20s (haha).

Overall, a good workout for those who are not looking for much movement and want to try something new.

Sweat rating: 6/10 (But it does get your heart rate going for sure!)

What are some moves that you can expect?

She does give a detailed breakdown in the description of her video, so I won’t go into tooo much detail.

Some moves that stood out were the pike pushup, long plank, crunch, leg extension, lunge on toes and the single leg glute bridges.

Overall rating : 8/10

Difficulty level: Intermediate (some moves were beginner-friendly, but others, such as the upper body circuit in particular, were much harder).

Music? Average song selection, but nice to listen to and not distracting!

Instructor? First video I’ve done of hers, but she executes the moves with great form and although she does not speak during the workout, you can follow along easily. Definitely will be checking out her channel for more workouts in the future!

Favorite move? Bicycle for ab circuit, dips for upper body and curtsey lunge for lower body circuit.

Would do again? Yes! Perfect as a benchmark workout, imo. Good for those days where you don’t feel like getting much movement in, but still want a challenge.

Let me know what workouts you want to see or what you thought of this workout in the comments below:)

So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.
1 Corinthians 10:31

FULL BODY FAT BURN HIIT (NO JUMPING/APARTMENT FRIENDLY) 15 min Workout by Madfit Review

Quick, effective and very sweaty!

Madfit is one of my favorite Youtube trainers and this workout proves why!

My Thoughts:

I am a huge fan of Madfit and her no-jumping workouts for how much they burn and make me sweat! This workout consists of moves done back to back in 30s or 1 min increments, repeated twice with a 30s break in the middle. There’s also a bonus plank finisher at the end for 30s- a welcome challenge and fab end to the workout!

I REALLY liked how she included demos of each moves at the start of her workout-I personally skipped it as it was not my first rodeo however please watch it if you are new to her channel/the video!

Sweat rating– 9/10 I was dripping.

What moves can you expect?

Reverse lunges with kicks, get-up squats, plank walks, leg drops and downward dog knee ins are some moves that you can expect.

Plank walks- take a while to get used to, but as long as you follow the “right left right” and “left right left” commands she gives at the start of the move, you’ll be just fine!

Leg drops- Place your hands in a triangle position to ensure low back is into the ground.

Downward dog to kick through- if you haven’t done this move before please do not skip the first two minutes where she introduces it as it is a little complicated if you aren’t staring at the screen.

Overall rating : 9/10

Difficulty level: Intermediate (very sweaty)

Knee friendly? No, as there are lunges and squats.

Music? Decent, not distracting.

Instructor? Huge fan of her. She gives good demos and instructions, and executes the moves with excellent form.

Favorite move? Hard one as I loved them all, but probably the downward dog to kickthrough or the plank walks.

Would do again? Yes! Perfect as a finisher or add-on to get some cardio in.

*NOTE that NO warmup or cooldown was included, so I would suggest doing both on your own.

** I did this video 2nd in a series of workouts back-to-back, so my views may reflect that. Reviews of other videos in the series will be coming soon, so check back for more!