I started off with Turbo Jam because it's a video series that I already own, I've done a couple of the videos already (two or three years ago), and I remember having fun. I don't remember why I didn't keep going. Probably that laziness factor again.
I remembered that I had Turbo Jam halfway through May, so I was only able to do two full weeks of the routine. The recommended schedule starts out with Learn and Burn a couple times before finishing out the week with the 20 Minute Workout. Because I had done these workouts once or twice before, I was able to skip the Learn and Burn, start directly with the 20 Minute Workout (or Cardio Party on a day that I had a little more time) and finish the week with Cardio Party Mix 1.
The initial workout had my muscles burning, and I was definitely sore the next day. I did the 20 Minute Workout everyday the first week except for one morning when I had a little more time (I did Cardio Party instead). By midweek, I was still sweating, but my muscles were recovering a lot faster. Since my body seemed to take to the workout pretty quickly, I decided to throw in Turbo Sculpt and Ab Jam the following week even though the recommended schedule tosses in Turbo Sculpt a little later. Week two for me consisted of alternating Turbo Sculpt on one day and 20 Minute Workout with Ab Jam the next day (I also had a rest day).
At the end of the two weeks, there isn't too much change in my body (I mean, really, it was only two weeks). There's a little more muscle definition in my arms (probably only visible to the hubs and myself :-P), and my body feels tighter overall. I don't think it LOOKS tighter, but I definitely feel better. I also noticed that my kicks are higher and more controlled than when I started.
THE GOOD
- I really like Chalene. She's bubbly but not over the top, and her attitude really motivates and encourages me. Her personality may not be for everyone, but for me it was just right.
- The pace of the workouts was good. They were just the right amount of challenging at first, and when they started to feel a little too easy, I could just jump more, kick higher, punch harder and the intensity was right back up there.
- The arm work in Turbo Sculpt was killer for me. It honestly made quick work of my lack of muscles.
- I love that everyone gets all sweaty. It makes me feel like they're all getting a good workout, too.
- The music in Turbo Jam may not be everyone's tastes, but I loved the tempo of the jams Chalene chose. They're paced very well and got me to the point where I wasn't thinking about how many kicks and punches I just threw, I just wanted to keep to the beat and choreography. :-) Some of the songs with lyrics seemed perfectly placed to me, too. Just when I'm tired of kicking I hear "I'm gonna knock you out! Mama said knock you out!", and I think "heck ya! I'm gonna knock you out!" Or when I really just want to be done with squats I hear "it feels good, baby", and silly as it sounds, it somehow makes me keep going.
- I loved that the moves were choreographed directly with the music and tempo. Loved it. That might throw some people off, but it was perfect for me.
THE BAD
- The standing ab work is kinda of easy. The floor work is tough, but for some reason, to me, the standing work doesn't compare. I started skipping it and going straight to the floor work.
- Correct form isn't emphasized a lot. She takes you through the Turbo moves in Learn, but you're a bit on your own for Turbo Sculpt. She does try to help you out with form a little, but for some of the moves a different camera angle would have been helpful.
- There isn't a lot of stretching. I'm not sure if it's common to have a very short cool down without much stretching in workout videos, but that's what Turbo Jam is like. The Sculpt has a little more stretching, but it's the only workout that does. I like stretching.
- The Turbo Sculpt is a total body sculpting workout. It's great for getting everything worked out in one go, but it wasn't very evenly distributed. There was a ton of arm work (or did it just seem like it because I'm weak?), a decent amount of leg work, then a teeny little smidgen of chest work.
THE VERDICT
Overall, I loved Turbo Jam. It was fun to workout to. On the days when I really just wanted to hit the snooze button a few more times, I was able to push myself out of bed because I knew I was going to have fun if I did. It got my heart pumping, and I had good energy throughout the rest of the day.
This one definitely makes my list of favorites. I only have the small set (Learn and Burn, 20 Minute workout, Cardio Party Mix 1, Ab Jam, and Turbo Sculpt), so I know there are a bunch more Turbo Jam videos that can be thrown in the mix when I want more. I can definitely see myself doing Turbo Jam long term (if I get more videos) because I enjoy doing it.
Up next...Women's Health: The Wedding Workout.
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