Dr. Josh Axe's Complete Home Fitness Workout DVD Program

Not long enough of a program

This will kick your butt if it's done correctly! I'm a 50 year old female, I've been alternating kickboxing and Bowflex for 1 hour every other day for years. This stuff is intense. It's funny because when you begin it each time the first few reps you think "Yeah, alright how could this possibly do anything?" Well let me just say by the end you want to saw the limbs off you are using! You will definitely feel the burn if you push yourself to your max no matter what your Fitness level is! The only reason I gave it four stars is because I wish Dr axe would go over each exercise on one of the CDs so when he tells you what's coming up you know how to do it. It is kind of confusing when you are trying to work at such a fast pace and still figure out exactly what form you are supposed to have. Obviously this lessens the more you do the CDs. I have actually started having the video on and quote-unquote burst boxing and doing my Bowflex with the timer that is on the CD on days that I don't do the actual Burst fit. It literally saves me 40 minutes on those days since I used to do that for an hour. I use 5 pound hand weights Dr. Axe says most girls use 1 or 2 pound and most guys use 5, I have gained a lot of definition since I began which was on February 13th 2017.

I've done many workouts (T-25, Insanity Max-30, Hammer & Chisel, 21 Day Fix, etc.) but I was brand new to Dr. Josh's workouts. These short workouts use tabata-style 'bursts' that don't seem like a lot in the beginning but your muscles are tired & shaky in the end. I'm 3 days in right now & I'm sore in many areas. I'm a 44 yr old female who has never been the athletic person, but keeping up with these workouts isn't a problem. There are 3 people in each video to example the 3 levels of the workout, you follow whichever you chose. He just asks that you pick the one that will be challenging for you. You will need hand weights & a mat for these, but be warned you'll probably want lighter weights than you normally would use. This is because most times you are doing a full minute of a single move like lateral raises in succession with 3-4 other movements, a 30 second break, & then it repeats 3-4 more times. Again, this doesn't sound like a lot, but it makes you sore. There are definitely some moves in here that aren't the usual squat, lunge, press moves which is a nice surprise. Some moves can be difficult like a full minute of V-ups or burpees followed by 3-4 other exercises & then repeated 3-4 times, but again you can always follow the beginner model. Overall I think these workouts are very effective for such a short time frame. Any level can do this.

Background:I am a 43 year old male and was about 25 lbs overweight when I bought this. I had been doing some walking with some running for a month prior to my purchase.Pros:-I enjoy the workouts, most are challenging. I can now complete all exercises and I am working on the advanced versions of all routines (but with some breaks still/catch my breath etc). I do feel I get a pretty good work out. I am sore on the groups of muscles that are worked the day after. I certainly can see more definition in almost all parts of my body.-The modifiers are great. I did the first 2 weeks following the "low impact" person and have worked up to mostly advanced forms. I can still add heavier weights (the only weights are dumbbells) to keep it challenging.Cons:-As others have warned. You need to warm up and cool down. They do not include this! This means the workout is not really 23 minutes. (which is fine by me). With a proper warm up, cool down and stretching it is more like 40 minutes.-Sometimes, they are not doing proper form (depending on who you are watching) In some cases he will go correct that person after you have been doing it wrong for 30 seconds.-It would be nice if the order of the weekly schedule matched the order on the DVD's. For example, I have done the wrong routine and ended doing two consecutive days of legs, etc.Other thoughts:-I know others who have done P90X and I have seen P90X. I just think it may be a bit much for me (for now).-Follow the form and you will get a good workout. (I have had lazy days and you can make this is easy or challenging)

This is an effective workout that doesn't wear me out, nor is it a drudgery to do. The time spent for each workout is just enough to keep things simple and manageable, but every minute is well spent. I have worked out regularly for many years; everything from Cathy Smith, Mindy Mylrea, the Firm, and gentler pilates and isometric workouts - it seems I've tried the majority of workout styles over the years.This is perfect for me, at a time when I still want to be challenged and see noticeable results, but I don't want to risk injury. Because they show three levels, it is perfect for different ages and fitness levels. I found myself fluctuating between the easiest and mid level, mostly at the mid level and it was the challenge I needed, without killing myself! The tone of this is relaxed too - no boot-camp style yelling and no overly peppy (obnoxious) shout-outs here. I've only done it for a week, so I can't speak of the long term results, but I know from years of exercising that this will be very effective. When I tire of this one, I plan on buying his other set.