We Tried It: The 90-Second "Vook" Workout

Let's face it: Between work, family, errands and, frankly, just finding a second to catch your breath, getting to the gym can seem pretty Herculean, no matter how good your intentions. That's where torn-out magazine pages, foggily remembered yoga poses and -- more formally -- fitness books and DVDs can turn into lifesavers.

Personally, I've always been lousy at translating written instructions into actual "moves" (even with plenty of pictures I manage to throw myself off). As for workout videos, they're often a rough approximation compared to an actual class. Move too far to, say, the left side of the living room, and suddenly you're hopelessly entangled in a lamp cord. By the time you extract yourself, the session's almost done.

The mere existence of the "vook" ("video-book") tells me I'm not alone here. Over the past several months, fitness book publishers have been testing out a set of online and iPhone video companions to their new releases. The idea, I'm told, is to hit our learning capabilities on all sides-from reading the printed word to mimicking and hearing instructors. Downloaded application and book are entirely portable, so you can break them out at any time, in any room, all within arms' reach. Because both book and video rely on a table of contents and chapters, you can learn at your own speed and in whatever order best suits you.
Keeping "vook" enthusiasm in perspective, Pete Cerqua's "90-Second Fitness Solution" is about as ideal a fit for this sort of project as you're likely to find (download cost: $6.99). Cerqua believes that we're wasting far too much time and energy on cardio and lifting workouts. His counter-strategy? Hold a challenging pose for long enough, and you'll coax your big muscles to switch the burden to your smaller ones, leaving you with maximum result and minimal bulk. The 90-second part of the title comes from his belief that you can break a 45-minute full-body workout down to six such 90-second reps. From a "vook" perspective, this translates into a whole lot of bite-sized, sift-able chapters.

Bias aside, consider this passage (designed to work your legs, abdominals, and back): "Press your back against a wall. Walk your feet away from the wall and then slide your back down the wall until your knees form ninety-degree angles. Hold up to ninety seconds. Remember to breathe." Fine. Doable. Unremarkable. Now watch it. A wall-sit isn't the toughest exercise ever, so I was -- if anything -- doubly impressed by how much just a few seconds of video added to the experience.

I actually did download the whole vook to my iPhone and while most of the exercises were easy enough (though my post-workout muscles told a different story), having it all literally at my fingertips, or at worst within arm's reach, did put the whole experience more into real-time. I could pick and choose what to focus on, refer to the book when I needed to -- and yet do it all without a shred of self-consciousness. It was like having a personal trainer without fearing judgment.

Pluses: The user-friendly, take-anywhere, go at your own speed phenomenon is definitely fun. Quick-to-do high-impact exercises deliver, too.

Minuses: Because you're so much in charge -- picking and choosing your specific exercise combination -- self-motivation may be the dark horse here. You'll definitely need some.

Takeaway: Is a vook necessary? Absolutely not. Is it a great perk? Undoubtedly, especially if you travel often. Having a book and a self-directed video to play made for lots of options and freedom. I'm sure I could have mustered the routine without the video component. However, the novelty and choose-your-own-adventure of it all got me going. Again and again.

Learn More: 90-Second Fitness Solution Homepage, Excerpt from The 90-Second Fitness Solution, The New York Times covers the "vook"

If you're short on time and gunning for big results, you might want to check out the 4-minute workout ROM machine. (You guessed it; Cerqua owns one.)