That's Fit

We Tried It: Ugi at Home

Kristen Seymour — Thu, 14 Apr 2011 14:00:00 EST

ugifit.com We often hear about how some celebrity spends two hours at the gym six days a week, or who eats exactly 1,300 calories per day in order to get into killer shape, but the truth is that many working actors are working just as many hours as we are -- and their days are just as busy. Ugi was created with busy people (famous and anonymous alike) in mind by kinesiologist and celebrity personal trainer Sara Shears. She wanted to provide her clients a system that was portable, straightforward and integrated both diet and exercise. Here's how the system works. For $189, you get the Ugi at Home system, which includes an Ugi ball in the weight of your choice (the website helps you determine which weight is best for you): 6 lb, 8 lb, 10 lb or 12 lb. With the Ugi ball (which is a bit soft and squishy, like a beanbag), you receive a workout guide book, a DVD showing all 150 exercises from the book, a guide to making good eating choices, access to Ugi's online library of exercises, an interval timer and a free downloadable Ugi interval timer for iPhone (with other smartphone platforms in the works). You also have the option to purchase an Ugi ball separately ($129 for any weight) and a training poster ($25). The workout guide is really comprehensive, offering five days of workouts -- two days of biceps, triceps and shoulders; two days of chest and back; and one day of core, glutes and thighs (although, it should be noted that every workout hits every body part; they just focus a little more on the ones listed). There are tips offered throughout the book, as well as symbols telling you which moves should be done quickly to achieve a cardio benefit and which ones have modifications available. The Ugi ball is used in a few ways. Of course, it's used as a weight in many exercises, but also serves as a base for planks and lunges (like you'd use a BOSU) as well as a prop to move around. The DVD is a nice bonus, but, to be honest, the instructions and pictures in the book were easy enough to follow that there was never an instance where I actually needed to use the DVD. However, if you're more motivated by working out to a DVD than to a book, by all means, pop it in. I have to say that I like the island-y beat of the music, and the DVD's 10-second countdown at the end of exercise is kind of fun! The eating plan offers lots of healthy advice and focuses more on eating modest portions than on counting calories, which is nice, but it's a very basic start -- this is a small booklet telling you what you should eat more of (protein and vegetables) and what you should shouldn't (starchy carbs, dairy). Although it provides a sample day and the ideas it puts forth are easy to understand and follow, it is not a true meal plan with a week of menus written out for you. Pluses: I love the way the Ugi at Home system provides a solid, guided workout, but really allows the user to be in charge of intensity and duration. If you're in a hurry, shorten the intervals to 30 seconds instead of a minute and blow through in no time. If you're not feeling so strong, split the 60-second intervals between the exercise and rest. And, unlike a DVD, you can mix these up any way you like, doing them in any order, skipping the ones that hurt your knees, or putting a couple of days back to back when you have the time and energy. Minuses: Part of the point of the Ugi at Home system is that it's meant to be portable, and while, yes, it's easy enough to toss an Ugi ball into your trunk or backseat, it's not going to fit in luggage for traveling, and, to be honest, it's a little too big for me to ever take to the gym with me. Takeaway: I enjoyed my Ugi workouts quite a bit (and definitely liked sitting on the Ugi ball when I was done!). Ugi at Home provides a full-body workout and has nearly-endless options for changing up the order of exercises, but the price tag might be a bit steep for many folks. One thing I'd like to point out is that Ugi does offer a 30-day satisfaction guarantee, so if you order a weight that's too light or find it's just not right for you, there's no harm done. However, I'd love for them to find a way to make the weight variable so you have the option to buy a lighter weight, which might be more appropriate to start, and then add on a couple of pounds down the road. Despite the price, I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this, particularly to someone who prefers to work out at home and isn't already shelling out for a gym membership where there's access to lots of weights and props. Related Stories How Can I Tone My Upper Thighs at Home? Yoga At Home: Get Started Train at Home - With Little Equipment

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