Photo: amazon.com

Pilates is something that's always been on the easier end of the exercise spectrum for me. I might not be super fast or wildly flexible, but core strength? That, I have.

Add to that my mentality that I can do anything for 10 minutes, and you'll understand why I expected to breeze through the 10 Minute Solution Quick Sculpt Pilates.

I was wrong.

Each of the five sections (Total Body Toner, Buns & Thigh Sculptor, Strength & Flexibility Pilates, Core Conditioning and Standing Pilates Sculpt) offered different challenges. I did them in order, and by the time I got to the end, I was taking more breaks than I care to admit. (There might have also been a few "Are you nuts?" glances at the screen, too.)

Photo: truepoweryoga.com

If a workout has a lot of celebrity endorsements, sometimes, I'm a bit skeptical (still interested, of course, but skeptical). However, when celebrities and professional athletes alike tout the same program, you'd better believe I get my game face on before I begin!

Mark Blanchard's True Power Yoga ($59.95) includes four workouts on three discs -- True Flow Workout (90 minutes), which is geared toward athletes (in fact, NFL receiver T.J. Houshmandzadeh participates); True Strength Workout (90 minutes), a flowing class filled with inversions and arm balances; True Core Workout (45 minutes), which, unsurprisingly, works your back and abdominal muscles; and Hip Opener Workout (50 minutes), a class that is actually led by Mark's wife and aims to relieve stress, both physical and emotional.

In addition to Houshmandzadeh (who says, "It's like lifting weights and stretching at the same time,"), NBA star Steve Smith, and actors Drew Barrymore and Mario Lopez are fans.

Photo: Paramount Home Entertainment

It's no accident that many of the contestants on "So You Think You Can Dance" look fit and fabulous -- they work hard for those bodies. Now, six of the most popular contestants have put together two workout DVDs. And you have a chance to win one of each!

The two DVDs are "So You Think You Can Dance Get Fit: Tone and Groove" and "So You Think You Can Dance Get Fit: Cardio Funk." "Tone and Groove" stars Stephen "Twitch" Boss doing Hip Hop, Dmitry Chaplin in the Cha Cha and Katee Shean doing Jazz.



"Cardio Funk" lets you sweat with Courtney Galiano doing Disco, Travis Wall in Contemporary and Lauren Gottlieb dancing Hip Hop.



The DVDs also feature interviews with the cast and a breakdown of the steps. Any fan of the show (or fan of dance, for that matter) is sure to enjoy this workout, and now, five lucky That's Fit readers will have a chance to win both of these DVDs!

• To enter, leave a confirmed comment below telling what kind of dance you love to either watch or do.
  
• The comment must be left before 5 p.m. ET on Thursday, August 6, 2009.
  
• You may enter only once.
• Five winners will be selected in a random drawing.
  
• Five winners will receive a copy of "So You Think You Can Dance Get Fit: Tone and Groove" and "So You Think You Can Dance Get Fit: Cardio Funk" (valued at $33.98).
  
• Open to legal residents of the 50 United States, the District of Columbia and Canada (excluding Quebec) who are 18 and older.
• Click here for complete Official Rules. Winners will be notified by email, so make sure to check next week to find out if you've won!

When it comes to music, I'm pretty open-minded. Country music isn't my top pick, but I've been known to hit a country bar with line dancing now and again. Honestly, I think line dancing is a lot of fun regardless of what song is being played, so I had zero reservations about trying out Dance Off the Inches: Country Line Dance.

Photo: amazon.com

Now, to be clear, this isn't going to teach you standard line dances that you'll find at line dancing bars or clubs, or play your favorite country tunes. The instructor, Amy Blackburn, teaches you three distinct dances to three instrumental songs (I didn't recognize them, but you might).

Like the other Dance Off the Inches DVDs, there is a step guide that teaches you 10 steps in 10 minutes. Once again, I didn't use it, but a few of the steps in the third dance were pretty tricky -- I probably could've used it, to be honest.

So far, I've enjoyed the 10 Minute Solution DVDs (at least, for the most part). And I love kickboxing. Plus, I'm all about awesome accessories. And so, when I received 10 Minute Solution: Knockout Body along with a pair of pink weighted gloves, it wasn't even a day before I was trying it out.

10 Minute Solution: Knockout Body with weighted gloves. Photo: amazon.com

As I'd hoped, this is a workout. Kickboxing really works your entire body, and this video did just that. The instructor, Jessica Smith, keeps you moving and motivated from beginning to end. Five 10-minute segments were focused on five different areas, but truthfully, each of them works the whole body.

Knockout Body Blast is an interval workout, mixing cardio and strength. Fat Attack also uses intervals, but with different intensity and different moves. Ultimate Upper Body focuses on punches, but there are enough squats to get your legs screaming, too. Kickbox Cross Train shows more combinations and incorporates cardio, strength and balance. Then, Fierce & Fabulous Abs, as you'd guess, works your abs, but you do a lot more than just crunches.

Results Fitness: Boost Your Metabolism promises to ignite fat burners, sculpt sexy muscles and burn more calories all day long. Plus, it shows a lean, toned woman in a bikini on the front -- sounds like the perfect way to get in shape for summer, right?

It just might be. In addition to the workout, Boost Your Metabolism offers a meal plan that provides about 1400 calories a day (and recommends that men add 300 calories a day to the menu). And, I'll tell you, if you complete a workout like this a few times a week and are careful about what you eat, you're sure to see results.

The workout consists of three cardio segments and three weight segments, so you really have a chance to work your entire body in a variety of ways. I tried it out at home, and I think it's safe to call it a challenge!

Source

First of all, let me be honest -- I am not a Pilates beginner. I'm not a pro or anything, but I've done my fair share of classes. And so, to help me review this DVD, I brought in my friend Blair, who is a new mom and also new to Pilates.

Element: Pilates Weight Loss for Beginners is unlike most Pilates DVDs in a few ways. For one thing, it's very low-key. Filmed in a gorgeous outdoor setting with flowers and the ocean in the background, it focuses heavily on breathing and proper stretching. Something else that struck me was the fact that the instructor does speak as she does the moves -- the instructions are given via a voice-over, and truthfully, I found that really helpful. The instructions were detailed, and I swear she was watching me, because every time she reminded me to tuck my pelvis or release my shoulders, that was exactly what I needed to do, and Blair had the same reaction.

One thing I think I should point out, though, is that I don't find this workout to be any more conducive to weight loss than any other workout of similar difficulty. You can't do a Pilates DVD, eat pizza and cake, and then expect to drop pounds. But I assume you already knew that, so let's get into the review!

Kathy Smith Total Body Lift promises to "sculpt a leaner, younger looking you" with a warm up and four dance-inspired workouts targeting the arms, legs, buns and tummy. And if anyone can follow through on a promise like that, you know it's gotta be Kathy Smith. The woman has been arching those eyebrows and making us sweat since the 80s, and she looks just as phenomenal now as she did then (and the hair is much improved, but then again, I can't talk much).

So does it meet expectations? I tried it out and can say with certainty that Kathy Smith is one tough lady, and she definitely knows her stuff. Many of the moves don't look terribly challenging, but once you're midway through a set, you realize that those little tips she gives ("Scoop your abs! Tuck your tailbone!") are making you work muscles you didn't think you could work.

As with many videos, you have the option to do all of the workouts, or choose a section or two. And, you can opt to hear her instruction or just listen to the music (which was really good -- current, popular music but played without words, so it was energizing without being a distraction).

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I first heard about Xflowsion because of Sarah Chalke from "Scrubs" -- it's one of her favorite workouts. After that, I felt like I was seeing it everywhere, so when I had an opportunity to review it, I was really excited. After all, I really like martial arts and dance, and even though I'm terrible at it, I enjoy yoga (and yes, one can be bad at yoga -- trust me).

Xflowsion isn't just a single workout. It includes four workouts, actually, along with two audio discs and a "real meals" nutrition guide. Live in Hollywood is the big, main workout, clocking in at 83 minutes (although, the menu does let you customize the length of the workout, if you like). It features live music (if you have surround sound, the video has awesome audio capabilities) and about 60 participants. Body Blast is just 26 minutes and is a challenging full body workout with great music -- not live, but really upbeat. Amazing Abs focuses on, well, your abs, and is 23 minutes. Calm Down Dog is a "restorative and gentle yoga-centric workout" meant to reduce stress and relax your mind.

Normally, the whole system (a $315 value) costs $39.95, but right now, Xflowsion is offering an "economy and body recovery plan." So, for a limited time, they're selling The Xflowsion DVD series (which includes everything mentioned above plus a free copy of "The Lean" DVD) for $19.95 plus $7.95 S&H. That is a lot of at-home fitness for the price, folks.

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Seeing as how you're here at That's Fit, I'm going to go out on a limb and assume you've heard of the "Buns of Steel" and "Abs of Steel" workout videos. You might even be familiar with the original "Buns of Steel" with Greg Smithey from 1987 (holy moly, the clothes!). Well, I had a chance to test out the newest incarnation of the hit series starring "Steel" veteran Leisa Hart.

"Abs of Steel: Sculpting and Toning" and "Buns of Steel: Sculpting and Toning" were released in December 2008. Like so many of the workout videos released lately, each one is broken into six sections of five or 10 minutes, and clocks in at about an hour when you include the intro, or 45 minutes if you go straight through the workouts.

Each section has a different focus. For example, Ballet Buns (five minutes standing) uses plies and releves (although, if you're an actual dancer, you'll have to incorporate a little willing suspension of disbelief -- these aren't going to pass your class); Ab Isolating focuses on doing seated movements from a chair; and both videos have Yoga sections that -- you guessed it -- use yoga poses to work your muscles.

Like most in the fitness industry, I'm pretty familiar with Jillian Michaels. I know she's tough and no-nonsense, and she gets results. What I wasn't sure about was how well that would translate to a DVD, but I had a chance to find out when I got a copy of two of her workouts --"Jillian Michaels: Banish Fat, Boost Metabolism" and "No More Trouble Zones."

I mean, think about it. On "The Biggest Loser," she pushes obese, out-of-shape people to the puking point, but she's there and able to read their responses. On a video, obviously, she can't, so I was very curious to see whether she would still be tough as nails.

As it turned out, the videos provide a good workout, but they weren't ruthless. It wasn't quite like I imagine a workout with Jillian in person would be. And, "Banish Fat, Boost Metabolism" didn't require any equipment, while "No More Trouble Zones" required only light weights -- that's always a plus to me.

The right workout video can make a huge difference in how you spend time in front of your TV. Will you spend this evening mindlessly watching reruns of "Law & Order" while snacking, or will you be working up a sweat?

The Core Rhythms Dance Exercise Program Starter Pack is sure to get you up and moving. Probably laughing, too. And now, you have a chance to win it. You only have until Friday at 5 p.m. ET to enter, so don't waste time. Head on over to the original post now to leave a comment and get a chance to win a set for yourself. We'll be selecting four winners, so your chances of winning are pretty darn good.

We all want a strong, slim, sexy stomach, but seriously, I don't know anyone who really enjoys getting on the floor and doing a zillion crunches. The results are great, of course, but there are other ways -- more enjoyable ways -- to get a fabulous core. Like, say, with the Core Rhythms DVDs. I mean, dancing seems to work on the contestants of "Dancing With the Stars," so why wouldn't it work for you, right?

I've talked about this at-home workout before -- I really enjoyed it. It makes me feel sexy and gets me sweaty, both of which get major points for a dance-based workout in my book. Some of the moves are tough, but there are lots of help options, so anyone can do it. And now, you get your chance -- four lucky That's Fit readers have a chance to win the Core Rhythms Dance Exercise Program Starter Pack, which consists of four discs: Full Workout, Quick Workout, Latin Dance Made Easy and Kick Start.

Entering is easy -- here's how:

• To enter, leave a confirmed comment below telling us about your favorite song to dance to.
  
• The comment must be left before 5pm ET on Friday, March 20, 2009.
  
• You may enter only once.
• Four winners will be selected in a random drawing.
  
• Four winners will receive the Core Rhythms Dance Exercise Program Starter Pack ( valued at $39.99).
• Open to legal residents of the 50 United States, the District of Columbia and Canada (excluding Quebec) who are 18 and older.

Click here for complete Official Rules.

Winners will be notified by email, so make sure to check next week to find out if you've won!

Can you really get flat abs in just 10 minutes? No, but that's not really what this DVD is about. This was the second 10 Minute Solution DVD I've had a chance to review, so I was familiar with the concept. The 10 Minute Solution DVDs don't promise results in 10 minutes, but they give you the option to do 10-minute sessions individually, or do all the portions at once for a full workout.

The 10 Minute Solution: Quick Tummy Toners DVD has five sections: Crunch Free Abs, Yoga Abs, Bikini Belly, Ab & Waist Definer and Sexy, Sporty Abs. Each section was led by Jessica Smith, who I really liked as an instructor. She was encouraging, had a seriously enviable body, and cued the moves really well, offering options to keep them easy or make them a little more challenging. Also, she had a different outfit and hairstyle for each section, which I got a kick out of.

Level of Difficulty
There were some challenging moves, for sure, but not tons of them. I definitely think a beginner could handle a majority of the moves with no problem.

In your neck of the woods, it might still be a little too cold and snowy to even think about getting outside and hitting the links. However, before you know it, you're going to start seeing that gorgeous spring weather that has you carrying your clubs around in your car at all times, just in case you get a chance to play.

But why wait until it's 70 degrees and sunny to start improving your game? STOTT PILATES® has a Pilates for Golf Power Pack designed to help you prep for Pebble Beach from the comfort of your living room, and I had a chance to check it out.

The Golf Power Pack includes a mat, two DVDs (Pilates on the Green, Level 1 and Pilates on the Green, Level 2), as well as a water-resistant, pocket-sized Warm-up Exercise Guide, so you can take your moves with you to the course. I've done a couple of STOTT PILATES® workouts before, so I was really curious to see how this measured up.