Photo: amazon.com

Usually, when I do a beginner workout video, I feel a little like a fraud -- I'm not much of a newbie when it comes to most forms of exercise. However, I've never done Tai Chi in my life, so I think I was a perfect candidate for "Element: Tai Chi for Beginners."

"Tai Chi for Beginners" takes place in the same perfectly lovely setting as the other Element videos, which immediately put me at ease (I'm a sucker for a gorgeous view). And the instructor, Samuel Barnes (founder of the Tai Chi Works studio in Beverly Hills), has a strong, soothing voice that, like in the other videos, comes through in a voice over so as not to distract from the movements.

The video is broken into three sections, giving you the options for a short or long session. The first is Qi Gong, which focuses on your breath and energy flow. The other two are both Tai Chi, one giving you step-by-step instructions and the other putting the moves together in a moving meditation.

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.

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!

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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!

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.

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.

When I first received the 10 Minute Solution Kettlebell Ultimate Fat Burner DVD to review, I had two reservations. First, anything that promises a 10 minute solution gets my hackles up -- I mean, how much can one really accomplish in 10 minutes? And, second, I had never worked with kettlebells, and was kind of skeptical about a DVD requiring equipment that I'd never even used.

Those two concerns turned out to be moot. As far as the 10 minute issue goes, you can rest assured that the workout is far longer than 10 minutes -- it's made up of five 10-minute segments focusing on different parts of the body, although, most things you do using a kettlebell work your full body. The different segments (which all have a short warm up and cool down) actually worked out really well for me -- I did this on a really busy day, and it was convenient to do 10 or 20 minutes at a time.

To do this video, all you actually need is a dumbbell -- the instructor herself uses a dumbbell, but gives instructions for using either that or a kettlebell, so you can use whichever is handy for you.

Metabolife's former CEO and co-founder Michael J. Ellis released his tell-all book "The Metabolife Story: The Rape of Cinderella" on February 13th. Now as you know, I'm a fitness pro who is adamantly against weight-loss drugs and snakeoil salesmen. I am, however, a business woman who's definitely interested in learning about the rise and disastrous fall of a bazillion dollar corporation.

Even though Mr. Ellis starts his book by sarcastically confessing to being a drug dealing thug who set out to murder people and cheat the government (if you believe the media's side of the story), the next few chapters paint him as a pretty light-hearted guy who simply created a product to help his father survive cancer.

Desperate to save his Dad, Michael experimented with herbs and other holistic remedies. He notes that a surprising side-effect of his concoction was weight-loss. The story just twists and turns from there on out.

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Some exercises are deceptively difficult. When I first saw The Bar Method Accelerated Workout DVD, I thought it would be a piece of cake. I did ballet when I was younger, and while that was many, many moons ago, I figured the moves in the DVD would feel familiar.

Let me now admit that I was wrong. Completely, totally wrong. This DVD was hard, even if everyone on the DVD looked pretty while they were doing it. (For the record, I think I looked considerably less pretty. I know for a fact my face didn't look anywhere near as serene as theirs.)

First, let me give you a brief description of what The Bar Method is. There are Bar Method studios located throughout the US, all of which teach this specific method of working out. The Bar Method workout "creates a uniquely lean, firm, sculpted body by combining the muscle-shaping principles of isometrics, the body-elongating practice of dance conditioning, the science of physical therapy and the intense pace of interval training."

And, actually, I did more than talk to them about the DVDs -- I tried them out! Currently, the two available are Boot Camp: A Fat-Blasting, Body-Altering, Butt Kicking Workout and Body: Sculpting Sessions to Tone and Define the Abs, Legs, Arms and Butt. I did them both, and seriously, I can see why Rory and Kim are not only thin, but toned -- these workout videos don't mess around!

First, I did the Body DVD, which has four 20-minute sections -- Ab Blast, Leg Shred, Arm Hell, and Butt Burn. However, while each section definitely worked the appropriate parts, it wasn't like lifting a weight over and over. You move quickly from one move to another, and many of the moves incorporated multiple muscle groups, which I'm always in favor of doing.

I'm serious about fitness, but I'm also serious about looking my best. Admittedly, I don't always look so great at the gym -- I don't wear much makeup, and my clothes don't always match. However, there are times when I wouldn't mind looking like, you know, a girl.

Danskin knows that being serious about fitness and wanting to look good aren't mutually exclusive -- far from it. And they've designed a sports bra that allows you to merge the two. One of their new sports bras, the Women's X-Training New Aerosilver Flex Sports Bra, combines form, function, and comfort. I'm loving it -- I can run and jump in comfort, but still look cute in my little yoga tank top!

That's not the only sports bra Danskin is offering, either. The aforementioned Flex is great for high impact workouts, as is their Aerosilver Glide Sports Bra (which has a bit of V cut to the front, which is great if you want to show just a hint of cleavage). Additionally, they have the High Performance Curve Sports Bra, which is better for your moderate intensity workouts (and it comes in a bunch of cool colors!).

Earlier this week, I introduced you to Sarina Jain and the Masala Bhangra Bollywood-style workout. Did it pique your interest? If so, you'll love this -- I had a chance to review Sarina's latest workout DVD, Back 2 Bollywood.

This is definitely a video for people who love to dance because it truly is a dance workout. I've always loved watching Bollywood-style dancing, but because the moves are so different than anything I know, I assumed it was really difficult. Sarina makes it easy (although, I'm not sure I looked quite as, umm, authentic as she did).

Likes:
Learning a new form of dance is always fun, and in this workout, there is a very simple, basic move that you return to after learning each new move. The music was lively, with a great beat. Additionally, I always like when the instructor and her back-ups seem like they're having fun, and that certainly was the case -- Sarina's love of dance and fitness is palpable.

I'm in love with Lucy. No, I haven't ditched my husband for a chic. Lucy is the maker of the pants I've adopted as my uniform. Do I need a uniform? No! Do I wish I had an excuse to wear Power Pants every day? Heck yeah!

If you're not familiar with Lucy, let me introduce you. Lucy is a fashionable line of women's workout wear that puts equal emphasis on performance, versatility and style. The line offers clothing and accessories designed for running, yoga, gym workouts and training in the great outdoors. I've done all of the above in my latest addiction: the Power Pant.

The Power Pant fits my smallish bum in the most amazing way. It enhances my curves, never shows a panty line and falls beautifully to the floor in the boot cut style. The moisture wick material allows me to run without discomfort, and the cute little zippered pockets hold my mp3 player firmly against my hip. One of my girlfriends has a pair, and they disguise her lumps and bumps. Most other fitness pants just accentuate them.