Recently, one of my Facebook friends shared this “Brutal HIIT Ladder Workout” (note the word “brutal” in the title). This was my introduction to the FitnessBlender website and YouTube channel. I really like the way they produce their videos. First, there’s a commercial to pay the bills, which is fine. A voiceover introduces the workout, and talks us through the exercises. For each video, a single cast member perform the exercises against a white background. (No pressure, right?)
The videos provide even more features than what’s usually found in the more expensive DVD programs such as P90X:
- A full-page description of the workout, including estimated calorie burn, equipment required, an exercise list, the option to build a “Favorites” list, and more
- An exercise countdown timer
- A calorie counter which increases during the workout (motivation?)
- A mini-preview at the top left of the screen before the next exercise begins
This is a great way to combine a traditional video DVD workout with Internet-friendly features such as a Favorites list, sharing with friends, and free site membership. Members can comment on videos and create Favorites.
FitnessBlender also offers 8 week programs which combine their videos into a structured fat-loss workout schedule. There are three rounds of eight weeks each, which can be completed in any order. The programs are provided as a PDF e-book, currently priced at $6.99. Sounds like a great deal to me.
I will be completing a schedule of P90X and Insanity workouts in just a couple of weeks, and then I plan to take a month to explore some free workouts. This site will be high on my priority list.