Shape Magazine Workout Review: Yoga with Britney Spears

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I know, I know, we are about half-way through the month and just doing the cover girl's workout in the June issue of Shape Magazine. It has looked like a good workout, but I have been so happy with all of my usual yoga vids, that this one has taken the back-burner until now. My only hope is that this review will help one person who is on the fence about purchasing or not purchasing this month's issue.  

Let me first say that I love, love, love, the sports bra that Britney is wearing in the exercise demo! I also so love the fact that she is the one demoing all of these poses. For some reason, it is rare to see the actual celebrity doing they workout that they are recommending. I love seeing her do the poses she says she loves!  

The interview with Britney is pretty standard, no in depth secrets shared or big surprises, but it was good all the same. I am still trying to envision Britney Spears driving a mini van, but that was the biggest bomb shell. As you may have guessed, the workout Britney chooses is a yoga workout. It was created by her yoga trainer, Elizabeth I, and works legs, arms, and abs. The flow itself looks pretty simple with lots of poses most people are familiar with, but should give those three areas a good toning.  

The Workout

I will first say that anyone who manages to write a how-to for a yoga routine has my respect. Yoga videos are much easier to follow and flow much better than any written form of yoga that I have seen. This flow is one of the easiest written forms of yoga that I have ever followed. I loved the idea of counting breaths rather than seconds, and it was very easy to understand how long each breath should be.  

The actual poses were all very common with exception to the last. The last pose is a camel pose. These are a bit more advanced and I did not quite understand why it was with such a simple flow. It would be the perfect introductory yoga flow if not for the camel hitched on at the end.

Elizabeth recommends doing the entire flow one to three times. I completed two flows after my usual run. The run got me warmed up and the yoga flows were a great way to stretch and cool down. I would recommend trying this flow if you already have the June issue of Shape Magazine and have 1) Not done much yoga before or 2) are using it as a post workout cool down. If you do not have the June issue yet, save you money and hold off until July.

Shape Magazine Workout Review: Beach Body Part II

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This month's issue of Shape Magazine has and interview with Brittany Spears and the second part of the three month Beach Body workout plan create by Jillian Michaels. Where the first month of the Beach Body workout dealt more with legs and core, this workouts takes it to the arms and back. The workout is quite simple, with a one minute warm-up and three circuits comprised of six one-minute exercises. ​Jillian recommends doing this workout twice a week, mixed with three days of cardio as well.

This workout does take weights. Resistance bands will not work for most of these exercises, but weights as small as three pounds will do the trick. If you do not have weights, I would suggest using a large water bottle, full, of course. Children and small animals may do the trick as well! ​​

Like the first month Beach Body plan, this plan comes with a diet program. I will not be doing the diet, but it looks pretty yummy and easy to follow. This plan does not have snacks, but keeps calories low and protein high. ​This plan was created by Jackie Newgent, a registered dietitian and author of 1,000 Low-Calorie Recipes. ​Even though I am not doing the diet plan, I may have to buy this book. The recipes look so simple and absolutely delicious!

The Workout

I have to admit, as much as I liked the ​first month of the Beach Body workout, I was not super excited to try this one. The first workout was good, but it did not push me as much as the usual Jillian Michaels workouts do. After doing this workout, I have to assume the first one was breaking us in for some massive toning in months two and three.

I mixed-up the workout and used both three pound and five pound weights, depending on the exercise. This made the workout a bit more fun and more intense for my larger muscle groups. The workout took me exactly twenty minutes and left a puddle of sweat on the floor in front of me while burning over 150 calories. I loved it. ​

Somehow, I forgot to turn on any of my usual tv or music options. Usually, the lack of a distraction makes any length of workout seem drag on for an eternity. Not so today. This workout kept things new enough that I was never bored, even in the silence.

Jillian does not usually do breaks between circuits, and this workout was no different. The lack of a break does lead to a more intense workout, but it also helps trick out brains into thinking the workout is easier than it is. This may be because we do not have a whole minute to cool down and think about how sore we are getting, or because the workout is three minutes shorter. Either way, the lack of a break is a wonderful change-up from the norm. 

If you are looking for a good arm and back workout, do this. Even typing this review is reminding me of all those little muscles I worked. This workout is great for toning and will definitely help get us closer to our Beach body goals.  ​

Next week we will have to review the Brittany Spears workout in this issue, along with a bit about her interview! What's your take on Brittany? ​

Shape Magazine Workout Review: Alison Sweeney's Workout

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Has anyone noticed that daytime soap operas are making a comeback in a big way? This month's issue of Shape Magazine is living proof with the Days of Our Lives star, Alison Sweeney as the cover girl. ​Although I have seen Alison Sweeney's hilarious Ellen reaction, I did not know much about her before reading the article. After reading her interview, I was inspired and seriously excited to try her workout. Anyone who can be as busy as she is and manage to go from a size 12 to a 4 (and keep it off) most likely has a pretty good fitness plan.

Alison works out between three and six times a week. This workout is super quick and should only take about ten minutes, but promises to work both the upper and lower body. The only downside of the workout that I can see so far is that almost every exercise calls for weights. Weights are an important part of training and toning, and even though I know this, I still hate reviewing workouts that use them. The average person does not have weights in there home or a membership to a gym. This makes exercises with weights difficult for them to do, and therefore, difficult for me to review. But, this workout looks too fun and too easy to skip over for any reason.

If you do not have weights but want to do this workout, sub them out for some 32 ounce water bottles, a small bag of books, your cat/small dog, candles, or anything else you can find that is about five pounds and is easy to hold. ​

The Workout

Alison's trainer recommends doing this ten minute circuit three times for a total of thirty minutes. There are five sets in a circuit and each set has ten reps. One circuit burned about 70 calories and took almost exactly ten minutes. Each circuit is intense and three together would be a workout of workouts. 

Doing or not doing this workout would hinge on whether or not you have weights. If you do have them available to you, I would highly recommend this. If not, you may want to do another one of the May workout plans. I completed this workout after my 2.5 mile run and was exhausted by the end. This workout will work your legs, core, and arms like few other things, and keeps exercises switched up enough that you will not get bored! 

One of the most surprising things to me was the lack of soreness the next day. I could not walk without pain after doing the Jillian Michaels May workout ​last week and was expecting that same soreness to return. There was no soreness the next day, but I do think this would truly increase my arm strength if done for a long period of time.