For those of you who are fans of Bob Harper or the show “The Biggest Loser”, you will most likely be very happy to hear that Bob Harper has a new workout DVD just out, called Bob Harper: Ultimate Cardio Body.

I have never seen the show or heard of Bob before this, so it was my first experience with Bob’s work, by trying out this new DVD. Having tried the DVD workout several times now, I am happy to report that I was very pleasantly surprised by what this DVD workout offered and how it went about it.

It is no surprise that there are many workout DVD’s out there today. With so many possibilities, it can be tough to know how to choose which resources may best meet your needs, will be effective and won’t waste your money. Hence I would like to share with you a review of Bob Harper’s new Ultimate Cardio Body DVD workout.

I have never been a fan of gym routines or DVD workouts for that matter, for many reasons from being impractical to not being fun or long-term applicable. And so this review comes from the point of view of me not being a fitness expert, but someone who is interested in sharing with you practical, realistic and fun products when it comes to exercise.

DVD Content

Bob Harper’s Ultimate Cardio Body DVD is newly released at the start of 2011. It features a cover, which boasts “Bob’s Most Powerful Workout Yet”. While I am not previously familiar with Bob’s work and have nothing to compare it to, I can tell you, it was an intense and powerful workout indeed.

Bob Harper is the fitness guru of NBC’s hit, “The Biggest Loser,” and the force behind countless success stories from people who had previously given up on helping themselves, or had been written off as helpless by others. He has become an authority on wellness through motivating others by applying his “Inside Out” philosophy. Bob is certified with the American Fitness Training of Athletics and with Aerobics and Fitness Association of America. To learn more about Bob visit MyTrainerBob.com.

The DVD features 2 workouts. The main one is a 60 minute (1 hour) routine, where Bob cycles through various arm (upper body) and leg/glute (lower body) routines. It is comprised of a high-level cardiovascular weight training program.

The second one is a 10 minute glute challenge, which is a quick, but also intensely powerful workout.

Finally, the DVD offers a handful of trailers of Bob’s other workout DVD material.

Personal Commentary

I have never been a big fan of DVD workouts as so many of them are not practical enough to be effective or make us want to come back to them for more, normally gathering dust on our shelves after a few attempts. However, I was very pleasantly surprised when I watched this workout from Bob. I jumped into the routines on my first viewing of the Ultimate Cardio Body workout. Naturally, that was not a smart thing to do, as I had trouble walking from the lactic acid build up and muscle recovery for the next 3 days—but that was my own fault. The workout is awesome, but it is intense, especially if one is not used to this type of pace or level of fitness. I could’ve taken it easier, but it was so much fun and I wanted to continue on!

And that is where my personal commentary on this begins – Bob actually makes a workout fun! I cannot tell you how many times I laughed or giggled during the workout. Sometimes at what Bob says, and sometimes at myself while trying to keep up.

The 1 hour session workout is awesome, truly awesome – I really cannot say this enough. Bob has a great attitude and is very motivating. He is also right on about knowing where and when his audience will be experiencing various challenges during the workout and is ready with motivating advice on how to continue on. Bob also explains some modifications and explanations of how to make this workout easier or more intense. There is a short warm-up and a good cool down at the end. All in all, the 1 hour goes by so fast, which I found to be a great sign of a really well put together workout routine.

In the Ultimate Cardio Body, you as the viewer are working out with Bob’s guidance and with 4 other team members by whom Bob is joined on the workout platform. I found this team set-up, along with Bob’s approach, greatly motivating to actually do the workout and look forward to it again. What else I loved about it, is that the exercises are also ones that motivate me to join in and continue. Bob does not hold any posture to some crazy, excessive amount. He also alternates each routine and body parts often enough, so I never found myself bored or fatigued beyond hope, in any one area. And for me personally I really loved the arm and leg approach—yes get ready to do lots and lots of lunges and squats. The arm component includes weights, which offer good resistance training, however Bob also accommodates for those who have no dumb bells. There are almost no floor exercises and this I find is really helpful when you are working out to a DVD. In fact, all of the exercise routines were easy enough that I was able to do them without being glued to watching Bob, even with no previous experience with some of them.

Other pros include that the DVD delivers what it claims or promises. The workout is extreme, intense and powerful. So if you are really out of shape you either have to take it easy or start with a different workout DVD. When it comes to weight loss, I am not an expert on fitness, so I cannot tell you whether the routines are ideal or whatnot. But I know enough to know, that when one is activating the major muscles in the body, especially the legs, with an elevated enough heart rate, for a long enough period, it would almost be impossible not to lose weight.

From an aesthetic point of view, the DVD is very well produced. The accompanying music is hip, and never overwhelming or distracting, nor does it make it hard to hear Bob. The workout set is non-distracting and the workout takes place in a brightly lit, modern stuido. Various poses are captured in a freeze frame to enhance the proper posture of some moves. The team of individuals that Bob works out with are real, which was also nice to see. Don’t get me wrong, they are very fit and attractive individuals, but are not some unrealistic model types. They are real people who sweat, get out of breath, make mistakes in the routine and even feel like they need to take a break or feel like giving up. But with Bob’s fun and motivating approach, everyone continues on. What else was great is that there is a timer going the whole time in the bottom-right hand corner of the screen, which shows the time left and the exercise name that you are doing. At 25%, 50% and 75% intervals a bell rings, which I found was really useful to make one feel good that they accomplished that much already.

The second 10 minute glute workout may sound like taking the easier route, but it isn’t. It is also a really good, intense workout that I highly recommend for those days when you perhaps don’t feel like you have an hour of your time to dedicate to a workout.

Finally, I would love to share some cons about the Ultimate Cardio Body workout, but I really could not come up with any. The DVD is super easy to follow along with, everything is explained well, there is variety, there is fun, there is structure and all that in an aesthetically appealing product for a very low price. What more can one want?

Conclusion

In conclusion, having never watched an episode of “The Biggest Loser” or having had any experience with Bob’s work, I was super impressed and pleasantly surprised by this DVD and Bob’s skills.

Whether you want to lose weight, tone up, or maintain your level of fitness, I definitely recommend Bob’s Ultimate Cardio Body DVD. It is easy to follow along with, accommodates to various levels and most importantly is fun and energizing, making you want to go back and do it again and again! I definitely look forward to many exercise sessions with the help of this DVD, and have no doubt it will be a valuable addition for helping me create a long-lasting personal fitness routine.

Packaging

The DVD comes in a regular plastic DVD case.

Price (as of this posting)

Availability

  • In the US and Canada, online (see above)
  • Eventually local book stores or fitness studios may have this item
  • Internationally – not aware of any outlets selling this DVD

The Good

  • Provides an excellent, intense workout
  • Fun to practice
  • Motivating
  • Empowering
  • Realistic
  • Accommodating
  • Easy to follow along with
  • Great cardio routines
  • Great price

The Bad

  • Nothing that I can think of, other that it won’t be suitable for everyone’s tastes or fitness levels