Davina Intense

Description

Hello again! So just when I thought Mark and Jackie had done every kind of exercise ever invented with me, they came up with a whole new way of training. I’m completely hooked and you will be too! Intense is based on the principle of High Intensity Training, which means that you’ll be working out for a shorter amount of time at – you guessed it – a higher intensity. It’s all about getting your heart rate up really high for short bursts, which is great for fitness, toning and fatburning! Intense Cardio Box – fantastic combination of boxing moves and high speed interval training. Intense Toning - brilliant mix of toning exercises with weights, and more high speed interval training. Intense Abs – A high velocity workout for your six pack and core muscles. Every time you do one of these workouts, PLEASE do the warm up and cool down stretch, there’s also Mark’s developmental stretch as well which is really relaxing. Review: You can't go wrong with Davina...wasn't my favourite but now becoming an 'intense' convert! - Firstly I will say I love Davina's workout DVDs. I've owned them all over the years and look forward to the new instalment each year. I said last year that Ultimate Target would be hard to beat and although Intense is still a great workout and a fresh approach to exercise, Ultimate Target is still my favourite. (See edit below!) This DVD is split into 5 sections, warm up, intense cardio box, intense toning, intense abs and cool down. The idea of this DVD is to keep you at an intense level with your heart rate up for a period of time before having a rest period and then another intense level of exercise. I've never really been a fan of high impact exercise but this is managable for me and I think with practice I'll be able to keep up! One of the great things about this DVD is that it is all quite self contained in terms of space, you don't need a massive space to do the workout. You will need a mat or towel, some water and a pair of weights(or bottles of water) Warm Up: Led by Jackie, A very good warm up, fun at the beginning and then harder than the previous dvds and definitely gets your heart rate up with the usual stretches afterwards. I love the stretches, if only to see Mark trying to balance yet again! His shimmy is also something you don't want to miss! :-) The warm up is harder I assume as the workout is also quite hard so it prepares you for that. Intense Cardio Box: Led by Jackie this is some of the usual boxing moves done on the previous dvds but much faster. Jackie prepares you before each section to tell you what the moves will be. There are also 2 minute breaks between each workout section, which might annoy some people who can keep going but for me I need that break. I found it quite hard to keep up with Davina and Mark, but as you are working to a period of time (30 seconds on most) you just do what you can. Intense Toning: Led by Mark, again some of the old moves you have seen on previous DVDs but much faster. Again I couldn't really keep up, but hopefully after a few attempts I will be able to. At only 11 weeks post partum I'm a little out of practice! I did this yesterday and I am aching today, in a good way! Again you have slightly longer rest periods between the exercises. Intense Abs: Led by Jackie, it starts with some standing ab exercises which again get your heart rate going, there is no easy part of this DVD, so don't expect an easy ride. It is then followed by some laying moves which are again very good and I am aching today on my abs. Cool Down: Led by Mark, A usual Davina workout cool down, lots of nice stretches to relax you after the madness! All in all, I'd recommend you try this DVD, especially if you already love the Davina workouts. If you are very new to exercise it may be a little hard at first, but Jackie always does the easier workout and you can work your way up. Again I'd say Ultimate Target for me is probably the best DVD they have done. I found that working at a slightly reduced level for a longer period of time without the longer breaks is what I prefer along with the targeted sections that DVD offers. However, I think that Intense combined with Ultimate Target is all the workouts I'll need to get back in my pre-pregnancy shape. It must be so hard for them to come up with a new DVD each year and to keep it fresh and they don't disappoint. I wanted to edit this review to also mention the Davina Fitness app which is available. It runs alongside this DVD and is free to download, although there is a personal trainer section you can download for £1.49. I wanted to just mention the App because it is actually genius. You can basically workout anywhere you take your phone and it also has a running buddy if you want to go for a jog and log it. It has lots of different exercise routines that you can pick from a Cardio Tone and Sculpt list which target specific body areas such as 'muffin top gone' 'Kick box extreme', also broken down to beginner, occasional and experienced, so you can go at your own pace depending on your ability. Every time you do a workout you get a heart. The workouts are not video based, it just tells you what exercise to do for that minute or 30 seconds, although there are video tutorials you can use. You can make your own playlist on your phone and play this alongside the workout which is great. Another great aspect is that all the workouts are self-contained and only 20-25 minutes long so for those of you who don't have time to do the full DVD workout you can do the app and the workouts include a short warmup and cooldown stretches. I've done it three times in the last two days and I'm still aching! ***Ok I had to edit this review again. I said that in my first time reviewing that this wasn't my favourite, but I have to say that after a few weeks its slowly becoming as much of a favourite as Ultimate Target for me, I think the more you do this DVD, the 'easier' it will get. I've noticed a difference already that I can keep up and my cardio is getting better. Waiting now for some batteries for my HRM so I can see how many calories I'm burning! Review: Intensely Brilliant! - I'm a fan of all Jackie, Mark and Davina's workouts, but Intense is quickly becoming my favourite. I credit their workouts for getting me back in shape after each of my three pregnancies. Unlike other fitness instructors I've tried, they always include thorough warm ups and cool downs. Warm Up - Starts off with some easy dance moves, including Mark's now infamous shimmy! After a couple of minutes, the pace kicks up a notch with a high-impact cardio interval, including running on the spot and jacks. Intense Cardio Box - A 20-minute workout. 3 minutes of intense high-impact cardio moves drive the heart rate sky high, and are followed by a 2-minute rest/water break during which the heart rate drops. For anyone skeptical of the 2-minute rests, they remind me to drink water (I always mean to do this during workouts, but never drink enough) and enable me to give it my all during the cardio intervals. Despite feeling less puffed at the end of Intense Cardio Box than, say, Fabulous Fatburner on the Ultimate Target DVD, I burn over 450 calories in comparison to my average of 350 with FF. Intense Toning - A 27-minute toning and cardio interval workout with weights. I find this the most difficult workout on the DVD. The first two sections of the workout focus on the upper body and use hand weights. They're divided into 4 minutes of weights followed by 3 minutes of cardio, then a 2-minute rest. At the 18-minute mark, there's a 6-minute mat section focusing on triceps and abs. The workout finishes with another intense cardio interval. Intense Abs - A 12-minute workout for abs. It didn't feel too difficult when I did it the first time, but I really felt it the next day. I still can't hold the plank move at the end for the full amount of time. I usually combine Intense Abs with Intense Cardio Box. Intense Stretch - This section starts with a typical 7-minute cool down stretch that should be done after every workout. Once the initial cool down stretches are done, there's a lovely 20-minute yoga-style stretch. Flexibility is my weak point, but doing this stretch a couple of times a week is making a difference. I've been working out with Davina Intense for 4 times a week for the past month. I've shed the last couple of kilos of baby weight, and my abs are MUCH firmer. I wouldn't recommend this workout for absolute beginners or anyone who can't do high-impact exercises. However, if you've enjoyed Davina's other workouts and are looking for a challenge, Intense delivers.