Thursday, January 26, 2012

Online Workout Websites

Thank you for all your suggestions in the comments (and via email) on my last post regarding online workout websites. I checked out all the suggestions and thought it would be helpful to list them in a post. So here we go:
Bodyrock.tv
Bodyrock.tv has a great variety of workouts, and they are short and intense. It’s a great site to explore and get ideas for new and exciting exercise routines. Some of the exercises are clearly beyond the scope of what I’m looking for in my workouts, and I really don’t want to (re)injure myself (having a weak ankle and a lingering lower back injury). It’s a great site to explore, but I think one has to know one’s limits (which is always the case when one exercises).
yogadownload
I really like yogadownload.com and used it years ago but had sort of forgotten about it. The site has a wide variety of yoga classes as well as audio and (some) video downloads. Some of the shorter classes are even free.
yogavibes
I hadn’t heard of yogavibes.com before (well maybe I had, but I don’t remember for sure…). The site has an extensive free collection of short videos (each 1-4 minutes in length) demonstrating and explaining individual poses. There are also a wide variety of yoga classes (beginner, prenatal, athletes, kids, etc.) that can be accessed with a paid plan. First-time customers can download a free 15 day trial, and an unlimited monthly pass costs $20.
CrossFit
I always see the “crazy” CrossFit people doing their WOD (workout of the day) at my gym, and I have been intrigued for a long time. The CrossFit site provides lots and lots of information, but if I ever decide to give this (crazy) workout plan a try, I think I’ll start by taking a few classes at a CrossFit gym to make sure I understand the basics. Groupon and similar sites frequently run great deals on CrossFit classes.
YouTube Mike Chang
Some good, basic workouts. I look forward to exploring his YouTube channels a bit more.
Jamie Eason
Jamie has a 12-week program, consisting of three four-week sessions focusing on training, nutrition, and supplementation.  It’s definitely too intense for what I’m looking for at this point, and I wouldn’t want to follow such a strict eating and supplementation plan. But I may explore the exercises more in the future. I also like that the workouts are available as printable logs.

Questions: What’s your favorite workout right now (online, outdoors, indoors, at home, at the gym, anything)? I still love barre classes. They are a great workout, and they have really helped me to manage my lower back pain. However, my favorite workouts are still long, challenging hikes. What’s a workout you want to try but are scared of? 

Be well,
Andrea