Davina McCall has a seemingly endless amount of workout DVDs. In Davina Fit, she and her trainers, Jackie and Mark Wren, offer short 30-minute aerobics, boxing, upper and lower body workouts. Healthista’s Amanda Lundgren reviews
I should start off by saying that I’m not a big fan of workout DVDs. I consider myself a pretty big gym rat, so I like to be able to have a separate space where I can go just to work out; it helps get me into that fitness state of mind. I also consider myself a fairly experienced exerciser, so I tend to stay away from DVDs for fear that they are too easy for me.
Davina Fit contains four 30-minute workouts and a 10-minute yoga stretch.
I started with Aerobics Fit
Going into my first Davina Fit workout, I was skeptical. The workout claims to be a ‘brilliant non-stop fat-burning fest,’ but my snooty self thought, ‘this is going to be a piece of cake. Maybe I’ll go to the gym after I’m done.’
As all of the workouts on the DVD do, it starts off with a short warm-up. Trainer Jackie Wren leads the workout while Davina and Mark Wren follow along. Mark demonstrates variations of each move if you find it too easy or hard, and I appreciated the variations because I did find myself wishing some of the moves were more challenging. Because it is an aerobics workout, there’s a lot of jumping. I have a bad right knee, so I was worried the moves might irritate it without my brace on, but I found the workout to be really low-impact. Of course, you can make the moves even more low-impact with the variations.
The jumping and fast moves definitely got my heart rate up, and I felt out of breath at some points, though not to a point of discomfort. Luckily, Davina adds funny and helpful commentary throughout. She often asks questions to clarify form and what muscles the moves worked. It felt like I training with her, and it was comforting to know that I wasn’t the only one being challenged by the moves. And she makes some pretty funny faces.
The workout ended with a few minutes of abs and a cool-down stretch. The abs were actually the hardest part for me, because I hardly ever train abs (read: never.)
Total calories burned: 285, peak heart rate: 195, average heart rate: 150
Next, I tried Top Fit
This workout focuses on toning the ‘bingo wings’ and ‘other flabby bits up top.’ I didn’t know that weights were required, so I found myself running around my flat trying to find heavy objects to lift with. I settled on two bottles of liquor, which worked surprisingly well. You could also use filled water bottles, but that’s just not as fun.
Mark leads the workout this time, and he definitely targets those bingo wings. Most of the moves focus on the triceps, and I felt the burn. He also incorporates a bit of cardio and abs, which give your arms a rest. I lift weights at the gym, so I was used to the moves, but it was still a decent arm workout. To my surprise, I even felt sore in my deltoids the next day.
Total calories burned: 280, peak heart rate: 192, average heart rate: 140
I was most excited to try Kick Fit
This is a boxing-style workout, which I love. There’s just something so therapeutic about kicking and punching!
Jackie is back to lead the workout, and she doesn’t hold back. At one point we were doing so many consecutive kicks that I felt like a Radio City Rockette. Sometimes boxing sequences can be a bit confusing, but I found the moves pretty easy to pick up on. Davina says at the beginning of the video that it’s a great core workout, and she’s right. With all of the kicking, punching and twisting, my abs were engaged the entire time. It’s a great total body workout, and it’s fun!
Total calories burned: 304, peak heart rate: 185, average heart rate: 151
Bottom Fit was the last workout
Mark leads Davina and Jackie in this squat-heavy workout. Seriously, there are so many squats. I stood up at least three times expecting the sequence to be over, but Mark just kept going! Audible cussing ensued. I felt the burn in every part of my leg, but especially in my glutes. I like to use heavy weight when I do things like squats and lunges, however, so I was a bit disappointed that none of the moves used weights.
Total calories burned: 335, peak heart rate: 191, average heart rate: 164
My verdict
Overall, Davina Fit is a fun and moderately challenging workout. The 30-minute sessions make it perfect for a quick morning workout before work or a short hotel-room workout when you’re traveling. If you’re looking to build muscle or be on the floor sweating and panting by the time you’re done exercising, which I actually prefer, then this DVD will probably be too easy for you. However, if you’re looking for a quick and easy way to stay fit without much space or equipment, it’s perfect.
Buy: Davina Fit DVD on amazon.co.uk
£6.74
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