Montenegro Method Workout DVDs

CanCan, 04 September 2010,
Categories: Health, Mom stuff

Montenegro-method1 Until about 8 months ago, I had fallen out of the habit of exercising regularly.

In fact I didn’t really exercise at all in the last 8 years, except for walking during my two pregnancies. And we all know how long pregnancies last.

So late last January I started doing DVD workouts at night after the kids were in bed.

But summer vacation came along and took my fitness routine with it, so when I was contacted to review Marta Montenegro’s recently released DVD’s and Diet Guide as a viable way to take your fitness regimen on the road, I was intrigued.

The set of 3 DVD’s in ‘The Montenegro Method’; MM21 Endurance Workout, MM21 Strength Workout, and MM10 Power Workout Video have 21-minute and 10-minute workouts that are slow yet hard-hitting.

Equipment is “not required” but Marta uses small dumbbells in a lot of the sets, so I didn’t feel like I was doing the exercises properly until I got my own set of 4-pound dumbbells.

Of course I would not be traveling with dumbbells hogging my weight allowance in my luggage. But at home, lets do this right, you know?

On the cover of the DVD’s is the slogan, “21 Minutes to a long, lean, athletic body. 21 days to a healthier life.”

I haven’t done 21 Minutes for 21 Days yet, but I was confused about how a total of 6 21 minute workouts and 4 10 minute workouts added up to 21/21.

Some extensive Google searching uncovered the answer:

What’s the recommended rotation for the DVD exercises?

A: The best way to use the Montenegro Method 21 day program is to do one workout from each DVD per day (2 workouts when it’s a POWER DVD day).

For example:

Day 1 – Endurance DVD, Workout 1

Day 2 – Strength DVD, Workout 1

Day 3 – Power DVD, Workout 1 & 2

Day 4 – Endurance DVD, Workout 2

Day 5 – Strength DVD, Workout 2

Day 6 – Power DVD, Workout 3 & 4

Day 7 – Endurance DVD, Workout 2

Day 8 – Strength DVD, Workout 3

Day 9 – Power DVD, Workout 1 & 2

And so on until you get to 21 days.

When you reach 21 days, you can start combining workouts from each DVD for a longer daily workout. For example, combine an Endurance workout with a Strength workout or a Power workout with an Endurance or Strength workout.

And remember to keep challenging yourself by increasing your equipment weight as you get stronger and start to feel more comfortable with the program.

This way, you will continue to keep challenging your body at all times and will continue to see the best results.

Here I am doing my best with the MM21 Strength Workout:

These workouts are slow-moving yet very challenging.

Marta doesn’t talk very much and isn’t very emotive. Personally I don’t mind doing reverse lunges in silence but if you prefer the peppy cheerleader-type instructor, you might be disappointed.

The first workout I did was from the MM10 Power: Accelerate Metabolism DVD.

This was a 10 minute workout that included strength and endurance exercises. In one of these workouts, you do 10 different exercises for 60 seconds each.

I remember one killer move was jumping up and down from a lunge position. My thighs felt the burn the next day!

You can watch the workouts in English or Spanish language.

I can’t imagine they would be hard to follow even if you didn’t speak one of those languages, as long as you could watch the screen. So don’t be discouraged if your mother tongue is not one of these two languages.

The Montenegro Method is different from other DVD workouts I have used because it is more like working out with a trainer in a gym than being an exercise class.

I am looking forward to seeing what I can do in 21 days!

My minor complaints about this DVD series is the lack of warm up, cool down, or any kind of recommended stretches, and that the workouts are an itty bitty bit longer than 21 minutes (more like 23…believe me, I was watching the minutes creep by as my thighs screamed at me to stop lunging and squatting).

I feel like we target the thighs and glutes a lot in this series, so get ready to see me in short skirts after I complete this circuit.

(Just kidding. Maybe.)