Top Exercise Videos

Top Exercise Videos Female: From celebrity trainers to reality stars, there are certainly plenty to choose from? Here’s an upcoming preview of a project from a very familiar name. With the nation striving to be healthy, fitness videos are becoming mainstream, if not an art form. More and more creativity is involved to help people stay fit. But when it comes to the number one lady in fitness videos, it’s not Jane Fonda or Denise Austin. It’s Amanda Ambandos. Her company Dragonfly Productions had made over 11,000 fitness videos in the last 15 years. She’s earned the title of the Fellini of Fitness, aka the Master Movie Maker of Workout Videos. Amanda has worked with the biggest names out there including the sexy Pussycat Dolls. Amanda Ambandos: Pussycat Dolls was fantastic. We had such a good time because what we wanted to do was sort of capture the routines that you see in their music videos for housewives at home for 3501 to like lose weight and feel great. So we were able to do that. I mean first I thought, “There’s nobody that’s going to identify with Nicole, because she’s been perfect and those dance moves are like out of sight.” But the reality is that she really is just insecure about her body like everyone else, so we will able to create routines, excitement and energy and of course, we had the music like Don’t Cha and Buttons. So it was a slam dunk. Female: Andrea teamed up with the biggest losers, Julian Michaels. She says, “She’s not as tough as people think.” Amanda Ambandos: She’s really a Pussycat. I mean she probably doesn’t want me to tell you that but she’s fantastic and she really cares. And some of the exercises she wanted to do, I was like, “Girl, like dial it back a little bit. That’s a little too extreme.” But she loves to make these videos because she wants to reach as many people as possible. Female: Adding to her resume, Andrea helped reality start Kendra Wilkinson Basket to make a post baby workout video come to life. Amanda Ambandos: Kendra’s dream was to do an exercise video. This is her dream. And she actually contacted us and said, “I really, really want to make exercise videos.” And not only do I want to -make exercise videos but I want to show women that getting your body back, it’s either after a baby or just you haven’t had the opportunity to be working out and just let life go by that you can’t get your body back. Female: Her latest project is with Billy Blanks Junior. You may remember his dad, Billy Blanks Senior in the famous Tae Bo videos, and yes, Andrea produced those as well. Now with his son, they’re bringing dancing to the forefront of fitness. Amanda Ambandos: Dance is very popular these days in the fitness category. It’s a great way to burn fat, tone up. And so Billy Blanks Junior, he’s the guy. He’s the one that’s bringing dance to thousands and thousands and thousands of gals across the country because he’s so charming. Female: Billy Blanks Junior, a trainer dancer and choreographer has his own philosophy on fitness. Billy Blanks Jr.: Well for fitness, I’m all about like feel good fitness. I grew up in a fitness family and it was very serious. And so for me, I’ve always incorporated stuff that to me it’s fun because I feel like if the hour can go by that you’re working out and you don’t realize it because you’re having a good time, that’s the best kind of fitness for me because you can change it and you feel good. Female: Along with a good time, Billy says, “People can take something new away from the routines.” Billy Blanks Jr.: Some routines are little more difficult and I really break them down to the people who are average mom at home with kids can go, “Oh, I’m doing this.” I want them; I’ll show them broad way choreography like from all the jazz, from Chicago. They’ll learn that routine or I’ll teach them African routine. That’s really simple or it’s the basics of like the Samba, a Russian so they can go, “I did the Samba today. I did the Tango today.” So basically, you’re learning all styles of dance but it’s for all levels. Female: It’s all about finding what works for you. Andrea says the key to picking the right workout DVD is knowing what you really want to accomplish. Amanda Ambandos: So my suggestion is find people that you like, find people that motivate and inspire you and make sure you know what your goals are. Female: I personally like the dancing workouts, but I’m not sure anyone can keep up with the Pussycat dolls. With all these workout videos out --