The Navy SEALs Workout

Rating:
Summary: Good calisthenics DVD
Review: No, you won't be a Navy Seal after watching this video, I don't know what the army guy was expecting. The DVD is basically 45 minutes of standard military calisthenics (pushups, jumping jacks, situps, windmills, etc). The DVD is divided into five sections, Warmup, Pull Exercises, Push exercises, Abs, and Legs, so you can skip around to whichever set you want to do. Some of the exercises require equipment (chinups, dips), but most of the dvd is just plain old calisthenics.

I'm a Navy reservist, in decent physical condition, and I found this dvd to be challenging, but it won't whip you into top shape. It's best for quick 20-30 minute workouts in your living room for those days you can't get to a gym or outside. The flow of the cd isn't as smooth as I'd like, but there are hardly any exercise DVDs for men, most of the choices seem to be Yoga, so this DVD gets my recommendation.

Rating:
Summary: Get a grip!
Review: The cover claims that this is an actual SEAL workout. Therefore, as a graduate of the US Army Infantry School in Fort Benning, Georgia, I expected to be impressed. However, it is clear that this workout is not used by operational SEALs for combat readiness. As the back cover discloses, the lads doing all the grunting, sweating, and shaking are trainees, not actual SEALs. They are led - rather effortlessly - by SEAL instructors who seem painfully aware of the presence of cameras, so much so that no expletives escape from their remarkably self-restrained throats (bleeps not required). On camera, not one of the boys gets "dogged" to a degree even remotely approaching real training conditions. My drill sergeants were much more colorful and... er... "motivational," to say the least.

Though I agree with the reviewer who believes that most beginners won't be able to "complete it properly" the first time, what is depicted here is not a single PT session. Instead, it is a series of excerpts from a couple of PR sessions that are characterized by a marked "let's get it over with" attitude on the part of most participants. I say "most" because one waistline-challenged trainee is undoubtedly thinking about calling it quits (he can barely keep up with an unremarkable series of sit-ups and push-ups), while one instructor is clearly on a mission to finish off a hapless young officer.

Luckily, I also ordered the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences edition of the Navy SEAL Physical Fitness Guide, and was able to come up with a challenging beginner's workout suited to my own far-reaching goals and current fitness level. That, together with a bevy of spectral drill sergeants from hell, should be enough to whip me into shape.

I challenge any producer worth his salt to film something akin to RADM Smith's lengthy PT program - as described in the aforementioned fitness guide - using operational SEALs instead of trainees.

On the plus side, the tape did come in handy as a guide to proper form...

Rating:
Summary: Poor quality
Review: The DVD is basically 45 minutes of standard military calisthenics (pushups, jumping jacks, situps, windmills, etc). The DVD is divided into five sections, Warmup, Pull Exercises, Push exercises, Abs, and Legs, so you can skip around to whichever set you want to do. Some of the exercises require equipment (chinups, dips), but most of the dvd is just plain old calisthenics.

I'm a Navy reservist, in decent physical condition, and I found this dvd to be challenging, but it won't whip you into top shape. It's best for quick 20-30 minute workouts in your living room for those days you can't get to a gym or outside. The flow of the cd isn't as smooth as I'd like, but there are hardly any exercise DVDs for men, most of the choices seem to be Yoga, so this DVD gets my recommendation.

Rating:
Summary: Poor quality
Review: This DVD had real potential. As a member of the Armed Forces, I was hoping for something that would take me back to boot camp and give me the quality of workout I remember. Didn't happen. I'm not saying that the Navy SEALs don't have excellent training, what I am saying is that it is not reflected in this workout. The filming is done very poorly, on about $40/day. I thought I was getting a workout that would require no equipment, but that is not true. While the majority of the exercises don't require anything but you, there is a major section that needs pullup and dip bars. In retrospect, I would not have bought this DVD, but would have spent my money elsewhere. Don't waste yours like I wasted mine!

Rating:
Summary: Get Ripped Old Fashion Style
Review: What a video! This is a no nonsense balls to the wall workout video. If you want girls in tight spandex bending over showing you...well you know, forget it! This is the real Navy Seals in training with real instructurs walking about yelling at them.
The workout itself is intense and focuses on strength training using your own bodyweight for resistance.
Expect varations on countless pushups-situps and pull ups, neck and triceps.

Some of the reps are really high and you'll have to build up to it to really participate to the full degree. In any case expect to wake up the next morning with something sore.

Rating:
Summary: Get Ripped Old Fashion Style
Review: What a video! This is a no nonsense balls to the wall workout video. If you want girls in tight spandex bending over showing you...well you know, forget it! This is the real Navy Seals in training with real instructurs walking about yelling at them.
The workout itself is intense and focuses on strength training using your own bodyweight for resistance.
Expect varations on countless pushups-situps and pull ups, neck and triceps.

Some of the reps are really high and you'll have to build up to it to really participate to the full degree. In any case expect to wake up the next morning with something sore.