I have to admit something. I kind of hate working out at home. I always feel like there’s something else I should be doing and  I never seem to have exactly the right amount of weight. Not enough for squats; too much for triceps. I hate workout DVDs even more. I mean, I want to like them. But I don’t do them. DVDs mean working out in our cramped living. Kicking the coffee table with my ankle and smacking the running fan with my arms as I jump isn’t really what I consider a good workout.

But with a munchkin ruling my roost, working out at home is often a necessity. Even though our gym has child care, there’s always something: a cold I don’t want him to spread, a refusal to stay in the daycare, not enough time before a nap to make the drive home from the gym… {how many more excuses do you want?}

Since I’ve tossed aside most of my workout DVDs due to boredom, lack of challenge, or annoying format, I needed something else to try. I don’t mind doing my own bootcamp-like workouts, but sometimes you need a little extrinsic motivation, even if it’s from your tv screen. I received the Cathe Friedrich XTrain set last month courtesy of my partnership with Fitfluential. I was thrilled. My friend Tina introduced me to her brutal workouts a couple years ago. {I even met Cathe at Fitbloggin!} I know if Tina thinks they’re hardcore, they’re definitely worth it- that girl’s a workout rockstar.

So I was excited. And then I just let the DVDs sit there, unopened on the kitchen table. Finally during breakfast one morning I cracked open the training guide that accompanied the 9 DVD set and was immediately overwhelmed with the program options and the equipment needed.

So I let them sit a little longer.

Finally I got over myself and my excuses and just put a disc in the DVD player and got my work out on. I didn’t worry about starting a specific program or what kind of weight or equipment I had. I made do the way I always do at home. {By the way, a bed makes a good substitute for a BOSU ball when you need a little balance challenge.}

The verdict? They kicked my butt, in the exact way you want a workout too. I tried to pick some of the shorter workouts so I could cram them into my son’s 30 minute nap window and still manage to pee without a toddler-audience, but it didn’t always work out. The beauty of a video is that you can just stop.

I’m still working my way through all the DVDs. I’m hoping to start following one of the 90 day programs because I think it’d be a really good way to stick with it- having a variety of workouts to choose from and a set plan to follow are definitely 2 bonuses in my book.

Do you have a favorite workout DVD? Are you a fan of working out at home?