DDP Yoga Week 1

I've been doing DDP Yoga for a little over a week now.  I thought I'd give you guys some of my first impressions.

First of all, the packaging involved is very minimal - it comes in a large envelope, not a box.  Which is fine with me, really.  He has a few options when you're buying the program, and I believe I got the biggest.  There are 5 DVDs in my package, the guide, and a big poster with his "Diamond Dozen" moves.  There are 3-4 different workouts per DVD... way more than are included in the actual 13 week program, so you have plenty of extras there.  In addition to the workouts on the schedule, he has a short video on breathing, a morning yoga sequence, a couple of kids workouts (he pulls no punches with the kids....it's the same yoga, just smaller people), and some more advanced workouts.

The program is 13 weeks long, and there are 3 options... beginner, experienced, and advanced.  The beginner version has you progressing through the videos more slowly, 3 sessions a week with a 4th optional workout in the latter weeks.  Experienced progresses more quickly through the different workouts, 4 times a week with a 5th optional, and Advanced is 5 times a week, 6th optional. I do have some yoga experience, but I started with Beginner and my plan is to go through each level.

So far, all I've done is the Diamond Dozen tutorial and Energy.  The DD tutorial isn't really a workout, it's just teaching  you the different moves and modifications.  I broke a sweat doing it, but that might be more a testament of how out of shape I am right now rather than the workout itself.  Energy is a 20 minute workout.  Every time I've done it, by the time I think to see how much longer I have left, it's almost over.  It goes very quickly.

I'm not a yoga expert by any means, but from what I can tell from previous yoga classes, he's doing everything right.  He has renamed several poses, to sound more "manly" I suspect.  Child's pose is "safety zone", upward salute is "Touchdown".... you get the idea.  He focuses on Dynamic Resistance, tensing your muscles while moving to create your own resistance.  He's very big on modifications... this was designed to be usable by people with serious limitations as well as people who are fit.  He explains in the guide his own journey and I really could tell that he has a heart for helping people.  His website has a lot of testimonials, some incredibly amazing and inspirational, but he emphasizes that you aren't going to have some miraculous transformation unless you put in the work required for a miraculous transformation.  You get out what you put in. 

Personality-wise... I love DDP.  I like his style, but I can see how some people might not really get into him.  He is a little playful but not in a silly, goofy (Tony Horton) kind of way.  He just seems like a really cool guy, like you'd go kick back and have a beer with him after yoga.  And he has that raspy "I shredded my vocal cords when I was young" voice.

The guide has a nutrition part, but I haven't really gotten into that all that much - because food is my downfall and I'm having trouble mentally getting into it.  But it also has 3 levels. I'm going on memory here, but I think I remember the guidelines...  Level 1 is basically eating clean.  Cutting out processed foods and sugar.  Level 2 is cutting out dairy and gluten, and Level 3 is going organic and adding juicing.  He doesn't emphasize eating "low fat", which I appreciate.  No egg-white omelets or low fat cheese suggestions.  I don't really have a problem with his guidelines, although I'm not anti-dairy/gluten by any means.  The only criteria for what level you do is what kind of results you want.  He feels the you'll get faster/better results on Level 3 vs Level 1, but I do like that he doesn't just lay out one set of unobtainable eating goals.  I do intend to sit down and plan out a menu for myself, but like I said, food is my problem child and I haven't broken through that wall just yet.

I'll give more updates as things progress and I have something to report.  =)