Workouts just for regular guys

Not every man who wants to shape up and lose weight chooses the gym or organized sports route -- some get fit at home. But when it comes to videos, few are suited for regular Joes not into choreographed dance moves or Pilates stretches. For them there is the “Chubby Hubby Workout,” (On Air Video, 2006) a guy-centric, straightforward exercise routine devised by personal trainer Sharyn Pak and her husband, Larry Withers, who also demonstrates the moves.

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“Chubby Hubby Workout”: Basic sports equipment, some dumbbells and a chair are about all that’s needed for this exercise routine, which includes stretching, cardio, strength training, core training and a cool-down. A soccer ball is used for knee dribbles (bouncing the ball on the top of the thigh). A football comes in handy for “quarterback drills” (squats combined with an arm swing) and a baseball is needed for a faux pitch. When combined, they make for fairly substantial cardio that works several body parts. Dumbbells are used for resistance exercises -- nothing tricky, just some basic shoulder presses, bicep curls and the like. Variations on sit-ups and planks make up the core work. Pak’s narration focuses on proper form and intensity.

Even the most die-hard couch spuds should be able to keep up with this workout, which is geared to beginners. Although production values aren’t great, this no-frills approach offers a good foundation for an exercise program.

Pak, a trainer in the Philadelphia area for a dozen years, says she saw her husband (who, in the video, has a bit of a gut) as a “burgeoning market -- the guys who work behind computers all day long” who gain weight “and start getting terrible posture.” She adds that her husband (a videographer in real life) was the perfect model, not somebody with 3% body fat.

Devising the program was a collaboration: “I’d say ‘try this’ and ‘try that,’ ” says Pak. “With the quarterback drills, I said, ‘Pretend you’re a quarterback’ ” taking a snap. That evolved into a squat move.

“Then I’d start adding things that Sharyn wasn’t aware of,” says Withers, “like throwing the ball.”

The couple is working on a boxing-based workout for men. And yes, Withers will once again star.

Price: About $19.95; available at www.amazon.com and www.barnesandnoble.com.

Jeannine Stein