Organizing DVDs?

[Sassy]

On the shelf, I have them grouped by type (Yoga, upper body, lower body, kickboxing, etc)(which sometimes makes me cringe a little because series get broken up that way and I miss the neat little sections of like spines).

I also have an Excel spreadsheet that I listed every workout on all my DVDs with the intention of using it to plan rotations and stuff. Then I bought several things and was too lazy to update it, and now it's going to be a big job to get it usable again.

[Patti S.]

If I just have one DVD from an instructor, I keep as is. But more than 1, like say Burr Leonard or Cathe? I put the workouts into multi disc holders. Same thing with sets....I have 3,4, and 6 disc DVD holders. I also will make a custom cover if it's a set from a template I created.

Then they are group by workouts as follows for the most part: kettlebells, strength, ballet, barre, yoga, kickboxing, dance.

[mel VF]

Originally Posted by lucia

I do - I like these a lot. I have about 12 (Discgear 80) for my fitness videos. I mostly organize alphabetically (by instructor's first names or sometimes systems like P90X).

For figuring out what workouts to use, I have spreadsheets (with Collage-type breakdowns) for workouts. So, I may have many spreadsheet entries for one dvd since there are often more than one workout and/or premix on one dvd. The spreadsheet workouts match the "title" of the dvd I use in the discgears.

The "Collage" breakdowns help so much. I've been recording them for years so I have hundreds of workouts with breakdowns...even of workouts I've traded or don't even have yet.

If anyone wants to have any of these, I can email the excel files. Some of the breakdown info is not accurate...if the info is not on Collage, I time it myself, or more often just guesstimate. My categorizations are just my opinions, too, on how I use the workouts. I try to leave a lot of space to write in what equipment I need (separate sheets are needed for STS and the like ) and I also have space to the left of each workout where I can write in a tickmark each time I do a workout.

I have the workouts divided up into these spreadsheets:
CS = Classical Stretch TV shows
CB CR = Cardio Bosu and Cardio Rebounder
Instructional = instructional segements
CF = Cardio Floor
CI = Cardio Intervals
CK = Cardio Kickbox
CS = Cardio Step
S = Strength
TC = Toning Core
TPB = Toning: Pilates, Barre, Ballet
YOGA = Yoga
YS = Yoga (less strenuous yoga and kundalini) and Stretch

Sorry if this a a thread hijack...I just had minor surgery so am a little out of it and seem to be rambling.

I would like to keep the dvds in their original cases but I just don't have room for that. I still have vhs I use, too...so those take up a lot of shelf space just by themselves.

Not a thread hijack at all! I would love to have the excel files. I'm going to PM you my email addy.

[Pam]

Lucia-I would love to get a copy also. My spreadsheet definitely need some improvements. I will pm my email address also. Thanks!

[BamaTanya]

I had a smallish (24 disc, maybe) one for Leslie and another for strength and another for Powerfit . . .

Then I moved them all to a 96 binder. My problem with that was how bulky it was and how difficult it was to pull them out when it was full.

I recently switched to these:

http://www.amazon.com/Thin-Clear-Pla...140065&sr=8-15

The original cases are in a box in the storage room, but these sleeves w/discs are arranged by instructor (or series like Bar Method or Exhale Core Fusion) in a box on my shelf. Besides the dumbbells. I picked up an inexpensive clear plastic box at the dollar store. It's similar to this (without the lock):

http://www.amazon.com/Innovera-Stora...140002&sr=8-38

The list of DVD workouts (as some have several workouts per DVD) are in an Excel spreadsheet with a page each for types: cardio, traditional strength, barre, Pilates, yoga . . . These are then arranged by level. I used Collage Video or Total Fitness DVDs to give them a 1-5 level (1=beginner, 2=beginner/intermediate, etc). Within levels, they are arranged by length of workout. I also note the instructor and any equipment used.

I decide my rotation by week, alternating strength and cardio, and then pick by my time constraints that day. On the Excel worksheet, I note the date I did the workout. Once a workout has been done 3 times, I'm moving that DVD (assuming it's a one workout DVD) to the back of my disc box. I want to get through my virgins before doing too many repeats. Or at least move through all the workouts at that level.

I'm also telling myself that 100 DVDs is enough for anyone. Once they don't fit in the box and my 100 sleeves, I plan to move some out.

Wish me luck, lol.

[dbclark44]

Originally Posted by Joanna

I think I win the prize for most anal of all on this one :-) I rip them all to my computer and play them from there. I use air video to play on my iPad and project onto the tv. On my computer, I can easily organize them in folders by length, instructor etc as I see fit. Some workouts got new life this way. For instance in the ten minute solution series, I can easily playlist a workout with sections from multiple disks :-) And with Leslie, I have ripped them by mile, so that I can combine multiple miles from different disks OR play any one-mile with one of the 5-minute warm-up chapters and get a different workout every time. I have almost 100 20-minute Leslies this way. I can get three or four workouts off one DVD.

As for the disks themselves, I bought some cases which hold 4 disks each and keep them all in there on an out of the way shelf in my closet. That way, I can access them again if I need to but they are out of the way most of the time.

I really like this idea Joanna and one day when I have time I plan to upload all my workouts to my computer and do this. This is a fantastic idea. In the meantime I like the idea of keeping them in a CD/DVD holder and getting rid of the cases they come in. The cases are nice but they take up a lot of space.

[BamaTanya]

Originally Posted by Joanna

I think I win the prize for most anal of all on this one :-) I rip them all to my computer and play them from there. I use air video to play on my iPad and project onto the tv. On my computer, I can easily organize them in folders by length, instructor etc as I see fit. Some workouts got new life this way. For instance in the ten minute solution series, I can easily playlist a workout with sections from multiple disks :-) And with Leslie, I have ripped them by mile, so that I can combine multiple miles from different disks OR play any one-mile with one of the 5-minute warm-up chapters and get a different workout every time. I have almost 100 20-minute Leslies this way. I can get three or four workouts off one DVD.

I love this idea. I rip CDs all the time, but hadn't considered the computer. (Of course, I share that computer with my kiddos and I might get upset if they messed up that storage!) I may try that with my out-of-print ones. I get anxious that they might get damaged. And I think the playlist idea is brilliant. I often take a DVD out after a workout and have to put another in for a yoga stretch or additional abwork. I'll have to investigate this. And check my storage capacity.

[kali1]

Originally Posted by caligurl

...won't use those binders, cuz they scratch the DVDs when you take them in and out... so even my p90x's are in different cases... and anything that comes in a slip/slide in cardboard (i.e. jillian) gets put into either slim cases or the small cd/dvd holders.

I've wondered about that myself. Since Slappa Gear is supposed to be made of soft material, I wonder if they would still scratch the DVD's?

Here's a link that talks about the pages in more specifics

[alisoncooks]

I'm always amazed at how many dvds you guys have!

I keep my dvds in a drawer that holds about 30. I group by genre (and in this order):
yoga/pilates
barre
lower body/floorwork dvds
strength training
cardio/walking

That's it. Nothing fancy. If I have more than 1 from an instructor, I group them together.

[Mickey12]

I have to SEE my DVDs; no putting them in binders, out of cases, etc. I have all Cathe DVDs on one verticle tower by the TV. On the other side of the TV is another verticle tower that holds most of my other favorite workouts. They are all grouped by instructor, all KCM together, all Christi Taylor, all Jilliian together, etc.

I have a bookshelf next to the TV with all the rest of my DVDs. The bottom shelf is for my least favorite workouts, grouped by instructor. I reach for these the least. The top shelf is all my step workouts together, the middle shelf is all other types of workouts:, weights, cardio, bosu/glide, yoga with each category grouped together.

I've got over 300 DVDs but I find that if I can see them and they are grouped in categories or by instructor, that's all I need. If I had them in a binder or out of their cases, no matter how well they were organized, I would forget what ones I had.

Kim