Doing a Biggest Loser DVD is pretty much an easy choice. Who wouldn’t want to exercise like they were at The Biggest Loser ranch? Or spend some quality time with Bob Harper? Or look at Dolvett Quince in red? (Because good God he looks drool-worthy in that color.) Or work out with former at-home winners of the show? We knew we would.

The latest in The Biggest Loser DVD line is The Biggest Loser At-Home Challenge, which is pretty much like the rest of The Biggest Loser DVDs on the market. You get a customizable mix-and-match menu with a variety of segments with pretty good instruction, fun music and a “real-person” quality to it since there are no fitness models used. In this one, the trainers are Bob, Dolvett and Anna Kournikova, and the contestants are Heba Salama, Jim Germanakos, Rebecca Meyer and Bernie Salazar. (Poor Jim didn’t make the cover.)

Now, let’s break it down piece by piece. First, you have the Warm-Up. Anna leads this 5-minute section, and it’s pretty basic. There are your basic stretches, pliés and other moves to warm the body up, plus modifications for the more challenging stretches like the runner’s lunge. Next, Anna leads Phase 1 Cardio, which is 10 minutes of sports drills with options to make the movements more (read: hard). From skaters to running man (a really low lunge with a tap back, then a knee and then a hop) to curtesy lunges with kicks, it may be “phase 1,” but it’s no beginner’s picnic. Phase 1 Strength is another 10 minutes of fun, with strength moves that use just your body weight. There are squats to side lunges, planks where you bring your knees to each elbow, balance work and more planks that make you row, twist and side plank. Again, no picnic. But at least Dolvett leads it and has a tight shirt on.

Then you move on to Phase 2 Cardio. This 15-minute workout is more challenging—and Bob is leading it (nothing is easy when Bob is in charge). It’s pretty much a Bob-rific segment that uses dumbbells for kettlebell-inspired moves. There are swings, static squats holding weights, moves where you’re swinging the dumbbell like a bat, squat jumps, jacks with weight—plenty of semi-complicated stuff to get your heart rate up fast and keep it up. Phase 2 Strength with Bob is a touch easier than Phase 2 Cardio because your heart rate doesn’t get as high, but oh-my-goodness do you feel the burn. Using up to 8-pound dumbbells, you do side lunges with a static front raise, knee-ups with a hold and upper-body work, and then there’s the fun combo move of a squat while reaching the dumbbells back behind you and then up and overhead for a tricep press and then back down to a squat again. Oh, and there’s plenty of pulsing and holding, too. There’s not much to write home about in the Cool Down, which is four minutes of your basic stretching and yoga with Anna again.

Although the moves aren’t timed to the music (and, for me, that always makes for a more jazzed workout), the music in this workout DVD is fun. Be warned though that although the sections are labeled as “cardio” and “strength,” all of them have moves that are both cardio and strength. Particularly, your legs and core never get a break in this DVD.

Which leads me to my next point. If you were to do any of the sections on their own, I’d say that each of these are pretty darn good. They’re full-body, burn calories and aren’t the same moves you’re used to seeing time and time again. However, if you were to do all or even some of the segments back to back—week after week—you’d be doing A LOT of squats, lunges and planks. So much so that I think you could mentally get pretty sick of them and that you could put your body at an increased risk of repetitive injury. Use a segment here or there during your week though, and I think you’re golden.

While I really liked that you could always look to Heba for lower-impact and beginner modifications, some of the instruction was hit or miss. The trainers are, on the whole, good with giving form cues and are motivating without being overly up in your grill, but it’s clear that Bob has the most experience with instructing a workout for a DVD (and rightly so!). Dolvett isn’t bad by any means, but it feels like with more practice you’d get to see more of his personality and spunk. ‘Cause I know it’s in there. And then there’s Anna. Honest to goodness, she couldn’t be much cuter in her Lululemon top—she’s almost like a little Russian bunny hopping about. But it’s obvious that it’s her first workout DVD, and she just comes off flat in her sections, almost like she’s reading a teleprompter.

FBG Rating (Out of 5):

Instruction: ★★★
Long-Term Likeability: ★★★
Music: ★★★★
Fun Factor: ★★★
Meets Expectations: ★★★★

Overall: ★★★1/2

Fit Bottomed Line: You’ll need more than just this workout DVD in your collection for overall fitness, but for Biggest Loser fans who want more of the show, more of the trainers and more of a challenge than the past Biggest Loser DVDs, it’s a fun addition to the workout rotation.

Want to try this Biggest Loser At-Home Challenge DVD yourself? Leave a comment telling us who your favorite Biggest Loser trainer is, and we’ll select one lucky U.S. reader to win in about a week! —Jenn

While working out with Jillian and Bob is awesome, sometimes you really just want to work out with your girlfriend. Your normal, non-brutal friend, who can’t do laundry on her abs. You know, your friendly, upbeat, encouraging—and real—pal. Well, for times when you’re in that mood, Coach Nicole is your girl. Because she’s all of those things, plus she can give you a creative and fun workout that will challenge both beginners and intermediate exercisers in SparkPeople 28 Day Boot Camp.

This isn’t the first workout DVD we’ve loved with Coach Nicole, but it’s certainly our favorite thus far. A total of 85 minutes broken up into mix-and-match segments (we’re always a sucker for that!), it’s a customizable cardio and strength workout (yep, a sucker for that, too). With excellent cuing, a time-ticker countdown on each section and pacing that isn’t too fast or too slow, the new SparkPeople workout DVD marries traditional aerobics moves with new creative twists. All you need is a pair of dumbbells (3 to 8 pounds, I’d recommend), a place to move around and somewhere soft to put your knees for matwork.

There’s a 6-minute warm-up that is pretty basic with step touches, arm circles and squats with rotation. In the 12-minute Cardio Burst section, you mamba, push-turn, lunge and punch your way to fit. Cardio Sculpt (my personal favorite!) is a fun 12 minutes of sliding moves, bicep curls, bridges, skipping (whee!) and combo moves like a squat with an overhead press followed by a lateral lowering down of the dumbbells. Then there’s Tone and Burn, a 21-minute full-body extravaganza with unique moves like squats to an upper-body side raise to an overhead V, lunge with row plus pivoting, balance challenges where you do a bicep curl with a leg lift, jumping lunges (oh, the challenge!) and crunches with a chest fly. The final full segment is Total Body Challenge, which is half an hour of kettlebell-inspired moves that you do with a dumbbell—plus other goodies like wood chops, single leg squats with a lateral raise, side planks with side crunches and fun ol’ glute toning on the floor—sandwiched between cardio bursts like v-steps. The whole thing ends with a basic 4-minute cool down that includes low-intensity moves to lower the heart rate and stretching.

There’s so much variety and so many options to choose from (or splice together) that I feel certain saying that there’s probably something you’ll enjoy on the DVD. Granted, many of the moves would be too complicated for someone who’s never worked out before, been to an aerobics class or done some weight lifting, but if you have a general knowledge of working out, you should be okay (or get the hang of it after a time or two of practice). In order to accommodate different fitness levels, Coach Nicole has two other real girls as models in the DVD who show modifications to make the moves easier or harder. This was a nice touch.

While the music isn’t anything to write home about, it’s not too shabby, and it is good background music to your workout. SparkPeople 28 Day Boot Camp may not not be crazy, gimmicky or flashy, but it’s a really good full-body strength and cardio workout with moves you don’t see every day.

FBG Rating (Out of 5):
Instruction: ★★★★★
Long-Term Likeability: ★★★★
Music: ★★★
Fun Factor: ★★★
Meets Expectations: ★★★★

Overall: ★★★★

Best for: SparkPeople 28 Day Boot Camp is best for beginner and intermediate exercisers who know aerobics and workout basics and are looking for a challenge.

Want to try this SparkPeople workout DVD yourself? Leave a comment telling us how it’ll fit in your workout routine, and we’ll select one lucky U.S. reader to win in about a week! —Jenn

Man-oh-man we’ve reviewed some good strength workout DVDs lately! A few weeks ago it was Jillian Michaels’ new workout DVD, and today it’s Jackie Warner! We’ve long been Jackie Warner fans (heck, we’ve talked to her not once, not twice, but three times!) for her no-nonsense approach to fitness and working out. And her latest DVD, Personal Training With Jackie: 30 Day Fast Start? Well, it’s like her other DVDs—plus.

As Jackie told us yesterday, this new strength DVD uses the concept of pyramid training, where you do combo-move super-sets (working a couple of muscle groups) and gradually increase your rep counts for each super-set from one to two to three…all the way up to 10 reps. Pyramid training is actually the kind of workout Jackie does when she needs to bust through a plateau—and by the looks of her and her ridic abs—it works.

The DVD has two 25-minute workouts on it. Each features a different two-minute warm-up and three-minute cool down and about 25 minutes of pyramid training moves. The Upper-Body Workout targets pretty much only the upper body, while the Lower-Body Workout brings the burn to your upper body, lower body and core (a little more bang for your buck there for sure). Using the recommended 5- to 8-pound weights, the combo moves Jackie has you do are not for the faint of heart. In the Upper-Body section, she has you do push-ups on your knees (hands on dumbbells) to hammer bicep curls, chest press to seated bicep curls, upright row to standing headbangers (also called overhead tricep presses), and wide row to tricep kickback. In the Lower-Body section, Jackie busts out the squats with front shoulder raises, deadlifts with lateral raises, sumo squats to military overhead presses, crunches to reverse crunches, a double-modification of the crab crunch, and lastly, more ab torture where you reach up to your toes and then open and close your legs like scissors. While not impossible, it’s pretty brutal.

Because you’re always counting reps for the pyramid training, I can see how the continual counting could get repetitive. On the other hand, counting each rep and then each set does help you to stay focused, which is a good thing when you’re doing these more advanced moves. All in all, with pyramid training, you’re always making progress, so most of the exercises go by pretty quickly.

Which leads me to my next point: pacing. I understand the need to move quickly in order to fatigue the muscle and get your heart rate up, but the pace of most of these combo exercises is too fast for my taste. If they were slowed down just a touch, they’d be much easier to do with proper form. Especially because Jackie doesn’t give that many tips on alignment. Sure, she’s enthusiastic and encouraging (without being overly “hard” or perky, which is hard to do), but I really, really wish she gave more form cues, such as keeping the abs in, the lower back flat and the shoulders pulled back and together when doing the Upper Body segment. I can definitely see inexperienced exercisers getting tired and having their form shot to hell after just a few reps. And nobody likes an injury, especially a back one.

Despite all that, I still really like the DVD and would do it again. Jackie is great about telling people that they should expect to be sore after the workouts and she gives lots of prompts to go up in weights if you’re not feeling it. The music in the DVD is techno-y—nothing to write home about but nothing terrible either. So while I wish the pace was slowed down, more cues were given and that the lower-body actually had more lower-body moves, overall this DVD is simple and no nonsense. As long as you’ve lifted weights before and are comfortable with combo moves at a quick pace, it’s one to add to your strength workout DVD rotation!

FBG Rating (Out of 5):
Instruction: ★★★
Long-Term Likeability: ★★★★
Music: ★★★
Fun Factor: ★★★
Meets Expectations: ★★★★

Overall: ★★★1/2

Fit Bottomed Line: Personal Training With Jackie: 30 Day Fast Start is a no-nonsense strength DVD for the intermediate or advanced exerciser who is looking to build muscle, get her heart rate up and bust through a plateau or a workout rut!

Have you guys ever tried pyramid training? Jackie’s workout DVDs? Discuss! —Jenn

Just when we think Jillian Michaels can’t top her past workout, just when we think she couldn’t possibly have any more fitness tricks up her sleeve, she goes and creates another DVD that has us begging for mercy. This time it’s Jillian Michaels Extreme Shed & Shred. And it does not—I repeat does not—disappoint.

It’s like Jillian put all of her DVDs—Yoga Meltdown, 30-Day Shred, Ripped in 30, Shred It with Weights, 6 Week Six-Pack, and No More Trouble Zones—together for one master workout DVD to kick your butt and shred your body. With two workouts, the DVDs follow Jillian’s usual formula for booty-kicking: circuit training with weights and cardio. But in this DVD, she combines weights, kettlebell exercises, weight training, plyometrics, yoga poses, balance work and core moves for two workouts that really do shed and shred.

The Level One workout includes a 6-minute warm-up, 29 minutes of drills and a 7-minute cool down (42 minutes total). The workout itself is a challenging mix of burpees, down dogs, punches, kicks, good mornings (like dead lifts—hardly see these in workout DVDs, so I LOVED that she did them!), Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu moves, sun salutations and other moves that will have you saying owie. The 54-minute Level Two workout has the same warm-up and cool down, but a longer and more intense workout section that’s 41 minutes long. Featuring more complicated and advanced moves like plank push-up jacks, weighted reverse crunches, deep warrior poses, kettlebell swings with a dumbbell, and a standing balance and core strength move called “Statue of Liberty,” it is not for the faint of heart. If you’re super workout psycho, you can even put the two levels together for almost an hour-and-a-half of Jillian that might just kill you. In a good way, of course.

I’m just going to say it (and this is a bold statement in the workout DVD world): This is the best workout DVD Jillian has created and one of the best DVDs I’ve ever done. In no other Jillian Michaels workout DVD are her cuing, tips on form and modifications (she shows you how to make most of the moves easier or harder) as spot on as they are in this DVD. It’s like she’s been reading our feedback (and maybe she has since she mentioned us in episode 19 of her podcast!).

The music is good (except for the odd cat screeching in Level Two that’s more hilarious than distracting), the pace is slow and controlled, and you get a lot of what’s great about Jillian Michaels. She’s totally herself in this one: cracking jokes (be sure to check out the blooper reel off the main menu), demanding a lot out of you, and giving everyone a good dose of truth and motivation. In the intro of the DVD she even addresses good nutrition and how it’s essential to getting good results (she also tells you about her free nutrition plan that’s online). I especially enjoyed how she ended the cool down with corpse pose and a little semi hippity-dippity pep talk, saying ”everything is perfect in this moment.” And, really, in this DVD, everything is perfect.

FBG Rating (Out of 5):

Instruction: ★★★★★
Long-Term Likeability: ★★★★★
Music: ★★★★
Fun Factor: ★★★★★
Meets Expectations: ★★★★★

Overall: ★★★★★ (I’m rounding up ’cause it’s that good!)

Fit Bottomed Line: If you’re a Jillian fan, you MUST add Extreme Shed & Shred to your workout DVD collection. Must!

What’s your favorite Jillian Michaels’ workout DVD? Could this one take its top spot? —Jenn

In what could be could be considered serendipitous timing (or not so serendipitous, I guess), we’ve been planning to review Extreme Makeover Weight Loss Edition: The Workout for a month or so now. And then this crazy whistle-blowing news hit (kind of like when this hit about The Biggest Loser), and we were like hmmm…let’s take a closer look at that workout DVD.

Now, I’ve never watched a single episode of Extreme Makeover Weight Loss Edition, and I’m not naive enough to think that all (or even most) of what you see on reality TV is actually real. So, I’m no expert on the show, re: what it does or doesn’t promote. I’m sure shady and unhealthy things like dehydration go on behind the scenes, and I have no doubt that losing a bunch of weight in a really short amount of time can cause quite a shock to the system and actually cause health problems. But does any of that show up in this Extreme Makeover Weight Loss Edition DVD? Nope. Not at all. In fact, I’ll call this one of the better beginner workouts we’ve reviewed.

While not as cute as Bob (who is, though?), trainer Chris Powell is likeable, cues well and has designed three full-body cardio and strength combo workouts (Level 1, Level 2 and Level 3) that build in intensity, and each has its own warm-up and cool down. Level 1 is a good low-impact and slow 15-minute workout for someone who is just starting to work out for the first time or is overweight with limited mobility. Level 2 is a slightly longer (25 minutes) full-body workout that includes a few high-impact aerobic moves, but is still appropriate for beginners. Level 3 takes it to the next level with more challenging strength moves and extra cardio drills.

Nothing but your body weight and a mat is needed for all of the workout DVD sections, and modifications are shown for just about everything. Most of the moves are highly functional and really do boost fitness—not just make you look good or burn tons of calories. Powell is motivational yet gentle, and focuses on improving health above all else. Fans of Extreme Makeover Weight Loss Edition will recognize LaRhonda, Rachel and Alex (Courtney Crozier’s boyfriend!) in the DVD, and non-fans will appreciate seeing non-fitness models doing the moves. The fact that there are three levels also gives beginners new workouts to progress to.

Overall, the tone of the whole DVD is encouraging, uplifting and supportive. While I can’t vouch for what goes on behind the scenes on Extreme Makeover Weight Loss Edition, I know one thing: This DVD is perfect for beginners.

FBG Rating (Out of 5):
Instruction: ★★★★★
Long-Term Likeability: ★★★★
Music: ★★★
Fun Factor: ★★★★
Meets Expectations: ★★★★★

Overall: ★★★★1/2

Fit Bottomed Line: If you have a lot of weight to lose and don’t have a clue as to where to start, this Extreme Makeover Weight Loss Edition: The Workout can help!

Dying to try this DVD? We’ll select three random U.S. readers to win this beginner workout DVD. So leave a comment with why you want it, and we’ll pick a winner in about a week! —Jenn

The last time we reviewed something of Bob Harper’s I’ll admit that it was a little tumultuous. I was dismayed, bothered and frankly—as a fellow fitness professional—offended. When it comes to losing weight, there’s no easy answer, just a lot of soul-searching and changing of behaviors. There is no one magic bullet, or pill in this case. But, because we have a long history with Bob (oh, how we have gushed over him!), we couldn’t just ignore that he put out a new workout DVD. Especially one that’s geared for beginners. So, we put our past disagreement aside, and decided to give this DVD—as we do with all of our reviews—an objective look.

Don’t be fooled by the word “beginner” in the title. Bob Harper: Beginner’s Weight Loss is not—I repeat NOT—an easy workout designed for someone who hasn’t been off the couch for years. Although not as difficult as his former The Biggest Loser co-star’s approach to workout DVDs or his own workout, it’s still tough for even an intermediate exerciser, let alone a newbie. The DVD features two workouts. First, a 45-minute series of heart-pumpin’ and sweat-drippin’ cardio and weight-lifting drills like push-ups, lunges, and combo upper- and lower-body moves. Second, a 10-minute ab routine that is short but to the point with the burn. Again, not easy.

Bob is quite endearing as an instructor in this workout DVD, and he cues better in this one than in any other DVD of his that we’ve reviewed. The music, set and overall feel of the DVD is still pretty bad-ass—by no means are any of the people in the DVD “beginners.” Despite this, Bob is still encouraging and does address the fact that the workout is tough—even admitting at one point that he just can’t help himself. I’m all for pushing oneself, obviously, but between the intensity of the workout and its length (I really, really wish there was a 30-minute workout option), this is probably best suited to intermediate exercisers. And for them, it. is. awesome.

FBG Rating (Out of 5):

Instruction: ★★★★
Long-Term Likeability: ★★★★
Music: ★★★★
Fun Factor: ★★★
Meets Expectations: ★★★
Overall: ★★★1/2

Fit Bottom line: Not really a beginner’s workout, Bob Harper’s new Beginner’s Weight Loss Transformation DVD is a great challenge for intermediate exercisers.

Want to try this workout DVD for yourself? Leave a comment telling us why, and we’ll select one random U.S. reader to win in about a week. The winner will be contacted via email and in the comments, so stay tuned! —Jenn

Warning! This DVD isn’t for those blessed with two left feet (and a knack for getting lefts and rights mixed up).

I sincerely wanted to love this DVD. I did! The girl wasn’t too perky, too waifish, too anything that would have led to my butt twitching. She was the perfect instructor: A total Spice Girl Gobot—she was a little bit Sporty, a little bit Baby (little and happy) and a tad Scary. This is a good thing considering we LOVE the Spice Girls.

Basically, you’re working with a fun chick, exploding with personality for five 10-minute workouts: Power Sports Drills, Extreme Intervals, Low Impact Fat Blaster, Rapid Results Kickboxing and Cardio Max. You can pick and choose a combination of the five, or do the whole darn thing for a killer 50-minute workout. I decided to take one in the name of Fit Bottomed Girls everywhere and do the whole thing. In hindsight, that was a brave idea.

The Power Sports Drills segment was the only workout I could follow and actually finish like a champ. Miss Sporty Spice brought out soccer, skiing and volleyball moves that had me acing my living-room hanging art like a pro. I definitely found myself sucking wind a couple of times, too. Her Extreme Intervals section was fun. Your inner bunny has to come out to play—because hopping, jumping and bouncing is the name of her game. She alternates 15 seconds of high-intensity moves with 15 seconds of recovery to wake up and rev your heart.

The Low-Impact Fat Blaster was where all Hades broke loose. I was a mess trying to keep up with the dance moves. It only took one laugh from my boyfriend before I finally stopped. Maybe I shouldn’t have gotten discouraged, but I just couldn’t keep up with the choreography. You may have to do this a time or two before you rock it out like I wasn’t able to.

The Rapid Results Kickboxing section was pretty standard. She worked my legs and arms like it was her business to torture. I found myself wondering if there was anyone on the planet besides that woman who could do every workout without stopping to verify whether or not her heart was ready to burst out of her head. The last workout, Cardio Max, started out friendly, but it wasn’t long before she started adding what she called “power.” I was leaping, but when she started with the dance moves, it was over. I was a hot, hot mess, partially because of the leaping, but more from my tired ego trying to keep up.

FBG Rating (Out of 5):

Instruction: ★★1/2
Long-Term Likeability: ★★★★
Music: ★★★
Fun Factor: ★★★
Meets Expectations: ★★★

Overall: ★★★1/2

Best for: 10 Minute Rapid Results Fat Burner is for the ladies who can follow choreography and are looking for a fun cardio and strength training DVD…and love the Spice Girls. 

Do you ever choose a workout DVD based on the instructor’s energy alone? Inquiring minds want to know! —Tish

I grew up idolizing Olympic gold medalist Kristi Yamaguchi. Although I couldn’t skate on ice to save my life (seriously, put any sort of contraption on my feet and the area in your brain that controls coordination just stops firing), watching Kristi effortlessly spin, jump and twirl on a surface that most people try to avoid slipping on, amazed and inspired me as a wee Fit Bottomed Girl tuned in to the Winter Olympics. So when we heard she had a new workout DVD, we were all “Sign me up to try that!” And try we did.

The DVD features three 10-ish-minute circuit workouts, plus an abs and chest segment. The circuit workouts are quick, yet get your heart rate up, with the first five minutes focusing on cardio drills and easy, basic floor choreography (if you’ve ever done a floor aerobics class, you’ll be fine!), and the last five featuring combination upper- and lower-body strength moves. While the first circuit workout on the DVD is easy enough for beginners, the second and third ones are definitely more challenging (and more creative, which I liked), and therefore better suited to intermediate workouters (I just created a new word!) or those who have mastered the first circuit. The bonus segments are a nice add-on to the circuits. While the chest one is somewhat random in my opinion (I’m not sure how many people wake up thinking, man, my chest could sure use some extra work today, but maybe it feels a niche I’m not aware of…), the abs one is a great quick session to get your belly burning. And, hey, if you do them all together you have one heck of a long and pretty challenging workout.

The best parts of this workout DVD though are the equipment (or the lack thereof) and the instruction. All you need for a pretty solid strength and cardio workout are dumbbells (5 to 8 pounds oughta do it), a mat, and a little space to move about for the cardio. Awesome. And the instruction? While Kristi gives some good tips here and there, her trainer Erin O’Brien (now that’s an Irish name) does most of the cuing, and she is spot on. Erin provides great alignment tips, cues like a pro and gives great modifications. The two of them really play off of each other well—being encouraging without being too corny and grunting through the toughest moves, making you feel more bad arse for working alongside an Olympian.

FBG Rating (Out of 5):
Instruction: ★★★★
Long-Term Likeability: ★★★
Music: ★★★
Fun Factor: ★★★★
Meets Expectations: ★★★★
Overall: ★★★★

Fit Bottomed Line: If you’re a beginner or intermediate exerciser who is short on time and gear, you really can’t go wrong with Kristi Yamaguchi: Power Workout!

Want to try this DVD for yourself? Comment below to enter to win. Winners will be picked randomly in a week! U.S. residents only, pretty please. —Jenn

Not that Jillian was playing before, but in Jillian Michaels Ripped in 30, she certainly isn’t playing. She’s fired up, and in four 30ish-minute workouts that go from slightly hard to “OMG, Jill, why do you hate me and my muscles so?” you’ll get one of the closest experiences to training with Jillian on The Biggest Loser Ranch as you can without really being there. Yep, it’s that good. And it’s that tough.

We’ve reviewed loads of Jillian’s workout DVDs before, but this DVD is definitely the hardest and the most complete of them all. Following her Shred DVD 3-2-1 formula (three minutes of strength, two minutes of cardio and one minute of abs), each of the four workouts build in intensity as you go, and each includes a dynamic warm-up and a calming cool down with stretching. She recommends that, starting with the easiest level, you do the workouts five to six times a week for a full week, and then move on to the next level workout. Within four weeks—along with a pretty restrictive diet plan you can download online with purchase—Jillian swears you’ll be ripped. (Notice how the cover is also “ripped.” So, cool.) Although I don’t agree with the recommendation that you should do the exact same workout five to six times a week (especially when its soreness-inducing strength work, as you need time for your muscles to recover!), Jillian does say that it may take you more than a week to progress to the next level, so that’s cool.

And the moves in this DVD are ridiculous. It’s amazing what kind of torture you can endure with just a couple of sets of dumbbells, a mat and your body. Most of the exercises in the DVD are functional in that they test your core strength, balance, agility and power, along with being compound moves (working upper body while you’re working your lower body). From creative moves like bear crawls to sledgehammers to leg squats with corkscrew curls (trust us, they’re hard), no workout features the same moves, and you will be challenged. I’d consider Levels 1 and 2 to be at an intermediate exercise level (especially if you follow the modifications), while Level 3 is advanced and Level 4 is a whole new level of crazy. Even Basheera, who is one of the workout models and is in a number of Jillian’s DVDs, has a hard time doing the whole thing—and I’ve barely seen her sweat in other DVDs. Amazing. In a nutshell, it’s on par with this place, minus the tires and pull-ups.

What’s most interesting for me though is that this is the first DVD where I think Jillian’s full—unedited—personality comes out. Sure, you’ve gotten it here and there in her other workouts, but she really lets loose in this one. A few times she growls, at one point she says she wants to bite one of the girls tushes (for reals) and by Level 4 she’s telling you that your ”heart should be gurgling in your throat.” Pretty visceral, but she does it with a giddiness that shows she loves her job and that she’s totally in the zone. Or that she’s a little loco. Which I’m okay with it. Sometimes booties do look good enough to bite…or at least squeeze.

Other bonuses? The music starts out somewhat lame, but increases in intensity and bad-assness as the workouts progress. So do the outfits. And if you make it to Level 4, you’ll get one hell of an empowering pep talk from Jillian right before the cool down while you lay in corpse pose. Seriously, it’s why I love her so much.

FBG Rating (Out of 5):

Instruction: ★★★★★
Long-Term Likeability: ★★★★★
Music: ★★★
Fun Factor: ★★★★
Meets Expectations: ★★★★★
Overall: ★★★★1/2

Fit Bottom line: If you’re a Jillian fan or need a new challenge, stop reading and just go buy the darn thing. You will not be disappointed!

If you’re looking to get in shape for your wedding or another important event (bikini-season comes to mind), this oughta do it and in rapid time. I can’t imagine how Jillian will top this one. Gosh knows what she’ll bite… —Jenn

Although we’re focusing on Fit Bottomed Brides all this week, today’s review is of a workout DVD that’s not only good for looking your best in your wedding dress, it’s also excellent for getting in shape for another season that’s quickly approaching—swimsuit season! While self-confidence is always the best asset to looking and feeling good in no matter what you’re wearing, a little muscle and cardiovascular endurance never hurts (and can certainly make you feel better about yourself, which is why we love it so much!).

Shape: Best-Ever Hollywood Workout with Gunnar Peterson delivers both cardio and strength with four convenient mix-and-match workouts that are all less than 30 minutes each. Most of the DVDs we review are led by ladies, so it’s kind of fun to mix things up with a dude. And Gunnar is quite the well-known dude in the fitness world, as he’s the master-mind behind the bootylicious bodies of J-Lo and Penelope Cruz. In this workout DVD from Shape magazine, Gunnar delivers a workout that definitely feels more like one-on-one personal training than group fitness.

All of the workouts are effective and challenging for a beginner to intermediate exerciser, as they feature a mix of compound exercises (working your upper body and your lower body at the same time), core moves and cardio drills that get your heart a-pumpin’. The workouts come with a quick warm-up and cool down, which is solid, although I wish the warm-up had more dynamic moves and less static stretching (plenty of that stretchy goodness in the cool down).

The 20-minute Total Body Toning segment—while a great full-body workout—felt a little disjointed as within the first 10 minutes you’re lying on the ground (for such a short workout, I’d rather stay up on my feet the full time, with maybe a few core moves at the end). Power Burn, another 20-minute workout, is billed as ”high-intensity cardio conditioning” on the DVD cover, which is somewhat misleading because it does use weights and a number of strength moves to get your heart rate up. So if you’re looking only for cardio (or have some soreness in your arms or legs from previous weight lifting), this isn’t just cardio drills. The other two workouts—Amazing Arms and Lower Body Blast—are both 10 minutes long, and feature a series of area-specific moves such as hip bridges and tricep kickbacks.

Gunnar is pretty laid back—there are no woo-hoos or real excitement in the DVD, but the instruction and cuing is solid. I especially love his choice of moves—many of which use a complete range of motion and engage your core (think balance work, wood choppers and standing rotation with twists), making all of the workouts functional for your everyday life. Not to mention that you get one heck of a workout and cardio burn with just a set of dumbbells. I do wish the music and the instruction was a little more fun and energetic though so that we could give this one another full star!

FBG Rating (Out of 5):

Instruction: ★★★★★
Long-Term Likeability: ★★★★
Music: ★
Fun Factor: ★★
Meets Expectations: ★★★★
Overall: ★★★

Fit Bottom line: While not the most fun DVD you’ll ever do, the mix-and-match workouts and moves are effective and challenging enough to get you in shape for whatever “big day” you’re looking forward to!

Want to try this workout DVD for yourself? Of course you do! Comment below to enter to win. Winners will be picked randomly in a week! U.S. residents only, please. —Jenn