There's no shortage of weight lifting in P90X2.

FBG intern and on-again-off-again exerciser Kelsey is trying P90X2, the second version of the super-popular P90X system by Tony Horton. Find out how the last phase went below, and check out how the other P90X2 phases were here!

I DID SURVIVE! Okay, bad take on the song “I Will Survive.” But that’s what I thought when I was done with the last phase of P90X2! It was a toughie, but I got through it. I have officially completed the 90-day program. Woot!

The last phase combined all the elements we learned from the first two phases and applied them in the workouts—though the workouts were few and far between. We had a total of three workouts, one being yoga, which wasn’t as challenging as the other workouts. But the majority of the phase consisted of PAP Upper and PAP Lower, or Post-Activation Potentiation. To me it’s just a fancy term Tony likes to use. (I wonder if he knows what “PAP” means to most women…)

The Upper workout was fast-paced; you used weights and did push-ups, but also did some balancing with your own body weight. I am glad I was able to graduate to 10-pound weights during the program. I think that helped strengthen my workouts a lot. I do feel stronger overall as well. The Med Ball Plank sucked—excuse my language, but OMG. I am not a person who can hold themselves up with their own body weight (yet!), and this one was not any easier on a chair versus a med ball.

The Lower workout consisted of stretching muscles, using weights and building up the lower body. It was a good workout, but had a slower pace than the Upper. One of the moves I liked the least in the lower-body workout was the Side Bridge Leg Lift. This is not a move I have mastered at all, and we’ve done it quite a bit throughout the program. It’s another one of those where you use your body weight to hold yourself up and then, oh yeah, lift your leg up and hold it for a minute. I was doing well to hold myself up and not fall over, let alone hold my leg in the air. I went for the modified version on this one, where you just hold your arm in the air and not your leg.

However, one of the moves I really liked in the Lower workout was Tony’s Triangle. For this one, you lay on your side and lift your top leg in the air and then move it forward as far as you can in front of you and then lift it up, going backwards to make a triangle with your leg. I think being a dancer in a former life helped me with this move, but after 10 of those, it began to get harder and really worked those leg muscles.

Overall, this last phase felt like it dragged out for much longer than the other phases, even though we only spent three weeks on it. I think the repetition of the two workouts just got old. The weather also started getting really nice, so I think that factored in to our lack of enthusiasm to work out inside anymore. We kept getting the itch to go outside and do more productive things, like tend to our neglected lawns and overgrown plants from the previous winter. Oh, and that little-known basketball tournament that was on…NCAA…you know, that one. The guys and I were much more interested in watching those games than working out. Gotta make sure your bracket is holding up right? I’d say, overall, March is not a good month to work out if you want to be productive.

As much as the last phase dragged out, I’m glad we are done with the program and ready to move on to something else. Running, eh? Thanks to everyone for letting me ramble about my experiences from P90X2. I hope you all got some good information from it and try it out for yourself. You never know how it will turn out. Good luck, and please share your experiences below! —Kelsey

If you know and love fitness like I do, then the words Canyon Ranch may make you melt. Canyon Ranch is a dream getaway for every Fit Bottomed Girl who wants an experience full of healthy eating, fitness, overall wellness and, of course, spa treatments—I’m sore here, here and here…ahh much better. Unfortunately, not all of us can afford this luxurious getaway, so the team at the Ranch put together a workout DVD, Canyon Ranch: Strong and Sculpted, to allow all of us busy bodies to get a taste of the Canyon state of mind and way of life in the comfort of our own homes.

Canyon Ranch: Strong and Sculpted has three 20-minute workouts and a bunch of exciting bonus features that are great for beginners. The three workouts take place at the beautiful Tuscon Canyon Ranch and include the segments Yoga, Strength Training and Core.

Yoga

If you are looking for a centering and spiritual yoga session, this isn’t the one for you (this one might be though!). The yoga workout on this disc isn’t focused on relaxation and meditation, instead it keeps you moving from one pose to the next. The teacher wasn’t very energetic, but will lead you from plank to mountain to lunge to Warrior I and to swan dive…over and over again.

Strength Training

The focus of this segment at Canyon Ranch is on muscular strength and endurance. The workout, which is led by the same woman who taught yoga, is well-rounded and hits every body part. There are not many modifications, except the option of doing all of the exercises without holding weights. Because of this—and because you do tons of squats and lunges to keep your heart pumping throughout the DVD—I would caution those with any previous or present knee injuries to take it slow and listen to your body in this section. In addition to leg work, the Strength Training section also includes side lunges with a lateral raise, bicep curls with curtsy lunges, a plank with a row, push-ups and glute bridges—my legs burned!

Core

Core—the center of your body, and what keeps you strong. A good core keeps your lower back protected and is always engaged in every activity of our daily life, so I love working it! With combinations of burpees, planks, Russian twists and lots of arm-figure-eights, this teacher has the personality and excitement to keep you motivated and working hard.

Once you’re done breaking a sweat, the also DVD includes cool bonus features such as keys to success, how to cook with superfoods and how to keep healthy joints. I am looking forward to trying the Canyon Ranch’s recipe for salmon topped with mango-blueberry salsa—YUM!

Now if only the DVD came with a day at the spa! I don’t think this DVD is a good example of everything Canyon Ranch has to offer, so I guess I’ll be booking my trip to the ranch sooner than later…

FBG Rating (Out of 5):
Instruction: ★★★★
Long-Term Likeability: ★★
Music: ★★
Fun Factor: ★★
Meets Expectations: ★★
Overall: ★★1/2

Fit Bottomed Line: Best for beginners without knee issues, Canyon Ranch Strong & Sculpted isn’t as good as actually going to Canyon Ranch, but it will give you a pretty good yoga, strength training and core workout in a short amount of time. 

Have you ever been to Canyon Ranch? If so, color me jealous. But also intrigued—tell me what it was like! —Raquel

Let’s put it this way. There is a reason I avoid step classes—they mentally and physically kick my butt. If it wasn’t hard enough to do every repetition to the best of my ability, they throw in an “up-down-hop-back-forth”…then another “up-down-two-hops-back-forth.” I mean, tell me this isn’t as mentally tough as it is physically challenging? But with that being said, doesn’t the saying go: “What puts us out of our comfort zone helps us grow?” Well, it’s something like that. And Jari Love’s Get Extremely Ripped! 1000 Hardcore DVD is all about getting our fit bottoms moving and pushing us all to the next level.

Jari consistently encourages you to work hard, and—as a girl whose mother was part of the aerobic scene of the 1980s—I was thrilled to have great exercise cues. It makes a huge difference. What I liked most about this DVD though is Jari’s ability to modify each exercise for every fitness level. It doesn’t matter if you are a beginner or advanced, coming off an injury or are just plain scared of the raised step like I am, you can get a solid (and exhausting) workout with each modification. That being said, if your knees aren’t the strongest, be aware that jumping, squatting and lunging make up most of the cardio. The DVD incorporates lots of leg exercises, such as deadlifts, squats and lunges, and it balances the body out by performing rows, tricep kickbacks, shoulder presses and bicep curls. Personally, I would have loved to see more chest exercises besides push-ups, but the DVD gets a lot of fit-busting moves in in a short period of time.

The DVD can be broken up into 30-minute segments—one intense cardio session, a “Feel the Burn” segment (yes, it burns), a weight-training session, or two workouts containing cardio and strength training. BUT, if you are up for the challenge, you can do an 80-minute GET EXTREMELY RIPPED workout, which combines all the segments together. Each session begins with a 5-minute warm-up and ends with a 6-minute abdominal routine, which is so challenging it feels like any keg could split into a six-pack. (Get your mind out of the junk gutter—we drink water during our workouts, not beer.) Each workout alternates cardio and weight training, while giving you a moment to catch your breath and recover.

Now, if you are like me, you probably read “1000” in the workout DVD title and thought, “Is it really possible to burn up to 1,000 calories in one workout?” So, I put it to the heart-rate monitor test! After the full 80-minute session, I had burned 745 calories. Okay, so it isn’t the proclaimed 1,000, but all bodies and fitness levels are different. So if you are looking for a new challenge, the mixture of plyometric exercises and strength training will mostly likely give you a “step” in the right direction and a pretty impressive calorie burn.

FBG Rating (Out of 5):
Instruction: ★★★★
Long-Term Likeability: ★★★
Music: ★★★
Fun Factor: ★★★
Meets Expectations: ★★★★
Overall: ★★★1/2

Fit Bottomed Line: One of Jari Love’s hardest workout DVDs to date, Get Extremely Ripped! 1000 Hardcore is, in fact, hardcore for those wanting a cardio and strength workout that is a serious challenge.

Have you tried this DVD? Or another with Jari Love? Agree with my thoughts? —Raquel

Kelsey doing a pull-up!

FBG intern and on-again-off-again exerciser Kelsey is trying P90X2, the second version of the super-popular P90X system by Tony Horton. Find out how it’s going below, and follow along with her progress in the coming months here!

Wow! That’s my initial reaction to P90X2 Phase Two. It was a definite challenge, taking me back to what I remember about the original P90X—weights, pull-ups and push-ups galore. All good muscle-building exercises.

Coming off the last phase where I modified several moves, I was determined not to do that as much during Phase Two. And I feel like I succeeded for the most part, but there were times I modified yet still managed to get a good workout in.

This phase worked a little differently than the last one in that there were four workouts that alternated every two weeks (so you did two workouts for two weeks and then two other workouts for two weeks). So instead of Phase One where you were stuck on the same thing for four weeks, it actually mixed up the workouts. I found this nice because I get bored easily, and I knew there was something new around the corner!

The one workout that did continue through Phase Two was Base and Back. It’s a combo of plyometrics and pull-ups. Instead of using resistance bands, which are now too easy for me, for the pull-ups, I used a chair for my weakling self. But I managed to do those pretty well! (See photo for proof.) I could feel myself getting stronger.

Shoulders and Arms was the first of the four alternating workouts. In this one, I went for the weights to tone my arms versus using the bands, which I think I’ve gotten used to from Phase One. This was one area I really tried to challenge myself. The Chest, Back and Balance workout was also one I tried to do modified pull-ups instead of using resistance bands. I succeeded for the most part with that. Not to toot my own horn or anything, but I was impressed with myself for using the weights. I’m not usually a weight lifting kind of gal, but I’m glad I took on the challenge.

The last two weeks of the phase involved the V Sculpt and Chest, Shoulders and Tris workouts. As with the others, I did my darndest to “keep up with the boys” or, in my case, use the correct weight and not modify the moves as much. I definitely stayed pretty stable with my progress in the workouts that lasted two weeks. But there is only so much you can do in two weeks. You would have to keep going with the program to really see how you progress. Ah well, for another day.

Phase Two definitely kicked my butt, but I’m glad I took it by the horns and tackled it as best I could. I must say the alternating workouts helped the phase go by much faster than expected. Now we are on to Phase Three. Hopefully I survive the program and can live to tell about it. So until next time…P90X2 Phase Two complete!

Have you done P90X2? Have a similar experience during Phase Two? Let’s compare notes! —Kelsey

Get fit by bouncing like a kid!

There’s just something about jumping on a trampoline. It makes you feel like a kid again, alive and bouncing and happy. So when JumpSport asked if we wanted to try its new foldable Fitness Trampoline, I—wait for it—jumped at the idea.

Turns out, I wasn’t the only one digging on the idea. Both my husband and my dog were equally jazzed at the thoughof having a trampoline at the ready, too. On more than one occasion—or 12—I had to ask (or command, in the dog’s case) nicely (or firmly, in my best pack-leader voice, again for the dog) to use the trampoline for my work. Bouncing is hard work you know.

Besides being fun, bouncing on a personal indoor trampoline is a serious workout. At first you’re all bouncing and happy, and before you know it, you’re out of breath, sweaty and your legs are burning. It’s awesome. The newest JumpSport Fitness Trampoline Model 350f, which is the first foldaway version of the company’s personal exercise trampoline, will run you $359, which isn’t cheap, but have I mentioned it’s super fun?

See? It folds up so that you can jump just about anywhere.

This fitness trampoline isn’t like the ones from the 80s or 90s with those metal springs that made you feel like if you misstepped they’d eat your foot. Instead, it’s stable, solid and surprisingly quiet. Not to mention that instead of having metal springs, there are soft elastic cords that give you the bounce minus the ouch if you do land a bit off the center. While the foldable aspect of the trampoline is cool—especially for those who want to bounce here, there and everywhere—getting the trampoline folded and unfolded is a bit of a skill that takes practice and brute strength. Additionally, I found that after a few weeks of use, you have to go back in and tighten up the legs as they can start to unscrew over time with all of the bouncing.

However, to be totally transparent here, my household seriously tested this trampoline. My husband bounced on it as hard as he could (which is HARD), and my dog sometimes even jumped on it herself as she ran to see what the FedEx man was delivering (Oh, that evil FedEx man, always delivering packages.).

And me? Well, I tried the fun cardio and strength workout DVD that came with it (while nothing to write home about, it’s pretty solid and shows you how you can use the trampoline for abs, push-ups, cardio drills and so much more), but I mostly used it as a fun way to sneak in activity every single day. Now that my treadmill desk is gone, I bounce for a few minutes every couple of hours to get off my rear and take a break. And I routinely bounce during commercials when watching TV, especially The Biggest Loser. And I can’t count the number of times my husband and I have had a silly jumping contest where we try to perfect our Mario Brothers jumping impersonations.

This looks says, "Puh-lease, don't try to steal my fitness trampoline."

Jumping on a trampoline is awesome because it’s a low-impact activity that both works the legs and the heart, but my favorite thing about it is that it really doesn’t feel like a workout. The act of jumping is truly joyous and makes you feel like a kid. I know it’s pricey, but if you could use a little more play in your exercise, this is well worth it. And, hey, it doubles as an elevated dog bed!

Have you ever tried a fitness trampoline? Would you? Tell us about it! —Jenn

Kelsey completes Phase One of P90X2!

FBG intern and on-again-off-again exerciser Kelsey is trying P90X2, the second version of the super-popular P90X system by Tony Horton. Find out how it’s going below, and follow along with her progress in the coming months here!

P90X2 Phase One? Check. Me and the two guys I work out with spent a total of four weeks in Phase One: the Core and Balance phase. One week was practice, you know, so we could get acclimated to the workouts. That only lead to more soreness, but you can never get too much practice right? Best to know the moves and do them correctly so that you don’t get injured!

In the beginning, I definitely modified the moves so I could work up to (my version of) perfecting them. As time went on, I found myself getting better at the balance parts, as did my P90X2 buddies. And by the end, we all stepped it up a notch and tried to finish out the phase with mucho gusto.

The guys I am working out with—my hubby and our friend—definitely tried to outdo each other, which was a sight to see sometimes…competition, competition. I found it amusing. I, on the other hand, was determined not to kill myself like they did but still get a challenging workout in. As I looked back at my notes for the first phase, I noticed that I modified quite a few of the moves, but as the round continued, I got a progressively better at some of them. Good, right?

Here are a few of my highlights and lessons learned doing the first phase of P90X2:

Results from P90X2 Phase One

• Don’t Be Afraid to Modify Any Move. One of the moves on the day for Core is the Half Angel. This move is tough for someone who doesn’t have much if any arm strength, i.e. myself. So I modified the move by lifting my arm and leg separately instead of at the same time—because that would just be a disaster. I’m not that coordinated. I’m sure if I had more practice, I could master the move. Instructor Tony Horton emphasizes practice and tells first-timers not to go overboard and just do what you can. So I did and recommend you do the same!
• Celebrate Your Successes. The Russian Twist on the Balance and Power day was a move I improved on—in the weight category, as well as reps. For a weakling like me that was good. Tracking your results allows you to see just how far you’ve come!
• Tweaking Your Diet Helps You to See Results. Throughout the phase, I could see my body changing little by little. I must say, a few pounds are shedding off my waist and my pants are fitting a little better, too. I’m also trying to eat more healthy and less-processed foods. It’s hard to do on-the-go, but I’m doing pretty well with it so far. I’m hoping the next phase will give me better results with more muscle tone! So if you really want to see results with P90x2, make sure you’re eating well, too!

Overall, P90X2 Phase One was a good one. It was a welcome break from what I would consider the typical P90X material…weight lifting, push-ups, pull-ups, etc. I liked the core work and felt I improved my balance by the end of the phase. I’m looking forward to what the next phase will bring and how I will be able to improve through it as well. Although, I hear it’s lots of weights and pull-ups… Wish me luck!

Have you done P90X2? Have any words of advice for starting Phase Two? Share, please! —Kelsey

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

Since I’ve been training for a half marathon, I’ve found myself craving workouts that allow me to stretch my running muscles. There’s been a lot of yoga happening in this household, is what I’m saying, and I’ve really slacked off on the strength training.

Core Fusion Power Sculpt just debuted the week of Dec. 6, and, lucky for me, it offers the best of both worlds. It incorporates the fluid, yoga-inspired moves you expect from Core Fusion founders Elisabeth Halfpapp and Fred DeVito, but adds in a bit of strength work with light hand weights. And it’s customizable—there are five 10-minute sessions with a bonus stretch at the end. You select the sections you want to do, or choose to do them all and they will flow seamlessly from one workout to the next.

Halfpapp and DeVito are expert cue-ers—is that a word?—they take turns leading sections, and give clear, easy-to-follow instructions. There are three other exercisers with one showing modifications, although she’s not always shown at times when it would be most helpful. I mean, I don’t think any number of downward dogs and warrior poses are going to give me flexibility like Halfpapp, and I’m definitely never going to be able to keep a smile on my face the way she does. That’s just not right.

As is generally the case with Core Fusion workouts, there were quite a few times when I was quite literally begging the TV to stop, and it was right about that time that they switched to a new move or, in some blessed cases, to child’s pose. However, a couple of the sections felt fairly similar, with lots of downward dogs and Warriors, and I would have loved a little more variation, especially when they were automatically played back to back.

FBG Rating (Out of 5):

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

Overall: ★★★★1/2

Fit Bottomed Line: If you want some extra strength work with your yoga and Pilates, Core Fusion Power Sculpt is the DVD for you!

How do you like your yoga-inspired workouts? Straight up or with a strength-training twist? Tell us in the comments below, and we’ll select one U.S. reader to randomly win this DVD! Winner will be notified via email and in the comments. —Kristen

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