No More Trouble Zones

Everyone else has done an excellent job of reviewing this and breaking down the specifics. I just wanted to chime in because I know there are people like me. Specifically, I don't watch The Biggest Loser but I've seen clips and I find them off-putting. I checked this out of the library and expected to hate it. Amazingly, I didn't. This is a pretty well-rounded and intense workout with lots of compound moves to keep your metabolism up (e.g. side lunges with wide-angle bicep curls, dead lifts with hammer curls.)

I have bad knees but there were only two moves I couldn't do--the jacks in the warmup (easy to substitute and the entire warmup lasts five minutes) and a tricep move called The Surrender which looked really cool and I was sad I couldn't do it. I really like that she does a lot of moves that work the core and Jillian has lots of tips on form. Speaking of which, I've heard some complaints about her form (specifically with her controversial kettlebell DVD but just in general too) however it looks fine on this DVD to the extent that I watched her. I do like her telling you to visualize why you are doing the workout when it gets tough. And it does get tough. I kind of poop out on those side plank lifts she throws in at the end but her encouragement makes me at least try. Best of all, she wraps up the workout with some matwork for the legs: donkey kicks, fireplugs, inner and outer thigh lifts. I love these things. I know, I'm sick. This is followed by a cool down where she congratulates you on making it through a tough workout (thanks! it was) and reminds you not to compare your physique to others which is very fine advice indeed.

I do have to agree with others that she has trouble staying on beat during the cardio in the warmup. I wonder if maybe the music track was added in post-production. It's tolerable for the warm-up but I'd want to try out any of her cardio workouts before I bought them.

I'm not sure, as one reviewer said, why this high rep/low weight workout wouldn't build muscle. I saw this at the store for 9 bucks the day after I first worked out to it. Reader, I bought it.

I'm reviewing this workout after doing it once.

Since Roz and Lindsey have already broken down and given a good overview, I'll just note that the total running time is about 55 min.

Also, this is definitely a high reps & low weights or endurance-style workout; you're unlikely to gain a lot of strength or muscle with regular use, but that's kind of the idea. Jillian is trying to fire up your metabolism, especially if you're using this with her other workouts, while shaping up your abs, shoulders and arms, and butt and legs.

Those with wrist, elbow, or shoulder issues may want to approach this one with caution; ditto for those with knee issues that are aggravated by lots of lunges, squats, or kneeling moves.

Level: I'd recommend this to intermediate exercisers comfortable with basic strength training through int./adv. Low adv. exercisers might find that with the appropriate weights (and maybe a few tweaks here and there) this provides a decent challenge.

I consider myself an int./adv. exerciser. The first time through I found this somewhat uneven in intensity and challenge level, and my heartrate did not stay up as promised thanks to a higher number of moves than I expected on the floor. That said I can see how with further use I'd figure out a way to keep the intensity up and make this appropriately challenging throughout.

Class: 2 women do the exercises; Jillian sometimes starts or finishes the exercises but seems to prefer coaching, either pointing out proper form or motivating the viewer. As Lindsey mentions, there's not much in the way of modifications shown, and the choice of exercises for which modifications / substitutions are shown can be surprising.

Music: upbeat instrumental with a driving beat. It's nice but generic exercise video stuff.

Set: interior set with exercise equipment arranged around (looks very similar to ones used by 10 Minute Solution, Shape, etc.).

Production: clear picture and sound, helpful camera angles.

Equipment: sneakers, at least one pair of dumbbells and maybe a mat, depending upon your floor. I also found 3 lbs. on the light side and reached for 5s and 8s, too. There is enough time to switch weights for each exercise, provided you have everything at hand.

Space Requirements: This is decently compact. You'll need to be able to extend your limbs out when you're lying down and do things like lunge in each direction while standing.

DVD Notes: You can't skip the Lionsgate intro and warnings, but you can skip Jillian's intro to get right to the main menu, where your options are Recommendations, Workouts (Play the 40-Minute Workout - you then have a choice to Begin workout with Jillian's instruction and music or Begin workout with music only; Select a Circuit: Warm up, Shoulder & Legs, Chest & Abs, Biceps & Butt, Thighs & Triceps, Core, Upper Body & Core, Lower Body & Core, and Cool Down), and Bonus (Jillian's Top Tips for a Healthy Life - which is actually an ad for a toothbrush; Don't Quit Music, ExerciseTV Free Workout Offer, and Also from Lionsgate, or trailers for Jillian and The Biggest Lower workouts).

Comments: I'd say this workout delivers what it promises: a focus on common "trouble zones." The front cover even boasts you'll "eliminate love handles, muffin tops, and wobbly arms," and I can see how regular use with a healthy diet could go a long way towards that. Jillian knows seeing changes can be motivating, so she spends a lot of time talking about how great you'll look, how good it feels to look great, etc.

If you find yourself saying, "Hey, that sounds great! This is the workout for me," stop reading now, because what follows next is in some ways an unfair criticism of a workout that doesn't really want or even pretend to be anything other than what the cover screams.

Yes, I knew going in pretty much what this workout would be like, and yet I picked it up anyway, so I admit it's a bit sour grapes to point out how this workout doesn't fulfill my current needs and wishes. But I still feel compelled to say, as someone who exercises more for health and fitness rather than aesthetic and self-esteem reasons, I'm struck by how uneven and unbalanced the workout is. Wouldn't it be nice for Jillian, to whom so many people turn for fitness advice, to include a few more exercises that may not produce immediately visible results but can add up to a stronger, healthier, and, yes, better-looking body about which people can't help but feel good? Why, for example, is there practically no back work? Among other things, a strong back helps with posture so people stand taller and thus look thinner, not to mention there are some pretty big back muscles that could add to the calorie burn if allowed to join the party, plus something needs to be done to balance out all of that work for the chest, abs, and front of the shoulders. It's not immediately obvious to me (who is, admittedly, just an ordinary person trying to learn what she can about exercise) how this balances out the other two workouts with which it's often considered a set - 30-Day Shred (30DS) and BFBM (Banish Fat Boost Metabolism) - other than including a number of exercises specifically for the triceps, which only get worked indirectly in 30DS. If I liked both Jillian and this style of training more I'd spend some time figuring out how to rebalance NMTZ, how to make it work with the other two, and so on, but since there are so many workouts out there (too many of which are on my own shelves…) I'll pass this on to someone who will enjoy it for what it is and not harp on what it isn't.

This is a 50 minute strength circuit workout led by Jillian w/ 2 background exercisers. No one really shows any modifications but on occasion someone will show a modification example. You will only need dumbbells for this workout. Jillian uses 3#ers but seriously folks, this isnt Squeeze-I think most non-beginners can easily pull off heavier weights. There are plenty of reps but its not what I would consider a hi rep low weight w/o. No I am not using my heaviest poundage for the whole workout but Im not using 3's either.

Jillian goes through 6 or 7 circuits depending on how you look at it (warmup, stretch, and one kindof partial circuit at the end). The warmup is nice-mostly cardio (jogging, jump rope) and some dynamic stretching. Each circuit has a few moves and then you repeat the circuit. Jillian does a good job of hitting all the muscles in this one! I really feel that everything was thoroughly worked after doing this.

Most of the circuits are done standing but the last 2.5 are done on the floor and include: plank twists, plank taps, push ups, effective lying ab work variations, donkey kicks, lying inner and outer thigh raises, bridge, supermans, plank rows, and side planks. I love (to hate) all this plank work-you can really feel it working your entire core, chest, shoulders, tri's, and more!

The standing work includes moves like: lunge w/ a bicp curl, squat with an overhead press, static sqat w/ a concentrated bicep curl, pliet w/ an overhead tricep extension, static squat w/ tricep kickback, deadlift w/ hammercurl, surrenders while holding your dumbbells over your head (yikes), sidelunge w/ a hammer curl, etc. I liked all the variety and she does lots of multimuscle moves that got my heart rate up decently.

I would rate this a solid intermediate workout, if you use heavier weights you can easily get a more challenging workout, I did! Jillians got her typical "tough guy" attitude in this, but shes not over the top. If you are not a fan of hers, you probably wont enjoy the workout. But she is fine w/ me, the workout is solid and unique. I like it better than 30 Day Shred, but not as much as BFBM.

I'm reviewing this workout after doing it on Exercise TV about 4 times. Therefore, I can not give comments on chaptering. I plan to purchase the DVD in the future.

Workout breakdown:

5 minute warm up. This is mostly cardio moves with some arm circles. No static stretching.

After the warm up she does 6 circuits, each focusing on a different muscle group. Except for the last circuit, each is done twice. The smaller muscles such as shoulders, triceps, and biceps are worked in combination with the lower body. Don't quote me, but I think each exercise is done for 12 reps.

shoulders

overhead press with a squat

lateral raise with backward lunges (lunges done one side at a time)

squat with anterior delt raise

The last shoulder exercise has you push your arms forward in a supine position, about chest level. I needed light weights for this.

chest/abs

chest press with crunch

chest fly with double leg raise

bicycle crunches

a side to side crunch wher you touch your inner ankle

push ups

biceps

dead lift/hammer curl

concentration curl holding a low squat position

backward lunges with bicep curl

side lunge with bicep curl

triceps

tricep kickbacks in squat position

double arm overhead extension

surrenders (I feel this one in my shoulders more than triceps)

crescent lunge while pushing arms backwards, palms faced backward

back/core

plank rows

supermans

2 plank variations

glute raises, either with one leg crossed over the other, or pointing up

"windshield wipers"-- lying prone, with arms pointing up in a v, you lift both legs and twist towards one arm at a time

side plank

side lying outer thigh lift

side lying inner thigh lift

repeat other side

Then it is down to all fours for leg extensions and side leg extensions

stretch

The main body of the workout is 45 minutes.

As my husband commented while I was doing the workout, she really doesn't give you any rest. Like 30 Day Shred, she moves it right along. Still, I never felt the pace was frantic. There is not a lot of equipment involved-- just hand weights and a mat, so you don't have to do much fiddling about. Jillian uses one set of three pound weights for the entire workout. Right, Jillian. I hardly think anyone but the most novice beginner would be challenged by that. I use 3's, 5's, 8's, and 12's. The 12's are just for the plannk rows and a few bicep exercises. Oh yeah, I use my 15 pound kettlebell for the tricep overhead extension. I like kettlebells for that use.

My heart rate stays elevated until I get to the very last section (well, it is still elevated, just not cardio-like elevated)

I had been getting bored with working out. My preference has usually been moderately complex step a la Gay Gasper or Cathe Friedrich. I have always struggled to be consistent with strength. Anyway, my motivation has returned with Jillian's workouts-- specifically her two newest and 30 Day Shred. For some reason it is just the thing I need right now. And, for the first time, I look forward to strength workouts. I guess her strength is pretty aerobic and gives you the same good, sweaty worked out feeling that you get from a cardio workout.