Jillian Michaels - 30 Day Shred

I have to say that the workouts seriously kick my butt. I'm in pretty good shape and at a beginner/moderate level of fitness.

About the workout: There are no breaks. The workouts are only 20 minutes long and you work for the full 20. Jillian is a pretty good motivator. The workout is done in circuits of strength, cardio, and abs. The exercises are basic moves such as lunges, squats, flys, and rows. Some people may get bored with such basic moves, but for the choreography challenged (me), it was a sigh of relief. I like a good dance workout as much as anyone, but most of the time I end up stumbling all over myself. This was a basic boot-camp style workout, the kind I used to do while training in gymnastics (many years ago), and the simplicity of the moves was welcome. I definitely have trouble going up the stairs afterwards. You just don't stop moving!

The downside, and the reason for my 4-star rating is that the workout is hard on your knees. I had a severe tibial plateau fracture about a year ago and have finally gotten the ok from my doctor to exercise more vigorously. There is a lot of jumping in this workout, so beware, my knee was definitely sore afterwards the first time around. I've adjusted myself to not jump so high, but faster to minimize the impact and I can do the workout without any pain and still be sweat soaked at the end. This will most definitely be part of my regular rotation as it makes a great morning workout before work or even a lunchtime workout at work!

Wow, after doing this for the past 2 weeks, I'm so impressed with Jillian. The first few times- and actually still sometimes!- I feel like I am not going to get all the way through. I started with Level 1, after a few days moved on to level 2. I stayed at level 2 for 10 days and the last few days I finally got to Level 3- woohoo! This is a majorly intense workout- don't let the "20 minutes" fool you. But it's such a great feeling of accomplishment when you get to Level 3. I am already noticing results after 2 weeks- especially in my upper body. jillian does a lot of weight training so not only will you lose weight, but you will become stronger. I am raving to everyone about this video, and it's nice reading other people's reviews because once you get started you're hooked. It's nice to hear from other people so I know I'm not the only one who is obsessed with this video ;)

Whether you're a beginner or advanced, this work out will work for you. Jillian doesn't blather, she works. She makes you work and she makes sense. 3 levels, 3-6 minute segments w/a short warm up and cool down in each. Also, she is backed by 2 other exercisers, one doing the exercises at an easier level (e.g. not as deep with lunges and squats) the other doing them at a higher intensity (e.g. literally kicking herself in the [...]). The only drawback is that she doesn't do a modified jumping jack or the more modified 'run' so people with knee issues may have an issue at 1st. The nice thing is it's 20 minutes...just when you think 'I am done, can't do another...' it's over and you're done.

This DVD is money well spent.

I bought this DVD because i needed something new, I workout 5-6 days a week at high intensity and am seeing little results. I did my first workout today using this DVD on LEVEL ONE, now, i thought because I am fairly fit I could handle level one no problems, I WAS WRONG! The first level almost killed me! (in a good way) and by the end you can feel youve had a great workout and it only takes 25mins! Jillian really knows her stuff and explains why she has chosen each exercise and what muscles it works.
Someone wrote on here that it is only for people who want to tone and not lose weight, well I disagree, Jillian actually says you WILL burn fat doing her routines and of course tone.
I do weight training and nothing prepared me for my muscles yelling PLEASE STOP NO MORE! it was great!
I recommend this for people who dont really have the time to workout full on and want exercises that tone and burn fat at the same time, I gave this 4 stars because she uses small dumbell weights but doesnt specify how heavy they are. I went out and bought 1kg,1,5kg and 2.5kg weights to use while doing this DVD, and trust me you dont want any heavier than that! dumbells are fairly cheap I bought all mine for $30, and they are totally worth the buy.

I have six kids and have, in total, lost about 325 pounds. I wouldn't say I'm an expert, but I'm practical. I don't want to waste my time and I want results fast. Jillian does work you hard, but the workout is so boring. I am obviously very disciplined, but this item found a pretty spot on my shelf after about a week. On a whim I purchased Women's Health Magazine's "Workout in Ten" with Amy Dixon. This became the DVD by which I judged all other exercise DVD's. My second favorite: the weight portion of Amy's "Perfect Body Workout." I love the compound movements and her powerful positive talk in all three of her DVDs. "You're pretty and powerful, you know it" and "We're all short of time so let's get it done," and my favorite "Add a little sas when you're ready." There are no cheaters on her DVD. They are all real women with real bodies. Now I have rented exercise DVD's from about 15 instructors and the only other instructor who comes close to Amy Dixon is Amy Bento. Jillian is obviously good for some, but I don't see why she has a top selling video.