Product Description

Jillian Michaels, the trainer from NBC's The Biggest Loser and self-proclaimed "TV's toughest fitness guru," runs through circuit training like a drill sergeant on caffeine. Her theory is to keep moving in between exercises to burn twice as many calories, so she cycles her team through sumo squats, mountain climbers, jump ropes, shoulder raises and bicycle moves without taking a breath. If she doesn't think one of her comrades is picking up his knees high enough, she makes everyone do 30 more, with a sadistic grin. As a result, you can almost literally watch the muscle burn. Michaels' Shape-Up Front DVD works out the chest, shoulders, triceps and quads. It also requires two props: a bench-style exercise step and light dumbbells. The DVD features include printable diet/exercise logs, nutrition tips and recipes. Despite a lower-level option, it isn't for anyone looking for a low-impact aerobic workout. Shape-Up Complete: This 2-disc DVD set lets you take full advantage of my intense fat-burning workouts and nutritional training. With my experience as a professional life -coach and trainer, I've combined the best fitness training techniques with the most successful tips on nutrition, to maximize your home workouts and jump-start your dedication to a healthy lifestyle. -- Jillian Michaels. This DVD is packed with tactics to help take it off and keep it off, including Diet and Exercise Tracking Logs, Nutrition Tips, Recipes plus a Special Workout Article from *Fitness RX Magazine and a Behind the Scenes Photo Gallery! Look no further than Michaels's Shape-Up Backside exercise DVD for an intense high-impact workout. Michaels keeps your body moving (though she herself skips out on half the exercises) with hammer curls, oblique raises, step ups, planks, and a move called The Superman destined to tone your back, biceps glutes, hamstrings and abs. There's a lower-level option, but Michaels likes to "kick your butt," as she says, to get you to feel the burn. Shape-Up Backside's DVD features include printable diet/exercise logs, nutrition tips and recipes. It requires two props: a bench-style exercise step and light dumbbells, which may make it difficult for beginners. But if you give it a try, even in the comfort of your living room you'll think you're in a gym -- trainer yelling in your ear and all. -- Ellen A. Kim Product Description Includes both Shape-Up Front, and Shape-Up Back

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #22406 in DVD
• Brand: WELLSPRING/GENIUS
• Released on: 2005-12-20
• Rating: NR (Not Rated)
• Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
• Formats: Color, DVD, NTSC
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 2
• Dimensions: .20 pounds

Amazon.com
Shape-up Front

Jillian Michaels, the trainer from NBC's The Biggest Loser and self-proclaimed "TV's toughest fitness guru," runs through circuit training like a drill sergeant on caffeine. Her theory is to keep moving in between exercises to burn twice as many calories, so she cycles her team through sumo squats, mountain climbers, jump ropes, shoulder raises and bicycle moves without taking a breath. If she doesn't think one of her comrades is picking up his knees high enough, she makes everyone do 30 more, with a sadistic grin. As a result, you can almost literally watch the muscle burn. Michaels' Shape-Up Front DVD works out the chest, shoulders, triceps and quads. It also requires two props: a bench-style exercise step and light dumbbells. The DVD features include printable diet/exercise logs, nutrition tips and recipes. Despite a lower-level option, it isn't for anyone looking for a low-impact aerobic workout.

Shape-Up Backside

Look no further than Michaels's Shape-Up Backside exercise DVD for an intense high-impact workout. Michaels keeps your body moving (though she herself skips out on half the exercises) with hammer curls, oblique raises, step ups, planks, and a move called The Superman destined to tone your back, biceps glutes, hamstrings and abs. There's a lower-level option, but Michaels likes to "kick your butt," as she says, to get you to feel the burn. Shape-Up Backside's DVD features include printable diet/exercise logs, nutrition tips and recipes. It requires two props: a bench-style exercise step and light dumbbells, which may make it difficult for beginners. But if you give it a try, even in the comfort of your living room you'll think you're in a gym -- trainer yelling in your ear and all. -- Ellen A. Kim

Customer Reviews

Thirty Minutes of Booty Kicking Hard Work
I am happy with my purchase. Each workout is roughly 30 minutes each. They are broken down into a warm up, two different routinues using upper and lower body together with cardio, and a cool down/stretch. The cardio is a lot of jumping (think jumping jacks, etc.) What I really like about the workouts is that they are time efficient. I feel like I got a workout in 30 minutes and she combines upper and lower boday together. Maybe I'm crazy but I am starting to see a difference after 7 workouts. If you liked Jillian on the Biggest Loser, you'll like her on the DVDs. Her personality is the same.

Why I gave the DVDs 4: There are no demos of the exercises, so if you are not familiar with the exercises in her book (Winning By Losing) you might want to watch the DVDs before you do them or to see what the modified version of the exercise is. I believe she mentions that in the intro as well. Also, there a lot of jumping. I read in another person's review that that can be bad for joint problems, so something to consider.

Overall, I am very pleased with my purchase. I would recommend this to a friend and I will probably buy it as a gift for someone in the future.

Tough/Effective Workout
I like many enjoyed the Biggest Loser show; that is why I bought these DVD's. I must say I am delighted with the results I am getting by doing these workouts, even though they push me to my limits. I can not see a beginner doing these, without modification you start where you are and work up to it. I am a workout animal but Jillian puts me to shame. This has been the only workout that has taken my fat percentage down.

Whipped into shape -- FAST!
I have never done a workout from Jillian Michaels before, and I have to say it: she totally kicked my butt! I've been bored with my workouts, and this is just what I needed. It's a short workout, but very intense. You don't stop for 30 minutes! In conjunction with a 30 minute cardio workout, you have the perfect routine. If you are a beginner, however, you might want to try Jillian's "Shape-Up" DVDs first.