Jillian Michaels Lift & Shred

First off this is a no frills workout. Straight to the point weight training with heavy dumbbells. I personally have four sets, 8, 10, 12 and 15. This work out is totally doable and the routines are classics. I love Jillian in this one because she is actually charming. I don't get the other reviewers with them describing her as condescending. She is sweet, funny and professional in this. In fact I was hesitant to buy this workout because of her roughness in the newer workouts but I'm glad I did. She takes her time to demonstrate proper form and educates us on the importance of weight training. Now as far as results I've only been doing this for a few weeks but I notice a difference in my arms, back and shoulders. My legs are becoming stronger as well. The workout contains two levels. I am able to do level one all the way through while breaking a good sweat. Now as far as level two...yeah well we shall see. Some of those moves could prove problematic with my knee. Now for those who think 30 minutes is not enough, try this...Do level one twice...back to back...and then come talk to me. That way for those of us that want more of a challenge, we can have a full hour of quality weight training. Other things to note...the set is modern and cool, the two participants are easy on the eyes and are motivating (I think the guy cheated in a couple of sets...lol) and the music is dope. Give it a try with heavy weights guys...and for the bad asses do it twice...enjoy!

This might be my favorite Jillian Michaels' workout. I love lifting weights, and I have a great home gym. I have struggled to find great weight-based workouts for my weight days. There are good ones out there, but not a lot of great ones. Many workouts contain a lot of compound movements like a lunge to a curl. Well, I can lunge with a much heavier weight than I can curl. I always feel like I am not working hard enough. (Jillian does address this) This is WEIGHTS. Jillian works mostly as a trainer focusing on form and such during this workout. She might participate a bit, but she really wants you to focus on form, especially in Workout #1. Once you have good form in workout #1, she does recommend you can alternate or move on to workout #2. Workout #2 does have compound movements, but they are more total body, so you can still lift heavy. One of my favorite things about this DVD is that truly, anyone can still do it. The movements are simple and effective. There are not many modifications, HOWEVER, if you are just getting started, you can easily use only your bodyweight or much lighter weights. This workout is truly designed to progress and lift heavier as you go. I highly recommend these workouts. These will be in a regular rotation with my weights DVD's. Both workouts are just over 30 minutes and focus on all muscles for a total body workout.

Great full body weight training! I’ve been working out regularly most of my adult life with a huge emphasis on cardio. Since I’m now 53 I understand that if I want to stay fit and healthy I need to lift weights since my muscle will naturally diminish as I age. Thank you Jillian for creating this easy to follow, full body routine! I’ve been using this since June, and have seen major improvements in my strength! I gradually upped my weights in order to properly challenge myself and since January alternate this with Les Mills Bodypump on weight days. I love both programs, but I really enjoy the extra kick that Jillian puts in with her warm up!! Nice cardio blood pumping start! I like to do weights 3-4 x per week and throw in cardio the rest of the days. I’ve got to say the pace of this is great and I do sweat doing this workout! The 30 minutes goes fast! It’s shorter than bodypump so on weight days where I’m clipped for time it’s a great fit! Any fitness level can benefit from this workout, all you need to do is adjust the weights.

I believe that this is the first Jillian Michaels DVD that is purely strength and no cardio (besides a little in the warmup). This fills a niche that I had been looking for in my home workouts. This DVD also uses the heaviest weights of any Jillian workout (I used dumbbells ranging from 5 lbs to 12 lbs, and I will probably go heavier on a few moves next time). Level 1 consists of basic moves such as squats, lunges, bicep curls, shoulder presses, lat-pulls in bridge, crunches (the only exercise where she mentions that you could leave the weight behind), etc. There are four circuits, with each move performed twice. It leaves behind all of the more complex moves that we've come to expect from Jillian; you'll never have to blankly stare at your TV and try to figure out what the heck is going on. She also tells the truth on time! The workout is done in just under 30 minutes, 32 minutes with the cooldown. Update: Just did Level 2, and I like it even better than Level 1! It moves a little faster and the moves are a little more complex than Level 1 (though still less than the average Jillian strength circuit). Two of the moves involve jumping - a weighted jump-squat (for which she shows a non-plyo modifier) and a sort of jumping lunge move with an overhead press, which she surprisingly does NOT show a non-plyo modifier for. The rest of the moves build on the sort of strength work done in Level 1.

I had a few surgeries and lost a lot of my strength. I figured I'd utilize any streaming service for some free workouts but discover that there was a serious void of free online exercise videos that were doable at my current level of (un)fitness. I bought a few Denise Austin 'strength training' DVDs but they are all basically very cardio-heavy with minimal strength moves. In fact, pretty much every DVD that I looked into that claimed 'strength training' were really just cardio-heavy. Not this one. This is 100% a weight-lifting workout. It has two fitness models (one woman, one man) and they are the only ones to 'follow' since Jillian just walks about talking about form. The camera never stays on one person for long, and so it's a bit hard to follow but if you want a workout that is JUST WEIGHT LIFTING then this fits the bill.

I was pleasantly surprised with this dvd. I have several JM dvds: Ripped in 30, Yoga Meltdown, NMTZ, and BFBM, and this dvd. I am thrilled with the fact that this is truly a 30 minute dvd, I believe from warm up to cool down it was 32 minutes. I did her NMTZ and that was almost 50 minutes, it is a great work out, but too long to do during the week, I don't have time for that one so it's saved for weekends . I need to get heavier weights for this one though. My heaviest set is 8 lbs and that was too light for most of the moves. But I can do the whole video and I loved it. I am 56 and in pretty good shape for my age, and I believe this dvd paired with heavier weights is just what I need. Women my age need strength training and this is great, even for beginners. I started with level one and will stay there for a bit. But, this is perfect for my needs.

What is it: Pure lifting. It reminded me of what my coworker says she does at the gym with her trainer (she can't believe I lose weight like 4x faster with Jillian Michaels)—it's just more traditional strength training. This is a great way to shake things up and take care of those days when you just aren't feeling as up for the bouncing and twisting around so common in the other workouts. Plus, no plank. Total win there. Some of Jillian's workouts feel like they're 80% plank moves ;) Who's it for: 1. The Cardio-tastic: If you do a lot of straight cardio (runners, cyclists, etc.) and need some strength training, this is perfect for you. 2. The Shredder: If you don't care about cardio and just want to hit the strength training, rock this with your 20- and 50-lb. hand weights. 3. The Partier: Drank a bit too much last night or ate a bit too much today but still want a workout? Afraid (with good reason) you'll throw up if you do normal Jillian? Hit this instead. 4. Everyone!: This is a great way to just shake things up or make some rapid strength-focused progress, as a supplement to your normal Jillian routine. Equipment: At least 3 pairs of hand weights. Optional: if you have kettle bells, there are moves designed for kettle bells (that take hand weights in the videos); they're easy to spot and Jillian sometimes even mentions it. Mat if you have a hard floor. Use Heavier Weights: Be sure to have heavier hand weights. I tend to use heavier weights for all of Jillian's workouts (I have 10's and 12's that I use a lot, and also 15's), but here they were really necessary. This wouldn't be much of a workout if you didn't challenge yourself on weight. But with the right hand weights, this is a great way to shred! Cons: • The white studio is mesmerizingly boring (and blinding on the wrong TV color settings), which at least for me hurts the frequency at which I can use this video. (In fact, I didn't get through a full one of these workouts for a YEAR because I hated the studio so much.) • Pushing yourself becomes very important in a straight-forward workout like this; this is NOT for people who want to be pulled through a workout by the sheer difficulty of the moves • Chance of injury may actually increase with some of these moves, because as Jillian mentions at a few points, it's easy to hold your back or shoulders in the wrong way when handling heavier weights. Listen to your body! If your back, shoulders, or knees are straining, go with lighter weights for now to avoid injury. • You may need to buy some heavier hand weights UPDATE: I've started using this workout about twice a week, usually after another Jillian Michael's workout (usually something from her Bodyshred, Body Revolution, or Killer Series). It's been 3 weeks. I'm crazy shredded all of a sudden—rock solid arms and legs. It's amazing how the combination of this and her other workouts really amps up the effectiveness of both. I wouldn't recommend this by itself unless you just need to add strength to your routine, but as a combo—HOLY ****! BACK WARNING: Do be careful if you have a weak back or it's *ahem* carrying extra front-weight. If you start to feel your back straining, use lighter weights as your back catches up with your arms.

Two great workouts for lifting at home. I like to mix this traditional weight lifting dvd in with other Jillian Michaels workouts. I like using heavier weights a couple of times a week.