Fun, Positive, and Effective Sweat Sessions!
357993
I love Jessica Smith workouts!  Any one you pick is certain to be a winner.  She will have you sweating with a smile on your face.  Her instructions and routines are challenging, but NOT punishing!  I love that she gives modifications for if you don't have the same equipment she does.  For the "Step and Stride" workout, I did not have a step, but her mom Debbie did the workout without one and I just followed her lead and got a great workout!

Jessica is positive and born to be an instructor.  If you want an easy and fun way to burn fat, look no further than this series of workouts.
4051932
Great workout! I love the music, the moves, and style of the workouts. I'll admit the Around-The-World part is annoying, however, once you unlock and build up your points you can create workouts that are uninterupted.

The game includes: dance workout (aerobic, hip hop, latin), Karate, karate Form, Yoga/Pilates, stretching, boxercising and games.

One day I want to creat my own wii game that includes everything I really like, but until then, this will do the trick. There's so many options and you can really create a fun routine that won't bore you.

I am generally very lazy when it comes to working out, but this has got me back in the mood to exercise. Since I have a baby that will soon be walking, I'll need all the energy I can get! Thank you Namco. And thank you Amazon-ordered this next day with my Amazon Prime-which was cheaper than if I'd been able to get it brand new at a store.

All in all, this is a great choice. Enjoy! I know I am.
3055363
I love this video!

In fairness, I've only done the full 2nd Trimester workout and am 28 weeks pregnant. Summer and her trainer/sister in law are very clear in giving instructions and helpful tips. They really help you do the exercises correctly and you have enough repetitions to correct yourself! They count down the exercises, and explain what is coming next, so you're prepared for a change in movement. Much of the routine is strength training exercises with a resistance band with a lot of breathing to make it aerobic. I feel really good with the pace- I feel like I'm working hard, but there are lots of breaks with gentle lunges and opportunities to grab some water! The workout begins with a warmup, has two cycles of strength/cardio, and ends with a cool down/stretch.

Pros:
-easy to follow- even my first time
-really feels like a workout- even the next day
-great breathing and stretching exercises that relieve tension and sore muscles
-has a workout for each trimester, with a shorter version for each
-upbeat and encouraging

Cons:
-Just rhythmic  background music, so if you like to groove to specific music or sing along, this isn't for you
-Summer is a little chatty and I could see it getting a little old once you've memorized the script- but I think you could follow even with volume way down.
-the long version repeats the same strength exercises- it's not the same video feed played again- but if you want totally different exercises, you're not going to get it

I also love the goals Summer shares in encouragement: healthy mommies, healthy babies, growing bellies!
1013202
I LOVE LOVE LOVE this workout! I can't believe how much I sweat!! The music is fantastic and the moves are fun! I have tons of workouts and this is by far one of my faves! Great investment if you like Indian music and dance...and above all...if you like to sweat!
2201904
Ladies! I love this eBook! I immediately tried a few of the awesome and efficient workouts. For example, the chisel club workout - Rise & Grind - may initially appear like a synch, but it's no joke! My cute and less functional tights (which show every grimace of sweat) left me walking home with a noticeably wet crotch. In spite of the fact that it's only 20 minutes, the Rise & Grind feels fulfilling as it covers a lot of bases. Especially the arms. If possible, grab two sets of weights - I did and went heavier in exercises like the squats. If you really focus on making this an AMRAP, your heart rate will go up and you'll simultaneously feel like your toning your whole body. What I had to remind myself was to not let the clock allow me to get sloppy (helloooo form on renegade row!). The workout is as hard as you make it - your speed and weights will determine a lot. So go for it! I did and 20 minutes later I felt like a bawse.
4557828
A lot of fun : ) easy to follow choreography which caused me  to work up a sweat. Very upbeat instructor!
448276
This workout is so fun! I'm a fan of walk DVD's but they can get boring. Not this one. She alternates dance styles, so there is something for everyone in here. Just a few gentle dance moves in between walking steps. All the songs are great, and my favorites are the jive style songs. This workout makes you feel glamorous and feminine when you walk/dance the foxtrot. A little spicy when you walk/dance the samba. It's really fun!
The best part is, I'm 6 months pregnant and needs a workout which is easily adjusted to my abilities. This is so gentle if you need it to be, yet you can really kick it up (literally) if you're ready. The cues are spot on, Gina is personable, and the set is bright. It's easy to customize because the main menu lets you pick the warmup, go to a specific song, and easily get back to the menu to select cooldown.
424739
I have followed Zuzana's workouts for a couple of years now. If you ever wanted a follow-along workout with Zuzka instead of watching it on YouTube, writing down the moves and going it alone, here it is!  The price is super reasonable. Each DVD contains 4 short, intense workouts as well as the warm up, cooldown and ab bonus. The warmup, et al, are the same on each DVD. Each workout, however, is different. Instructions are carefully given for each exercise.  My daughters and I have been doing them together. My middle daughter has been wearing her heart rate monitor and has been burning between 200 and 300 calories during each workout (including the warmup..we don't always do the cooldown because I teach a fitness class so we do our own cooldown and she reads her monitor before we start).

It's fun, it's inexpensive, it's effective... you simply cannot lose!
2453320
This workout is fun and effective. I enjoy both of them as instructors due to their personalities. I am an advanced exerciser. This workout does make me sweat but is certainly not as hard as other DVDs that I own. The segments are nicely done with good variety. They use the same weight for all exercises. To increase intensity, I switch between 5, 8, and 10 lb dumbbells. In the first segment, I use 10 lbs and then 5 lbs. In the 2nd, I use 8s and then 5s. In the core, I use 8 lb dumbbells. This DVD is a great one for people who do not have a large workout space. You can do it in less than an 8x8 area.
348978
This is a fun, energizing, and enjoyable workout! Workout 1 breaks down all the steps into sequences that are easy to follow and build on each other. I was able to memorize the choreography after doing workout 1 once. Workout 2 is the intense short version of the entire sequence that packs full-blast cardio in only 7 minutes. If you love Zumba and workouts from the Dance and Be Fit series, this is an excellent addition to your workout video library, which will certainly add fun and variety to your fitness routine. Obrigada, grupo Ribeiro!
2596350
I have completed 28 consecutive daily workouts (2 more to go!) so I feel like now is a good time for me to write a review. My backstory is that I used to be in fantastic shape and kind of let myself go over the past few months.  I'm in my 40s, am a working mom, and wasn't overweight.  I could just feel like I wasn't as strong as I used to be and things were getting a little saggy.  I had done other Jillian programs in the past so I know what her style is.  I LOVE this program! She shows a slightly gentler version of her "America's toughest trainer" persona.  She takes the time to explain good form.  You move fast enough that your heart rate gets ups there but slow enough that you can complete the moves with proper form.  The two women in the background have been in other Jillian videos.  I like that they have personalities, unlike some other fitness videos where the background people just smile like Stepford Wives!  One of my favorite things about these workouts is that they are packed with a lot of different exercises, i.e., you're not doing a hundred repetitions of each one, so you don't get bored.  Each workout is challenging, but by the 10th time you do it, it's easier and you're ready to move onto the next one.  After 28 days, and not changing my diet at all, my stomach is a little flatter and my backside is a little higher.  I'll be moving onto her "regular" 30-Day Shred next.  If you stick to this program, you will get results! It's difficult enough to be challenging, but it's do-able.  I love that she offers lots of modifications and doesn't make you feel guilty if you opt to do them.  Be warned that it's 20 minutes of actual work, but it's really 25 minutes because each workout has a warm-up and stretch.  If you are significantly overweigh, some of the floor work that requires you to lie on your stomach might be difficult but you could just skip those exercises.  There's not too many of them.  All in all, a fantastic program that WILL help you get back into shape!
1205649
I decided to purchase the Wii Fit Plus to help me and my hubby get some activity going during the cold winter months.  I've been using it fairly regularly (almost daily--sometimes twice a day even) for about two weeks now and am really enjoying it.  My husband--so far--has mostly only dabbled in a few of the game activities (the soccer ball head-butt is his fave), but I've really gotten into it.  I am really lovin' the step aerobics, hula hoops and the strength training.  I worked out this afternoon with these and I can feel it in various muscle groups.  I like how you can set goals and it keeps track of your progress and gives you so much variety to help keep things from getting boring. It's great to have an "instructor" for the workouts.  They show you how to do the moves and encourage you along, a lot like when you take a class.  I love that I can do this at my convenience, in the comfort of my own home. What a great idea!
1072223
This DVD workout set has been great! My mother and I are on week five and there are noticeable changes in our cardio capacity and muscle mass. The different levels are great for the beginner, advanced, or mixed person ~ I find myself bouncing pretty regularly between the level one and level four exercises depending on the body part. The program is not cardio heavy, which makes staying on track easier and more fun. If you're giving it your all there is absolutely no reason that your heart rate would be "only slightly elevated", I don't think even an experienced triathlete could find fault it the workouts. I would recommend getting a range of weights, from 2 to 10 for this, so you can mix and match to suit your needs - resistance bands work, but are not always the easiest to work with. On some of these workouts, you'll drink you entire days allotment of water during one session! The range of times, 20 to 50 minutes per video is ideal for fitting the workouts in between busy schedules. You won't be disappointed!
259173
There are not too many workout DVDs that don't have annoying instructors--(at least to me) and for me, an instructor that I can't stand listening to kills my motivation, no matter how good the work out is. (or maybe I just look for any reason to not work out....)  In any case, this instructor is great-- pleasant voice,  not oozing with fake enthusiasm and she actually sweats !!  The workouts are fun yet challenging, and the fact that there are 5 separate 10 minute workouts means you can do one, two or all of them for a super workout.  I like the kick-boxing theme, which actually makes me feel as if I'm learning useful moves!
2248892
This video is fabulous.  I've done it 3 times per week for 4 weeks and I already feel more toned and more energetic.  You don't need any special equipment, just roughly 50-60 square feet of carpeted space and two 3 pound weights.  In just over 40 minutes, you get a wonderful, comprehensive workout.  Amy Dixon is very likeable.  She is encouraging and enthusiastic without being overly bubbly and sweet.  The five women who join her on the video are fit, but clearly women who have real lives apart from working out and worrying about their abs.  The workout has four segments that you can do separately, or you can do all four in a row for a comprehensive workout.  The first segment is a fast paced cardio workout.  The second focuses on lower body.  The third focuses on upper body.  And the fourth is a combination of yoga and ballet moves that improve balance and flexibility and provide a cool down.  Many of the exercises throughout the workout also do agreat job on abs and waist.  I love doing all four segments in a row.  Everything is set to a simple dance beat, so it's easy to keep with the pace.  Many of the moves are downright fun.  A few were a bit challenging the first time, but they are easy to learn after a few times through.  One of the women on the video does modified versions of some of the moves that require a bit extra strength, balance or flexibility.  I am in my mid-40s, a mom, and a full time professional.  So I can't commit to long workouts at pre-set times.  I was thrilled to find an at-home workout that gets my heart rate up for 40 minutes, works on all the muscles in my body and is (amazingly!) so fun that I look forward to it.  Thank you Amy Dixon and Women's Health.

NOTE 5 MONTHS LATER:  After a few weeks, I only had time to workout on Saturday and Sunday mornings.  But that was enough.  I lost 9 pounds without eating differently, though I look as though I lost more because I replaced fat with muscle.  I dropped a full dress size.  And I wore bikinis this summer, for the first time in 14 years!
872311
I've enjoyed most of Denise Austin's DVDs, this is just one more I've added to my collection--a really easy, but sweat-inducing workout!  There's nothing too complicated about it, just constant movement, which is what I like!
The steps aren't too hard to learn, and if you miss a step you can just keep moving and jumping till you get back on track--a lot of fun!
784866
This is a great workout that combines aerobics with simplified Qi Gong/Chi Kung, tai Chi, yoga, kundalini & hatha yoga using 4 background ladies of different cultures, one who is senior for modifications. The music was perfect, slower when the pace was slower & faster w/great beat for earth for example. The set is beautiful room with drapes, etc. The music is new age & changes with the type of element as you exercise: earth, air, fire & water for a total of 45 min with a 15 min color meditation after.
She's very encouraging throughout without being annoying. She's easy to follow & goes slow at first, then goes normal speed so you have no trouble following along. Almost all the exercises incorporates stretching w/o you realizing, so you always feel more energy & more relaxed after every single one. You will sweat though, especially in the fire section, warm up workout your legs in earth, work your arms in air, cool down & relax in water.
This was one of my first workouts to start getting myself into an exercise routine since the pace, her & the music kept me from being bored, I felt more stretched out & energized & I didn't get bored after replying over & over.
She points out YOUR left/right, not hers. She uses great analogies such as climbing a mountain, shooting a bow, etc. so you don't feel like you're doing mindless aerobics, but doing Qi Gong movements that have helped Asian people achieve their longevity for thousands of years.
Check "Dr Beth T Cholette "doctor_beth"  review on the VHS version since she wrote a great review that I totally agree with.
To a reviewer who complained about Stephanie panting, I never noticed her doing it at all, only a little strain & breathing a little more deeply during the fast aerobics or her voice muffled slightly when she was doing a standing fwd bend (her head meeting her knees/hands touching toes.) The reason is, unlike most workouts, she teaches as SHE does along with you, she takes no breaks, her voice is always relaxed, eloquent. I like to see the reviewer speak so well while doing this workout. I love best when the teacher speaks as they do it rather then a voice over.
To this day this is still one of my favorites.

There are pictures on Stephanie's site tantrictoning com & more info about her training & experience.
You can see a preview at guba com