Decent workout, but not nearly perfect.
592610
Works reasonably well, but does have some things you should consider:
- The leverage is such that it requires quite a lot of weight to make the effort hard.
- The location of the padded arm is not adjustable (but the seat height is).  This causes a slight problem when your body's pivot point moves with the seat if you need to move where the pad hits you (women may find the pad to be at an uncomfortable location on their chest).
- It does seem to handle heavy weight ok (100+ lbs) - just make sure the bolts are tightened a lot (and you may want to put large washers on the bolts so you don't deform the steel tubes).
1702367
I think one of the most important things that needs to be pointed out is something that other reviewers have mentioned: though the product's description states that the routine tones your upper body, and the instructor repeatedly references how it is "an amazing upper body workout," it's really not.  There's some reaching involved and periodically holding one arm or the other up for more of a balance challenge, but I wouldn't say that anything in either workout has much impact on the arms, at all, so if you're looking for a real full-body routine, you won't find it here.

What you will find is a pretty intense workout that really challenges many muscles in the lower body.  Though there are a couple of moves designed to increase the heart rate, most of the moves involve very, very small movements that are done in enough repetitions that you really start to feel it.  In fact, after a certain point, your legs will likely start to shake, which the instructor  explains is the whole point, i.e. to fatigue the larger muscles in your legs so that smaller muscle groups are also challenged.  This workout can be tough and even uncomfortable, and even though I've completed it many times at this point, I haven't found that it gets easier: each and every time I find myself drenched in sweat with all of my leg muscles burning when I'm finished.

The workout concludes with a couple of minutes of stretching, and I would recommend that you don't skip it given how taxed your muscles are upon completing the main routine.

I really liked the instructor; yes, she utilized voiceovers, but I didn't mind it, because I found her tone to be pleasant and friendly, and she frequently mentioned how certain exercises can be modified for people who have hip or knee pain, and she often gave reminders as to proper form and the like.  (Side note: speaking of knee pain, my knees are. . . not great, and though some of the moves challenged them a bit, I didn't experience actual pain.  However, there was some aching going on the next day, and that occurred for the first several times that I completed the workout, but eventually that stopped happening.)

Also, one thing that I found interesting is the impact that this has had on the heel pain that I have on my left foot.  I wasn't expecting it by any means, but I find that every single time that I complete this workout, that pain is greatly eased the next day.  I suppose that's because the feet get worked/stretched throughout the routine given that several moves require the heels to be lifted and the weight to balanced on the balls of the feet.  Whatever the cause, it's certainly a welcome side-benefit.

One additional note: the case states that a chair is "suggested," but unless you have superhuman balance, I'd say it's less a suggestion and more of a requirement.

All of the above was in reference to the first workout, i.e. Burn and Firm.  I have to say that I don't enjoy the second routine - Lengthen & Strengthen - as much, primarily because I don't find it as challenging.  It begins with some more work on the legs, and that's pretty much the toughest, most intense part of the entire second workout.  Everything else may serve to lengthen the muscles, and it may focus a little more on the core than the moves in the first workout, but again, I didn't find it to be anything special or particularly taxing.

To sum up, the highlight of the DVD is the first workout: it's tough and intense, and you can feel pretty much every single muscle in your lower body being challenged and fatigued.  It's a good strengthening workout that really burns the muscles in your thighs and your backside.  You will need to supplement your workouts with some cardio, of course, but I'd definitely recommend picking this DVD up if you're in the market for really working out your lower body.
664255
This is an overall good workout.  It didn't seem to contain as much variety as some of my other 60-minute yoga videos, not sure why, but she does talk a lot, maybe that is it.  There is a fair amount of what I would call "spiritualizing" or "self-talk" - if you can get past that or you don't mind it, then it's still a good workout (she actually said "ohm" a couple of times).

I liked that she broke up the standing poses with a good reclining core workout in the middle.  Her cueing is good - not the best but good.  I was able to pretty fully participate in the workout the first time through w/out having to look at the screen the whole time.  She has a tendency to give a long wordy explanation of the motions required to get to a pose instead of just telling you the pose name to start with.  Overall I'm not sorry I bought it, which is saying a lot in the exercise video world! - But a lot of its value lies in the fact that it was relatively inexpensive.
3461110
First of all, keep in mind that this is a repackaged workout; it has been marked as both "Core Essentials" and "Pilates Core Essentials."  This is definitely not a Pilates workout, so maybe that was part of the reason for the name change. Rather, it is a full-body toning workout similar to the first half of one of instructor Karen Voight's other videos, Streamline Fitness.

The workout begins with a simple, 4 minute warm-up to get your body moving; this is followed by 8 minutes of standing strength moves. The exercises consist of traditional squats and crunches, but Karen makes them unique by adding more movement. Although her cuing is excellent, the variety of the moves is a little hard to follow upon first viewing of the video, but you do get the hang of it. One problem I had with this section is regarding how Karen uses the arms: the arm movements often seem unnecessary and mismatched to the leg work.  The main body of this workout occurs on the floor. Karen continues the legwork with extensions done both on all fours and on the side; she sometimes uses her weighted "genie balls"--you could also substitute ankle weights, but I found the moves to be challenging enough without the added weight!  She then targets the arms with a tough push-ups sequence as well as several exercises with dumbbells. The workout ends with abs and back exercises followed by a 6 minute cool down.

As always, Karen offers meticulous tips on form throughout. This was an average-to-good workout (I'd actually have given it 3 1/2 stars if I could), but I prefer Karen's Streamline Fitness, which offers additional arm work, a tougher abs section, and relaxing yoga moves as well.
2362675
There are many reviews on this workout, but the ones that are her tend to be very high. However, I wasn't as impressed. Here's a quick breakdown of the good and the bad.

Pros:

Michaela probably gave me the clearest understanding of finding the core muscles and isolating them of any host/workout guru that I have ever heard. You always hear tighten the core, isolate the core, etc. but the videos I've worked with just don't explain it well, outside of 'pull your bellybutton into the spine.' What a great and careful demonstration she provides here.

The pushups were great. I, like many others, thought I couldn't do a push-up. However, I was able to do what she demonstrated, mostly on the floor, a couple on the wall. I FELT these workouts for days afterwords and really feel like I benefited greatly from them.

Michaela takes a lot of time describing each move. This is both great and tedious. The first few times that in-depth instruction helps to protect your body (back) and ensures that you have time to get into the proper position. However, after four times or so you're like 'get on with it already.' It would be nice if this were easily separated from the actual exercises so that as you advance you could go straight into the workout without the long explanation.

Cons:

I was really disappointed with the workout for the legs and behind. Based on the reviews I was expecting a hardcore workout. Instead, they were easy. I'm not being glib, and I'm not super fit. In fact, I'm overweight and only started working out (after being extremely fit for years and years) about a month and a half ago. The biggest problem with these movements is none were held long enough to create strong contractions in the muscles. The end result was just a sub par workout for those regions.

I'm not trying to pub other workouts - and I don't sell anything, but for the behind and hips I would suggest callanetics if you want to see some real results and really feel the pain when you're done. I made the switch from this to those and the difference is crazy.

Overall, this workout is just okay. The beginning and the arm exercises are great. The leg, thighs and butt exercises are just not targeted enough for real results fast. Still, it was worth viewing so that I could get the goods on the first part of the video.
1586316
I have several Jillian DVDs. This one has some unique exercises, and she uses a different format than she uses in most of her others. Rather than repeating exercises twice within a circuit before moving on to the next circuit, she goes through a single set of an entire series of exercises and then repeats it, so that there is more time between sets of the same exercise. I think I prefer her usual format, but this is an interesting change. It is a good workout. There is a live DJ mixing music, which I find a little distracting, but, overall, it is a good DVD.
991010
I just purchased this machine, and I like it for the most part. I'd give it a five if the steps weren't so short. It took a little while to adjust to that, but it can give your legs a burn if you're up for the workout.
4277093
These workouts are fresh and fun, but I wouldn't say they are for ALL beginners. The sequences done while standing are tolerable, but I felt like there were too many exercises done on the floor. I have Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Fibromyalgia, so getting up and down for these parts were more than I could handle, and I'm not really overweight. My doctor insists that exercise will alleviate some of my pain, but these workouts only caused me a world of hurt for the following week. At first I enjoyed Jillian's encouraging comments, but sometimes she goes too far by insisting that literally EVERYONE should be able to do certain movements. She's probably not including the chronically ill and disabled, but it still made me feel bad about myself. On the other hand, I was able to get through the entire 30-minute routine by doing modified movements during the floor parts, which is impressive because I'm pretty sedentary. So if you're relatively healthy and don't have chronic pain problems, this might work for you.
3259004
I've owned this for 4 months, and I don't try doing 20mph, and I don't use it every day, but it serves its purpose by providing me a moderate workout while watching TV at home, perfect for winter days and evenings when I don't want to trudge out to the commercial gym.  The seat seems sturdy, but isn't as comfortable as I would like.  Adjusting for the user's height is a real pain (and my 5'2" daughter finds it too big).  And, like others have said, the first 5 or 6 resistance settings are all about the same, and the highest resistance (#8) isn't quite as high as I'd like, but as I said, the price is right and even if I get only a couple of winters out of it, it has served its purpose well as I recover from heart surgery.
4006577
I'm an intermediate-advanced, regular exerciser.  I've done the abs and arms segments of this DVD. I haven't done the lower body segment.  Based on that, I think this DVD has good, all around, overall toning.  But I didn't find it to be as challenging as I expected.  I also don't think it's worth it for the time.  There are three 15-minute segments, and from the two I did, I think they could have done more multiple muscle movements to give a better workout.  I wouldn't suggest this for the time-pressed.

I liked the 20 minute cardio add-on.  This is not the toughest cardio workout I've done, but it's good for days when you want a quick, light cardio to get the heart moving and work up a little sweat.
1770234
I bought this video after reading the good reviews from other buyers. This workout is moderately difficult, and I feel like I will get more grace and flexibility as I continue to perform the exercises.
3018695
I've had my Blaze Home Gym for a few weeks now, and here are my thoughts.

It takes a little getting used to, especially having to change resistance and stations. I found that it makes the workout rather disjointed. So the key is to focus your workout on one station, as much as possible for a particular day. I quickly came up with 5 days of exercises, so I'm able to stick to one spot on any particular day. At that point, changing the weights is no big deal.

A lot of reviews here said to get at least the 310 lb. rod upgrade right away. That might be a little overstated. I weight 250, at 6 foot, and fairly strong. I haven't used the extra rod set yet, even with squats. I'm not looking to kill it by any means, so even 80 lbs of resistance feels like more than enough. Also, the squats are pretty awkward to do. I recommend starting small, as I could see myself easily getting hurt trying to get into a lot resistance.

Get workout gloves. My hands are full of cuts and scratches after just a few weeks of having this thing. It's not that there are sharp edges but as you handle and change cables and swivels, you should at least be careful not to unknowingly cut yourself.

If you're looking for an aerobic rowing workout, get a real ergometer. The rowing function on here is kind of a joke. There is no apparatus to strap your feet into so they tend to fly off. I found that if you put your heels on the bar into a rather wide Pilates V/1st position, that does help gain some traction. I used to row crew, and at my current size, there's no way of doing aerobic rowing correctly or safely on this machine. If you're smaller/thin, you might not have an issue. Otherwise, stick to the stationary rows and work on your delts. I plan to get a rower here sometime in the next year.

I find the leg extension bar rather useless, since well, I don't do leg extensions. I think it's pretty commonplace knowledge by now that this exercise isn't particularly good for you. Leg curls are alright, but I can find other ways to exercise my hamstrings.

Lastly, in terms of downsides, I find the seat and bench rather wobbly. This makes it difficult to maintain your balance for certain exercises.

The big plus for me about this machine is that it allows you to be creative. I do Pilates on occasion, so I find the resistance to lend itself to such exercises (more springboard than reformer), especially for stretching against resisting weight. I could see myself sitting on the ground and doing some side mermaid raises. Beyond that, I enjoy the various exercises. One of my favorite things I do is the overhead woodchop. That alone makes for a pretty good workout.

All in all, I do enjoy this product. I feel the workout the day after, so progress is there. Just have to stay away from the chocolate.
1148046
Don't get me wrong, its a workout but if you are a beginner, there are a few pains in the rear. First, you have to fast forward through the entire workout to get the first timer instructions. Then, you are supposed to watch the chick to the instructors right for first time. Yeah, if they ever show her. They also don't show the feet of the instructor much. For some parts I just kind of went back to a move that I already knew and waited until the next section.
1648265
I bought the game as an exercise aid, and it works very well for that.  The main problems are (1) the dance pad slowly slips backwards on floor when in use, so arrows are not always where expected, (2) pad sensitivity issues, as I'll be standing in the center and the left arrow will register as being stepped on, (3) using exercise mode in the game limits other gameplay options.

Still, it's a fun and effective way of exercising, and I'm happy with the purchase overall.
1086870
I am a firm fan and have several videos, but I'm  not that impressed with this one.  It is designed to be a lighter workout, but I get frustrated because there is not enough cueing and some of the transitions are too fast.  Usually after a couple times of doing a workout I have it down.  Not so much with this one.  I'm sure it will grow on me and besides it was so cheap I couldn't pass it up.
1666184
I like this DVD!  The instruction is good.  The moves are not innovative, mostly ones that I've done before with Tracey Mallett and Physique 57.  But they are presented in a different manner so it makes for a different experience.  I do like that this is a total body workout, including all major muscle groups.

A few picky things:
There are 4 exercisers; one performing beginner, two that are the presenters and they trade off performing intermediate, and one that is advanced.  Three of the girls are similarly dressed, sleeveless exercise tops and cropped yoga pants.  Then Ashley, the advanced exerciser, is as scantily clad as she can be and still be considered "dressed".  I'm not being a prude, and have many DVDs with instructors in various degrees of dress. I think that it is an odd choice to make her stand out so much.  I appreciate being able to see that this exercise routine is worth the effort, but I could still see that she has a nice body if she had on the same clothes as the other girls.

The last issue is the instructor Andromeda.  Whenever she tells you to do a tough move, she says "I know, I know".  And this is repeated throughout the session.  I guess it is her way of being empathetic with you, but it turns out being annoying.  She must be used to teaching live classes, where this would be more appropriate.  Otherwise, both instructors are very good.

Try this workout, if you are into the "barre" it is a good option.
4021752
Outer package was crushed a bit, but the dvd' s are fine.  The workouts are decent, but they try to incorporate too many moves at times. I prefer to focus on form to prevent injury, so I do a modified version of the moves when necessary. 20 minutes per workout is ideal.