Jari Love - Get Ripped! Ripped & Chiseled (DVD, 2007)

I finally bought this workout after about 3 weeks of renting it. This is a great strength training workout that focuses mostly on the upper body, but there are a number of segments on the lower body as well. Each segment focuses on one muscle group at a time, and really works your muscles to fatigue, using dumbbells (although beginners may not want to use any weights at all) and a step (which is optional -- I found it easy to perform the exercises without it). There is a bonus abs section as well. This routine will get you sweating and your heart pumping, but it is not really a cardio workout. But if you are looking to add strength training to your regimen and want to add some strength and shape to your muscles, this is great. The stretching in between segments and after the workout are lacking; I personally would have liked a longer, deeper stretch, but that is my only major dislike. If you like the peppy, cheerleader-like personality of a Denise Austin or someone similar, you may not like Jari Love, as she is not overly talkative and over-the-top. I personally liked her style and this is one of the few workout videos I have been able to keep up with and not get sick of!

I recently gave up my gym membership and was seeing a quick loss of muscle tone in a few short months. I wanted a strictly strength DVD that targeted all the major muscle groups in an hour or less. This meets all of my criteria. It isn't a cardio workout at all although I do get a light sweat going during certain sets. It's very basic, but I was really sore after my first workout and I would call myself an advanced exerciser. Overall I really enjoy the mix of basic exercises and Jari and her class of participants are inspiring with their beautiful muscle definition at more mature ages. If you need a strength workout, this is a great one to insert into a weekly lineup.

I really love this dvd. I own all of Jari Love's Ripped workouts. This one is the most difficult one for me...I had to use lighter weights to be able to do the entire workout. If you like weight training without complicated movements, you'll like this one.
Joanne from Maine

I lift heavy weights 3x a week, do cardio 3-5x/week, and am in pretty good shape. I alternate my regular regimen with Jari DVDs once or twice a week and some of them about kill me! I like this one for the change in exercise format; it's challenging, but not killer. My triceps always hurt for about 2 days after I do this one. Overall, Jari does a great job with lighter weights, higher reps and I've seen a difference in my strength and definition. I have all of her DVDs and recommend them.

I really like this workout. About 15 tracks, mainly hitting the arms, chest, and back. Each one is relatively short so you don't get bored. Only weird thing is that there's no abs section but 2 biceps tracks and 3 chest tracks (chest press, chest flys and pushups), etc. Not a big deal, I use this when I want to focus more on the upper body, and I use Slim & Lean when I want more lower body work.

P.S. Anyone that says this is easy isn't using heavy enough weights!