By: Nicole Nichols, SparkPeople Blogger
3/4/2009 5:26 AM   :  144 comments

See More: fitness, DVD, home workouts, weight loss, strength training, product review,

"Zero in to tackle your trouble zones and lose up to 5 pounds a week! Eliminate love handles, muffin tops, and wobbly arms for good!"

That's what Jillian Michaels' new DVD, No More Trouble Zones, promises to deliver. Her people contacted us to see if we'd like to review it for our readers. Test the newest DVD of TV's toughest trainer for free? It was an easy decision: Don't mind if I do!

I tried it twice last week. Want to hear what I thought about it (and whether it will really tone up your trouble zones as its title and glossy box claims)?

No More Trouble Zones is a 40-minute strength training workout that targets every major muscle group—not just the areas that you'd normally think of as "trouble zones." Besides legs, butt, abs and triceps (standard problem areas for most women), you'll also hit chest, back, shoulders, biceps and more. It's a full-body toning workout (with a title that doesn't do it justice!).

The 40-minute workout is broken up into 7 different workout sections or "circuits," each lasting about 5 minutes. The DVD menu lets you select a single segment at a time or play the entire DVD in full. When I tested it, I did the first four circuits one day (still a great workout!), and then the entire DVD (segments 1-7) a couple days later. In each circuit, you'll do about 12-15 reps of 4-5 different exercises, repeat that series one more time, and then move on to the next circuit. The anatomical focus changes during each circuit, too (for example, circuit #2 targets chest and abs while #3 does thighs and triceps). But no matter which "trouble zones" you're focusing on, you'll work multiple muscle groups during a single move, which increases the intensity and challenge. For example, circuit #1 (shoulders & legs) combines upper and lower body simultaneously with moves like reverse lunges with lateral raises and squats with front shoulder raises.

To see some examples of the multifunctional exercises, check out this video preview where you'll see squats with an overhead press (legs and shoulders), chest flyes with leg raises (chest and abs), forward lunges with biceps curls (butt and biceps), an isometric chair squat with triceps kick backs (thighs and triceps), and more. (If you have trouble viewing the video below, click here to see it on YouTube.)



As you can imagine, combining these upper and lower body movements into a single exercise increases the burn, helps to keep your heart rate elevated (so you'll get a bit of cardio, too), and recruits more muscle fibers, which also helps burn more calories than isolated movements can. What I liked about these combinations is that it made strength training new and different. I thought Jillian created some unique combos, which made the workout more fun and interesting than many other DVDs I've tried.
Here's my list of general pros and cons for the DVD:

Pro: This was by far the best example of instruction and cues that I've seen from Jillian so far. She demonstrates each exercise pretty well, explaining what muscles you're working, giving general safety and execution tips, and even extra tidbits that teach you more about exercise in general, like what a superset is.
Con: On many circuits, Jillian doesn't do any of the exercises, or often, just a couple. I know that some people complain when the trainer on a DVD isn't doing the workout with them, so I thought I'd mention this. Personally, it doesn't bother me as long as I can watch someone (in this case, she has two other "models") doing it correctly.

Pro: All you need to do this workout is dumbbells and, if you have hard floors, a mat for cushioning (optional).
Con: This is the tricky part of any workout DVD. In the video, Jillian and her posse use just 3-pound weights. I had 6-pound weights at home that I used, and I felt like I was doing twice the work as the people in the video, often struggling on some of the moves because there were so many reps when 6 pounds wasn't appropriate. Like many DVDs that use a single weight, you will probably come across exercises where the weight you have is perfect, and other times when it's too light or too heavy for the exercise you're doing. You could remedy this IF you had various weights at home. Otherwise, some parts will be much easier or much harder than others will.

Pro: I thought it was a challenging, varied, and good workout overall. I enjoyed the moves and there was a HUGE variety of exercises for a 40-minute workout. I wasn't bored at all during the workout either.
Con: There are virtually zero modifications for beginners to adapt this workout to their fitness level. In general, I'd say that it is not for beginners at all. You would have to have a basic level of strength, coordination, muscular endurance, and even fitness knowledge to complete the workout in full or know how to modify it on your own. On some exercises, my 6-pound weights were too tiring (like after 50+ repetitions of various shoulder raises), so I had to modify it by resting my shoulders and continuing with the lower body work. In fact, there were many moves where I had to rest or do just part of the exercise to suit my level. This DVD is do-able for beginners if they give themselves permission to go slower, focus on just one move at a time (i.e. just the upper body portion of an exercise instead of the full upper-lower body combo), or make their movements smaller—but don't expect any explicit direction on how to do so.

Pro: The DVD includes both a 5-minute warm up and cool down.
Con: The 5-minute warm up includes some dynamic stretches like arm circles, and light cardio moves like faux jumping rope and marching. Personally, it didn't elevate my heart rate or warm up my muscles as much as I would have liked before getting into the workout itself. But you could always do your own warm-up. The "cool down" isn't actually a cool down—it is a stretching segment. There is a big difference between the two! While the stretches are great, I highly recommend that you take a few minutes to cool down properly after this intense workout.

Overall, I would recommend this DVD as a strength-training routine for an intermediate to advanced exerciser who likes Jillian Michaels or simply wants to change up their routine a little bit—it has many diverse exercise ideas that will keep your body guessing and help prevent workout boredom.

As for whether you'll "eliminate love handles, muffin tops and wobbly arms for good," like the box claims, remember that there is no such thing as spot training. As I mentioned in my Biggest Loser Weight Loss Yoga DVD review, be wary of claims and DVD titles, which are often marketing techniques. This is a full-body strength-training workout, which helps sculpt lean muscles, but cardio exercise is necessary to burn the layer of fat that covers those muscles you're training. You'll need more than No More Trouble Zones to develop a six-pack or jiggle-free arms, namely cardio and a calorie-controlled diet.

You can purchase No More Trouble Zones from amazon.com for just $10.49! Check out the other reviews there, too. When I last checked all 20+ reviews were 5 out of 5 stars, which is a GREAT sign for a prospective DVD you want to try.

Have you tried No More Trouble Zones? Do you plan to?

Photo Source: used with permission from Lionsgate Films, Inc.