Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

...if you know how to work it!! These 3 workouts (level 1 through 3) are fantastic as they each take about 27 minutes including warm up and cool down, but they are highly intense and you will see results for sure after about 7 to 10 times through. All you need is 3 -5 lbs dumbbells and a mat. You are getting a great cardio workout that boosts your cardiovascular system in no time while building lean muscle simultaneously. Yes, there are only 3 minutes of abs in each workout, but your abs are called into action throughout many of the other moves as well. There are a lot of plank exercises, specially in level 2 and 3, and they alone work your abs far better than any crunch, so no worries about your abs being shortcut here! This DVD doesn't include any instructions on how to use these workouts, other than a vague suggestion to keep working on one level daily till you are ready to move up to the next level. I have an ACE certified trainer license, and I knew right from the start that this wouldn't work for me. I am 40 and already in somewhat decent shape, I started on 127 lbs on a 5'7" frame. I have practiced power yoga for about 5 years now but recently found myself doing it only once a week for maintenance, and after gaining a little weight a felt I had to step it up a notch. As there is a lot of jumping and plyometrics involved in the 30 day shred, I am doing these workouts every other day to protect my joints and give my muscles a chance to recover and rebuilt. I think doing these every day will backfire on you and sabotage results unless you are already really strong and in tip top shape. The last thing you need is injury or burn out half way through. Remember, more is not always better! To avoid boredom and keep my mind and muscles guessing, I also rotate through the levels. I never do one level two times in a row, let alone 10 times like suggested. Don't be intimidated by the more advanced levels, just keep modifying and do what you can. Level 2 is more strength oriented and level 3 is more about cardio, it makes sense to change things up. After six weeks I am still exited about every workout, and I haven't gotten bored yet one second. If you need to loose a lot of weight, throw in some moderate intensity low impact cardio on the in between days, and don't forget to clean up your diet - eat 4-6 times a day, practice portion control and avoid hydrogenated / trans fat and high fructose corn sirup like the plague!!! What I love so much about this DVD is that it helped me to push into a new fitness level and provided me with an enormous boost of confidence. I love to watch my abs shaping and my whole body getting stronger, and I am inspired to get back into teaching and finally going after my yoga teacher certificate. I kept pushing that off due to low back problems, but now I feel I am strong enough to make it through. If you need a good boost of motivation, I recommend reading "The Body Fat Solution: Five Principles for Burning Fat, Building Lean Muscles, Ending Emotional Eating, and Maintaining Your Perfect Weight" by Tom Venuto, that should keep you on track no problem, very inspiring! The Body Fat Solution: Five Principles for Burning Fat, Building Lean Muscles, Ending Emotional Eating, and Maintaining Your Perfect Weight And beginners remember: quality over quantity, do this every other day and then give it your all! Be good to your body, don't punish it for years of neglect and overeating by overexercising or starving it, instead train it, shape it, fuel it with the right foods, and watch the magic happen..... :-)