Personal Training with Jackie: Power Circuit Training

10 Responses to Personal Training with Jackie: Power Circuit Training

1. 

   nctmac on 09/06/2010 at 2:08 pm

   Review by nctmac for Personal Training with Jackie: Power Circuit Training
   Rating:
   For Power Circuit Training with Jackie, you will need a mat & two sets (heavy + light) of weights. Jackie’s system focuses on form, function & fatigue. Circuits are 4 minutes each. The targeted body part is worked in three 1 minute exercises. The last minute is what Jackie calls “Power Burn” in which all three exercises are combined to fatigue the muscles.

   On the main menu, there are 5 options to choose from:

   - 15 minute Total Body Circuit
   
   - 15 minute Abs only Circuit
   
   - 15 minute Lower Body Circuit
   
   - 15 minute Upper Body Circuit
   
   - 40 minute Total Body Circuit

   Here’s a breakdown of the 40 minute Total Body Circuit:

   Warm-up – 2 minutes
   
   light jog, side to side taps, squat kicks, chain breakers (elbows up-open/shut)opens up the chest, back stroke & trunk twists

   Circuit 1 – Quads
   
   *Sissy Squats – these are done with your heels on your weights. You can choose to add intensity by holding weights
   
   *UFCs – drop down to one knee, then other knee, up one knee, up other knee (I’ve also seen this in one of Jillian’s workouts)
   
   to add intensity on this move, stay in the squat position
   
   *Front Lunge – hands on hips or hold weights for extra intensity

   Circuit 2 – Hamstrings
   
   *Deadlifts – use heavier weights, go past knees and come up with a pop
   
   *Bridge Extensions – in bridge position, alternate kicking legs up
   
   *Reverse Plank – these are a killer – talk about BURN!!!

   Circuit 3 – Glutes
   
   *Front Squats – weights held up in front of chin while squat through heels – she moves fast!
   
   *Ski Lunge – side to side lunges, constant motion – felt the burn =)
   
   *Squat Kicks – squat with alternate leg kicks

   Circuit 4 – Chest
   
   *Chest Press – Jackie does an excellent job explaining form for this
   
   *Reverse Fly – open up then squeeze and twist up (like you are trying to touch your elbows)
   
   *Alternate Press – alternate pressing each dumbell up

   Circuit 5 – Back
   
   *Wide Row – squeeze shoulder blades together, resist going down
   
   *Renegades – feet together, alternate each arm – really working the back!!
   
   *Dumbbell Pullover – One dumbbell, drop behind head and pull up – resist against weight pulling you down

   Circuit 6 – Bicep/Tricep/Shoulder
   
   *Close Grip Hammercurl
   
   *Straight Arm Kick Back – tri’s are burning with this!!!
   
   *Arnold Press – weights together palms facing you, then open and up – great shoulder exercise

   Circuit 7 – Upper Abs
   
   *Straight leg crunch – holding one weight
   
   *legs straight up in the air and crunch
   
   *Tall Sit-up – still using one dumbbell to help propel you up

   Circuit 8 – Lower Abs
   
   *Reverse Crunch
   
   *Tummy Tucks – keep back arched while pulling knees up and out, leading with chest
   
   *Single Leg Jack Knife – opposite hand touches opposite toe

   Circuit 9 – Obliques
   
   *Sumo Squats – touch elbows to knees
   
   *Windshield Wipers – legs at 90 degree angle, drop side to side
   
   *Side Planks – pop up using obliques

   Stretch – a bit under 2 minutes
   
   Knee Cross Over, pull leg into chest, sit up in straddle position – reach for each ankle to stretch hamstrings, stand up balance on one leg & bend opposite leg up to stretch quads, clasp hands in front and pull back for chest, & straight arm stretch for shoulders.

   Jackie does an excellent job throughout describing proper form. The circuits are short, but intense….if you don’t feel the intensity, use heavier weights. I love this because she moves quickly, gets to the point and moves onto the next circuit – no boredom here =) My only complaints are; stretch at the end seemed too short and I wish there was one more bicep/tricep/shoulder circuit b/c arms are my trouble spot. Everything else I felt was worked adequately!

   Holly Perkins is the only team member in this I recognized. It was pleasant to see her new team, the group in her first video were a bit too over the top for me. I recommend this for all levels since it offers modifications for making it easier or harder! Well Done.

2. 

   mcel on 09/06/2010 at 2:49 pm

   Review by mcel for Personal Training with Jackie: Power Circuit Training
   Rating:
   This is a DVD for people who hate to work out. I’m an avid exerciser, but I can’t say I love it. I work out because I have to to stay in shape. I do know that my body feels lousy if I don’t work out, so I know I need it.

   Anyway, this DVD is a godsend. The time just flies by. It is very fast paced but you know you are getting a good workout because you CAN FEEL THIS the next day and the day after and the day after….

   I am a Jillian Michaels fan and I gotta say, Jackie gives her a run for her money here. Tons of bang for the buck, and all under 45 minutes! She hits all the major muscle groups and teaches you about them along the way, which ones are fat burners etc. Each circuit is about 4 minutes, you do three exercises, then the “power burn” which is the 3 exercises done all at once right after the other without stopping. I won’t go into the exercises, as another reviewer has broken them down for you.

   I know what you’re thinking–do I really need ANOTHER workout DVD? Well if you’re considering getting this DO IT!!!

   These exercises are NEW–well to me they are, and I have an extensive fitness DVD collection. A few I have seen before but the majority I haven’t. I even have jackie’s first DVD and this new one blows that one out of the water. Gone are the cutesy, baby-voiced trainers, all made up. Now Jackie has REAL people working out with her and she does the work too. occasionally she does stop to check out form and educate you but she does every exercise with you. This is no nonsense folks. I do have to say, since this workout is a little condensed, the warm up and cool down leave a little to be desired. So if you like an extensive cool down after working out, pop in a short yoga set or something. Also, this is strictly strength, no cardio or cardio bursts, just some light joggging and jumping jacks in the warm up. So if you are expecting cardio you won’t find it here.

   And funnily enough, Jackie does a version of Jillian’s “Surrender” from her No More Trouble Zones DVD. Jackie calls them UFCs here. However Jackie does them without weights, and I can actually do them! They are not hard on the knees at all! So if you guys are having trouble with Jillian’s “Surrender” try it without weights. Believe me, you will still feel it!
   
   As much as I love Jillian, I have to say I haven’t popped her DVDs in since I got jackie’s–it’s that good! Granted once my body adapts and I don’t feel it as much the next day I will probably add more Jillian back into my rotation.

   Sorry to compare the two so much in this review but they are both very similar in their styles and if you’re unfamiliar with Jackie, I want to give you a similar example.

   All in all, a great workout and fast paced. And since it’s about 40 mins long, it’s not something you dread doing. You will not get bored with this and I bet you will feel it the next day. Thanks Jackie!

3. 

   Lindsay Jane on 09/06/2010 at 3:48 pm

   Review by Lindsay Jane for Personal Training with Jackie: Power Circuit Training
   Rating:
   I cannot stop doing this DVD! I am pressed for time – but I find Jackie gets right into the workout and sculpts / tones every part of my body – so far 10 pounds lost – and I think a lot of this is due to the DVD! (Ok diet too!)

   My vote: 5 stars!! A must for your home gym!

4. 

   N. Morris on 09/06/2010 at 4:07 pm

   Review by N. Morris for Personal Training with Jackie: Power Circuit Training
   Rating:
   I bought this DVD today cause it was not too expensive and I was looking for something new. I exercise almost daily and have for over 1 year and have lost a significant amount of weight however I have a way to go. But I do not consider myself a beginner. I could not perform all of these exercises. I consider this workout VERY advanced. It was hard on my knees especially. Also, it moves so fast there are no instructions before each exercise and I found I was scrambling to get whatever I needed ie, mat, eights, etc. and having to rewind to start the exercise over. To me this defeats the “circuit training” aspect as I had to keep stopping and starting the DVD. Frustrating. I did not feel there was enough explanation as to proper form. No modifications to do any of the moves at a less advanced level. Frequently she would say “you should be feeling the burn. If you are not, you’re not doing it right.” But then NO explanation on HOW to do it right. What she calls “cool down” is NOT. Only 60 seconds at the most of a few stretches. I normally do at least at 10-15 minutes of cool down which I will do on my own. This is the first Jackie Warner workout I have tried. I think she needs to talk to a wider audience. If you are not already fit, this workout will be very difficult.

5. 

   Mom on 09/06/2010 at 4:43 pm

   Review by Mom for Personal Training with Jackie: Power Circuit Training
   Rating:
   The workout in this DVD, is worth at least four stars. It is hard and really works muscles and the cardiovascular system well. However, there are many negatives that detract from the good.

   The music for the workout was apparently not playing while the workout was taped. If it was, no one onscreen has any sense of rhythm or the editing is atrocious. Unless you watch the screen the entire time, you cannot work at the same pace as Jackie because she goes faster and slower than the music as a segment progresses. Since some moves require that you turn away or lie on the floor looking at the ceiling, that can be rather difficult. For someone with a good sense of rhythm, trying to work at a pace different from the music is difficult and frustrating.

   The warm-up and cool down segments are much too short, with too little stretching in the latter. One can always stretch more without Jackie’s leading, but it is unfortunate that many viewing the workout will think she’s done enough. Jackie’s instructions are somewhat vague and incomplete about the movements. It is easy to have bad form since she says so little about it. Other workout discs use different camera angles and more instruction from the instructor to clearly show what good and bad form is. There is little of that in this program. There is an interstitial screen before each new set of movements that list what’s coming, but if you happen to not look at the screen during those few seconds, or don’t read really fast, you’ll miss it. Jackie apparently thinks those lists are enough because she advances from one move to the next with little warning or transition.

   The disc provides a 40 minute workout and four, targeted 15 minute workouts. The latter are simply the same warm-up and cool down routines from the 40 minute workout plus one of the four segments. That is, remove the cool down from the first three 15 minute workouts and the warm-up from the last three and run them together, and you’ll have the 40 minute workout.

   Jackie regularly counts down to one, ostensibly to indicate when to stop the current movement, yet you can never be sure whether she’ll stop when she reaches one or if there’s another bit to go thereafter. Furthermore, her counting is inconsistent. Sometimes, she seems to be watching a clock and counting off seconds. Other times she seems to be counting movements, so the pace varies from one time to another, but also while she’s counting in several instances.

   If you aren’t frustrated by mismatched movement and music, inconsistent counting, and you know good form from bad, then you may like the hard workout on this disc. If you use this workout frequently or have good memory for what comes next even as you rotate among other workouts, then the little warning Jackie gives about the next movement will not be much problem. Otherwise, try something else. I will use this workout again, despite my frustrations, but I like numerous others much better overall.

6. 

   A Reader on 09/06/2010 at 5:22 pm

   Review by A Reader for BodyMinder Workout and Exercise Journal (A Fitness Diary)
   Rating:
   When looking on Amazon, the search inside feature shows an older edition. After purchasing, I found there have been some improvements.

   Notably, the dietary section now includes boxes for breakfast-snack-lunch-snack-dinner-snack. This fits nicely for people who are following a diet that requires them to eat 5-6 small meals per day instead of the old standard of 3 meals. To make room for this, the “Other Exercise” section has been shrunk a bit. Instead of having big check boxes for various activities such as gardening and yoga (which was a waste of space to people who didn’t use them), there are now 5 blank lines where you can write in your own activities, whatever they may be.

   The cardio workout section has also been reformatted. The cross-country skier and jump rope have been removed, but there are three blank lines where people could add those back if they want.

   Anyway, I would say that this was already an excellent product, and it is nice to know that it improves with time. Here are some things I like as compared to other workout journals I looked at.
   
   - I like that it is both a workout and food diary AND gives plenty of space for both. It is important to pay attention to both in order to get and stay fit.
   
   - I like that it has a lot of lines for weight training exercises. Some others did not have near enough for my needs.
   
   - Some other journals I’ve looked at had much smaller spaces for writing in.
   
   - Some journals had pictures on the cover of fitness models. I don’t want to carry something into the gym that looks like the cover of a lady’s fitness magazine or a men’s muscle magazine either. I prefer the conservative fake leather look of this journal.
   
   - The spiral binding allows it to lay flat for easy use.
   
   - I found the brief section of common food counts handy. Best of all, they left space where I could add my own foods.
   
   - The introductory material is helpful but brief. It tells you how to use the log. It doesn’t tell you how to work out.
   
   - It has a good weekly planning section at the beginning and goals/progress section at the end.
   
   - The calendar in the back was handy for reference.

   I will definitely buy this one again when I have filled in all the days.

7. 

   Tek2000 on 09/06/2010 at 5:30 pm

   Review by Tek2000 for BodyMinder Workout and Exercise Journal (A Fitness Diary)
   Rating:
   Now that Weider’s Weight Training log is out of print, this may be the best choice. Very usable, but the meal record is only 4/6 there: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, Snacks. Most modern programs recommend 5 or 6 evenly spaced smaller meals rather than the out of date 3 wholesome meals a day. Similarly, the Exercise Record is only 4/5 there: room for only 4 sets. Many programs, such as low weight/high rep, require space for 5 sets. A vinyl pouch in the back would also be useful.
   
   Added 2/2005 – they’ve added a page with 3 vinyl pouches in newer versions!
   
   Added 12/2005 – Weider’s new edition is now available on Amazon. But I’ve grown to like this one slightly better than that one over time. Note, you have to buy 4 of these to cover a year if you work out every day. Weider’s is prenumbered for 52 weeks and is best used to fully log a whole year starting in January. They’re the same height and width, but the BodyMinder is half as thick. Weider is one page per day with a Daily Planner where you can put meals, BodyMinder is two pages per day with every bell and whistle listed (click surprise me a couple of times in “look inside” and both pages will eventually show up). Both conveniently open to fold flat on ring bindings which will hold your pen, too. You might want to compare the two before buying – they’re both very good.

8. 

   R. Prewett on 09/06/2010 at 5:43 pm

   Review by R. Prewett for BodyMinder Workout and Exercise Journal (A Fitness Diary)
   Rating:
   And I’ve used plenty…from spiral bound books to computer programs to PDA programs to my own log sheets. This has everything that I need/want and is flexible enough for me to log my gym workouts as well as my other exercise activies, such as martial arts, bicycling, etc.For those who are doing the Body for Life program, this workout log would be an excellent choice. I found when I was doing Body for Life that not all logs were set up in a way that worked well for that program. This one does.The features are great, but the log isen’t loaded down with fluff or unnecessary stuff.Finally—the workout log I’ve been searching for!

9. 

   Anonymous on 09/06/2010 at 6:35 pm

   Review by for BodyMinder Workout and Exercise Journal (A Fitness Diary)
   Rating:
   This journal is quite comprehensive in terms of types of exercise listed, which I appreciate as my work-out is varied. The strength training section is perfect for almost any program. It’s also helpful and easy to keep track of your diet, and let’s face it, the two go hand-in-hand. I also like the “extras” included in this diary, like the weekly planning schedule, progress pages and calendar.

10. 

    Skitten on 09/06/2010 at 6:38 pm

    Review by Skitten for BodyMinder Workout and Exercise Journal (A Fitness Diary)
    Rating:
    The BodyMinder is the perfect workout journal. It is an organizing person’s dream tracker. It encompasses every possible activity a person can do and allows you to track it. Here’s some additional info you don’t see in the description/pictures:
    
    Each day is 2 pages
    
    Tracks 8 different cardio activities and leaves 4 lines blank for you to fill your own in
    
    Tracks strength training, allows you to write down the muscle group you’re working, the equipment, 4 sets, and you can rate the ease of that particular machine/action
    
    Tracks other exercises for the day including games/competitions and gardening/housework. The games/competitions are tracked separately in the back of the book and allows you to describe the game you played.
    
    Tracks your daily diet, how many glasses of water, vitamins
    
    After all that, it still gives you space to add comments, reminders, your trainer’s name, your exercise buddy’s name, what time you worked out during the day.
    
    Tracks weekly workout goals, diet goals, and body measurements.
    
    Also, you can record your gym’s information and what you’ve spent on fitness expenses (also broken down into 4 expense groups)
    
    It is worth the money!!