FitSugar

DVD Review: Jackie Warner's Crunch-Free Xtreme Abs

FitSugar — Tue, 11 Jan 2011 09:20:36 PST

For me, 2011 is the year I get my abs back into wicked shape. In my battle of the flab, the DVD Crunch-Free Xtreme Abs ($12) with Jackie Warner is on the frontline, along with copious amounts of cardio and healthy eating. This all-abs workout is fast-paced strength training targeting the midsection, but I certainly felt my legs and arms working, too - holding five-pound dumbbells for the majority of the DVD helps make this a whole-body workout. The DVD is divided into two 15-minute sections: standing and floor work. You can do one or both.

After warming up for a little over five minutes, with boxing moves and marching, Jackie dives straight for your abs. She adds crunch-like moves to high-knee marches and static lunges with a weight to your chest for a healthy challenge. These moves are followed by side bends combined with an overhead press and twisting exercises that resemble wood choppers. There are eight moves in all, which you perform for about a minute each. The workout is short and moves at a quick pace - no room for boredom here - and felt challenging.

But I was ready for more, so I went straight into the floor workout, which I was surprised to find was even harder. Jackie throws everyone's favorite move to hate, the squat thrust (aka the burpee), into the mix, along with planks with leg lifts and jumping jacks (killer). I appreciated that the workout included the superman and bridges, since these moves also work the back, helping to keep a balanced core. The cool down for each workout is brief; I found myself wanting to stretch more.

This is a great DVD for a morning workout. Being a little over 30 minutes it's easy to fit in before work, and it's more energizing than a cup of joe. I will definitely use three-pound dumbbells next time, instead of fivers. My shoulder joints felt a little tweaked post-workout. Have you tried this DVD? What did you think?

How Well Do You Know Your Celeb Personal Trainers?

FitSugar — Fri, 19 Nov 2010 05:50:00 PST

They're the women behind the celebs and reality stars who strive to look their best, and these ladies are household names as well! From TV shows and video games to getting movie stars ready for the next big event, Jillian Michaels, Jackie Warner, and Valerie Waters seem to be everywhere! How well do you know these celeb personal trainers? Take this quiz to find out!

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Jackie Warner's 5 Tips to Stay on Track

FitSugar — Tue, 26 Oct 2010 11:00:43 PDT

On last night's Thintervention finale the contestants met back up with trainer Jackie Warner for the final moment of truth. Each member got dolled up and invited friends and family to participate in a reveal, look back at their success, and take part in a closing weigh in. Though most of the crew played the dramatic and stubborn shtick all season, the changes in all the contestants were phenomenal. The thintervention worked! At its best, the show taught us all that notable weight loss success can be achieved by making changes to increase exercise and reduce unhealthy habits.

We all know how hard it is to keep motivation up once you've reached a fitness goal, and like the rest of us, the contestants will have to fight temptation to maintain their new bodies and health efforts. Jackie shared some basic tips for staying on track on her blog.

Have You Ever Taken a Fitness Vacation?

FitSugar — Tue, 19 Oct 2010 10:45:08 PDT

Trainer Jackie Warner's time with the contestants on Thintervention is nearing its end. Last night's episode marked the last before she sends them out into the real world to work the program on their own for six weeks. As preparation for their return to their regular lives, Jackie takes the clients to a fitness resort for training and temptation overdrive.

Staying on track while on vacation requires great effort, but fitness-focused retreats allow you to keep up, amp up, or focus your usual routine while getting away from the rest of your daily life. Have you ever taken time off or traveled in the name of health?

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Photos courtesy of Bravo

Does Sweating Make You Feel Sexy?

FitSugar — Tue, 12 Oct 2010 12:30:52 PDT

The contestants on Thintervention are starting to see the results of their intense workouts and diet changes thanks to their dedication and trainer Jackie Warner's guidance. In an effort to celebrate their changing bodies, Jackie invited Robin Antin of the Pussycat Dolls to work with the crew on last night's "Sweat Is Sexy" episode. Antin's moves offered the gang the opportunity to let loose, express some passion, and most of all, sweat. And for the most part, the contestants jumped at the chance.

I happen to feel empowered when I sweat, but sexy isn't necessarily the right adjective. What about you?

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Photos courtesy of Bravo

Sweat It Out to Jackie Warner's Playlist

Michele Foley — Mon, 11 Oct 2010 05:50:05 PDT

For me, it's pretty simple: the better the playlist, the better the workout. I use music to hype me up and push through, and Justin Timberlake is often what it takes to make it through the last five minutes of a workout. If a song has the right balance of beats per minute, I'm suddenly moving on the elliptical harder and faster than I thought possible.

Trainer Jackie Warner feels the same way, too. She recently shared a playlist with Shape, saying that changing up your tunes is a huge way to stay motivated. Here's what Jackie is listening to lately; it's a nice blend of high-energy pop and hip-hop - guaranteed to make you sweat!

Review of Personal Training With Jackie: Xtreme Timesaver Training

Susi May — Wed, 06 Oct 2010 07:00:43 PDT

I use the exercise mantra "You can do anything for one minute" on myself frequently and often to a good effect, but Jackie Warner pushes the envelope on the notion in her latest DVD Personal Training With Jackie: Xtreme Timesaver Training ($10). The 32-minute workout is chock full of compound moves. Meaning you're working multiple body parts simultaneously in each exercise, making the boredom factor low and the muscle exhaustion factor high. And you do each multi-joint exercise for a whole minute - moves like: curtsy squat with a side kick and punch, which works your glutes, shoulders while challenging your sense of balance; deep plié squat with biceps curls targeting your bum, hamstrings, and arms; and bridge with pec flys for the glutes, back, and chest. I found the workout wonderfully challenging and can't wait to do it again.

The workout moves at a fast pace, after a brief warm up you dive into the belly of the program, which works all the major muscles groups and then some, from quads to triceps to core. I burned 220 in a little over a half hour, and my arms felt a little like jello as the closing credits rolled. Jackie offers modifications for all the exercises, and you can still get a lot out of the workout even if you don't use hand weights. My 5 lbs. felt too heavy in many exercises at around the 45-second mark and would love to try the workout with 3 lb. dumbbells next time. Although I felt the need to add a few more stretches to the DVD's cooldown, this is an efficient all body workout that fits into your living room.

Here's a little video preview:

Are You Honest About Your Eating and Workout Habits?

FitSugar — Tue, 05 Oct 2010 10:00:14 PDT

Last night's Thintervention marked the fifth week trainer Jackie Warner has been working the show's contestants. While a handful are having success altering their diets and upping their workouts, most are still struggling to lose weight week to week and disregarding crucial elements of the regime. Suspicious of the sluggish results, Jackie brings in a lie detector test to the group therapy session to uncover how they are cheating. It's game-show gimmicky, but a telling exercise in honesty.

Fibbing about how often you cheat on your diet is just like lying to your dentist about how often you floss: sure, it's your business, but you are only hurting yourself if you exaggerate how dedicated you are. Are you truthful about your devotion to your health?

Photo courtesy of Bravo

Thintervention: Could You Do the Firemen's Challenge?

FitSugar — Tue, 28 Sep 2010 10:00:59 PDT

On last night's Thintervention show trainer Jackie Warner made the contestants, who are all having trouble dropping weight, sweat buckets despite a rain storm and take a strenuous firemen's challenge. The routine was modeled after a typical fireman's workout and included donning a 20-pound suit, running up a six-story drill tower, wielding an ax, performing 20 "slam balls" (squatting to pick up a sand-filled ball and lifting it), performing pull-ups, and dragging a 160-pound dummy 35 feet. Do you think you could make it through the routine?

Photo courtesy of Bravo

Do You Still Excel in the Sport of Your Teen Years?

FitSugar — Tue, 21 Sep 2010 10:30:06 PDT

On this week's "The Fat and the Furious" episode of Thintervention, trainer Jackie Warner started serving up some old school tough love. Drama continued to mount between the contestants, so she ordered the whiny crew to take the tension to the Rose Bowl, where she had them run the field and up and down the steps. Most of the crew is still quite out of shape, so it was a tall order and intense workout. Shannon, who is a college student and the youngest person on the show, channeled her high school track and field days and pushed through the challenge seemingly inspired. The scene of her running got me thinking about how important it is to maintain the love of a sport or activity you did for fun, for the sake of competition far beyond graduation. Do you still kick, throw, leap, or run the same event or sport you did in high school as part of your workout, or have you traded in your varsity jacket?

Photo courtesy of Bravo