I’m reviewing this workout after previewing it once and doing it twice since getting it last week.

General workout breakdown: This high(er) rep & low(er) weight workout is for endurance rather than significant strength / muscle / cardiovascular gains. I would say that this workout features many classic weight training moves (squats, lunges, biceps curls, etc.), throwing tempo changes at you every few repetitions. I found the pace such that I had enough time to change equipment and set up for each move; I also had enough time to execute each move safely. I appreciate the fact that Jari has sequenced this so that you’re not jumping up or sitting down with every single exercise.
Jari and crew dive right in with the warm up, not even lightening their load. Grab one of the 10 minute cardio workouts out there (10 Minute Solution, Quick Fix, the new Shape Cardio, etc.) if you need / want a cardio warm up. I did this after Pilates workouts instead, which helped me warm up and “turn on” the core. There is a stretch at the end of each segment, and the cool down consists of handful of stretches more.
I clocked this workout at closer to 50 minutes than 55.

Level: I’d recommend this to someone with at least a little weight lifting experience. Even though there are a lot of form instruction and tips included, much of that is in a separate chapter. I think an experienced beginner through someone at the intermediate/advanced crossover point would get the most out of this video, while an advanced weight lifter would find this good for a recovery week. I consider myself a solid to high intermediate in weights. I’ve lifted on and off over the last decade but only introduced heavy lifting into my home workouts about a year and a half ago. I find this workout appropriately challenging by matching the weights used by the woman with dumbbells (although I ended up following the modifier for the last set of shoulders, my weakest spot).

Class: Jari, 2 women, & 1 man. The more average-looking woman, Krista, doesn’t lift as heavy and shows modifications or alternative exercises. Each background exerciser has a scripted line, delivered with varying degrees of success (“Gee, Jari, I’m in a zone 3 right now…”).

Music / Set / Other Production Notes: The pulsating beat-heavy music has some spoken elements. It’s appropriate for the workout, but I’m not searching the web to download any of it. The interior set has dark walls (with those long, rectangular light displays…you know, the ones that you end up watching while sitting at the DMV), and with four people and all of their equipment it’s crowded. (Avoid this one if you’re claustrophobic.) The picture and sound are clear. The camera angles are for the most part very helpful, but there are a few noticeable parts that have been edited. This wouldn’t be a problem, except in the dead lift segment I can’t seem to figure out if Laurie’s down or up.

Equipment: Jari, Krista, and Terry use barbells (usually 15, 20, or 30 lb.), while Laurie uses only dumbbells (5, 7.5, and 10 lb.). Krista uses a playground ball for the floorwork and a stability ball for the abs section. All lie on a mat for floorwork. Additionally, all have a step for the chest, back, and triceps portion; Laurie and Terry also perform push ups with the step, and there’s a hamstring stretch that Jari uses the step for. I did this workout without a step even though I actually have one now. Also, you could substitute in a body bar for the barbell if you preferred to use that. All participants wear a heart rate monitor, but that’s certainly not necessary.

Space Requirements: enough room to do moves like lunges and lie on your back—plus keep all of your equipment handy but not underfoot.

DVD Notes: The DVD takes you right to the main menu, where you can choose to play the workout (with the warnings and intro in separate chapters) or extras. Each segment is chaptered (Warm up, Squats, Chest, Back, Triceps, Adductors & Abductors, Deadlifts & Rows, Lunges, Biceps, Shoulders, Abs, & Cool Down). There is a short clip of a male body builder showing off the body part to be worked between each exercise. The extras include “Techniques & Modifications,” “Conversation with Cory Fagan” (the “brains” behind the workout), “Why We Love Ripped,” “Ordering Information” for the Polar equipment used in the workout, and “Credits.”

Conclusion: I like this one and will definitely keep it. I will consider acquiring Jari’s future videos—assuming they’re not the exact same exercises. This is a great video for me at the level I am now, and I can see myself getting a lot of use out of this in the next couple of years by picking up heavier dumbbells.
No, this doesn’t have a lot of abs and leg work, but since I regularly do Pilates and yoga in addition to more traditional weights routine that doesn’t bother me. There is floorwork, which I generally dislike, but I was OK with the exercises Jari included.
I think this would be great for someone who’s ready to move on to more intense at home weight lifting videos but isn’t ready for Cathe, etc.—or for someone looking for something a step down in intensity.
Cathe’s Power Hour and Ripped are very similar, but I felt that Ripped went by more quickly and pleasantly.

Instructor Comments:
Jari is very comfortable in front of the camera, and her warm, encouraging personality is a big asset to this video. She is serious about weights, although a few mentions of burning calories creep in. Her motivational speech during the cool down stretch tends towards corny, but I may not appreciate her comments because I’m not a mom. Jari has an easy to understand Canadian accent (yes, Virginia, there is a Canadian accent, and it doesn’t necessarily involve saying “eh?” at the end of every sentence).

KathAL79