I’m reviewing this workout after doing it once.

Since Roz and Lindsey have already broken down and given a good overview, I’ll just note that the total running time is about 55 min.
Also, this is definitely a high reps & low weights or endurance-style workout; you’re unlikely to gain a lot of strength or muscle with regular use, but that’s kind of the idea. Jillian is trying to fire up your metabolism, especially if you’re using this with her other workouts, while shaping up your abs, shoulders and arms, and butt and legs.
Those with wrist, elbow, or shoulder issues may want to approach this one with caution; ditto for those with knee issues that are aggravated by lots of lunges, squats, or kneeling moves.

Level: I’d recommend this to intermediate exercisers comfortable with basic strength training through int./adv. Low adv. exercisers might find that with the appropriate weights (and maybe a few tweaks here and there) this provides a decent challenge.
I consider myself an int./adv. exerciser. The first time through I found this somewhat uneven in intensity and challenge level, and my heartrate did not stay up as promised thanks to a higher number of moves than I expected on the floor. That said I can see how with further use I’d figure out a way to keep the intensity up and make this appropriately challenging throughout.

Class: 2 women do the exercises; Jillian sometimes starts or finishes the exercises but seems to prefer coaching, either pointing out proper form or motivating the viewer. As Lindsey mentions, there’s not much in the way of modifications shown, and the choice of exercises for which modifications / substitutions are shown can be surprising.

Music: upbeat instrumental with a driving beat. It’s nice but generic exercise video stuff.

Set: interior set with exercise equipment arranged around (looks very similar to ones used by 10 Minute Solution, Shape, etc.).

Production: clear picture and sound, helpful camera angles.

Equipment: sneakers, at least one pair of dumbbells and maybe a mat, depending upon your floor. I also found 3 lbs. on the light side and reached for 5s and 8s, too. There is enough time to switch weights for each exercise, provided you have everything at hand.

Space Requirements: This is decently compact. You’ll need to be able to extend your limbs out when you’re lying down and do things like lunge in each direction while standing.

DVD Notes: You can’t skip the Lionsgate intro and warnings, but you can skip Jillian’s intro to get right to the main menu, where your options are Recommendations, Workouts (Play the 40-Minute Workout – you then have a choice to Begin workout with Jillian’s instruction and music or Begin workout with music only; Select a Circuit: Warm up, Shoulder & Legs, Chest & Abs, Biceps & Butt, Thighs & Triceps, Core, Upper Body & Core, Lower Body & Core, and Cool Down), and Bonus (Jillian’s Top Tips for a Healthy Life – which is actually an ad for a toothbrush; Don’t Quit Music, ExerciseTV Free Workout Offer, and Also from Lionsgate, or trailers for Jillian and The Biggest Lower workouts).

Comments: I’d say this workout delivers what it promises: a focus on common “trouble zones.” The front cover even boasts you’ll “eliminate love handles, muffin tops, and wobbly arms,” and I can see how regular use with a healthy diet could go a long way towards that. Jillian knows seeing changes can be motivating, so she spends a lot of time talking about how great you’ll look, how good it feels to look great, etc.
If you find yourself saying, “Hey, that sounds great! This is the workout for me,” stop reading now, because what follows next is in some ways an unfair criticism of a workout that doesn’t really want or even pretend to be anything other than what the cover screams.
Yes, I knew going in pretty much what this workout would be like, and yet I picked it up anyway, so I admit it’s a bit sour grapes to point out how this workout doesn’t fulfill my current needs and wishes. But I still feel compelled to say, as someone who exercises more for health and fitness rather than aesthetic and self-esteem reasons, I’m struck by how uneven and unbalanced the workout is. Wouldn’t it be nice for Jillian, to whom so many people turn for fitness advice, to include a few more exercises that may not produce immediately visible results but can add up to a stronger, healthier, and, yes, better-looking body about which people can’t help but feel good? Why, for example, is there practically no back work? Among other things, a strong back helps with posture so people stand taller and thus look thinner, not to mention there are some pretty big back muscles that could add to the calorie burn if allowed to join the party, plus something needs to be done to balance out all of that work for the chest, abs, and front of the shoulders. It’s not immediately obvious to me (who is, admittedly, just an ordinary person trying to learn what she can about exercise) how this balances out the other two workouts with which it’s often considered a set - 30-Day Shred (30DS) and BFBM (Banish Fat Boost Metabolism) - other than including a number of exercises specifically for the triceps, which only get worked indirectly in 30DS. If I liked both Jillian and this style of training more I’d spend some time figuring out how to rebalance NMTZ, how to make it work with the other two, and so on, but since there are so many workouts out there (too many of which are on my own shelves…) I’ll pass this on to someone who will enjoy it for what it is and not harp on what it isn’t.

Instructor Comments:
Ah, yes, Jillian. I think she’s fine for what she’s trying to accomplish, and I don’t mind that she alternates between doing exercises and coaching, but her type of (public) personality’s not my cup of tea, so it’s hard for me to say I like her. I can easily find things I don’t care for in her persona and style of encouragement here. Still, I can see how she can be motivating, and I’ll admit she inspired me to stick out the full versions of a few exercises. Her goal here is to be your personal trainer, your lifestyle coach, your workout cheerleader, who’ll push you to do more than you ever thought you could and tell you to keep going when you want to stop. Look elsewhere if you need a mild-mannered, sweet-tempered instructor who’s doing every rep and sweating right there with you. (Also look elsewhere if you need an instructor who counts exactly evenly and keeps to the beat of the music perfectly. Or an instructor who comes up for air at some point during the workout. Girlfriend can talk.)
Jillian cues and instructs decently enough, although she could include a few more form tips for some of the more unusual exercises. She doesn’t include a lot of directional cues here, which is probably just as well because she seems to struggle with the concept of mirror cuing. One note: Jillian doesn’t always alternate sides, so perhaps the lack of directional cuing is a good thing because you can start on the other foot or arm the second time around to even things out (especially during the surrenders).

KathAL79