Hollywood Trainer: Circuit A & Circuit B

DURATION 74 minutes
EQUIPMENT dumbbells, ankle weights (optional) and mat (optional)
TYPE Strength
MUSIC Pretty good, not intruding
IMPACT Medium impact, there may be some hopping in the cardio parts
LEVEL Intermediate

Fitness trainer to the stars Jeanette Jenkins has created a strength training DVD with two different workouts: Circuit A and Circuit B. Although they are called circuit workouts, don't believe it LOL! Those small aerobic segments between 3 sets of exercises don't do much to get the heart rate up. Despite that, they are both still great workouts.

Jeanette is on a set with gray floors. In the background are gray and white screens with soft colored lights behind them. The set is bright. Accompanying her are exercisers of different sizes and ethnicities. She has one modifier who is in the front demonstrating an easier exercise. Most of the time, though, the "modified" version is just doing fewer reps.

The format of the workout is simple: three different basic exercises followed by a short 30 second cardio. Each exercise is 25 reps, 1 set of each. Beginners do 15 reps. I won't go into the exercises each circuit covers, as that has been done already.

The music is recognizable in most cases and pretty upbeat. Jeanette is bubbly and cheerful without being corny or fake. However, sometimes it seems like she's shouting at you from the back of the room. I just think that's how her voice is. There isn't a lot of cueing, and sometimes she is off on the rep count.

PROS: These are great routines for when you are short on time or have overtaxed an area the day before and need to go a little lighter. For instance, I did a tough kickboxing workout Monday so my back and bicep were sore. It was great to just do circuit A, and I felt I still got in a good strength workout. Because there is only one set of exercises, you can heavy up if you want. Very low dread factor. Plus, no crazy moves or choreography. Basic strength moves that work!

CONS: Each workout separately does not make a total body workout, unlike the title of the DVD implies. This is actually a split routine. Plus, calling these circuits is not really true, as the cardio does not get the heart rate up. If you do the routine together, Jeanette may get on your nerves, as she seems to shout quite a bit. She doesn't bother me, but she may bother some. Also, her form is not always the best, and she misses counts. I wish there would have been a bit more cueing, and that's why I call this an intermediate workout.

All in all, I highly recommend the workout. I am sorry that I waited so long to try it.

Instructor Comments:
Jeanette is bubbly and goofy. She is also loud. Luckily, I like that :) We could definitely hang out in real life, and she could be in my sorority. Her form is not Cathe precise, but it's not terrible. She needs to work on counting her reps properly and demonstrating proper form.

bubbles76

I picked this DVD for $6 at Ross. I traded away most of her original set, but for $6 why not? This workout suits me more than most of her earlier workouts because it is a split rather than a total body workout. As you’ll see below she tri-sets, although the third exercise is cardio in many of the chapters.. Typically 25 reps per exercise, she has a modifier stop at 15 reps and march in place so beginners have someone to follow.

Circuit A:
Chapter 1 – Intro
2 – warm up
3 – pushups/planks/hamstrings (kickbacks) – I think her up tempo rep pace on the kickbacks is too fast.
4 – chest flies/reverse lunch/repeater knees (cardio)
5 – shoulder press/squat/cardio
6 – tricep extensions/balance work (hard!)/standing obliques
7 – tricep kickbacks/one legged squat/side knee raise
8 – cool down then to the floor for abs – crunches, bicycle & reverse crunches. Then a stretch.

My dvd shows that chapter 7 ends at 32:30 and chapter 8 at 38:00

Circuit B:
11 – warm up
12 – rear flies/ plie squats/ cardio.
13 – rows/ standing lunges/ cardio
14 – upright rows/abductor lifts/cardio
15 – bicepts/ inner thighs (2 exercises)/ cardio
16 – rotator cuffs/cardio/ cool down
17 –to the floor for abs – crunches, bicycle & reverse crunches. Then a stretch.

The set and production values are much improved from her first set. She has several back ground exercises of differing levels of fitness. Although I like this, I think it would be better to use background exercisers who could maintain form throughout the exercises. Also, despite Jeannette’s statements about using good form, she doesn’t really seem to give very many form pointers.

Instructor Comments:
She’s still the same Jeannette from her earlier workouts, very upbeat and clearly enjoys working out and teaching. She is a bit more polished than in her original series and in a much more professional setting.

eventmom