Jillian Michaels: Yoga Meltdown [DVD]

Despite a lot of reviews criticizing Jillian's approach to yoga I bought Yoga Meltdown. I thought this dvd gave you an awesome workout in a half hour and thought it was the perfect dvd to for busy people looking to fit in a quick wokout. It is not too difficult of a workout but its not easy either (and I am in decent shape and do lots of yoga). Jillian's approach to yoga may not be as traditional as some other yoga dvds out there, but she doesn't advertise it to be traditional style yoga and does not claim to be a yoga instuctor. What to Expect: 1) Repetitions incorporated into traditional yoga poses, as well as holding each pose for 15 seconds. 2) Lots of plank variations and chaturanga push-ups (can be difficult for people with shoulder pain/injuries or very out of shape people)If it's hard for you work your way up using the beginner variations 3) Interval training: your heart rate will go up and down burning more calories 4) Fast paced yoga workout: If you are a beginner to yoga I would recommend watching it first to get an idea of what the proper form is because Jillian does move through the poses quickly and it can be confusing to figure out if your doing it right if your new to yoga. 5) EXPECT TO SWEAT, BURN CALORIES AND FEEL SORE THE NEXT DAY. What NOT to Expect: 1) A traditional yoga practice: This dvd is not a traditional or relaxing yoga dvd, this dvd was meant to be more of a gym style or a fusion of traditional yoga poses and interval training. I love traditional yoga but I bought this dvd expecting it to be what it is, which is a gym style yoga practice. If you buy this dvd expecting a very traditional yoga practice with meditation, a lot of stretching and holding poses for a significant amount of time you WILL be disappointed. If you are looking for more traditional yoga dvds don't look to this, look to Shiva Rea or Sadie Nardini both are well-known, certified yoga instructors and offer great selections for different types of practices depending on what you are looking for. Shiva Rea is associated with Shakti types of yoga, while Sadie Nardini is associated with a Vinyasa style yoga. However, I highly recommend this dvd if you are looking to add something fresh and different to your yoga practice or regular workout. Though Jillian is not a yoga instructor, if you expect a gym style yoga routine that is gonna kick your butt Yoga Meltdown will not disappoint you. Traditional Yogis: I know Jillian is a little out there with her boot camp style training but yoga teaches us to be open to new things in life and this dvd is worth a try even if you're used to the more traditional style yoga or if you're just not a fan of Jillian. It still delivers an awesome workout for your whole body.

Let me begin this review by saying I am a runner, not a yoga purist. For years I found yoga to be too slow and boring to do regularly, in spite of all the health benefits that I would have reaped from doing it. Fortunately, Jillian Michaels has changed my attitude about yoga (and my husband's) and she did it in three ways. First, this yoga routine is by no means slow (or boring). Jillian has us working in traditional yoga poses, but instead of just holding them, we begin by "repping it out." For example, we begin working with warrior pose by repeatedly straightening the front leg and pushing out with our hands before holding the position. Second, this routine benefits runners in that it is both a strength and stretching routine. Jillian has us doing planks, chaturanga push-ups, sun salutations,etc. I like that I can kill two birds with one stone using one thirty minute video. Finally, if you have ever struggled with piriformis issues or tight hamstrings, doing the Level 1 routine may change your life. I was starting to develop tightness in my right hamstring and found that it disappeared the more I completed the Level 1 routine. It was almost like a miracle. Additionally, working barefoot through this routine seems to be strengthening the tendons around my ankles, which had begun to snap angrily at me, especially in the mornings. This sensation is slowly disappearing as well. You will read critiques of some of the goofy things Jillian says during the video (like asking, "Who's your daddy?") To this I say, it doesn't matter what goofy things she says, it only matters what she requires you to do. Fortunately, she requires you to hold poses and stretches that will make you stronger and healthier. Now that Amazon instant videos can be saved to your devices, you can take this video with you and do it just about anywhere (like a hotel room after a half marathon or to the park with your running friends). If you are a runner, I say buy this as soon as you can.

A little background. I have been doing yoga in a not-so-serious fashion for about ten years now. Usually you can find me with the Rodney Yee or Shiva Rea DVD, or doing yoga at work. I'm no yogi - I've never done a handstand or had more than 2 limbs off the ground at any one time. But I do love to do yoga - it makes me feel so relaxed, strong, flexible and of all the workouts I do, it's the only one that has never hurt me. I'm also a huge fan of Jillian Michaels. I love her attitude. I love to watch Biggest Loser. And I've been using 30 Day Shred for two years now, off and on (alas, I keep straining/pulling/hurting various things if I do that every day). So, take two things I love - Jillian Michaels and Yoga - and put them together? Well, it's like a Reese's Peanut Butter Cup (only healthier). On Jillian's new DVD, she offers two 30-minute workouts, one to start out with and one to advance to. Like her other DVDs, each workout offers both a beginner and advanced exerciser to follow besides Jillian, who cues the movements and points out the correct alignment on her demonstrators. Jillian's yoga workout is quite strenuous, as it takes poses and turns them into strength-training exercises. For example, she will take a Warrior II and make it into a lunge sequence so that you are going in and out of the bent knee. Then you hold that pose. I have mainly worked with the first workout, and it is structured into three segments, plus a warmup and cooldown. Each segment consists of 3 poses, done as described above, followed by a sun salutation flow. Jillian knows how to properly describe the movements and she makes it accessible to a non-yoga person (or so I would think). She uses more sports/fitness terminology. In fact, it sounds a bit funny when she tries to use yoga terminology, and she even jokes about that. I think this video will put some people at ease who may have been afraid of yoga. And people who didn't want to do yoga because they thought it didn't burn calories? They may enjoy this video as it's bit more uptempo than your average video, Bryan Kest aside. This one is a keeper!

Well, this is definetely a stray from Jillian's other videos. If you have used 30 Day Shred, Banish Fat, and/or No More Trouble Zones, don't really expect the same thing. Jillian still does have her great, encouraging, down-to-business attitude. There are no real circuits in this video, which I was totally prepared for; she mentions circuits once, but it's nothing like the other clear-cut 6 minutes... 5 moves, repeat each move twice (if you're familiar with Jillian, you know what I'm talking about) I also just have to comment on how pretty she looks in this DVD :) No, but seriously, I love Jillian to death, but my kid says she looks "manly" in her other videos, but even my kid said... she looks less mean and manly in this video. This video is comprised of 2 30 minute workouts. The first one is the reccomended starter and is a little easier than level 2. I was able to keep up with most of the advanced in Level 1, but was dying in Level 2! I could not do the move where you put your elbows on your knees and balance. I was surprised because I am in good shape, but I have never done much yoga at all. My balance is lacking, so I'm hoping that by incorporating this video into my routine, I'll improve. Jillian tells you not to be intimidated, she wanted to give you something to work towards. You can expect to see two gals in the background... one doing advanced and one doing beginner modifications. As always, the advanced demonstrater makes me writhe with envy. I can't comment much on the technical yoga aspects because as I said, I'm pretty new to it, but don't expect somethig slow moving here. She has taken traditional yoga poses and added movement. You know it wouldn't be Jillian without a little cardio and elevated heart rate, but it's nothing like the heart rates you feel in her other DVDs. She calls it "rep it out." Then you hold the poses for 15 seconds at the end. Some of these feel like MUCH longer than 15 seconds! There are a few Sun Salutations mixed in there, which I was familiar with. There is a nice warm up and cool down included, but the cool down in mainly for the lower body, hips and back. Make sure you do your own thing if you feel the need to stretch out your arms, chest, neck, etc. Overall, I was happy with this. I think I just have to "get comfortable with being uncomfortable" as Jillan says. I'm glad I tried something new and can fit it into my rotation. It's something for me to work towards :) If you like Jillian, go for it. If you're not sure and you want a unique workout with an encouraging, no BS instructor, then go for it too! Good luck to all! Oh, by the way, you don't need any equipment except a mat is helpful. It really doesn't require much space either, so you should be fine if you have small quarters.

I bought these back in 2014 to start learning how to exercise and weight train but was intimidated by the gym. I had only ever done yoga so I started with these at-home tapes that were a great mix of yoga/weight training. This is a tough workout! I did these for a couple months before stepping into a gym. I stopped using these tapes once I got really comfortable at the gym. Fast forward, life changes and I fell off my workout routine and out of shape again. Then 2020 happened and I got even further away from my physical health. I finally started weight training again a few months ago, consistently, but wasn't really seeing any results and wasn't really feeling that good burn you get from a deep workout, so I revisited these tapes. After Day 1 I really felt that BURN. That GOOD BURN. I felt great! I was sore but I felt looser and stronger. When you're in the middle of this workout, it can get really tough but I feel SO GOOD afterwards- physically and mentally. It's a really quick workout but you can feel the results immediately. Because there's more movement in the poses and it's a quicker workout you do get a bit of cardio too. All-in-all I would highly recommend. If you're in the middle of this workout and some of the moves are getting tough, just know that it's almost over (just a few more seconds)! And it's okay to pause or break the pose for a second. It helps in the beginning to pause and catch your breath but definitely keep moving forward. I'm looking forward to exploring her other workouts!

I have been doing Jillian workouts on and off for 5+ years, but this year I have also incorporated some beginner yoga to improve my flexibility and better strengthen my core and stabilizing muscles. I also needed an option one or two days a week that involved less jumping/ impact because my knees were starting to get sore with non-stop interval training. I did "Yoga for Beginners with Barbara Benagh" twice per week for about 3 months to properly learn the yoga poses and get more comfortable with it, then felt like I was ready for more of a challenge and wanted to feel like I was getting a workout on my yoga days. This Yoga Meltdown DVD does just that. She really does incorporate true yoga poses, but she adds reps along with holds and you really do feel like you get a workout. I am intermediate fitness level, but to feel like I get a really truly challenging workout I need to either do both Level 1 and Level 2 back to back, or do a 30 minute video like one of the Shred levels and then do Level 1 or 2 of Yoga Meltdown. Since I got this video last month I have really really enjoyed doing it and I actually look forward to the days I get to do one or both of these workouts. I don't use yoga to do a lot of meditating or "mind clearing" but I have become a firm believer in how it can improve your fitness level and functionality. For those that have mentioned that this is tough on the hands/wrists/elbows- yes it is, but it does seem like if you work into it with modifications that it actually gets easier as those areas become more strong. Still, if you have carpal tunnel syndrome, or tennis elbow, I would say this is not for you.

UPDATE: Having done the second workout in this video, I think it would be dangerous to do unless you're pretty comfortable with fairly advanced yoga poses, and you know your own body well enough to know your limitations and how to work around them. Little to no guidance is given for poses where you could really hurt yourself if you're not doing them right, such as crow pose. I took it down from 4 stars to 3 because these workouts are marketed as something that anyone can jump in and do, which is not true if you don't want to wreck your joints. Below is my original review for the first workout in the video, which still stands. Note: I am not an orthodox yogi or a purist -- I'm into whatever reason people want to get involved in yoga. This DVD includes 2 workouts, which consist of yoga poses alternating with yoga-inspired HIIT sequences (because it is, you know, Jillian Michaels). It is NOT a beginner workout by any means. In my opinion, 30 Day Shred Level 1 is easier than Yoga Meltdown Level 1. It would also be helpful to have done some yoga in the past, because the video does not go into a tremendous amount of detail about the poses -- although they are all common poses, so even if you've only taken a few classes, you should be in good shape. But if you're starting from scratch with fitness, or with yoga, I would skip this DVD and come back to it later. That said, do be sure to try this, because it's a really fun workout! It's busy and interesting enough that the half hour goes by VERY fast, it does work your whole body, and the advantage of including the yoga poses and balancing moves is that you're working your little muscles in addition to your big ones. Unlike a lot of Jillian's other videos, there are no mandatory jumping moves -- although there are still a number of lunges and lunge-like maneuvers, so it still may not be the best idea for folks with bad knees. Jillian takes a gentler tone here than usual, which is nice (I like her workouts but I'm not a huge fan of the barking and yelling), and another surprisingly pleasant thing: She's not the best in the room at all the moves. In fact, for a few of them, she can barely do them. So if you get tired of looking at fitness instructors who don't even seem to be trying, while they're telling you to sweat and struggle, you might find this reassuring. It's 4 stars instead of 5 because I do think there are a couple of bad things: -- The "beginner" variations aren't always easily visible, and some of them don't actually make the move any easier. In a few cases, I even think the "advanced" variation is the easiest. -- The cool-downs are really quite bad. They're very short, and the stretches largely target your hamstrings and hips, after you've been working your whole body hard. I just turn off the video at that point and do my own thing. tl;dr -- it's not purist yoga, and it's not for beginners to fitness or to yoga, but it's fun and it WILL work you out!

If you're a yoga purist, then this video will make your soul cry. If you're a regular Joe who likes yoga in any form (like myself), then this video is for you. Don't get me wrong; I do enjoy traditional yoga workouts. But, I've got some problem areas that require serious workouts (plus, I like ice cream). Jillian delivers that serious workout I need, AND I still get to do some yoga. Oh...and the workouts are about 30 minutes long. HALLELUJAH. I started intense yoga training with Biggest Loser Trainer Bob's "Weight Loss Yoga" dvd. I love that workout, but I needed something else to throw into the mix. Enter Yoga Meltdown. Jillian's workout is significantly more aerobic than Bob's, thanks to all the movement within the poses. To that end, I work up a lot more sweat and certainly burn more calories. That's a good thing. In spite of the aerobics, this workout is still low impact. My 50-something-year-old mother with chronic joint pain can do these workouts without issue. As far as skill level, I would say this workout is what you make it. Jillian provides beginner moves, and she also shows the advanced versions. I just worked my way up to crow pose (!), but I still have work to do with other poses. That's what I believe to be the beauty of this dvd. It gives you something to work toward, and YOU determine the difficulty. So, if you like low-impact, serious, 30-minute workouts, I think this DVD would be a worthwhile addition to your library.

This is my first Jillian Michaels workout purchase. Very happy with the Yoga workouts included on the dvd. Her instructions are very clear (I like her firm tone) and there are 2 workouts (Level 1 and 2). You will definitely build good strength and tone from the moves. A good challenge.

di potermi appassionare alla yoga.. invece Jillian ci è riuscita. Non solo mi sono appassionata, ma riesco a fare buona parte delle posizioni ... e la mia autostima sta crescendo insieme alla mia autostima. Consigliatissimo!

I don't do too many work out videos but wanted to try some yoga and figured I would give this a try. Can't speak in the yoga aspect because I've never done yoga before but it's absolutely a great workout! Easy enough to follow and keeps you interested and enjoying it. Within a month I for sure started noticing the changes in my body.

Exactamente lo que pedí, está en español no como otros que compré en Amazon

simple et efficace comme tout les dvd de jillian MICHAELS,pourquoi demander un roman sur des cours que je recommande tout simplement.