Personal Training with Jackie: 30 Day Fast Start

At the heart of Jackie Warner's latest fitness DVD is “power pyramid training,” which pairs two exercises—for example, a crunch immediately followed by a military press. The goal is to fatigue muscles quickly, which burns fat and can help long-time exercisers break through weight-loss plateaus. 30 Day Fast Start features a 24-minute upper body and 21-minute lower body and abs routine, both of which use hand weights. Warner is an enthusiastic coach and instructor, telling viewers to “chase the burn, don't avoid it,” and recommending heavier weights once an exercise ceases to be challenging. She drops back to check the form of her two helpers periodically, but mainly runs the show with clear and simple instructions and lots of encouragement. Warner may be her own best advertisement: she's astonishingly fit, with visibly cut muscles and not a speck of fat on her frame, although demonstrating the workout and talking through it for viewers occasionally leaves her winded. The moves are relatively simple, but when performed in combination they add up to a challenging session. Highly recommended. Aud: P. (H. Seggel)