Review: Jillian Michaels' Yoga Meltdown

I have long been a disciple of the church of Jillian Michaels' workout DVDs, starting with the 30 Day Shred more than a year ago, and moving through other titles: Ripped in 30, No More Trouble Zones, Banish Fat Boost Metabolism, Killer Buns and Thighs, and 6 Week Six Pack. Today I want to talk about one that I keep coming back to in all modes of fitness: Yoga Meltdown.



Let me start off by saying this: I love yoga. I've been practicing since I was a chubby high school senior (four years ago now), and it was the first form of exercise I was any good at because I'm naturally quite flexible, and because I was good at it right off the bat, it motivated me to get better. I started off with yoga classes through my local community college (paid for by my high school), and when that wasn't enough, I started going to the 24 Hour Fitness yoga classes that I had always wanted to try but was too nervous to go to without any background.


Yoga Meltdown is not yoga. More accurately, it is "yoga-inspired". It is a hybrid between classic hatha yoga moves and circuit training, and this is why I consider it a legitimate workout. It gives me the same satisfaction and relaxation as yoga, while making me sweat. Most of the moves start with a series moving in and out of the pose, affectionately called "repping it out", followed by a hold for fifteen seconds. During this "fifteen second hold", my muscles burn. And I love it. After, not during, of course.


The DVD has two levels: one and two. Level one is 35 minutes long, and level two is 30 minutes long. They both have about five minute warm ups (level one's is a bit longer) and five minute cool downs. Sometimes, I skip the cool down and just take a more leisurely walk to the shower, but it's up to you. It's the classic "pat yourself on the back" speech along with some stretches-- it's the same in both levels. Level two is slightly more challenging than level one (thanks to the addition of Crow Pose and Wheel Pose pushups), but the first has some challenges (Chaturanga Pose, for example, which I still haven't perfected). For each level, there is one girl (Maddie) doing "beginner" versions of the poses and one girl (Bashira) doing "advanced" versions.


In summary, things I like about the DVD:

1. It is managable, time-wise. If I like, I can mute the DVD and follow the moves while watching a TV show on the other half of the screen. Half an hour is not a huge chunk of time, even counting in showering after.
2. It has great lower body and abs moves. To prepare for this review, I did levels one and two in sequence and I know I'm going to feel it in my lower abs and bum tomorrow. 
3. It is a great way to calm yourself down when you're stressed, and you feel great afterwards. Jillian's normally angry voice at the end telling you you've done a good job is a nice touch at the end.
4. I'm a huge fan of the repping it out/holding the pose strategy. I get some cardio and a lot of toning work done, and I don't get bored doing it.
5. I like that there are different versions of each pose, so that when I'm having trouble, I can find a balance between beginner and advanced without getting discouraged.

And a few of things I don't like about the DVD:

1. There are only two levels. It's hard to find a decent yoga DVD (especially if you're not a beginner), so it's easy to get bored between just these two workouts. I'd very much like to see a sequal.
2. There is a huge range of difficulty in each level, and level one is not that much easier than level two. This means that you don't have to follow the series (level one for fifteen days and then level two for fifteen days) and can mix it up to do whichever you like whenever you like, but it means that for beginners, some moves in the first level will be harder than some in the second level.
3. I don't like the weight loss claim. This is really more of a toning workout than a weight loss workout, due to the lack of hard cardio and no weights (both of which I find really important if I want to lose weight fast). Unless a very overweight person does this DVD with perfect form, in combination with a healthy diet, every day, I don't think you could lose five pounds in a week.

Despite the downfalls, I do like this workout DVD. On Amazon, it's usually around seven dollars, and I think it's completely worth it. I'd recommend it to: people who like yoga or want to try yoga, and want to try something more active, or to people who are quite active and want to try yoga.  Keep in mind, though, it's not yoga as much as yoga-ish. I would not recommend this to people with weak wrists because there's a lot of working out of Plank Pose (or you could try to modify these moves to Dolphin Pose). I think that this is appropriate for all levels of flexibility and fitness (even Jillian says repeatedly that she is not very flexible).

Note: it is recommended that you do this barefoot on a yoga mat, but it's possible to do on carpet or a softer surface.

If you decide to try this workout series and are new to workout DVDs or yoga in general, I have a few tips:

• Always put accuracy above speed. You'll get a much better workout when you have correct form than if you're sloppy. Straighten your back, keep your neck in line with the rest of your spine, and make determined moves: it is not a race against the girls doing the demonstrations.
• Make yourself do this DVD every day. If you make time every night before bed or every morning before school or work, you will get used to the schedule and you will get stronger.
• If you get bored with the workouts, try alternating this DVD with another workout or workout DVD, but do not give up.
• Once you hit play, do not stop until the workout is over. It will go by faster than you think. When you work out after a long time of not exercising, your body isn't used to the low blood sugar, so you feel bored. If you keep working, this will pass and you will get more used to it. It just takes some endurance.
• Do not be intimidated by this DVD. The vast majority of these moves do not require huge amounts of flexibility or strength, and they will make you stronger. And keep in mind, it's just a DVD. You're allowed to make mistakes.

If you have any questions, leave them in the comments and I'll be sure to reply. And if you're interested in practicing yoga without a DVD, I recommend checking out Yoga Journal for ideas. The first step is the hardest, but it absolutely has changed by life and how I view health and fitness.