Workout at Home: Jari Love Get Ripped: Slim and Lean

This is one of my favorite total body workouts. I just love it. It's a completely different kind of training than P90X, or traditional heavy lifting. The focus here is on lighter weights and more reps. Rather than building strength, you're building muscular endurance. I love to put this video in my rotation when I'm doing a lot of running.

Equipment needed:

Weights or Barbell: I usually just use weights. My weights range from 5 - 15 pounds for this workout.

It's also helpful to have a step or bench for chest press and tricep dips.

Warm Up:
Jari leads you through a warm up using light weights, where you do some of the movements you'll be doing later. Squats, upper body movements, static lunges. The lunges are a little bit uneven, so make sure you count and do the same on each leg.

Squats:
76 plus pulsing. Jari uses 20 pounds total.

This is rough. It seems to go on forever!

Lunges:
94 plus pulsing. Jari uses 16 pounds total

94 is the total for the entire section, so don't panic. You do some pretty quick movements: Lunging forward then back with the same leg, at different rhythms. Sometimes it's harder to go deep into the lunge, especially on the single counts. She finishes off with alternating back lunges (or dips).

Chest Press:
64 plus pulsing. Jari uses 20 pounds total.

Varied rhythms of the chest press, laying on a step. This is pretty hard, so I suggest using a slightly lighter than usual weight.

Bent Leg Deadlift and Dead Row:

Deadlift: 30 no pulsing
Dead Row: 54 plus pulsing

Jari uses a total of 24 pounds

In this section, you alternate between the Dead Lifts and Rows.

Pushups and Rotator Cuff:

So many pushups! 3 sets of: 4 slow and 8 fast. (I never can quite do all of them on my toes).
Rotator cuff: 16 reps each side. Jari uses 5 pounds.

Tricep Dips and Overhead Extensions (French press).
Dips: 24, no pulsing (3 sets of 8)
Overhead Extensions: 56, no pulsing

Jari uses a 5 pound weight for the extensions

Holy moly! I am always really surprised how tired my triceps get doing the overhead extensions. I have to use a very light weight.

Bicep and Hammer Curls:

Hammer Curls: 36 no pulsing
Bicep Curl: 48 no pulsing

Jari uses 16 pounds total.

Single Leg and Wide Squats
Single Leg: 44 plus pulsing
Wide (or Plié squats): 38 plus pulsing. Jari uses 20 pounds total.

During the single leg squats, you have the option to use something for balance, or just try without.

Overhead Press and Lateral Raise
Overheads: 34 no pulsing
Lateral Raise: 28 no pulsing

Jari uses a total of 16 pounds
I often find I need to use a lighter weight about halfway through, because of the lateral raises.

Abs:
I have to admit, these abs don't do much for me. It's not my favorite ab workout ever. I usually either skip them, or put in another ab workout.

Here are the moves, though:
Dead bug.
Reach ups (legs extended)
Reach throughs (legs in Butterfly position)
Woodchopper
Butterfly crunch

All this ends with a nice relaxing stretch.

Good:
- I love that they tell you what weight everyone is using at the beginning of each section.
- I love the form pointers at the beginning of each section.
- Jari adds little motivational sayings throughout, and it really does help.

Not so Good:
- They do tell you the weights and reps for each activity. However, sometimes, it's not at the very beginning... sometimes you have to wait until the middle of the section. This is why it's good to view it once before trying it.

I think it's really important to train in different ways. Periodization is an effective way to vary training, keep from getting stuck on a plateau, or just shake things up and prevent boredom. So, after a 3 month round of P90X, doing something like this for a few weeks or months might be really beneficial.

To find out more about Jari Love, visit her site. I'll be reviewing more of her workouts. I do really like them!