Workout Type

Workout Time

Equipment

Fitness Level

Instructor

Copyright Date

Rating

Jackie has designed her One-On-One Training Workout so that the home exerciser can duplicate the experience of working out at her Sky Sport & Spa in Beverly Hills. Three different 20-minute personal training sessions target upper body, lower body, and core separately, boot camp style. In the upper and lower body sessions Jackie works one-on-one with four different trainers for about 4 minutes each. Each trainer does three strength exercises for about a minute each, followed by a one-minute cardio burst. In the core segment, all four trainers work out with Jackie using this same 3 and 1 format. The upper body workout is circuit training, changing muscle groups each minute, so it's not as hard as the lower body and core workouts where the same muscles are worked nonstop the entire time. Playing all three workouts back to back should challenge most intermediates.

Since each exercise is done for a minute, the number of reps performed per exercise varies quite a bit. The speed of the reps varies considerably too, depending on who's performing them, what the exercise is, and whether weights are being used. The music track appears to have been added later, so the reps are not in sync with the beat of the music. This could be why there's so much variance in the lifting tempo. Since you're going for a full minute, you don't have to keep up with the pace of the trainers on screen. At the start of each set, the name of the exercise flashes on the screen. Each workout opens with about a 2-minute warm-up and closes with about a 1 minute stretch.

In the Upper Body Workout, shoulders are worked last in all 4 segments, with 7 different exercises. Back and biceps are worked in the first and third segments. Back gets two different exercises, while biceps gets 4, but for only 30 seconds each instead of a full minute. Chest and triceps are worked separately in the second segment, then paired up and alternated twice in the fourth segment. Dumbbells are used for all exercises except the push-ups. The four cardio segments are higher impact.

The first three lower body segments are done standing. Each one opens with a squat variation, followed by a lunge variation, then squats and lunges are alternated. Dumbbells are used during some sets. Two different high-impact moves are done for 30 seconds each for the cardio. During the last lower body segment three different exercises are done on the floor and there is no cardio component.

Upper, lower and oblique abs are targeted with three exercises in each core segment, followed by a "cardio" minute (faster-paced core exercises like burpees, mountain climbers). Jackie includes all types of exercises in this core workout, including classic crunches, bicycles, planks, v-sits with torso rotations or leg pumps, and side planks. All four trainers work out together, with Jackie jumping up and down from the floor to point out that Renessa is showing an easier option for every exercise, and Jesse is usually showing a harder version.

Who's it for?
Fans of boot camp style workouts who like to do their own thing after being set in motion will enjoy this workout. If you have trouble following along to choreographed workout like The FIRM, you should find this one easier to follow long with.

Although this intermediate workout occasionally mentions modifications for beginners, this is not a good starting place for someone who has never worked out before, because many of the exercises are performed way too fast and the cardio is high-impact. You need to be familiar with, and skilled at, squats and lunges, because there are lots and lots of them. The Core Workout is tough, with many advanced exercises that go on for a full minute. (Of course, you can always stop sooner!)

Best features:
Lots of variety

What needs improvement?
Slower-paced reps would be more effective for building strength and safer on the joints.
A few more chapter markers within each workout, especially each time a new trainer begins their segment, would give you the option to skip over the cardio and get right to the next strength exercise, or to repeat an entire segment quickly.
A premix that intermingles the upper and lower body segments would offer a nice change of pace for a 40-minute total body workout.
The stretches and warm-ups are pretty short. Longer versions of each that could be added on, especially for the stretch would be helpful.

How's the instruction?
Jackie doesn't cue her workouts the way a group exercise instructor would. Rather she's working one-on-one with each person and just tells them what to do next. Although the name of the upcoming exercise flashes on the screen before a set begins, it's easy to miss a rep or two because the sets can start abruptly. It's not clear whether Jackie is doing a practice rep, or whether you should be doing it too, and she doesn't count you down to start. Since each exercise is done for a minute, but there's no countdown timer on screen and Jackie doesn't count down to the end of a set, so knowing when to stop each set is a bit vague too. Sometimes the trainers keep going after she's told them to stop. However, since each exercise is done for a minute and the reps vary from as few as 20 to as many as 42 per minute, you'll get plenty of work done even if you miss a few.

Jackie doesn't perform all the reps. She might start the set, but quickly stops to watch the trainers, critique their technique, and mention easier/harder options when appropriate. She doesn't offer a lot of breathing, posture or core cues. You should know what you're doing, because often all she says is that the trainer is using perfect form, but doesn't always mention what you want to avoid doing. Her coaching is low-keyed and straightforward and she sometimes calls the trainers "honey".

Equipment & Space needed
All you need are a few sets of dumbbells and a floor mat and enough space to lunge forward or backward.

Crew & set
Three women and one man each get a turn working out with Jackie for about 4 minute each in the upper and lower body workouts. In the warm-ups, stretches, and core workout everyone works out together. The set has a lot of wood, big pictures of Jackie on the walls, and fitness equipment around the edges, where the trainers sit while waiting their turn with Jackie.

Rating
One-On-One Training is a boot camp style of training, similar to the Biggest Loser and Power 90 workouts. Rather than coordinating all the exercises to the beat of the music, and starting everyone together on the beat, like a group exercise instructor would do, Jackie allows each trainer to do their own thing, at their own speed. Often you sacrifice effectiveness as well as good form by speeding up weight training too much in an effort to make it aerobic.

Fun Factor & Repeatability
This is a great follow-up to a long hike. I've used it for that many times and my legs feel great afterwards.

Workout Details

Upper Body Workout - 21.5 minutes

Warm-up - 2 min.
shoulder shrugs, backward/forward shoulder circles with straight arms at shoulder level, boxing warm-up, pec-deck chest presses

Each exercise is done for 1-minute unless noted. Dumbbells used for all strength exercises, not cardio.

Back, Biceps, Shoulders - Agostina
Double-arm bent-over rows, rotating palms from facing backward to facing each other (back) - fast pace (42)
Alternating biceps curls, double-arm wide biceps curls (30 sec. each) (25, 15)
Rear delt fly (37)
Cardio: Jumping Jacks & Ski Bunny (30 sec. each)

Chest, Triceps, Shoulders - Rebecca
Knee push-ups (24)
Kneeling double-arm triceps kickback (23)
Lateral & front raise combo - lift one arm forward, the other arm side, alternating each rep (30)
Cardio: Twist Jab

Back, Biceps, Shoulders - Renessa
Alternating one-arm row, twisting back at top of lift (43)
Double-arm biceps hammer curl; holding plie position, hold weights together for more curls (30 sec. each) (15,16)
WV - wide overhead shoulder press, hands by shoulders at bottom (W), wider than shoulders at top (V) (16)
Transverse fly - horizontal chest fly, arms at shoulder level, palms facing forward, sweep arms forward to meet in front of chest (13)
Cardio: Knee to opposite elbow - (obliques & back)

Chest, Triceps, Shoulders - Jesse
Narrow chest press (elbows stay tight to sides, hands over shoulders at top) alternated with chest fly (42
Triceps press (same as narrow chest press above) alternated with skull crushers (lying triceps extensions) (30)
Lateral Raise - really a wide upright row (bells start by sides at hip level, upper arm stops at shoulder level) (30 sec.) (17)
Military Press, palms facing forward, goal post position at bottom (30 sec.) (15)
Cardio: speed bag with foot shuffle

Stretch -all trainers
standing, stretch chest, lats, shoulders, triceps, wrists

Core Workout - 20 min.
Warm-up - 1.5 min.
standing twist, squat with diagonal wood chop, squats holding hands behind head.

Each exercise performed for 1-minute, number of reps per set varies per exercise.

Upper crunches - classic version (38)
Clam crunch - (soles of the feet touching with knees pointing outward) (32)
Plank - hold on forearms and toes
Cardio: mountain climbers (hold plank on hands while pumping legs forward & back) & plank twist (hold plank, pull knee towards opposite elbow) (30 sec of each) (40,16)

Bicycles - touch elbow to opposite knee (42)
Figure eight (seated, lean back slightly, lift each leg, touching hands underneath) (64)
Side plank rotation - hold side plank on forearm and knees or toes, rotate torso forward (30 seconds per side) (12,13)
Cardio: torso twist - seated, lean back slightly, twist side to side, tapping hands on floor (full body stretch) (54)

Straight leg tap - upper crunch, legs to ceiling, tap toes with hands (52)
Scissors - face up, hold legs about a foot off floor, open close legs (36)
Penguin heel tap (lie face up, twist sideways tap heel with hand, alternating sides) (62)
Cardio: half burpees - hold plank, hop feet in and out to plank again (27)

V-sit extend & flex - seated, resting on hands, press legs in and out (34)
Side roll - lying face up with legs in chair position, lower legs from side to side (30)
Plank variation - start on forearms and toes, push up to hands and toes, lower down again (18)
Cardio: fast bicycles, seated, leaning back, resting on forearms (106)

Stretch
sumo squat (pushing legs wide with arms), wide-legged standing forward bend, seated butterfly stretch, spinal twists

Lower Body Workout - 21.5 min.
Warmup - 2.5
About 30 seconds each: little pulse squats, alternating sidestep squats, alternating front lunges, reverse lunges.

Each exercise done for 1 minute. Dumbbells can be used on most of the strength exercises.

Legs, glutes, hams - Agostina
Squat - feet slightly wider than shoulder level (33)
Alternating forward lunges - adds dumbbells after a few reps (36)
Box squat & lunge combo - squat, lunge forward with the inside leg, squat, lunge on other leg (forming a U on the floor) (32)
Cardio: frog hop (hops in plie position) & (boxer's) shuffle (30 seconds each)

Inner thighs, glutes, hams - Jesse
Plie squats, lift onto toes after 30 sec. (22)
Reverse lunge - alternating legs and adding dumbbells (25)
Drop step - alternating diagonal lunges, turning backward more than 90° from forward orientations (20)
Cardio: Jump lunge shuffle (scissors hops) & Military knee- ups (knees point outward at least 45°) (30 seconds each)

Glutes, legs - Renessa
Sumo squat - wide leg stance, toes pointing out 45° so glutes can get lower (26)
Front diagonal lunges - alternating sides, holding bells (27)
Sumo Squat with Drop Step (squat, then cross one leg behind for a curtsey lunge, alternating legs) (32)
Cardio: knee-up jog (make knees touch hands) & squat with side kick (30 seconds each)

Glutes, hams, inner/outer thighs, low back - Rebecca (on the floor, use a mat)
Bridge lifts - add bells on hips (27)
Reverse scissors - face down, scissors legs at ankles (30)
Three-quarter kick - on hands and knees, press leg backward and slightly outward - 60 seconds per side (29,29)
Cardio: none this round

Stretch - each held for 30 seconds
Lie face down for cobra, child's pose, pigeon, seated straddle for hams

DVD features

Main Menu

Introduction - 1-minute explanation of the workout by Jackie

Customize Workout - chose to "add" Upper Body, Lower Body and Core to build a workout. Each segment can be used only once, for a maximum 1-hour workout.
Next, choose from: Begin Workout, Reset Workout or Main Menu.
This is the only way to start a workout. There is no "play all" option.

Special Features - takes you to a menu with these choices:

Recommendations - Screen with advice to do the entire 1-hour workout 3 times per week, or a 20-minute routine each day.

Quick Diet Tips from Jackie - 3 screens with this advice:
eat whole fruit instead of juice,
drink water,
avoid sugar,
don't deprive yourself,
eat the good first (fruits/veggies/lean meat), the bad second (starches/bread) and the ugly last (dessert/alcohol)

Trailers - 2.5 minutes of trailers for the Biggest Loser Cardio Mix and Power Sculpt workouts and Denise Austin's Burn Fat Fast Cardio Blast

Credits - produced by Andrea Ambandos, exercisetv.tv

CC This DVD is close captioned. If you hit Mute on your remote, the close captions appear on screen. Now you can follow along to your own music!

Cardio blasts
The 1-minute blasts are repetitive and often high-impact. Unfortunately, there are no chapter markers that allow you to quickly skip over them. If you don't want to do them, you have a couple of options, depending on your goals with the workout. During that minute you can also:
1) Breathe in and out deeply and fully, as you would in a yoga workout, making the mind/body connection with the muscles you've just worked. As you inhale, count to 4, visualizing that you're bringing oxygen to directly to the just-worked muscles; as you exhale count to 4, imagining that all tension and tightness is moving out of those muscles. You should be able to take 4 to 8 deep breaths.
2) Take this time to stretch the muscles just worked. Since you've probably worked three different upper body muscle groups, hold each side for a count of 8 or ten. The 6 stretches should take up the full minute. If you're doing the core workout you can flip over onto your stomach and do the cobra pose to stretch your abs and child's pose to stretch your lower back, holding each for 20 to 30 seconds. If you're doing the lower body workout, you might want to hold one stretch for 20-30 seconds on each side.
3) Do extra sets for muscles you want to work extra hard. Use a different type of resistance, like bands or tubing, for a change of pace.

Upper Body Workout

Choosing dumbbells for the exercises
It looks like 5-pounds dumbbells are used for the upper body exercises. For best results, keep a selection of 3 or 4 different weights at the ready so you can quickly change to a weight that works for you, exercise by exercise. You may miss a few reps at the beginning of each set, but since the sets are timed and the lifting pace is often fast, you'll still get plenty of reps in.

Exercise tempo
The lifting tempo changes from exercise to exercise and is often very fast. They are not lifting on the beat of the music, so it was probably added later. Since each exercise is done for a minute, use a pace that works best for you, depending on how heavy you're lifting that day. You can always slow down and do one rep for every two shown on screen, which in most cases will still give you 12 to 20 reps per minute.

Double-arm bent-over rows
Agostina is really moving fast here, cranking out 42 reps in the minute. The dumbbells are too light for her. She's not really feeling the resistance of the dumbbells when going this fast, she's just using momentum. This is an exercise you will get more out of by doing it at half speed. Even then you'll still get in 21 reps. Don't waste even one minute of your exercise time. Slow down and make the exercise worth the effort.

WV - wide overhead shoulder press
Since you're moving the dumbbells outward as well as upward, and wider than shoulder width, you'll probably need to drop down to lower weights for this exercise. Be careful of overloading the shoulder joints while moving weights away from your center and angled off from your shoulder joints. if you feel or develop shoulder pain from this exercise, just press the dumbbells directly overhead, just slightly in front of your shoulders.

Transverse fly - horizontal chest fly
To get a bit more work in for the upper back, which is usually shorted in many workouts, tilt your torso forward from the hips, and perform a rear delt fly. These muscles often need extra sets to offset the overworking of the chest and front shoulder muscles.

Lateral Raise - (really a wide upright row)
If this exercise bothers your shoulders, substitute a classic lateral raise: elbows bent at 90°, lift arms out to the side to shoulder level.

Core Workout

Upper crunches
If your stability ball is handy, do this minute of crunches on top of it.

Cardio: mountain climbers & plank twist
If you find this hard to do with your hands on the floor, you can rest your hands on your step to give yourself a bit more clearance. The higher your step, the easier it should be.

Cardio: torso twist
Slow down these twists and hold a dumbbell for more effective toning. You can also sit on top of your stability ball, BOSU, or balance disc for more core challenge.

Scissors - face up
The closer your feet are to the floor, the harder this will be. Make sure your lower back stays in contact with the floor throughout, if it starts to come off as you get tired, raise your legs higher off the floor.

Penguin heel tap
Do this lying on top of your stability ball, reaching towards the outsides of your knees.

Cardio: half burpees
Again, place your hands on your step, instead of the floor, to make this exercise easier.

V-sit extend & flex
Sitting on your step, and holding onto it's sides may be more comfortable than sitting directly on the floor. Make it harder by sitting on top of your BOSU or balance disc.

Side roll
This exercise works the obliques with a lot more resistance (the weight of both legs) than crunching the upper body to alternating sides. If you have lower back issues, be very careful with this one. Assist lifting your legs back to the center starting position with your hands if necessary. Go slower than shown on screen too. If it just doesn't feel right, or your back bothers you later, substitute alternating upper crunches.

Lower Body Workout

Drop step - (alternating diagonal lunges)
By turning towards the back and keeping the nonmoving leg straight, you're working the hip rotators. If you have hip problems or pain, substitute classic forward lunges, or lateral lunges.

Sumo Squat with Drop Step
This time drop step means curtsey lunge, which can be problematic for some knees. Send the moving leg directly to the back for a classic reverse lunge if you have knee issues.

Bridge lifts
Place your feet on a step or your stability ball.

Reverse scissor
Lie on top of your step or stability ball to make this easier on your back and give your feet more clearance off the floor.

pigeon stretch
Usually this stretch is done by turning the bottom leg inward so that the outside of the front leg is resting on the floor, no pressure is put on the knee joint, and the stretch is felt in the hip and glutes. In Jackie's version, the shin of the front leg rests on the floor, directly under the thigh, which puts the pressure of your body weight onto the knee joint. If you have tight quads this may feel quite uncomfortable and can over stretch the tendons that cover the knee cap. Be very careful. If you have any knee issues, lie on your side, grab your ankle behind you, and gently pull your foot towards your glutes for a quad stretch.

Filming of this workout
I'd never watched Jackie's reality show Work Out on Bravo TV before I bought this DVD workout. But I did manage to watch the episode in Season 3, which depicts Jackie experience filming this workout for Andrea Ambandos with the assistance of Keli Roberts. two experienced, well-respected women in the DVD workout genre.

I found it fascinating to see how a workout DVD is filmed, although this particular one may not be typical judging from the reactions of Andrea and Keli. I was not impressed with Jackie's work ethic or professionalism. She obviously feels that she's a diva, and can be late to meetings, arriving unprepared and unapologetic. But then again, she is the star and the owner of Sky Sport Spa in Beverly Hills, so there you go. Frankly, I felt that both Andrea and Keli deserved better treatment and more respect from Jackie.

Out of curiosity, I watched one more episode, the season finale, just to see what a regular Work Out show entailed. Again, I was not impressed. The show is more about Jackie, her love life, and her personal angst than about working out. Heavy on the drama, light on the exercise.

Read an amusing (but biting) recap of the taping episode at AfterEllen.com.

Read Keli Roberts reaction to assisting with the filming on her Blog.