Does the Jillian Michaels One Week Shred work? For real?

When I saw Jillian Michaels had added to her suite of cool fitness DVDs with the Jillian Michaels One Week Shred, I pre-ordered it immediately. I've been a long time fan of hers since I lost 12 lbs doing the 30 Day Shred and I've tried every single one of her workouts with great success. But then, I always wonder if any new fitness DVD will really work. If you're wondering whether One Week Shred is worth the money--and the pain--I did it for the full seven days and I can help you, first-hand. The whole concept behind pretty much all of Jillian Michaels' workouts is that they are high intensity over a short amount of time, which is really great for busy moms. The One Week Shred, however, is two short workouts per day--one 30-minute strength routine in the morning and one 30-minute cardio routine in the evening. Like her other workouts, all you need is a couple of 3-pound weights--or in my case, two large tomato sauce cans--and a pair of good sneakers. Jillian has two helpers behind her demonstrating easier harder variations of the workout, so you can tailor the routine to your own ability. There is also a meal plan recommendation, but I just decided to stick to my general low-carb, relatively healthy diet, and perhaps lay off the dessert. The two workouts contain pretty common whole-body exercises, both high and low intensity, combined to give you maximum results in a short amount of time. I'm fairly coordinated and in decent shape, and I was able to complete the movements...for the most part. If I ran into any trouble, I just dropped back and followed the easier variation until I could pick up the regular one again. I do like that the routines are challenging but not super hard; it's nice to feel like you actually did something other than lie on the floor breathing hard. Compared to her other DVDs, like the 30-day Shred, I wasn't as sore as I usually am after just one day, but I could definitely feel the burn right away. By the second day, it hurt to walk and laugh. By the last day, I was feeling pretty strong and toned, if a little bored with the same routine for seven days straight. One tip: mute the DVD and work out to your own music. Also be aware that the two workout a day thing can be pretty inconvenient, and not just because I want to be done exercising in the morning. That's two showers I'm taking (or should be taking) instead of one, and a pretty heavy time commitment overall. I didn't lose seven pounds as the DVD suggests you can, but then, I didn't follow the meal plan. In fact, I got really hungry around Day 5 and started to crave carbs and sugar, probably because I was burning so many calories. And if you've got bad knees, this is not the workout for you. That said, my pants and clothes do fit better after just a week, and I can see a little line in my abs that I'm not sure I have ever seen before. I also feel so much stronger. Bottom line: If you've got an event coming up--party, wedding, vacation--and you want to tone up pretty quickly, I'd say give the One Week Shred a try. If you're looking to change up your workouts, you could always alternate between cardio one day, strength another. For a longer term exercise plan, I'd recommend Jillian's other workout DVDs which offer offer great results--and a bit more variety. You can purchase One Week Shred at our affiliate Amazon.com