Customer Reviews

Get Ripped! with Jari Love: Get Ripped to the Core

5 star:		(46)
4 star:		(11)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

I have tried all three of the workouts that Jari Love currently has out. "Ripped to the Core" is different from the original "Ripped" and "Slim and Lean" in that it consists of compound exercises. You will work multiple muscle groups at the same time which makes your workout more efficient and is a real calorie burner. Some examples of compound exercises included are: dead lifts and biceps curls, side squats with lateral shoulder raises, and step-ups with overhead shoulder presses. My heart rate was elevated for most of this challenging workout.

The inclusion of compound exercises requires you to engage your core throughout the workout. Additionally, there is a segment of planks, supermans, and traditional ab work. There is also an emphasis on shoulders in "Ripped to the Core". Three tracks are dedicated to frying your deltoids to a crisp. I did this workout six hours ago and my shoulders STILL feel the burn.

As in her earlier releases, there are a wide variety of modifications shown so the workout may be done by anyone from beginner to advanced fitness level. It requires minimal equipment (dumbbells and a club step) which is also a plus.

Another great workout by Jari Love! Highly recommended by this fitness enthusiast.

And one that doesn't require quite as much equipment as most advanced workouts. A step, a mat, and some sets of light weights will be all you'll need- no stability ball, medicine ball or tubing work here. It's basically broken into ten sections, with each section averaging 5-6 minutes and featuring one compound exercise followed by a brief stretch. Jari generally starts with either an easier version of the exercise or an isolation move, then adds on with a more intense version or added upper body work to make a compound exercise. There is no aerobic warmup; instead the warmup is the first section of weight work, and gradually builds in intensity. This starts off with side squats and reverse lunges, and then Jari has you transition into travelling side squats. The second section is "Spider" and pushups. The "Spider" is basically moving from full plank to forearm plank and repeated, with pushups and stretches in between the planks. The next section is chest work, with chest presses, then chest presses done at the same time that the hips are held in bridge position. The fourth section is bent-leg dead lifts with bicep curls. Section 5 is wide squats with upright rows, and a similar emphasis in section 6 with stiff- leg deadlifts and lat rows. Section 7 features side squats from the end of a step, with lateral shoulder raise, and a brief set of narrow squats with anterior shoulder raises. Section 8 fries the shoulders further, with overhead presses done in conjunction with step ups onto a step.These aren't tall box climbs, as in the Firm, or high step leg presses as seen in Cathe Friedrich workouts. The step is at about a 6 inch height. Section 9 works the triceps, first with tricep pushups and then with tricep kickbacks from all fours position with leg extended to challenge the balance and core. The final section works core and abs with Superman planks (lifting opposing arm and leg while holding plank position), reverse crunches, and regular crunches. Don't expect a lot of ab work- the premise of this workout is that you've been working your entire core throughout the compound work in the previous exercises. The ending stretch is brief, and I added on my own stretches. This workout places a strong emphasis on "calorie burn" and "carb metabolism". Jari reiterates this throughout the workout, and before each section you'll be shown an overview of the coming exercise, which muscles it works, and the average calorie expenditure. I found this rather distracting, but you may find it motivating. Throughout the sections, there are various modifications shown that are less advanced, such as overhead tricep presses to replace the tricep pushups and kickbacks. Even with the modifications, I definitely wouldn't recommend this for the beginner or even the low intermediate. You really should be familiar with good form and safety in weight lifting, and also have a good level of ab and back strength to do this. There are a large number of planks in this workout, and if you have wrist problems those may be tough, although Jari mentions that they can be done with hands held in fists. I really like Jari's style- very professional, "let's get to work" attitude. The music is OK-better than the original Ripped, but certainly not the "driving Body-Pump style music" that it's been described elsewhere. I have just a few minor quibbles: I felt that biceps and triceps were a little neglected in favor of shoulders, and even with the high reps, I didn't feel a whole lot in the lower body because of the necessity of using light weights for the compound work. That didn't detract from my opinion of the workout though; this is meant to be muscle definition and toning as opposed to strength work. As Jari constantly repeats "this won't bulk you up!"

I really like Jari Love and really enjoyed her Ripped workout, so when I heard she was releasing new workouts I had to pounce on them. Ripped was very enjoyable, thorough and fun, but not too hard. Jari has upped the difficulty a few notches with this workout. I realized how weak I was with endurance training after doing this workout and Slim & Lean. I have some work to do where that is concerned. Jari is joined by Laurie, Ben & Christy. All you need for this workout are dumbells, and a step, a barbell can be used also.

The workout itself consists of 10 tracks plus a stretch, each exercise performed to a different song, lasting about 5 minutes which for some feels like an eternity. Jari talks a lot about burning calories and carbohydrates throughout the workout, some people might be annoyed by this but it didn't really bother me. For each exercise there is a demonstration of what is coming so you can prepare, I liked this plus it was an opportunity to take a breather and grab some water. It also displays the amount of weight that each exerciser uses, which I found very helpful in determining how much weight that I needed to use. I used a range of 3-10 pound dumbells which was pretty tough for me.

Each muscle group hit and well, the shoulders are especially worked as they are included in three of the tracks. Here is a listing of the exercises.

side squats/reverse lunges

spider/pushups

chest press with hips raised

bent leg deadlifts/biceps curls

wide (plie squats/upright rows

stiff leg deadlifts/double arm lat rows

squats/side lateral raises & narrow squats/front raises

step ups/overhead press

triceps kickbacks with core work

abs

stretch

Christy does a lot of beginner modifications for these exercises, which I found helpful, whether it was foregoing the step or not using dumbells. After being used to lifting heavier weights and using low reps while using The Firm workouts and others, I really had to lighten up on the weights for this one. I have heard that people are seeing great results with this one, while incorporating this type of training in with my heavier weight work, I truly believe that I will too.

Overall I give this workout 4 stars. Jari Love is a great instructor, one of my new favorites.

There's NO WAY you aren't going to get a fantastic workout doing this routine. It will whip your sorry behind into shape in no time, trust me! It is currently my favorite workout video. The "holy grail" if you will.

I was feeling ugly & depressed last year because of how bad i looked & i felt crappy too. I was always naturally slim but years of a desk job & not eating right caught up with me. I had just turned 31 & I never had any energy, i panted going up only 1 flight of stairs, and even though i was technically still kind of skinny i was flabby & gross. My once pretty legs looked like scrawny little chicken legs. I had grown a pot belly, i had a pathetic withered looking bird chest, and sloppy jiggly flabby arms. ugh. thinking about it makes me shudder....NOW i have so much more strength. I don't ever pant going up or down stairs, I feel healthy & strong, and my sexy legs are back! Sure there's more meat on my bones but it's muscle and man it looks good! the flab on my arms is gone, i don't have any back-fat when i put a bra on, and my chest looks normal again. I am small chested so it'll never be huge but at least what is there is shaped nicely now. Oh, and my waist size went back down. I fit in clothes that i was too flabby in the gut for last year. I love my body now.

Here's how i got started with my transformation from pot-bellied bird-chested weakling to sexy-legged muscle-butted ripped powerhouse......Disgusted with myself & not getting good enough results after months of just cardio videos & walking outside, i realized i had to try something else. I only wanted to tone up & lose a little bit of flab. So naturally cardio seemed the way to go. I was SO wrong about that. I toned up slightly but that's about it. I needed something new but I was always scared of anything with weights, i thought i'd end up looking like a dude. But i did a LOT of research online. I came across the Jari Love 3 pack & reviews were nothing but good. Everyone seemed thrilled & they all raved about her videos & said they are the best. So i took a chance & ordered it off amazon. This was about 6 months ago. The day i got the videos i was excited but prepared for being disappointed as i always seemed to be. But i tore open the package & Right away i tried Slim & lean. It was tough, but I liked it so much i stuck with it. Even though it was hard for me to complete i could tell i was getting an amazing workout. I was huffing & puffing & my heart rate was definitely up. i was hooked. I also tried the other two videos, "get ripped to the core" & "get ripped". But "get ripped to the core" was too hard, i couldn't get a feel for it. I felt off balance & just wasn't in good enough shape to complete all the moves. I wasn't in good enough shape yet. Plus i have a BOSU, not a regular step. It is really really challenging doing compound exersizes off the bosu. And "get ripped" seemed easier. Since i wanted tough but not impossible, i stuck with "slim & lean". For a few months i did just that video to build my strength up. well a few months of that video prepared me for being better able to handle the routine in this video. It was still very challenging but i was able to make it through all the way. (barely!) I've been using it for about 2 months now & i can easily make it through now & the results are showing.

Now i rotate "get ripped to the core" with "slim & lean". I prefer twice a week to 3 times, if i do 3 times a week it seems like my muscles get too fatigued. I think doing the compound exercizes in this video off of the bosu is burning tons of calories. because i am really shedding that last little layer of fat i could never seem to get off my belly. My abs are starting to poke through the flab. yay!

I can't stress enough how much Jari's videos have transformed my body. I'm so well toned now i can't even believe it. The protein shakes i started drinking combined with doing Jari's videos twice a week is really doing the trick. Like Jari states in her videos, you don't get bulky. You just get really cut & lean. Her videos are beyond awesome. I just ordered the new "chiseled" video & an older one "ripped 1000". Can't wait to try those out. I'll review them after i do. :) :) :)

I'm an intermediate-to-advanced exerciser who recently discovered Jari Love's workouts. Her first workout, Get Ripped, became an immediate favorite, as it's a perfect match for my level, Ripped to the Core is the second of Jari's workouts that I have tried. As is usual for her, Jari does not do a traditional warm-up; rather, she starts right in with the weight moves. I find that it takes me a bit of trial and error to figure out the right weights to use in Jari's workouts. Here, because the compound moves required more exertion, I found that I needed to go lighter than I did in Get Ripped, never using heavier than 8# dumbbells and often reaching for my 5# and even 3# ones (oddly enough, Jari states that you can actually go HEAVIER for compound moves because you are recruiting more muscles, but I did NOT find this to be the case for me). The great thing about all of the Ripped workouts is that Jari and her three background exercisers vary not only in the equipment they use--eg, Jari generally uses dumbbells here, with one background exerciser always using the barbell and others sometimes using just weight plates--but also in their individual weight loads, which are very helpfully shown on screen at the start of every new exercise.

As in the original Get Ripped, Jari varies the count of each exercise, using different temps such as 4-4, 3-1, 2-2, etc. But Ripped to the Core also adds compound moves: either you'll do a superset with an upper/lower body combination or you'll move both areas at the same time. Similar to Get Ripped, you will do a high number of repetitions for each body part, and you may need to go lower on your weights as mentioned above. The workout begins with a side squat/reverse lunge combo. Then it is down to the floor for a really tough move, the spider--this is a planking exercise where you go from a full plank, down to your elbows, then back up again, and it is super challenging! Jari makes it all the more difficult by doing push-ups inbetween spider sets (the male background exerciser continues the push-ups even during the stretch breaks--ouch!). I am always VERY glad when this section is over. You stay on the floor for a chest press combined with a pelvic raise (Jari and crew lie on their steps), then it's back to standing for a deadlift/bicep curl combo. Next comes a wide squat with an upright row, although there is a modification shown if you have shoulder issues. Sticking with the tough work for legs/shoulders, you'll do a side squat off the step (can be modified on the floor) adding a delt raise and also a knee lift. Following this, there is a VERY brief narrow squat set with front raises, again adding knee lifts (I believe only 8 total reps here). The next series is MUCH more challenging than it looks. You start with a simple slow step climb, then add a shoulder press and do LOTS of reps. When I did this with my 5# dumbbells, I was dying by the end, so now I'm sticking with the 3#. Then it's back down to the floor on all fours for tricep kickbacks, adding a leg raise and then the leg in and out to work the core more. Abs work follows, and I really didn't like the how this section starts off. First of all, Jari uses the male background exerciser to display the most advanced modification, even though a message on screen says that most people should NOT attempt this exercise! Although the other two background exercisers show easier versions, the camera never focuses on them, so this segment is very hard to follow. Two exercises are performed, a plank with side leg lift and a superman, and I just sort of do my own thing for both of these. Then Jari moves on to more traditional abs work, which I liked much better, although it was pretty brief: she does a set moving each leg in and out and then a few sets of pulsing crunches. The workout, which comes right in at an hour, ends with a cool-down, first on the floor to stretch the hamstrings/hips and then moving to seated for upper body, finishing with some neck stretches.

Extras on this DVD include exercise demonstrations, interviews, and bloopers. I wasn't crazy about the music--it generally had a pumping, techno-type beat (with occasional vocals) similar to what you would hear in a club--but I found it to be less glaring/more tolerable than in the original Get Ripped. Jari herself comes across as a bit cool and reserved, and although some people might not click with her, I actually liked her no-nonsense style as well as her excellent form pointers and good cuing. She does try to be encouraging, frequently saying "fantastic!" (a change from "awesome!" in the original). I would say that this workout is most suited for high intermediate-to-advanced exercisers. It is probably doable for advanced beginners/low intermediates using VERY light weights, but I definitely would not recommend it for complete beginners, as I think that some of the exercises (such as the spider move) would be way too difficult, even in a modified form. Personally, I found the compound moves in this workout (ie, moving the upper body and the lower body at the same time) to be fairly strenuous, making this workout more tiring for me than the original Get Ripped. In addition, some of the individual exercises are quite tough, which gives this workout a slight dread factor for me, at least in the very beginning during the tough spider series. Overall, however, I liked that this workout provided me with a challenge, and I would definitely recommend it for experienced exercisers, especially those who enjoy compound moves.

This is the most advanced out of Ripped, Slim & Lean and Ripped To The Core. These are mainly compound moves, but I find that these not only build your strength but also get your heart rate up with compound moves using the step. I wouldn't say it is a cardio workout, but it sure doesn't hurt to burn those extra calories on a weight training day. If you want to go heavy, stick with Slim & Lean. This one, you may need to use lighter weights to accomodate the compound moves.

This is an excellent workout for me as an individual wanting to define my body by burning the fat, sculpting the muscles without bulking up and become stronger with every workout. I find this DVD challenging and when I combine it with the Slim & Lean DVD I feel as if every muscular cell in my body is getting a thorough workout. Definitely sweating the toxins out! I started out with Jari's first DVD Get Ripped (which for a beginner is an excellent option to start with) where I learned the proper form to carry forward through the series. Jari is consistent in reminding you to watch your form and that mind over matter will get you your results. After a few short weeks with regular ripped workouts (2 - 3 times a week), my body is definitely showing the results. Thanks Jari!

Another poster wrote that this was the same workout as Slim and Lean. Maybe there was a glitch in the packaging or something, but this workout is completely different from Slim & Lean.

Slim & Lean is more "body pump" style, basic major muscle group workout with lighter weights and more reps. Ripped to the Core has some similar moves, but they go a step further to create a compound exercise. For instance, a basic plie squat is coupled with an upright row, and bent leg dead lifts are coupled with bicep curls. The movements really create a cardiovascular effect because you are using your lower body and upper body at the same time.

RTTC is definitely a winner (as are all Jari's workouts). Love them!!

Jari Love has a great workout in that you are hitting more then one muscle group with each set you do. You can go heavier or no weight at all and still get a great workout. The high reps and change of pace is a great motivator and one that nets wonderful results. You should never get bored doing this workout. The pace is varied so that you are changing things up through out the workout. I love the fact that not only am I working my muscles and building more definition but I'm also getting a great cardio workout at the same time. You will definitely sweat doing this workout. I'd recommend this to intermediate as well as advanced exercisers due to the fact each set has someone doing the heavier more advanced version while someone else does the intermediate version. Lots of variety and a really great workout.

Jamie

I am a Cathe Friedrich fan. The harder the better for me. This workout is not too hard, but it is different which I really liked. I enjoyed the compound movements. I felt like I was getting more done. There is more shoulder workout (my weak area) and because I wasn't using heavier weight (only 8's), my heart rate didn't increase much. But I've only completed the workout 3 times and was trying to perfect my form, so I will up my weight next time I do the workout. This is my first Jari workout. The only thing I didn't like was Jari seemed kind of stiff, like she didn't want to mess up her hair or makeup. Otherwise, she's OK. There are lots of modifications for different levels so it would appeal to beginners as well as advanced. I am pleased with my purchase.