Customer Reviews

Get Ripped! with Jari Love

5 star:		(40)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This is the only video that I have by Jari Love, but it's a great one. Ripped is an hi-rep lighter weight endurance workout that runs just under and hour. It is quite similar to the Bodypump workout or classes, which I personally have never seen but have heard they are alike. Jari is exercising along with 3 other exercisers which she refers to as the "Rippers". You will need weights, dumbells and/or barbell, a step or a bench you will need for some of the seated exercises (they use the bench for the lying exercises but I just lie on the floor), a mat if you don't have carpet and Jari also recommends a heart rate monitor. The setting is a bit dark and somewhat plain but didn't bother me. The music is decent, techno would be the best way to describe it.

The warmup I found a little odd, not really your typical warm up, you just grab some weights and go from the start. You do some shoulder rolls while holding a barbell or weights, and then you will so some deadlifts, rows, deadrows, bicep curls, overhead presses and squats. These are all moves you will see in the workout but the weight should be much lighter than what you would normally use.

Then it's on to the workout, Jari tells you what exercise is coming so you can prepare. They also display each exercisers "personal weight load" which I really liked, it gives you an idea of what weights to use which I found very helpful. You start out with squats, a pretty long set with varied counts, 4-4, 3-1. 2-2 and single count. After these you will do a brief set of plie squats before finishing out with another brief set of traditional squats. Chest work is next you will do a short set of pushups, followed by bench presses again with varied counts. Next are pullovers where just one dumbell is used, I usually think these are pretty easy especially in a workout like this where lighter weight is encouraged. My arms were on fire! Pullovers also target the triceps and that is where I really felt this one. Following pullovers is lying triceps extensions to fry the triceps a little more, then you will move into a close grip bench presses that also work the triceps. Towards the end of this set Jari will combine the two exercises.

Floor leg work is next, inner thighs are worked first with leg lifts, then you will work the outer thighs with more leg lifts, then knee ins with some pulses. Ankle weights can be used here or a dumbell for a little extra challenge. Then you will move onto deadlifts and rows. You will start with deadlifts, then rows, then you will combine the two for a deadrow where you will bend at the hips then row. Next are lunges, where you will step back and then lunge down and return to standing. I modified this one just a bit by doing a static lunge in a 2-2 count which I liked better and I will still on pace with Jari and friends.

You will finish out with biceps, shoulders and abs. The biceps and shoulders are two of the toughest sets in the workout. The biceps are done in varied counts and is a pretty long set. The shoulders consist of 4 sets total, you will do 2 sets of side lateral raises, then 2 sets of front raises. The ab work is pretty easy and short, you will do 3 exercises, reverse crunches, traditional crunches and oblique twists. Then it's on to the cooldown and stretch. There is also stretching in between most of the exercises so the final stretch isn't too long.

Overall I really liked this workout and give it 4 and a half stars. Jari is a very pleasant instructor and I liked her style, I would definitely buy more workouts from her. The DVD has a few extras, a testimonials section where people talk about why the love the Ripped program, and a techniques and modification section where Krista (one of the Rippers) shows how you can personalize the workout to your needs. I would rate this workout as intermediate, but it is suitable for all levels. I would advise viewing the video before doing so you can familiarize yourself with the different rep counts and tempos as most of the exercises have them. For those who like hi-rep endurance workouts, this one is a great choice. Well done Jari!

I enjoy Jari Love's "Get Ripped" workout a lot. It is a high-repetition, strength training workout. This means you do the same muscle-building exercise for each muscle group many times over and over. It isn't as repetitive as you might think, however, because Jari varies the speed at which you do the moves. I found that this 55 minute workout flew by and left me pleasantly worked out at the end. Jari uses a light barbell and a club-sized step (as a weight bench). One background exerciser uses dumbbells instead of a barbell. If you don't own a step, you can simply do those moves on the floor.

As far as difficulty, I would rate this as an intermediate level. Jari's background exercisers, however, show both beginner and advanced modifications which make it possible for everyone to get a great workout. There is a segment separate from the workout itself that goes over modifications in detail, which is perfect for the beginning exerciser.

A couple of minor details: people who do not enjoy "techno" types of music may be annoyed by the soundtrack. It is definitely different than most of the other music from workout videos I own. I found it to be unpleasant, but something I could live with. Additionally, although this is a total body workout, I thought the section for abdominals was unimpressive. I hate doing ab work and in fact my abs probably are my weakest muscles. Even wimpy ol' me found this section to be too easy even with modification. You may want to add additional abdominal exercises on to your workout.

Overall, this is a great workout that is different from some you may have tried.

I loved this DVD! I've been doing cardio for years and my weight hasn't budged. As soon as I started Ripped I knew it was the workout for me! I felt so sore after the first time but did it again a few days later and felt sore but fantastic. It works all my muscles.

After doing it regularly for about 3 months (in addition to my usual cardio) I've lost 15 pounds and I feel toned! I thought that in my 30's I'd have to just live with less muscle tone but not anymore.

Jari is a calm easy-to-listen-to instructor and the exercises are easy to follow. The workout covers all the muscles of the body. Its a pretty no-nonsense workout and is very sensible.

I'm a certified personal trainer and I like working with various fitness dvds because it's interesting to see how various folks put together their programs.

This dvd has some good overall exercise selection (though I have reservations about some), decent form pointers but I do have issues regarding safety concerns.

The lack of a more thorough warm-up concerns me. I don't feel there's enough there to properly prepare one for the coming workout. I did a bunch of warm-ups on my own.

Repetition tempo: I like the "idea" of the variety of tempos within the exercises but felt her "singles" are too fast for eccentric loading with these types of exercises and could put a lot of people in unnecessary danger, especially for the deadlifts, pullovers and "biceps" curls (which obviously work all the elbow flexors not just the biceps).

Here's just a few observations regarding certain parts of the dvd.

Dead lift/Bent over rows: Dead lifts are a great full body exercise but Bent over rows, even though very common, aren't a good risk versus reward choice. One arm rows are much safer while still being very beneficial.

Again, the fast single count eccentrics make both the Deadlifts and Bent over rows very high risk and definitely not worth the reward.

Skull crusher/Triceps press combo: Interesting combination to use with Dumbbells. I think that doing the close grip triceps press with a barbell can put unnecessary pressure/stress on the wrists (I did all the exercise w/ DBs).

Seated Lateral Raises: These tend to be safer shoulder exercises than overhead presses for many people so I like her choice of exercise, still I think doing them from a standing position (especially a split stance) is better because you integrate your body more and the feet are a better base of support than the glutes. I think seated positions can put unnecessary stress on the spine.

Abdominals Section:I tend not to be a fan of crunches or oblique crunches because most people don't need extra spinal flexion as it puts unnecessary stress against the intervertebral discs. However if someone is going to do crunches I think they are much safer performed at slow tempos with a sustained contraction and using less reps. On Ripped they are performed at a fairly rapid tempo which can lead to poor form and the use of momentum. I feel that planks, side planks and rollouts are better for training the core's true function with less chance of injury to the spine.

I started out doing the Crunch DVDs, but really wanted to take it to a higher level. I found this DVD and do it three days a week. I pair it with Crunch Boot Camp to get some cardio in.

This DVD is the best. My body fat percentage is down, I can really see definition in my shoulders, chest and arms (my legs are already in really great shape). I wanted to get the arms Annette Benning had in American President, and I can really see myself headed in that direction. Yay!

It's about 55 minutes long, and it really flies by. The instructor is matter of fact and to the point. She's helpful in that she tells you exactly where you should be focusing for each particular exercise, her instruction is really top-notch, and the people exercising with her are not annoying at all (unfortunately can't say that about the people on the Boot Camp DVD).

To be more specific, I typically burn about 235 calories during this workout, and 55% body fat. Of course, there is also the afterburn to consider, but during the workout itself, this is what I burn.

My only complaint is that when the DVD tells you the weight load the other exercisers are carrying, it doesn't say until you're already starting the exercises. One of the girls is about my build, and I'd like to know what she's carrying before I start so I know which weight to pick up. Oh well, I'll be able to just remember it before too long.

Also, during some of the work, they don't show the girl using the dumbbells enough. In one exercise, they don't show her at all. I'm not about to stick a bunch of bar bells in my living room, so I need to see what dumbbell girl is doing!

Other than that minor thing, this is an excellent DVD, and I look forward to moving on to her others.

I'm an intermediate-to-advanced exerciser. While I can certainly do many advanced workouts, they often leave me feeling exhausted and have a huge dread factor. Although I want my workouts to challenge me, I also want to feel GOOD after exercising, not wiped out. Given this, Jari Love's Get Ripped is a perfect match for me. I definitely feel thoroughly worked out after using this DVD, but the constant tempo changes and variety of equipment used keep it interesting, meaning that the 55 minutes fly by and there is absolutely NO dread factor--in fact, I look forward to doing this workout!

It did take me a little while to get used to Jari's style, however. First of all, the "warm-up" is not at all like traditional warm-ups in other workouts: instead of doing some light aerobics and stretching, Jari has you start right in with the weight training, not doing a lot of reps but enough to warm up the hamstrings, biceps, and shoulders. After some trial and error, I found that I could do this segment using 10# dumbbells. In fact, I used my 10# dumbbells through the majority of the workout, going a little heavier for the first set of chest work and deadlifts but dropping down a little towards the end of the workout for the biceps and shoulders work. 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 usually uses a barbell, while another exerciser sticks with dumbbells and others sometimes use just weight plates--but also in their individual weight loads, which are very helpfully shown on screen at the start of every new exercise.

For all of the exercises, Jari varies the count. She generally starts with a slow four up-four down count, moves into three up-one down, goes to two-and-two, sometimes to singles, and then pyramids back up again. Given this, you will be doing A LOT of reps, but you are never rushed, which allows you to lift heavier if you prefer. You can also always drop down to lighter weights for the quicker sets, although Jari does move from tempo to tempo with no breaks (there are short stretch breaks between body parts, however). The workout begins with squats/plie squats, then moves to floor for chest, starting with push-ups (only one set, thank goodness!). Still on your back, you'll do pullovers and then a tricep superset--I found this particularly tough, as my triceps were pre-fatigued from the chest/back work. I liked that Jari then stays on the floor for inner and outer thigh work in the form of side leg lifts; she does enough reps so that you feel the burn and then that's it, you're done! Coming back to a standing position, you'll do deadlifts and then a deadlift/row combo. This is followed by just a single set of four-count lunges on each leg (I was VERY happy not to have to do various tempo counts here). Then comes biceps, shoulder work in a seated position (Jari and crew use their steps, but a chair works fine too), and finally abdominals. The abs work consists of just a few different exercises (working lower abs, upper abs, obliques), but when I make sure to execute them with good form, I really feel the burn here. One background exerciser does the abs work (and some of the previous exercises as well) using a stability ball. The workout ends with some nice stretches on the floor, mainly for your hips and hamstrings.

Extras on this DVD include demonstrations of the exercises, information on the science behind Ripped, and testimonials. The one thing I wasn't so crazy about with this workout was the music--it generally had a pumping, techno-type beat (with occasional vocals) similar to what you would hear in a club. This is not my style, but once I get into the workout, I barely notice it. 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 things like "awesome!" and "you can do it!" Although I think that this workout is perfect for intermediates like myself, it's actually appropriate for a wide range of exercisers: advanced exercises should have no problems modifying up, and I think even true beginners could do this workout so long as they paid attention to form (watching the exercise breakdowns first would be a great idea) AND made sure to keep the weights VERY light, or even no weight (Jari and one of the background exercisers use body weight only for the lunge series). Overall, I'm thrilled to have discovered the Ripped series and believe this workout to be an extremely valuable addition to my collection; highly recommended!

I checked this out of the library just to try it and had to order a copy of my own before my renewals run out! Jari is a great instructor, low-key but motivating. I was looking for a whole body workout that used weights and was an efficient way to tone. I am a formerly fit person just getting back into it. I have to take a couple mini-breaks throughout the workout on certain parts, but can mostly do it all using low weights (I use hand weights for her workout). I have done this workout a handful of times and have already seen results! I sort of get "in the zone" in this workout and can hardly believe so much time has passed when I finish. Jari is good at cue giving and transitions you well throughout the workout. My only criticism (and I gave 5 stars, so it's not much) is that the ab work at the end doesn't challenge me enough. Several other reviews have mentioned this as well. But I have a separate ab workout anyway...plus, I am so tired by the end that I'm not much up for abs at that point. Highly recommended if you want an efficient workout and a great instructor. I will be seeking out all of Jari's dvds. She knows her stuff and has an approach that works for me.

I recently bought this workout and I LOVE IT! I had read everyone else's reviews before buying it and agree with some, and not with others. Its a great workout, I love that you get right into the workout with just a quick warm up as opposed to a long warm up that leaves you exhausted before you even begin. I love that she is not perky and fake-sweet. I like that she is enthusiastic about her workout, but not jumping around like she's hyped up on speed like some others do. I love that she does all the workouts, some instructors walk around. I love how she tells you what exercise is coming up next while stretching the one you just worked. It gives you time to get ready for each move. It is easy to modify with hand weights, as opposed to a barbell. She gives a very short, but very uplifting speech at the end, during the final stretch that left me very motivated. The workout goes really quick and there are no parts that I "dread" like some other workout DVD's that I have. After doing this workout I felt like a warrior princess or something, very strong. I can actually see myself getting a better physique through this DVD. The only reason I did not give it 5 stars is because during the deadlift-row combo, they do not show the 1 person using hand weights instead of a barbell, so I could not watch her to make sure I was modifying it the same as her--did she go to the bathroom during this segment? Other than that, this is a 3 times a week workout for me and I really do like it a lot.

This DVD is great! Not only is the workout for every muscle group, but there are also useful extra features.
There is a demonstration of how to properly do all the moves in the workout, and how to make the moves easier if you need to.
There's an explanation of how Ripped workouts are different from others, and how they are designed to get results.
Jari is a wonderful instructor and her firm encouragement does a lot to get you through the really tough sets.
And there are tough sets! Providing you are using the proper weight, these exercises are very challenging, but great for any level of fitness.

I found this workout to be right up my alley for my current stage of fitness. I have been doing cardio videos (some with dumbell work "mixed" in) for the past two years, and am in good shape. However, I have been looking for a dvd with just good strength work involved. I found this ripped dvd to be perfect as a start - I LOVE Jari's style and her personality throughout the video, she is one of the most motivating instructors I have worked out with and I have a TON of videos. The time flew by, and by the end of it my arms felt rubbery in a good way. I have a barbell, but dumbells would work fine too if you are just getting started. I highly recommend this video for anyone starting out with this type of workout, and I look forward to moving on to Jari's advanced workouts... Enjoy!!