Shape Magazine Review: Bikini Body Month Three

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We are on the final month of Jillian Michaels' three-month Bikini Body fitness plan. I have loved these workouts the whole way through and have been counting down to July for this final workout. This month, Shape Magazine is pulling out all the stops and has made Jillian Michaels their cover girl. Although her interview is interesting, I think we are all a bit more excited about the workout...

This workout looks intense. There are a total of seven moves done in order for 60-seconds. This is repeated three times, total, with a 60-second break between each circuit. Out of the seven moves, there are about five that include some form of jumping. Get ready for your legs to feel some major toning after this guy!  

Like the Maria Menounos workout, this one takes dumbells.  

The Workout

This workout is intense. I think the only magazine workout that could compare to this one is the Amanda Russell 15 Minute Tone at Home from way back. The Amanda Russell workout was way shorter than this one too. There is no doubt that this is the final installment of Jillian Michaels' three-month bikini body workout plan.

I completed this workout in 27-minutes after jogging about two-miles at an incline. Needless to say, I am pooped. The workout was very simple to understand but makes up for the simplicity in intensity. I must admit, there were times I cheated. The workout calls for tons of jumps and weight exercises. There were a few times where I did the easier, non-jumping, option instead of the full-on Jillian Michaels rendition. If you are not quite sure about this workout or your knees, try the non-jumping variation for your first circuit. You will still get a major workout, but it will not be quite as intense.

The workout takes about 27-minutes, total. There are three one-minute breaks evenly spread throughout the circuits. If you prefer, Jillian says you can take less than the total minute. I took it all. No matter if you take the full rest time or not, you are pretty much guaranteed to burn at least 300 calories in this quick 27-minute workout. Jillian created this workout for some massive calorie burn and she delivers. My calorie burn was closer to 400 by the end of my third circuit. 

Although I loved the Maria Menounos workout, this workout feels more results driven and takes about the same amount of time. I will be doing this workout again this week, minus the two-mile pre-workout warm-up. Hopefully, I will be able to lift my arms afterwards this next time around!  

Cardio by YouTube

I love my cardio workouts... Especially when they can be done on a treadmill or in the comfort of my own cozy home. ​There are some great cardio workout videos out there that are 45+ minutes. As much as I love them, it can be difficult for me to get 45 minutes of cardio, plus shower, plus hair and make-up into a day. For those busy-bee days, I look to the amazing Amanda Russell and some other fantastic, quick cardio workouts.

Cardio Kick

I found this cardio video while scanning youtube for some great workouts that take less than thirty minutes. This Cardio Kick workout came up and I became super excited. It is pretty rare that I think about a workout all day until I can do it, but for this one, I did. ​

Amanda Russell is fantastic. She can fit some great muscle toning, fat burning exercises into less time than it takes to do most anything. ​This workout is no exception. You will be sweating by the end and burn quite the high calorie count. The workout is a circuit that lasts about 20 minutes and is comprised of some jogging, jumps, floor activity, and kicking (of course).

I would totally recommend this if you get bored during long workouts or most circuit routines. The time between activities is quick and each exercise goes by quite fast. Loved it. ​

BeFit in 90 Cardio Workout

The BeFit in 90 workout system may have a post of it's own soon enough. BeFit is an incredible YouTube channel that has some massive fat burning, muscle building, workout videos. Most of there workouts are by a few different trainers and aggregates workout videos by trainers like Jillian Micheal's and Denise Austen. 

The BeFit in 90 is a workout system that lasts 90 days. This cardio workout video is one in the 90 day line-up, but is good on it's own too. The short circuits and high intensity will help burn fat while building muscle. Best of all, everything about this video is geared towards the busy person. ​The workout is intense, but it is over in less than ten minutes. This would be great to do on it's own when time is tight, or as a warm-up before yoga!

Your Spring Body Workout

Florida has been a tricky-trickster with it's chilly weather lately. I keep having to remind myself that spring is right around the corner. Time to get out of hibernation and work towards that, do I dare say, bikini season.

This workout is one of those by the amazing Amanda Russell. She is so fantastic, like a little workout genie I would like to carry with me all the time. The Spring Into Your Spring Body Workout gets the fat melting and carbs burning with plyometrics and cardio. Plyometrics and cardio are one of the best combinations for seeing workout results. It does not take long to get a good workout when plyometrics are involved, so enjoy this spring body workout that will only take 10 minutes away from your day and use that extra time to get that itty bitty poka dot bikini. You earned it!

For more plyometric and cardio workouts, check out 300 in 30, 15 Minute Fat Burn, and Fast Track to Fit.

Six Pack in Six Weeks

So, you may be seeing a pattern this week. Yep, P+K has gone a little abtastic!  The abs and the bum are two of the most worked on areas of the body, maybe this is why they can also be found on most people's new year's goal lists. For those of you who want those abs and are ready to work the equivalent of ripping off a band aid, we have Jillian Michaels. Jillian is most popular for her work on The Biggest Loser, but she is also a fitness instructor, and co-host of the health and fitness podcast The Jillian Michaels Show. She is very involved in the fitness world, and her workouts show it! This video is a bit longer than anything that has been on P+K yet, but it is 35 minutes of pure, ab building, goodness. This will definitely work those abs and get you way closer to that six pack!

The video here is level 1. Jillian recommends completing the level 1 video five times per week for three weeks. Then, move on to level 2 for three weeks, five times per week as well. Whether you are that dedicated or not, I would highly suggest doing this work out at least once. There are some crazy good tips in here along with some great new workouts that I had never done before!

For those of you who want a flatter tum, but do not want it that bad, we have Amanda Russell. I have shown some of Amanda's videos on the site before, so it is nothing out of the ordinary. Amanda is great at getting big results in a small amount of time. This video is only three minutes long and the workout should take less than ten. The workout is comprised of six exercises done fifteen times each. Super simple.

I would recommend doing this workout after your normal routine. It is only ten minutes extra, so it will not take up too much time, but it will give major results!