Yep, it’s true.

This morning I cheated on Shaun T.

{I have to say – I’m a little jealous if you don’t know who he is. That would mean that you don’t currently torture yourself multiple times a week doing his totes insane workouts, like I do}

Just kidding, Shaun T. Kind of.

You may or may not know that right now I’m in the midst of working out like a pycho more than usual. For me, that means, like, 4 or 5 times a week. Lately I’ve been working late hours at the office, so this means I’m squeezing in my morning dates with Shaun T at 6am roughly 3 or 4 times a week, and then – if things go right – going for a nice long 4-5 mile run on the weekend.

I should probably also tell you that I’m only on my second week of this schedule.

That’s okay though – because I know I’m going to keep it up. Why, you ask? Well, for one simple reason: I have a goal. Not a goal of like, I want to lose 5 pounds. Which, of course, I do. {Don’t we all?} But that never seems to keep my hand out of the cookie jar for long. What I’m talking about here is an event-based goal – which for me, seems to be the only thing that really gets me going. This could be a wedding, a reunion of some type, or any other big event that requires you to be at the top of your game. For me, it’s a photo shoot.

A huge component when it comes to seeing change in your physique is variety; you always want to shock your body, and you never want it to know what’s next. And yes, it also helps ward off the boredom factor. So, this morning I decided it was time to walk over to the little stack of {unopened} workout DVDs on the floor and give Jillian a try.

The Skinny:

The DVD is made up of three workouts: Levels 1, 2, and 3. I was still sore from doing the Insanity “Recovery” DVD yesterday morning (yeah, I know, I don’t get it either), so I went with Level 1. And it’s definitely wise to start there – it was pretty intense! Each workout is only 20 minutes long, so it was about half the time I’m used to doing with the Insanity DVDs, but it was still a solid workout. Each one is comprised of rotations of 3 minutes of strength moves, 2 minutes of cardio, and 1 minute of abs. This is *the* recipe for weight loss, ladies. If someone tells you it’s okay to just do cardio – stop listening immediately. They don’t know anything. (What you eat, however, is the single most important piece of the puzzle – for more on that, click here.)

There are no breaks at all in between, so you’re constantly moving the entire time. Think of it this way – you could spend over an hour at the gym, but between chatting, drinking water, resting between sets, texting, etc. – how much time are you really working it?

What I like:

• Short and sweet – I mean, who can’t find the time to wake up just 20 minutes earlier?
• Minimal equipment needed – just a pair of dumbbells (mine are 5 pounds, I think) and a mat if you’re on a hard surface.
• Good strength moves – my upper body is unusually weak, so the weights used here were a nice addition.
• Totally reasonably priced – you can get it for less than $10 here.

The final verdict –> Shaun T is still my #1, but I will definitely be seeing Jillian again.

What do you think, ladies? Would you give Jillian a try – or better yet, have you already? Are there any other workout DVDs you swear by? I’m also looking to get into some yoga and pilates, so I’d love to know if you have any recommendations.