TurboFire: HIIT 15

Quick Facts:
Run time: Approximately 17 minutes, wasting no time
Equipment needed: Water

My Details:
Height: 5'4" or just under
Weight: 128.6 as of 5/3/11
Date completed: 5/4/11
Fitness Stats: Have only done brief amounts of HIIT (1 per 10 minutes in cardio vids)

Quick Review:
Calories burned: 237 in 17 minutes, 216 calories more than normal
Highest heart rate: 190
Lowest heart rate: 156
Difficulty+Intensity: 8/10

Good For:
Who: Anybody adventurous with a decent exercise base who wants results without spending too long each day
When: You're crunched on time but what a kick-butt calorie burner

Extended Review:
If you've never done a HIIT before, prepare to have your bum royally kicked. "Oh, 15 minutes? That's not so bad. I can do 15 minutes of just about anything!" Sure, you think that now ;) Chalene Johnson really knows how to work you to your max and how to motivate you to do your best. You feel like you're dying, and she basically celebrates that. She's smiling and always upbeat, so you're constantly like, "YAY, I'M WORKING SO HARD I WANT TO VOMIT!" Yes, she gets YOU excited to be feeling so bad. And the irony of it all is that after each interval, when you go to rest, you actually feel good. The only downfall when it comes to Chalene is that she doesn't spend a lot of time instructing on form. Of course, in 15 minutes when you're trying to keep your heart rate up, drop it down briefly, and then do it all over again, there's not a lot of time for explanation. She does a good enough job explaining during the resting intervals though
Trainer fun level: 9/10
Trainer explanation level: 7/10

As far as the actual workout goes, like I said, it's a killer. There are 3 different interval types, but each interval type is done 3 times for a total of 9 high-intensity intervals. In order to get your heart rate up so super high, you have to do a lot of jumping- explosive jumping. If you can't do one interval of plyometrics, don't expect to finish this HIIT following all the people in the "class." If you are having trouble with the intensity, you can follow the girl on the right as always for a lower-impact... but be aware, that does not mean "easy." You wanted an effect workout in 15 minutes, right? It has to be so painful. Those jump-squats, jump-lunges, high knee kicks, and the like are necessary, even if you can hardly lift off the ground now because you're so confused. Which, by the way, be prepared for as well. If doing this for the first time, you might feel like a preteen in a calculus class- struggling to even understand what she's saying let alone actually doing it. The good news is that overtime everything gets easier. You'll learn the routine and your body will adapt and let you go harder and higher so you feel like you're doing what you're supposed to.
Overall fun level: 8/10
Overall intensity level: 9/10
Overall difficulty level: 7/10