A 38-minute heavy-cardio, light-toning routine with Amy Dixon instructing.

Intermediate exercisers — even with modifications it's a little too intense for beginners. You will need 3-pound dumbbells and, says Dixon, "your best mental attitude." More advanced exercisers may want to up their dumbbells to 5 pounds, but these moves are pretty quick (the focus is more cardio than toning), so they should not be any heavier than that.

The cover of this DVD claims that you will "blast up to 500 calories" with this workout. Well, that may be a rather ambitious claim. Chances are you won't burn quite so much. But you will get a great workout that does pack a lot of fat burning in a relatively short amount of time. There are two cardio segments and two toning segments, alternated. The moves are primarily athletic, although Dixon will very occasionally throw in a bit of grace or femininity, while never losing power. The cardio segments are demanding; even the modifications will have you breathing heavy. The toning segments aren't too tough (if you are strong, you will probably want to use 5 pound weights), but the exercises consist of complex moves that work your whole body while keeping your heart rate up. Dixon is a rising star in the fitness world. She's got a great personality for video instruction — pleasant, tough but supportive, and even dryly funny. She makes you want to complete the workout and then come back for more. On a lazy day, you may groan at the thought of working as hard as this DVD makes you, but Dixon's persona will have you going for it anyway.