Turbo Jam is a high-energy 8-week fitness program that will enable you to improve your muscle tone, increase your cardiovascular health, burn fat, and shed inches quickly and safely. It offers something for everyone from the beginner to the advanced level exerciser.
The program was created and produced by two of the biggest names in the fitness industry, Chalene Johnson and BeachBody. Also known as Turbo Jam: Calorie-Blasting Cardio, Kickboxing, Body-Sculpting Workout DVD Program, it features a mixture of cardio, body sculpting, kickboxing, and dance moves set to cool, upbeat music.
Read on to find out who Turbo Jam best suits and the Turbo Jam results that you can expect. We will also look at the kit inclusions, the Turbo Jam schedule, and more.
* Anyone suffering joint pain should stick with the modified version of the workout or choose a more gentle program, such as the Chalene Johnson PiYo DVD, which I review here
Table of Contents
Who Will Turbo Jam Suit?
Turbo Jam will suit anyone looking for a fast-paced dance-orientated workout that will quickly improve their fitness and muscle tone. It will also work for people who want to lower their body fat and lose weight quickly.
An independent university study showed very impressive Turbo Jam results, with participants burning up to 1,000 calories per hour. These were not isolated cases, either. This makes the program particularly suited to people carrying excess weight who would like to shed it rapidly.
*Not everyone who undertakes the program will burn 1,000 calories per hour. Your results will vary depending on the workouts you choose to do, how much you put into them, and how much weight you have to lose.
Working at a moderate to brisk pace, most people can expect to burn at least 400 to 700 calories each hour they work out.
How difficult are the Turbo Jam workouts?
Turbo Jam is customizable to every fitness level.
If you haven’t exercised before and you don’t have the energy or fitness to do a lot of jumping around, copy the two cast members who demonstrate modified versions of the moves.
You should also follow the moderators’ movements if you have joint issues. Doing so will enable you to do the workouts without your feet leaving the ground.
Most intermediate to advanced level exercisers will find Turbo Jam challenging enough to get a good sweat going. The more intensity you put in, the more significant your gains will be regarding fitness and fat loss.
Put more effort into your moves, and your heart rate will stay elevated throughout, resulting in a higher calorie burn. Punch more powerfully, kick higher, twist your body further during the ab exercises, and put more into your shimmies, and your results will come faster.
How much room will I need to do the workouts?
Because you will be doing lunges, kicks, and punches, among other things, you will need some room to move.
Taller people will need more free space than shorter people for a comfortable workout.
A workout area of around 6 to 8 feet will be sufficient, and you can get away with less. Some purchasers claim to work comfortably in an area of about 5 feet by 5 feet.
Will I need to buy anything extra?
Everything you need for the fitness component of Turbo Jam is included. There’s even a measuring tape for tracking your progress.
Most of the exercises use body weight as resistance. The intensity of some is increased using the included Turbo Sculpting Gloves.
If you plan on following one of the diets (keep reading for details), you will need to buy the recommended foods if you don’t already have these.
Turbo Jam Results
Turbo Jam Schedule
Before undertaking any fitness program, it’s essential to determine its schedule to get the best result. Not everyone has time to work out every day, or even 6 days a week. The good news is, with this program, you won’t have to.
The 8-week Turbo Jam program comprises two segments. The first 4 weeks suit for beginners. The pace and intensity pick up over the following four weeks.
There is no Turbo Jam schedule as such, but there is a workout calendar that contains recommendations. Each workout in the program is between 20 and 50 minutes long. For the best result, mix them up. Do more than one workout if you can, and aim for five sessions a week.
What’s in the Kit?
Turbo Jam comprises 5 workouts on two DVDs, plus some extra tools that will help accelerate your results.
The workouts are as follows:
• Turbo Jam Learn & Burn – In this 30-minute workout, you will begin burning fat and shedding inches as you learn Chalene’s signature “Elite 11” moves.
• Turbo Jam 20 Minute Workout – As its title suggests, the Turbo Jam 20 Minute Workout is 20 minutes long. Suitable for beginners and anyone short on time, it exercises the entire body.
The pace is slow initially, then picks up as the workout progresses. The moves are well-explained and clearly demonstrated, so you should have no trouble getting the hang of them.
• Turbo Jam Turbo Sculpt – A 40-minute long workout, Turbo Jam Turbo Sculpt focuses on our typical problem areas, whittling them into shape and sculpting long, lean muscles.
• Turbo Jam Cardio Party – The key to getting the most benefit from Turbo Jam Cardio Party is to keep moving. A fun 45-minute workout, it packs a punch in a good way.
This segment will work your entire body and burn lots of calories. Starting with gentle stretches, the pace soon picks up. It will see you dancing, punching, kicking, doing standing ab movements, and more.
And just when you think you can’t do another step, the pace slows, and a different muscle group is targeted.
• Turbo Jam Ab Jam – The 20-minute Turbo Jam Ab Jam workout involves lots of standing ab work that targets every muscle in your core and abdominal region. Reasonably easy compared to the ab workouts in some other fitness programs, it nevertheless brings excellent results.
Once you become accustomed to doing the workouts, you may like to choose the “Pump Up” option. Doing so will allow you to hear the music, minus Chalene’s instructions.
The DVD concludes with footage containing success stories, cast bios, glimpses into Chalene’s life, and amusing outtakes.
Handy Tools That Come with the Kit
In addition to the workout DVDs, the Turbo Jam kit provides some handy tools, as follows:
Along with lots of useful information and helpful tips related to the program, the Turbo Results Step-by-Step Guidebook contains an overview of the cast members. There’s also a brief bio of Chalene and a rundown of what she considers the most important factors when it comes to getting into shape.
The 10-Day Kick Start is a handy guide that will help you get started with the program. It contains meal suggestions for 10 days – 3 meals and 2 snacks a day – along with recipes for making them, plus workout recommendations for each day.
Also included is the Turbo Jam Eating Plan, which contains a range of delicious recipes suitable for every meal of the day.
The plan also provides meal suggestions for dining out and graphic flashcards with descriptions of the Elite 11 moves. These provide a handy portable reference to take along if you are going away and want to get in some exercise.
A cloth measuring tape enables you to track your progress in terms of inches lost. There’s also a note card for recording this information.
Turbo Jam Bonus
Along with everything listed above, you will get 4 useful bonuses to help optimize your workouts for better results. These include:
Turbo Sculpting Gloves – Padded and containing weights, when worn during workouts, the Turbo Sculpting Gloves have been scientifically proven to engage muscle activity by as much as 96%, so you will tone up a whole lot faster.
Punch, Kick & Jam – A 50-minute advanced level workout with exercises that will enable you to make the most of the Turbo Sculpting Gloves.
6-Day SlimDown plan – An easy-to-follow weight loss plan that can help you lose up to 3 inches from your waistline in under a week.
Turbo Slim® Rapid Results Program – Use this simple-to-follow meal plan and measurement tool to lose up to 10 inches during the first ten workouts.
Online Support – Known for their fantastic customer support, as with all of the BeachBody programs, online support for Turbo Jam is readily available. This includes live chat, email, and 24-hour phone access. There’s also an on-site database containing FAQs.
Turbo Jam Purchaser Feedback
The vast majority of reviewers agree that Turbo Jam is enjoyable to do, and it works exceptionally well.
Since undertaking the program, many purchasers claim to have lost weight and inches and improved their muscle tone.
Many people commented on the speed with which they saw results.
Positive feedback has been left regarding Chalene’s likable manner and encouraging positivity, which they say makes the workouts more enjoyable.
However, the program is not without criticism. The bulk of this is from people who received kits that didn’t contain everything advertised. Unfortunately, this can happen from time to time with any product. If you do receive an incomplete kit, contact customer service, who will promptly resolve the issue.
A small percentage of people had trouble learning the moves. Some also found the pace too fast, but all agreed that the workout was very effective. A few purchasers found the exercises to be too hard on their backs. Presumably, these people were following along with Chalene, not one of the modifiers.
Turbo Jam Summary
If you’re shopping for a high-intensity cardio program that will enable you to burn a lot of calories and lose weight and inches quickly and safely, Turbo Jam fits the bill.
Coming with a range of helpful extras, including diet manuals, easy-reference flashcards, and weighted gloves to intensify your sessions, if you enjoy fast-paced workouts with plenty of variety, you should be very happy with this program.
