Top 10 Workout DVDs of 2011

Sizzling Circuit Workout

Amy Dixon Super Fit Bod! ($20, amazon.com)

What you'll need: an aerobic step, a pair of 5-pound dumbbells

Calories burned:* 472 for total 57-minute routine, 38 for bonus 12-minute core routine

Why we love it: This isn't your mother's step class. Celebrity instructor Amy Dixon, group fitness manager for Equinox Fitness Clubs in Santa Monica, California, keeps each of the six 4- to 10-minute mini sculpting sessions sweaty with high-impact cardio, like jumping squats onto the step, and challenging sculptors, such as one-legged dead lifts with a lateral raise. Even a tester who "normally avoids the step like the plague" moved this workout "to the top of my DVD list." Dixon is "realistic, encouraging, and likable," and the exercises are easy to follow, adding intensity after you get comfortable with the movement. Complete your session with the 12-minute core-toning routine.