Jillian Michaels Extreme Shed & Shred

I purchased this DVD last week.  I have been through the 30 Day Shred and the Ripped in 30, and I have tried 6 Week 6 Pack and Killer Buns And Thighs.  Extreme Shed & Shred is TOTALLY different from the other titles I mentioned.

I have only done this DVD for 2 days.  Yesterday I did level 1 and today I attempted level 1&2.  When I was done with level 1 yesterday I felt like it didn't do anything for me.  And then I woke up this morning all kinds of sore.  So my bright idea today was to do level 1&2 together. This DVD mixes all kinds of things together-some strength training, cardio, kickboxing, Brazillian Jiu-Jitsu, and yoga. And let me tell you, today kicked my butt.  There are some crazy moves in level 2 that made me just stop and stare at the screen.  I have a neck/shoulder/arm issue and I'm not even sure I can do some of the moves.  I tried to power through and do what I could, but I'd say out of the about hour and a half workout, I skipped through maybe 10-15 minutes of it.

I got VERY frustrated with my workout today. So much so that I may or may not have yelled some not so nice words at the TV. More than once. If you are an avid fitness person I recommend trying this DVD.  If you are looking for somewhere to start, to break into working out, this is not the way to go.  



30 Day Shred:Day1

The husband is at work, the kids are at school, and it's time for me to get my butt moving.  After I did a few chores, I decided (before I had a chance to talk myself out of it or come up with an excuse) to change and pop the 30 Day Shred DVD into the DVD player and get going. 

 Let me first say although I do not really know anything about Jillian Michaels (except I always thought she seemed kind of mean and heartless), I'm sort of disappointed in myself for having this unfounded dislike for her.  She was actually pretty motivational (without being fake and cheesy) and made me WANT to succeed in finishing my workout. 

The 30 Day Shred is a 30 minute workout based on a 3-2-1 system: 3 minutes of strength, 2 minutes of cardio, and one minute of abs. There is also a 2 minute warm-up and a 2 minute cool down.  There are 3 levels (you start on level 1 and work your way up). 

Even though I started on level 1, it's been a while since I have worked out and this kicked my butt.  What I really like about the workout is some of the moves have an "easy" version if you just can't seem to really get into that squat, or (like me) you suck at doing push ups.  None of the exercises in level 1 are super hard, but because I haven't worked out in so long I was having trouble pushing through the moves. My goal would be to get where I can do the "pro" moves, without feeling like I'm going to die, before moving on to the next level.   Jillian actually says in the video that if you're on day 5, 6, or 7 you should really be able to tell a difference in your stamina. I'm hoping that will be the case for me!

I'm hoping I'm not shooting myself in the foot here, but I think I will like this.  Even though the workout is 30 minutes it felt like it was over pretty quick. I feel like I got a good workout in, and I'm actually hoping I'm sore tomorrow to prove it! I'll update when I reach level 2.