The July 2014 Shred Thread - Go on, you know you want to

Can I join? Just done 30ds L1D5, def starting to feel a bit more toned on arms and legs although no change in stomach .

When I started only had 21 days til holiday so what do you think I should do - the full 10 days on L1 and L2 or 7 days on each of the 3 levels? L1 is a work out, but isn't killing me so was thinking of moving onto L2 in next couple of days but not sure whether that's a bad idea if L2 is a nightmare!

Oh I hear you Yadah! Even as an underweight teenager I still had wobbly thighs and stocky looking shoulders. And my bras always sink a little bit on my shoulders, no matter how much weight I lose so I never feel comfortable wearing strapless things because my arms and shoulders always look "chubby". I think it must just be the way I'm built!

Did you mean me with the toddlers Bustle? They will not nap. They are currently fighting will I try and pack a picnic bag. I might pack them in the bag in the minute! I do love them (I think) but my god they drive me mad! Neither of them sit still for more than a few minutes, they wind each other up and then hit each other, get jealous if I cuddle one and not the other! The 3yo should know better!! They're going to their dads this weekend and I am counting down the minutes! I'm going to wee lots just for the novelty of doing so without two small people trying to climb me

Ooh imogen and shadows we should start a club! Let's call it 'short and stocky', or'unfortunately, I am built like a peasant'.

Welcome flower. Have a look on YouTube before you buy ??

Ahhh at toddlers waking imogen. Will they nap? Trying to get mine to sleep so I can drink tea and read the paper do RI30

WHhat is BR Yadah?

30DSL1D2 done. Not easier, but felt better about it!

I got the 30 day Shred one from Amazon flower, (it was a fiver) but I think you can get it on YouTube too.

Can I join you? I must must do some exercise but I am lacking willpower so maybe if I try a short daily burst it will become a habit....?? But first some advice pls. Which DVD? I have looked on amazon and there are several.

We need to start a club, I'm 5 ft 2.5! And I also will never have willowy sleek arms. I'm aiming for as toned as possible because I have the double wave going on, which should not be happening!

I calculated my body fat percentage last night and whilst I understand it's not that accurate, it's supposed to give you a rough idea. It came out at 30%. Apparently the average for women my age is 35% and for athletes and fit people it's between mid twenties. So that's what I'm going to focus on I think, rather than my actual weight because whilst my bmi is fine at 21.6 I'm a little heavier than I naturally was pre DC and everything wobbles and I think it's just that muscle tone has all gone with having babies and it's been replaced with wobble. So hopefully the more muscle I can build under the wobble, the less wobble there will eventually be!

I tried to get up early to exercise today but both DC heard me and woke up too, so all I have achieved is creating two over tired grumpy toddlers who are taking it in turns to shout at me . It's like a two prong attack!

RI30 L1D8 done. Definitely getting much easier now. Two more days before I have to face L2.

Glad it's making a difference for you, Bustle. I'm also never going to have lovely lean arms (in fact are you me? I'm also only 5'2"). I have a weight-lifter's general build, though sadly without the strength. Mine are still quite wobbly in spite of all the push-ups, but when I lift them you can now see some muscle definition along the top of the arm and shoulder.

Imogen, good we can spur each other on ??

Shadows, why not, it's an achievement!

IfYouCould, what is extreme shred? Sounds terrifying.. is it JM?

Fast for difference ddas!

Didn't do anything today as DH had the day off work and I had a lie in and then went to a cafe for cake. Whoops. Although I did have a shower without children hanging out of me for the first time in two weeks and I got to

1. Shave my legs, whoop!
2. Look in mirror, during which I saw my stomach has shrunk and arms looking better.

I think I'll have to accept that I'll nevet have lovely, thin, lean arms. I am short - 5 2", but I have a strong build and will just have to do the best I can with what I have. My arms are lookin g more toned which I'm happy about and hopefully I may stretch to weari ng a short sleeved dress on holidays next month instead of sweating miserably in a cardigan.,

& shadows thanks for the abs modification tips!

30ds L1 D6 done. Think can see it making a difference!

Shred, D6,L2 - done

Very stop/start - had forgotten loads of the exercises, so had to rewind a few times to catch up! Enjoyed it though!

Thanks all! That's the encouragement I need, really appreciate it!

Laying out my kit for the morning. Bring on day 2.

Tango, day 1-3 of the Shred is really hard even if you're quite fit to begin with - if the cardio doesn't make you ache, the weights do (and I think for things like the side lunges with arm raises you need lighter weights). Judging from these threads most people seem to find it gets better around day 4 when the initial aches wear off and you start to know the moves and find it all a bit easier.

I also do everything slower than the DVD! I'm forever scrambling into position when she tells you to move to the next exercise.

Imogen... I quite often don't even make it to the couch, I just kind of collapse on the floor after the cool down, rofl

Tango - it gets easier honestly and I still after months don't do anything more than badly attempt the exercises slower than the DVD anyway, lol, but, it still works.

Tango, don't be hard on yourself...
It's supposed to be a challenge - otherwise it wouldn't do anything for you!
You've done the most difficult bit by actually starting the Shred and you've done Day 1. I promise you that it gets easier - by the time you're on day 4 or 5, you'll feel like an old pro!

Keep on going, you can do it!

Don't congratulate me too hastily. I've done my first ever shred and I'm not convinced I'm up to the challenge, I skipped a few reps and didn't feel I was doing the exercises properly enough... Felt knackered enough afterwards, maybe neeed 1kg, not 2kg for some exercises though!

Thankfully not too sleep deprived, DS isn't a bad sleeper and has a good long morning nap so can find 20 mins to do some wobbling in the living room. Maybe the shred is too much and should go back to my preferred exercise (errr, walking).

Convince me that I can do it again tomorrow!

Excellent, I was going to say we can stand shoulder to shoulder, but I think slumping shoulder to shoulder on the sofa would be much more in the spirit of the thing!

Haha - I had a brief read through before I posted, it's ok, I'll join you in the I hate this but want to fitter corner, lol

Thanks, tabulahrasa. Glad you're back: this thread is filling up with impressively sporty types who actually enjoy exercise, and I was feeling like the lone representative of people who dislike it but accept the necessity for doing it.

Imogen - there's no jumping on level 2, I'm pretty sure. Just the jump rope kick ups and high knees that might be a bit noisy, but nothing like rock star jumps, lol.

30DSL1D1...I've gone right to the beginning so I don't die, lol. I just didn't feel up to ripped after a couple of weeks off.

Hi everyone :)

I'm on day 10 of extreme shed and Shred. I'm doing it every day, when I get home. No visible results yet but I'm getting a bit better at the moves. Hopefully I'll see a change!

I want to add congratulations to people who can face doing this while their babies are small! My DS is nearly 4 and although I've been back on my bike for ages, it wasn't till the fog of sleep deprivation lifted that I could even contemplate doing any other exercise. I most certainly couldn't have got up half an hour early to do a DVD: sleep was too precious.

Question for BetterWithCheese and yadah (and anyone else who's done RI30 L2). How much jumping is there? I have to go away for a work conference for all of next week and was planning to take the DVD, but if my bedroom's above someone else's I don't want to be making too much noise! I did L2 of the Shred while I was away on a couple of work trips, but couldn't possibly have done L3 because those rock star jumps would have brought the ceiling down in the room below! (I could practically feel the house shaking when I did them, and I exercise in a ground floor room .) If L2 of RI30 involves a lot of leaping I might stick to L1 for another week.