30 Day Shred... anyone want to join me?

Level 3 Day 5 complete.
Ironorchid I like those leg raises (odd) but the first time I could really feel it in my bottom the next day!

L1D7 done today.

Sabotaging my works though with massive carb cravings!

Oh, there are no worries about my back - it's already a long standing back problem! It's been great for the last year or so (perhaps due to
Shredding rediscovering my core muscles!) and I'm always aware of the things that are "risky". The swivel jumpy things in L2 cardio are something I always do fairly slowly and carefully and I am wary of any plank exercises.

L3 D1 done.

Good gravy - that was hard! Sweat drip-dripping off my nose on that plank w/weights+kick move, and I was doing the modified version.

Really can't get the hang of jumping lunges either. Can't shake feeling that my knees will get buggered up from them. Thank heavens for Anita.

Off for a shower now, and perhaps a gentle weep...

Well done! Be careful though. No point in risking a long term back problem.

L1 D10! Whoop! Interestingly, the exercises that made my back twinge were the cardio ones, not the abs.

I did have to skip yesterday because I strained my back doing the garden. I'm not convinced it will be OK today either. I might give it a go and give up if necessary.

L3 day 4 complete.
I too am in this mostly for the fitness/strength side of things but I know from doing it a few years back it will help me slim down a little. (As a result of having to rest my ankle in early spring but eating the same amount as usual means some of my summer clothes are too tight. )

I have never bothered with photos or weight before because it was all about how I felt. I always felt far far better, stronger and fitter having done it and that made me feel good. If I actually looked better too, that would be a bonus! I took the photos this time to see how much of a visible difference it makes. I need to excavate the garage and see if my ancient heavier weights are in there.

I might have to skip today as I've been doing heavy gardening today - clearing brambles, sawing branches and repairing a fence. I'm knackered! But less knackered than I would have been without 9 days of shred behind me :)

It's great to feel yourself getting stronger, isn't it?
Level 3, day 3 complete.

L1 D5 done

Think I need to upgrade my 1kg weights

You're spot on, Clear - my form with 2kgs on the V raises was shite! Plus I had to keep giving up on my arms and just squat with weights hanging by my sides. 1kgs are suiting me much better right now. Much less effin' too

L2 D10 done. Can't believe I've made it to L3 - this is my third attempt at the Shred so here's hoping the old adage is right

L1 D9 after a day off to visit my parents yesterday and eat FAR too much :o

Well done for getting back on board brassicababe.
Level 3 day 2 done.
Ironorchid I'm not sure you are supposed to drop weights just to avoid the grunting/swearing.
I know I am not strong enough to do the V raises with 2kg and proper form, no how much cursing! When I've finished the 30 day program, I am planning to go back and try with my 500g wrist weights and 1kg dumbells.

I've taken measurements and photos too soup

I threw my hat in the ring at the beginning of the thread but then failed to deliver. I'm in for real now. L1 D4 complete. Glad to see I have a little muscle memory from when I did Shred before xmas. So far I'm mainly with Anita with a little bit of Natalie thrown in.

Onwards!

This is the first time I've taken photos. I uploaded them to a private web album and deleted them from my phone!

L2 D9 done! Thanks for the advice clearsomespace and soupdragon - I used 2kgs up until the last strength section then dropped to 1kg for the dreaded V raises. There was a lot less swearing

I do my planks horizontal to the TV and cast the odd side-eye until I see the gang have moved, if that makes sense.

I have some before photos on my phone. Had brief panic about accidently posting them on FB when they automatically popped up as suggested pics on my feed - luckily newer, wholesome pics of birds and gardening shizz have shunted them (whew!).

Last day of L2 tomorrow (whee!confetti!balloons!).

I have the DVD and you can play without the commentary but I have never tried. The thing is with muting, if you are doing plank moves how do you know when to change? Maybe the problem is our living room is wider than it is deep so I am sideways on for all the abs and plank moves.
I have not bothered with before and after pics.
Nude underwear definitely looks better covered up!
Can feel level 3 in my thighs today.

It's raining here today so I've finally taken the time out to rtft.

I'm going to copy a pp's idea to mute GIllian and play my own music.
I like the pp's idea of doing it on week days and having weekends off, but this is an idea for the future, not now.

I'm hoping this will kickstart a return to a little routine exercise for me. Last time/first time, once I'd completed the shred, I listed all the moves from all three levels that I enjoyed and would do my own routine for 25 minutes. I lost this habit when I hurt myself and was out of commission for 14 months. I've been well for months now but seemed to forget that I could return to exercise and this thread reminded me!

I forgot how much this work out makes me sweat but on the plus side, I'm only L1d5 today and am already feeling stronger.

As a weird final note, how many of you have taken the before pics? I was scrolling through my phone last night for some pics to send to my mum and these popped up (front and side pics) and surprised me! I'm not used to having pics of myself in my pants, I chose nude undies, urgh!

When I first started, I used cans of baked beans for the "anterior raises with a side lunge" in L1 (and some of the other exercises that used similar miscles)! I adjusted what weights I used according to how easy I found the exercise.

Ironorchid I mostly use 2 kg but drop to 1kg for those hideous V raises and use heavier weights for some of the easier exercises such as dumbell cleans.
I think it's important to get the form right so for people new to this kind of exercise I would say don't worry if you can only manage 500g or 1kg at first, you'll soon get stronger if you keep at it.

Marking my place, going to start on Monday as I've got six weeks till my holiday and need to shift a few pounds and tone up. For the last year I've been doing Emily Skye's weightlifting programme on and off which has been great but I think I need to do more cardio to shift some fat. Hopefully the weightlifting will enable me to use much heavier weights with the shred compared to the last time I did it.

L2 D8 done! Still following Anita because jumpy-planks are ridiculous.

Does anyone know what weights are recommended with 30DS? I've never managed to figure it out so am sticking with 2kg handweights (and they kill me on the squat+arm raise move near the end).

I've found it a lot easier overall since muting the DVD and chucking on some good tunes. As much as I love Jillian, I could parrot her lines in my bloody sleep.

Yesterday was a killer though! Odd.