Still crushing it with Jillian 2021

Don't get me started on the running man. Truly horrendous and for me the worst part of Cardio 1 in BR. In fact, I prefer the suicides to the running man. Grim.

Cardio-no day tomorrow and I've decided to do BFBM instead of Cardio 1. Just need to mix it up a bit. The saving grace of BFBM is that it has no running man! 《Deliberately avoids thinking of all the hideous moves it does have》

I’m enjoying the workouts this week, too, Queuing, though I didn’t do the cardio today as I ran instead.

The moves so far are fine (I recognise most from previous DVDs), I just have to keep my fingers crossed that I don’t damage any joints as I do the moves at the same time as them but probably should take my time with some (like the arm lunges while in plank) to get better form.

I hope your side gets better with a bit of rest. I haven’t done cardio on this week yet but I wasn’t keen on things like the running man from last weeks as that didn’t feel great for my knees, despite being fine with actual running. I ended up with a tight feeling over one knee and have invested in a foam roller for extra stretching.

It was shoulders and triceps for me today too, Roonetta. Now starting on my second week of the Weeks 3 and 4 workouts of BR. I actually really enjoy this workout. The only bits I hate are the plie hops, the cable pull where you put your foot in the loop of the cable, lunge through it and row (even the other participants hate this one) and the crescent pose where you have to lunge between your arms in plank. I just can't get my feet in place inside my arms in plank and have to lunge my foot forward on the outside of my arms. One day Jillian, one day [shakes fist].

I've developed a bit of a sore hip/side on my left. Not sure if it's the hip itself or my obliques. Weirdly it developed after yesterday's cardio day not a strength day so not sure why. Hopefully it will ease off. Doesn't stop me doing anything, just a niggly annoying pain

Hi folks! Yes @Queuing4Fergs I love wine but recently I’ve been over indulging and it’s been affecting my sleep and exacerbating my anxiety so need to reign it in. I’ll take a few weeks off as a circuit breaker which will hopefully reset things.

Still trucking on with Ri30 L1. I’m actually finding it quite easy! Although I know a couple of you have mentioned L3 being brutal so I shall just enjoy L1 before it ramps up! Starting L2 on Saturday.

@roonetta well done on the 5kg weights

I’m so sorry about your brother, Professor.

Week 3 of BR started here today, it’s stepped up a bit! I feel like I’m going to bruise my leg through pressure on the balancing move!

Running is going well, though with the weather today I’m glad today was a rest day!

Wineloffa I'm guessing by your user name that abstaining for a while will be hard. I too love wine (outing to anyone who knows me, but I got married on a vineyard and we visited over 30 different vineyards in NZ and SA on our honeymoon!) and have to consciously not drink at least 3 days a week to give myself a break. I used to do at least one sober month a year until the horrific 2020 so I should book one in really. I find it challenging, not physically but mentally as to me, wine means a lot of things and, frankly, I find not having a couple of glasses of an evening, boring for my palate. I can't remember the last time I was drunk, probably Christmas 2019? But I can easily have 3 glasses a night no problem. Clearly not good!

Let us know how you fund Ri30. I finished it a couple of weeks ago and it wasn't one of my favourites. I found L2 really hard and some of the moves in the later levels were just physically impossible for me. However I did it off the back of Shred and heavy for my height (I'm 5'1 and I started Ri30 at about 76kg) so I'll revisit it after I complete BR and see if I find it better. I know lots of people love it and revisit it often, so I'm the odd one out here

Morning! So sorry to hear about your brother @ProfessorRadcliffeEmerson that’s so sad. I hope you get to see him before he goes. I didn’t get to say goodbye to my dear Granny and the thoughts of it still devastates me. Thinking of you

Just popping in to say I started Ri30 on Saturday and enjoying it so far. Did L1 this morning, followed by Yoga Inferno L1 which was fab.

I also went out on Saturday night and drank waay too much so I’ve now decided to give up drinking for a while. Since turning 40, it really doesn’t agree with me anymore and is absolutely exacerbating my anxiety so I’m going to quit for a bit and see if that helps. I envisage upping my exercise to get me through the next few weeks but that’s no bad thing!

Professor I'm so sorry to hear about your brother. That must be incredibly tough for you and your whole family. Take care 💕

I've nearly finished Week 3 of Phase 1 of BR and I'm quite enjoying the strength circuits. Lots of balance required which is not my forte, particularly balancing on my right leg. I'm sure it will improve though. Am enjoying the banter between Jillian and the group, particularly Mimi. I'd love it if they were miked up as I can't hear what they're saying but Jillian is constantly cracking up. I'm doing my best to use my heavier weights and not to phone it in. 1.5kg on the surrenders though. Hate them! 7kg Algonquin ?!?! (faints)

Really sorry to hear about your brother professor ** look after yourself, I can't imagine how hard that must be.

Did the full body dumbell workout today (Epic Day 29) with my new 7kg weights!! I wasn't sure how I'd get on but I used the 7kgs for every exercise so dead proud too

[I won't be able to move tomorrow but that's besides the point!!]

Just got a reminder email a few days ago that I have a half marathon coming up on June 5th!! It is one that I signed up to do last June which was cancelled due to COVID and rearranged for a year later. I had completely forgotten about it!! Not long to get training now

At one level, yes, wow at Natalie, but that photo does rather emphasise some of the advantages that nature rather than exercise gave her! (I am short. My legs are short even for my height. I'm also an hour-glass shape. There is no way in a billion years I will ever look like that: if I starved myself down to a size six and exercised like a loon every day, I'd still be an hour-glass with short legs, just a scrawny one.)

I've fallen off the wagon a bit - work went mad this week and I've done nothing but work and sleep, apart from having some friends round in the garden today. And my DBro is dying, so I need to head north next week in the hope that I might be able to see him before he goes, and I don't suppose Jillian will be high on the list of priorities. Spending time with my DM and DSis may be higher up the list. But I'm really impressed by the way others on here are crushing it!

I've been doing Shred it with Weights all week cos I want to get back into kettlebell-ing but am finding it a bit easy? I'm using a 8kg bell. Can you use kettlebells for Lift and Shred?

Wow at Natalie!!! How impressive is she!

Day 28 of Epic for me today - 50 minutes of hamstrings and glutes but I got through it.

My 7kg weights arrived today so tomorrow's full body dumbell workout could be interesting!!

Happy bank holiday everyone!!

Hi folks! @roonetta and @Queuing4Fergs well done on your weight losses! Great work! 👏🏻

I can’t believe that pic of Natalie. Is she really 53??? Incredible!!

Today is my last day of 6W6P which is just as well as I’m so bored with it, even though I’ve only been doing it 3 times a week alternating with Shred for the past month. And I can 100% confirm that I don’t have a six pack!

Starting Ri30 tomorrow. Have a great Bank Holiday weekend everyone!

I do however live seeing you all smashing it, everyone is so encouraging and positive.

Hello folks. I have been stuck with only 3 days left of 30DS L3 to go for nearly 3 weeks. A combination of birthdays, work, vaccinations, family illness (non/Covid) and the long-awaited launch of our junior parkrun have somewhat distracted me 😂☺️

Hoping to use the long weekend to get it finished and start afresh in May

Sorry that was ridiculously long and self-involved

I'm back! Thanks for the tea and sympathy on my earlier post. I'm usually pretty upbeat but occasionally the reality of the situation really hits home and I have a bit of a moment. But my whole family has been healthy throughout and has kept their jobs so I know I have had it easy.

I have actually found a big improvement in upper body strength, but I did go from nothing so it's hardly surprising! Last March - July I did shred, 6W6P and dabbled in NMTZ and BFBM before I came a bit unstuck with life. When I started shred up again in February I was surprised to have maintained a fair amount of strength. Whether it was physical strength or mental (ie I knew I had done it before so I pushed myself harder) I don't know, but either way I'm happy.

What I have noticed though is how poorly I've been doing anything in the plank hold all this time. I think butt too far up and arms too far in front. I'm really concentrating on this during BR (hard without a mirror) and I'm finding it so much harder.

I'm now on Week 3 and have done WOs 1 and 2. A bit of a step up from the previous weeks and lots of balancing required, but I know I will improve so I'm just "bringing my A game" each time. So much easier just doing one work out per day rather than doubling up. Cardio 1 tomorrow (ugh) then Saturday is my hotly anticipated rest day.

Diet- wise I'm doing low carb and I've lost almost 11kg since the end of January. I tend to eat one meal a day during the week (I have lunch in the weekend with DH and kids) so I usually train in a fasted state. Low carb totally makes me lose my appetite so other than the boredom (eating is a hobby!) I don't find it too difficult.

Roonetta great idea re the exercise count and challenge. I might go back and look at my record to see where I'm at.

If I don't check in before or during, have a fab Bank Holiday weekend all

Will catch up in a bit, but just wanted to share this photo of Natalie (shred, BR etc) with you. Aged 53

@roonetta have you exercised every day for 85 days, or 85 days plus breaks? Really impressive either way!

Also impressed by the 7kg weights. I’ve only got 4kg and 5kg ones and struggled to do some of the 30DS stuff with those. I was wondering whether to buy some lighter ones and do more reps but think that’s probably the wrong approach!