January Shred Thread

[Nightwish]

I thought I had better start one seeing as no one else has.
Please add your updates, whether it is a New Year's Resolution to get fit or you have been here for the long haul!

I have just had two days off due to my lower abs being hugely painful, thing I must have pulled something the other day.
Hopefully back on it after the child goes to sleep.

Hope all is going well for the rest of you and you are all eager to go again when the kids are back at school. My poor DS1 starts back today!

L2D4 done. Getting a little but easier, and I'm getting more confident with the moves. Still in single jump ropes though.

Worldgonecrazy - I'm trying to decided between Ri30 or 6w6p next - have you (or anyone else) got any info on which is best after shred?

Hi.

I started last Monday, think it's my fourth attempt but has been a couple of years since then and I never made it past day 6, I think.

Had two rest days last week and did day 6 this morning so I should will be doing day 7 for the first time ever at 6 am tomorrow.

It seems to be getting harder this time round though, whereas I'm sure on previous attempts it felt easier by now. It's the first circuit that kills me, press ups followed by squat/press and then the star jumps and jump rope, the rest flies (until the bicycle crunches that is) if I can get through those but they seem to get harder.

Has anyone moved up while still doing modified press ups? As I can't see me ever doing the Natalie version so could be stuck on level one forever.

My shoulders and collarbone seem more defined, it's great I can see a difference after six workouts but that wouldn't have been the area I chose to change first, maybe seventh or eighth but not first!

sally in the same, once that first strength combo is out of the way it flies by. Ill also never do a Natalie press up, haven't managed in 30yrs so not going to let the fact i haven't managed in 10 days stop me getting on!

D8L1 done for me. Was gonna move to L2 today but decided to see out the 10 days at L1. No reason other than my neurosis wont let me do more/less of each level or it wont be 'right'!

L1D5 done. It's not easy peasy but I get through it all without stopping.

My main problem at the moment is my pelvic floor which can't cope with all those star jumps so I'm reading and following gussiegrips's advice on the Running with poor pelvic floor thread.

Having an unplanned day off here, as my knee's been protesting a bit today and I can NOT afford to get injured at the moment. Tomorrow I probably won't be shredding either but hopefully getting some other exercise instead so that should be OK.

DH is just doing it next door though, OMG the thumping! Hope the neighbours won't mind!

PS really I know I need to be starting to eat better too though if I really want to see any difference, but am a bit stuck on that at the moment Am trying to find a way to get myself motivated again...

Has anyone moved up while still doing modified press ups?
Absolutely! I'm on my third time round (started last summer) and still can't do full press-ups. I'm determined to crack them this year so am also doing inclined press-ups with the aim of reaching the floor eventually.

I don't like the jumping jack/rope combo - I swap the rope and butt kicks over and then I can do them all. Can't do that much jumping all at once. Maybe fourth time around I will.

d11 l2 d3. Um completed but still don't seem to be able to stay in plank
Q. for level 2ers
*What weights are you using?

*Are you staying in plank? is your weight over your hands shoulders or more a downward dog?
*Can you do all the press ups?
I have dropped weights down a peg so that I can concenrate on form..
Not sure if i should go back to L1 and build more upper body.. cardio and ab's are ok.

L2D4done!

I'm using 1 or 2 kg wts depending on which move.
I can stay in plank, but have ok core strength I think. Weight is over shoulders.
No cannot do press ups. I usually vaguely dunk my head towards the floor! Tbh I'm more fussed about my bum and thighs rather than arms so I'm ok with this.

D12L2 completed - I definitely prefer exercising as soon as I get up, I get the double bonus of (a) feeling smug all day and (b) knowing I don't have to do it when I get home from work tonight!
tanukiton answers to your questions:
*I am using 1kg weights at the moment but will swap to 2kg as soon as I feel able (probably tomorrow for the first set of strength moves, then back to 1kg when my form starts to slip).

• I try really hard to stay in plank - it takes a lot of strength in the ab/core department! If I feel my back start to arch I switch to downward dog or drop to knees for a few seconds. *press-ups in Level 2 I can do. I never managed to get a really good full set in on Level 1 though! I would not go back to level 1, I am not bothered about having massive shoulder muscles and I would rather progress in other areas so that's what I am doing.

By the end of this week I will be more than half way through!

D5 L1 done.

I like doing it early to get it out the way although hoping to get to the gym later for cardio!

Thanks JR and errol, is good to know I'm not alone, maybe if I'd joined a support thread years ago I wouldn't have three abortive attempts under my belt already!

I might try swapping the cardio around a bit too as I find circuit two really easy and three moderately so,I just can't do all that jumping at once, especially after the shoulder and arm work.

Not sure I'm going to manage it today which is disappointing as my next session will be the furthest I've ever gotten with it. Had a migraine looming when I went to bed and it's still there this morning. I'm hoping I can shift it by lunchtime and workout while the DC's are napping this afternoon as it's rubbish doing it with them about.

Is fab hearing about the level two and three-ers. Motivates me to get there too and with handy hints.

L1D7 done - plus 3x15 sec side planks per side (evil!) and 3x15 inclined press-ups. My previous rounds of shred got me from not being able to do press-ups at all to solid anita-style. I found (most) of the moves in l2/3 more doable, at least anitas, than press-ups!

I am interested in building upper body and core strength- my legs are reasonably stong, we walk quite a lot - but in summer we do watersports and that's nearly all upper body.

My body looks different this morning.

It looks better.

wahey.

Room for another? I just posted on the thread in weight loss but looks more active other here. I done the shred in the summer, was part of the big thread then but unfortunately gained all the weight back and undone all my hard work. Started again yesterday so today will be level 1 day 2 also doing Davina fit in 15 too

L1D6 of Ri30 done. Not sure how many days to spend on each level but I want to master each level before I move on (except for full press ups of course!). What approach did you take Errol?

Welcome DayAfter!

Room for another?
Of course - as the month goes on people like TiredEmma get smaller and make room for more.

Will - with Ri30 you mean? Darned if I can remember, without looking back at the Nov/Dec threads. I think I was doing two weeks (ie 10 days) per level - doubt I 'mastered' all the moves but good enough to go on and make a reasonable stab at the next level.

Errol - yes Ri30. Think I may do 10 days on each level too. I've looked ahead to L2 - seems difficult so I want to be prepared. (Haven't dared look beyond L2 yet!)

L2 D13 done, although my eating has gone a bit haywire but trying to bring that under control again from today. Not going to have a measure-up/ weigh-in until Friday as I don't think there will be any difference tomorrow and don't want to dishearten myself!

worldgonecrazy I was thinking about giving Ri30 a go next although I wouldn't be able to do everyday after this month as I need to get back into running and swimming and I only have so much time available to exercise.

Phoned it in yesterday as I sat down and fell asleep when DC went for bath . Then spent the rest of the evening preparing a presentation for work.
Will be more organised this evening as Thursday needs to be a day off too due to work commitments.
Fantastic to hear about changes in body shape / toning, think my abs are slowly emerging.

That's day 2 done and 30 mins Davina I may not be able to move tomorrow!

Started doing shred -oof it's hard work !

Definitely no shred for me today. Just about staying (mostly) upright with the aid of the strongest painkillers that don't knock me out so there's no way I can cope with it. Will just do wed/thur/fri and move rest day from sun to sat, hopefully.

Am so grateful DH works close to home at the moment as I don't think I'd cope with all of dinner, bath and bedtime alone. Not sure how I ever did but guess I'll find out when this contract ends and he goes back to long commutes.

DayAfterYesterday Shred and Davina one after the other? That's some serious commitment. I did an hour of Pilates on one rest day last week and took a few longish walks and that was enough!