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!

Had completely forgotten about shredding today but in off to do it now! L1D7 for me

Well done JR - my body aches too much for me to forget

Day 11 Level 2 done and dusted! Didn't feel the love for Jillian today - especially circuit 2, hate the strength moves
And now I am celebrating my good work with a massive glass of gin

Thanks peppermint, i feel good after doing it now, so i think its time to go up a level. Although we had the heating on while i was doing it so had to go and stand in the rain for a few minutes afterwards.

As im obviously so fit now, ive tested myself to cooking my potatoes in chicken fat rather than fry light

*treated! Not tested!

L1D6 - complete! Rest day will defiantly be tomorrow now lol

L1D8 done.
Inspired by Officelady (I think) I did the last set of punches with weights which wasn't too bad.
Only 2 more days and L2, feeling mildly nervous, should have a look at it I suppose.

Sorry it was Ralph who inspired the punches with weights

L1D4 done. Thought I would have a rest day today as couldn't actually straighten my arms this morning, however I felt better this evening so decided to go for it. Felt really good this time. First time I've managed the whole thing with no 'phoning it'. I am still doing Anita style press ups but the rest is ok apart from the side lunge things I talked about yesterday.

I'm so chuffed that I can do all the jumping around now without any difficulty.

Not sure I get the abs stuff right. The bicycle bit at the end is fine until halfway through when my back starts to ache. My abs never ache so I think my back must be doing more than it should; doesn't it know it's not invited to the party?! I would love my abs to ache.

Still, I'm feeling so much happier about everything. Feeling more confident and energetic. Really watching what I eat as well because there's no point eating my favourite Lindt 70% if it just undoes my shredding work.

So impressed to see how the rest of you are doing!

L1D6 for me too!

Unfortunately my DVD is dying and kept getting stuck all the way through circuit 1, so I must have done a fair few extra reps but was getting very annoyed with it.

So have just ordered a new copy on Amazon - together with a copy of Ri30 to do next, cos then I could get free postage! I've not done that before though, so not sure how it compares?

L2 d2 done 10 days of shred. Ok but still not planking right. End in a kind of yoga dolphin pose for the last set of plank thingys. My poor spindley little arms. I have decided to keep 2 days of level 1 as an insurance plan, just incase can't face a L2 day. :)
MyNameIsInigoMontoya L1 is on youtube if your dvd doesn't arrive intime
L1 got a bit easier around day 4 for me so I am hope the same in l 2

L2d3 done earlier

Morning all. Not shredded since (I think) Thursday as first busy then suffering with nasty cold. Having had literally weeks of cold/flu last year as I didn't rest I am not attempting until I feel better, but still checking in with all your progress as it keeps me inspired!

I was on L2D2.

I am totally phoning it in today - have decided I need a rest day. I'll be back on it like a car bonnet tomorrow though, have no fear!

L1 D4 done

Shoulders were aching last night but pushed through this morning and did all the weights and push ups which I hate on all fours!

I got up to L1D8 then came down with a nasty flu type thing and had to stop - that was a week and a half ago . Now I'm feeling better and will attempt to shred tonight. Not sure whether to count back from the beginning but will judge based on how the shred feels. Until I got sick L1 was starting to feel almost easy (though will never be able to do more than Anita press ups on my spindly arms).

Oh dear Cigar, let's hope you can back into it. See how you feel on level 1 and maybe do a couple of extra level 2 days.

D12LV2 done just now. Had a 2 day break as I had stuff to do in the evenings and felt like I was letting myself down. So I got up and did it this morning, with dc both moaning for breakfast.
Now time for coffee and croissants.
See how I feel and maybe squeeze something in this evening.

I found morning exercise much harder. Not sure if that's a good thing because I don't think I worked as hard.

Hi L2 D12 done, after a weekend of over indulging it feels good to be back to it.

Another day of Level 2 done this morning. I took Saturday and Sunday off. I was planning on doing "Banish Fat, Boost Metabolism" yesterday, but events overtook me.

My left knee is giving up again - I think wearing slight heels on Saturday set it off, and this morning it was giving me a lot of grief. That is without doing any exercises which aggravate whatever is wrong with it. I've swapped the lunges in level 2 for one set of supermans with weights and one set of leg kicks to get my bum looking good.

Keep going everyone - is anyone up for a Ripped in 30 in February?

L1D6 done. Having done the whole thing twice before last year, I'm not hurrying to go through the levels, I'm planning on 10 on each. But this week I'm using larger weights for some of the moves, sometimes just for the first set.

Still doing Anita style pushups, but (due to some advice on the 5:2 exercise thread) I'm working towards the full ones by doing extra planks and 3 sets of inclined pushups - the idea is those work gradually more horizontal until eventually its the proper thing on the floor. I'll go and do those in a few moments.

Has anyone got any of Jillian Michaels books? Was looking at master your metabolism as I'm trying to follow a healthy eating plan.

L3D1 done!
It should really have been L2D10 but I was bored of it and not trying hard enough so decided to push myself.
It went very quickly which I think is because of not knowing what I was doing.
Not all perfect by any stretch of the imagination but I tried!
Lots of jumping but glad there is less plank cardio.
Not long to go now!

World how is BFBM? I was considering getting that and alternating it with Ripped each day to get more cardio in and shift this baby weight.

Nightwish BFBM is brilliant, but I usually skip the second from last section - the one with "standing mountain climbers". They are just pure evil, even Jillian gets knackered doing them.

It definitely gets you buzzing, but it is slightly longer than Shred, I think about 45 minutes, so probably not ideal for those of us trying to sneak in 30 minutes before work.

She also has more of a "guru" session at the end of the DVD, which is great the first few times you hear it but then just gets a bit annoying after a month or two.

Just finished day 9 level 1. I'm starting to see the changes, so its motivating me on. Still going to stop on level 1 for longer than the ten days as im rubbish at the girly push ups.

And I am still off the fags...

Did level 1 for 7 days- started level 2 tonight.

Lost 3lbs this week and have a clearly defined waistline returning (instead of having a torso that looks like a beer keg)