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

[yadahyadah]

Okay, it's not just 30 Day Shred anymore but if you would like to log your daily JM fix and get some tips and tricks from fellow Shredders, step this way.

Argh. I'd got really complacent about my diastasis having healed and stopped doing all my transverse exercises along side the work outs. I've woken up this morning with that tell tale bulge and a 1.5cm separation.

Let that be a warning to anyone who has had diastasis recti before. You need to keep doing the transverse exercises for ever. I'd got down to a few maintenance exercises daily and now I'm going to have to go right back to three times a day exercises to get the separation closed. It's my own stupid fault for thinking that the gap closing meant it was gone forever. Clearly it doesn't work like that.

I'm thinking ill sub in transverse exercises for all the ab circuits and also try and fit in two 15 min sessions during the day. On the plus side all the ab work has strengthened everything else, my tummy is firm when I yank it in and doesn't have that post baby jelly wobble it had before. So I think if I can get the transverse strong again it'll haul everything in and should look better than it did before. Just hope I can reverse it in the two weeks I have before holiday!!!

30 DS L2 Day 10 done this morning, followed by a bike ride so not too bad!

Onto level 3 tomorrow, think I'll checks it out this evening so I know what to expect

30DS L3 D1 done - I think I might die!!! Going on holiday on sat so only got another couple of days to hit it hard - unless I download L3 on my iPad and take it to the gym on hols with headphones (or do you think people will think I'm a bit odd when I start doing rock star jumps in the middle of the room ).

Nooooo, not odd at all :o

hi
today was d5 of 30 ds lvl 1.The first two days i actually felt a bit ill after doing it, shaky legs and could hardly lift my arms in the shower to wash my hair!
It's actually making me feel better now, feel like I've got a lot more energy in the day . I'm doing it combined with mfp to lose leftover baby weight and to get back to my once upon a time sporty self !

No shred today...I went fruit picking instead, I don't even feel guilty, lol, I have fruit and it was fun, so there.

I did walk about 3 miles though (not exaggerating about how long it took to pick fruit, we took lunch and went for a walk).

I'm feeling very proud of myself. I really didn't want to, and was all ready with a series of excuses ('it's too hot', 'I'm tired', etc.). However I got a grip and I've just done 30DS L2D6 (albeit following Anita a bit more than usual).

30DS L2, D10, done - hurrah! Day 25 overall.

Off on holiday tomorrow. Will try to get 3/4 shred's in, prob stick with L2, as I remember finding it harder than L3. Then get onto L3 when I get home.

30DSL1D2. Cardio slightly easier than yesterday but omg my arms hurt! Which is better - heavier weights but less movement or full movement with lighter weights? Eg side lunges I can't lift weight up to my eyes.
Toizzy what is mfp? Sorry - novice!
Thinking of combining with Cto5k. I got to w4 then went on holiday but back now. Too much or should I go for it?

30DS L3 D1 today, first day at level 3, found it hard! Didn't get the chance to watch it beforehand so it took me a while to figure out each move, hopefully it'll be better tomorrow as I at least have an idea what I'm trying to do.

Flower mfp is my fitness pal a free calorie counting app which im really impressed with. Ive actually lost 5 kg in the last month and a half just using that. I got used to eating the same portions as my very sporty dp and it wasn't doing me any favours!

I had an accidental rest day yesterday as I decided to leave it til it had cooled down and then forgot until it was far too late for me

On the plus side, I'm wearing a top today that I couldn't wear last year :)

30DSL2D5 DONE.

I am officially half-shredded! (Although I've a feeling I'm going to actually need a 90 DS to hit my goal, and indeed master L2 but hey ho, little milestones!)

Going to have a cold shower now. Dripping.

Good job on the top owl!

flower I use 1kg for the harder moves and 2kg for the easier (bicep) moves, but I'd say do it with whatever weight you can do all the moves with. As to combining it with running, rather you than me! I try and walk 5mi 5 x per week as well, but keep the shred as my "proper" exercise.

RI30 L2 D9 done. Having a day off work today so didn't get up early to do it, which meant I had DS for an audience (and lying on my mat and generally being in the way!).

I'm fed up with this. I thought I was seeing some difference earlier this week, but now I think I was kidding myself. I dug out some old summer clothes this morning and I look a disgusting blob in them.

BR phase 1 week 3 cardio 1 done. Jeez it's hot. imogen I have the same occasional come down when I try on that dress or that top and find I do not look like I want to look. But the downs are fewer now that I am generally feeling quite positive about myself I terms of strength and endurance and fitness. Fuck it, so we don't look like an airbrushed version of ourselves. So what? My son says he loves me because i am so lumpy and bumpy and I think he means it. Don't stress about it and keep showing up.

You're right, of course, yadah. Just having a moment of self-pity because I've been at it without cheating or taking time off since May, and I really would like to look better as well as feeling stronger .

Hi everyone. Imogen I know that feeling. After that first initial inch loss nothing happened for weeks. Having two days off though I've remeasured and I'm down another half inch on my arms and my thighs have def shrunk. I'm beginning to wonder if it's actually better to take more rest days? Maybe putting so much stress on the muscles causes them to hold fluid which I had read can happen. I don't know. My weight hadn't dropped at all, so I've now done a u turn and decided not to eat exercise calories and go back to dieting. My wrists look thinner so I think that's working (don't own scales).

I'm just so so cross with myself about my stomach. Actually bloody furious. I've obviously got good muscle memory there because I did a tonne of transverse contractions yesterday and that muscle is naturally engaging today and pulling everything in a bit, but I'm back to having to haul it in myself all the time. On the plus side my waist size has only gone up half an inch which means the transverse muscle is still working higher up. It's just directly at and above my belly button where the separation has returned.

I'm planning to shred today but tbh in scared that I'm going to make separation worse. It's the planks that in worried about, I can sub in other exercises for the ab circuits but the planks worry me. Maybe I should sub in other stuff for them aswell?

Come on, let's not get disheartened. We are doing this for over all improved health and fitness, so that we can be active energised parents to our DCs, so that we make time for ourselves.

JM says in one of her DVDs "let's take a moment to contemplate what we have achieved. If you can't take a moment to appreciate that you've made time for yourself to be better and stronger then what is the point? Let's take this energy and take it with us in every facet of our day today" or something along those lines. And she's right. This isn't about that top that doesn't fit, or that number on the scales that doesn't budge. This is about challenging ourselves to be stronger and fitter and better. Just because we (most of us?) are mums doesn't mean we can't take some time for ourselves to be healthier and stronger. When I started this I couldn't lift both weights without sweating, everything wobbled so much when I jumped and I couldn't get through level 1 without almost dying. We should all be really proud of ourselves for sticking with it. And think long term, in a few years we may all look like Natalie .

30DSL2D1

I'm never going to look like Natalie, I'm ok with that. I had on size 14 clothes yesterday and the walk I went on had a huge flight of stairs in the middle, I made it up faster and less out of breath than the DC I had with me.

This time last year I was wearing a 22 and I'd still be halfway up those stairs catching my breath today, lol. I'm still mostly blancmangey, but less so all the time and I feel great, so I don't care if I'm never going to look like a poster girl. :)

Shadow you are very inspiring

30 ds D6L1 done this evening but i think I've hurt my abs, might need to have a rest day tomorrow..

I'm having a rest day today - it is just too hot to shred. I've washed my kit, so it will be nice and clean for tomorrow's session. I think 30DS is starting to have an impact - I put on some shorts today - last year they were tight and now I think I might need a belt to keep them up

I have been a good girl and shredded before bed. I've really strained my right wrist with the planking though.

Whilst I feel infinitely better and fitter than before, I was hoping more of my clothes would be looser by now. It's still worth it for the fitness benefits though.

I was feeling really low earlier so I pulled myself together and have just done 30DSLEVEL3D1!! It's definitely up a level isn't it? My god the cardios hard!! I did it though. Had to use the Anita version for a lot of the plank moves because I could too much strain on stomach otherwise. I also did dif ab moves. I did it though! Wahoo. Added on a load of other ab exercises.

Well done! I'm not sure if I can do L3 because of the plank moves. I was hoping to gradually add an extra plank move to L2 but my right wrist wont support my weight. I need some kind of modified plank position.

Owl, can you do a static plank with your weight on your forearms? Obviously you couldn't do all the moves like that, but you could at least do modified versions of some of them.

I'm having a day off today: it's really sticky and DS got up at 5.30 because of the heat, so no prospect of being able to work out in peace. Cheered up a bit from yesterday, though: thanks to Shadows for the encouragement.

BR phase week 3 workout 3done. Such sweaty work these days. But feeling good. Outdoor swimming pool yesterday and simply did not get that urgh feeling about having to stay exposed in the shallows with the littlest. Feels good to be feeling good in the summer again.