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Chat to other fitness enthusiasts on our Exercise forum.

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

509 replies

yadahyadah · 30/06/2014 21:28

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.

OP posts:
OwlCapone · 20/07/2014 12:00

I'm feeling very demoralised right now. I feel blubbery and knackered.

ShadowsShadowsEverywhere · 20/07/2014 12:41

Oh Owl, I think a lot of us are feeling like that in this heat. It's hard to feel motivated and energetic when it's so humid. Heat like this always makes me really lethargic. And of course winter and autumn clothes are far more flattering. I'm dealing with family issues today and so can't seem to motivate myself to even have a shower. I spent last night when I should have been doing the shred having a huge clear out and ordering storage boxes and bookshelves from IKEA! So today I feel cross with myself for not exercising and for spending money I don't have on things I don't need!!

What would make you feel better? If you force yourself to do shred today will you feel better or if not just fuck today. Do whatever you can to make you feel better and start again tomorrow. I'm going to go and make chocolate crispie cakes with DD in a minute.

Long term goals are what I think we should focus on. And tbqh I'm bloody proud of myself for every week that passes in which I've stuck at this. Even if I've only done Shred three times that week, that's three times more than I used to do and has far more impact on my body than several hours slogging away on the treadmill at the gym.

OwlCapone · 20/07/2014 12:55

I have to do it today as I had to rest yesterday following my osteopath appointment.

What would motivate me would be looking in the mirror and seeing some sort of visible result! I know it's doing me good but...

ShadowsShadowsEverywhere · 20/07/2014 13:08

Have you taken measurements? Pre shred and since?

OwlCapone · 20/07/2014 13:34

No, I didn't want to. I preferred the method of clothes fitting and generally feeling better - the numbers are meaningless to me really.

I know I'm fitter.
I know bits of me are more toned.
I just hoped to look better! :)

ShadowsShadowsEverywhere · 20/07/2014 13:40

I bet you do look better. I think because it's gradual change we can't see it ourselves. It's like when a friend you haven't seen for a while comes round and says "wow, DS has grown so much". And you look at him and think "has he?". You might have noticed his trousers were getting a bit short but hadn't realised he's grown a whole 1.5inches.

Plus you haven't started level 3 yet have you? That's certainly a lot more intense so you may notice more visible difference if you go up a level.

I'm sorry, I'm not being very helpful am I? There's more punching in level 3 ... Lovely opportunity for visualisation of certain faces again Grin

Itsfab · 20/07/2014 13:49

I am not liking the world at the moment.

Friend texted me twice in the middle of the night. Nothing I could do and since I hardly sleep at the moment I was not feeling particularly happy about it.

Lap top is slow and will not do what I want.

DS1's room is a mess. Said his PE was clean. It is not. I had already done 2 hours of ironing school stuff so not impressed will have to do more. Some ironing has been allowed to fall of hangers and is all screwed up. Clothes and school books everywhere. Stuff on window sill when he knows he isn't meant to have anything on it. Piled everything on his bed and floor and confiscated his lap top. He will NOT be happy when he gets home.

Have tided downstairs and put all the kids stuff in the basket to be claimed and put away. Will bin what isn't taken. Who am I trying to kid? I will end up reminding them and the house will be a mess again within 5 minutes of them getting home.

Broke bits off the hoover. It is already more spare parts than original.

My beetroot had gone mouldy.

Haven't shredded yet but will. Just had a bowl of cornflakes so should probably wait a while.

Leg still sore and leaking.

7 weeks of exhaustion have started.

ImogenQuy · 20/07/2014 16:23

Sad, itsfab. How old is DS1? Does it matter if his clothes are crumpled? If they're crumpled, he can iron them himself or wear them crumpled in my book. Is there one room that you can ti8dy and collapse in?

Also, follow through on binning stuff! You probably won't need to do it more than once...

Spotsondots, if you scroll back up this thread (I know there's a lot of it!), ShadowsShadowsEverywhere gave some good advice on diastasis further back. 1cm sounds OK to me, but keep doing the transverse exercises as well as Shredding.

Itsfab · 20/07/2014 16:36

He is 13.

I have confiscated all his screen stuff. I have a bored teenager. He lost everything for unacceptable rudeness and answering back.

I only iron his school uniform so don't care about the rest of the clothes but wouldn't let him go to school scruffy. I am not impressed two clean PJ tops have been put to wash because he can't put them away so they eventually get on the floor and he puts them to wash. Had to wash them as put in with wet swimming stuff. Have told him as far as he is concerned I am on strike.

Did day 4 of the shred. Some parts which much harder than previous but some not too bad. No weight loss yet, up 1/2lb. Nowhere near wanting to eat what I should so doubt I will lose anything Sad.

The pile of stuff was all claimed.

I have run around after the kids far too much so a bit of a shock they have to help more but tough. They have had warning and when it costs us money Angry. DS2 told he was going swimming but didn't know he needed kit so took none Hmm. £10 for new shorts he didn't need given there is a draw full of swimming shorts.

Spotsondots · 20/07/2014 17:09

Thanks Imogen (and shadows in advance!) Smile I will have a read back and get myself informed! Hopefully I can then start shredding!

ShadowsShadowsEverywhere · 20/07/2014 18:11

If you look at last months thread I put some mods on for the ab moves if you have diastasis. I can also link you to another thread where I posted loads of exercises that you can do along side the shred to keep the separation closed.

Basically if you've ever had diastasis then you are at risk of it coming back as soon as you start putting pressure on the abdominus rectus which is the 6 pack muscles. Sit ups, crunches, planks all put pressure on those muscles. You can tell which exercises are the put pressure on ones as your abs will bulge outwards. The muscle which you need to keep strengthening and which reverses the separation is the transverse. It's like a corset all the way around your body. When you do exercised that engage the transverse muscle your tummy will go in rather than bulge out.

If you've got 1cm separation you're probably ok to do the shred but keep checking the separation (someone posted a link upthread) and if it starts to get bigger STOP. Ideally check it the morning after each workout. Try and do transverse exercises as much as you can, like pelvic floor exercises that you do whenever you remember, you can't over exercise the transverse. The one to do as much as pos is as follows:

Stand up, feet shoulder width apart, arms by side. Place one finger in your belly button. Now imagine there is a string from the inside if your belly button, to your spine and out a hole in your back. You're going to visualise someone pulling that string and pull your belly button in. Your spine shouldn't be bent or curved, you shouldn't be holding your breath and the top and bottom of your stomach shouldn't be moving a lot. You may feel it tighten in your sides and back - this is normal as it's where the muscle is.

Pull it as tight as you can and hold for as long as you can.
Once you've mastered that you can do a more complex version. Pull it in as before and now pulse it at the point of your belly button. Keep the muscle contracted the whole time and pull it as tight as you possibly can on each pulse. Contine for as long as you can.

The best way to prevent separation returning is to recondition that transverse muscle to engage automatically. ATM it won't be. So if you spend several days making a conscious effort to engage or contract that transverse muscle whenever you bend, lift anything, carry anything it will begin to automatically work with you other core muscles when you lift things, which will ultimately keep your core strong and prevent separation. If you think about it, what is the point of doing exercises to strengthen that muscle if the rest of the day you are pushing your abs outwards (which happens if transverse isn't engaged) whenever you bend down or lift anything or twist. That's all putting pressure on those abdominals and risking a separation returning. So if you can do exercises every day, retrain that muscle engage when it's needed you should have a really strong core and be able to shred without risking those abs bulging out.

Don't do what I did and think it's gone forever and go crazy with ab exercises as mine came a bulging right back out again. The 5 months pregnant look is not one I'm going for ATM Grin

I hope that helps.

Spotsondots · 20/07/2014 19:01

Thanks very much for the info, that's really helpful. Smile

OwlCapone · 20/07/2014 19:02

itsfab I taught my DSs to iron their own school shirts by the time they were 13. They earn a nominal £1 per shirt which gets deducted from their bill for lost Oyster cards, orthodontic braces and other stuff :)

They also earn back time on the Xbox during a ban - DS1 is currently raking the lawn to earn back time. I'm happy as I was going to pay him to do it and I don't have to deal with a bored teen. He's (mostly) happy as he gets to play on the Xbox.

I have shredded. I managed the modified squat thrusts and one round of walking press ups. I attempted the modified plank jacks but had to stop as my right arm felt like it was going to give way.

Itsfab · 20/07/2014 19:35

Yep, I am an inadequate mother as my kids could do more than I let them, I am sure of it. Will definitely consider getting him working on the iron. He did do one a while ago.

I have seen more of him now he has no screens Wink.

Itsfab · 20/07/2014 20:02

Agree with charging for lost stuff but for braces is not on imo. Hardly their fault they need them.

OwlCapone · 20/07/2014 20:34

Er... It is their fault when they lose them!

ShadowsShadowsEverywhere · 20/07/2014 22:31

30DSL3D2 done. Actually didn't find that too bad. Still subbed in different exercises for the ab moves but managed the plank ones unmodified.

Had a good day in the end. I've sat and made a list of all the me things I'm going to do, from stuff around the house, to books I want to read and doing some studying. I've cleaned whole house and chucked out 6 bin bags. Then DD and I made crispie cakes and we all watching Piglets Big Movie.

MindfulBear · 20/07/2014 23:03

Hi! I'm new to this and not started yet. Planning to start tomorrow (Monday morning) at the same time as getting back on the 5:2 wagon.
Does The Shred actually work and is it really only 20 mins a day? Will I really see a difference in 30 days if I follow it? Just seems a big promise!!!

Do I just do the shred level 1 for 30 days (or should I expect to move up to level 3 in that time?)

Some inspirational stories to get me through Monday please Smile

ImogenQuy · 21/07/2014 07:17

RI30 L3 D1 done. Actually found it much less unpleasant than L2. My quads hurt though, which has never happened with any of the other workouts on this or the Shred (there have to be some advantages in cycling everywhere). That duck walk is a killer. I need to try Lambzig's trick of doing it in 3-inch heels at work today!

On holiday from next Monday - I'm a bit scared of taking a whole week off in the middle of a level, but it would be so much hassle to take the DVD player and the weights abroad.

Welcome, MindfulBear. Most people do 10 days at each level and then move up to the next. It certainly makes you much stronger and fitter, and some of the people on this thread have had great results looks-wise as well. I haven't, but then I haven't been trying to lose any weight so the results were never going to be dramatic.

OwlCapone · 21/07/2014 07:33

I'm going to end up with two weeks off. I can't take the weights but could do everything else using my iPad. I wonder how big a bottle would I have to fill with sand to make my own weights?

Chococroc · 21/07/2014 07:38

30DS L3 Day 4 done!

Spotsondots · 21/07/2014 09:06

Right, after some great advice from Shadows (thanks again, Shadows) today is the day! Will be doing my first ever shred after DS is safely in bed this evening (mornings not a sustainable option in this house!)

  • hello! Would you like to be my shred buddy as we are both starting today?

Also starting healthy eating today again the cake and biscuits stop here!

Will check back later once I'm all done if I'm still alive eek.

ShadowsShadowsEverywhere · 21/07/2014 09:39

Grin no problem Spots, and good luck! The first few days are usually tough but push through it and it does get easier. Hello to MindfulBear as well.

Toizzy · 21/07/2014 10:27

Just managed to do D8L1 of the shred even so i felt like i was suffocating with the heat! Had a rest day yesterday to give my abs a rest, and did the plank today instead of the push ups as i feel like that's what's hurting my absHmm ?! Pretty sure I'm just not doing them right..

Was wondering after how many days you all went up to level 2? I know i probably should in a couple of days but I'm only just starting to follow Nathalie for certain moves.Were you all doing the Nathalie shred completely before you moved on?

Anyway well done us

Toizzy · 21/07/2014 10:32

Was also wondering if any of you use a heart rate monitor to see how many calories you burn during exercise?
I input 150 calories on mfp but it's a very wild guess