Sept 2014 - 30 Day Shred thread - because Christmas is coming

[yadahyadah]

Join us as we bounce, hoik, stumble and otherwise get ourselves through one or other of Jillian Michaels' DVD programs. Some of us love it most of the time, others of us just do it and then learn to love it as we start to feel stronger, leaner and generally fitter. You can be as negative as you need to be, just show up and get it done. You know you want to.

NMTZ is different to ripped/shred because there's no specific cardio intervals. But I think you can still get a 'HIIT' type workout from it if you really go for it on some of the sets. I like it because I feel like it's giving all the muscle groups a good workout and I am wanting to get stronger.

Haven't done it this morning, not sure I'll get to it now - somehow neither my alarm nor DDs went off this morning and first thing I knew it was 7:36 - she has to be out of the house before then to get to her bus-stop! So I had to drive her which threw my routine. Was quite nice in a way though, she's just got a new Computer Studies teacher and her second GCSE controlled assessment is going to be 'researching linux' (not sure exactly what that will entail) so we were chatting about that (I've been using unix/linux for decades).

oh, show - yes, a rest day before starting level 2 sounds like a good idea.

30DS L1 D9 done - though not very effectively. I woke up when my alarm went off and promptly went back to sleep for another 20 minutes, so I had less time than normal and skipped some of the cardio.

ShowMe, I really hope you had a better night last night. Sleep deprivation is so utterly grim.

Thanks for the NMTZ write-up, Errol. I don't mind the lack of cardio as I cycle a lot. Killer Abs doesn't really have any either.

I lost the daily battle to get the kids settled in breakfast, changed and hair brushed so that I can workout while they munch. I could have squeezed it in but I have decided it is better to drop it rather than increase the pressure of the morning routine any further. It only works when they are happy with hastily cooked porridge and all their everything is ready bagged and ready to go.

I am a little sad about missing the cardio but not too sad because the past two days workouts have left my abs, arms thighs and backside feeling utterly sore. I think the combination of upping weights to 3kg for many of the moves plus a more gung ho approach to the supersets these workouts have you doing has left me minced rather than shredded. So I shall continue tomorrow and enjoy the feeling of hard earned rest.

showme I found I had very painful knees during Shred. It constituted a return to high impact exercise for me and I think my muscles just were not ready to fully support the joints. Happily though I found - and others have too - that as muscle strength was gained, joint pain disappeared. I think your modifications are a good idea at this stage. And the huffing and puffing are a good sign that you are still being worked out.

Yes, you're absolutely right to substitute the cardio moves if your knees can't take the impact. (mine are OK but I swapped things around on shred L2 - JJs and jumprope in the same set was too much). If you start finding punches too easy - just do what you'll be doing in L3 anyway and add weights!

I'm sure in the past I've seen links to other low-impact cardio suggestions - you might want to have a google.

Oh boy another morning another workout fail. Kids waking in predawn hours and refusing to settle for a long time means we all overslept. I may have to rethink my daily fix and postpone it to after nursery drop off. Thing is, I really love getting it out of the way first thing and then being able to enjoy the brief child free respite to attend to things unencumbered. I am also wondering whether the switch from summer to winter is just slowing me down and making me less up for it. Am determined to keep it up. Just have to workout how.

Killer Abs L1D10 done.I've previewed L2 and it's terrifying!

I feel your pain, yadah. Unless I do my workout first thing in the morning, it doesn't happen. And I'm really struggling to get up now the mornings are darker.

Late joining the thread... I need to start 30DS today. Haven't done anything for about a month & feel really sludgy. But also unmotivated. Please someone kick me up the arse & tell me to get on with it!

Morning all! NMTZ done - it is a good feeling if you can get it done early(ish).

Whizz - welcome - if it's only a month since you've done anything you might get away without so many aches as are usual for the first few days, so don't leave it any longer. (hopefully that constituted a gentle kick)

whizzbang welcome. This is a sludge-free zone so get your kit on and get moving.

Thanks imogen glad it is not just me who prefers a morning fix. I think tomorrow I am going to get into my gear and if it happens before school drop off, great and if not I shall just do straight after getting back after nursery drop.

The other alternative is to switch to Shred as the workouts are shorter on days when time is tight. But I dunno if my pin brain can handle that many decisions in the morning- especially to do with exercise. Plus I do want to get to the end of Body Revolution once before mixing it all up as required, as I am really enjoying the workouts and the results.

Anyway, sorry for that tour through the windmills of me mind. It is just the burning question of my day. Next up, one biscuit or two?

Thank you, my arse is gently kicked... I'll get my kit on and start when DD has her lunchtime nap!

yadah - putting your kit on first thing does help. I have drive DD to her bus-stop, usually I have my kit but with jeans instead of my exercise leggings, and throw on a fleece, then it only takes a moment to get ready when I'm back home.

LEVEL 1 DAY 1 COMPLETED! Sorry, I'm shouting... Thanks for the push ladies. Got to carry on tomorrow though.

Well done! Yes, now you just need to establish a habit.

Thanks Errol I like that idea and I am going to copy it. Tomorrow.

Well done Whizzbang now to take my own advice ...

30DS L1 D10 done. On to L2 next week. I very nearly didn't get out of bed this morning, though: it was pitch dark and I was soooo tired.

Well done WhizzBang, keep it up!

Well done imogen and show!

NMTZ done .... I think I'm going to try Extreme shred and shed next week. eek.

OK day 2 done...

Tell me about her other workouts - which have you liked the best?

I'm intrigued by the sound of L2 & collapsing in a heap, maybe I need to challenge myself more, L1 is good but not leaving me in a heap - I think that's what I need!

Whizz - I like shred; I liked ripped in 30 which is similar but gets a bit harder; I like No More Trouble Zones - different as there's no cardio, but I feel like it's really working the muscle groups ; I liked Killer Buns and Thighs (not the first time I tried, I needed to do more of the others first) - because while I'm under no illusion about the deadliness of my lower half, it really did make a difference. The only other I've tried was 6 week 6 pack which I really didn't like and didn't stick with.

at deadliness of your lower half, Errol.

WhizzPopBang, I've also done Ripped in 30 (which got a lot harder than Shred in places - level 2 was the worst, weirdly). I've got mixed feelings about it: it was absolutely miserable to do but I did feel noticeably fitter after completing it. (I really don't like exercise, though, so discount my misery a bit for that: some people on here enjoy their workouts but not me!)

I'm part-way through Killer Abs, which I think is good: it doesn't really have any cardio, but it's a good workout for more than just the abs. It needs quite a bit of co-ordination and balance, though: I didn't nail L1 until about day 7 or 8 (and even then there was one move that I couldn't do fluidly), and L2 looks a lot harder.