Oct 2014 Shred Thread - because Christmas is still coming...

[yadahyadah]

... And this goose ain't planning on being fat. Don't fall off the exercise wagon just because the nights are drawing in. Join us in our adoration - and autumnal exasperation - with Jillian Michaels and her many ass kicking exercise programs.

30DS L1D6 done. Had a rest day after day 4 but generally completing the whole thing mostly at Natalie (1 set of Anita press ups). Just moved up to 2kg weights for all of it. Makes the anterior raises a bit tougher.

I'm due back 1st Dec showme after 10mos. Hoping to finish this shred and splurge on a new wardrobe for my return. I'm shredding in s12 leggings instead of my s14 maternity leggings that I started in. So progress being made. (Still in s14 jeans, but still 24 days of shredding to go!). Doing some KIT days this week, got to try and get up early tomorrow and shred first... Uh oh.

Hello all. I did ES&S L1 again this morning - my arms were a bit sore from yesterday, when I participated in my first windsurfing race. I hadn't intended to do it, just watch DD, but was talked into trying. I only did one lap for the girls' 2 and the blokes 3 , and only did the two morning races not the afternoon ones as well, but that was enough - I was pleased just to get round the course and back to the clubhouse unaided!

Got through the JM quicker than usual, less needing to stop for breath between circuits.

Imogen, show - I couldn't do squat thrusts when I started JM'ing, they seemed like an impossibility - but I can do them now. It's taken a while but if I can, bet you can eventually too.

I can do 'em, I just hate them! Can now do two full sets following Natalie, but I swear at JM a lot.

I'm impressed by the windsurfing - I can't even imagine trying that.

L1 30DS again this morning. Now the DOMS has worn off it's feeling more manageable again.

I agree that I much prefer plank jacks to squat thrusts and that the cold dark mornings are very unappealing! I need to keep reminding myself that if I've been able to do it before then I can do it again (I've been Jillianing for about 3 years - started in the run up to our wedding).

Doing JM is actually perfect on a cold morning - warms you up nicely, gets the blood to those chilly extremeties.

Killer Abs L2 D4 done. Not very well - there's an evil hollow man / weights moves (chest press, chest fly and head-banger) combination that I just can't crack. I can stay in the hollow man or do the weights, but I can't do the weights in hollow man without my legs popping up in the air. Plus I was half way through the workout before I felt warm: that's the trouble with not having much cardio. And I've pulled a muscle in my bum .

Show and Tango, good luck with your respective returns to work. Hope everyone's feeling better too. DS and DH have both had a cold so I'm just waiting to get it.

Maybe you need to put in a bit more warmup/cardio - just stop the DVD for a few minutes and do a bit of whatever cardio move you like best?

I've caught DD's cold so I'm not exercising today. It's that time of year, isn't it?

Errol, I am thinking that staying under the duvet on these cold mornings would be warmer.

Body Rev Phase 1, week 4, first cardio done. I hate the way they are pretending its hard for them when they could do it all day.

I inadvertently caught sight of myself naked in the mirror this morning (something I generally avoid) and I have a six pack! I didn't have that with 30DS or RI30.

Woo hoo! Well done Lambzig.

Another 'rest day' for me... oops! I'm not aiming to do a full on shred this month, just keep it up regularly to maintain fitness, so it's not a problem.

Lambzig (and anyone else!) How do you find Body Rev? Does it give you much more than could be achieved by rotating her other DVDs? I'm wondering about it for post pregnancy (although I have to get pregnant first, of course!). On the one hand it's great value for money for all the DVDs you get, but it's quite a lot all in one go.

Oh! And well done ShowMe! 'You never know what you're capable of until you push yourself and that's what it's all about' - No More Trouble Zones (I think!)

TheProof, I like Body Rev because I like a goal (like having to complete thirty days of something) and Body Rev is a 90 day programme (or 12 lots of six workouts), so a big goal to complete. If I don't have that I struggle with motivation. I think it's a bit less boring than others as you do swap workouts around a lot and only do each workout four times. Workouts are all 30 mins long.

It does seem to be working faster in getting me in shap than 30 DS or RI30 despite my sketchy start and epic fail with week 3. Even DH has noticed.

Yadah has a link on I think Vimeo, back in the July thread, (but I am sure she would link again) to all the workouts online, so if you can exercise with a laptop or have Internet TV you don't need to buy it. I ended up buying the DVDs second hand on ebay for £35 as the lap top wasn't working for me (dodgy laptop).

Showme, if it's the exercise I think, you need to focus on pushing your lower back into the floor and rounding it (like hollow man) and move your legs from that position. Hope that helps.

show - yes, I have trouble with those. if my back starts to arch instead of staying flat on the floor it hurts. I think the solution is to support your butt - either with your hands or a foam wedge or cushion - so that your back stays flat. Then lower as far as you can without strain. I'm gradually improving on these, I don't think this is one to push because the last thing you want to do is strain your back.

Hmmm.... well L1 D2 never happened in the end . I'm so annoyed! DS1 had the lurgy and on top of that my husband came down with it too at the weekend. He's one of these who just takes himself off to bed for the duration (guess it's better than him moaning around the house) but meant I had a whiney DS1 to look after and DS2 and there was just never a moment when both of them were happy. I was hoping to start again today but DH was off work ill and I was attempting to look after DS2 after the grand total of 1 hours sleep last night. I'm so frustrated, not only have I not progressed but having done L1D1, I've spent the last two days aching whilst having to look after everyone . I think I'm just going to start afresh this weekend.
Everyone else sounds like they're making loads of progress. I hope I'm there with you soon!

sometimes there is no law saying you have to do 30 days straight. Just do it when you can and keep ticking off the workouts. Sometimes life gets in the way. You said day two never happened - you're wrong: day two hasn't happened YET You can do it!

In fact of course 30 days straight wouldn't be a good thing, you need one or two rest days a week anyway to repair and build muscle. Bad luck on the timing of that, hope your family is well soon and you don't catch it.

Thanks guys! You've got me feeling positive again . D2 WILL happen!

30DS L2D4 done. My toasty duvet was so attractive at 6.15 this morning - I've just taken the summer one off and put the winter one on and I felt soooo warm and comfortable when the alarm went off. JM-ing may get you warm once you've got going, but getting going is hard. NMTZ is sitting unopened on my shelf: just at the moment I can't imagine getting up early enough to fit in a 45-minute workout into the day!

sometimes, if my DH and DS both had a horrible lurgy and I was getting no sleep, I wouldn't be exercising either! Sometimes life just gets in the way. Good luck for the weekend.

TheProof, I think the link yadah posted doesn't work any more - someone presumably spotted the breach of copyright and took the videos down.

Imogen - NMTZ is really good, IMO, and you don't have to do all the circuits every day if you're pushed for time.

I've just had a massive nosebleed so I'm probably off today too - I might do some planky isometrics later or something.

L1 30DS - even though my wrists are no longer hurting push ups are still a joke! I always try full on push ups (my knees complain about modified) but I can never get my chest anywhere near the floor! Unfortunately the position of our stairs means there's not enough room to build up gradually using progressively lower steps.

I like the idea of finding Body Rev second hand on eBay or Gumtree. Thanks! I've also got my eye on the box set with 5 DVDs (Yoga Inferno, 1 Week Shred etc). We've only just started TTC#1, but I'm concerned about staying in shape during pregnancy and/or getting back in shape afterwards. I think I'll hold off on getting them until I'm post partum and having shiney new DVDs will help motivate me to work out! (Of course, I actually need to get pregnant first!)

I agree NMTZ is good for picking the circuits that you want to do, so you could build up a workout of any length. Each circuit is a different chapter of the DVD, so it's easy to skip between them.

Do you often get nosebleeds Errol?

proof - if you can't use the stairs for inclined pushups, try any sort of solid furniture. Kitchen worktop, table, sofa arm, sofa base might form a progression down.

I get nosebleeds sometimes when I've got a cold after over-vigorous blowing. Not a big deal but I don't think cardio would be a great plan today!