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 L2D9 done. Better today: shoulders are less sore. Thanks for the tips on things to do about the sore shoulders. I think part of the trouble is that I can't adjust my chair perfectly because I'm such a short-arse (with short legs even for someone my height): even with a footstool the choice is between having my feet dangling and having the desk too high for me. And I'm also doing too much on the Blackberry and spending too many hours working generally, which is the real problem.

I previewed L3 of Killer Abs and it is crazy - clapping mountain climbers, anyone? I can see I'm going to be spending a lot of time falling on my nose while I get to grips with this one.

I ought to get a wider range of weights really - I could go up to 3kg or possibly higher for the bicep curls and one or two other moves- but that depends on finding somewhere downstairs to keep them. At the moment they live in the bottom of my wardrobe and I carry them and my mat downstairs every morning, but I can't do that with more than two sets. Some decluttering beckons. Good luck with your spring-cleaning, Errol.

ShowMe, glad your DH is off next week and you have a plan to tackle the sleep horrors!

30DS L1D3 done. Still not back to managing to shred most days, but a smaller gap between sessions is progress!

Well when I woke up today I didn't feel like I'd been run over by a steamroller so that's good. Went for a 4k run and will shred later on :)

Body Rev, Phase 2, week 5, workout 6 done. Week 5 finished.

Yadah you are scaring me about 7 and 8.

I know you advised me to step away from playground politics, but dear lord I had the worst this morning. DD was standing with three of her friends with me there in the playground and another little girl and her mother came up and the mother hands sparkly party invitations to DDs 3 friends making a big song and dance of it telling them it's a frozen party and a bouncy castle etc. she looks at my DD who is looking expectantly and says "oh sorry mini lamb, you are not invited as DD doesn't really like you". Cue DD in tears and refusing to go in class for ten mins.

Honestly, obviously, I don't have an issue with DD not being invited as it was obviously a small party at home, but she could have been more subtle with the invitations and who the fuck says that to a four year old?

One of DD's friends mothers said that after seeing that, her invited DD will not be going.

Annoyingly, my workout this morning didn't have any punches as I think I would have been rather good.

lambzig - WTF, that's appalling. Perhaps your DD and the child who won't be going can have a playdate or something?

Imogen - I'm a shortarse too. I'm lucky in that working from home I can customise - I've got a stool under my desk as well as a footrest. Maybe you can find something more than a standard-issue footrest.

I need something to put my weights in - currently they're on the living room floor (except DHs 10kg pair which are in the garage, I have to go out there if I'm doing extra deadlifts) - we've liberated a space which had an old baskety trunk thing which contained a lot of DD's old toys so the plan is to get some sort of very solid chest to put the weights and my mat and indoor trainers in.

Another fellow shortages here.

30DS L2D10 done. I had an unscheduled rest day yesterday as I'd been out to dinner and got home very late and may have been just slightly hung over next morning.

Lambzig, so appalled by how mini-lamb's been treated - how could anyone do that to a 4-year-old? They're still so little, and if your DD is anything like my DS she must have been feeling a bit tired and fragile anyway after the first half-term. Hope she's feeling a bit better now. Is it half term where you are? Can you undo the damage a bit by giving her a few nice days?

I've identified somewhere to put my weights: I just need to remove the tablecloths that are currently in there and find another home for them. A weekend of decluttering beckons.

30DS L1 D8 done. Things are feeling easier now so looking forward to getting started on L2 soon. I really need to make more of an effort on the diet front otherwise I'm not going to lose any weight, but the sleep deprivation just makes me want to gorge on crap!
Lambzig, I can't believe the behaviour of that mother! That's appalling! What was she thinking?! Makes me !!!

Body Rev, week 6, workout 5 first time done.

Thanks for the comments. Mini lamb is fine and hasn't mentioned it again. Imogen, you are right, she is utterly shattered, thank goodness for half term, although DH is away all week, so it's going to be a hard working week for me.

Part of me wishes I had said something, but it probably better I didn't, will just avoid that particular mother like the plague from now on.

Failed for the last two days as have only had two hours sleep a night, so kudos to those doing this on regular sleepless nights.

Killer Abs L3 D1 done. Holy moly. I only fell on my nose once (trying to do the clapping mountain climbers), so it could have been worse. Now have a couple of days off work for half term and we're off to see DS's grandmother, so no JM for me tomorrow - may manage something on Wednesday depending on when we get back.

I've ordered some heavier weights and cleared a space downstairs to keep all my weights and my JM DVDs.

Body Rev Phase 2, week 6, workout 6 first time. I killed it today, even if I do say so myself.

It turns out it's easier without a brute of a 23 month old DS trying to push you over, get picked up, steal your weights and climb on top of you.

I only got to experience this because I am a bad mummy who still sent him to nursery even though I am off work for DD's half term. I thought it would be good to have one mummy/daughter day (desperately justifies it).

Lambzig, having a day with just you and your DD is a great idea - and tbh having a day which is a bit easier for you to if you've been sleep-deprived needs no justification either. Well done on killing your Body Rev!

Having got through 5 days of Ri30 L1 over the last two weeks, onto L2 - all pretty good except of course the crow pushups which I didn't even try (the modifier position doesn't really work well). However, I think I did a couple of almost acceptable full pushups.

Errol, the first time I tried the crow push ups I thought you had tp take your hand as well as your leg off the floor. Needless to say I fell hard on my face.

Lambzig, there actually is a one-handed, one-legged pushup in Killer Abs L3. I failed. Realistically I was always going to fail. (She also has you doing a one-armed, one legged plank while moving the free arm and leg from side to side. I failed that too.)

Mother-daughter day sounds a fantastic idea - don't feel guilty! Your DS will be happier sticking with his routine. Mine was always unsettled when we took him out of nursery for holidays etc.

I've also just done RI30 L1 as DS randomly decided he wanted to do a fitness DVD and selected that one, so we've had a slightly surreal session of four-year-old leaping up and down (poor child, he's inherited my co-ordination) and me trying to do the moves properly to show him. So I'm now well and truly exercised for the day.

Body Rev, Phase 2, week 6, cardio first time. So much for bragging yesterday as I sucked today. Feeling very unmotivated as the weight is piling on despite my thinking I am eating very sensibly.

I was watching biggest loser last night and noticed one of the contestants did Burpees with hands on a low stool. Ok he weighed 200lbs more than me and it is cheating, but it meant I could actually do them properly. Better than me not doing them and doing squat thrusts instead? It was still hard for me.

So I've completely got off track . I'm ill again with a horrid sore throat chesty cough type thing. I've actually lost count of the number of times I've been ill over the past 3 months. I'm so fed up but can't see things improving until I'm getting more sleep and my immune system picks up. Also trying to entertain MIL this week as she's visiting to see the kids but all I want to do is crawl in to bed and hide.
ShowMe you're nearly at the finish line! I remember those jumping lunges from the last time I did the shred. They're awful and Natalie makes them look so bloody effortless! I looked and sounded more like an uncoordinated elephant when I did them. I don't think it matters about the arms. Just go with whatever gives you most stability.

and for ShowMe and sometimes. I'm so impressed that you're managing to exercise at all! Sleep deprivation is the absolute depth of hell.

Killer Abs L3 D2 done. She is clearly trying to kill me, there's no other explanation for one-legged burpees with a push-up. I fell over twice today (once doing those, and once doing the clapping mountain climbers).

I've also had a look at Kick Box Fast Fix, which I bought on a whim because it has 20-minute workouts, and I don't think I've got the co-ordination to even try to do the moves at their pace. (It doesn't help that instead of beautifully disciplined Anita and Natalie, or their equivalents, doing everything in perfect time with each other, she has a mob of teenagers all doing their own thing and not necessarily getting it right!) Wondering whether to accept my limitations and give it straight to the charity shop. Has anyone tried it?

Sometimes and Showme, hope you feel better soon.

Body Rev, Phase 2, week 6, workout 5 last time done.

It's been a while since I did four days on the trot, quite hard going. Will try for five tomorrow, but quite busy. I just want to move to workouts 7 and 8 to see what Yadah is talking about.

30DS L3D1 done. Not too bad - I must have got stronger since last time I did it, because I actually made an attempt at the pike crunches without it hurting my lower back. Also managed nearly all the cardio with the 2kg weights, except the jumping jacks where I had to go back to the 1 kg ones. But the jumping lunges are still pretty awful.

On the negative side, I don't dare weigh myself - I've been away for two days doing nothing but eat. Back to 5:2 for me!

Body Rev, Phase 2, week 6, workout 6 last time, just cardio to do.

I can see how just taking one day a week off would have a huge difference, but realistically, I could never do that all the time.

Killer Abs L3 D3 done (well, mostly: I copped out of bits of circuit 4 because I've pulled a muscle in my bottom again. It flipping hurts too.) This one feels as though it's making some difference, though I still get to the bit in Shred where she says "Your six-pack should be appearing right about now" and feel depressed: she hasn't seen my midriff!

Rest days coming up. I ought to Shred once over the weekend to catch up on the week, but unless the pulled muscle feels a lot better in the morning I think I'll leave it till Monday.

Well done Lambzig for getting five days done in a row! I think five's the limit, myself. I'm eyeing up Body Rev on Ebay but I don't think I'd do the recommended six days.

Body Rev, Phase 2, week 6, 2nd cardio done. Week 6 finished!

I did week 6 in 6 consecutive days like you are supposed to. Dear Lord, it was hard, but I can see how that would get you fitter quicker. I only managed because of being off for term and DH being away, unlikely to ever happen again.

I am with you Imogen, I normally only manage 4 days a week because of work and stay and play at DD's school. I think it's fine to do body Rev that way so that a Jillian week takes me 1.5 weeks normally.

Day off for me tomorrow and the start week 7 on Sunday.