New Year, new Jillian - the January Shred thread is here!

[ImogenQuy]

Happy New Year, everyone. If you've got a New Year resolution to do more exercise and think crazy Jillian may be the answer, come and sign in here for moral support, chat and a chance to moan.

Ripped in 30 L1 D2 done. Still hate cardio, but it felt like a good start to the year.

Hi can I join please? Going to start tomorrow, have got a whole load of JM DVDs that I keep dipping into intermittently but I really need to get started again as I want to lose at least a stone, hopefully more, and need to tone up my hideous belly.

Will start tomorrow (today!) with the shred I think

PrivateBenjamin - I have a severe lack of anterior deltoids as does OP Imogen.

The way I found to build up to being able to get through that exercise is to lunge right, anterior raise on right ONLY; lunge left, anterior raise on left ONLY. This way your anterior delts are getting alternately rested. By day six or seven I was consistently able to do both at once, as per the DVD. Still a bit of a struggle, but I was able to get through it and still maintain form with a minimum of grunting.

Oh hell I need this... Shredded lat year and loved results but work and life got crazy and I have had zero motivation. Need to get back on it as positively scared to jump on scales

Thanks Elphaba/Benjamin -- an answer to a Shred question I needed answering I have a couple questions hope you lovely lot can help.

I have much less strength on one side due to an old injury, so I really struggle with weights. can I use a lighter weight on this side or should I persevere with 2-3kg,which is ok on the good side?

Is anyone doing this alongside C25K? Ive lost my running mojo and want to go back to basics. Is it good to alternate each daily or does the shred work best if its the only thing you do every day?

From a previous Shred Fred (do you see what I did there? ) - Jillian herself suggests Shred, Shred, Cardio, Shred, Shred, Cardio, Rest (each one corresponds to one day) so your cardio could be C25K. If I can get any momentum going around my toddler and baby, I do a Davina HIIT cardio on the cardio days.

WRT weights - It depends what the old injury is and where. I'm an OT so know something about this. Are you willing to divulge?

Brilliant thanks Elepha, that sounds great. After a dire year going back FT after a loooooong break I lost it last year but hit Xmas thinking I need to start 2015 with better priorities and taking better care of myself. Lots of exercise for me this year -- and less wine too

WRT my back i fell down a flight of stairs heavily pregnant 12 years ago. No huge damage to either of us but one of my ribs slipped out of alignment ever so slightly on the left side and it has never really gone back ok. i have had various physio, sports massage etc over the years when it knocks out but tbh exercise seems to help best. I noticed when I started doing strength training a couple years ago that I have sod all strength on this side. Literally struggle to lift 1kg with one arm. Frustrating and gym gave crap advice, I hurt myself badly and gave up but I would like todo better this time with the shred.

Sorry should also say it is the rib below my shoulder blade -- really crunches sometimes but no pain, just renders that arm pretty useless at lifting anything

OK - I'm guessing that you'd probably be OK with same weights both sides for exercises like chest flies and lying chest presses, as your scapula is stabilised against the floor when you're lying down. Bicep curls and hammer curls where the shoulder is not involved should also be OK with weights the same both sides. You don't want the muscles throughout your affected arm to miss out because of a weakness in one area. With exercises with the shoulder moving through partial or full range, yes, use a lighter weight on that side and see how you go. If you feel it improves with exercise, you may find you're able to build up to a heavier weight.

Thanks Elphaba, you're absolutely right. I can do fine if lifting from the bench, dead lifts are trickier but it gets messy with dumbells, the left side just does not play. I will just use a beans tin on that side today and see how I get on!

Can you recommend any DVDs/ you tube for lifting? I live rurally and our only gym closed which is why I stared the shred. I'd like to do some more weights but when I've had a poke online it all looks way beyond me!

Thanks for your help

Annoying as Davina is, her DVDs are fab, but there is a lot of shoulder free-weights which you might struggle with.

Is FitnessTV still going or at least re-incarnated? There were some really good, basic lifting programmes on there.

I used to live very rurally so started my DVD addiction then.

Can I join!

I have been shredding since last year but it all went a bit to pot just before Christmas but I have resumed and yesterday did L3 D3. I had been the heaviest I have ever been in my life but today I was 9st 5lb which is a weight I have been a lot IYSWIM so I feel more normal.

I am very at reading about people with their 2-3kg weights - mine are only 1kg! I am so pathetically weedy that's all I can manage(although I did swap for a 2kg one yesterday for one exercise because it was just too easy otherwise). I have muscles like Olive Oyl.

Oh, and Shelley Canadian Whatsherface. Shoots all her videos from a tropical island that gets heavily advertised throughout and one of her sidekicks is called Joanna. Really good for weights and explains things well.

Help me out here, people, what's she called?

I'll give ?davina a go if you can recommend a couple of DVDs, I do struggle with the free weights but I think I just have to persevere! I do miss the gym, running here is tricky as it is so so hilly but at leat it is free. DVDs will I think be my friend this year

It looks like fitness tv is only on sky which we don't have, but I just found some links to YT videos on Pinterest. Of all places. I usually just lurk there for recipe inspiration...

Kitchenfairy, I am not doing c25k but am planning on doing some running alongside the shred. Day 2 l1 completed this morning despite being very achy. Shred again tomorrow and 30 min run planned for Monday in my lunch hour from work.

Don't worry balloon, mine are "only" 1kg too... however might try and buy some 2kg and/or 3kg weights in NY sales when DH isn't looking , you with me? I'm doing Ripped in 30, bring on day 2 ..

Hey all can I join? I'm day 6 of level one plus I'm doing my fitness pal as well :)

I'm using 1kg weights as well, I think ill do the first 30 days with them then start again with 2kg. That's the plan anyway

Elphaba thank you for the anterior advice! I had just been swinging my arms up to nipple level with exhaustion and I doubt that is doing my muscles much good

kitchenfairy I start training for a 5k run tomorrow. My previous running experience consists of doing C25K W1 about 8 times, so it's fair to say I'm a beginner. Let's do this together!

Shelly McDonald! Look for 'Caribbean Workout' in TV listings and on YouTube.

I love how I'm here shelling out wisdom like the Dalai bloody Lama but have yet to move my lardy arse.

Monday. Monday DS1 is back at nursery and I will attempt resumption during a DS2 nap unless, by some miracle, my sleep deprivation fug lifts enough to do one in the evening before then...but it is my birthday tomorrow so great quantities of cake will be consumed, cancelling out any exercise benefits

Bought some weights from Argos in sales no excuse now ...

Just (almost) completed L1D2, have been feeling ropey all day and my nausea came back during circuit 2 cardio. Struggled on for a bit but then skipped ahead to the cool down as I was feeling dizzy. Still, better than doing nothing I guess and I didn't want to skip my second day in case I didn't go back!

Just did L3D4. Really didn't feel like it, I thought I felt ill but I didn't. I managed quite well, perhaps because I had to keep stopping to put the tea on

does any of you know when it is safest to restart after abdominal surgery?
I had my gallbladder out end of Oct (keyhole surgery) and feel ok, but as i had a baby in July I hadn't excersised in ages so I don't want an injury.

any ideas?

I did shred briefly in Oct '13 so I know what it involves.