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.

Yay privatebenjamin - I am in for doing it together. DS1, 11, has has reminded me that I agreed to train for a 5K with him. Oh dear. It is not that far away... And he will not give up nagging me

Are you in for getting to 5K as well Moogles?

Have no idea about abdominal surgery Zing but maybe Elephaba will be along soon to help

Have no idea about abdominal surgery Zing but maybe Elphaba will be along soon to help if she's not busy eating birthday cake

I am definitely up for joining you to work towards a 5k. I can run that distance, very slowly, but would like to try a park run and work towards not being last ??

Hurrah! The Shred / 5k crossover gang is formed!

I did L1D3 today. Elphaba's advice re: alternating arms when doing the anterior raise with side lunge really helped. I managed to do both circuits that way instead of just swinging my arms madly.

I have a tip for the push ups if you have weedy arms like me:
if you can't even do push ups with your knees on the floor then you can do a box push up. You get on your hands and knees so your body is in a square box shape and then push up like that until you get stronger. I learned that in pilates when I couldn't do any of the push ups

Thanks for the push up tip, my least favourite bit! Even the easy version is near impossible for me!

Thanks so much for the push up tip, I was struggling even with the beginners version L1D3 and if I'm not mistaken I can feel my tummy muscles getting a bit tighter under all that flab!

I struggle with beginners version too with push ups but hey the side plank was a bit easier today so RI30 L1D2 complete boom

I love this thread, thanks OP Imogen it is really motivating me to check in and see how everyone is getting along

Zing - I was told to wait 12 weeks after both of my c-sections. That's major abdominal surgery, so laparoscopic might be less. I would suggest you do a phone call to your GP for an official figure and go for some brisk walks in the interim. PS How the feck do you find time to exercise with your hundreds of children?? You're making it very awkward for me to keep using my two DCs as an excuse as to why I'm not keeping up

Hi there, can I join too? Did D1 L2 of 30 Day Shred today. Will be running a couple of times a week too, and have dug out all my Weight Watchers books! 3 years on from having a baby I am really determined to shift this stone but need all the help I can get!

Wow, this thread is lively - fantastic! Jacksterbear, you are seriously hardcore going straight into Ripped L2 - I'm psyching myself up to it with five days of L1 first!

RI30 L1 D3 done (emmief77, great to see that you're sticking with it too). Oddly I'm OK with the push-ups after many months of Jillian - I can do proper ones, provided you don't ask me to do too many - but as Elphaba mentioned above I have no anterior deltoids at all, so I really struggle with the strength circuit where she makes you do chair squats with reverse flies, followed by side lunges with anterior raises. I also really hate cardio (I may possibly have mentioned this a few times already ).

Zing, I had a laparoscopy a few years ago and GP told me I'd be OK to exercise after a month, so I'd have thought you'd be OK - but best to check especially since you only had a baby six months ago.

Rest day tomorrow for me - happy birthday, Elphaba! Then Yoga Meltdown on Monday.

Well today I got through half of 30DSL1D3 when my neighbours walked in on me to say happy new year!! Was so embarassed and all hot and sweaty.... They always seem to pop in just when it's least convenient e.g. I'm in my jammies and off to bed, the place is a tip etc. Oh well, back to it tomorrow.

Oh no littleorangetree

Imogen had some "help" from my DC today, actually they weren't too bad, and kept me going through the cardio bits. Wish I could do those darn push-ups though grrr.....even just the beginner version, my DC can do them!!

Lots of tips here - I'm all set to get going on L1D1 of the Shred tomorrow, hopefully!

Have found the video on YouTube, and set aside some tins of tomatoes.

I'm a runner too, so will follow Elphaba's Jillian's suggestion of running/cardio every third day.

Gotta shift that Christmas podge ...

thanks for advice, both of you

elphaba

I had a Csection with DS4 too, snap!
surgeon said precautions are the same, no heavy lifting for 3 months, but no advice about excercise. I think I shall ask gp on Monday. op site is a bit "pinchy" at times, I need to know if that's normal or not anyway. I'm ok otherwise.

between half term and Christmas I had to have help with schoolruns as there was no way I could push a double pushchair (DD & baby) so I'm going to find out how I can cope with that next week anyway. It's such hard work, twice a day, I might just count it as excercise for this month!

DD got really bad sleeping habits atm, it actually ruins our evenings. I'm going to start sleep training tomorrow. when she is back to her normal routine and has a predictable lunch time nap I can dust off my yoga mat. until then there's no chance for a regular time slot, mornings and evenings are just impossible.
I need to coordinate her nap with bfing & weaning BabyZing so I can steal those precious 30 minutes!

I think, in all honesty, I'm just not ready for a commitment yet, not physically, mentally or practically. but that's why I'm here, I know I'll get motivated by you all.

so if you find it hard to get on with it, do it for me!

Aw Zing we have all been there... when my twins were born, DD was only 17 months old so know how hard it can be, for me it was more the mental hurdle... You are doing loads of exercise looking after your DC, unlike me that doesn't have any excuses now my children are a lot older (11, 11, 12) and i have a big fat lardy arse to prove it - you are doing great chick, hang in there

Imogen, hardcore, nah. Although a seasoned exerciser, yes. I just like to jump around between levels and programmes according to what I can face each day. I couldn't stand doing multiple days of the same workout (although did do that the very first time I did the Shred).

littleorangetree yep that happens to me too - usually it's a delivery arriving when I'm mid-exervise (sometimes I am glad of the excuse to stop for a minute though!).

emmie my DC like to "join in" too - very cute but also annoying as they stand too close and I have to be careful not to kick them by accident!

JM's cardio kickbox done on YouTube yesterday (easy-going but a nice energiser) followed by this 10 min cardio/kickboxing session which I found randomly browsing YouTube and which is good (but definitely not gentle!).

Zing sounds like you have a lot on your plate!

emmie

thanks for lovely post!

it is a lot. but we chose to have a large family so I feel like I'm not allowed to complain or even explain!

good luck today.

Elphaba is it your birthday today? i have a sneaky slice of cake for you

littleorange - I felt your embarrassment today, my MIL walked in the middle of my workout this afternoon but I continued once she had gone, so RI30L1D3 complete but today's effort in two parts!

Got my new weights, using 2.3kg now, the 4.5kg too heavy, but I'm happy with that

Zing would have liked more after my twins, but couldn't risk having another set as they were naturally conceived and identical so the probability goes sky high hat off to you.

Yay for shredding and running hybrid club
I have, however, been rubbish today, epic unscheduled loft clearance stopped plans but tbh I haven't sat down all day so must count for something! I did also manage to replace the broken juicer--which is another part of The Plan. And stock up on required veg and apples.

And I have got into a Monday Pilates class I was on the wait list for. Tomorrow is first day back so won't beat myself up if I don't manage to shred first thing as I will be doing Pilates straight from work

Thekitchenfairy: we are twins! I go to a Monday pilates class (restarts at the end of January) and I bought myself a juicer on new years eve so I could be healthy.

have you tried Gwyneth's green lemonade juice ?
It contains kale but it's deceptively delicious.

Today I did my first training run with the running group. It was one minute walk, one minute run for 30 minutes. I was tomato faced by the end but it was fine. So, I'll do my other runs mixed in with the shred. It might just be a placebo effect but I think I'm getting more muscled already. Especially my ribcage

Kitchenfairy - sounds like a good plan! I didn't shred today but will do day 3 before work in the morning (6am..) and try to get out for 30 min run at lunchtime if my legs will allow!

Very jealous of the juicers.. I want one.

Finally did it...I'm back on the Jillian path!

Ripped in 30, Week 1, Day 1 completed.

Not as bad as I'd feared, happily I don't appear to have lost quite as much fitness as I'd expected. Still hate the Running Man though! Quite looking forward to doing it again tomorrow!

Yoga Meltdown L2 D3 done - not too bad a start to getting back to my normal routine! So impressed by all those who are doing actual running, outdoors, especially in this weather.

Bimblepops, I like the concept of the Jillian Path. Related to the Way of the Noodle, perhaps?

Well done Imogen.

I did day 3 of the shred today, was ok actually, felt easier today. Planning on running at lunchtime although annoyingly I have a painful cut on the bottom of my foot, don't know how I got it and I am not sure how it will feel to fun on it..