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.

Morning everyone,

I managed the shred day 4 today at 6am... DH thinks I will never stick to it! Also did first very slow 30 min run of the year yesterday. Achy but feeling good today!

Let's hope we can all stay motivated for the month :)

Hi!
Never done shred before, no idea how it works.. aiming to try and do it from youtube because money is tight, but need to get into shape.. Where do I start?!

Are you supposed to have any rest days on shred or do 30 days straight? If you are supposed to rest does anyone know if its best to rest on a fast day or a normal day if doing 5:2 at the same time?

Morning all!

Can I join? I started RI30 yesterday. I've done the 30DS before and really liked it (as much as you can) but i'm bored with the format now. I'm sore today but it's bearable sore.

Youbethemummylion. When I did it before, I did 30 days straight, I modified a day to not jump on the cardio as my knees were sore. I'd keep doing it if you felt up to it. It's good to keep the momentum going.

Are you not supposed to avoid exercise on your fast days though? I'm not sure of the ins and outs of the 5:2.

Hi.... Can I join...Did a lot of Jillian last year up until the school summer hols and then I fell spectacularly off the wagon.
Weight crept back up a bit so decided to start up again...knowing how achey I will be tomorrow I was quite gentle on myself and did L1 with low weights but managed it fine so chuffed with myself.
In other DVDs JM suggests working 5 days out of 7- I do every week day and take the weekend off so my kids do not laugh at me

30DS L2D7 done, with a very brief interruption to run upstairs (on rather wobbly legs) to retrieve DS2 and stick him in his bouncer for the final cardio/strength circuits and cool-down.

Since I've been a gobby cow on this thread I shall carry on as I started and give some unsolicited advice for anyone doing L2 of 30DS.

The first abs move in the second circuit (lifting both legs down and up together with or without hand weights over head) is actually a banned manoeuvre in some places and rightfully so as, if not done correctly, can seriously damage the lumbar spine. Jillian is known for including a few dodgy/controversial moves, so I'm not surprised it's there, but would urge approaching it with caution.

A few tips to keep it safe:

• keep your abs really flat. As you lower your legs, your abs may want to 'pop'. Only lower your legs as far down as you can keep your abs flat. This is what is keeping your back supported.
• your lower back should be glued to the floor for the entire exercise. Do not let it come off the floor at all. As you lower your legs, it will want to rise. Only lower your legs as low down as allows you to keep your back pinned to the floor.
• the movement should be completely controlled throughout. You might want to give a little butt-lift when your legs are over your head, which is fine, but otherwise the movement should be completely controlled. You particularly shouldn't be doing any jerky, hoiky movements when your legs are lowered.
• in older versions of this exercise, people used to put their hands under their bums, palms facing down. Don't do that. You'll over extend the movement and engage your abs less - no good for the back.

Following these tips, you probably won't get anywhere near as low as Jillian, Natalie or even Anita but that's OK. The exercise will still be effective and you'll be less likely to do yourself a mischief.

Sorry if I'm preaching to the choir here for some of you, but there seem to be quite a lot of exercise newbies here and we don't want any injuries! That's not part of the programme!

L1D2 done and dusted.... and i didnt stop!! a few modifications on the press ups and some of the jumping jacks in a lower impact style, but i got there! Still felt a bit nauseous by the time i got to the shower, hopefully this will stop soon.

Glad to hear some other ppl having to get up at silly o'clock to do it, i have to get up at 5.50am to fit it in before work - any other early birds? (makes me feel better and not so alone!)

Thanks for the advice all...I think I will try to do 5-6 days a week, and do something active on the 'off' days. Today I walked my DD to nursery (30 fast mins) and ran (well....ran...walked...ran...walked) the way home for about 45 mins. Sitting here with my feet in ice cold water to reduce inflammation as I have had problems before with heels/Achilles/plantar fascia.

Well done everyone!

Great advice from Elpheba re avoiding back strain. That's one of my bugbears.

5:2 and other fasting - I've been doing 5:2 for about the same time as JM, and I find that it works well - as I mentioned, I do the JM each weekday morning, I usually fast mon and thur, and find it really doesn't make any difference whether its a fast day or still fasting the next morning. There is some evidence that exercising while fasted is particularly effective.

Pressups - if you have problems even with the Anita style, or if you can do those but not full ones, try doing inclined pressups (either instead, or some extra after the dvd). There are lots of youtubes showing how. I was progressing quite well last year by doing 3 sets at progressively lower levels (choose a level you can do say 6 at with good form and build up to say 20, then find something lower) - but then I strained my back and lost the plot with them. I started again today - 3 sets using the 4th step of the staircase.

Shygirly, my alarm is set for 5.50 too!

Those are really helpful tips Errol and Elphaba. Elphaba that confirms what I sort of suspected about those pike crunch thingies and makes me feel justified in following my gut instinct not to try to go too low on them!

L1 Shred done today. Even after 3.5 yrs of JM (and various other fairly intense workouts) I still find that one pretty hard on the strength front - although have progressed from 1kgs weights and modified push-ups, to 3kgs and full push-ups. I find L1 much harder than L3 actually - L3 is harder on the legs but I think I have quite strong legs, but L1 is Shoulder Hell. So to anyone just starting on L1 and struggling, be reassured it's not actually that easy / it doesn't necessarily get a lot harder... If that makes any sense!

30DSL1D1...

Posting keeps me motivated I've discovered so after a couple of months of doing it very intermittently alone - hello

I've sort of started running as well, so I'll only be shredding 3 days a week as there's no way I'm up to doing them on the same day, lol.

jacksterbear YY to shoulder pain - i could weep!! i always struggle with neck / shoulder pain and regularly see a chirolractor, but on L1D2 it is pushing me over the edge!!

30dsl1d5, alarm set for 6am! Finding the pushups and star jumps hardest.

Please I managed it today as didn't get much sleep last night due to stomach upset.

I agree with Jacksterbear that although level 1 feels hard, it doesn't get that much harder. If you persevere it will be manageable. That's what I found when I did it last month ??. I am def resting tomorrow tho as have shredded and run for the last 2 days and am seriously achy! Will resume on day 5 on Thursday.

Just done the kickboxing tutorial and the workout for lower half. It is fast, bouncy and I got v sweaty! I think if you don't like cardio you will hate it. BUT the 20 minutes went much much faster than on the shred.

I did 30DS L1D2 this morning at 6.45am, and boy do I ache now! All over. I think I "went for it" a bit more than D1. I'm rubbish at press-ups.

I was quite tired, as DD1 was sick in the night, so needless to say she didn't join me for the exercise.

D3 tomorrow, then on Thursday I'll do a run.

L1 D2 done

Yoga Meltdown L2 D4 done. I lay pathetically on my mat and watched them do the crow pose, without even trying to do it myself, but the rest was OK. Welcome to people joining the thread and tabulahrasa, so pleased to see you back (you may remember we were sharing our hatred of exercise a few months ago).

Loads of great advice on avoiding back strain - Elphaba knows much more than I do about this, but one tip that I don't think has been mentioned yet is that if it's really too much strain on your lower back to raise and lower both legs together, you can do the exercise with one leg at a time, which reduces the strain a lot and makes it much easier to keep the lower back flat.

Well done to everyone for keeping going - we're a week into the new year now!

Well, I've just started trying to do today's cardio but DS2 is thwarting me

Cardio done, plus a little bit of yoga, with DS2 strapped into a bouncer with every piece of baby-calming technology I could muster. I have now fed him to comatose and will try and have a shower.

Of course I remember you Imogen...that's why I joined the thread, lol, I hate exercise so much that I stop doing it if I've no incentive.

I stopped posting because I wasn't doing it every day, but not posting made me worse.

I'm running today, hopefully in a few weeks I'll be fit enough to do nothin the same day, but not yet.

But, I've got less than 2 stones to lose now and I know it'll help, plus I'm still made mostly of blancmange, so here I am.

Both - not nothin, whatever my phone thinks nothin is anyway

shred L1D3 done. Legs and arms/chest a bit achy - more than I expected after a fortnight off. Oh well, I know it gets better.

Hi - I was inspired by this thread to start the 30DS. I've just done my first session.

I don't have the DVD and have just found it on youtube. I have a question if you don't mind - is it literally 30days of the same exercises or are you supposed to move onto level 2 at some point during the 30 days?

Thanks