The April Shred Thread - No false messages of lethargy!

[MagpieCursedTea]

Starting a new thread for April for anyone doing the 30 Day Shred and/or other JM workouts.

Everyone welcome

Hi Errol. SiWW is nice and short like 30DS so its easy to fit in. It's pretty much over before you know it. Jillian is motivational in a nice way in this one. I find her a bit shouty in KB&Th to be honest. I'm using my heaviest dumbell for level 1 which is about 5lbs but I think I need a heavier weight to get the benefit so I'm thinking of investing in a kettlebell. She actually suggests you start with dumbells infact. 5lbs is definitely enough for level 2 for me at the moment, I could R-E-A-L-L-Y feel it in my arms the next day, infact next time I try it I'll use a lighter one I think.

Maybe I'll get that now, try it with the weights I've got and then decide whether to get some kettlebells and/or put body rev on my xmas list. Somehow 15 dvds seems a bit daunting even though I've been doing JM for ages now.

Whole 40 min workout of Bfbm completed! It was hard going, and I paused a lot in the last 2 circuits. Didn't help that I had to run upstairs half way through as ds started crying, but overall, very happy . Any suggestions on how often I should do it? Was thinking of doing the whole workout maybe 3 times a week?

Well done AtAt - with extra stair-running cardio too! I've not done BFBM but if its 40mins cardio I'd have thought 3xpw was about right.

Body Rev phase 1 week 3 workout 4 done (second time). And I'm about to cycle to work so feeling quite virtuous this morning. On the negative side, I seem to have put on weight - only about three pounds, but I don't know why, which worries me: I've been trying to eat a bit better this week and cut out the sugar, so I was hoping the needle would edge down rather than up!

Welcome, HowYa, and well done for getting back to it, AtAt.

Errol, the 15-DVD thing is a complete con, probably to justify the price - you could easily squeeze it all onto three DVDs, one for each phase, and take up a lot less space! The packaging annoys me. But it is a really good workout.

Errol, I have BodyRev, and have mixed feelings...

I adore the cardio levels 2 and 3 and find that they work up a decent sweat quickly if you incorporate weights on the punches. BFBM is my fav cardio workout of all time, but these are over in half an hour. Another bonus is no plankwork in 2 apart from burpees, so ideal if cats or toddlers are the clmibing or hiding underneath types.

The strength workouts are great, but I can't seem to get the hang of exercise bands so that's hard for me. The routines aren't nearly as fiddly as Hard Body, though (which is too choreographed for me... and lets.tv's not even talk about the naff male DJ with his mixing desk INSIDE THE GYM...!!!!! ) I prefer NMTZ though as it's an all-round strength workout and easy to make harder. I don't wanna work just half my bod... I'd then feel obliged to do the other half the next time, and I prefer choosing my workout at the time... plans don't appea.

appeal to me for various reasons.

Probably the worst thing about BR for me is the perkiness or preppideas or whatever. Some of the models get right on my tits. And there is a self-admiring male one! He makes me vomit.

I'm with you mildly. Hard Body planned for tomorrow but what is the DJ about?!?

Ah, you see I like having a plan - means I don't have to think about it, just get out of bed, stagger downstairs and get on with it. And the range of workouts means I'm not doing exactly the same thing five mornings a week, which I struggled with on my first run through the Shred. I agree about some of the models though, and I don't like the format of having lots of them anyway - prefer the DVDs where there are just two people demonstrating the moves.

I'm definitely not going near Hard Body if there's a DJ in it!

I think I'm convinced not to shell out for that then, I don't think I'd like to have to concentrate on something new every day. The first day of a new routine or one I've not done for a while I have to keep stopping and going back to get the move right or switch weights once I've figured out which I need.so you've saved me a lot of money!

L3 D5 on Thursday... very behind in updating... I'm going to struggle to fit one in today but I will try. DD is not very happy napping meaning she does a lot of screaming (she's teething) and then DS wakes up but at least DH is home today, though I'm madly dashing about with taking stuff to the NCT sale etc. etc.

Agree the DJ in Hard Body is a bit annoying but there aren't that many shots of him! Hard Body is OK but BFBM is my favourite general cardio one though. Have been doing NMTZ a lot this week and have upped the weights now as I want good arms for summer tops .
I have Shred it with Weights but never got on with it as I was too worried I would lose control of the weight and smash the telly or do some other physical damage to the lounge .

blodynmawr I did accidentally drop my dumbell mid-swing once, thankfully I didn't damage myself or the furniture. I've just got back from Argos with a Davina 4kg kettlebell and I'm just about to give it a go with Shred it with Weights Level 1. Will report back later on how it goes.

I've just done week 1 day 1 (sort of I've started it a few times!) of ripped in 30, there's no way I'm going to be as I have a lot of weight to lose but I've been doing well since the start of the year and it feels like a good time to add in some better toning on top of the food and increased walking! I'm not sure yet how to handle rest days I'm not very good at taking breaks I tend not to come back to it! I was debating doing a gentle yoga DVD twice a week instead of taking the day off completely.

I was exactly the same when I started the 30DS Deafworm. I knew if I added in any rest days I wouldn't pick it up again the next day so I did the 30 days straight. I then found a Jillian Michaels DVD rotation on a link on some website or other (I'll try and link it) and did that and as she actually 'prescribed' particular rest days, I found it easier to rest because Jillian was "telling me" to . Last night I wasn't feeling in the exercising zone at all so I did Level 1 of Yoga Meltdown instead, again it's only half an hour.

After I finished the DVD rotation list I started looking at her other DVD's on Amazon (I used to do most of it all on free You Tube clips but the buffering was doing my head in) and settled on my favourites.

I've just done Level 1 of Shred it with Weights with my new 4kg dumbell. It definitely made a difference as before my heaviest dumbell was 2.2kg. Having a proper handle to hold also helped me feel more confident swinging it around so it's definitely one I'll keep up with.

Hopefully this is the link to the DVD rotations [http://boards.weddingbee.com/topic/the-ultimate-30-day-slimdown-thread/]

Lets try that again shall we boards.weddingbee.com/topic/the-ultimate-30-day-slimdown-thread/

Agree Howya - I have to do it regularly to keep it up even if some days I only do a gentle 30 min of one of the workouts!
Glad your lounge is intact and the 4kg kettlebell sounds good as I assume you feel more confident about the grip compared to a dumb bell weight?

Thanks for that Howya, I will give it some thought, I used to do the shred and I don't remember taking rest days so it's possible I didn't. I'm still trying to work out where to fit it into my day so it may become more obvious where rest days need to fall depending on where I fit it. Today I did it mid afternoon and apart from some pretty entertaining moments with my toddler trying to do press ups it went far better than I expected!

I was nosing at the weights one earlier, I went from 0.5kg last week to 1kg weights today and washing my hair hurt but I quite like the weights moves.The grip thing does worry me on some of them though!

Oh definitely blodynmawr, the grip made the whole thing flow more even though it was harder with the extra weight. The great thing about the Davina kettlebell is it's shaped with a curved indent on both sides so it's not as hard on the wrists with some of the moves. I'm definitely going to keep up with it.

I think half the battle is finding the time in your day where you catch your motivation at its best Deafworm. I used to think it was when I got back from the morning school run and had the house to myself, but it's actually just after the school day when everyone is at home. Once they've had their snacks and we've checked uniforms are clean/any homework that needs doing etc, I tell them all I'm off to exercise. I shut myself away in the study and exercise just before I start making dinner. So weirdly it's not the most practical of times, but that's when I'm most motivated. I know it's easier for me as my youngest is 7, it must be really hard with tiny people. Probably why it's taken me all these years to actually think about myself and my fitness/health. I was spurred on last year when my Dad had a heart attack. It made me think about my own mortality and wanting to be around for my kids for eons to come.

Tried to do a work out this evening, but just wasn't feeling it. Only managed the warm up and first circuit. Better than nothing. I'd rather stop and do it on another day, than try and force myself through it, and feel disheartened.

I just started week two of RI30 and may as well have called it a rest day. I couldn't understand most of the moves so couldn't 'do' them properly. Tell me I will get there please! I hate the idea of wasting my time trying this when I know other workouts.

Body Rev, Phase 1, week 4, workout 3 done. Not a good day (and I bet when JM says "you can make it harder by adding weight" she doesn't have in mind having the cat come and sit on your leg).

Trenzalor, week 2 of Ripped is a bastard, but hang in there - it's quite an effective bastard.

Can I join in? I've just done day one of 30 day shred and am currently sitting on the sofa feeling like I'm going to die. The delighted cackles of my 9 month old watching from his high chair were not hugely morale-boosting either...

Ah welcome and well done mummyrunnerbean, it really will get easier!

Just puffed my way through BFBM as penance for all the food I ate yesterday. I do myfitnesspal religiously all through the week and then anything goes Sunday teatime. And it really did go yesterday! I don't normally exercise at this time of the day and I absolutely hate BFBM. I must be getting more used to is now as I was only really struggling on the last two circuits.