Hello again Natalie and Anita

[HermioneWeasley]

Back on 30 day shred after years of phoning it in at the gym. Just stepped up to level 2. It’s so hard 😭😭

@CalmConfident I think I love and hate nmtz in equal measure!

Just did day 4 (I think it’s day 4?) and today was the first time I noticed how truly dreadful the music is. I suppose this is progress from just trying to stay upright/not puke/keep up!

Jillian has told me to go and have a rock n roll day. So I’d best get on with that

NMTZ D1 done ✅

I survived...just...it’s hard! Off to have my rock n roll day now @MikeHannigansStripyShirt

Lift & Shred L2D5 done. There’s definitely too much jumping in this level.

Killer Cardio L2D5 done. This one has lots of jumping too, there is no escape! DD finds it dead easy which is mildly humiliating.

Feeling the after effect of yesterday’s NMTZ this morning in my glutes and triceps

I get so hot and sweaty I decided to just do my jillianing in sports bra and shorts today. Oh.My.God.... my stomach was flopping all over the place Good motivation though, to get it smaller and firmer!

I was reading a bit about good form and realised during ab exercises my lower back is off the floor and my tummy kind of curves upwards (in a muscle way rather than a lard way) so I really tried today to keep my lower back down and my tummy pulled in. Am still doing a lot of modifications but it felt harder like this so I think I might be strengthening the bits I want to rather than, as Jillian would put it, phoning it in.

@CalmConfident she really gets the bits that matter doesn’t she!! I’ve been doing some yoga type stretches on my days off to help with the aches.

@ProfessorRadcliffeEmerson does she have any dvds that don’t have jumping, apart from nmtz? I need something I can do in my bedroom (hiding from DCs) and wondered if she had a shorter workout that was similar. I’ve got 30DS but the leaping around is no good for my floorboards!

Speaking of phoning it in, I managed only the first 3 circuits of BFBM today as mentally I just wasnt feeling it. I started about an hour later than usual as was awaiting a delivery (which was then cancelled - grrrrr) so i just wanted it finished and i knew i just had such a long way to go. So i stopped.

I think part of it is that I really don't like that DVD. It's hard (well levels 2, 3, 6 and 7 are what I hate about it) and I just don't enjoy it. So. Having a re-think and I might stop the BFBM/NMTZ combo and start a new DVD and do it as per the programme.

Mike well done on sucking your abs in. For me it's a choice between sucking my abs in, and breathing. I haven't managed to master both at the same time!

@MikeHannigansStripyShirt, level 1 of Lift & Shred has no jumping: the focus is on basic moves with heavier weights. I thought it was pretty good. L2 is much more ‘Jillian’ and I can’t manage such heavy weights. I don’t know of any others, though I don’t remember Killer Abs being particularly leapy. Painful, yes.

Lift & Shred L2D6 done. DD less whiny today, which is a win.

Had a bit of a pause there due to work and schooling just becoming a bit overwhelming, but DD is now back at school so no excuses!

Did L1 of RI30 yesterday and it didn't seem too bad, so figured I'd just move on to L2. To quote Pretty Woman "Big mistake. HUGE". My word, that level is hard - crow push ups, mountain climber and squat thrusts very nearly killed me. Sweat dripping in my eyes was a particularly painful moment!

I'm going to keep going with it though - my aim is to go all the way through without taking a rest, but it seems unlikely at the moment! May also need to invest in some more weights as I think mine are officially feeble (2.5lbs, so only just over 1kg) - they were fine to begin with, but I'm not really feeling it in my arms any more, so probably need to step it up.

The plank cardio circuit in RI30 L2 is my absolute nemesis. I’ve never got through it without having to modify.

Someone on here a few months ago recommended swapping the mountain climbers for the high knees in a later circuit, easier than two minutes in plank.

Killer Cardio L2D6 done. Can’t wait to see the back of this one! DD didn’t get up in time so at least it was a solo humiliation.

I switched to Ri30 as NMTZ was a bit too long to squeeze in before my work 8.30 calls (not because my glutes still hurt ) going to find heavier weight fir the single weight moves fir tomorrow

So Ri30 L1 D1 done ✅

Fir? For!

To be honest, anything in plank is evil - but that's probably a good reason to keep going with it! RI30 L2 D2 done - even though I cheated and didn't do a whole week of L1. Feeling really good now I'm getting back into it though, it definitely sets me up for the day.

Generally speaking, do you think it's better to do the advanced moves but with a few seconds rest every now and again, or do the beginner moves and keep going throughout?

I need to do nmtz. I finished nights yesterday morning and I want nothing more than to be horizontal. I’ll let you know if I find my mojo

Book I think doing the harder move as much as possible is the best, then switching down to the easier level when you just can't take another one! That way you can really see yourself improve and you're constantly pushing yourself. As the great lady herself says (during the plank mountain climbers in BFBM) "you never know what you can achieve until you try". So if you only ever do the easier move you won't know that you've got to the point of being able to do all advanced moves without stopping.

I did BFBM today and only barely survived. One more week of it alternating with NMTZ then I'll join those of you on Ri30.

In other news, I managed to break a tooth this evening (finishing off the kids' leftovers- you don't even need to look too hard to find the lesson in that story ) so off to emergency dentist tomorrow. So rest day tomorrow but hopefully back on it on Sunday

Ri30 L1 D2 done ✅

How did you get on @MikeHannigansStripyShirt?

Yoga Inferno L2 done. DD slept in again so I thought I’d have a change. It’s really hard for the first half - loads in plank or downward facing dog - and then weirdly easier in the second half. Whatever it is it’s not really yoga!

RI30 L2 D3 done. Sticking with the advanced moves where possible, even if it means having the odd breather (I HATE mountain climbers!).

Ouch on the tooth Gerald - at least you've managed to get an appointment though, a few weeks ago I suspect that might have been really tricky. Trying to look on the bright side and all that...

Book well done on sticking with the advanced versions. I share your loathing of mountain climbers though weirdly (?) I find the plank version easier than the standing MCs in BFBM. Those are brutal

Calm thanks so much for asking! I managed it but phoned it in quite a lot as I was so tired. Planning to do it again tomorrow with a bit more vigour!

Killer Cardio L2D7 done: DD had a fit of enthusiasm and wanted to catch up what she’d missed.

Gerald, don’t do Killer Abs: one of the workouts has standing mountain climbers WITH WEIGHTS. It’s horrendous. Hope the dentist was OK and the tooth is sorted.