2011 shredhead part 3 - and other JM instruments of torture!

[flatmouse]

No room at the part two inn - so here goes part 3!!

6W6P level 1 day 8 done...
... And I still hate burpees!

hi everyone....so as a newcomer to NMTZ how many circuits do you tend to do? Tonight I did warm up & cool down plus 3 circuits. They weren't cardio at all as I'm avoiding my hamstring so I didn't find it tiring. Am hoping to attempt Zumba on Thurs night so am still taking it easy...but if my hamstring hold out would like to up it all on Friday.

Chocolate- I do the whole thing, but if I were to choose circuits I would leave out the last two as they are the easiest IMHO.

chocshoes I have been doing 4 or 5 circuits plus the warm up and cool down. Have only managed it all the way through a couple of times (mostly cause I never have the time and cause it's bloody hard).

L3 shred just done, I am liking that level more and more!

Chocolate, I do it all the way through, but if I'm short of time, I do 4 plus warm-up and cool down, but I do 3 x 2 min cardio inbetween each one (I just copy whichever Shred combo I fancy!).

p.s. choc I agree re Kristin and Sameera not being as good as Natalie and Anita but I don't really know why!

p.p.s. my phone now predicts chocshoes if I just type *ch !!

Knotty, that sounds quite good; am always put off by US measurements and talk of turkey bacon however...hope that you're injury is feeling better.

Has anyone done that "Ripped in 30" DVD yet? Have got all the other DVDs, but they don't sound as good as the Shred, and I'm struggling to move on.

PS Has anyone noticed that JM and Nadalee both have wobbly underarms, but Anita doesn't? There is clearly no hope for my own bingo wings, and I am coming to the conclusion that Anita is some sort of android.

Knotty some of the recipes sound scrummy!

Venetia don't be put off my US measurements just get yourself a set of 'cups'. They are much quicker than weighing.

Chocolate I do as many NMTZ circuits as I can (depending on how long I lay in bed putting it off - I do it before work) I do a min of 3 to make it worth doing though and tend to avoid the last two.

thanks for all those replies about which circuits to do. Can't do it tonight as have to go back to work in a minute (open evening - grrr) but am aiming to do the whole thing on my days off and then I'll go for 4 circuits the other days then. Anita's stomach cannot be real - it just can't.

Hi! Im new to shreading and am wondering what weights everyone uses, im really struggling with my 2kg ones...maybe im just a weakling . Thanks!

3kg is quite heavy to begin with unless you are used to doing work with weights. Most people probably start with 1.5 or 1 kg and work their way up.

hello all you dedicated, motivated people who are grrrrr about Jillian. I need your help :-)
I have shredded and enjoyed it and now bought BFBM. Am determined to try and increase my stamina but seem to have a mental block getting past circuit 5. I get past the squat jumps on 6 and then just turn to jelly. Any tips?
Also...I think they have been mentioned before...but Jillians eyebrows. Wow.

Hi Suzie and kitty!

Suzie - I started with 1kgs and found even that really hard to start. I can now shred with 2 kgs but that took a few weeks to work my way up to! (And I still have to use 1kgs for the killer v raises in level 2 - if you haven't got there yet you'll know what I mean when you do!!)

kitty - I find BFBM almost impossible to do all the way through. Have managed it maybe once. Have mostly been choosing 4-5 circuits of it, with the warm-up and cool down. I don't know, maybe try the circuits in a different order so you're not always getting exhausted at the same point which could be creating the mental block, IYSWIM?

Hi Suzie, I have done the whole thing, and am trying to up weights to 2kg, but started on 1kg, and am only using the 2kg sparingly even now. Agree with you Jackster re v raises; no way will I ever ever do those with 3kg...

Kitty, haven't tried BFBM yet, but Jillian's eyebrows will probably have their own DVD out soon; they are seriously meaningful...

Chocshoes, I am conveniently trying to convince myself that a softly rounded belly is a better look than Anita's bumpy bits.

Does anyone else really, really hate the plank rolls with leg raises in level 3 of the shred? And I'm just talking the Anita version...

Suzie, I started at end of January with 1.5kg, then didn't progress to 2kg until I'd completed the 30 days. I now do a mixture of 2kg and 3kg. So I'd definitely get some lighter weights for now if I were you, you'll soon progress .
Kitty, I'm the same as Jackster, have only ever done BFBM once all the way through. I tend to do 4 circuits, picking the "harder" ones, which feels like it's enough for me!

My knee seemed a lot better so did L3 Shred this morning but both knees had twinges when I started the jumping lunges, and couldn't even manage the easy version. The problem seems to be coming in and out of a lunge, and also all the plyometric cardio so I had to miss it out. I did a "customised" version but it didn't feel as effective as usual . But I really don't want to make the problem worse. Not sure which DVD to do tomorrow - I'll have to see how the knees feel. Going to have a rest day on Saturday so hopefully by Sunday they'll be OK. Going to make Jillian's oatmeal choc chip muffins tomorrow !

x-posted Venetia! I quite like the last strength circuit of Level 3, perhaps I'm weird !

hi all...thank you for your words of wisdom. Jackster, think you're right and its a mental block thing ( or a crap muscle free body thing!) May try doing the circuits backwards iykwim and see if that makes a difference
Knotty - which do you think are the harder circuits? Am a lazy bugger so like the lying on the floor aspects of circuit 4.
Suzie - I started shredding with 1k and have just worked ( incredibly slowly!) to 2.5k. On some of the exercises I still use 1.5k ( like Venetia I think v raises are my nemesis)
Oh well. At least today is done! My favourite thing about BFMB is the recommendation to only do 5 days out of 7!

Hi Kitty - BFBM is quite a hard cardio workout. I do usually do all of it (although not for a while as I tend to use it when I can't go out running as an alternative.) Because of running I was relatively cardio fit when I started it IFYSWIM. Could you maybe think about doing slightly modified version of everything to make it slightly easier and this may allow you to carry on?

oooh I like it being described as "quite hard cardio" My PE teacher would be knocked sideways at the thought of me voluntarily doing "hard cardio" !!! Think will try combination of modification and slowly working my way through circuits 6 and 7

Kitty, IMHO, I find 2, 3, 4 and 6 harder than the others, but I do sometimes include one of the kickboxing ones, particularly if I'm having a bad day !

knotty I agree re the hard circuits of BFBM (so far as I can remember) - circuit 2 is the worst, I mean who thought it was a good idea to put burpees and those 180 jumps into the same circuit?! That leaves me gasping and downing water throughout circuit 3, which in turn makes me feel very sick indeed doing the plank/floor work in circuit 4. I tend to find it gets better from circuit 5 onwards though.

NMTZ circuits 3,4,5 and 7 done today. I think I am getting addicted to the arm and shoulder work. It's because I can really see the difference it's making which is really motivational! Whereas my thighs are still flabby/chubby no matter how many squats and lunges I do .

Oh and p.s. kitty same here re the PE teacher (I was the one generally to be found hiding in the bushes during cross country runs at school ).

ah...cross country runs. My absolute enemy. Weird as actually if I had a chance to run through the Devon countryside now I think I would grab it with both hands.
Is it odd to say I actually Like Burpees. Oh dear.
Oh - and the grinning lady in green is enough to put me off exercise for life. she is manic! her punches have to be seen to be believed

Our cross country runs were great.....we used to run down the road to my friends house and watch Monty Python videos!! Amazing we got away with it!

beginning to feel quite demoralised about my hamstring now. I'd made progress with Shred & Zumba and now am severely scuppered. Can't do butt kicks or anything...grrrrr.

Our cross country runs were always done in the snow, so that the games teachers could stay inside and smoke....

Jackster, am almost tempted to take the plastic off the NMTZ DVD if you're saying that you are seeing a difference on arms...how long did it take to notice?

Oh I bloody hated cross country runs. We just went round and round the school field, although there was a wooded area where we could sneak off for a fag rest. I always got a stitch and had the very butch PE teacher standing over me telling me to "break through the pain barrier". Nightmare.
Totally agree with Jackster, my arms are where I see the most difference. I wouldn't be seen dead in a sleeveless top before but I've now bought a few vests! Chocolateshoes, you sound really frustrated and I don't blame you! Hope it improves soon. Did 6W6P L1 this morning. Off for a quick shower, then I'm having a go at Jillian's banana & blueberry muffins (but with wimberries).