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!

Glad to hear it Flatmouse. Was worried about you there for a few days. Glad you've got your Mojo back .

Hello all

Back from my mum's and have shredded, but am to say have only managed 2 shreds in last week. Mostly due to 2 sick children (vomit a-go-go) and no sleep. Thank God for washing machines, that's all I can say. Did demonstrate a couple of exercises for my mum, who laughed til she cried! I didn't think it was that funny.....

It was so hard today, even with just 1kg weights. I do so hate level 2. I think I'm day 8 or 9 level 2, but wonder if I should keep going for a bit before moving up to level 3. Any thoughts, ladies? Part of me is looking forward to a change, even though I obviously have weedy upper arms

flatmouse v impressed with your press ups. I still can't even do one!

tootired hope all are better. Don't be impressed with my press ups - others such as jelli lostgirl balloon and notyummy are the experts (apologies if I missed anyone)
I seem to remember alot of plank and pressup in L3 - always worth a go :)

No. Not me. I am not an expert. I'm still new (3 months) to this exercise lark. I just keep plugging away day after day and have seen some results, that's all.

I can only manage about 5 press ups too! I think it's my feeble (but developing) arms trying in vain to lift my well endowed (but deflating) torso!!

Welll back to level 1 for me. This time round I am using 3 kg weights and 2.5 kg during the cardio sections. But I am not sweating at the end of it which worrys me a bit. Also, at the weekend I bought those scales which check your body fat %, Water %, Muscle and bone mass. I was very disappointed to find out I have a 32% body fat% which having googled appears I am at the top end of the scale for being overweight. Also I saw a recent photo of myself which depressed me too. I began all this because I have a big trip planned to see my family in May, I wanted to look amazing. However, the chances of that happening between now and then is pretty bleak.....

At the end of the day though, I am losing cms still, and because of this I MUST look better than I did when I first started this regime back in December 2010. So I will still keep this up between now and when I go away. Maybe a miracle will happen.

Conquita Girl if you can shred with 3kg then you are kicking butt and I'm sure you look amazing!! I find that I get more critical of my body the better it is looking. When I was obese and not a muscle to be seen I didn't really look, let only take much pride of myself from the neck down but now that I am slowly shrinking and muscles are emerging, I see my bingo wings and my belly fat like never before. I think it gives you a whole new awareness of your body.
Do you have any other of Jillians dvds? Maybe try 6W6P? Other than that you know you are shrinking and you look better than before and you will only get better with more shredding. Or do some running as well to shred more fat. Your family will amazed at how you look in May!

I did L2 D2 today and man it is so hard!! I was definatley sweating!

thanks Febes, but I don't look amazing. The photo is testament to that. However I agree with you on the weights issue! I can't believe I am lifting such heavy weights, considering when I first started shredding I could hardly do level 1 with 1kg weights!!! so I am amazed at that, but on the whole I feel I have let myself down by not losing the weight. Anyway, I will get over it, I am recognising a pattern in myself and my dark moods which last for about one day per month, but one week later I am feeling positive again.

6w6p has been ordered from Amazon and is on the way!

Level 2 is the hardest level, so don't worry about it being hard Febes! keep on trucking! it is the one level where after it I really feel like I have worked out and am sweating. Just keep it up, and do the best you can : )

Funny you all think Level 2 is hardest - I think it's by far the easiest. Level 1 is murder on my knees.

Having said that I never do the Double Jump Rope of level 2. I don't think I can get my head around the concept of a "double jump"

conquita , scales that measure your body fat are notoriously unreliable and in no way give accurate readings so please don't worry. You have made massive increases in strength and fitness since you started and it is fantastic that you are still making sure you increase the weights etc and keep challenging yourself. I'm like you and have one awful week every month where everything seems a hundred times worse and I have come to recognise that the 'cleaner' I eat the other three weeks, the less likely this is to happen. Ignore the photo, bad lighting, unfortunate positioning, bad camera angle can all make a picture look worse than it is, just as good lighting, flattering angles and breathing in can make things look better than they really are!! Keep up all your great work, when you see the reaction you get from your family in May you will hopefully realise just how much you have really achieved.

Hello all. Not been posting for a while but been lurking! Had a couple of weeks off shredding due to hols & illness but started back last Wednesday. Thought I'd better start back at L1 for a couple of days to get back into it & was totally amazed - it seemed so easy, I was able to use 2kg weights for most of it & managed nearly all Natalie moves (other than a few pressups, but had managed some full pressups before sinking to knees!!). I cannot believe that my fitness has improved sooo much since I started & that even with a couple of weeks off I had retained it. Moved up to L2 (which I hated) after a couple of days & even that didn't seem as bad as before & managed to use 2kg weights for a lot of it. I've lost a few pounds on Dukan over last couple of weeks, so wondering if that has made a difference to my abilities & all the protein may have helped strengthen my muscles? Or maybe that's all nonsense!!!

Also finally got around to taking my measurements. First did them in mid-Jan when I started exercising & eating better & have lost 6 inches off my waist!!!!! I could not believe it! So glad I did before measurements now, as when I look in mirror I can't see that much change, but the tape measure says otherwise, & I'm having to pull my belt in an extra hole on all my jeans ;)

Conquita, just to echo what LostGirl said, I bet your family will notice a real difference . Zeeky, wow, 6" off your waist is amazing. Just done Level 2 again and I still hate really dislike it, but I can tell it's doing good. I've got a twinge in my knee and one of my wrists feels a bit weak, so I'm not sure it was a good choice for today on reflection!

Did 30DS L1 D3 earlier - knees are hurting during jumping jacks but not calf yet (when will i learn to replace jumping jacks with something else - am just too stubborn wanting to do it "as is"). First set of press ups and i reached the heady height of 7 before knees, second set i only managed 1 :(
Getting easier with the 2kg weights already - i am reasonably comfortable for the majority of the arm raises (last strength) now - altho can definitely feel the extra weights making a difference in legs/arms/stomach - something is happening - so i may measure up on Fri (first time in a few weeks).

Conquita i am in awe of how much shredding you have done and completely agree with febes about taking more notice of your body once you start making changes which unfortunately takes you through a "it's looking worse" stage.

I'm not very good at following a diet plan as such. I realise the need to write it down to keep track. At the moment i'm trying to keep portions down, keep fruit & veg up, and reduce carbs. (Oh yes and reduce alcohol). Have to admit though that the last 3 weeks have been a bit of a blur and diet/alcohol has suffered!

BalloonSlayer agree about double jump ropes. Hate 'em.

Well done Zeeky and Conquita - I think you're doing amazingly well. The talk of 2kg weights makes me feel very weak and feeble indeed. Funnily enough, when I started to Shred I thought I'd be quite strong from heaving a lazy (and heavy) toddler around, but instead I find the cardio more doable.

Oh, and I hate knees up as well.

Thanks everyone for the support. I feel much better now

Hi everyone. Can I pop in and share my Shred experience? Was on L1 D6 and feeling quite smug buoyant......following Nadalie and even managing all the press-ups. So I foolishly decided to give L2 a bash. It was awful. I basically flailed my way through with a look of terror in my eyes. Far too much plank action and those squat thrust things made my head spin. I've petrified myself. By the end I wasn't so much phoning it in as writing out a letter of resignation. I'm now sitting on the settee doing a fair impression of Munch's Scream.

Winefairy ! I think the general consensus (with some exceptions!) is that Level 2 is bloody awful a lot harder than Level 1, and that even L3 is preferable! I've been all through the levels and revisit them along with Jillian's other DVDs and I still find Level 2 the hardest to get through - don't know why. I don't mind a lot of planks, it's the bloody squat thrusts, those v fly raise things, the military leg up press things.... . If I were you, finish your 10 days of Level 1, then give L2 another go, maybe stick to Anita at first? And well done at managing all the press-ups, I always end up collapsing to my knees before the end, although I can do the walking ones in L2 and the travelling ones in L3 - weird.

Thank you for the encouragement, knottyhair. It was actually managing those blasted L1 press-ups that made me think I was Kelly Holmes gave me the confidence to try L2. You're right though. Back to L1 to complete my 10 days. By then I'll be more ready for it . I also think I've traumatised the cat attempting L2 before I was ready. He now has a haunted look in his eye, as if he's witnessed something no cat should ever see.

Squat thrusts are my nemesis. Who knew? I too didn't mind the walking press-up so much so maybe there is hope.

Amazing results Zeeky. Am on holiday in Brighton enjoying the weather. Did BFBM in hotel room last night (I have it on iPhone!) and did an amazing 7 mile run all along rhe seafront first thing this morning with the sun shining.

Hi everyone! I have just done L2 D1 of 6W6P and I had to do a search and see if anyone else had experienced this torture workout and found this thread.

Me and Jillian have been together about 5 months and I've loved her dearly through 2 30DS's, many BFBM sessions and L1 6W6P but today I tried L2 and think our relationship may be in trouble.

It was horrible; jumping jackknives???, burpees for warmup??? more bloody mountain climbers??? I'm bright red, really sweaty (which has all frothed up with the sun cream I had on earlier) and fit to drop. To those who've stuck with it; does it get easier?

And to all the 30DShredders; stick with it, don't phone it in, I want to see you floating off the ground!

YouMakeMe, I'm not much help I'm afraid, as I've only braved L2 once and reverted back to Level 1! I'm waiting to see if anyone found it got easier the more you do it....

YouMakeMe, I did 6W6P L2 twice (I say "did", probably "attempted" is a better word) and ran tail between legs back to 30DS. Honestly i found the jumping jack-knives OK - but have a deep hatred for all things burpee (and note she tries to disguise further burpees under a different name).

If you can keep going - do - we'll all be very proud of you :)

You Make Me I did 6W6P L2 D9 today.

I hated it the first day too and I am a 'do it the first time i see it' gal and not a 'watch it before I try it' gal, so my D1 was easier than D2 iyswim. My glutes were sore for a few days too.

To tell the truth i found Friday it was easier less impossible for some reason. I took my day off on Saturday and I have found it harder again yesterday and today, so I am hoping for good things tomorrow. But it IS easier than it was on D1. I don't think it will be easy, ever, and I have made peace with that (mostly). I am still working with Maddy sometimes, like for the second round of jumping jack knives, but there isn't really many easy options so it is straight into the hard stuff with no work up.

Mostly it is a hard workout which will always be hard!

I liked L1 though, and realised I don't really enjoy the cardio, it's just something I have to do to shift the flab.

Oh and yes, I am actually drippy sweaty at the end and am puce too. Having watched the DVD nine times now, I have noticed that there is a bit of editing going on there so I reckon they have a sneaky break or two so I am allowed to look much worse than them by the end. I also think they are (fit) dancers too from something Jillian says. It's a bit of a Bea love fest too .

Thanks I will attempt it tomorrow but the thought of 14 more sessions really makes my heart sink and I haven't felt like that about any of her work outs so far; I've always wanted to please her But with this one I just wanted to shout 'Feck Off' but was too out of breath.

I will attempt it tomorrow. I will...I will...I might...I will

I know. I am focusing on finishing my three weeks and knowing I "have found the time for myself" and to "have completed something that I didn't think I could do and I can take that to all the other aspects of my life" etc, etc, etc.

Although it doesn't feel like i'm phoning it in (see sweaty reference above) i am soooo pleased she isn't in the room with me, she would shout at me in the second go round as i am tired by then, and it feels like I just can't do more. It doesn't wipe me out for the day though by any means, so perhaps 'B+ must try harder' for me. Help!!