Jillian Michaels DVDs

ceredonia

Question about JM DVDs!

So I searched around some threads here and found out about the 30 Day Shred and No More Trouble Zones DVDs. From what I've read, the 30 Day Shred isn't likely something that I can realistically keep up after 30 days (even though it sounds great for short-term), and I'm trying to find something to switch up my workouts with. I currently try to make it to the gym every day, but only use the elliptical for 1 mile and the treadmill for 1 mile (I try to do both, usually end up just doing one, still working on increasing the distance). I know that this is helping, but not immensely. I'd like to lose a couple inches off my waist (I have the dreaded muffintop problem) and tone up my legs, so would the NMTZ DVD be a better option? I figure use it a few days a week, alternating with the gym for pure cardio.

My other question, specifically about the NMTZ DVD, is that I see it's broken up into circuits. Do you have to do the entire DVD each time, or is it okay to only do the specific circuits that I want to see improvement in (like waist, legs, and arms)? Or should I just do the entire thing to make sure my body is being worked out evenly?

I'm trying to find something that will work more long-term, and not just provide a 30-day slimdown--sure that's nice, but I don't want to go back up after 30 days!

mrscates

I did all the Jillian DVD's and I am now on my P90X DVD's and once done w/ those will start my Brazilian Butt lift DVD's. I do not think her DVD's are 'short term'. EVERY DVD works...it's the people that STOP working. If you did her DVD's every OTHER day and just jogged on your 'off' days you would still keep the weight off. Weight ONLY comes back if you stop being active AND start eating bad, fatty foods to often and to much of it.

I would personally recommend her DVD's as they are short, fast, and will give you a great workout!

*This is coming from someone who use to weigh 201 in a size 16 and is now 148 in a size 6/7*

ceredonia

Do you think alternating between the Trouble Zones DVD and the Boost Fat one would be a good choice? It seems that NMTZ is more strength and the Boost one is more cardio. I never know what reviews to trust on Amazon

julest25

Don't know what NMTZ is but I alternate between Jillian (when I need a boost) and Turbo. I findTurbo keeps me going I can do 20 mins or a full 40 depending on how I'm feeling but either way I know I've worked out.

CeleryStalker

I agree with Kacates! Jillian's videos are no nonsense and there is no reason anyone wouldnt be able to use her vids for the long haul.

kimekurtz

I love the Jillian DVDs!!!! They work wonderfully and you are done so fast. I only use 5 lb weights with her 30 day shred and 3lb weights for her No More Trouble Zones. I alternate DVDs doing level 2 or 3 from her shred program and then the NMTZ. They all work and will kick your butt! Jillian also has Boost Your Metabolism DVD that is almost impossible for me to complete. Sometimes I need a break from Jillian and I will use other videos from the Exercise on Demand station with Time Warner Cable. Stick with it though, Jillian really does produce the results. Good luck!

nehtaeh

Do you think alternating between the Trouble Zones DVD and the Boost Fat one would be a good choice? It seems that NMTZ is more strength and the Boost one is more cardio. I never know what reviews to trust on Amazon

Yes, they are both good. If you are wanting to do more strength/toning one day and cardio the other, alternating these two would work great. I didn't like BFBM much, it was hard for me. I would choose my elliptical over that.

If you have all 3 dvds, there is a 30 day slimdown program that incorporates them all. It is through on demand through a cable provider. You can probly google the name and find it. It does have a Quick Trouble Zones that is in the program but I didn't have on demand so I just did NMTZ in place. I think QTZ is just a condensed version of NMTZ.

I love Jillian's dvds. I recently bought her yoga meltdown and love the workout it gives me just as much.

nachoqtpie

I have 30 Day Shred, and Banish Fat. 30 Day is a good one for some results. She does give you quite the workout. The Banish DVD is ALL cardio! Don't get me wrong, there is muscle building in there too... but it's 40 minutes of pure *kitten* kicking cardio. It gets "easier" as you build up, but, never easy!!

ceredonia

Yes, they are both good. If you are wanting to do more strength/toning one day and cardio the other, alternating these two would work great. I didn't like BFBM much, it was hard for me. I would choose my elliptical over that.

How was it too hard for you? I'm really, really weak, haha, and can barely do a mile on the elliptical in 30 minutes.
Maybe starting with just the NMTZ one and keeping up with the gym on the other days would be smarter for me?

CeleryStalker

ooh, how about getting a BOSU and doing the videos that come with it? If you are looking to tighten up your midsection, the bosu will leave you no other option but to firm it up, lol. I love mine so much I bought my fiance one. Now we can work out together instead of having to take turns

nehtaeh

Yes, they are both good. If you are wanting to do more strength/toning one day and cardio the other, alternating these two would work great. I didn't like BFBM much, it was hard for me. I would choose my elliptical over that.

How was it too hard for you? I'm really, really weak, haha, and can barely do a mile on the elliptical in 30 minutes.
Maybe starting with just the NMTZ one and keeping up with the gym on the other days would be smarter for me?

I don't know, I only tried it maybe twice. I didn't make it through it and gave the dvd away. I can do an hour on my elliptical, I might not be going fast or have a high level the whole time, but I can do it. You can try it and see if you can do it. I know I bought it for $9 at Target so I wasn't too attached to give it away. Do you have on demand? Maybe look at that or look online for some clips to see what you think.

nachoqtpie

BFBM is no joke! It is a pretty intense 40 minute cardio! By the time I get to the end I'm POOPED! Keep at it... you will work up you will be able to work thru it! Promise!

CakeFit21

I've done all of her DVD's too and I pretty much agree with everybody here! 30 Day Shred is in no way "short term". In fact, it is the perfect DVD to start with if you feel "weak", (which I am positive you are not) and have little endurance. Shred is 20 minutes! It is a hard DVD, but you will see results! I did NMTZ and BFBM, (alternating days) after I did Shred and there is no way I would have made it through either one of those without completing shred first. Any of these will get you results but you have to PUSH yourself!

nachoqtpie is 100% right, BFBM is 40 minutes of *kitten* kicking cardio! It's brutal and I hated it for a long time. Now it's my fav.

Also, the main point of here circuit training system is that when you do all of them together you keep your heart rate up and burn fat and calories. That's why her workouts are so effective.

carmelasergi

I love JM DVD's. I started with the 30 Day Shred ~ Level 1 (week 1) and am starting in my 2nd week. I'm will be alternating between 30 DS (level 2) and NMTZ for strengh training/toning & BFBM for cardio. I also just bought her new DVD, Shred with Weights, but haven't tried it yet. I need to keep my workouts challenging otherwise I get bored doing the same workout everyday. The good thing about the 30 Day Shred is, you can do the modified version of a particular exercise if you need to. Start slow and build yourself up.

I agree with karincakes that you will get results from Julian's DVD's, but you have to PUSH yourself!

You can do it, believe in yourself!

We're all here to motivate you. Good Luck!

ceredonia

So would it be smarter to get the 30 Day Shred DVD and work through that BEFORE getting the other 2? I'm pretty weak, to the point that I honestly can't do a "real" pushup, haha.

I could probably work my way through the Shred DVD and then get NMTZ and BFBM and alternate those. Would that be a better plan that just jumping into alternating the two?

Also, I'm kind of confused about the Shred set-up. I get that there's 3 "levels," does she tell you a schedule to do those or do you just kinda figure it out on your own? There's another thread (http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/118635-any-shredders-just-starting-out-there) about a 30-day "slimdown" that uses all 3 DVDs, but do you just keep repeating the slimdown or is that more of a one-time every so often kind of thing? I never use DVDs to work out, I'm just so confused! Sorry!

maroon58

if you have cox on demand and search under health and fitness there is a jillian michaels workout you can try (for free). there are also a bunch of other workouts from kendra to biggest loser! someone else posted this about cox and i had no idea. i had going to try the jm one today....i think it is available till the 27th of this month. hth!

CakeFit21

So would it be smarter to get the 30 Day Shred DVD and work through that BEFORE getting the other 2? I'm pretty weak, to the point that I honestly can't do a "real" pushup, haha.

I could probably work my way through the Shred DVD and then get NMTZ and BFBM and alternate those. Would that be a better plan that just jumping into alternating the two?

Also, I'm kind of confused about the Shred set-up. I get that there's 3 "levels," does she tell you a schedule to do those or do you just kinda figure it out on your own? There's another thread (http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/118635-any-shredders-just-starting-out-there) about a 30-day "slimdown" that uses all 3 DVDs, but do you just keep repeating the slimdown or is that more of a one-time every so often kind of thing? I never use DVDs to work out, I'm just so confused! Sorry!

Personally, I think starting with Shred is good plan. I would hate for you to start with the others and get discouraged, that would suck. Jillian shows you an "easier" modification for each level. There is no shame in starting out doing push-ups on your knees ;-) We all have to start somewhere, right! You start out on level one then you move up as you feel ready. Most people spend 10 days on each level and trust me when I say this is something that EVEN YOU can do. The first time I did Shred I almost barfed and I thought there would be no way I could ever do it for 30 days. And guess what? I totally gave up. I wasted a year and a half thinking I couldn't do it. When I was finally tired enough of being overweight and feeling weak I tried again. Nothing had changed in that year and a half. It was still just as hard as the first time, but I kept at it because as Jillian says, "Results don't come for free!" During the first few days I just kept telling myself, "It's only 20 minutes, (pant, pant) I can do anything for 20 minutes, (gasp)."

YOU CAN TOO!

vachegomoo

I think starting with the Shred is a good idea too. I have all of her DVDs except for the newest one, and NMTZ and BFBM can be pretty intimidating. I'd really recommend her yoga meltdown dvd too. Level 2 on the yoga dvd is a great lower body workout (my bum was sore for days the first time I did it!) and the workouts are about half an hour each so it's much easier to find time to do them.
Whatever you decide to go with, stick with it! If you're like me, you'll want to write Jillian off as a devil woman after the first workout but if you stick with it you'll start feeling results even within a few days!