Starting 30 Day Shred 5/29/11 who's in?

lunamare

I had an off weekend and skipped working out Back on track tonight when I get home. I've got less than 2 weeks until vacation, gotta kick it into high gear!

Collinsky

I did L3D2 today -- I went straight to L3 yesterday instead of doing a tenth day of L2. I was eager to see what it was like. :-) So I'll end up doing 11 days at L3.

It is pretty challenging! I love the plyo, but wow, do my quads start burning. It's not mind over matter at that point... it's mind over Jell-o! And I can't do the rock star jumps at the end - that's a recipe for shin splints, and I've worked really ahrd to avoid those up to this point. I did little hops, and I'll build up to the jumps. I'm really pleased with how well I'm doing with the walking push-ups. I did most of them regular (not on my knees!) and that was really encouraging.

Also, since my diastasis is better, I'm more able to do the actual ab work (modified), and that's exciting for me. My abs are so much better!

Hope everyone else is doing great, sticking with it, and seeing benefits in weight loss, stamina, and/or strength!

lunamare

I got in Day 5 of Level 2 last night and then did Day 6 of Level 2 today. I kept thinking, it's only 25 minutes, I can do this. DD sat on the couch this morning commenting on the girls on TV. It was hysterical. Definitely kept me going. I feel SO much better having worked out.

Collinsky, I'm going to jump to Level 3 on Saturday which should be my Level 2 day 10. I leave on Vacation July 1st, so, that will give me 7 days of Level 3 before I go.

GoodMorningGirl

I did Level 3, Day 2 this morning. I like it, but I also find my quads are really quivering by the end of some of the moves and my hops and jumps are very low.

Also, that side plank ab move at the very end... I don't know if I am doing it right or not, but I can barely lift off the ground, even though I don't feel like I'm straining the ab muscles much. As a whole though, my stomach is starting to look flatter and a bit more defined, which is saying a lot after 2 C-sections and being overweight.

lizardly94

I'll start it but I dont know what it is but I"m in lol (:

Collinsky

GMgirl - when I was doing the side plank raises, I took my free hand and poked around my side to see if I was doing it right -- I could feel my oblique was very hard. Have you tried poking yourself in the side/abs to see what is tensing with the movement? Are you doing the modified?

I am realizing I'm starting to feel a little burnt out on the Shred. I want to keep my momentum, and my enthusiasm, and I've come this far -- I want to be able to finish. I don't mind doing other, similar circuit workouts, but for some reason I'm just not feeling the Shred. Which isn't making sense, because I actually like Jillian (gasp) and have, up until a few days ago, felt really great about the workouts. And I LOVE the results I've had!!! But when I think about doing my workout today, I'm feeling just "ugh" and like I'd rather do any other workout. I'm not sure taking a break is going to help... I guess I'm going to push through and do it anyway, because I really want to do the full 30 days!! Just wondered if anyone else was feeling like this.

Collinsky

I'll start it but I dont know what it is but I"m in lol (:

The 30 Day Shred by Jillian Michaels

lunamare

I'm a bit tired this AM, doing the workout later.

I know what you mean of being "eh" about the workouts this week. I know it's a great short workout and that's why I'm doing it. Part of me just wants to go to the gym and run for 45 min.

GoodMorningGirl

I did Level 3, day 3 today. Collinsky, I'd say you made it this far, so just hang in there and finish! I think everyone has off days or even weeks, but that's what threads like these are for. I have felt uninspired off and on too throughout all this, like am I really going to make any progress or have great results?

I'm on vacation at the Jersey shore this week, so I can't even weigh myself, but I will be happy if I can maintain this week and be as active as possible. I am making better eating choices than I have on past vacations and still managing to do the Shred every day. I keep telling myself that if I keep up this new and improved lifestyle, it WILL make a difference, even if it takes much longer than I'd like it to.

Anyway, girls, we're at the finish line now! Let's all be able to add to our signature that we finished the 30 Day Shred!

Collinsky

Thanks for the encouragement, guys!!

Yesterday I did a Barre workout and some yoga, instead of the Shred -- I feel more enthusiastic about hitting it again today. So today will be L3D3 (of 11 days) -- I'm going to stick with it at least until I've done 30 days.

I found this about the "Third Week Slump" in workouts: http://blog.extremefitnessresults.com/2010/04/third-week-slump-the-hardest-part-of-the-workout/ I think some of my expectations were too high -- not necessarily as far as weight loss, but for my ability to do everything in the workout without so much struggle. I was feeling like "This shouldn't still be so hard" and now that I've realized I was thinking like that, I can refocus on the progress and gains I have made in my strength and endurance. Because I've definitely improved, and even if I'm not kicking butt at everything all the time, I am kicking butt!! :-)

lunamare

Good for you for thinking about it in the right frame of mind!

I managed to get in Level 2 this morning. Saturday I switch to Level 3. I'm swearing through it all and sweating like crazy. I know it's worth it.

My short term goal is my cruise and being able to wear my clothes. I understand though that working out does alot for me mentally. When I don't work out I'm miserable. My body craves what it gets from a good workout.

GoodMorningGirl

Finished Level 3, Day 4 today and feeling good!

What are you thinking of doing for your next workout after we finish 30DS? I think I am going to cycle through it once more for July or maybe do Ripped in 30 (has anyone tried that?). In August when I go back to school, I will have access to a treadmill and I am thinking of doing the C25K program. My legs should be ready for it by then.

Collinsky

I don't know. I was planning to cycle through again, but now I'm not sure. If I do, I'll probably do it every other day. I'm planning to start C25K soon, and I was thinking about tackling this P90X we've got sitting here.

I've thought about getting Ripped in 30, but what I might do is take a break from all Jillian for a week or two before deciding on that or another cycle.

GoodMorningGirl

Finished Level 3, Day 5. This is definitely the longest I've ever stuck consistently to a DVD workout!

Colleen, if you decide to do P90x, please let me know how it compares to 30DS. I am too intimidated to give that one a try yet, and I've heard it's an hour commitment every day, which I just can't make at this time. It's something I might aspire to a little later in my fitness journey.

Collinsky

After slacking off with the Shred this week, I kicked butt today. I even managed to try the rock star jumps. Still modifying things, but the progress I've made since L1D1 is NO JOKE. Maybe I just needed a couple of rest days to get back into it!

I also did the P90X legs and back workout - I chose it at random, because I didn't look at the plans first. It looked like the one I wanted to do today. I haven't tried the other workouts in P90X, but I would say that if you've completed the 30 Day Shred, you can probably tackle it. I was not doing actual pull ups, so that would make a difference - but one of the modifications is using resistance bands for those, so you can do P90X even if you are nowhere near ready to do a single pull up. It's less intense in a lot of ways than the Shred (at least the one workout I did, so grain of salt if all the other ones are awful LOL). That workout was 40 minutes, so not too bad -- but yes, longer than the Shred.

Going by my first impressions, I'm not sure I'll be doing 90 days of it. Once I finish the Shred, I'll do some of the other workouts (probably try the P90X Lean plan, which is more cardio and less upper body) and we'll see how it goes.

Collinsky

After reading a little on it, I'm thinking I'm going to start Ripped In 30 when I finish this. Same format, less jumping, and she breaks the strength moves up into 30 second bits instead of the eternity they are now. Sounds perfect. LOL

GoodMorningGirl

I might do Ripped in 30, but if not, I am definitely going to cycle through 30DS one more time.

I completed Level 3, Day 7 today (forgot to check in yesterday, as we were coming home from our vacation, but I even did my workout then too).

I have a June calendar where I put a sticker on each day I worked out and I only missed one day when I had a stomach virus. This group has been a big help!

Ley2ndtry

I totally lost track of this thread sorry! Finished the shred on Saturday 6lb lighter and 16 inches smaller starting p90x tomorrow eeeek

Collinsky

I went to a party this afternoon, and while it was a great time, I ended up eating 2000 calories while I was there. Not fabulous at all. So I pretty much doubled the 1200 I'm supposed to net today! I'm wondering if I should do the Shred now, even though it's after ten PM, just to burn a couple hundred off... but that's hardly a dent. I'll have to be extra careful the next couple days to eat really clean and hit my workouts hard, and hopefully it will even out.

I wasn't impressed with the P90X workout I did, and felt it was kind of boring, but I was so sore the next day that I had to admit it must have been pretty effective at working muscles! I may give it another shot once I'm done with this.

Great work Ley2ndtry! That's really awesome!

lunamare

Argh, my plan last week got shot to he double hockey sticks. DH is a teacher and DD just finished school and it's amazing how much their change in schedules totally screws me up. I'm ticked. Only a few days until vacation. Hoping to hit the DVD when DD gets in the shower.