September Challenge - Jillian Michaels's 30 Day Shred.

also im a student so i bought the dvd for £5 but i already had lgiht-ish weight (just over 5lbs) i am struggling with them a bit but not too much so i guess thats something

I AM AMAZED AT THOSE RESULTS!!!!!!!! I think that is extraordinary and I am so jealous!

I'm not even finished the DVD. I'm just about to start Level 3 today (even though I've only done 9 days of level 2, not 10, but I can always add the 'missing' day of level 2 on at the end ). I'm just anxious to move onto level 3 and can't wait to change it up a bit!

Here's my stats so far:

I did my before weight and measurements on August 26th (i started the 30DS on August 27th)

Start Weight: 158
Current Weight: 152
-5 lbs down so far!

Start Waist: 36.5 in
Current Waist: 32
-4.5 inches down so far

Start Hips: 38.5
Current Hips: 37
- 1.5 in down

Start arms: 13.5
Current arms: 12.5
- 1 in down

Start legs: 23.5
Current legs: 21.5
- 2 in down

- this is the first of me actually comparing weight and measurements and since August 26th...and i'm just amazed!! LOL

I have to agree with the person above that Jillian's cool down is crap really lol. its way too short so I always do a couple of extra stretches at the end once the dvd is finished. her warms ups aren't bad though. i just don't get how the cool downs are the same for level 1 and 2 (and i'm assuming level 3, i'll find out today)...i guess because they all work the same muscles...but i wish she would add different stuff in there... that and the impact on the knees is my only complaint of 30DS otherwise it is an AWESOME workout and I LOVE it!! I never heard of it before joining MFP! so thank you all for that! :flowerforyou:

Day 2 of Level 2 - My abs hate Jillian but I am seeing results. :happy: I can fit my size 10 jeans now! (I don't care if it's vanity sizing - it says size 10!)

I have one question, since I slipped and fell on my face tonight! Do you guys do it with trainers on or bare foot/with socks?

I'm sorry...I laughed.

Jillian and her crew wear shoes, so I do too.

Its ok, I nearly finished the workout early since I couldnt stop laughing!
I hadnt thought about it during level 1, but now thinking i might need to, but im indoors, on carpet and feels odd!

I take my shoes off before the stretching. One night, I kicked my shoes off after the final cardio circuit, thinking I could do plank twists with no shoes, but I was slipping all over the place on my carpet, so I was all moving myself onto my yoga mat with each twist, walking one hand forward, twisting, walking the other hand forward while I return to plank, and such until I was entirely on the mat. It didn't really help that much, as my socks were apparently the root of the problem. Also, I probably looked ridiculously stupid doing that. I learned my lesson. Shoes on until stretch time!

i have her 30DS and have been doing it for a couple weeks now. i only did 5 days worth of level one. i started level 2 about a week and a half ago. i plan on doing level 2 for two weeks then doing level 3. i also like to switch it up and do 6w6p every so often so i'm not doing the same thing everyday. i've found i can tolerate her much more in 6w6p (meaning, i don't want to punch her in the mouth so much to make her shut up lol) she talks waaaay too much in 30DS, in 6w6p she's a little more interactive w/ the workouts. anyhow, would love to see some before and afters as well good luck everyone! p.s. if you do decide to do 6w6p, i am warning you, it's 35 mins long and it is HARD. not even remotely easy. it will make you burn and sweat. and the pain continues in your abs and legs for days after. so you definitely know its working

Just finished day 6 of level 2 so I'm past half way now. Yay! I can actually do 25 plank-jacks in the 30 seconds now, but the squat thrusts and v-flys are still murdering me!

I'm super excited to only have to do level 2 four more times, but at the same time I'm just dreading level 3. I hope it's not as hard as it looks!

Oh and I'm already down an inch in the hips and 1.5 inches in the waist. Weight has barely changed but I guess that's because I'm building a bit of muscle?

Also, how is everyone logging in level 2, are you increasing at all? it seems like its more intense and would burn more, any thoughts?

I just finished Day 5 of Level 3. THANK GOD. today it was REALLY hard to be motivated to do it! I do it RIGHT when i get home from work, before i even sit down - the second i get in the door i run upstairs and change into my workout gear and get to it because if i rest at all, then i know i'll just get lazy and not wanna do it. But I was really tired today at work and even my 20 minute walk home didn't really wake me up/energize me so i was still really tired but i'm really proud of myself that i did it anyway. this is the first day that i've really NOT wanted to do the workout!

as for logging, i log it 20mins of circuit-general as well.

i'm actually starting to warm up to level 3 really...it's not all that bad (even though i can't do the full sit ups or the rock star jumps!).

Also yesterday i noticed was the first day my stomach didn't really jiggle around doing all the jumpy stuff! (all i wear is two sports bras and spandex-y yoga pants so my torso is on display (thank god its just in my living room!). so that was nice and it means that obviously my tummy is firming up (i can tell my stomach is mostly all muscle now except a thin layer of fat and skin...but it was kinda annoying when it was jiggling about a week or so ago. and now its not WHOO!!

Hubby was getting concerned with me doing the 30DS and said to me last night ' you aren't gonna keep doing this every day are you?' and i said 'no way!' lol and said i'm only doing it for 30 days (including a rest day or two a week) as i'm supposed to (there's no way i (or my knees more specifically) could continue with it for longer...but i do plan on doing it again at some point, just not right away!).

i'm just using it to tone and strengthen (and lose more inches) in this final phase of my weight loss...

So, being day 20, should we post some more stats?

CW: 121.8 lbs
GW: N/A
waist: 27.5"
hips: 35"
arms: left 11" right 10.5
things: left 19.75" right 19.5
chest: 35"

Good idea! your measurements are fantastic. i wish my thighs were 19"!

Here's my stats:

CW: 152.6
GW: 150
waist: 31.5
hips: 36.5
arms: 11.5
legs: 21.5

First day of Level 3, and I have to say, I like it a LOT better than level 2! Yes, the travelling push ups were killer, and the plank rows and leg raises following the walking push ups had the sweat just flowing off me. The jumping lunges were RIDICULOUS, but I kept up the whole time (except the version I found on YouTube is flawed and temporarily thows circuit 3 cardio in the middle of circuit 2 cardio, so that threw me for a loop) and was able to do the high impact version for everything but the rock star jumps, and that was not for lack of trying; I just can't physically get both my feet to touch my butt at the same time. It was a lower calorie burn than I was getting in Level 2, but the strength moves are harder and I was just so proud that I never felt like I couldn't do the moves (until the rock star jumps!), so I'm guessing everything is working the way it's supposed to. I feel strong!

i haven't tried doing the full jumping lunges or walking push ups...and yeah i found that glitch in that youtube video but i found another one that isn't all jumbled up - by Fatima something...

thats awesome you were able to do all the moves except the rockstar jumps! could you do the sit ups too? i'm scared to try cuz i have lower back issues i don't want to aggravate... and congrats to getting to level 3!

thats awesome you were able to do all the moves except the rockstar jumps! could you do the sit ups too? i'm scared to try cuz i have lower back issues i don't want to aggravate... and congrats to getting to level 3!

The sit ups I could do pretty easily, but the pike sit ups were definitely a challenge and I worry about form a little. Jillian does always say that perfect is boring and just to try your best until you get there. Obviously we're not going to be rocking everything out 100% the very first time, so I'm okay with it. I have some lower back trouble as well (I was dropped on the edge of a pool when I was 18, and I think that and the spinal block from my c-section combine to give me some pain and weird sensations, and I've slipped disks several times) but I think the core strengthening up to this point has made it so I can do these things without hurting myself, and hopefully I'll have fewer back issues in the future when my core is strong and keeping things stabilized. I like that she does the supermans in the first circuit; makes me feel like I've prepped my back for the ab work later.
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omg about your back problems!! that's awful you were dropped on the edge of a pool and your spinal block from your c-section. I have some disc deterioration and squishing (dr doesn't really know why cuz i haven't been in any 'traumatic accident' (i.e. car accident). i was in chronic pain for 2 years when i re-aggravated the area 5 years ago doing a yoga/pilates dvd (which led to my weight gain really) that thankfully *knock on wood* has gone away now so if you can do the full sit ups with your back problems i think i'll give it a go today and see if i can do it! because you're right, our cores are stronger through doing all of 30DS so far (and i like the supermans too for working my back)...and Jillian says the sit ups help your lower back. i'll just do Anita's beginner version though

Just remember, if it doesn't feel right, stop. You can always go back to crunches and you'll still be working your core. I remember the other night I was doing something in level 2, towards the end...and I felt the sensation of pressure along my spine near the area of my injury, but I was at the end, so I was able to push through and I didn't end up hurting myself at all. I don't know why I brought that up, as it doesn't illustrate the point: that if it feels wrong you should stop. Maybe it illustrates how much stronger my core is now? :laugh:

so i got my workout out of the way early this morning before my hubby woke up (and late enough so that hopefully the people below us won't be too pissed off at me jumping around on their ceiling lol). so i managed to do half the sit ups as actual sit ups and then i went back to plain crunches. mainly cuz the yoga mat on my living room floor was moving around and it was distracting! but i managed to do a couple of sit ups though!

and yeah, good advice about stopping if it hurts or anything - i'm so close to being done this, i don't want to injure myself right before i finish! lol

One more day to go! i kinda wish today was my last day cuz i already got it out of the way lol. Oh well!

once i do tomorrow's i'll remeasure and post my new stats and final pics

I didnt like the planks at first, but now I can hold a proper plank for 40 seconds which Ive never been able to do before!
Has everyone lost inches? As I have lost none from anywhere at all and Im over half way now. Ive lost 5 lbs which is great. My body has more muscle and this is probably going to sound weird but I know I have abs in there waaaay under all the fat. My fitness has improved vastly and was even commented on by my aerobics instructor. Im happy with how its going and Im not giving up just thought it was weird I hadnt lost even 1/2 and inch from anywhere!