30-Day Shred; should I?

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seashell99z
seashell99z Posts: 113 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Ok, so I've been reading a lot of posts here about people doing the shred. I am seriously overweight and have never done anything as rigorous as people describe. Push ups...yeah RIGHT!

Am I setting myself up for failure if I attempt to do the series? I mean even if I try, it is doing more than sitting on the couch and watching television. Or maybe I could start it and do what is possible, and sideline the activities that are just not feasible...jumping jacks that's another yeah RIGHT!

Any advice?

SW 266
CW 243
GW ?

Replies

  • themeaningofthemorning
    themeaningofthemorning Posts: 320 Member
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    Jillian says at the very beginning of level 1 that she has 300 lb people who can do jumping jacks! You don't need to do the whole set! If you can only do three, do three! Even if it's only one - do that one jumping jack and make it count! Same with the pushups - if you can only do one, great!!!!! Do it! And then hold yourself in plank afterwards!

    The point of the shred is to TRY and to watch your endurance and abilities grow level by level!
  • whitedmm
    whitedmm Posts: 4 Member
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    I started 30-Day Shred today, actually. I'm 260 lbs, and it was HARD, but it can be done. You just have to give it your all. I got through most of it... all but the bicycle crunches at the end. I'm going to do my best to stick with it. I'm sure it will get a little easier everyday.

    And, its only 20 minutes long. DO IT!!
  • hauer01
    hauer01 Posts: 523 Member
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    When I started this, I was 236, and couldn't even do two push ups. But I started with Jillian. The first circuit took me a while before I could even fill the time With the girly push ups, but I kept fighting and everyday I would try to beat the number that I did yesterday. I just took one workout at a time, and did the best I could. Was it as good as her or her two helpers? Not even close, but I kept pushing. The 30DS totally changed the shape of my body. After I finished it the first time, people started to completment me on my appearence and weight loss. This was back in February.

    I just started the 30DS for the 2nd time last week. THis time, heavier weights, and no modifications on the exercises. The funny part is, that for the last two days, everyone is is commenting again on my appearence. I haven't lost any weight this time (yet), but I guess that it is reshapeing my body for me :)

    I hightly recommend that you try it for 1 full week. After that, you might be hooked
  • skinnyitaliannn
    skinnyitaliannn Posts: 187
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    I'm thinking of starting this too to lose some inches :)
  • caramel1920
    caramel1920 Posts: 271
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    Jillian says at the very beginning of level 1 that she has 300 lb people who can do jumping jacks! You don't need to do the whole set! If you can only do three, do three! Even if it's only one - do that one jumping jack and make it count! Same with the pushups - if you can only do one, great!!!!! Do it! And then hold yourself in plank afterwards!

    The point of the shred is to TRY and to watch your endurance and abilities grow level by level!

    ^^^^^Totally agree and I think she says 400lb people! LOL, but when I started I was 305lbs, give it all you've got, some workouts for me were better than others and I have issues with jumping jacks, not because of my weight but because of my boobies :wink: and I still managed to lose inches and I too have people commenting on how my body's changing. I'm about to start my 2nd round next week when I finish The Firm. What really made me feel good was noticing how much stronger I was getting and how things I wasn't able to do in the beginning I could rock by the end and graduate to the harder moves! Go for it! Trust me you can do this!!!:bigsmile:
  • Brendajo510
    Brendajo510 Posts: 153
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    I think its good to try, just be careful with the high impact on your knees.
  • wellbert
    wellbert Posts: 3,924 Member
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    I see a lot of posts about women with some extra pounds complaining of bad knee pain after doing the 30 day shred. So.
  • Feebee4
    Feebee4 Posts: 19 Member
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    YES YES YES do it! you're not in compertition with anyone so take it at your own pace. If jumping jacks are too much at first do marching on the spot. Just keep moving as Jillian says. If you stick with it you'll very quickly notice improvement. It's only 20 mins. 20 mins which works! When I find exercise hard going I remind myself how good I'll feel at the end of it.
  • tpop917
    tpop917 Posts: 21 Member
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    Shred is hard. It doesn't matter how in shape you are, it will kick your *kitten*. BUT it is so worth it. Do what you can do. It is far better to do it right 1 time than wrong 10.
  • spoons81
    spoons81 Posts: 51 Member
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    I love Jillian Michaels! I'm finishing level 1 today. Don't worry about modifying things or taking a break at first if you REALLY need to. Push yourself as much as you can and each level will get easier with time. Also, you don't need to complete the video in 30 days... I only do it 3-4 times per week along with other cardio and strength training.
  • spoons81
    spoons81 Posts: 51 Member
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    I see a lot of posts about women with some extra pounds complaining of bad knee pain after doing the 30 day shred. So.

    I found that I had some knee pain, so I didn't go as low into the squats/lunges. Also, make sure you're doing your lunges right - the front knee should be at a 45 degree angle and not past the toe!
  • gingerjen7
    gingerjen7 Posts: 821 Member
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    The only way you fail is if you don't try. 30 Day Shred is challenging for beginners and it can be challenging for the experienced as well. But Jillian often says, "It's as difficult as you make it." She offers modifications for beginners, and some people modify it even further if they find a move too difficult or too painful (bad knees, backs, etc).

    It's 20 (well, about 27 with the warm up and cool down) minutes; just try to keep up and give it your best effort. As long as you're trying and you're doing your best, you're doing great, so DO IT! The more you do it, the better you'll get and then you can move on to something different.

    If I hadn't done 30 Day Shred, I wouldn't have achieved a level of fitness that has made it possible for me to do longer, more challenging work outs. I think it's an excellent starting point and I would encourage absolutely ANYONE to do it!
  • BeingAwesome247
    BeingAwesome247 Posts: 1,171 Member
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    Hey my sister was 230lbs when she started with 30day shred, using BEAN CANS for weights - I kid you not! haha
    There is still a move that I use really light weights for b/c it just kills my shoulders (in a bad way) otherwise.

    I'd say go for it

    Side Note: she eventually went on to complete a round of p90x & insanity and got down to around 140 - then got preggers haha
  • JigglesandWiggles
    JigglesandWiggles Posts: 1
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    I've just done day two of the shred and although yes, I have plenty of aches and pains (the good kind) I highly recommend doing it. I'm no stranger to exercise or a good workout, but I've recently been unwell and have spent 10 months in bed -as you can imagine most of my muscle has wasted away and I've put on a fair amount of fat. I'm finding the shred hard, but you just have to be determined.
    You'll only do well if you push yourself - never count yourself out of a set without giving it your all first. Believe in yourself!
  • alpine1994
    alpine1994 Posts: 1,915 Member
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    Jillian says at the very beginning of level 1 that she has 300 lb people who can do jumping jacks! You don't need to do the whole set! If you can only do three, do three! Even if it's only one - do that one jumping jack and make it count! Same with the pushups - if you can only do one, great!!!!! Do it! And then hold yourself in plank afterwards!

    The point of the shred is to TRY and to watch your endurance and abilities grow level by level!

    This! And every time you do the DVD, try to do a little bit more than you did last time. I did 30 Day Shred every day in August (my first time regularly working out), and Ripped in 30 every day in September. I still do it every now and then (maybe 2-3 times per week) and there are still some sets that I just can't do all of! That's why I love those workouts. They have always been a challenge for me. I have a few more Jillian DVDs on my XMas list to mix it up a little. :)
  • amymichelle1226
    amymichelle1226 Posts: 150 Member
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    I think you should! The DVD is cheap, it's a good mix of cardio & strength which is important. It gets easier....I was really terrible when I first started and I've only done it like 8 times! When you do the "jump rope" thing she does, I used to just bounce (with my knees) instead of actually doing it right! haha but now I can do it. I used to stop during the jumping jacks from being so tired. And I can't do push ups, I still do the "girly" ones. There's this lift thing you do when you are on the ground that I just can't do, so I do something else instead (more crunches, etc.). Just do what you can, it'll get easier.

    And for awhile I dreaded turning on the DVD but it turns out what was bothering me was her voice and the awful music. So now I mute the DVD and listen to my own music! For me, it makes a huge difference, makes it go by much faster too!
  • healthywtb
    healthywtb Posts: 80 Member
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    I have a knee problem and I cannot do the jumping jacks, so I either run in place or do the boxing using my arms. Both of those things get my heart rate up.
  • Jellyphant
    Jellyphant Posts: 1,400 Member
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    I'm 230 and I've been planning to give it a shot. Granted, I've been hardcore putting it off since I'm terrified of Jillian..

    From what I've gathered from my friends doing it, be suuuuper careful with the squats. At my size, when I used to do squats, I did it wrong thus giving me epic knee pain. I too have heard people much more heavier than I starting and completing this program, and plus, can't beat a 20 min workout!

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