Jillian Michaels workout

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Do you recommend the Jillian Michaels 30 day shred workout for someone who is not in very good physical shape yet? Or is it too hard? Someone posted that it is a good 20 minute workout.

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  • shopewell70
    shopewell70 Posts: 125 Member
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    The 30 DS is an excellent work out program. But, it is intense and she keeps you moving. Jillian also shows you how to do the exercises in a beginners fashion (except for jumping jacks)LOL.... I would recommend this workout with the understanding that you dont need to feel frustrated if you cant do all of it. Only do what you can do and modify the rest. If you have the will power and determination, then you should give it a try. You can ask those that are physically fit and they will tell you that it still gives them a workout. Please dont think you body will adjust overnight. My testimony in brief.....Im 41, and just recently quit smoking. I was at the point that it was difficult to walk up steps or play with my kids. But at the same time, I have always been active and love the outdoors. I knew I had to do something. I quit smoking on Oct 25th, and the next week began using the 30DS. It was hard and I couldnt make it through the whole workout, but I didnt quit. By the end of the first week, I could see I was gaining some endurance. I worked out with the 30DS for 2 months, not caring what everyone else was doing. I took it as my body could handle it. Now I can make it through level 2 (planks will kill ya though) and I also do her Banish Fat Boost Metabolism workout. I am so glad I didnt try to rush things like I did in the past. I now stick with working out and it has proven to be wonderful for me. I noticed inches lost before the pounds. I guess the point I am trying to make is ---- PLEASE DONT GIVE UP ON YOURSELF--- Everyone loves the 30DS and I am sure you will get many more responses to back that up. We all will support you and give you the encouragement you need !!!!!
  • stormystrickland
    stormystrickland Posts: 190 Member
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    Couldn't have said it better myself! :)
  • juli3b2011
    juli3b2011 Posts: 77 Member
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    Me either!!!

    I've had this workout for over a month but hesitated to start because of some of the comments being posted about how intense it is. Well, yes it is intense...but I love it! I did my first workout this morning...Level 1 and this is something that is do-able. You just have to make up your mind to get it done...push harder. I'm 48 y/o and currently stuck at 211 pounds for the past month...in order to get unstuck, I decided it was time to push and I'm glad I did.

    My plan is to do Level 1 for 10 days and then move on to Level 2 for 10 days; we'll see how it goes. I also threw in a 2-mile Leslie Sansone walk dvd immediately following the 30 DS.

    Good luck!

    Julie
  • LemonsAndCoffee
    LemonsAndCoffee Posts: 313 Member
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    I would recommend it! I am on day 4 and on day 2 I wanted to give up because I was sore and discouraged because I couldn't make it through without taking several breaks. However, day 3 was easier and I didn't have to take but 2 breaks which gave me hope. I can't wait to get home tonight and see how day 4 goes. You can definitely do it! Don't give up if you can't get through the whole level 1. It's tough. The jumping jacks/jump rope combo is what gets me everytime but I think in the next few days, I'm going to be able to get through it all and that's VERY exciting. Good luck!!!
  • shopewell70
    shopewell70 Posts: 125 Member
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    @heyniknak.....I couldnt agree with you anymore about the jumping jacks/jump rope thing....and it was hard to do the combo thing in the beginning. My legs were absolutely killing me. Have you tried the Banish Fat Boost Metabolism by Jillian??? If not, its awesome. Its more fat burning cardio. Be warned you will sweat like a pig...LOL
  • tialynn1
    tialynn1 Posts: 886 Member
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    I haven't done any of Jillian's workouts. I can say that Leslie Sansone has wonderful videos. Her videos are easy to do and follow. I have a bunch of her videos. I don't always do everything that she is doing at all times. Her motto is that as long as you are moving it is ok. Usually, I take the walk faster than usual with light jogging intervals. But, you don't have to.
    But, I believe that any video is good as long as it works for you. Even if you can't keep up at the beginning, just do what you can. It is better than nothing.
  • helper1112
    helper1112 Posts: 80 Member
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    What I did was the Leslie Sanson walk at home videos until I started to get into better shape and was not getting a good burn with them any more. I then started to incorporate other exercise videos in to my routine. I tried Tae Bo and found it to be really hard but combine that with Leslie gave me a good set of work outs for the week. As I got better at Tae Bo I started thinking I will try 30ds it looks easy compared to the other and since I wanted to incorporate weights more it worked for me. It is a tough work out as my legs are still sore from the first one and is not easy but I will say that is the best leg work out I have had, new muscles are sore but worth the time to do them. This was the safest route for me and let my body build up more before I went into the harder heavier workouts like 30ds.
  • LemonsAndCoffee
    LemonsAndCoffee Posts: 313 Member
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    @heyniknak.....I couldnt agree with you anymore about the jumping jacks/jump rope thing....and it was hard to do the combo thing in the beginning. My legs were absolutely killing me. Have you tried the Banish Fat Boost Metabolism by Jillian??? If not, its awesome. Its more fat burning cardio. Be warned you will sweat like a pig...LOL

    Oooh, no I haven't tried that but I might have to get it as my next DVD! I have a love/hate relationship with cardio! haha.
  • fatgottago
    fatgottago Posts: 222 Member
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    Hi all. Well first of all I am 100 lbs overweight. I was scared to death to do the DVD because I was scared it was too much, but I saw the results others were having so I decided to do it. This is what I found out. It is hard. But I want it more than it is hard. Second, I am extremly overweight and top heavy. I have NEVER done jumping jacks in my life because of my top heavy LOL I wish I could find a good support bra that would hold down those mama jamas so I can concentrate on the jumping jacks instead of them giving me black eyes....ANYWAY I started out doing three jumping jacks then I modified by walking side by side and doing the arm motions. The push ups were hard but I did them. Of course modified. After you get past the 1st cardio circuit it gets a little easier. Last night I was on Day 4 and did almost all the jumping jacks except the last 4. It is getting easier. My 12 year old son worked out with me last night and had sweat pouring off him, but he was doing excactly like that tone lady.

    So, my advice to you. Just do it. Even if it means you have to modtify the exercises until you can build up to them, just do it. I may never make it to Level 2, but I am going to keep doing Level 1 until I can keep up with Jillian then move on to Level 2, if it takes me 90 day shred LOL. I am just sick of this weight!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I started January 2nd and I have lost 9 pounds!! I hope I can keep the motiviation up.........................

    PS if anyone has any advice what to do with my sisters (LOL) I need help because really the jumping jacks are killing me.

    :0)
  • shopewell70
    shopewell70 Posts: 125 Member
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    Hi all. Well first of all I am 100 lbs overweight. I was scared to death to do the DVD because I was scared it was too much, but I saw the results others were having so I decided to do it. This is what I found out. It is hard. But I want it more than it is hard. Second, I am extremly overweight and top heavy. I have NEVER done jumping jacks in my life because of my top heavy LOL I wish I could find a good support bra that would hold down those mama jamas so I can concentrate on the jumping jacks instead of them giving me black eyes....ANYWAY I started out doing three jumping jacks then I modified by walking side by side and doing the arm motions. The push ups were hard but I did them. Of course modified. After you get past the 1st cardio circuit it gets a little easier. Last night I was on Day 4 and did almost all the jumping jacks except the last 4. It is getting easier. My 12 year old son worked out with me last night and had sweat pouring off him, but he was doing excactly like that tone lady.

    So, my advice to you. Just do it. Even if it means you have to modtify the exercises until you can build up to them, just do it. I may never make it to Level 2, but I am going to keep doing Level 1 until I can keep up with Jillian then move on to Level 2, if it takes me 90 day shred LOL. I am just sick of this weight!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I started January 2nd and I have lost 9 pounds!! I hope I can keep the motiviation up.........................

    PS if anyone has any advice what to do with my sisters (LOL) I need help because really the jumping jacks are killing me.

    :0)

    I find wearing two sport bras does the trick. I am not extremely top heavy, but it does cause issues and is not good for you to have your sisters bouncing around all the time. I am so much more comfortable when I wear two, I can actually concentrate on my workout.
  • CMmrsfloyd
    CMmrsfloyd Posts: 2,383 Member
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    I was incredibly out of shape when I started 30DS, after day 1 I hurt so bad I could barely sit down on the toilet or walk up the stairs (actually walking DOWN them was worse - had to go kind of sideways to make it all). All I was doing before was getting on the treadmill, walking and trying to jog a little, thinking I was really improving my fitness that way but BOY did I have a lot of work to do! LOL Since I pushed it too hard the first day and was hurting so bad, I had to take 3 days off just to feel like I could even try it again. So on the fourth day I did my second workout. Still did the exercises, but didn't push it quite so hard and modified some of the things that really bothered my knees. And I'm happy to say, my muscles were sore the next day but NOTHING like the pain I'd felt after that first day. So I started doing it every day except when I had to travel out of town and couldn't workout. Even started doing it twice in a row for the extra calorie burn. I got better and better at the exercises, lost a bunch of inches off of various areas of my body, and felt stronger and had more endurance by the time I was done. I even started picking up bigger weighs for some of the exercises.

    My advice is go ahead and do it. Just take it easy the first time or two while you feel out what your body is ready for. Once you know what you can do comfortably, you also know that you can push yourself a little harder without pushing TOO hard and injuring yourself. Pay very close attention to the form they are using in the exercises, especially things like how their legs/knees line up during squats and lunges, how they make their butt go out behind them instead of bending the knees forward. If you do those things wrong, it can really do a number on your knees. If you can practice those basic moves in front of a mirror it can help you get a feel for how to get the form correct and safer. If you find a move that your body just can't take, like if the jumping movements kill your knees, just keep moving, substitute in a different cardio move that you know you can do. I had to do that a lot my first time through, and I still got really amazing results.

    Also, definitely start off with 30DS before you move on to any oer Jillian workouts. I have tried 4 of her oer workouts since I finished the Shred (I like to do different workouts on different days now) and a lot of what she does in the other videos are like a continuation or evolution of the basics you learned to do in the Shred. Moves get more complicated and difficult, cardio is longer and harder. Banish Fat Boost Metabolism is a great cardio workout (great ab stuff in there too) but its 50 minutes instead of the 27 of the Shred so it requires you to have that endurance built up a bit. Jillian throws a lot of kickboxing type moves in which are fun and work your legs and abs in different ways, plus make you feel a little badass which is great in a workout. :-) No More Trouble Zones is the companion to BFBM, it's mainly strength/resistance and holy moly does it to a number on your arms and abs. Yoga Meltdown is a nice change of pace, very different but also once again very challenging - holding yourself in those poses requires strength that you will be glad you built up with squats, pushups, and lunges in the Shred. And yikes, Extreme Shed and Shred is a whole other beast - definitely not for beginners, moves that are evolved from the ones you learned earlier along with some brand new stuff that will really challenge you. I still haven't done Ripped in 30 yet, I know a lot of people love to do that one next right after finishing 30DS, I am waiting for my DH to finish his round of 30DS and then we are going to do Ripped in 30 together.

    Oh and she has a kickboxing workout that will be coming out in March. I'm totally getting that one too. :-)
    Anyway, hope some of those reviews helped out a little.