What the hell is 30 day shred?

It's a home workout on DVD, by Jillian Michaels. It's circuit training, so it rotates strength moves with cardio and abs moves for about a 20 ish minute workout. I have watched it online but not done the workout myself. Except for the length, it very much reminds me of the Firm workouts, which have been around for years. The short time is pretty appealing, so I might try it.

Does that help? If not, I'm sure 900 people will respond, because it's pretty popular here.

Good luck, and if you decide to do it, enjoy!

It is a great workout for on-the-go, busy people, and people who are just beginning to exercise. It is a 20 minute workout that incorporates a 3-2-1 method of training: 3 minutes of strength followed by 2 minutes of cardio, and then 1 minute of abs. There are 3 circuits of the 3-2-1 and they are done in immediate succession. When I started my weight loss journey, I did this and lost 19 pounds in 59 days (it took me that long long to do 30 days of the Shred ). It was great because it got me moving, and fit into my very busy lifestyle! Of course, I was watching my caloric intake at the time as well, sticking to a 1200 calorie diet.

Do I need any specialist equipment?

You need some hand weights and a mat if you're working out on a hard surface.

Dumbbells (small ones, looks like they're using 5 - 8 lbs - there may be info on how much to use at the beginning of Level 1, but I didn't see it), and a mat to lie down for abs and floorwork.