Sunday, April 13, 2025
But this time with the daily, varied Jillian Michaels Body Revolution program. So far, so good.
Who needs kettlebells, when you have dog-bell?!
Showing posts with label fitness. Show all posts
Showing posts with label fitness. Show all posts
Self-Improvement
Wednesday, May 11, 2016
At least half the class is also incapable of dancing, so no need to be too self conscious! No one can dance! Sometimes it's good to not be a special snowflake.
Movin' on up
Wednesday, January 20, 2016
I've been on 8 and 10 lb dumbbells for the past several months. It's a pretty big step up from the days of using a can of beans. I've returned back to Jillian Michaels' 30 Day Shred. I just like it a lot more than any of her other DVDs I have.
I've also been at this whole fitness thing for over a year now (actually, a year and a half!), and I've pretty much been maintaining at my current weight for about 9 months. I don't do my workouts daily like I once did, but apparently 3-5 times per week is adequate for longterm maintenance.
Purposefully moving your body regularly works, yo.
Review: Jillian Michaels' 'Ripped in 30'
Wednesday, March 4, 2015
In February I finally got back into these circuit training DVDs for a second go-round with heavier (8lb) dumbbells as an added challenge, while also paying special mind to my shoulder that Jillian destroyed.
For those that aren't familiar with Jillian Michaels' approach (which I wrote about extensively, here), she uses a 3-2-1 method in Ripped in 30 just as she did in 30 Day Shred. {3 minutes strength, 2 minutes cardio, 1 minute abs} done 3 times, each time with a different set of exercises. You do each level 5-6 days before moving onto the next one. Her program is more consistent this time around, and you see a sprinkling of moves from 30 Day Shred, but mostly new ones especially after the first level.
JM Ripped in 30 - Week 1 Review
The first week's program focuses mainly on building a foundation of basic moves that will be expanded upon in later levels. This includes moves like basic crunches, military push ups, squat and press, etc. Most of the exercises should be familiar to those who've done 30 Day Shred. The level of difficulty is somewhere between 30 Day Shred's Level 1 and 2. Not too many plank moves, but still challenging cardio (running man, ugh) and moderately difficult strength moves (two types of shoulder flies, no). Much like level one of 30DS, most of the moves are also dynamic, so you pop in and out of them as that's easier than static and plyometric moves. Hollowman started out a bit off for me, and it took until the end of the week for me to be able to handle all the shoulder raises with 8lb weights, but I got there eventually.
JM Ripped in 30 - Week 2 Review
Holy plank workout, Batman! Much like 30 Day Shred week 2 is filled with an ungodly amount of plank-based exercises with a special focus on cardio, like mountain climbers, plank jacks, and squat thrusts. I started out having to take several breaks in the middle of the plank-cardio, and by the end of the week I still didn't have it under control. And I thought my biceps were strong until I attempted the serving biceps with pendulum lunges. Just not doable with 8lb dumbbells. Someday! If I wasn't doing this as by-the-book, I would probably be spending another week or two on this level to work on the form of my squat thrusts, increase the weight of my sumo squats & serving biceps, improve plank cardio endurance, and just focus on form overall. Next time, perhaps I'll skip Level 1 and just do Level 2 twice.
JM Ripped in 30 - Week 3 Review
I largely blame the weird warm-up of this level for my shoulder injury the first time through. Who starts with sledgehammers as a warm-up? No arm wheels or cross body arm swings. Just sledgehammers, lunge and twists, and standing splits. Circuit 3's strength portion also focuses on shoulders: downward dog push ups, single arm push ups, and elevated leg dips. For my second go-through of this level, I added a warm-up from a previous week to the front of this one and I also swapped out Circuit 3's strength for something easier on my shoulder (modified push ups, serving biceps w. pendulum lunges, and cautious tricep dips). I got through it all without any further injury.
One small note: despite being more consistent in this DVD, the last exercise of Level 3 - Circuit 1 - Strength (overhand-underhand rows with chair sit) is only done once. I guess her teleprompters failed to catch it.
JM Ripped in 30 - Week 4 Review
Um. What is with the motivational speech before the cool-down? JM goes on a 3 minute pat-yourself-on-the-back speech before launching into her usual cool down phase, that I always replace with the 30 Day Shred cool down.
Also, this level was the first time I had experienced any sort of muscle soreness since the beginning, entirely due to the appearance of floor flies and superman press outs. Who needs to use their pectoral muscles, anyways?! Otherwise, I thought this was a good standard workout. Almost enjoyable.
JM Ripped in 30 - Results
I'm not posting photos here, because I just don't need the whole world publicly searching for photos of me in athletic spandex. But I will post my measurements. I hit goal weight after the first week (Ri30 was just the last step in a looooong process), and so my numbers wobble up and down as I experimented with adding cookies back into my diet ;) It's also amusing, because I'm at a point where adding inches can be interpreted as a good thing: added muscle.
Weight: (week 0) 142.6 (1) 139.6 (2) 140.4 (3) 140.8 (week 4) 138.2
Waist: (week 0) 29" (1) 29.5" (2) 29" (3) 30" (week 4) 29"
Hips: (week 0) 36" (1) 37" (2) 37.5" (3) 37.5" (week 4) 37"
Thigh: (week 0) 18.5" (1) 17.75" (2) 17" (3) 19.5" (week 4) 19.75"
Upper Arm: (week 0) 9.5" (1) 10.5" (2) 10" (3) 10.25" (week 4) 10.75"
Review: Jillian Michaels' "Yoga" Meltdown
Wednesday, February 4, 2015
Somewhere after attempting Levels 1-3 of Jillian Michaels' Ripped in 30, I injured my shoulder (I'm looking at you, shoddy Week 3 warm-up). So I spent 1.5 months going on fast walks in the park. As I eased myself back into workout DVDs, I started with yoga as it's pretty low impact. Although, I still had to be careful with my shoulder as frequent arm movements can be questionable. Considering Jillian Michaels' Yoga Meltdown Level 1 warm-up was just flapping your arms, I knew I would have to be cautious.
On Yoga
Now, before you start complaining that you never get a good workout from yoga, might I recommend looking into 'power yoga'? During my undergraduate years I de-stressed with two years of Baron Baptiste Power Yoga, which is basically the most American-ized version of yoga out there. You know it's different if K. Pattabhi Jois is calling it "ignorant bodybuilding". If you're one of those people who dislikes yoga because of its spiritual side, or dislikes the meditation portions, and wants a good workout this is one possible route to go. I really like my Baron Baptiste Live!: Soul of Strength DVD, as it is basically just like the classes I took seven years ago but you can also find local studios that offer power yoga if that's more your speed.
Aaaaanyways. Jillian Michaels' Yoga Meltdown is even more like "ignorant body building" than power yoga. Where power yoga starts with a series of fast moving chaturanga sequences (i.e., low impact burpees with push ups), and then follows it up with holding lots of painful poses (triangle poses, twisted chair pose, three-legged downward dog, crescent lunge twists, etc), Jillian Michaels has you pop in and out of these poses for 30 seconds for a cardio workout, and only then do you hold the pose for 15 seconds. This is an interesting approach, considering her 30 Day Shred Level 1 did dynamic poses as they are the easiest, then moved to static poses for added difficulty, and finally to plyometrics (i.e., jump training) as the most challenging. She applies dynamic poses in her Yoga Meltdown program for cardio, when she doesn't have to. She could just insert more chatarungas, but maybe then her plan wouldn't be uniquely different from power yoga?
I found I could just hold the poses instead of doing the dynamic versions, for more of a yoga experience, but then I was lacking in cardio. You can't win. It's also a bit bizarre to have an explicit warm-up and cool down phase, as the natural progression of the yoga session should have these built in implicitly. And then at the very end, I like to add 10 minutes in reclined bound angle pose for some extra good hip stretching that Jillian omits.
Overall, I think the main difference between real yoga and Jillian Michaels' "yoga" is the goals of the practice. Certified yoga instructors are more concerned with the process of yoga. The goal of their yoga is the practice. The goal of Jillian Michaels' yoga is to get you to lose 5 pounds a week, as stated on the DVD cover. While Jillian Michaels makes head nods to the practice, it's clear that it's not really her main purpose. LEAN MUSCLE MASS is her purpose, which hearkens directly back to Jois' criticism of "ignorant body building."
JM Yoga Meltdown - Level 1 Review
This first level is just plain weird. I don't like it much at all. From the goofy upward salute in mountain pose warm-up (Urdhva Hastasana), to the popping in and out of warrior II pose, it just rubbed me the wrong way. I will probably replace Level 1 with Level 2 anytime a Jillian Michaels mash up calls for it. That being said, I did get a mild workout from this level, with DOMS lasting a day. Maybe Level 1 of Yoga Meltdown works for someone else.
JM Yoga Meltdown - Level 2 Review
I hated Level 2 slightly less as not having a dynamic warrior pose went a long way with me. The warm-up wasn't quite as stupid, and I was already somewhat accustomed to Jillian's practice of building cardio into her "yoga". That, and her dynamic goddess squat had me sore for two days. On the second morning, I nearly fell over when I first tried to stand up on it cold. So Level 2 provides a better workout than Level 1, and is slightly less irritating as well. Quite the glowing review ;)
A Mini Gym for Xmas
Wednesday, January 21, 2015
I made out like a bandit this Xmas...like a bandit with her own personal mini gym. We've got every size dumbbell you could possibly want for Jillian Michaels or P90X3. We're big fans of 30 minute workout DVDs, and sometimes that involves resistance bands or speed ropes. Whatever the nutball in front of the camera calls for, we've now got it.
Another nutball in front of a camera. Z, photobomber extraordinaire.
I also received quite the boost to my fitness apparel. Since I've been walking as my shoulder heals the cold weather stuff is especially handy. And a few pair of stretchy capris are always nice for covering my rear during my weekly bootcamp class. Now I get to look stylin' while simultaneously being gross!
I now have all the sweat-wicking workout gear in the world!
Jillian Michaels Workouts in the New Year
Wednesday, January 14, 2015
Two months ago I invested in a collection of Jillian Michaels DVDs from eBay for $20 (isn't eBay grand?). I now have a large enough collection to do all of the JM mashups/rotations in existence.
Why do I wear horse blinders that only allow me to see Jillian Michaels workouts? Because they work for me. They may not work for you, but for this formerly out-of-shape lady, it worked. 7 months later I weigh less, I'm toned, I have better balance (thanks, one-legged squats!), and I am now swinging 8lb dumbbells around instead of cans of chili. I've also gotten tendonitis in my left shoulder from Ripped in 30 Week 3, and have been taking daily 2 mile walks (and the 30 Day Abs Challenge) instead of doing JM for the past month. So I'm itching to get back into the game. Or the non-game. The DVD.
It's interesting from a motivation standpoint, because when I first set out to get fit, I had all kinds of motivation problems. Nowadays I either look forward to my workout, or I just view it like a mild nuisance that must be done...like brushing or flossing your teeth. Most people don't look forward to brushing their teeth, but we all just suck it up and do it anyways. It doesn't take that long, nor that much effort, for the copious benefits it provides. Exercise is kinda the same thing. We always have choices to get off our duffs and get going. "Lack of motivation" is just an excuse so we don't have to make the more annoying choice.
So, as usual, I don't have any New Year's Resolutions. Except, maybe, to keep doing what I'm doing. Behavior change can come any time of the year, I just need to continue making the annoying choice.
Other Resources
Working Out While Traveling
Friday, November 21, 2014
You can't go on a grueling climb/hike every day of your vacation. Well, you can, but you have to specifically plan for it. And that's not how we do vacations. So I hit approximately four hotel gyms on this Arizona-New Mexico gig in some attempt to not lose all of my muscle development and fitness I've sweated for the past 6 months.
However, it turns out that not all hotel gyms are created equal. The Crowne Plaza PHX and Arizona Inn have free weights and non-slip floors on top of the usual gym equipment. The Comfort Suites and Comfort Inn, however, left some things to be desired. No matter. NerdFitness and Melissa Bender Fitness provide a quick hotel room workout, but I prefer to stick with what I know best. It's possible to do the 30 Day Shred (or any near equipment-less DVD, really) in a hotel gym without a DVD player. You just need this handy list of all the exercises and reps that I've written up below.
These cheatsheets still require familiarity with the DVD, or at least most of the exercises memorized. I've created another version with illustrations to help jog the memory, but I've found that the actual DVD provides a better, more challenging workout. When you're away from home this is better than nothing. I've only included the illustrated version of Level 3, as I feel that even without free weights, you can get a pretty serious workout from it. The other levels, not so much. Bicep curls are not so challenging without weights.
New life motto. Something is always better than nothing.
Exercise is a Gift: Jillian Michaels 30 Day Shred
Sunday, September 7, 2014
...but it started with weight changes. I got back from my 12 weeks in Japan the skinniest I'd been since high school. Too skinny. Something about perfectly sized portions, the largest bag of potato chips being only slightly larger than American 'fun size', minimal dairy, cups of matcha green tea instead of snacks, taking 12 hour walks nearly every weekend, and being under an incredible amount of stress all contributed to this unintentional weight loss. So when I got back home I pretty much immediately adopted an I-eat-what-I-want attitude reminiscent of a quote from Caitlin Moran's 'How to be a Woman': "...Let Christmas last forever! Every morning can start with two mince pies, served with cream, six miniature heroes, and some Pringles! It's Crisp-mas!". It was Crisp-mas every day, but someone forgot to tell my metabolism.
By May of the following year, I was sitting in a five hour car ride back to Philly, and I could feel my back fat rolls lying on top of each other for the first time in my life. I imagine this is not a sensation most people are aware of because they are either (1) too thin to have back fat rolls or (2) have had their back fat for long enough that the sensation isn't new. But it was new for me. And uncomfortable. It meant I went from the boniest version of myself in April 2013 to the least-skinny version in April 2014. Pile that on top of stalled dissertation misery, some pretty terrifying family health issues, and I wasn't exactly what one would call healthy.
After a couple months I got sick of being miserable. I started putting some of the pieces back together by constructing routines and reinforcing positive behaviors with rewards (like I'm the damn cat), but it worked, more or less. I'm more often than not, not miserable.
Part of this routine involved dusting off my old copy of Jillian Michael's 30 Day Shred that I'd never opened and actually doing the damned thing. Starting to exercise when you're out of shape is really not pleasant.
Z werkin' it
The Format
Each set of exercises in the 30 Day Shred is broken into 20-25 minute levels which consist of warm up, {3 minutes strength, 2 minutes cardio, 1 minute of core workout} times three, and cool down. So there's 9 different 3-2-1 circuits total on the DVD. The video recommends that you do Level 1 for 10 days straight, then Level 2 for 10 days, finishing with Level 3 for 10 days. No rest days, and no breather breaks allowed in the middle of the 20 minute exercises. Something about keeping an elevated heart rate for 20 minutes straight being more effective for calorie burning. Who knows. Since I intended to form a longer term habit, instead of just a one-off 30 day experience I actually only did the video 3-5 times a week, taking every weekend off (no jumping on the floor when the downstairs neighbors are home!). Muscles get built while resting, so there's really no reason to do weights every day.Pro Tips
Experts of this video will note that you can pretty much do these levels in whatever order you want. Maybe doing a different one everyday. Some crazies even do multiple levels back-to-back. I tended to only move on to a new level when I could complete the previous one without dying. In some cases (I'm looking at you, Level 2), it meant that I was stuck on one level for four weeks. When I got through all three levels, I'd start over again with heavier weights. Connoisseurs will also note that once you're familiar with a level, you should turn off Jillian's volume and play your own music playlist over it. I like Jillian alright, but how many times do you need to be congratulated on being well on your way to getting shredded? This is my current workout playlist, it's constantly changing so your mileage may vary:
You can view each of the three levels of the 30 Day Shred online: Level 1, Level 2, and Level 3, if you'd like to preview the exercises before splurging on the $9 DVD. I like the convenience of just having to turn on the DVD player. You'll notice that there's lots of jumping involved (aka "cardio") throughout. Level 1 has the most reliance on lifting weights, Level 2 relies mostly on plank exercises (ugh), and Level 3 mostly seems to add weights to exercises you did before.
Starting
Starting a new habit is hard. It's even harder when you go from couch potato to attempting push ups, lifting weights, and untold quantities of crunches. Basically, everyone will agree that the first day of Level 1 is nearly impossible. Then you'll be sore for days afterwards. This is all true. But it gets easier, you just have to hang on. And then you start Level 2 and it's a struggle, although not quite as bad. The same with Level 3. If you can just get through the first two weeks, it gets easier to continue the habit, especially as results start rolling in.When I started, I couldn't even do many half push ups, because it hurt my wrists! Weeks of swinging around spaghetti sauce jars fixed that up. Now I can actually challenge myself to do deeper half push ups and someday lots of legitimate push ups. I can focus on pushing myself instead of focusing on form and whether or not my wrists will give out. Progress.
Supplies
Aside from the video, you'll also want to make sure you have a yoga mat (for your knees), something to pass as weights, and sneakers. The ladies in the video use 3 lb weights, but you do what you can and keep working upwards with heavier weights. I started using 1.5 lb spaghetti sauce and cans of beans, and bought some cheapo 2lb weights at Target after two months of commitment. Now I've craigslisted some 5lb weights, and it's a bit agonizing. When I went from the 2lb weights to the 5lb weights I was surprised that it wasn't impossible. I guess all those body resistance plank moves in Level 2 really helped. The next day, my arms were quite sore but still not as bad as from my first day of Level 1 with the 1.5 lb weights. So, it gets better. Nowadays I start with the 5lb weights, but if I can't finish I switch to the 2lb weights. This makes the 2lb weights really challenging.A word of warning: you really must wear shoes. I didn't for my first month, and ended up straining my achilles tendon. There's just so much jumping involved, you really need something to cushion that impact. Shoes.
I realize fitness buffs are prejudiced against the pink dumbbell, but you've got to start somewhere...like with a can of beans.
Motivation
Everytime I notice my inner thoughts complaining or dreading the upcoming exercise, I remind myself that this is a gift and I don't complain about gifts. If drinking is borrowing happiness from tomorrow, exercise is borrowing happiness from today, and I will eventually experience that happiness. That, and reminding myself that in 20 minutes I'll be done and I'll feel better afterwards helps. Setting and achieving goals is a good feeling.After a month or so of dedicated effort, my brain stopped complaining during the exercise, and I started sort of enjoying it. Sort of. Once I started being able to see/feel my baby biceps and deltoids, staying committed got easier as well. So here I am, 3 months later. I still struggle with negative thoughts about this whole thing, but I keep doing it despite the thoughts.
Results
I have no before/after photos, because to be honest, the differences are really barely perceptible. If you need some other motivating before/after shots or reviews, you can check out Adventures in Womanland, Nurse Loves Farmer, The Wonder Forest, Sunny with a Chance of Sprinkles or Meg Goes Nom Nom.I may have gone from my heaviest back down to my (almost) typical weight, but it's not really that big of a difference. Maybe a quarter pants size. I'm a regular BMI, but I'd really like to fit into all my pants again, so I'm probably about another 1/4 pants size away from that. This program is likely better for toning than for losing weight, but I don't weigh myself nor did I change my eating habits too much (and as NerdFitness tells us, weight loss is 80% diet). So I've mostly seen evidence of toning. Muscle movement in my biceps where there wasn't any before. Baby deltoids when I lift my arms. I tell J I have chiseled belly fat, and while he doesn't believe me, there was some obvious shrinking of the perpetual food baby.
One of the best results is more of a mental outcome. By overcoming all the naysaying within my own head, I am reminded that I have willpower on a daily basis.
Post workout high protein lunch: lentils with fried egg, pickled vegetables, and iced chai.
