30 Day Shred: Results

Okay so my holiday came and went pretty quickly... it was pretty awesome and I have lots to write about on that front, but that will come later in the week. FIRST I'm going to finish what I started and report back on my 30 Day Shred results.

Remember that I technically didn't complete the programme - because of time restraints I completed 8 days on each level instead of 10, so technically it should have been the 24 Day Shred. But here are my measurements in any case...

Okay, so the changes weren't extreme, but considering I didn't really have that many inches to lose in the first place, I am pretty happy with those figures. My waist got even smaller (I didn't even know that was possible) and the programme blasted my upper arms - a common problem area and something that I commonly grumble about. So yeah, pretty chuffed.

In terms of the scales... well, I dropped 2 lbs (around 1kg) which again isn't exactly earth shattering, but the whole purpose of this exercise was to lose inches, not weight, so on that front I'm a pretty satisfied customer.

I definitely noticed some other changes, too. My running has got a lot faster since I started the programme, and there was an improvement in my overall fitness. While I could hardly do any proper push ups at the beginning, I found that I could bust them out towards the end of level 3.

But that wasn't all. I could definitely see some definition coming through in my mid-section, and my wee belly seemed to shrink a fair bit.

So I was able to strut down the beach with pride... All those hours sweating it out were worth it. Shame I undid a lot of the work eating ice cream in the sun (more on that later) but if you can't enjoy yourself on holiday, when can you enjoy yourself, eh?!

30 Day Shred: Level 3

Only two days (TWO DAYS!!!) until my holiday now, and I'm coming to the end 30 Day Shred programme. So, what did Jillian Michaels have in store for me this time round?

CIRCUIT 1

Strength

30 secs x walking plank

1 minute x 'supermans'

Repeat

Cardio

30 secs x mountain climbers

30 secs x sumo pops

Abs 

30 secs x pipe crunch

30 secs x scissor crunches

CIRCUIT 2

Strength

30 secs x dumbbell cleans

1 min x jumping lunges

Repeat

Cardio

30 secs x punches with weights

30 secs x butt kicks with weights

30 secs x punches with weights

30 secs x starjumps with weights

Abs

1 min x sit ups

CIRCUIT 3 

Strength

30 secs x walking push-ups

1 minute x plank with back rows and leg raises

Repeat

Cardio 

30 secs x squat jumps

30 secs x rock star jumps

Repeat

Abs

1 minute x side plank raises

I'll be honest, when I did the level three session for the first time, I was a little nervous. There had been a fairly big jump up from level 1 to level 2, and I was expecting more of the same this time round. 

It certainly didn't help matters when Jillian growled menacingly "Oh, you think this is going to be easy? Think again, buddy." Eek!

But, I actually didn't find it that bad. Certainly, the cardio and ab parts proved a little more of a challenge, but the exercises were varied enough that my each part of my body had a chance to recuperate while I was working another part. It certainly made a change from the relentless planking from level 2. 

No, not that kind of planking.

But I must admit, there are a couple of exercises that REALLY kill. The scissor crunches in circuit one put constant pressure on your abs, and I've yet to complete a set without hovering my legs up from the hardcore "3 inches from the ground" level. 

Those and the jumping lunges. It took me a while to get my form right on those, but when I did, whoa boy. They are tough. If you struggle getting them right too, take your time and figure out how to do them properly instead of doing a full set half-assed. Quality is always better than quantity, I've found. Get the form right first, and the speed will come eventually. 

Finally, the rock star jumps. I'm ashamed to admit I still can't do these properly. If you don't know, a rock star jump is basically jumping off the ground with both feet, bringing both feet up to your bum and straightening your legs back out before landing again. No matter how hard I try, I can't get my feet all the way up to my bum. My jumps are just too quick and shallow. One to work on in the future, I reckon. 

So, yeah, that's level three in a nutshell. I only have one day left of the programme, so stay tuned for my results. My weight has stayed stable again this week, but the proof I suppose will be in the measuring tape! Eek!

My Awesome 5k Mix!

First, an apology. I've been banging on so much about the 30 Day Shred (level 3 update coming soon, by the way) that you'd be forgiven for thinking that I've let other stuff fall by the wayside.

But never fear, dear reader! I'm still ploughing away at my running, and I actually have some pretty awesome news on that front.

Basically, I do a couple of 30 minute runs during the week and do a longer run at the weekend. Well. I always track how far I go in those 30 minute runs, and I'm pleased to report that I've got to the stage where I'm consistently covering over 5k in those 30 minutes!

Anyone who has done the Couch to 5k plan will know what a huge achievement that is. While the plan is the best thing since sliced unicorn farts, I must admit the title is a bit misleading. The goal of Couch to 5k isn't to get you running 5k, but rather to get you running 30 minutes non-stop. The distance you cover in that time is pretty much down to your own ability. I think when I finished the plan, I was covering about 3.5 to 4k. Not that I cared. I was running 30 minutes non-stop, baby. :)

But recently I have been focusing on my speed, and consciously forcing myself to push harder in order to get that extra few metres in, and I can see my perseverance paying off. Now I can say that I am officially a Couch to 5ker!!! :D

So to celebrate, I've been having a tinker on Spotify and have come up with this little 30 minute playlist, which is enough for me to cover the 5k. In real life I like alternative rock, ska punk and other random stuff, but I must admit, I like a good beat when I'm running. So, this music might be a bit chavvy for some, but stuff it, I'm not going to plod along to music that doesn't motivate me.



It starts with a moderately paced track to get me into my rhythm, then I crank it up a notch when my muscles get warmed up. The playlist finishes with a cool down track, which in this case is Incubus' 'Wish You Were Here', which doesn't really fit in with the playlist but I don't give two hoots, because it's one of my favourite songs ever.

Anyway. Enjoy!

Edit: OH! I'd also love to hear what you guys listen to. So please share your favourite workout track in the comments. I'm always up for hearing new beats!

30 Day Shred - Level 2

Okay, so if I was to sum up level two in a single caption, it would be this:

The workout goes a little something like this:

CIRCUIT 1

Strength
30 secs x walking push-ups
1 minute x stationary squat with a back row
Repeat

Cardio
30 secs x high knees
30 secs x plank thrusts

Abs 
1 minute crunches with a single leg raise

CIRCUIT 2

Strength
30 secs x stationary lunge with a back row
1 min x pendulum lunges with hammer curls
Repeat

Cardio
30 secs x oblique twists
30 secs x skaters
Repeat

Abs
30 secs x leg raises with a stationary weight lift
30 secs x crunches with a bum lift

CIRCUIT 3 

Strength
30 secs x military extensions and leg kick
1 minute x chair squat with a v raise
Repeat

Cardio 
30 secs x plank jacks
30 secs x double jump rope

Abs
1 minute x plank twists

As you can see, you spend a lot of this workout in the plank position. That is, holding up your bodyweight in a straight line like so:

Image via

Planks has been a pretty permanent fixture of my own workout for the past year or so, but I still found the exercises tough. The plank jacks and the plank thrusts in particular kicked my butt.

Whereas in level one I felt the cardio was a welcome break from the strength exercises, in level two Jillian starts to introduce resistance to these sections, so the circuit becomes pretty relentless.

In terms of the scale... well, there hasn't been any dramatic change on that front. In fact, the number has started to float up again. However, I've been really strict with my diet and have yet to check my measurements, so it could be a case of I'm losing inches, but gaining precious muscle mass.

I don't know, we'll see. I'll let you know my results when I complete level three next week!

Jillian Michael's 30 Day Shred: Level One

As I mentioned previously, I am trying to shift a little extra weight in preparation of my holiday next month. So, in addition to cutting down on my food, I'm doing a fitness DVD: Jillian Michaels 30 Day Shred.

So what is the 30 Day Shred? Well, it is a fitness programme that promises to get you pretty much RIPPED in 30 days (okay, individual results may vary, but it will at the very least get you on your way).

The "Shred" has been on my radar (and in my DVD cabinet) for quite a while, but I have never tried it before because I always saw it as a temporary solution. I mean, what happens after the 30 days are up? I didn't really like the idea of doing the same fitness DVD for the rest of my life, so I gave it a by.

But now I have an occasion to work towards (did I mention I'm going on holiday?!), a temporary solution will be just fine. So I've decided to give it a go.

For those that don't know, Jillian Michaels is the scary lady that brings the pain on the Biggest Loser in the USA. She has a bit of a swagger on her and I certainly wouldn't like her as my own personal trainer, but luckily she doesn't answer back when I'm shouting expletives at the TV.

As seems to be obligatory for this kind of thing, she is joined by two grinning maniacs: Anita and Natalie. While you're sweating buckets and gasping for air, these two ladies are coasting through, looking like somebody jammed an invisible watermelon slice into their mouths.

Anita offers modified moves for beginners, whereas Natalie is the one to follow if you're looking for a bit of a challenge. I was able to keep up with Natalie for most of it, but when it came to the push ups, I decided to follow Anita.

Okay, I admit it. I've been practicing for nearly a year now and yet I still can't do more than five full push ups in a row. I'm a girl, I get it.

Anyway...

I started level one last week, and each level lasts 10 days. But because my holiday is in less than 30 days (squeeee!!!), I've decided to rock each level for only eight days instead.

The first workout went well. It hit that sweet spot between challenging enough to make me sweat, but not SO challenging that I needed a basin nearby to throw up in. The workout has a circuit structure, where you do 3 minutes of strength training, 2 minutes cardio, and 1 minute abs workout. This six minute cycle is repeated 3 times, so once you add your warm up and cool down, you're not working out for longer than half an hour.

As I'm no stranger to weight training, I completed the circuit with 3kg dumb bells. It provided quite a challenge for me, so don't be scared to go for lighter weights if you're new to this kind of thing.

So, level one goes a little like this:

CIRCUIT 1


Strength
30 secs x push ups
1 min x squat and shoulder press

Repeat

Cardio

30 secs x jumping jacks

30 secs x skipping rope

Repeat

Abs

30 secs x basic crunch

30 secs x reverse crunch

CIRCUIT 2

Strength
30 secs x back row
1 min x static lunge and bicep curls

Repeat

Cardio

30 secs x butt kicks

30 secs x punches

Repeat

Abs

1 min x side crunch

CIRCUIT 3

Strength

30 secs x chest flies

1 min x side lunge with anterior raises

Cardio

30 secs x jumping jacks

30 secs x butt kicks

30 secs x punches

30 secs x skipping rope

Abs

1 min x bicycle crunches

Afterwards, I felt pretty tired but in a good way. I found the strength bits to be quite challenging, but the cardio and abs provided a nice balance. I felt good.

In fact, I felt great.

Then the aches started.

It started as a slight twinge in my right bicep around 12 hours after I finished my first session. But, by the time I was due to repeat the workout the next morning, my whole upper body was on fire.

The second workout, without a doubt, was 10x harder than the first. Regardless, I pushed through. My lower body was coping quite well, but my arms and back were screaming. But I kept pushing.

After around the 3rd of 4th day, the aches started to subside. On the fifth day, I took a rest and went on a 10km run instead. That little rest helped lots, and even though I've done more Shred sessions since, the aches have now completely gone.

So I'm doing my final level one session tonight, and then moving on to level two. I'm kind of nervous about changing my routine, but excited to see what the next level has in store.

I'll keep you posted!