*Challenge* 30 Day Shred? We'll see!

OK so I've read tons of posts about Jillian Michael's 30 Day Shred workout DVD, and was really excited to get it to try it out myself.  Supposedly it's super hard, it kicks your ass, people hurt so bad they can't do it after 3 days, and everyone who's done it loves it!  However, I've yet to read a post from anyone who's finished the video all the way through or who has done it for 30 days straight. 

So, I've got my DVD.  ($10 at Walmart!  What a steal!) 
November is 30 days. 
I say, let's get together and do it! 

Here are the Challenge parameters:

• Everyone involved does the workout every day, starting Nov. 1 and ending Nov. 30. Workouts can be whatever time of day you like, and can be the only thing you do that day or can be in addition to your normal routine.
• *EDITED to add this ADDENDUM: I figure cheat days are bound to happen for some.  If at all possbile- DON'T.  But I'm not going to banish you from the thread if you miss a day! :)  Try to keep it down to, say, no more than 3 times this month, k?  And if you do miss a day or two 'fess up at the end so we know how complete your 30 days really were.
  
• Participants should check in at least once a week to report their progress.  (This can be in the form of weight and/or measurement stats, complaints about how their ass or thighs hurt, comments of encouragement and how much they're loving the workout, discussion on how annoying the music is, etc.)
• We can decide as a group or individually about when it's time to move on from Level 1 to 2 and 2 to 3.  All 3 levels should be done by the end of the month, though.
• Report in on Nov. 30 with how it's gone for you and how much weight you lost.  Any advice for people just starting out with the video?  Anything you found particularly challenging?  Any tips or tricks for fitting it into your schedule? (ie Time of day it worked best? etc.)   Put it all here. 
  

At the end of it all we'll all be a little thinner, a little lighter, and hopefully fantastically shredded! I have my doubts that we'll actually lose 20lbs in the 30 days as she claims, but I'm curious to find out.

Who's with me!?

I've never really done a challenge, but it should be fun. I have a 5 video set from Jillian, though none are the 30lb shred. I need to get the video of course, but I can/will do that when I get paid on Friday.

Great idea!! Kick the weight loss right before holiday season kicks in.

Aw - wish I could join you, but I'm off on vacation next week (without my Jillian Michaels DVD!). I'll be checking in on this thread though to catch up on what everyone thinks!

Perhaps if it's a success, they'll be another chance for me to try later in the year?!

Good Luck!

i kinda wanna join this! i don't have the dvd set, but i have time warner cable and they have an "exercisetv on demand" channel where you can get the dvds for free. i don't have time to exercise everyday and sometimes i don't feel like working out (ttotm) though so i'll have to think about it some more. if i decide not to, good luck to everyone who does!

I'm up for it, count me in. I'll check in with progess on November 1, 8, 15, 22, 30. 

Today is November 1, the beginning of this challenge. My start weight is 143.0 pounds.

Awesome!  I've got at least one person with me! Yay!

Nov. 1- weight: 215.  Planning to do the video within the next hour. 

coincidentally..i bought this video this morning and just used it for the first time!

after just doing level one..i can honestly say i am going to need a lot of encouragement to keep it up!

i dont care about losing twenty pounds so much as toning up..i am what you would call "skinny fat" and i know i need to start exercising.

i will check in every weekend at least...

nov 1 - weight: 125.

Holy crap that thing kicks ass.  I've been sore all day after doing the video last night and I'm dreading doing the video again tonight but I know I have to.    My bf's been great pushing me all day saying "And you have to do your Jillian video today!  You can't bow out of your own challenge!"  As much as I hate him pushing I appreciate it 'cause I'd normally probably skip a day or two considering how sore I am today.  But... here it goes.

agh. just finished today's. i feel like it was a little easier..maybe because i know what to expect now?

observations & questions:

1. what size weights are you using? mine are 5LB and i have to cheat a little on the squat and press......i just CAN'T hold them without hurting my arms too much....am thinking about getting 3lbs. am i just a weakling?? ha.

2. i personally despise the strength section.

3. what if we HAVE TO miss a day...can it be made up with twice the next day or some variation or is it alllll over?

4. i like how it is over in 20 minutes yet i feel like i accomplished something!

Hi,

I'm totally up for it! I know I'll be starting a little late, but I'll make up for it by doing it the rest of the month! :P

-Kim

You know it's working when walking/riding a bike is waaaaay tougher than doing jumping jacks. Man, my quads & butt muscles are screaming today. 

Oh man.. I so didn't want to do it last night but I pushed myself did it anyway.  And to my surprise my thighs actually aren't hurting quite as much today as they did yesterday.  It was really hard because I was tired and just wanted to go to bed but I thought no, do at least the first section... then that turns into the next one, into the one after that, etc; and all of the sudden you're almost done!  I think having each little bit broken into such small incriments really helps the time fly by.

And my dirty little secret- I'm finding I actually almost like push ups!? (The girly ones anway... I'm giving myself a couple more days of those before I push it up to "real" ones and see how that goes.)

Original Post by ilovedietcoke:

agh. just finished today's. i feel like it was a little easier..maybe because i know what to expect now?

observations & questions:

1. what size weights are you using? mine are 5LB and i have to cheat a little on the squat and press......i just CAN'T hold them without hurting my arms too much....am thinking about getting 3lbs. am i just a weakling?? ha.

2. i personally despise the strength section.

3. what if we HAVE TO miss a day...can it be made up with twice the next day or some variation or is it alllll over?

4. i like how it is over in 20 minutes yet i feel like i accomplished something!

Thanks for doing it with me, first off!  It's fun to know I there are other people out there who are sufferening working hard like me!

I'm using 2lb weights.  I'd consider myself a pretty strong person in my arms and even those start to hurt by the end of the squat & press.  I can imagine 5lbs would be HARD!  You might want to consider getting smaller ones.  Though keep the 5lbs ones close, because I am finding that 2lbs doesn't feel like enough when we get to the chest flys section.

Eh.. I figure cheat days are bound to happen for some.  If at all possbile- DON'T.  But I'm not going to banish you from the thread if you miss a day! :)  Try to keep it down to no more than 3 times this month, k?  In fact.. I think I'll go add that to the original post.

Ditto on the acomplishing something.  It actually goes by pretty darn quick and maybe it's just in my head but I could swear I'm already starting to feel a little tighter and toned.

Original Post by rylindis:

Hi,

I'm totally up for it! I know I'll be starting a little late, but I'll make up for it by doing it the rest of the month! :P

-Kim

Welcome!  Get ready for your thighs to SCREAM at you for a few days! :)

My thighs are already screaming at me from running a half marathon over the weekend. :P

I started on Level 2 today because Level 1 was easy for me - Level 2 is hard! Especially when you're already sore.

Nov 1 Level 1 & Level 2 (start weight 143.0)

Nov 2 Level 1

Nov 3 Level 1

Nov 4 Level 1 

Nov 5 Level 1

Nov 6 Level 1 & Level 2

Nov 7 Level 1 

Nov 8 Level 2 (weight 141.4)

start weight - 125

weight this morning - 123

notes:

1. i moved down to 3lb weights..way better!

2. going to move to level two tomorrow (have not tried it yet)

Well done, guys!

I'm only down half a pound as of this morning (214.5), but I also had a girls night out last night with some co-workers and indulged a bit.  So I have a feeling I'm still carying a bit of that in my system too.

I've only done level 1 so far, but I watched some of lvl. 2 a few days a go just to get a look at what's ahead.  Holy crap that looks haaard!  Buggyhair, any words of advice!?

And, I'll fess up, I had one cheat day.  Election day was a looong day for me (I was out WAY too late celebrating) and I just did not feel up to it. 

Sooo.. here's to another week!  And, a question for you-- when are you doing the video?  In the morning, in the evening, at lunch break?  I'm doing it in the evenings most days but finding it hard to do jumping jax with dinner still flopping around in my belly.  I'm wondering if the mornign would be any easier?  But then I'd be still fighting to wake up...

i have done it on nights (usually between 9 and 10pm, strangely enough)...only because i love to finish it, shower, and get in bed to relax. i don't think i could get through the day afterward...

i also ended up doing level one again today, so level two awaits me again tomorrow. don't you feel like you could ALMOST do level one with your eyes closed by now? thats why i did it today...i could keep up with it just playing on my laptop while i had a show i really want to watch on tv (i get tired of jillians same ol same ol conversations haha).

i am liking it so far though. i think it is also working because when i think about working so hard to burn a couple hundred calories, dessert doesn't look very good!

have a good week everyone :)

I gotta say.. I'm getting really tired of her trying to over-enunciate and saying Shred-uh every time.. especially during her intro. 

That is all.  You may now return to your normally scheduled forum surfing.