Shred: Week 7

I’ve been doing the Shred for nearly two months.  Here are my stats:

• Level 1: 16 times
• Level 2: 12 times
• Level 3: 3 times
• Shred-type-workout, on my own, to music: 3 times

That’s 34 strength workouts over the last seven weeks, or about five workouts per week. I’ve mixed in a few runs and bike rides as well.  The results?  Well, I can’t say I look like this:

And I can’t tell you if I’ve lost weight, because I don’t own a scale (and weight loss wasn’t really my goal anyhow).  What I CAN tell you is that I’ve gotten a lot stronger.  I can do squats for a minute straight with no problem.  I’ve noticed muscles in my arms that I hadn’t seen in quite a while.  And my abs, though they will probably never ever look like Jillian’s (I love my carbs far too much) feel very strong.  I don’t know if I’ve lost weight or just am more toned all over, but I notice a difference when I look in the mirror.  My real dream, though, is to be able to do this.  Maybe not in this lifetime, but I can hope, right?

Here are my tips for making the Shred a little bit more interesting:

• Mix up the moves.  If I get tired of doing Level 1, I’ll do Level 3 and just substitute some of the cardio sequences for those in Level 1 or 2 to make it easier.  I’ve also added harder moves to Level 1 to make it more difficult.
• Once you know the sequences, set a timer, put on some music, and do them without the video.  This is nice for a change of pace, but I still rely on the video to push me into that higher sphere of performance (i.e. pain)
• Take time off.  If you notice muscle fatigue, take a day (or two) off.  Go for a run, a hike, or just give yourself a day off of exercise.  I know you’re supposed to be able to do the Shred everyday (since it’s mostly using the resistance of your own body plus light weights) but muscles can get run down all the same.  I noticed my biceps aching today when I was doing curls – it’s time for a day off.
• Eat a high-protein snack after your workout.  I learned this from marathon training.  It helps build muscle, so you can look like this:

Awesome.

Mixing it Up

After doing the Shred for the last six weeks, most of the workouts are ingrained in my head, so I’ve been setting a timer, picking an artist, doing my exercises to YouTube playlists for about 30 minutes.  Yesterday was the Kinks; today was Beyoncé.

I can’t seem to embed today, so click on the images below for two of my favorite videos.  The common thread seems to be pets.

Added benefit: though I’m not usually one to be ‘inspired’ by other people’s bodies, I have to fess up that Beyoncé has helped me get through a few workouts.  The fact that she’s curvy but incredibly fit is at once impossible to achieve (it’s called genetics) and somehow inspiring to me, as someone with a curvy frame.  Maybe it’s just that she’s one of the few celebrities out there that I think embodies true sexiness and glamour.  Yes, I’m probably overthinking this, but isn’t she pretty much the queen of glam?  Even when she’s riding around on a cat?

p.s. on a stalker-esque note, I happened upon a site that told me Beyoncé’s height and weight, which happen to be almost exactly my own dimensions.  Hm, then why don’t I look like her?

30 Day Shred: Day 25

Sorta. I’ve been doing the Shred about five times a week, and taking one day off on the weekends, and running the other day. My overall goal is increased strength, and though my muscles aren’t exactly rippling, I definitely notice a difference.

The first week was one of sore quads. There are so many damned squats in this workout. I managed to push through the pain, and after a while the only thing holding me back was my pure level of fitness. I’m a fairly fit person, being a pretty regular runner and dancer most of my life. However the intensity of the Shred workout is such that level 2 is still kicking my ass hardcore after three and a half weeks.

I tried level 3 once when I was feeling brave and that shit was INSANE. I was sweating out of every pore in my body at the same time. The good thing about these workouts though, once you’re accustomed to them, is that they don’t wipe you out for the rest of the day. You still have energy to go on a hike, walk, or even a run if you’re ambitious.

The upshot of it all? When I went for my usual run on Friday, I felt like a gazelle. My legs had so much spring and energy to them, I felt like I could run ten miles. And I wasn’t feeling that muscle heaviness I normally feel at the end of a run. That in itself is reason enough for me to continue to let Jillian kick my ass.

Also, I noticed Exercise TV has posted some of Jillian’s mini workouts on Hulu.  I don’t have the discipline to do the reps on my own (without her doing them alongside me, warning me against “phoning it in”) but if you do, check it out: http://www.hulu.com/videos/search?query=jillian+michaels.

Shreddin’

As I mentioned in my brief post about my love for challah, upon which I am masticating as I type this, I’ve started a new workout regimen. An ordinary week of exercise for me usually involves a few runs, a dance class, and if I’m lucky, a hike. I used to incorporate strength training at my gym, but since my work was the entity that paid for the membership, that has been axed. I read about some workout DVDs on Weddingbee months ago, and the other day I decided I’d look some of them up on YouTube. There is a ton of good stuff out there, but I am now completely committed to a monogamous Internet video trainer-trainee relationship with none other than:

Yes, Jillian Michaels and her 30 Day Shred. I had no idea who she was until a few days ago. Now I know she’s the hardass bitch from a show I’ve never seen called The Biggest Loser, which apparently everyone has heard of. I’m not usually into hardass bitches telling me to feel the burn, but it seems she’s a lot nicer in her videos than she was on the show. She runs a tight ship — no breaks or complaining allowed (but how does she really know?) — but also keeps a pretty sane pace and keeps reminding you *why* the pain of the static lunge bicep curl is gonna translate into a hot bod. The best part is the efficiency. The 20-minute workout alternates through strength, cardio, and abs, and leaves you feeling like you just ran for an hour.

I feel morally okay writing about it because I just bought it on Amazon.  It’s a ridiculous steal at $8.49, and that includes all three levels of workouts, 20 minutes a piece.  As a reasonably fit person, I’m at day 5 of level one and it’s still challenging, in part because my muscles are still sore.  But I can already feel myself getting stronger, though whether or not I develop that mannish V that is carved into Jillian’s hips is yet to be seen.