Alicia's Homemaking: 30 Day Shred

Friday, September 24, 2010

The 30 Day Shred, Week 2


Just about to start day 10...

I'm still on the bandwagon....

But it's kicking my tail!

As of yesterday, I've completed 10 days of Jillian Michael's Shred! I'm proud of myself for sticking with it, and overall I'm feeling great.

On day 8, I moved on to Level 2. Not because Level 1 had gotten easy (although it had become more bearable), but because I was just wanting to make things more interesting. I think I've gotten more than I bargained for, because Level 2 has made me sore all over again.

A Few More Discoveries:

My mornings are more structured now that I am determined to fit in a workout.
I have to be really careful with Squishy underfoot. I'm sad to say that he has crawled right into a jumping jack and gotten clobbered more than once. :(
Working out creates more dirty laundry! Hm. More dirty laundry vs. being more healthy. I guess healthy wins.
I'm contemplating what to do after I'm done with the 30 days. I'm thinking about trying to run a 5k, something I've never done!

Question for anyone else who has ever done Level 2 of the 30 Day Shred: How the heck do I do those pendulum lunge things? I can do the forward lunge, but the backward one is so awkward for me! Tips? Today I gave it up and did the lunge and bicep curl from Level 1 instead.

I don't have any "in progress" workout pictures for you all, because I haven't figured out how to use the timer on my camera. Lame, I know. Also, I have no idea if I've lost any weight, because I don't own a scale! I'm really not concerned about the numbers per se--my goal is to fit back into my pre-baby clothes. Or at least get close.

Company girls, please excuse the stacks of paper on my computer table. Rachel Anne, I need a small thing intervention! That stack never goes away! It seems to re-create itself every 5 minutes.

Again, thanks to Crystal, Jen, and all the others who are doing the Shred right now. All the encouragement helps me keep going.

P.S. If you've ever run a 5k before, how did you train for it?

Linked to Company Girl Coffee and Finer Things Friday.

Friday, September 17, 2010

Jillian Gets A Second Chance

Today, before tackling day 5!

For awhile there, Jillian Michaels and I were not on speaking terms.

You'll be happy to know we've patched things up.

As of today, I have successfully completed 5 days of the 30 Day Shred!

I decided to take the plunge when I heard that Jen, Crystal, and a host of other bloggers were banding together to go through the 30 Day shred and keep each other accountable. Since my last dreadful encounter with the 30 Day Shred, I have been working out 2 times a week, on average, so I thought I might be ready to take it up a notch.

And so far, so good! Here's how it's going:

Day 1 and 2 were horrible. Not as bad as last time (for sure!), but I was struggling to get through. It's the strength circuits that kill me--and I'm only using 2 lb weights! Now, on day 5, I noticed that my endurance is much better and I am less out of breath. That's not to say that I'm not extremely relieved when I finish each day!
Wearing tennis shoes helps. Not sure why I didn't do this before.
I've learned to keep a glass of water handy and steal sips as often as I can. I get SO THIRSTY during this workout!
My last tip is this: if you've had a baby anytime recently (is 9 months ago recent?) then be sure to pee prior to starting the workout. Otherwise you'll have to make a break for it in middle of the workout, which I'm sure is against all of Jillian's "NO REST!" rules.

AFTER the Day 5 Workout--Whew!

Overall, it's going so well! I feel great, you guys. The soreness has let up, I'm sleeping well at night, and I'm excited that I've been consistent with this! I'm hoping to do the entire 30 days, although I will probably take Sundays off. :)

So far, I have stuck with Level 1 only--I'm guessing I'll spend 10 days on Level 1, 10 on Level 2, and 10 on Level 3. The thought of Level 3 still petrifies me, but I'm just going to take it one day at a time right now.

I love how each workout is only 20 minutes and all it involves is a mat, weights, and a little stubbornness. I'll update you next week on how I'm doing! You can join in too, if you want! If you want, drop me a message via the comments or email (aliciashomemaking @ gmail . com) and I'll personally check in on you each day and cheer you on. If I can do this, you can to!