Review of the Shred

After the porn store episode, I went home and actually wheezed along to my Jillian Michaels 30 Day Shred. Really, there was not really wheezing. I started the Level 1 section.

She goes through a warm up which is funny to me because it is arm circles, which she calls windmills. Basically, you stand there and flail your arms back and forth and then front to back as if you are a plane. It looks really stupid and it doesn't really stretch you out of open you up. I think it was her attempt to have a different approach to a warm up or stretch. To be honest, I felt like I was in 6th grade gym class.

After the warm up, the video is set up in a circuit training type format. She alternates cardio with strength training, starting with, I think it was, 2 minutes of cardio. The first cardio interval was jumping jacks. Throughout Level 1 we also did butt kicks (running in place, kicking your heels up so far you kick yourself in the butt), boxing, and some other things. It did get my heart rate up. I felt like it was my real warm up. It was not too taxing though. It was not supposed to be though. This is Level 1!

After that, we went down to the floor for some push ups. I have always had trouble with push ups (big surprise! I am a girl). In the height of my working out a couple of months ago I was able to do 8, but that fades quickly.... so I did the sissy push ups so that I could keep up with the pace they were going at. Next, we did some lunges with hand weights and some rows and a lot of different types of lunges. A lot of work with hand weights and some work with both. One move kind of got to me. You hold the hand weights at a 90 degree angle and squat down. Then push up out of the squat as you push your arms with the weights up toward the sky. So many reps did get me.

Anyway, we did 3 or 4 intervals of cardio and strength. It was pretty good. Especially since I have not done any work outs for a couple of weeks. I did go on the Level 2 but I only got through the first cardio/strength interval before my phone started ringing off the hook and interrupting me.

Level 1 was pretty good, but could have been a little better. In some places I wanted to go faster than them and others I was a little slower. Level 2 looked very promising. After her fake warm up it looks like she works you a little more. I can't wait until I can go all the way through. I think doing Level 1 and Level 2 together will be good for me.

She did a lot of hamstring work and upper arm work, which I have been slacking on. If I would have gotten this DVD a couple of months ago this would not have been anything. However, I did enjoy it and my body really needed it. My upper arms are a little sore today.

All in all, it seems to be a good DVD. Maybe not worth all the hype, but good.