Monthly Archive for March, 2009

Today I completed Day 14 of the 30 Day Shred, and Day 4 of Level 2! You can read more about my 30-Day Shred Adventures by clicking here!

It’s still a challenge. Today, I tried to follow Natalie for some moves and nearly died, so I went back to following Anita. There’s no shame in that, right? I didn’t think so. (For those of you who have no idea what I’m talking about, Anita does the moves designed for the newbies in the bunch, and Natalie does harder versions of the moves.)

As you may know, Jillian tells you on the Jillian Michaels – 30 Day ShredDVD that she will be your own personal trainer. And, she is…for 20 minutes. I, on the other hand, have a little personal trainer that follows me around all day, and now she’s started insisting that we “play Shred.”

Yes, Claire loves pretending that she is Jillian and I am, well, me. Her impression of Jillian is uncanny. She has nearly the whole Level 1 dialogue and most of Level 2 dialogue memorized.

Here is a typical “play session” when we “play Shred.”

“Okay! It’s time to do the 30 Day Shred, Momma!”

“Yay! That sounds great!” (Momma, the actress, says enthusiastically. It’s her best performance of the day…)

“Go into a soft knee… (And this is where she shows me what that is.) Now, squat and press! And, squat and press! Good! Squat and press! Squat and press! Good! No stopping! Now, let’s do Dumbo Ropes. (Dumbo Ropes!? This makes me laugh every time. Jillian really says, “Dumbbell Rows,” but I like Claire’s version better.) “…and PULL! and PULL! and PULL! Good! Now, let’s do jumping jacks. Ready? Hit it! Four more. And three and two and one…and let’s do Dumbo Ropes again. And, PULL! And, PULL! And, PULL! And right back…Jumping Jacks! You’re well on your way to being shredded!”

I only wish I were kidding.

Still…how funny!

Today, during the real workout, at one point, I didn’t think I could go on, so I yelled out loud. It was a primal, guttural yell that was pure sound and no words.

“You can do it, Momma!” I heard in response.

So, I did.

Day 13 is done! That means, I’ve done Day 3 of Level 2! I was still exhausted at the end of the workout, but I have yet to be sore. Can that be right? I’ll just assume it is and carry on.

I’m really glad that I’m not in pain, like I was with Level 1. I don’t particularly like pain, and I generally do things to avoid it. Still…pain or not, I’m completely spent by the end of Level 2. Just like Level 1 did at the beginning, it seems way longer than 20 minutes.

But, after I’ve survived the workout and get on with the rest of my day, I’m amazed at how much energy I have. I know that people have always said that exercising gave them energy, and I always kinda thought they were crazy. Now, I realize they were right. Who knew?

I can’t believe I’m almost halfway done with the 30 Day Shred…and I’m feeling better than I ever imagined was possible!

So, have you started it? Are you going to? What do you think? Let me know!

You can read more about my 30-Day Shred Adventures by clicking here!

That is my new mantra.

…because “I’m not gonna die,” puts the wrong kind of energy out into the Universe.

Machines don’t cry. Machines don’t feel pain. Machines don’t need to breathe. All three of those things are issues for me in Level 2. Yep, I just finished Day 11 of the 30 Day Shred, and Day 11 is also Day 1 of Level 2.

I don’t mean to scare you, because it wasn’t really scary…as much as it was exciting to see what they could possibly do to us in the next level.

If you haven’t done any of the Shred, don’t look at Level 2. It’s the same reason I’m plugging my ears and singing, “la la la la” when people talk about Level 3. I’m somewhat curious, but I don’t really want to know. I did 10 days of Level 1, so I was ready for Level 2. If you’re on Level 1, focus on Level 1. Don’t let Level 2 scare you…it’s totally doable.

…in an I-totally-collapsed-at-the-end-in-a-pile-of-noodles way.

But, I’m a machine. So, I didn’t cry. I didn’t feel any pain. I found a way to breathe.

I never thought I’d enjoy this…but I’m starting to prove myself wrong. As many times as I muttered various things throughout the workout, I love the results. I have more energy than I have in years. I have muscle tone. I can do pushups.

So, what do I think of Level 2? Jillian kicked my patootie all over the place. HOLY. CHAO. You know it’s a good workout when Jillian’s face gets red and she laughs. Seriously. She even admitted out-loud to being crazy.

That being said, there are interesting moves. Some of them are a bit complex (or they just seemed that way because I’d never seen them before), so I’m looking forward to perfecting them in the days to come. Unlike Level 1, some of these moves actually involve some coordination. So, I can only imagine how much of a noodle I’ll be at the end of a workout where I actually do all of the repetitions rather than use the first couple to figure out what in the world they’re doing.

But, I didn’t die.
I didn’t cry.
I didn’t collapse until the very end.

…because I am a machine.

You can read more about my 30-Day Shred Adventures by clicking here!

Well…I did it! I finished Level 1! Day 10 of the 30 Day Shred is done! Tomorrow, I’ll get to discover all of what Level 2 has to offer. I’ve heard mixed reactions to Level 2, so I’m curious about what is in store.

Before I leave Level 1 behind, I want to share some of my favorite lines from the dialogue. There is a setting where you can turn off the talking and just do the music, but I like listening to Jillian. She keeps me going and keeps me motivated, and I’ve done the workout so many times that I know where I am in the space-time continuum when I hear certain phrases she says.

Here are three of my favorite quotes:

The first is when she’s talking about how people think they aren’t strong enough to work out. They’ve been told to “just take the stairs” and how that’s a “false message of lethargy that is not doing you any favors. You are capable of working out.”

A false message of lethargy?  I love it!

Another quote that strikes me as funny is when she’s giving us pointers on doing the ab moves. “Eyes are up…chin off chest…armpit to your knee… The neck is not invited to this party. This is all abs.”

For some reason, every time, I picture a neck at an abs party, and if I could actually giggle at that point in the workout, I would.

And, when I hear this, I know I’m almost done:

“Last 30 seconds. I want you floating off the ground right now, ‘cause you are strong. This is easy for you. Nothin’ you can’t do.”

…and honestly? I get chills during that last line. I push past the exhaustion and the roadblocks in my head. I totally believe her. There is nothing I can’t do.

Who knew I’d get so much out of this workout?

You can read more about my 30-Day Shred Adventures by clicking here!

So, I just got done with Day 9 of the 30 Day Shred!

Last night, I had the opportunity to meet up with some other bloggers in the area. (More on that later!) The organizer of the event had compiled a list of interesting things about all of us (that she had gleaned from our blogs), and as an icebreaker, we got to mingle and figure out which one belonged to which blogger.

Imagine my surprise at seeing #18 on the list: Just completed Week One as a Shredhead and is already seeing results (as is her daughter). Ask her to flex.

Ha!

I’ve never thought of myself as an “exercise person,” but as one of the ladies pointed out…maybe I am now. So, a lot of the evening was spent getting to know these women in real life, talking about our various things on the list, and flexing my arm muscles.

And, I was such a big talker about how I don’t even hurt anymore! And I’ve not been sick all season, so I don’t need to worry about missing any days! And, I’m not superstitious, and I don’t believe in jinxes! (Knock on wood.)

But, after standing around for a couple hours last night, guess whose body was in so much pain by the time she got home? And, guess whose head filled up with goo before the night was over?

Hmpf.

But, you know what? I couldn’t bring myself to miss out on Day 9. I took a long bath last night in Epsom salts and took some cold meds, and today, I pulled myself out of bed and did the 20-minutes of Day 9. I don’t know if you’re supposed to work out when you’re “sick” and I’m not sure if I’ll consult Dr. Google about it today or not. But, I feel great.

Maybe I am an exercise person, after all.

You can read more about my 30-Day Shred Adventures by clicking here!