Jillian Michaels: 30 Day Shred

I can’t exactly pinpoint the time that I fell in love with Jillian Michaels, but it was love at first sight years and years ago…and not through her hit TV show, The Biggest Loser (because I don’t watch TV and have only recently started watching the last season so I could see what it was all about). I am pretty sure it was with her book “Making the Cut”. As noted, it was many, many years ago and I was on route to Dominican Republic with my boyfriend (now husband) and had been working hard in the gym leading up to that vacation (he ended up proposing while we were on this trip). I stumbled across the book while browsing through the book store and started to read the first few pages. It immediately caught my attention and I was at the checkout as quickly as I read this part of her intro:

“Wait a Minute! This book is not for the faint of heart. Over the next 30 days you are mine, and this is your bible. If you want to get real results from my program, and I mean incredible results, skipping any part of this book is NOT AN OPTION. Making the Cut is not some namby-pamby “lifestyle” book that’s going to waffle on about moderation for “better health” and leave you with the warm fuzzies. It’s about seeing how far you can go, getting a little crazy….You will feel strong. You will be strong. Making the Cut is about to make it happen…”

I think what I love most is her tough love, no BS attitude and approach. This book is a 30 day intense program that trains you in 3 essential ways; mentally, nutritionally, and physically. The first chapter takes you through a series of questions to identify your unique body type & metabolic makeup. There are meal plans to follow once you’ve determined what your special needs are, along with a comprehensive, detailed 30-day workout plan, complete with a full appendix describing each exercise in detail with pictures. 

Okay, well…now that I got that off my chest, what I was actually intending to do was talk about her exercise video called “30 Day Shred”. With all that’s been going on with me in the last 7 months, I barely had time to go grocery shopping, keep the housework up, visit with family & friends, or even hit the gym consistently. I spoke about it in my last post, but it is so disappointing that a lot of what should always be a main priority took a back seat. Not anymore! I recently bought Jillian Michaels’ 30 Day Shred and have been intending to test drive it for a while now. I am sooooo glad that I did because the first few workouts with her have been intense. They’re perfect because they are over before you know it, but definitely do not forfeit intensity. I have been feeling PUMPED after each one. I do intend to do a follow up post in a month or two to share the results, but after taking a test drive this past week I couldn’t wait to share it.

The exercises feature, in rapid succession, short bursts of strength, cardio, abs, and a cool-down. There is NO resting between each short burst of exercise (which is part of why the results happen so quickly). Like in most classic fitness videos, she has some backup instructors. One doing advanced moves and another doing some modified moves for true beginners, but even for them, she doesn’t cut much slack. One of my favourite parts is that you do not need much equipment (I HATE having to use a lot of equipment with a home workout). The only thing you need is a set of small hand weights (I use 5 lbs), and, if you have a hard floor, a mat/towel for the floor moves. It promises that if you commit 20 minutes a day for a month, you’ll lose those last few stubborn lbs.

She is currently doing a “Maximize your Life” tour and my husband surprised me with tickets! It’s in May and I CAN’T WAIT – I even have a countdown on my phone for it (nerd moment)!

As mentioned, I’ll check back shortly to give a full blown review of her 30 Day Shred, but I wanted to invite any of those looking to whip into bikini season quickly to join me and share your thoughts below or via the comments section below, twitter or e-mail. Have you ever read any of Jillian’s books or tried her DVD’s? How about any other fitness personalities? I have a few more I follow and will blog about them later.

xxxo
Maja