Gettin' Shredded

I just recently ordered and received the 30 Day Shred at my house and I wanted to share what I thought about it:

1. It's hard, but in a good way! My arrogant self thought I'd start on Level 1 and breeze through it and be ready for Level 2 the next day...WRONG! I just did day 2 yesterday and I think I am more sore today! It's days like this when I wish my house wasn't a 2-story.

2. Each workout is only 20 minutes long!!!! This is the main reason I wanted this particular workout DVD. My time is a hot commodity around my house in the evenings, I mean I get home at 5:00, there's dinner to start, a 3 year old to entertain, laundry to be done, dishes to be cleaned, etc. I had recently tried a 90 day program and the workouts are 50 minutes, that's a lot for every night. I couldn't find/make the time for that. Here's a breakdown of how the workouts go: There are 3 Levels, there is one workout per level. You move up as you feel ready. Each workout consists of a 2 minute warm-up, 3-6 minute interval trainings and a 2 minute cool down. Each 6 minute interval consists of 3 minutes of strength training, 2 minutes of cardio and 1 minute of abs. Very simple.

3. All you need is a set of small dumbbells and a mat, that is literally it. Some moves I only use one 5 lb. dumbbell right now and others I use both.

4. The moves are super easy, this is great for beginners. You do not have to be a super-athlete to be able to bust out these moves. There's push-ups, lunges, crunches, easy, easy!

5. Since there are only three workouts and you slowly progress from one Level to the next, it could get a little boring. But, they are so easy to memorize, that if you are out of town or something you very easily do it by yourself.

6. You don't have to count any reps! Ok, I am very much a multi-tasker, being a Mom there is no alternative, I also like to think of myself as an intelligent human being; however, I cannot count reps of exercises while I am doing them! I have to focus too hard on breathing correctly, that I always forget to count! But, these are timed exercises, so you just have to push yourself to get as many reps in as you can, but you don't feel defeated when she says STOP! because you don't have a number plastered in your brain you are trying to get to.

7. The DVD costs $8.99. Seriously! I am not kidding, and you can get it at Wal-Mart or Target. I got mine on Amazon.com.

8. She uses a teeny tiny bit of foul language, nothing derogatory at all, but I'm just warning everyone. I didn't even catch it the first night (probably because I was breathing so hard I could barely hear the sound coming out of the DVD player). But I did last night and it is minor and it's nothing you wouldn't hear on a regular TV program these days.

9. Jillian Michaels is a great motivator. I was doing the last set of abs on the first night and it's bicycles and you do them s-l-o-w. It's kind of torture, but listen to her. She talks about each muscle you are working while doing them, then she says, keep pushing, I know your tired and I know you just got a big knot in your stomach...hold up, wait...how did she know that! I mean I literally had just cringed b/c of the knot I had and she said that. She gets it, she knows it hurts, but she keeps saying how the pain is your body getting stronger. I love that, it makes you think of the hurt in a totally different way, it's not nagging me, it's just something I have to push through!

Well, that's my two cents, I'll try to do a weekly post of my results the other levels!