Tinkerblue

30 Day Shred - I am done!

Wednesday was day 30.  So how'd I do? I think I did pretty good for me. I still can't do push ups in the full plank position, but apart from that I definitely improved over the month.  I don't hurt as much, I'm a little stronger and I can run up our stairs without being out of breath.

 

                             Reward for finishing 10 days of level 1 of the 30 day shred - J Crew Flowerball Necklace

I'm far from shredded, but then again I didn't expect to be.  Between the 30 day shred DVD, the Couch to 5K running progam and eating healthy I have lost a little weight and a few inches.  My jeans are loose and my clothes are fitting better. Surprisingly I can also see some improved muscle definition. Muscles that have been hiding under flab for a few years, are just starting to make an appearance again.

 

                             Reward for completing 10 days of level 2 - Anthropologie Pessinus Garden Necklace (mine is silver)

30 days is about my limit, I was beginning to get bored. And boredom means giving up.  Good thing I was bribing myself.  So what now? I'll keep the 30 day shred in my library, I'll come back to it.  I probably won't do one level for 10 days again, maybe level 1 or 2 on run days, and level 3 on non-run days.  But for now I need something different.  Not sure what yet.  I'll have to decide soon because I gave myself Thursday to Sunday off (just from the resistance training, I'm still running).  So Monday I'll start something new.

 

                                                                                                    Reward for making it through 10 days at level 3 - MAC Venomous Villains Lipglass

30 Day Shred Level 2 - 10 days. Now onto Level 3

I did it.  I DID IT. Not a big deal for some, but for me it is. I've done very little exercise of any form in the last couple of years. So for me it's huge.  Saturday was Day 10. I made Hubby do it (it being the 30 Day Shred, get your mind out of the gutter!). He was hilarious.  You should have seen him trying to do the high kicks and the pendulum lunges. I would have taken a photo if I wasn't laughing so much. I am going shoe shopping this week.  One pair of grey suede pumps will be mine.

I took Sunday off from running and the Shred.  I started Level 3 on Monday.  My plan is level 3 for 10 days. I haven't decided if I'll 10 days straight, or every second day. After Monday's effort I thought it would probably be every second day.  My goal for Monday was to try the full version of all the moves.  I tried. 

Warm up - arm crosses, backwards windmills, jump rope (I do the single, not the double), high kicks, butt kicks, knee circles . These I can do!

Circuit 1 

strength - walking plank move - had to go with the modified version, superman - this I can do!, repeat. 

cardio - mountain climbers in plank position, plie hops, repeat. Surprised myself by doing the full first set of the mountain climbers and the plie hops. I did about 1/4 of the second set of the mountain climbers and all of the plie hops.

abs - Pike crunch for 30 secs, Scissor crunch for 30 secs. Tried the full version of each but I so didn't have the strength. So modified it was.

Circuit 2

strength - dumbbell cleans, jumping lunges, repeat. Dumbbell cleans were easy! I could probably do with an 8lb weight for this.  The jumping lunges I probably did about 1/2 of each set.  I didn't stop, I was doing the non modified lunge and it just took me longer to stabilise after the jump.

cardio - shadow boxing with dumbbells, butt kicks with dumbbells, shadow boxing with dumbbells, jumping jacks with dumbbells . I could do the first set of shadow boxing but not the second. My arms/shoulders just aren't strong enough. I did finish the butt kicks and jumping jacks.

abs - Classic sit ups. OMG. So not a fan of these.  I could not do the full sit up, not even one. I had to do the modified version and even then I only managed to do about 1./2, if that.

Circuit 3

strength - travelling push ups, plank rows with leg raises, repeat. I did both sets of the push ups in the modified position.  I tried the full plank rows but NOT happening.  So I did both sets in the modified position.

cardio - jump squats, rock star jumps, repeat.  Did both sets of squat jumps, none of the rock star jumps and aobut 

abs - plank raises. These I managed...but only the modified ones.

Cool down - the stretching is the same as level 1 and 2, and the stretching I can do.

I'm pretty sure it's going to take me more than 10 days to be able to do the whole workout.  I'm going to need a pretty big self reward to bribe myself through 10 days of level 3.

Update:

Tuesday - I completed circuit 1, the only modification I used was the pike crunches. I made it through circuit 2, again I did the modified sit ups. I didn't do all of circuit 3. I skipped the travelling push ups, I just couldn't do them, I did do the modified plank rows/leg raises and all the cardio and abs.

Wednesday - I just got back from a run, and have a massage therapy appointment in 30 minutes, as yet I haven't decided if it will do day 3 tonight or tomorrow.

30 Day Shred Level 2

OMG!  So not happening.  Maybe I should have taken a day off between level 1 and 2.  Today was also a run day which didn't help. Level 2 is brutal. The plank features prominently in level 2. I hate jumping jacks, but I REALLY. REALLY. HATE. THE PLANK. HATE. IT.

Warm up - arm crosses, backwards windmills, jumping jacks, high kicks, neck circles,jumping jacks. These I can do!

Circuit 1 

strength - walking push ups, dumbbell row in squat position, repeat. I did the modified version of the walking push ups, but could only manage one set of the dumbbell rows.

cardio - high knees (running on the spot), squat thrusts in the plank position, repeat. High knees I can do. No way in hell I was doing the squat thrust thingys, I did one set of the modified version and skipped the second set altogether

abs - crunches with raised leg, repeat with opposite leg raised. These I could do.

Circuit 2

strength - static lunge with a medium grip row, pendulum lunges with hammer row, repeat. Okay so the static lunge& row I can do.  The pendulum lunges & hammer row brought out my lack of co-ordination. I had to do the lunges with out the hammer row. My head just could not process the forward lunge, then the backward lunge and the hammer row movement all at once. Maybe tomorrow.

cardio - oblique twist, skaters, repeat.  The twists were doable, the skaters not so much

abs - oblique crunches with legs, double crunches. Again these I could do.

Circuit 3

strength - military press with leg extensions, chair squat with a v raise, repeat. I did both sets of the military press/leg extensions.  I did the v raise without the squat for the first set, and the squat without the v raise for the second set.  There was no way I could do both at once. 

cardio - plank jacks, double jump rope, repeat.  Yeah, not a chance on either of this.  I wanted to yell at the TV.

abs - plank twists. These I managed...but only just.

Cool down - the stretching is the same as level 1, and the stretching I can do.

 

I am resorting to bribery. Yep, I am bribing myself.  I gave myself a reward for finishing level 1.  I found this pretty flower ball necklace on ebay (while searching for something totally unrelated), and as a bonus it matches my sweater. (I mention that just for you Kyla!). But for level 2, it's definitely a bribe. I have my eye on a pair of grey suede shoes. Normally I would wait until I can find a promo code or they go on sale. I very rarely pay full price for a pair of shoes. But if when I finish 10 days at level 2 of the 30 day shred, I get to treat myself and buy them regardless.  And if I don't finish level 2? Then no shoes for me at any price.  So lets not go there.