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<\/p>\nThe 30 Day Shred Experiment is over.<\/p>\n
Not because I’m a wuss (though I have to keep telling myself that).\u00a0 Not because the workout was too hard.\u00a0 It was challenging workout for sure, but I was able to get through it.\u00a0 Not because I hated seeing Jillian’s smug mug every day saying the same cheeseball lines about “gargling my heart” or “replacing hours phoning it in at the gym”.\u00a0 Not because it got boring doing the same damn thing over and over each day.<\/p>\n
Just about the only thing that could break me did – I found myself yesterday *thisclose* to an injury.\u00a0 When I first started running I had a lot of heel problems.\u00a0 I had to take 2 weeks off (which literally almost drove me crazy) because each step doing something more poundy than just walking hurt like the dickens.\u00a0 Of course, I’ve gotten over this.\u00a0 I haven’t felt heel pain minus an odd tinge in about a year and a half.\u00a0 Until Jillian came into my life.<\/p>\n
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The first week wasn’t so bad.\u00a0 In fact, the overwhelming pain was leg muscles, and it was the “hurt-so-good” pain.\u00a0 So I kept on.\u00a0 Week 2 wasn’t too bad either.\u00a0 However, I think my feet started to be sensitive as by the end of it, I REQUIRED new shoes.\u00a0 I’ve been wearing the old ones to shred and honestly, nothing really seems wrong with them now.\u00a0 Week 3, I only made it through 4 days and started to feel some mild heel pain.\u00a0 Figure it would go away.\u00a0 This week didn’t start so badly, but yesterday morning, I had to quit during the WARMUP because my heels were killing me.<\/p>\n
If you know me, I do not quit workouts.\u00a0 Starting sometimes is an issue but when I’m suited up, I’m just about unstoppable.<\/p>\n
After considering the options, I decided that Jillian everyday was not going to work for me.\u00a0 Not with running and DDR too, and I don’t want to give those up.\u00a0 My heels were still mildly sore today, so I avoided running, but was able to DDR without a problem, even the super jumpy songs.\u00a0 This doesn’t mean I’ll never shred again, but I cannot see doing it every day.\u00a0 Apparently my heels aren’t tough enough.<\/p>\n
So, my half-assed review follows:<\/p>\n
Weight lost: Hard to say because I fluctuate so much, but I will say that when I started, my weight was between about 155-158.\u00a0 I’m now stabilizing around 154-155 this week with a low last week of 152.8.\u00a0 I would have liked to say that this was the month where I kicked the 150’s to the curb, but I just didn’t have it together.<\/p>\n
Inches lost: I totally misplaced my measuring tape, but I found another way to tackle this problem.\u00a0 Huge progress here.\u00a0 I had one pair of jeans that were in the “a little tight but wearable-ish”, and one pair that would barely button at the beginning of the month (both size 6s).\u00a0 I am happy to report that both pairs are now in my regular rotation (though the too tight to button, I do have to take care which shirts I wear with them as they are suuuuper low rise).<\/p>\n
Pictures come later – I took befores, and I am going to take afters tomorrow or on a day I don’t feel so bloated. \ud83d\ude42<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"http:\/\/media.fukung.net\/images\/14686\/373eb700c6ddefada63fbcf8b171af3d..jpg\")
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The good:<\/p>\n
I feel stronger.\u00a0 I haven’t felt stronger like this in a while.\u00a0\u00a0 Through my half training my weights and reps stopped increasing and I just haven’t been motivated to do a big push on this since.\u00a0 While I was only using 7 lb weights during most of the videos (occasionally I’d switch to my 3 lb ones on the second set if I was hurting), it definitely worked me over.<\/p>\n
I discovered I needed to work some muscles I wasn’t.\u00a0 I had been neglecting the squats and lunges for a long time, and had convinced myself that running worked them just fine.\u00a0 Not so.\u00a0 The first day convinced me of that when I was having trouble sitting down and getting up the next day after a 20 minute workout.<\/p>\n
I had been shying away from dual moves (for example, lunges with hammer curls instead of just doing hammer curls).\u00a0 Now I know that I’ll get worked over much faster by doing two things at the same time.\u00a0 I mean, duh, right?\u00a0 Not sure why I didn’t get this before.<\/p>\n
I have fallen in love with circuits!\u00a0 I dig the idea of mixing strength, cardio, and abs into one simultaneous workout.<\/p>\n
My short distance running has VASTLY improved.\u00a0 My easy 5ks have gone from 30-ish to 27-28ish and I did a 25 minute tempo run two days ago and got 3 miles under my belt.\u00a0 My goal was a 5k under 25 minutes and this takes me so damn close.\u00a0 I haven’t done a timed mile in a while but I bet I could shatter my 7:17 record.\u00a0 Shredding was also a fantastic warm up for running.\u00a0 If I had an hour, I did a shred and then immediately hit the pavement for a 5k.<\/p>\n
I feel slimmer.\u00a0 I may not weigh much less than I did a month ago, but putting on those skinny jeans and having them fit felt GREAT.<\/p>\n
Traveling pushups.\u00a0 ‘Nuff said.<\/p>\n
The bad:<\/p>\n
It just felt wrong to do the same workout 5 days in a row.\u00a0 If my heel hadn’t acted up, I totally would have been down for doing alternating levels, but doing the same workout 5 days in a row?\u00a0 Totally boring and bad for the muscles, imo.<\/p>\n
I didn’t look forward to it at all most days.\u00a0 There were some mornings it took me an extra few minutes to get out of bed because I didn’t want to shred.\u00a0 It was definitely a “get through this” part of the workout and not a “hey cool I get to do this” part.<\/p>\n
Anyone else just fucking hate jumping jacks?<\/p>\n
The ugly:<\/p>\n
As detailed above, I got really close to a heel injury.\u00a0 No bueno at all.<\/p>\n
However, I really enjoyed what I did today, but you’ll have to wait until tomorrow to hear about it.\u00a0 Yes, I know I’m awful.<\/p>\n
So I want to know – anyone gonna go shred after my review?\u00a0 Ever found a great exercise that works wonders but your body just didn’t like it?\u00a0 Who wants to call me a wuss for not finishing my last few days?\u00a0 Any shredders and runners see a huge improvement in times like I did?\u00a0 Hit me up.<\/p>\n
Pictures from fukung.net<\/a>, that don’t have anything to do with anything but made me laugh. \ud83d\ude42<\/p>\n