I completed Body Shred!

Holy cow! I completed Body Shred! This is the workout that totally intimidated me, scared me, and made me super nervous. I was so scared to embark on this program, and I pushed it off so many times. But I am proud to say that I started it during one of the most stressful times of my life and I finished it! I did change up some things though, which I'll touch base on. Body Shred is very similar to Body Revolution, where every two weeks you progress to two new workouts. For the first two weeks, you have workout 1, workout 2, and cardio 1. You do each of these twice a week. (In BodyShred, workout 1 is called Launch, workout 2 is called Rise, and the cardio workout that will take you through the first month is called Fire Up). Launch is called a Push day, and that's where you work the front of the body, the muscles that push you away. Rise is pull day, where you work the back of the body. And that's the way it is throughout the whole program. My Body Shred rest day is Saturday, so Sunday and Wednesday are my push days, Monday and Thursday are my pull days, and Tuesday and Friday are my cardio days. This workout is 60 day/two month program instead of 90 day program and it progresses a lot faster than Body Rev. It is super tough. I really noticed some changes as in I feel like I may be finally starting to manage chaturanga on my knees. I've never been able to master that. And just other things in general. I feel stronger!

So, like I said, I did change up some things. Since we're still living in a hotel, I am really limited on space, and I'm also have to make a lot of sacrifices when it comes to TV. There are two rooms I have space to work out in, but one is SUPER COLD. It's a bedroom where I have just enough space, but it's awkward. The TV is bolted down so I can't adjust and can only turn it slightly so I can barely see the screen. The living area is fairly large, but it's where everyone congregates. At home, I have so much space. I can work out in my bedroom, the family room, the living room. If I'm super desperate I can go outside. I don't have that here. And since there are neighbors all around me (upstairs, downstairs, side by side), I have to be courteous of them. So I did Jillian's cardio, but sporadically. When I did Body Rev the last time, I switched Jillian's cardio for Country Heat. I planned to do that this time around, but with everything going on, it's hard to get motivation to do a second cardio workout. I still am doing my best with a running schedule, although I'm back to running 100% on the treadmill due to winter weather and living in a not-the-safest downtown area. I'm running six days a week most days, getting five or so miles in a day, so on days where I had Jillian's cardio, I still get a run in so I have some workout. Saturdays I usually just get my steps in. I'm trying to balance the right amount of rest, exercise, and more. I am definitely feeling a little burnt out with all this, and my body has been giving me grief with right hamstrings, quads, and so on... I'm not sure if I am overtraining, or if it's just all the stress from everything. We'll see. So while I completed BodyShred, I did leave some parts out. Now that I've conquered Body Shred though, I'm seriously considering doing it again! But that said, I'm not 100% sure. I think it would be great to start up that program again when I get back home, because then I will have no excuse to modify. We're not sure how long we'll be in the hotel, or if we will be moved to a temporary home (we've looked at a few properties, but it's hard when you have a dog, only need a place for a few months, and so on) but we were told four months from the start of demo, which began a month ago, so it's looking like three or so more months. There is so much uncertainty! I have no idea what to do, because I have no idea what's going to happen. I feel like I have no control over my life anymore. It's just, ugh, this has been so stressful. I don't want to get burnt out with Body Shred though! Anyone have any suggestions?

I will share what I'm doing next though! And I hope to make details posts about Body Shred. Maybe I'll do that the next time I do it!

Body Revolution - Phase 3, Cardio 3

Phase 3 cardio takes you through all four weeks of Phase 3, just like with the previous two phases. This one is pretty simple in which you do the circuit three times over, but the moves in general are HARD. Even Jillian herself says that this was probably the most vicious workout she's created and she wasn't lying. By the end of Cardio 3, I was dripping in sweat. It is the toughest Jillian cardio workout I've done personally (Workout 11 and Cardio 3 are about equal).

So, there are several different moves that last around twenty seconds or so. You start with windmills, and you quickly move from that to fast feet, knee thrusts on both sides, double jump jumprope, and jumping front kicks. She also has you drop down in plank for plank moguls. Then you do a purely evil few minutes of rockstar jumps, squat jumps, jumping lunges, and squat jacks. She has you do four high knees and then an up down/burpee. Standing mountain climbers, high knees with a rotation, long jump forward and two jumps backward, cannon balls. She has you drop down on the floor for plank taps, crab kicks (which I hate with a passion!), knee thrusts in plank, down dog thrusters, zig zag jumps, side burpees, single leg hops, and then finally, back in plank again for plank punches.

And you get to do this two more times!! 

It is tough. A ton of plyometric moves, lots of planks, lots of burpee variations. I did this workout in the summer months and also in the winter months when my home was pretty cold at night, and it didn't matter. I was dripping. But it's still a great cardio workout a super effective!

Body Revolution - Phase 3, workout 12

THIS IS YOUR LAST WORKOUT!! WOO HOO! You are a force to be reckoned with!

I'll be honest, after workout 11 I was scared for workout 12. Phew. But I really enjoyed it! Your warmup consists of plank taps, long jumps, and donkey kicks, which you do on each side.

Circuit one has you doing a lat pull on a one legged bridge, alternating plank rows, a tuck to a sprawl (which reminds me of boat pose spraws), and then alternating popups, which reminds me of surrender lunges to a degree. You repeat all this after doing your cardio, which is cannonball jumps.

Circuit two is a bit tough. She has you do what's called wheel pushups. I've never been able to get in wheel pose, let alone do a pushup, so I definitely modified. Then you do alternating dumbbell rows, which is sounds easy, but you go so fast that you definitely get your heart rate up and going! Next, get in plank, and get ready because you do reverse flies in plank, and then you do tricep kickbacks in plank. Repeat after zigzag jumps for cardio.

Circuit 3 has you doing sit up flies with your resistance band. Next you stand on our resistance band and go into a backwards lunge and then stand up and and do a shoulder press with your resistance band. You do that on the opposite side after you do squat jumps holding weights, which is super tough. You get to do it all again after you do your cardio interval, which is speedbag with kickouts. 

Last circuit in this last workout. I almost cried! Circuit four has you doing single leg squat jumps, and then bicep curls. Just simple bicep curls. Single leg squat jumps on the other side, and then dancing crab. Your cardio interval is side to side hops with weights. And then you repeat on the opposite side!

And then you cool down. What I loved about the cool down is once you're finish, Jillian bring the entire cast up. Everyone is clapping, and she congratulates you on completing the 90 days program, and reminds you that they're there whenever you need them.

I really love Body Rev. I loved seeing lots of Jillian 'regulars' in there like Natalie, Anita, Mimi, Kenta, meeting some new ones (I loved Teri Ann and Omar!) and just the whole workout in general. And to complete something that is three months long and build every week was great. I was never bored with Body Rev (except maybe the cardio's, since they did last the whole month, but that could be easily rectified) and while some of the workouts were SUPER TOUGH, it's my favorite program so far of it's caliber.

Body Revolution - Phase 3, Workout 11.

Okay. We're at workout 11. The first time I did Workout 11 for in Body Rev, I cried. Jillian is crazy. Evil. Demented. Pick your adjective and go! I will say that the second time I did Body Rev, I found workout 11 a little easier to manage (maybe because I knew what to expect and pushed myself harder on 9 and 10?), but it was still HARD. So far, I think workout 11 is the hardest Jillian I have ever done. So with that said, lets break it down!

As usual, you start with your warmup, which has overhead punches with your resistance band, down dog thrusters, fast squats, single leg mountain climbers, and high knees.

Your first circuit from hell has something calls reverse squats, where you get in a super deep squat, and then bring it up to a regular squat. Then you do scorpion pushups. And then you get into jumping static lunges with a shoulder press. My shoulders were burning! Oh, and that's not all. Your cardio is weighted burpees. What. Repeat on the other side if you're not dead. ;) It's only circuit one!

Circuit two has dive bombers, bear walks (which remind me of duck walk), and then tricep kickbacks in plank on both sides. Your cardio is crab kicks and you repeat on the opposite side.

Circuit three has jumping statue of liberty. Then she has you do pushups with your resistance band, so as you're coming up from that pushup, the resistance band is trying to keep you from coming up. Ohh the burn. You do statue of liberty jumps on the other side, and then she has you hold chaturanga. You cardio is standing mountain climbers and then you repeat all that on the other side.

And then circuit four is the circuit from Hell! This one is tough. First you go into dragon stance and do lateral raises. Then she has you do three part pushup. Where you're in pushup, and start with your hands fairly close together, and then you bring your hands wider, and then wider again. And then you bring it back up. So it's a pushup, a three part one. Phew. So tough! Then she has you do russian twists, and then as if that wasn't enough, you get in plank and do plank twists. Your cardio is long jump with two hops back, and then you get to do this fun, fun, fun circuit all over again!

And now, you may cool down. Oh man. Toughest workout in the whole program. I bet you did amazing!!

Body Revolution - Phase 3, Workout 10

On to workout 10, which is one of my favorites! Your warmup included rockstar jumps, which are favs of mine. It also has up downs with supermans, alternating push kicks, arm circles, 180 jumps (another favorite!) and butt kicks. You're good and warm to move on to circuit one with this warmup.

Circuit one has you in reverse plank with leg raises, which is a lot harder than it seems! Then Jillian has you do alternate jumping lunges with weights. As much as though suck, I got so excited because who would have thought that I would have been able to do that during week one?! She has you do another move which I really love, which is where you lunge backwards on one leg (lets say your right leg) and then as you come back from that backwards lunge, you push it forward and bring your left leg forward to kick it upwards. I loved this move because it felt extra dancey and kickbox-y. Your cardio is where you're doing lunge taps. I thought those would be pretty easy as you're in plank but moving your leg back and forth but it was tough. Anything that looks easy, especially in week 10, is an optical illusion! Repeat on the other side and you're on to circuit 2.

Circuit two has you doing a curtsey lunge with a fly using your resistance band. Then you get your dumbbell and do a woodchopping lunge. Then you hold a squat while holding your heaviest weight. You do woodchoppers on the other side, and then your cardio is dumbbell swings. Which is kind of like doing a kettlebell swing, jumping forward three times, and bringing it back three times. I actually used my kettlebell for this one the majority of the time, and I enjoyed it. And then, of course, you repeat on the other side.

Circuit three is a flying pigeon squat with a bicep curl. Next is a squat jump with an upright row, which I loved. You do pigeon on the other side with the curls, and then you get into superman with reverse flies. You repeat that after your cardio which is rockstar jumps with weights.

Circuit 4 is possibly my favorite. You do a yoga pose called half moon, you do single arm rows, and then you repeat on the opposite side, so you do each twice for the first half of the circuit on opposite sides. Your cardio is windmills with weights, which is one of my favorite cardio moves, and then you repeat both again. And guess what - you're done!

Enjoy your cooldown and beware - workout 11 made me cry. ;)

Body Revolution - Phase 3, Workout 9

Woot woot! You’ve got FOUR WEEKS LEFT!! :D Oh man, now we’re onto the last phase and things are really starting to heat up. I love weeks 9 and 10, maybe even more than 7 and 8! 

Like always, Jillian has you doing a quick warmup. You have speed rope, high front kicks, half squat with a round kick, jumping jacks, and then mountain climbers. Plank in the warmup? That’s when you know you’re getting stronger! 

Cricuit One has you doing something called pushup jacks. So in pushup position, you jump the feet out as you go down for your pushup, and then bring them back in as you go back up. Yeah, the girl is crazy. Then in plank, she has you doing plank flies on each side. Next is a really deep squat, where you go up on your tip toes as you go down. Your cardio is jumping jacks in squat, and then you repeat all that on the other side. 

Circuit two is something evil called dive bombers, which I had never heard of. It reminds me of creeping under a fence in a way, or diving down into a pushup from downward dog, and then into cobra, back into downward dog, when you go down again. Then you do sphinx pushups, which is as mean as it sounds. Then down dog series, where you bring your knee in to the left, center, and front. The you do frog into squats, which is kind of like a burpee. It reminds me more of bear into squat. Your cardio is side burpees and then you repeat all that again. 

Circuit three has a walk out into plank from standing all on one leg. Then you’re down in a chair pose, and then you’re doing boat pose into hollow man. Then you’re doing hip thrusts with your resistance band. You cardio is in plank and it’s plank moguls and then you repeat on the other side. 

Circuit 4 has some classic Jillian moves. You do a squat with a V Fly which I remember doing all the way back with the 30 Day Shred, and I still hate them :D. Then you do a curtsey lunge with a lateral raise. She has you get back down into crab and you do tricep dips and then into side plank for an oblique crunch. Your cardio is another classic Jillian move: Rock and Roll squats! I can do these, but they scare the crap out of me, so I usually modify. It sucks because I actually really love them, but I can see it ending badly. I feel like I need a pool of deep water near when I roll back up to standing! hah. And then you repeat circuit 4 on the other side. 

You’ve earned your cool down. Phew. 

Body Rev - Phase 2 Cardio

Phase 2 Cardio. 

The Phase 2 cardio workout takes you through all four weeks of Phase 2. So on your cardio days, you will do this workout, and you’ll do it a total of eight time during Phase 2. All other workouts you do four times.

So the cardio workout is pretty simple. There are 14 different moves that you do for approximately 30 seconds, and you repeat it three times. Get ready to sweat. Since it’s a cardio workout, you don’t need to warm up. The moves are jump rope, butt kicks, high knees, alternating knee thrusts, jumping jacks, fast feet, skaters, skiers, plié hops, cross jacks, half squat uppercuts, towel runs, hooks, and…boom! Thought you might escape those burpees, but they are ba-aaack! 

So, like I said, you do each of these moves for approximately 30 seconds each, and then you move on to the next one and repeat this circuit three times. The Cardio 1 workout is my favorite cardio from Body Rev, but this one is my second favorite (and then Cardio 3 is somewhere down in hell!). I did like having some uppercuts and hooks in there, and I'm all about those skaters, jump rope, and fast feet. There is one amusing moment during towel runs and Jillian is joking about how bad the workout sucks, and then she’s like, “Who’s the crazy person who came up with that? Hurts So Good, oh my endorphins!” I KNOW! John Cougar Mellancamp, and I love that song! Small towns unite! I always love when there are moments in a workout that I remember and look forward to getting to when it comes to doing them over again. 

Cardio 2 is definitely a step up from Cardio 1. I’m someone who likes cardio more than the strength training/HIIT training. 

Body Revolution - Phase 2, Workout 7

You’re officially past the halfway point and now on to Week 7! I think Week 7 and 8 are my two favorite workouts in the program so far. Jillian really steps it up during the second half of Body Rev, and I really feel like I’m getting to push all those muscles I’ve been working the last 6 weeks to the max! 

Week 7 starts with a quick warmup with some side to side squats, lunges with stretch, and a few short cardio moves. Jillian warns that the warmup is deceptive and she’s right. I know I said I liked workout 7 and 8 the best sp far, but the first circuit is mean! Want to know why? It’s mostly in plank. Ugh! The first move is crow pushups. I hate those. Does anyone like them? Haha. Then walking plank. And then if your abs aren’t already screaming, you’re doing plank ups. She finally gives you a break while you roll over. ;) And then you’re doing jackknife crunches. But never fear! You get a break as you roll over to get back in plank position for your cardio interval. I bet you’re really looking forward to workout 7 so far! ;) 

It gets a little better. Circuit two has pike pushups, tricep kickback with your resistance band, and then w-presses on one leg as you extend your leg out. Cardio reminds me of DDR. You hop on one leg forward, backward, and to the side. I like to do up, up, down, down, left, right, left, right, B, A, select start. ;) Or pretend I’m jumping on some arrows! I use weights instead of the band for my tricep kickbacks because my band is different than Jillian’s and it’s hard to do the move in the way she wants. 

Circuit three has you squatting with your elbows in a 90 degree angle while holding the resistance band, and then standing on the resistance band, bringing it behind your head and doing a tricep extension. Then on the floor you go to do a single leg pushup. It’s about as fun as it sounds, a pushup with one leg extended in the air! Then you get to hold boat post. Cardio is star jumps, and I’ve always enjoyed these :D 

In circuit 4, you do something that I’m going to call quad raises, because I can’t remember if Jillian had a technical term for them. You’re on your knees, and then you sit back, your butt touching your heels, and then you pop up, doing this while holding your heaviest weights up. You’re working your quads. Then you get on your back and you do chest presses. You can your feet on the floor with your knees bent, holding your legs 6 inches off the floor, or raising your feet up and down doing leg raises. Jillian says it all depends on what is hardest for you. I usually alternate between holding them 6 inches off the floor and doing leg raises. Next you do side plank crunches, and then you’re on your back doing the same thing, but instead of chest presses, you do chest flies. Your cardio is double under jump rope, and then you repeat on the other side. 

After a cool down, you are done! Woo hoo! After that terrible first circuit, this may be one of my favorite Body Rev workouts so far!  

Body Revolution: Phase 2, Workout 5

I did Phase 2, Workout 5 just a little while ago. I’m gonna talk about it while it’s fresh on my mind. I gotta be honest: this one is probably one of my least favorite Jillian workouts. One word that comes to mind? Pain.

Your warmup consists of four sun salutations from yoga. Sometimes I feel like I’m not getting a good stretch from this but other times I do, so I guess it depends on just how loose my muscles are. You spend a lot of time in plank position for your first circuit! She has you do a pushup into side plank as your very first move, and I’ll be honest: that one bums me out! I can do military style pushups occasionally, but I often have to modify. It kills my ego! I’m not sure if I have the right form and that’s why my wrists, elbows, and arms don’t move that way, or of it’s simply because my wrists, elbows and arms don’t move that way! haha. I want to turn my wrists in or out, and not keep them straight. I’ve also experimented with having my legs wider or closer together. I’m worried that I might be making the workouts too easy though. That’s one of the downfalls of doing at home workouts and not having a personal trainer or someone knowledgeable watch my form and see if they can offer some insight on that. Mountain climbers are back, and I have mixed feelings with them. Jillian also favors crescent post in this workout, and she has you do tricep presses in crescent, and jump squats while holding weights if you want a little extra. 

I like circuit two is my favorite, but I can’t help but roll my eyes when Jillian tells you to get light weights (I’m assuming 3’s) and to do shoulder presses while in sumo squat. She talks about how you haven’t seen something like that before, but being familiar with her other programs, I’m pretty familiar with it, and definitely go heavier than she recommends. I find it a bit weird. Wood chops are back, which feel to me more like a baseball swing. Linking my favorite sport to this move has helped me like it better. Funny how that works! I enjoy scissor abs but I don’t stick my hands under my tailbone like Jillian suggests. High knees for cardio, which I admittedly sissy out of because high knees are what messed up my calf and I’m so afraid of messing it up again.

Circuit 3 is mean. It’s another ego killing circuit, haha. It makes my shoulders BURN. She has you use the resistance band. Mine is way different than Jillian’s. Hers has handles and seems to be like a tube, mine is about a 6ft long and 6in wide long piece of rubber. So it’s hard to do some of the moves in the way she wants it without the handles, but I do my best with what I have. In crescent pose with the resistance band, you do like a hug move. Open your arms out into a T and close them in front of your chest, and then on the floor in crab position to do tricep presses with one leg up. She has you do punches in crescent pose, also with the resistance band for cardio. Mean, mean woman. My poor arms, shoulders. I’ll love it when I put on a tank top, but doing it, I want to cry. :) 

Circuit 4 annoys me because I feel like it gets my heart rate way down and I don’t feel like I’m doing anything, although I know I am. Fitbit backs up the heart rate concern, but with that said, I know Fitbit’s aren’t 100% accurate. But I also do think I need to find ways to make this harder, and you may need to as well, depending on your level. She has you do single leg squats raising the weight up over your head, and then on the floor on your side, doing a tricep press. The up and down gets a bit frustrating too; every 30 seconds you’re dropping to the floor or popping up and for this one, it gets me a little dizzy, especially with it being towards the end.

Phew. This workout is one I will be happy that I only had to do four times! (Other workouts I love so much I’m bummed I only get to do them four times!) There are just some workouts that I am totally not fond of, and this is one of them. And that’s okay. In whole, I adore the program, and I’ll still do this workout for a random pick me up once I’m through with Body Rev! I might go back to this one once I complete the whole program again to see if I still find it as challenging as I do now, just to compare how strong I’ve gotten through the course of the program! 

Body Revolution Phase 1 Rundown

Jillian Michaels - Body Revolution - Phase 1

So here’s a rundown of Phase 1 of Body Revolution! Phase 1 covers the whole first month. There are five workouts in Phase 1 (P1) - four strength training workouts and one cardio workout. 

P1, Workout 1: Like every Jillian workout, you start with a warm up. This one has military march, arm swings, hip and knee circles. Once you’re warmed up, you’re ready to work! In Body Revolution, you have four circuits. In each circuit, you have three moves, you do a cardio interval, and then you repeat the three moves. Circuit one has squats, pushups, plank hold, and then chest flies. Cardio is something called towel run, which is where you pretend to run around a towel on the ground. I really liked this for some reason! Circuit two was sumo squats, tricep kickback, and standing abductions. Cardio was speedbag, which is a favorite of mine. Circuit 3 was chair squat with a front raise, standing tricep extension, standing in Warrior 2 Post, and then cardio interval was marching in place. Fourth circuit was leg extensions, bicycle crunches, leg extensions on the other side, and then lateral raises. Cardio interval was a squat out to the side. And then you cool down. 

P1, Workout 2: So again, you start with a warmup that has dynamic stretches to get your heart rate up. I think I remember skaters, arm swings, and toe touches in the warmup. Circuit one had you on your hands and knees, extending one leg back and opposite arm out (bird dog), pelvic thrusts with a resistance band, superman, and then pelvic thrusts on the other side. Cardio was alternating knee thrusts. Circuit 2 had static lunge with rotations, wide dumbbell rows, static lunge on the other side, and the bicep drags. Cardio was side to side kickbacks. Circuit 3 had deadlift with bicep curls, donkey kicks, crunches, and then donkey kicks not he other wide, with knee hikes for cardio. Last circuit has you doing seated rows with your resistance band, good mornings, hammer curls, and step ups. Cardio was uppercuts in squat.  And then it’s time to cool down!

P1, Workout 3: Quick warmup with a bit of cardio and dynamic stretching to get your body warm (jumping jacks, cat/cow stretch) and you’re ready to go! Circuit one has pushups, walkout planks, lunges, and downward dog with a leg grab. Cardio is jump rope and you repeat all the strength moves. Circuit 2 included sumo squats with a tricep extension, camel, squat presses, and cable presses, and you repeat these after your cardio interval, which is squat punches. Onward to circuit three where you do plank into crescent pose, crab, and side crunches, and repeating on the other side after plie hops. Finishing up with Circuit 4, you do tree pose with a lateral raise, plank up (which I despise), and inchworm. Your cardio is skiers. You finish up with a cool down - you’ve earned it!!

P1, Workout 4: You’re almost done with the first month! Woo hoo! So, after a quick cardio and stretching warmup, you start circuit one with alternating forward lunges, rows in squat position, and single leg deadlifts with upright rows, which you repeat after your cardio intervals of plyometric skaters. Circuit 2 has side lunges and bicep curls, bent over wide rows, surrender lunges, and weighted step ups, which you repeat after lateral/side to side hops. Next is thigh lifts, which I loved this little break. Lay on your side and put a dumbbell on the outside of your leg and lift them up! Alternating leg lifts in blank, and hollow man, and then you repeat all that after fast feet. In your final circuit of the final month, you do terry pulls, weighted good mornings, and something called squirms. You repeat that after your cardio interval that is a combo of jab, cross, and hook. I loved these! And then cool down! You’ve earned it! 

Cardio 1: So cardio starts quick and ends quick. Since it’s a straight up cardio workout, no warmup is needed. There are eihgt exercises that last a minute long, and you repeat it three times, making it about 28 minutes long, and then a cool down. The workout includes march in place, fast feet, half squat with punches, jogging in place, running man, speed bag, arm circle kickouts, and suicide runs. I’ve always been a cardio girl so this cardio was right down my alley. I loved it!

So, the first two weeks, I found pretty easy. In most Jillian workouts, she has you working two muscle groups at once. For example, while doing things like tricep extensions, you’re also doing squats and working legs and arms at the same time. With the first two weeks of Body Revolution, you’re not doing that, you’re only working one muscle group at the same time. I felt like I could have skipped the first two weeks, to be honest, but I also enjoyed it as it was a good way to rebuild myself up. Although I had started back up with Jillian workouts and repeated Ripped In 30 and played around with some other DVD’s, it was fun to start a new program from the beginning. If you’ve worked out with Jillian before, you may not need the first two phases. Personally, I still would squat or lunge while working my arms, and vice versa. Otherwise, it really was a bit too easy for me. (It doesn’t last though. Just wait! You’ve been warned!) The third and the fourth week were a little better, but I still revved it up. If you’re familiar with Jillian or done them before, you know that you can take it further. Just listen to your body, it’s your workout!

Introducing Body Revolution!

Hey guys! I did something that really intimidated me: I completed Body Revolution! Woo hoo! I was planning on blogging about it as I went but life happened. I’m still trying to decide on exactly how I want to break it down. Every two weeks you change your workout. Usually when I review a DVD, I break each workout down by levels, about about the majority of the exercises, but if that were the case, there would be a TON of entries. I initially thought I would break it down by weeks (week 1 and 2, week 3 and 4, and so on all the way up to week 11 and 12) but that would be a lot of entries on one program also, although shorter than one entry per exercise. Earlier today while thinking of how I was going to do the blog, I even thought about breaking it into phases. There are three (each month equals a phase) so that would cut it down to three entries about Body Revolution, not counting this one. If anyone has a preference, let me know! Lots of reading for you equals lots of typing for me and I’ve proven I can be a bit slow. ;)(That’s not that I don’t think of this blog all the time!!)

So Body Revolution. Ninety days. Oh man, guys, I just kept putting it off and putting it off. What if it progressed into something way too hard? What if I couldn’t do it? But…what if I could?? Ultimately I started Body Revolution because (not surprising!) I was scheduled to do an ab/core workout and uggggh! I still hate core workouts. They are a waist!! (Get it? Waist, waste, core workout…) Not wanting to do it, I remembered I had Body Revolution just sitting there and boom. I watched Week 1, really thought I would enjoy it, and that’s it. :)

So Body Revolution is different from any other Jillian DVD I’ve done. Instead of having two people in the background doing modified and advanced moves, there is a whole room of people! And this includes favorites of mine such as Natalie, Anita, Mimi and others from other DVD’s, but new people too! I really liked that there was a good mix of men and women in this program, because I felt like I might actually get a few guys to work out with me, and not feel that it was just a “girly” workout. This workout progresses, too! It really is a building block program. Each workout gets harder and harder. The great thing is that it changes every two weeks, so there is no getting bored. (Or if you’re like me, if there is a particular workout you despise, you only have to do it for two weeks, a total of four times!!! haha!) There is 15 workouts in total. Twelve strength training workouts, and three cardio workouts. It’s separated in three months, or phases. Month/Phase 1 is includes Cardio 1, Workouts 1, 2, 3, and 4. Phase 2 is Cardio 2 and Workouts 5, 6, 7, and 8. And Phase 3 is Cardio 3 and workouts 9, 10, 11, and 12. So for the first two weeks, you do workout 1, workout 2, cardio 1 each twice a week (Monday and Thursdays could be workout 1, Tuesdays and Fridays workout 2, and Wednesday and Saturday cardio 1), and have one rest day. Then on week 3-4, you do the same things except instead of workouts 1 and 2, changed those with 3-4 and continue with Cardio 1. It’s the same schedule as you progress to a new phase. Each workout twice a week (cardio remains the same for the whole month). I loved how except for the cardio (which did get a little bit boring by the time it came to switch) I was never bored!

The cast/background people are super motivating and it was great to see some of my favorites and get some new favorites! Mimi made me laugh just as much in this one as she makes me laugh in Killer Body. There were some moves that I had never done before in a Jillian workout so that was really cool! In all, the program was an amazing success! I definitely notice changes in my body that I could not see before, and that’s awesome, because I was beginning to feel a little stuck. I truly believe that a beginner could start with this (I felt that the beginning was a bit easy, but I will go into more details when I give a more detailed review) and be proud of what they’ve accomplished when they get near the end. I truly feel that way and I’ve been doing these type of workouts for a few years now!

Body Revolution may be my new favorite Jillian program and I am so excited to go further into detail soon! 

Finding the joy in fitness again

Hey guys! Wow, still can’t believe that I kept that last post up. I’ll be honest: It was kind of liberating in a way! Since then, I’ve been working very hard to try to find the joy in fitness again and not be so controlled by the need to get on the treadmill or do my workout. I want to enjoy my life, and if I start dreading all this now when I still have (hopefully) years and years to live, it’ll not be a fun life to live!

I recently bought a stand up paddle board (SUP), which is something I’ve wanted to try for a long, long time! I read about it in a book and it sounded interesting, especially after the protagonist in the book talked about how it was such a great workout. Haha. (Seriously though, I’ve always been interested in water sports, water skiing, jet skiing, swimming. I like to think it’s because I was born under the sign of the water bearer!) I googled stand up paddle boarding though, and beyond the idea of a great workout, it looked SO FUN. And quickly it became something I wanted to try, and then it became a major interest. So for the last couple of years, I’ve been hemming and hawing over buying a board or renting one and trying it somewhere nearby. I looked up all kinds of prices and different types, from inflatable to solid. It just so happened that I was at my local Walmart, and saw one, and like always, I went to look at it and dream about paddle boarding, and then I noticed the price. A good $200 cheaper than the cheapest one I had seen. What. I went home thinking it might be too good to be true, and did some research online again, when I learned that that paddle board was actually rated fairly highly at other places online. I watched a few review videos on youtube, and then double checked the prices again, on different sporting good websites, amazon, and on Walmart’s actual website, where the same exact paddle board was super high. What?! So, we went back, double checked, and the paddle board was legitimately being sold for under $70. The man who worked there said that they were definitely losing money on the boards selling them for that price, but they were just wanting to get rid of them. I somehow lucked out! I bought the last board except for the display. 

I’ve gotten it out on the water once and really, really enjoyed it! I only fell once, and that was after the first time standing up. Once I got standing again, I really did it! I only fell one other time, but that was purposely because I wanted to get back on the board in the middle of the lake just to make sure that wouldn’t be an issue. haha. I felt like I had a good grasp on it, and I’m actually going again tomorrow. I’m looking really forward to it. It’s something fun and active that doesn’t feel like a chore, and that’s wonderful. And it’s a good non-scale victory too. If I hadn’t lost the weight, would I be able to do this? Paddle boards have a weight limit, ya know! Plus, balancing, being fit enough to paddle for long periods of time, and so on. While on the board the last time, standing in the middle of the lake, I almost got emotional. I wanted to go back and thank the old me. It was her, after all, who decided to get up and jump on the DDR pad, and make it a routine.

On the subject of DDR, I MISS IT! I think I need to invest in a soft pad so I can play more often. I think that might help bring back some of the joy in fitness. I began a new Jillian program about six weeks ago. It’s Jillian’s Body Revolution (reviews to come soon - and there are a lot! It’s a 90 day, 12 workout program!) and I can’t believe it’s taken me this long to realize that football runs or fast feet is incredibly similar to DDR moves! I used to hate fast feet until I was able to find a way to relate it to DDR. Woohoo! 

How’s summer going for everyone?

Have you recently tried something you’ve wanted to try?

Jillian Michaels Killer Abs - Level 2 Review

Hey guys! I finally decided to give Level 2 of Killer Abs a try. I've done it a couple of times and I think I've got a good idea of how I like it now! If you saw my Level 1 review, you’ll know that I love, love, love it! It was so hard to move to Level 2 simply because I loved and still love the first level so much! So how does Level 2 add up?

Natalie and Nicola are back for Level 2, and the DVD starts quickly with a quick warmup that includes windmill skater, jumping man, halo squats, skipping in place, and snap kicks. After the warmup, you move to the first circuit. The first circuit has you on the floor in a wide pushup, and then into extended plank. I can’t decide if I love or hate extended plank. Next is something I think I do hate, which is chest press, fly, and headbanger in hollow man. The reason why I hate these is because it’s almost a little too much, and I don’t want to downgrade my weights and make it too easy with fives, but using eights, I have to modify and keep my legs down, which is a kick to the ol’ ego. Next you’re doing around the world hip heist, doing doing them in a circle. These always take me a few to get to them. I don’t think I’ve actually done them right once since starting the DVD. Finally it’s sumo boat. I get my eight pound weight and I just feel all excited because I know a year ago I would NOT have been able to do this. Rinse and repeat for the other side. 

On to circuit two, which is my favorite! You start out doing diagonal touch town, which is where you stand in a surfer position and twist, and then extend your weight and leg. Kind of reminds me of a dance move! Then you do alternating side lunges with a back fly. Cardio is standing mountain climber with shoulder presses, and then a good morning press. And then next is a lunge chop which makes me feel like a lumberjack. Repeat on the opposite side. I have no idea why this one is my favorite other than maybe there is some cardio? I LOVE CARDIO. 

Then that damn circuit 3. I think I tend to hate circuit 3 in every Jillian DVD. I know Killer Body core level 3 at one point made me want to cry. Maybe it’s just core workouts?! Anyway, you’re doing another pushup variation where you pushup and go into table or something. I actually just do pushups here because I’m the kind of person that needs to watch the DVD first to make sure I have the moves down. I did that with this one too but I forget what the move looks like. So rather than watching the moves instead of actually doing them to make sure I have it right, I just do pushups and will continue just doing pushups here until I remember that I need to fast forward and watch that part again to see what to do. Then she has you do bicycle crunches in boat which I can totally do now! Woo! I could not do these a couple months ago! After that you do superman rolls into pike, which is a favorite of mine. Next you do a chaturanga pushup with a knee twist, and I tend to modify these because I have never been able to manage chaturanga pushups well. Next is side plank angels, which I also modify. I can’t figure out if I hate this circuit because I have to modify and that is a hit to the ol’ ego again or if its just because these are my least favorite moves. Once you do those, repeat not he other side. Try not to die! Maybe that’s why she ends the circuit with side plank angels?! Haha. 

Circuit four is a little bit better. You’re up doing side to side hops, which I really like. Then you do sit up, stand up which I love to hate. These are in several other Jillian DVD’s and in some of them I do and in others I don’t. Because I can see myself breaking an ankle or flying forward after standing, I usually modify these somehow. In this one, I reverse crunch, and then so a sit up. Next is reverse plank, driving your knee up. After that, you’re doing three point burps. And then you’re not he floor doing scissor abs. Repeat and then you’re done! After a quick cool down, you’re done! REJOICE!

All right, so while I like Level 2, it is not my favorite. I've talked about level 1 enough for everyone to get that it's my favorite ab workout so far! Level 2 just feels more like an ab workout. And of course, that’s what it is, but I abhor ab workouts. I think some of my dislike for level 2 is that I need to modify a lot of it. It’s a bit hard for me to follow, and that’s probably why I don’t like it as much as I do level 1. But in all, I do feel like it’s a good workout! I alternate this one and Level 1 a lot. I felt like I had to move from level 1 because it was just getting way too easy. 

So there it is, level 2! Have you tried it? What do you think? If you're interested in buying, you can check out the DVD on Amazon buy clicking here! 

Jillian Michaels Killer Abs - Level 1 Review.

I’ve found it. I have found it!! A core or ab workout that I do not hate. Run off and buy a lottery ticket because you might just get lucky. It’s rare that I find an ab or core workout that I like. It’s Killer Abs and it’s by Jillian Michaels. I’ve done the first level quite a few times and here is my review!

Like all Jillian DVD’s, she has two girls demonstrating the moves, one doing the advanced and another doing the modified version. In this DVD, she has Natalie and Nicola. I’m a big Natalie fan but I also like Nicola, too! I’ve learned if that the background girls are likable and fun, they make the DVD’s more fun (like Golden and Mimi in Killer Body Upper and Lower) and that is definitely the case with Killer Abs. The DVD starts off with a quick warm up of marching in place, mummy walk, alternating knee twist, and then what Jillian calls a plunge. You get in plank and you bring one foot up outside your hand and back, the other foot up and back, and then four mountain climbers. After that you’re ready to move!

Circuit one has you doing inchworm. You walk out into plank, walk your legs up, and then step or jump back and then walk your hands back up, and then stand. Next you get into a sumo squat and do an oblique crunch, touching the floor. Then crescent crunches, where you are in crescent pose and crunch forward, as if bringing your nose to your knee. You can hold on to a weight, which I hold on to an eight pound dumbbell with this one. Last move before you get your heart rate up with high knees and repeat on the opposite side is roller boat. I love roller boat for one reason: this move tells me how far I’ve come! I used to hate anything in boat pose because it was so hard. I can do it now! :D Is that a non scale victory?! 

In circuit two, you get into a static lunge with your arms out parallel to the floor, and you twist your torso to the side. Then she has you get your heart rate up with doing this little jig she calls River Dance (I live on a little river town on the banks of the Ohio River and I am always so amused by the term River Dance!) where you basically are kicking your feet out and lifting your legs up a bit. It kind of reminds me of high knees but not quite. Then she has you get into down dog and bring your knee in. I think this is a move that also is in Ripped In 30 but I can’t remember. It seemed awful familiar! Next is triangle, which I’m super familiar with now because it’s been in a ton of Jillian DVD’s. After that, get ready to get your heart rate up with jump rope drills. Four high knees, four kicking your legs out straight, keep doing that for about 30 seconds. You get to do it all over again on the opposite side. Have fun! 

All right, now it’s time to get on the mat! The next two circuits take place on the mat entirely. Circuit three you get on the floor and you do a leg raise, a star crunch, and then a reverse crunch all as one move. Then you to plank jack moguls, which I love only because I used to hate plank moves but now I can do them! Flip over onto your back and you’re circling your legs with tornadoes. Next you get into bear crawl and crawl up for steps and then rotate and crab walk back four steps. Remember when I used to hate bear walk? Last is on your back again, your torso at a 45 degree angle, and you’re twisting your torso. I held on to the eight pound dumbbell again. 

Circuit four you get on your elbows in an ab hold on your elbows, and twist your knee in and then out and then back to repeat on the other leg. By now, you’re really feeling it in your abs. Then she has you go into dancing crab, which I love to hate. By now my abs are usually screaming and crying. She gives you a tiny break with uneven table, but then she gets you back by doing this elbow planking pike move that is pure evil. She says you need a slippery surface. I use furniture sliders, and from an elbow plank, you pike up. This is 100% abs and phew, it's tough. Next is a move that Jillian calls the Carolina after her yoga teacher, where you have both legs up in the air, you stay in a static crunch, and then bring one leg up and down. Rinse, repeat, and hallelujah because it is time to cool down. The cool down seems awful quick, but I’m not complaining because usually by now I’m just done! Phew. 

I really, really, REALLY like this workout! It’s tough enough for me that I feel challenged, but fun enough that I like it more than anything else right now! I’ve been alternating between Killer Body upper and then Killer Abs Level 1 (do want to do level 2. I have watched and it looks like it’ll be awesome! Just need a bit more space, and once the weather heats up, I’ll be able to go back to the living room to work out and not freeze!) and so far I like it. I do miss working out my legs and I’m trying to decide if I want to do Killer Buns and Thighs or Killer Body Lower OR look into someone new. As much as I like doing Jillian workouts, I like broadening my horizons! Anyone have a suggestion?! 

What I love most about Killer Abs is that it has some moves that I have’t done in a while and it reminds me of where I was a year ago, some of these moves I suffered though, not even kidding! And now I can do them! I don’t always see changes in my body but to know that the moves I hated and struggled through I can now do is an amazing feeling. There were a lot of epiphanies with this DVD!

So there it is, Killer Abs level 1! I like it a lot! :D Interested in buying a copy for yourself? Check out the DVD on Amazon!

Jillian Michaels Yoga Meltdown - Level 1

The other day I decided to take a break from the treadmill and Shred It With Weights since my knee and quad have been a bit sore. I went back and forth on what workout to do and decided to give Yoga Meltdown another try. I don’t own the DVD (I do own Yoga Inferno) but Level 1 is on Youtube. 

I still feel like a total n00b when it comes to yoga. I’ve never taken a class and I’m still not 100% confident that I have the poses down correctly, but with that said, I was definitely more confident this time around than I was the last time I did it. I’m not sure if it’s because I’m more flexible than I was the last time or stronger or because I’ve done Yoga Inferno, which from what I understand is like yoga on uppers. :P

Like all Jillian DVD’s, this one has a girl doing advanced moves and another doing modified versions. It starts with a quick warm up that includes chair pose, stretches to warm up your hips, and chaturanga pushups. After the warmup is the first circuit, where you go in and out of poses (“rep it out” as Jillian calls it) and then you do a power pose where you hold the pose for 15 seconds. Circuit one has you popping in and out of crescent pose, doing knee thrusts/donkey kick in downward dog, and then chaturanga pushups. You repeat on the opposite side. After you repeat on the opposite side, she has you do two sun salutations and then you’re ready for circuit two.

Circuit two has you popping in and out of warrior 2, going in and out of camel, and then side planks, where you hold each pose at the end for 15 seconds. You repeat it again on the opposite side. Afterwards, two more sun salutations and then you move on to circuit three. 

In circuit three you’re popping in and out of warrior 3, and then you’re in an ab hold on your elbows doing dolphin (I still love to hate dolphin! Reminded me of Killer Body core workout), and then in and out of locust pose. Repeat on the opposite side, and end it with two sun salutations. And then you’re ready for a cooldown. 

I’ll be honest: Yoga Meltdown is not my favorite. As gross as it sounds, I love getting hot and sweaty after a workout, I love feeling like my heart is about to pop out of my chest. I don’t get that with Yoga Meltdown. It does feel a bit too easy for me. BUT I did feel very relaxed and stretched out! But I will say that the next day, I noticed that my body felt a bit sore. What?! I don’t get that very often anymore, so that opened my eyes that maybe I’m using muscles I haven’t used in a while. So while there was no part of the workout I felt like I was going to die, I wasn’t gargling my heart (a favorite Jillian quote of mine, hahah!), the next day, I still felt it some. I think I might actually do this one a little more often, maybe once every couple of weeks. 

Thanks to the junkies and fictional men.

The last few weeks have been tough! Man. First there was that foot injury. After a few days of rest from cardio, I was back on the treadmill. I also switched from my new shoes (which I’ve decided now are too small) to my old shoes. Knock on wood, things are great with that! Phew. Right as I was getting back into the swing of things, I ended up getting sick. Not crazy sick, but I felt like I was stuck in the coming down stages of something like a cold or suffering from allergies. I was constantly exhausted, my head felt clogged, and I just felt like crap. Not fun! Regardless of all that, I still ran on the treadmill every night for an hour, but Jillian took a back seat. Kind of strange, since the majority of the Jillian workouts I do are around thirty minutes or so and I opted to drop her rather than an hour on the treadmill. Honestly though, Jillian Michaels is a mean mean woman! And her workouts kick my butt! Before I came down with the strange never hit it’s max but sure packed a punch mystery illness, I was doing Shred It With Weights. I still love that workout, by the way, but man. Do those rotating squats while holding the kettlebell kick my butt. I have a love to hate relationship with all her workout programs. I love how I feel afterwards, and honestly, I do enjoy doing them. Most days. But up until recently, it was really easy to drop Jillian for a while. Plus, I love cardio, and when I run on the treadmill, I listen to a lot of fun music. Like, DDR and Disney and other nerdy stuff. ;) I’ll touch base on this in another blog entry later, but I like to make my cardio a lot of fun so I’ll keep going back to it. :D. Sometimes Jillian can get a bet repetitious even if you are switching back and forth to different programs. 

And then… it was getting to where it was getting a bit hard to pick Jillian back up. I took about ten days off doing any type of DVD, which is something I have not done since I started adding her workout programs to my normal routine. It’s not that I didn’t think about doing them; quite the contrary. I thought about Jillian every day. It was just hard to get back on the bandwagon, especially when I still wasn’t feeling quite 100%. What helped me though was a group on Facebook I joined that is dedicated specifically to Jillian Michaels workouts. It’s called Jillian Michaels Workout Junkies, and there are a few very nice women in the group. I’ve never actively posted there but I love reading what they have to say. Some of the posts there helped get me back on the bandwagon! I just decided, screw this waiting to feel better to pop in a DVD or open Youtube. Time to get back on the ball! So far, so good! Back to doing Jillian and getting an hour of cardio in. Reunited with my routine and it feels so good!

It’s times like these when I really feel victorious. It would have been so easy just to put all the Jillian DVD’s away and hide them for a few months, maybe until next Spring. I would have eventually forgotten how I let her run me down every day, right? I refused to let it happen, and that makes me feel like I’ve had a victory! I can’t completely take ownership for it, either, and here’s another epiphany I had. Most of my journey I’ve done alone. I don’t actively talk about it to many people (I actually just shared this blog on my personal Facebook page. If you’re reading this, hi!! Love you!) and I’ve been kind of a loner. And that’s what would have made dropping the DVD’s easier, because it would have been my dirty little secret, I guess you can say. Joining that group and seeing it pop up in my feed on Facebook helps keep me accountable. And I’m able to meet some people who’ve experienced what I’ve experienced, or I’m seeing ladies who are where I was at just a few years ago. And I know that if I am really struggling, I have someplace I can vent to, and that’s a great feeling. Not always something I had while being a loner, running all by myself, eating healthy all by myself. It helps remind me what my ultimate goal is. And because I’m a nerd, here is another thing that helped:  One of my favorite authors recently came out with a new book. Get my workout out of the way so I can read!! Well, actually, yeah, that’s kind of how it was - but wait! There’s more. I’m not going to say who the author is or what book just in case this might spoil (it SHOULDN'T spoil you never know!) but in the book, there are two main characters; a male and female. The guy is a total workout-aholic and an MMA fighter. I’ll admit it; part of me will always love wrestling. I touched base on that before when I mentioned twisting crescent pose reminded me of Hurricane Helms. ;). So in addition to the main character training for various MMA matches, there is constant talks about him being a the gym, training, working out. That helped. Of course, he's fictional. The photo below says it perfect. ;) 

What makes you feel victorious? 

Do you prefer to lone it out while working out, or do you need others around you? 

Thanks for reading!

Jillian Michaels Shred It With Weights - Level 1

So here I am with another Jillian DVD review. With this though, I don’t have the DVD. Level 1 is on Youtube and I’ve been doing that! I do plan on buying the DVD when I can find it. 

So, here’s the rundown of Shred It With Weights and here’s my review! As always, Jillian has two girls doing the advanced and the modified versions and this time it’s Basheerah doing advanced and Maddie doing the modified. In this workout, you can use a dumbbell, which is what Maddie used, and Jillian recommended 3-8 pounds and Basheerah used a kettlebell. I’m not quite sure of the weight of the kettlebell though. I have a kettle bell I bought years ago and it’s ten pounds so that’s what I used. For this,  I’m proud to say that I used the advanced version the whole time! Woot! Is that a non-scale victory?! ;) I will say though that I don’t think I noticed much difference between the modified version or the advanced version when ti came to the moves, just heavier weights. 

After a warm up that included arm stretches, butt kicks and twists holding the kettlebell, and different ways to warm up with the kettlebell (doing halos holding it is one I specifically remember, but drawing a blank on the rest, you’re really to go. This workout has three circuits. It runs around 25 minutes from warmup to cool down. Circuit One has you down on the floor in bridge, pressing the kettlebell up, and then back up for kettlebell swings, and then deadlift rows. She has you repeat that on the other side and then adds in bent leg deadlift which reminded me of bodybuilders, which Jillian even said it was reminiscent of. 

Circuit two has a squat swing with a pass. You squat and swing the kettlebell up with one hand and then pass it off to the other hand. It sounds scary and it kind of is. I still have this fear that I will accidentally lose my grip on the kettlebell and send it flying through the TV or a window, but that hasn’t happened yet! hahaha. Next she has you doing a rack, squat, and press. Then she has you doing rows in a static lunge. These I’m used to, but going up to 10lbs, I definitely feel it more than I did with the 5lbs!! Repeat of the opposite side, of course. After this, she has you down on the mat to crunch and holding the crunch pressing the kettlebell up. 

Circuit three has windmills with the kettlebell (which in this blog I’ve called triangle press previously. It is slightly different as you twist your arm and I guess that’s where you get the idea that you’re “windmilling” the kettlebell), turkish get ups, and this horrible awful move that I love to hate where you squat down and jump up, rotating to the side, holding the kettlebell. OH. MY. GOSH. It’s hard. It gets my heart rate up. I groan every time it’s time to do that. But it works! After you repeat on the other side, she has you do snatches. On this, I’m also a little terrified something terrible is going to happen, haha. It’s where you throw it up with one arm and immediately pull it down. As if your arms weren’t burning enough, right? :D After that one, you get your much deserved cool down. :D

So I really like this one! I’ve been looking for it at my local target and I looked for it at Walmart and no luck yet. I might have to order it online. I started doing this one rather than another Jillian DVD because I wanted to do a bit more strength training since I was getting a lot of cardio in (I recently bought a treadmill and I have been running on that A LOT until I hurt my foot of course. More on that in another blog post) and I felt like maybe needed something with more emphasis on strength. I can say that I really love this workout and am looking forward to finding the DVD to buy to try level 2. I feel like I get a good workout even though it’s fairly short. 

Thanks for reading! Click here to view this DVD on Amazon to learn more. 

I'll show you a bump!

It's official. For a little while there, I had a bump! And boy did it get big, uncomfortable. I was ready to write it an eviction notice to get out of my body! ;) Not like a baby bump though. A large bump on my foot because for a while there, I was on the injured list. Or at least the take it easy and don't do anything too strenuous to re-injure yourself worse list. I'm still in that limbo although last night I worked out with little to no issues. But man, does it stink being injured! :/

A a few weeks ago I bought a treadmill. I had a really old one that I bought at a yard sale a really long time ago for $50. I was 14 when we bought it and I'm guessing the previous owners had already had it for four or five years, so when it started shorting out and dying after 20 or 30 minutes, I had mixed feelings. Bummed, of course, because on nights I don't feel like playing DDR, the treadmill was a great alternative and sometimes just what I needed to get a break from DDR. But then again, it had lasted forever and I had bought it for next to nothing. I really couldn't complain! So, I began searching, doing research on what I felt was best. I had it narrowed down to two treadmills and finally bought a Proform treadmill at Sears a few weeks ago. And I love that thing! DDR has actually taken a back seat while I break that baby in. (My workout playlist has ample DDR songs though!) I'm not the fastest or the best runner but being fairly new to running, I was pretty pleased to get four miles or so in an hour! I felt like that was a pretty decent pace.

And then...boom! I get my cardio in usually anywhere from 10pm-1am. So Wednesday, early early morning, I was running on the treadmill, and I noticed my foot was sore. I pushed through, finished up my hour, and then went on to bed. The next morning, I had a big lump on my foot and it was pretty sore. I took a night off cardio (still did Jillian; I've been doing Shred It With Weights on YouTube, which I will post a review up very soon!) and the next day, it was slightly sore but not too bad. So I thought, hm, why not get a run in? It's Thursday, early morning. About halfway through, my foot started hurting. Then horrible pain. Being the stubborn girl I am, I kept going. Big mistake. The next morning, I had a HUGE lump on my foot. My foot literally looked pregnant, which is how we described it. After a little while of hobbling around, trying to decide what to do, I finally decided it was best to go to the emergency room. I was worried I might have a stress fracture.

In the end, there were no obvious breaks and I couldn't get a definitive diagnosis,  but I was told it could be anything from a pulled muscle to tendonitis. I got a boot and some crutches, a prescription for ibuprofen with 800mg for the swelling and inflammation, and was told to stay off of it, take at least the weekend off running. It was HARD. I really enjoy running on the treadmill. I really enjoy DDR. I actually really love fitness in general! I also had to make sure my nutrition was on point and in my household, it's not easy AT ALL (my family is definitely a southern food lovin' family. Fried chicken, potatoes, the more grease the better whereas I'm trying really hard to eat healthy; 2/4 people I live with, including myself, are IMPOSSIBLE to bend with their unhealthy eating habits. It kind of divides the family. Not to mention, they adore fast food. Blaaaah). So, I searched for some fun recipes to help make things a bit easier and continued to do Shred It With Weights, only modifying some of the jumping to try and keep my foot from getting hurt worse.

Luckily it only lasted around a week. I started transitioning back on the treadmill, 30 minutes and just walking the first day, 30 minutes of Couch to 5k on week 3 as it's not a LOT of running but a good run/walk alternate, and then 50 minutes or so of run walk again. Last night I did a full hour and did the run/walk again, but more running than walking and little to no pain. Hopefully it'll last. I still have a slight knot on my foot but my hope is that it will continue to go down.

As mentioned above, I searched for some recipes. I found some that sound delicious, and some that I actually tried that were super scrumptious! I will definitely share soon!

Have you been injured? What did you do to balance it out? :)