Lift and Shred: Level 2

Lift and Shred: Level 2

It's time for a review of Level 2! It's definitely more advanced than Level 1, but not toooo much of a stretch. I do it on Wednesdays only one day a week and I do Level 1 on Monday and Friday. I've contemplated switching Level 2 to Monday and Friday, and Level 1 to Wednesday's, but we'll see. Anyway, it's time to break it out!

This workout has two people - Kenta and Maddie. (Kenta and Rocky were in Level 1) I think I forgot to mention that in Level 1, Kenta didn't get the right amount of weights, and that becomes a running joke throughout the two levels, which I love. You get a few laughs during the workout which is great to try and distract you from the fact that you're dying! haha. 

You start with a warmup, that consists of butt kicks, lunges with a psoas stretch, arm circles, wrist circles, and twisting side to side jumps. Circuit one starts on the floor with one hand on a dumbbells, rolling it in and rolling it out to do a pushup, and then a tricep pushup. Then you lay on your back and do a closed grip chest press. Next is side plank rows, and the finally a Turkish sit up, holding one dumbbell. You repeat on the other side, and then it's on to Circuit 2. Beware - I think it's my least fav!

In circuit two, you do Russian twists, burpee rows, a sumo squat and a high and wide pull, and then a deadlift into a lunge. You repeat on the other side. Yep - pretty sure this is my least favorite. 

In Circuit 3, you do bent leg deadlift jumps. Next she has you do good mornings. She tells you to cross the dumbbells over your chest, but I put them over my shoulders like I'm used to doing. Rear delt flys come next, and finally, my favorite move is lateral skater with a dumbbell pass. And then repeat on the other side! 

Finally, we're at Circuit 4! It starts with a side lungs into an overhead press, which I like. And then you're doing snatches. It's like a bent knee deadlift where you snatch the weights over your head. Then you do a split jerk, where you jump into a lunge position while sending the dumbbells over your head. Then finally is a goblet duck walk, which you're holding the dumbbell in goblet position, and you squat walk/duck walk for four steps. You walk back holding the dumbbell in one hand. You repeat on the other side and you're done! 

You've earned your cool down! 

Jillian Michaels Six Week Six Pack - Level 2

Look up cruel and unusual in the dictionary and you may very well see Jillian’s face. I’m not even kidding. I’ll be honest: Level 2 scared me. I did another program in between Level 1 and 2 because it intimidated me so much! But finally did Level 2 and I’m not going to lie. It was hard, but it’s also probably one of my favorite workouts. And here’s the rundown! Basheerah and Matty are back. Matty is still the modifier and Basheerah is the advanced, but Jillian has Matty hold on to a weight, which was the main modification in Level 1. You start with your warmup, like always, and it’s your regular warm up except…THERE ARE BURPEES IN THE WARM UP. Well, not exact burpees, but up-downs which are basically a burpee without the jump at the end. Isn’t that a bunch of crap? ;) Who thinks of burpees in the warmup. Oh. Yeah. Some crazy lady named Jillian. ;). A few other moves; lunges, squats, that sort of stuff to get your muscles loose and then you begin to torture yourself. It’s all worth it!

Like in Level 1, you do one long circuit, and repeat it a second time going at a quicker pace. I held on to one 8lb dumb bell the whole time. You begin stepping into lunge and doing lunge with chops, where you’re basically wood-chopping to one side. Then you go to an oblique crunch with your weight up, touching your elbow to knee. Drop the weight and do jumping jackknives. Yes. Jumping jackknives. Repeat the lunge chops and the oblique crunch on the other side, and then you move on to low to high. This move is where you are holding the weight up high up in front of you over your head, and then twisting and pivoting into a 180, and dropping into a lunge. After that, you do repeater knees with the weight. Jillian takes mercy on you for two seconds - she lets you drop the weight, and then get into plank and do plant twists. Repeat low to highs on the other side as well as repeater knees. Next you do a lunge twist with a pass through, which I actually really liked. Lunge forward and twist, same leg lunge back, and pass the dumbbell under the front leg. Then she had you do light house swings, which I also enjoyed. Swinging your arm out straight in front of you and turning your hip and pivoting on the ball of your foot side to side. Next she has you do bicycle crunches, and after that you repeat the twisting lunge with a pass on the other wise, but instead of light house again, she has you do dumbbell swings, which are like swinging a sledgehammer. That’s always fun, right? 

Now the fun begins. Get into plank. Now. Plank moguls. After that, you have my sympathies, because she has you doing t-stand kicks. That’s where you start in plank and move into side plank, and then kick your foot out. And then back into plank, and do so on the opposite side. Those are tough. It got a little bit better for me when I realized to keep my hands pointed straight out in front of me and not turn my wrists. Otherwise, I’m asking for a broken wrist because I lose my balance easily. After that, you do double crunches, and as if she’s not evil then you do hollow man. And then flip over into mountain climbers. 

And guess what? You get to do it all over again, but at a quicker pace! On level 1, it seems like the quicker pace was almost too much, but this one wasn’t too bad. Even going at my own pace, what I felt was safe, was pretty much on time with the girls. So that was awesome! Not that modifying is bad at all, you still get an incredible workout when you modify, but it kind of kills my ego a bit. ;) 

Seriously though?? I really like this one, as hard as it is! Maybe because there isn’t lot of mat work, which we all know I hate. It’s more standing ab work. With how much I didn’t want to do it, and how bad Level 1 hurt my back, I’m surprised by how much I liked it! I expected this to be a terribly painful experience. It is, kind of. Haha! But it’s one that I like afterwards, which I can’t say I had that experience as much with Level 1 just because how bad it hurt afterwards. I’d say the DVD is worth it just for Level 2. I didn’t take measurements and I didn’t take my weight reliably but I definitely notice a lot of changes in my body. Positive changes! 

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' Shred It With Weights - Level 2.

Wow! It’s been a while. Did everyone have a good Thanksgiving? Get any good deals Black Friday shopping? How’s Christmas shopping going? On the subject of shopping, I got tired of doing Level 1 of Shred It With Weights on Youtube, so I went Amazon shopping for myself and bought the DVD so I could move on to Level 2. I thought that would take a few minutes to talk about it! 

Like every Jillian workout, she has two girls doing the advanced and the modified versions. Basheerah and Maddie are back again, doing advanced and modified respectively. In this workout, Maddie used a dumbbell like Level 1 and Basheerah used a kettlebell. I used my 10lb kettlebell for this workout. Like always, it starts with a quick warmup that includes figure eights, hip thrusts, deep squat into a lunge and a couple more moves that I’m forgetting. You move right on to your first circuit. Be afraid. 

Circuit 1 has you doing awful, horrible split jumps (basically a backwards lunge while pressing up your kettlebell or dumbbell, and yes, I hate this move), halo while balancing on one foot, and Rock n’ Roll like Ripped In 30 and Killer Body. I’m going to be honest with you guys - Rock n’ Roll’s have always been really tough for me. Some of it was the limited space I have in my bedroom when I work out. One time I almost busted my head and face coming up from a Rock n’ Roll and while I even made a joke about it when I mentioned it, it was quite terrifying! That was always on my mind when it came to doing that move. I would always modify it, and a lot of times anyway I couldn’t go from the sitting on the floor with my knees up to a standing position (like a deep squat). I would cross my ankles or use my hands to help me up. I moved all my Jillian workout stuff downstairs to our living room, so I have much more room now to swing the kettlebell. I also have less chance of busting my head. So I looked on different websites such as Reddit and on Youtube and researched how to master the the Rock n’ Roll/Deck Squat/whatever you want to call it. I’m not 100% perfect, but I can now do this without crossing my legs or using my hands! It is an AWESOME feeling!! Anyway, that aside, you repeat this circuit on the other side and then finish out this one with star jumps while holding the kettlebell. Have fun, those star jumps are tough! ;)

Circuit 2 coming up! She has you doing Plank Rows. I’m not sure why this is so difficult for me, but I cannot do this with the kettlebell. It’s not because my kettlebell is too heavy, but I think it’s because it sits so high and I feel like there isn’t must to row with how high the handle comes up when I’m in plank! I used the dumbbell for this. Then she has you do something she calls swing throughs, where you do a regular kettle bell swing and then swing it through your legs, looking between them. Next is “plyo swings” where you start out taking steps forward and backward with the kettlebell and then jump forward and backwards. Repeat, and then finish the circuit with deep squats while holding the kettlebell.

Circuit three has you doing what Jillian calls Rotating Heroes, where you swing the kettlebell and rotate to the left (or the right when you do it again). You swing the kettlebell over your head and let it hang over your head for a few minutes. Then she has you do inverted pushups while holding the kettlebell horns (or handle). After that, she has you do what she calls punch swings, where you swing the kettlebell with one arm and punch it out. You repeat on both side and then finish this circuit with Russian Swings. After that, cool it down.

All right. I really want to trust Jillian. I really do. I love her DVD’s and they have changed my body in ways I never thought possible. But there are some moves on Level 2 of Shred It With Weights that just do not seem safe to me. I mentioned that I looked on Reddit and Youtube to try and learn how to do the rock n’ roll squat. During that research I also found a lot of people claiming that Jillian’s form with the kettlebell is wrong. I also read claims that her moves on Level 2 was unsafe. I have to admit that as I was doing some of the moves, I was a little concerned of the safety. With that said, I am a beginner to kettlebells; I’m a beginner to all of this. I have never been to a gym and lifted weights inside a gym, I have never been told if my form is correct (I sure hope it is! I think it is.) and pretty much what I’ve learned, I’ve learned by watching and researching and then more watching and researching, and mimicking the moves. So when it comes to circuit 2 and Jillian says it’s time for Swing Throughs, I just do a regular kettle bell swing. For Plyo Swings, I do swings again, but I will step into them more often than I will jump. I actually found a video tonight of a man doing a plyo hop with a kettlebell where he doesn’t swing his arms. I might give that a go. For rotating heroes, I swing and rotate, but I don’t go over my head. I’m trying to research and find a good way to add that into my workout. For pushups on the kettlebell horns, I just toss the kettlebell away and do regular pushups. For punch swings, I just do a one-armed swing. I’ve still done this every night for close to three weeks now. I really like Level 1, and it’s not that I don’t like Level 2. I’m still doing the work, but switching it up a bit. 

So now that I’ve reviewed the whole DVD, here’s what I suggest: Level 1 is on Youtube and it’s great. And Level 2 is a lot of fun, and I like it, when I feel like I’ve got alternatives to the moves and am doing it safer. Personally, I still would have bought the DVD for Level 1, but you could probably do just as well without Level 2. I actually feel like Level 1 is tougher with all the modifying I’m doing to level 2 to make it feel safer to me. 

So there it is: my review on Level 2 of Shred It With Weights by Jillian Michaels. Don’t shoot me, guys!