Jillian Michaels Yoga Inferno - Workout 2

Hey guys! Here are my thoughts on Yoga Inferno, workout 2! I did this one every day for two weeks straight, taking Thursdays off. 

As mentioned in a previous post, I’m a total beginner when it comes to yoga. I always held off on doing it because for a long time, I didn't feel like it was an efficient workout. Workout 1 of this DVD totally changed my perspective! And workout 2 just furthered that! During this particular workout, Jillian called it a “yoga hybrid” as she incorporates weights and cardio intervals. For weights, she recommends very light ones such as three pounds or if you were crazy, use five pounds. I don’t think I’m crazy, but I used fives just because I thought the workout was totally doable with fives.

Like workout 1, there are three circuits or sequences. Circuit one contains squat and press, bicep curls with your elbows resting on your knees, squat thrusts for cardio, wide rows a, triangle crunch with a lunge into a bicep curl, renegade rows, squat thrusts again for cardio, and a push-up with our leg going under your body and across (not sure what the technical term is here) and then into a side plank. Repeat this for the other side. By the end of the bicep curls in the static squat position and my elbows on my knees, my biceps were cooking! Kind of strange because it’s been a while since I’ve felt that burn! 

Circuit two contained figure four squats and press, a deep lunge into warrior 3 with a fly, warrior 3 tricep kickbacks, tree pose, and then dragon with your arms in eagle. Like always, repeat on the other side. I thought I would hate the figure four squats since they looked super tough, but I think I did great! What I thought I would really be great at - the eagle pose, I was never able to quite figure out. I’m not sure if it’s a flexibility issue or the fact that I have really short arms and couldn’t get them to fold right!  

Circuit three contained superman angels, press and fly in superman pose, camel with weights, lat pulls in bridge, headbangers with a pelvic thrust, sit ups with weights and a alternating leg raise. You repeat again, but instead of sit ups for your last move, you do a shoulder stance. 

Phew! That’s it! I really love that weights are incorporated in this workout, but I don’t like that after the first circuit (or honestly, I love to hate it!). I’ll admit that the whole Yoga Inferno DVD is not my favorite by Jillian, mostly because again, I’m a yoga n00b! While this program totally changed my mind that yoga isn’t an efficient workout, I didn’t stick with this one nearly as long as I do the others. All the planking really bothered my wrist and I think that might be because I am such a beginner with yoga. I feel like I need to attend a class to make sure I have the poses down pat and my form correct. 

Above all though, I do really like it and recommend it! I can definitely say I’m happy it’s apart of my collection! Thank you guys for reading!

I've lost 100lbs but I've gained so much more.

Hi guys! Well, it's official: I've lost one hundred pounds! It took me close to three years but I did it! If you're new to the blog and wondering how I managed this, here's the short version: I did it without setting food inside a gym, playing a video game, doing workout DVD's created by Jillian Michaels, and by tracking what I eat with the website/app called LoseIt. I'm really proud of myself for what I've accomplished. The last three years have definitely not been easy, but it's been incredibly worth it!

So, like the title says, I've lost 100lbs, but I've gained so much more. Gained what? Well, a plethora of emotions and feelings both very positive and negative. I'm going to touch base about these things. Three years ago when I started this journey, I really didn't expect to lose weight. I was at a pretty low place as it was and I specifically remember signing up for LoseIt and thinking that it was something that would probably never work. I had tracked before and look where it got me. I didn't even believe I had lost weight until a few months later shopping for clothes and I had dropped two pants sizes. I was shocked and pleasantly surprised! Once I realized that it actually was working, it wasn't difficult to stick to it. Finding an activity that I enjoyed was key! Dance Dance Revolution is a lot of fun! As the weight continued to come off, I was proud! I felt strong, I felt beautiful. I remember when the, "Post five photos where you feel beautiful!" thing went around on Facebook, I posted a photograph of myself all sweaty after a workout talking about how working out made me feel strong and fierce and those feelings made me feel beautiful.

As time went on and I hit that plateau, I then started to feel really frustrated. Especially when that plateau seemed to last forever. And then feeling frustrated when to feeling defeated and discouraged. I had no idea what to do, what I could do to change things up. It's something I've blogged about before. Every time someone would ask me if I was still losing weight or how much I'd lost recently, I could just feel my stomach start to tie up in knots.

Adding in Jillian Michael's workouts in addition to DDR broke the plateau! I began doing Jillian workouts on January 11, starting with the 30 Day Shred, then Ripped In 30, Killer Body, and now I'm doing Yoga Inferno. I also really started really keeping an eye on what I ate. In the beginning it wasn't too bad, but now I'm pretty restrictive with my calories and very strict about getting my two workouts a day (except for Thursdays where I take a Jillian break). And that I know is pretty unhealthy. And that makes me feel like a slave and trapped. Sometimes it makes me feel unhealthy. I did not work by booty off to get to the point where I deny myself food before I get a workout in, or only allow myself to eat a salad a day. And that's the negatives to my journey with weight loss. I'm proud as heck, don't get me wrong. But I've been heavy before. Like anyone else who's been overweight, I've been teased, I've cried myself to sleep. I've wished like hell that I was anyone other than myself and the idea of taking a night off terrifies me. Will I fall off the bandwagon for one night off? Well. Probably not. It's something that's always in the back of my mind. I'm working on that. I don't think I ever completely believed that losing weight was the answer to all my problems, but I may have had an idea that it would make my life immensely better. And it has, definitely don't get me wrong. I love being able to run for distances, take my dog on long walks without getting tired. I love being able to exercise for an hour. I love shopping for clothes and not having to look in the plus size section. I went shopping for swimsuit bottoms earlier this summer and the first pair I tried on I ended up buying. That wasn't something I was able to experience three years ago. I look in the mirror and I don't just see someone I hate. I see someone who has worked really hard! So there are pros and cons to this. I've lost 100lbs, but I have gained a lot of anxiety. And also a lot of pride. 

I really don't like looking at old photos of myself because like I said, I used to hate looking in the mirror. I was just so unhappy, so ashamed of my size. I actively avoid looking at vacation photos and my heart skips a beat when I'm tagged in a Facebook photo on Thursdays (haha). But last night, I was looking at old photos to do a before and after since I've been wanting to make this post and I realized something. I've got to love that girl. Give her a lot of credit. Show her some respect. Give her a round of applause. Do not be ashamed of her. It was her, after all, who put her foot down and made the decision to change her life.

And that I think is the best thing I've gained throughout this entire journey.

I can't say that tomorrow I'll be 100% happy with myself, but I think we all have those days. But I can say that when I realized that last night, it helped me a lot.

The left photo is me exactly a month ago, trying on an old pair of overalls. The right is a picture of me at a friends house before junior prom. I was 17 years old.

Yoga Inferno (workout one) by Jillian Michaels

Hey guys! For the last two weeks I've been doing Jillian Michaels' Yoga Inferno, workout one. I thought that I would take a few minutes to talk about it.

I'm a total beginner when it comes to yoga and for a long time, I didn't feel like it was an efficient workout. That's one reason why I've never actively looked into yoga. I've also done Level 1 of Yoga Meltdown and didn't feel overly challenged. I think that I mentioned in my last update though that I've been having a lot of issues with my feet hurting. It was so bad that putting on my shoes to work out was extremely painful. Plus, I was getting a bit bored with Killer Body and I had been doing that for three months, so I knew it was time to move on.

From what I understand (again, I'm a yoga n00b!) by reading other reviews, Yoga Inferno is more Yoga inspired rather than just "yoga" in general. I've only done workout one, but man, do I ever work up a sweat! Workout 1 of Yoga Inferno is all body weight mixed with cardio intervals to get your heart rate up. You start up with a warm up like always, and then you get to work. There are three sequences/circuits and you go through each exercise twice; one for each side. I can't remember all the exercised, but I'll list what I can remember. In the first sequence, she has you sink down into a chair squat on your toes, lunges with arm swings, jumping jacks in chair post (like Ripped in 30!), leg raises with your hands on the floor (or with a yoga block if you need one/have one), deep monkey squats. I think it also has squat jacks, but I can't remember exactly.

Sequence two has you go into Warrior 2 and going down to touch the floor and then back up to stretch it out. You go into a twisting crescent pose, and then doing jumping lunges or a running man if jumping lunges are too much. After jumping lunges, she has you get into plank and do plank skaters.

Sequence three, you're in a side plank, and bringing your knee to your elbow to crunch your obliques. Next is standing splits into pigeon pose. Next is mountain climbers for a cardio interval and then after that she has you jump into a sitting position, where you do tricep dips with a leg extension. Then you hold in reverse plank. My poor shoulders. And that's not all! Afterwards, she has you lay on the mat and you do sprawls. After sprawls, she has you crunch up and scissor your legs up and down while holding that crunch. My abs were really feeling that, and at the end of the workout, I'm usually soaked with sweat.

Phew! It's not my absolute favorite just because I still feel like a yoga n00b, but this particular workout totally changed my mind on yoga not being an efficient workout and for that I'll always be happy! :)

So far I really like this one and recommend it. Tomorrow I'm going to do the second workout, which incorporates weights. Jillian recommends 3lb weights and says that the advanced person and herself are using three pounders, but I think I'm going to use my fives. I've watched the DVD so I know what to expect and after doing it a couple times I'll share my thoughts!

Thank you guys for reading! Click here to look at the DVD on Amazon!

I'm back!

I'm back! Well, technically, I was never really gone. I've started writing this post so many times but just always seemed to run out of time at the end of the day. I had Text/Edit open for two or three weeks, and then had a tab with a new entry open when I wasn't getting anywhere with Text/Edit. Another part of my lack up updates has been because there really hasn't been much to report. Up until last week, I was still doing Jillian Michael's Killer Body workout DVD, and still doing DDR at night, so that hadn't changed. I didn't want to bore anyone with, "Well, still doing Killer Body, still DDRing..."

One big thing did change though! On June 20, I stepped on the scale and boom! That special number popped up. I've officially lost 100lbs! I stepped on the scale four times to make sure my eyes weren't deceiving me. They weren't! And they weren't the next day either (just had to make sure, haha!). Woo hoo! I did want to post about finally losing the big 100 and that's where I got a bit stuck. I still haven't even really announced it anywhere, not on Facebook to my family, not on Instagram. So this is the first time saying it publicly: I'VE LOST 100LBS! :D YAAAY! Go me!! Losing 100lbs definitely wasn't very easy at time. I've got some 100-inspired blog posts planned that I think will be up sooner rather than later and I'll touch base more about later.

At my local Target, they had a Jillian Michael's bundle with four Jillian workout DVD's: Yoga Inferno, One Week Shred, Killer Buns and Thighs, and Killer Abs. It's been there for a few months, and I've been planning on buying it, but finally bit the bullet the other day. I really wanted that Yoga DVD because I've really been having a lot of problems with my feet hurting and the yoga seemed like the way to go since it's done barefoot. It was to the point where working out was getting to be extremely painful and wearing shoes hurt so bad I wanted to cry. That didn't make me look forward to working out at all. I've started the yoga DVD and I've done workout one four times now, and man, it's tough! I'm still fairly new to yoga (actually I'm a total beginner) so I'm hoping to master workout one before I move on to workout two, but it doesn't seem like there are levels or anything. Workout one is body weight where as workout two incorporates light weights. I will definitely review not only the Yoga but all the other DVD's I have as I move forward.

I've also gotten really into meal prepping and I'm going to start sharing some recipes so look forward to that! I plan on trying to update at least once a week.

Is there anything you'd like to see on this blog?

Killer Body by Jillian Michaels - Core

The core workout is super tough. I remember on the first day, by the end of the workout, I just collapsed on the floor with how tough it was. I remember shouting and groaning during parts of it!

After a brief warmup, the first circuit has a triangle press, standing side crunch, sumo touchdowns, and then a plank tuck jump. Repeat it and the finish off the first circuit with your minute of cardio with alternating forward knee thrusts.

In circuit two, you do a sit up into a jump squat, which I was familiar with because it’s a move from Ripped In 30. Then she has you go on the mat and do boat sprawls. Then she has you do bicycle crunches in boat pose. Oh man, were my abs cooking after that!! Next  she has you do side plank spinners. After repeating those four exercises, your cardio is twisting high knees. 

Then come circuit three, which I hate. Despise. Abhor. She has you get into an ab hold and do running moguls. Then you go into plank and do elevator planks. Then you get on your back and do a sit up and then rotate into an ab hold with a knee thrust. I hate that move with a passion. And then as if that wasn’t enough, she has you in an ab hold to do dynamic dolphin. It’s several minutes of pure core work! As if that wasn’t enough, your cardio is a three point burpee. Jillian Michaels, you are a mean, mean, MEAN woman. Phew! 

After the rough circuit three, circuit four is much better. She has you on the floor doing a corkscrew crunch. Then she has you go into table and out of table, like she has you do in Ripped In 30. I still have the same problem I did with RI:30 - I HAVE SHORT ARMS! I’ve added textbooks to try and make it a bit more challenging and give my arms a little extra boost. Then she has to doing around the world crunches with a reverse crunch and then a split crunch. After repeating, your cardio is a sledgehammer squat. 

Phew. It sounds easy, but it definitely is not! I think it’s the hardest workout on the DVD. Cool thing though is that I can tell a definite change in my endurance.

Interested in buying a copy? Here's the Amazon link!

Killer Body by Jillian Michaels - Lower Body

The lower body workout for Killer Body is by far my favorite. This one is just like the other two; she has two girls, one doing more advanced moves and the other doing modified versions. One is Natalie from 30DS. She also has Golden, who is 25. Jillian makes jokes that she’s going to enjoy “beating up” the 25-year-old. ;) 

Circuit one had a three-way pendulum lunge with front raise, lateral raise, and a hammer curl. Then she has weighted good mornings with an overhead press. Then she squat jacks into a star jump, which I loved. Then the fourth move is called, Statue of Liberty, which is basically a single leg squat while holding weights in one hand. She has you repeat these, and then your minute cardio interval is a long jump, and then running back twice, and then zigzag jumps upwards and backwards. 

In circuit two, she has you get into static chair pose for 30 seconds. Next is sumo scissor hops, which I was familiar with from RI30. I can totally tell a difference in my endurance! Then she has you doing curtsy lunges with an overhead press, and then lunges on a straight line with weights in one hand. The cardio was standing donkey kick into a rockstar jump. The cardio interval for this circuit was a lot of fun, and boy did it sure get my heart rate up!

I think circuit three is the one I enjoyed the most. It had standing donkey kicks, Supermans (first time without weights, and the second time with weights) and then into Warrior 2 post and reverse warrior from yoga, and then Warrior 3, also from yoga. The cardio with split jumps where you bring one knee up like a high knee, and the other leg would go back like a butt kick. 

Circuit four had sissy squats, surrender lunges, sumo hops on toes, and then weighted deadlifts. For the surrender lunges, she had Golden (the advanced girl) going from being on her knees to hopping up from her knees to her feet. I can’t see myself ever being able to do that without breaking my neck, so I followed Natalie. The last cardio interval is a jumping squat into a jumping lunge. Phew! After a full minute of that one, my poor legs were really cooking!

With that said though, I LOVE the lower body workout. It doesn’t have any mat work, and that might be why I like it so much. DDR is mostly on your legs, and obviously I love that, so that could be why I love this lower body work out. But I really do adore it. By far my favorite workout on the DVD and probably my favorite Jillian workout I’ve come across on all the DVD’s I have. And while it’s fun and my favorite and I love it, by the end, I’m a total sweaty mess! It’s still tough! 

Coolest thing? I remember how I couldn’t do jumping lunges with the 30 Day Shred. I SURE CAN NOW! Woo hoo!

Interested buying a copy? Follow the link to buy on Amazon.

Killer Body by Jillian Michaels - Upper Body

The upper body workout for Killer Body is tough, but doable. Like every Jillian Michaels’ workout, she has two girls, one doing more advanced moves and the other doing modified versions. Many of the workouts I’ve seen in previous Jillian DVD’s but there were a few new ones that I’ve never done before. 

Each workout had a warm up, and four circuits, and then a cool down. After each circuit is a full minute of cardio. The first circuit has walkout pushups, forearm pushups, rocking cobra, and then a single arm row with a static lunge. Repeat that, and then go into your minute cardio interval with crossover jacks. 

The second circuit consists of wide rows into a fly in a squat, renegade rows with a pushup, and a lat pull into a chest press and then a chest fly into a headbanger, all in bridge pose. The cardio is jab cross and then a rockstar. I loved these! 

Circuit three is this horrible move with traveling pushups and then a crossover pushup, static good mornings with a low row, tricep press into a sumo squat and then a tricep press into a bicep curl into a shoulder press with a squat. And then the cardio is single arm burpees. Oh man. By now my shoulders were BURNING. That single arm burpee is tough, too, especially with your shoulders taking such a beating. 

Circuit four is a pike press into a pike pushup, a bicep curl into a side lunge with a forward press, tricep extensions in a stationary lunge and then a bicep curl with a squat into a punch. The last cardio interval is arm circle kickouts. And then the cool down. 

Phew! Tough. But doable! I like this one a lot. I also have to comment on how funny and likable the two girls are, but I totally loved Mimi! She was super funny! During the single arm burpees, as she's standing back up, she was waving, which made me giggle. And at another point, during those awful traveling crossover pushups, she's shouting call 911, and I giggled more. So a tough but doable and I like it a lot more than the core workout that comes tomorrow. Mwa-ha-ha! If you're interested in buying, you can learn more on Amazon by clicking here.