Jillian Michaels' Six Week Six Pack - Level 1

Jillian Michaels Six Week Six Pack - Level 1

Here’s the rundown for Level 1 of Six Week Sick Pack. This is a six week program where you do Level 1 for three weeks and then Level 2 for three weeks. Like every Jillian workout, there are two girls who do the advanced version and the modified. Basheerah is the advanced and Matty is the modifier. In this workout, Basheerah has a weight and Matty doesn’t. Get ready because Jillian is a mean woman and you have been warned. 

After a quick warmup that consists of military march, squats with x’s, lunges, and rotations, you begin the first circuit. In this workout, you do one long circuit that’s about 15 minutes long, and then repeat the circuit again, going quicker. You go up and down from doing mat work to standing ab work in this workout. You begin with knee thrusts and then backwards lunges with back extensions. You move on to burpees, and then squat rotation, where you squat down and then twist so you touch your right elbow to left knee and vice versa. After that is side lunges with a side bend. I had to drop the weight for that one. 

Next you hit the mat and extend your right leg out straight and your right arm straight, and then crunch up. After that she has you roll over and your do supermans with a lat pull. Raise up into plank position and do plank jacks. Next you do the same arm and leg crunch on the opposite side. Then she has you doing double leg stretch, which she says is a pilates move. That one was tough and I learned my core wasn’t as strong as I thought it was! Afterwards, Jillian has you doing side crunches, and then diagonal getups. Next comes extended walking plank, which I really liked, and then repeat side plank and the diagonal getups on the other side.

And next comes the last five moves that make me want to cry. Okay, not really. Well. Who knows! Even Jillian admits it’s cruel but for our own goods! It’s side plank with knee twists and spider planks with alternating legs. Both moves I imagine are what the people who are stuck in hell are doing. ;) Then comes mountain climbers, and you repeat side plank and knee twists on the other side. Finish up the circuit with bridge kicks. 

That’s it! Now you just get to repeat it, and faster! ;) 

I really liked this workout, but I will be honest. When you do the circuit over faster, some of the moves seem less safe. My back actually hurt consistently while doing this workout. I’m not sure if it’s because I may have been doing the moves wrong (I don’t think so though), using too heavy of a dumb bell (I was using 8’s), or if I was just trying to go too fast and keep up with Jillian. Once I remembered that I didn’t *have* to keep up with Jillian, it helped ease my back some, but that kind of killed my ego, and for that, I’m thinking that may be why Level 1 of Six Week Six Pack isn’t my favorite. It could also be the fact that I still really hate ab work. ;). Nothing will ever change! 

While I didn’t take measurements or really track my weight, I did notice significant changes when I looked in the mirror. Definitely was starting to get definition by the end of the three weeks, which was super exciting! Before this, I really wasn’t doing a lot of ab work, so this was really encouraging to see. As always, Jillian delivers!

Well, that lasted long.

Well, that lasted long.

My breakup with Jillian, that is. I was shopping at Sam’s Club back in January and I saw Six Week Six Pack for $8. It just sat there taunting and taunting me. Buy me, buy me. You’ve been doing the GymRa youtube videos for six months and you’ve been thinking of switching back, perfect opportunity to buy me, buy me. 

I gave in to the temptation and bought it, and a couple days later I started the program, or at least began Level 1. I’ll go further in depth soon (I promise) but after doing Level 1 for just over three weeks, I switched to Ripped In 30, which I loved the second time around even more! (I will touch base on that also soon!) But then I realized that it was time to buck up, and do Level 2 of 6W6P. I’ll be honest, this one *scared* me. The moves looked SO HARD! And Level 1, I learned that my core wasn’t as strong as I thought and it made my back ache. But once I did it, I loved it. 

And since mid-to-late January, I’ve been doing Jillian workouts again. That breakup lasted long. ;) But it’s been nice to go back to something familiar. Sometime soon I’d like to try some new workouts that I’ve been holding off on trying (such as One Week Shred, particularly the strength workout) and find some new workouts on GymRa’s youtube and maybe make up a schedule of a new routine a day to see what happens. I’m not sure if I’ve hit another plateau or what. I put about 7-10lbs (depending on the day) back on in November and no matter what I do, I can’t seem to get those 10lbs off. It’s only a few pounds, but technically, I’ve never hit my goal weight since starting this journey. I have my “realistic” goal weight, my “unrealistic” goal weight (which is more like a dream weight, who doesn’t want to weigh 120lbs?) My body may just be at the weight it likes to be with, and if so, I’ll have to come to terms with that. I’m still not happy with my body and I’m not sure I ever will be. That’s a scary thought, because I’ve hopefully got another 55+ years in this body! (That puts me at 84+). But I’m willing to try and trick it and see what’s going on. Probably eating the same thing over and over again and running on the treadmill every day for an hour doesn’t help; I know I should mix it up, but that’s where I’m hoping strength comes in because I just love running so much. I never thought I’d be the girl that would get up and go for a run. 

I haven’t forgotten about this blog. I want to inspire others but I also want to make this an accurate account of what goes on when someone loses a lot of weight, and just like any journey, whether it’s a health journey, a weight loss journey, a journey from here to there, there are bumps in the road. Occasionally you have to go in another direction. But even though we all know that, it’s still hard for me to talk about those bumps in the road. 

Until next time! (Which should be very soon!)

Natalie Yco's Cardio Kickboxing with jump rope.

Sorry for the delay! Here’s the fourth workout I began doing consistently after breaking up with Jillian. It’s a Natalie Yco cardio kickboxing workout with a jump rope and it’s definitely one of my top five favorite workouts, if not my all-time favorite workout. Words can’t possibly express how much I adore this workout so I won’t even bother gushing about it, I’ll get right down to the nitty gritty and talk about the workout itself - just know that I love it and it is AMAZING!

Natalie starts you out with doing a quick warm up, jumping jacks, lunges with rotations, swinging legs, and punches. She then has you go right into the workout, jumping rope for a minute. The way she designed this workout is you do one minute jump roping, and then another minute doing a kickboxing move, repeat jump rope, repeat with a new kickboxing move. I don’t actually use a jump rope, but I mimic the moves and hold my three pound weights during the jump rope sections to get a bit of an extra calorie burn. After your first time jump roping, your first kickboxing move is a move where you turn to the side into lunge and punch, come up and punch forward for two, and then two punches down in squat, and then from squat you move to lunge. I know that sounds like a lot, but the video will show it better. You twist to the right for the first 30 seconds, and then twist to the left for the next 30 seconds. After another minute of jump roping, your kickboxing move for the next minute is a squat, front kick, squat, front kick with the opposite leg. Get ready to feel the burn! Jump roping, and then a side lunge to a side kick. 30 seconds going right, and then 30 seconds going left. I really like this one because - nerd alert! - I was/still am a wrestling fan growing up, and side kicks always remind me of Shawn Michaels. Sweet chin music, anyone? Haha! After jump rope, you do my next favorite move is where you bring your knee up, punch with your elbow, bring your knee up again, and then a back kick. After 30 seconds you switch legs, and then start jump roping again! After jump roping, you shuffle side to side punching for a minute. The next moves are three kicks, a front kick and a jumping jack, alternating legs, and then a fun move where you punch and bring your knee up. That one reminded me of dancing! Then in jumping lunges, she has you punching out to the side. Next, she has you do a round kick, and a jumping jack alternating legs. After that, you do jumping jacks one last time, and then your final move is two jumping jacks, and two front kicks, one kick per leg. And then it’s time to cool down, and you have earned it! 

I LOVE this workout. I love cardio and this is a cardio kickboxing workout. And I’ve been a big fan of Natalie’s for a long time, so this workout was just made for me! (Okay, not made for me, but I can pretend, right?!) 

If you’re interested, you can check it out and do the workout yourself with the link below!

Love the "resolutioner"!

Happy New Year! Am I ever happy seeing 2016 end. The last half of the year was awful (injuries, illness, depression *really* sidelined me) but I'm finally getting back on the bandwagon and have been going strong for a month or so now. It's amazing how working out makes me feel so much better, and how amazing it is to be UNINJURED! I'll touch base on this later (hoping to be more consistent with updating again).

Today I wanted to touch base on something I've noticed a lot on Facebook. I see a lot of people make comments about how they avoid the gym these first couple of weeks until all the "resolutioners" give up on their New Years resolution to get healthy and go to the gym. I see people make comments or share memes like, "your resolution is my lifestyle." That annoys me. With that argument, your vow to get healthy was someone else's lifestyle until you adopted it. And that someone else did not make you feel like you were going to fail or give up because you're still going for it and therefore have made it a lifestyle. There are a lot of broken people in the fitness world trying to fix themselves for whatever reason - when I started my workout journey, I felt like I was at rock bottom. So be kind. Be less judgmental. Don't just automatically assume that someone is going to give up, try to keep them from giving up! Shoot a smile to the new face at the gym or on the walking path and help them feel welcome.

Another thing I've noticed are people who are so down on others who are looking for what they see as a quick fix, especially if you've succeeded in weight loss. I've succeeded in weight loss at home, doing it on my own. And I know a lot of people could actually benefit from getting off the couch. Myself included. But I also think about my journey as a whole. Would I have been as successful if I had started this journey any other time? Would I have failed and had to do it again? Why did I wait to long to start getting healthy in the first place? When you talk to someone who thinks diet and exercise might be hard, instead of complaining about them on Facebook or thinking about how "lazy" because they apparently want an "easy fix" ask them why they think diet and exercise is so hard. Are they uneducated about nutrition? Are they worried of the expense? Do they think a healthy diet means a life of restriction and saying no all the time? Do they think exercise is physically painful or that they can't do it? Do they not have the support at home? Do they not have support or confidence in themselves? Instead of sitting there judging and making assumptions that they want an easy fix, find out why they're hesitant to start. If they're interested in medication that may aid in weight loss and you think you are above the person because you have your healthy lifestyle and you work hard, ask about their time, and if they can manage a few minutes. Most effective workouts take around 30 minutes a day. A lot of people don't know that! And if they do, don't judge them for their "easy fix" - who knows. Maybe when their "easy fix" starts kicking in, they may gain confidence in themselves to seek other options.

Happy and healthy 2017!

Resistance Band Jam - Christie Cash workout via GymRa

Here’s the third workout I’ve been doing consistently since breaking up with Jillian! It’s a Christie Cash workout from GymRa’s youtube page, and it’s a resistance bad workout! I really like this one.

There is no warmup for this workout, so I always make sure to do a quick warmup before starting. It’s two circuits; where you do the moves twice, similar to the previous Christie workout I talked about. There are several moves where I’m actually not using the resistance band but I’m using my 8lb dumbbells (my resistance band is light to medium resistance). I also incorporate squats or lunges since standing in place can get so boring. And adding in two muscle groups burns more calories! During the bicep curls, the front lateral raises, tricep extension, and the V-Raises, I do squats with my 8lb dumbbells. During the shoulder presses, she actually has you do one arm at a time and switch, but I stay in lunge position and do the first 15 and then switch legs and do the next 15. During rows, I stay in a squat position. There are also deadlifts which I use my 8lbs with. I feel like that’s good way to burn a few extra calories. I do use the resistance band to do the lunge and lateral raise, because I hate those. ;) I’m familiar with these in the other Christie workout and I use my 8lbs then, so I figure the resistance band gives my arms a little break! After that, she takes you to the mat! I can’t believe I missed doing matwork, but I did. She has you put one leg in the air with the resistance band and lifting in and out of bridge with your other leg. It looks easy but it is not! You do that on both sides, and then put both feet in the band and you do a leg press with the resistance band. Next move is a reverse crunch. I sometimes switch out here with a reverse crunch or do a bicycle crunch in boat pose because I don’t do ab work as much anymore (I can’t believe I’m missing it!) and I don’t want to lose all the hard work I put in strengthening my ab game. ;) Afterwards, you’re back up doing a move called windmills. This is another one I do a bit differently. She has you stand on the resistance band with two feet and twist side to side, twisting your obliques like a windmill. I usually just do high knees with a torso rotation or jumping because it’s slightly higher impact and I feel like I get my heart rate up a bit higher. After that minute, the next thing she has you do is stand on the band with two feet again, but cross over and stretch out your obliques. 

Rinse and repeat and you have a 30 minute workout! You do finish up with some cardio moves; 30 seconds of high knees, 30 seconds of jumping lunges and then 30 seconds of Rockstar jumps or “explodes” as she called them. You just explode off the ground. 

So that’s that! And I *really* like this workout. I am a bit bummed out that there isn’t a warmup and the cool down is very very quick (just a deep breath so almost non-existent) but I like this workout so well that I don’t mind adding in the warmup and the cool down on my own! I highly recommend this one! You can watch the video below or click here to go right to the youtube page to watch it.

This is the second workout I’ve done with the resistance band and the first one that I’ve done more than once. Have you done a resistance band workout? 

Natalie Yco's Full Body Workout with Dumbbells via GymRa.

Hi guys! I’m going to talk about another workout I’ve been doing lately since ditching Jillian. ;) But if it weren’t for Jillian, I wouldn’t know about this woman - it’s Natalie Yco! (Natalie has been in Killer Buns and Thighs, 30 Day Shred, Killer Abs, and I think a few other Jillian DVD’s that I haven’t actually bought). I’m a huge fan of hers, and a big fan of this workout! I’ve linked the video below. This one is also on GymRa’s youtube page, like the last workout I posted about. 

This one is about 30 minutes long. There are five circuits in this workout, each circuit with two strength moves and two cardio moves. I use my eight pound dumbbells for this workout and man, do I ever feel the burn! Each move lasts 45 seconds and she gives you 15 seconds to transition from one move to the next, and she demonstrates each move, which I love! After a quick warmup, you start doing two strength moves, a squat into a lunge alternating sides, deadlifts, and then rotating jumping jacks and then a kickboxing kind of move where you are doing jump kicks. Next circuit had walkout pushups, chest flies in bridge, and then burpees with a ski hop which made me consider throwing my laptop across the room and then crab kicks which made me SERIOUSLY consider throwing my laptop. I hate that cardio bit. ;) Third circuit has rows, chest flies in plank, four way hops and then jumping lunges in plank, which is have to modify (I could probably do them, but I think I’d do them incorrectly). Fourth circuit may be my favorite but I’m not sure; it has pikes with lateral raises, upright rows, and then skaters, which is my favorite cardio (!) but then she’s got you back in plank again for jumping side to side in plank. Last circuit has you doing triceps dip and a bicep curl (which I can’t curl without twisting my wrist, so I actually kick my leg instead of curling. I think that my dumbbells might be too tall and that’s why my wrists feel unsteady) and a half get up with the weight. Cardio is surfer get-ups and side mountain climbers. And then you’re finished with all the hard stuff! She has you finish off with a nice cool down with lots of good stretching and then you’re finished with that workout!

Natalie’s workout reminds me of a lot of Jillian’s and I’m familiar with all the moves. But just like in the other GymRa workout with Christie, it’s something different, and I think that’s what I welcome the most. A different voice, a different change of scenery. I like that these are filmed outside. Sometimes when I’m finished with the workout, I just want to hop into the TV and jump in that pool behind her! What I liked about it is that she did the workout with you, the change in scenery, the fact that it’s Natalie (haha), and that she demonstrated the workout and gives you a few seconds to transition in if you need. 

I burn anywhere from 200-250 calories as according to my Fitbit Charge HR. I’ve been doing this one consistently for a couple months now and I really like it! When I started out, I had to modify so much but now I can do the majority of the advanced moves! 

Christie Cash's Full Body Workout with Dumb Bells via GymRa.

In my last post, I talked about breaking up with Jillian. I’m going to talk about the first non-Jillian workout that I began doing consistently. The trainer/instructor is a woman named Christie Cash. I really like this one and I like Christie. This workout is similar to Jillian’s workouts and only 30 minutes long. What I like about it is that it gives a totally different scenery, she’s doing the workout with you the whole time (Jillian had two girls doing the workout for her the majority of the time while she does a few moves here and there but not the whole time - smart woman!), and while the moves are basically the same that Jillian does, it’s still different. Different mannerisms, different everything. You do fifteen exercises for one circuit, a couple minutes of cardio, and then you go through the circuit again, ending with the cardio again. There are a lot of lunges, which isn’t always very knee friendly and she does go quite fast. One thing I’m not sure I like is how fast she goes through the moves, especially if you’re needing a second or two to transition, but since I generally watch the workout before doing it so I have a good idea of what to expect I was okay most of the time, and now that I have the routine down pat, I do well with it. The warm up and the cool down both seem really quick and maybe not quite enough. She doesn’t talk much about correct form, so a beginner might need to watch or make sure they have the form down right before going through this one. Making sure you have the right form is something that Jillian is very good about in her workouts. (You know how I said above that Jillian does a few moves here and there while her modifier and her advanced girls do it all? Jillian is usually showing you the right form!) I always get a good laugh when Christie ends a move with, “You’re [insert body part you just worked] should feel great!” and by great if you mean burning then yes!! Haha. But really, I do like this one. It gave me a much needed change when I needed it the most!

This workout includes bicep curls, shoulder presses with squats, rows, deadlifts, pyramid squats, lunges with lateral raises (which I absolutely abhor), lunges with a knee tuck (which I hate, hate, hate!!), and ab rotations, woodchoppers, side crunches. There is no mat work on the floor but since I hate floor/mat work I like that. ;) Occasionally it seems as if their might be editing problems because there are times where she’ll have you do the moves 20 times instead of 15. It’s all in the first circuit (that I’ve noticed). Cardio is plyo squats, knee tucks, and fast feet. 

I haven’t taken photographs and I didn’t take before and afters with his because I didn’t think that I would do it consistently when I started, but I think I can tell some good changes in my body since doing this one! But because I like it, I recommend it anyway. I use my eight pound dumb bells and I find that I burn anywhere from 200-250 calories as according to my Fitbit Charge HR.