Running With Perseverance

When I was doing some last-minute Christmas shopping at Best Buy, this DVD jumped into my cart.

(Jillian Michaels 30 Day Shred on Amazon)

I was looking for a way to amp-up my fitness routine, and I have several fit friends who like this DVD. According to the Product Description on Amazon:

Jillian Michaels is TV’s toughest trainer, but she is committed to getting big results. As your own personal trainer, Jillian will guide you through her exclusive 3-2-1 Interval System that combines strength, cardio and abs to blast through calories for a dramatic 30 DAY SHRED. The program includes three complete 20-minute workouts which progress by level of intensity. Start with Level 1 and advance through Level 3 – in no time you’ll achieve a lean, shredded body.

The promise of 20-minute programs appealed to me, because now that I walk our dog (almost) every  morning, I really don’t have time for my Bob Harper Pure Burn Super Strength DVD (you can read my review of that DVD here).

The basic idea of the 30 Day Shred program is to do Level 1 every day for 10 days, then do Level 2 every day for 10 days, and then do Level 3 every day for 10 days. That routine wouldn’t fit into my normal schedule–no time for running!–but it worked for me over the weeks following Christmas because a minor procedure at my podiatrist’s office had me sidelined from running.

When my business trip to Switzerland was booked, I realized that I had just enough time to do each level for one week. I didn’t want to give up my Saturday long runs, and I heeded my body’s need for a rest day on Sundays, so I ended up doing each level for 5 consecutive days, taking two days off, and then moving on to the next level.

Despite the “20 minute” claim on the DVD, each level takes about 28 minutes, including the warm-up and cool-down (27:45 according to my DVD player). The workouts are quick but intense. Jillian reminds you that if you want to workout for only 20 minutes, you can’t slack off, and she’s right.

Each level has three segments, each including 3 minutes of strength moves, 2 minutes of cardio, and 1 minutes of ab work. (That’s the “3-2-1 Interval System”.) The strength segments are challenging, but since I know the will end soon, I am able to push through, although I often have to draw on my “Hard Is Where It Happens” mantra.

The cardio segments are high intensity, and include high impact and plyometric moves. The ab segments are the easiest for me–all my planking is paying off!

For the strength moves, I use 5 or 10 lb weights, depending on the target muscle group. For the cardio, I do some of the segments on my JumpSport Fitness Trampoline so I won’t totally trash my legs for running. (The squat thrusts, mountain climbers, and jump squats are plenty, thank you very much!)

Now that I’ve worked my way through all three levels, it’s really hard to pick a favorite. While the cardio segments of Level 3 are the hardest, I find some of the strength moves in Level 1 to be more challenging. I’ve decided to use the DVD on a regular basis, doing each level once a week.

Do you have any new fitness DVDs?

Have you tried Jillian’s 30 Day Shred?