So, at the weekend my boyfriend and I booked an 11 night trip to Tunisia with the aim of relaxing, spending some much needed time together and enjoying a cocktail or two. But there’s one thing that makes me anxious about stepping onto the beach in a bikini - the dreaded winter wobble.
Throughout winter, baggy jumpers and wholesome food get the better of me. I gouge on yummy food and my fitness regime turns to a mere thought in the back of my mind – why work out, when I can eat cake. But when summer time hits, so does my winter wobble and it’s out there for everyone to see. Now, considering I don’t have much time until I jet off abroad (6 weeks to be exact) I need a get fit, fast remedy and seeing so many fantastic reviews about Jillian Michaels’ workouts, I thought why not give it a try.
Now before I start I will be honest and say I’m a healthy weight, an average size with a boyish frame. I by no means need to shed the pounds, but be more toned, especially in the tummy area, which is why I thought this DVD was perfect for me. I have always enjoyed circuit training type exercises and Jillian’s 30 Day Shred works in a similar way. It combines strength, cardio and abs in a 3, 2, 1 workout. That’s 3 minutes of strength, 2 minutes of cardio and 1 minute of abs, repeated three times. Each circuit uses a different exercise and works on strengthening different areas of the body. Plus the DVD is split into three levels, level one, two and three all of which you do for 10 days at a time.
After measuring my key areas and taking a before photograph (for my eyes only) I was ready to start level one.
I’m not going to lie but level one wasn’t the hardest workout I’ve ever done. The cardio is great for getting your heart pumping, but not enough to completely wipe you out but the strength and ab exercises are tough.
After a week or so, I definitely saw a change in my fitness. After day 5, the cardio became much easier and I became a lot stronger – instead of stopping for a 5 second rest during the push up exercise, I could carry on right through and the same with the bicycle crunches.
However, slight mishap on my part. When I started doing this workout I didn’t have any hand weights, so I used tinned tomatoes instead – not the heaviest of items! On day 8, I started using 2kg weights and really struggled with some of the exercises, which made it even harder when I started level 2 because my body wasn’t used to the strength.
Jillian Michaels on the whole does get a little irritating. Her Americanisms grind on you, especially when you’re caught in the middle of a bicycle crunch. But after a while you learn to ignore and concentrate on gaining a body like Natalie’s.
Day 1, Level 1 starting body measurements:
Arms 27cm
Thighs 54cm
Upper waist 76cm
Lower waist 81cm
Hips 92cm
Lets see how I cope with level two...!
Lets see how I cope with level two...!
