Hi All!
My name is Madeline, and I am Beth’s friend/neighbor. I am definitely NOT a personal trainer – just your average law student who loves staying in shape. Beth asked me to try out Jillian Michael’s Body Revolution program and blog about it, which I am happy to do as I am getting married in less than 4 months!
A little about me: 2 years ago, I was 40 pounds heavier. I lost all my weight with a serious diet change and exercise videos. The book that changed my food perspective is called “French Women Don’t get Fat,” which sounds really awful, but it’s all about eating clean, healthy foods with no additives or preservatives. I started a cooking blog (thelawsofthekitchen.blogspot.com) that features ways to make (mostly) healthy and delicious foods at home.
Exercise videos are a must for me. For some reason, if I have to go somewhere to exercise, it seems a million times harder. Working out at home is a great way to save time, and if you can find videos you like, it’s even better. Through workout videos, I’ve gotten into pretty good shape. I promise to be honest about what I find difficult in these videos, and what I do not.
Enough about me and onto Jillian! Full disclosure: she is NOT my favorite workout video person. She can be really abrasive and sometimes it seems that she forgets that people are watching these videos over and over again. That being said, I’m really excited to try her new program.
Body Revolution is a 90-day program that goes through 3 phases. Basically, you do 2 strength videos twice a week, and 1 cardio video twice a week. Your cardio video changes once a month, and your strength videos change every two weeks! I LOVE this idea – I get bored with workouts really quickly, so I think changing it up every two weeks will be perfect for me (and hopefully you, too!). The best part: each video is only 30 minutes. For some reason, 30 minutes once a day 6 days per week sounds super reasonable to me. I’m crazy busy, but I can squeeze in 30 minutes a day, and so can you!
Today I did Phase 1 Workout 1. To be honest, I was expecting it to be a breeze for me. It’s the beginning of the series – how hard could it be?
Um, really hard.
I was able to get through the entire 30 minutes without stopping, but my muscles were shaking pretty hard by the end. She uses free weights (I used 6 pound weights throughout), and focuses on your abs, shoulders, and quads. She managed to make me feel like I got a GREAT workout in 30 minutes. My shoulders were screaming by the end, which I love. Isn’t it great to feel the muscles you’re working?!
Cons: I really do not have anything bad to say about this one! Jillian is way more aware that people have to do this video over and over again, and she’s way less annoying than usual.
Pros: This video hits some great problem areas, particularly the front of the shoulder. She gives great modifications throughout – ways to make the exercise harder, and ways to make it easier. I also love that she incorporates some yoga poses – she has you hold plank for about 30 seconds and warrior 2 for about 30 seconds. Both are very challenging, but it’s a great way for you to catch your breath mid-circuit without taking a break.
Overall: loved it! This video really made me look forward to the rest of the program. If she starts this hard, I can tell I’m only going to get stronger over the next few months. Can’t wait!
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