Tag: 30-day Shred

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And the winner is…

…all of the above!

I decided that I can combine the 30-day Shred with the Bowflex 6-week challenge to help me with the 12-week Body-for-LIFE Challenge. Today* was SUPPOSED to be the first day of the challenge, but already I’m off to a rocky start. I had hoped to get some cardio done in the morning, but I didn’t plan ahead very well, and by the time I was ready to get started, it was time to leave the house.

Sigh.

It’s okay, though. I filled out all the paperwork for the Body-for-LIFE challenge, and then I made Ray take “before” pictures of me tonight (I promise, there is no way I’m posting those pictures until I have something to compare it to!), so tomorrow will be the official start of the challenge for me.

The packet for the challenge comes with some questions I have to answer about my inner transformation, too (yes, I have to write an essay at the end of all this, which is why chronicling my experience on the blog will help). Here’s question #1:

What was the turning point you experienced that made you decide to compete in the Body-for-LIFE Challenge?

It’s not like I had an epiphany or hit rock bottom; as I’ve mentioned before, my husband bought a Bowflex for us to get in shape, and knowing the way I work, I realized the way for me to really achieve my fitness goal is to have structure. Hence the challenge.

Here is my exercise plan for Week 1:

DAY 1 (Wed., Sep. 2)

Upper Body Weight Training

  • Warm Up – 10-min (Exercise TV On Demand)
  • Upper Body Weight Training
    • Chest Fly
    • Bench Press
    • Pulldown – seated
    • Row – seated
    • Front Deltoid Raise – seated
    • Rear Deltoid Row – seated
    • Biceps curl – standing
    • Biceps curl – lying
    • Triceps extension – seated
    • Triceps Kickback
  • Cool Down: stretches

DAY 2 (Thurs., Sep. 3)

  • Jillian Michael’s 30-day Shred (Exercise TV On Demand)

DAY 3 (Fri., Sep. 4)

  • Warm Up – 10-min (Exercise TV On Demand)
  • Lower Body Weight Training
    • Hip Abduction – seated
    • Hip Adduction – seated
    • Leg Extension – seated
    • Calf Raise – seated
    • Reverse Crunch
    • Crunch – resisted
  • Cool Down: stretches

DAY 4 (Sat., Sep. 5)

Isn’t it just like me to pick a holiday weekend when I’ll be out of town to try to get into the swing of things?

  • 30-Day Shred Day 2 (downloaded onto laptop)

DAY 5 (Sun., Sep. 6)

  • 30-Day Shred Day 3 (downloaded onto laptop)

DAY 6 (Mon., Sep. 7)

  • 30-Day Shred Day 4 (downloaded onto laptop)

DAY 7: Free Day

So that’s the plan. Let’s hope it works!

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*I meant for this post to go out earlier in the day on Sep. 1, but it looks like the time of posting will be almost midnight. So much for doing ANY of this today.

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The Contenders

As promised, I have narrowed my fitness regimen choices down from the thousands out in cyberspace to just a few. Let me know which one you think I should take!

#1: 30-day Shred

The Jillian Michaels 30-day Shred exercise regimen first got on my radar through one of my college roommates, Christine, who lives and blogs in Boston. Her “after” pictures in a bikini radiate so much confidence that I couldn’t help but check out the program she used. Turns out she followed along with the Shredheads as they worked out with Jillian for 30 days back in March.

Imagine my surprise when my friend Amy recommended the same program in her comments to my last post!

PRICE: free but limited (on Comcast On Demand) to about $8 for the DVD on Amazon.

PROS: recommended by friends

CONS: This DVD boasts that you can lose 20 pounds in 30 days. Is that healthy? Or is that just hyperbole?

#2: Bowflex 6-week Challenge

I’m kind of already doing this challenge, except for the cardio part. I mean, heck, we’ve got a Bowflex, so there’s no doubt I’ll be using it. The question is, will I be able to figure out how to do all these exercises correctly? As I mentioned in my last post, the pictures and explanations in the little booklet Bowflex provided has been little to no help, and I feel like I’m flying blind.

There are some solutions to my information problems, but those solutions cost money. FitnessBliss has a fitness software solution to track and suggest different routines specific to the Bowflex ($15). There is also a “must have” book about the Bowflex called The Bowflex Body Plan by Dr. Ellington Darden ($13 used on Amazon).

PROS: I don’t have to change much of what I’m already doing, except add cardio.

CONS: It’s still a pretty DIY solution, and I’m a busy person. I’d prefer to have someone tell me exactly what to do and when.

COST: $15 FitnessBliss software + $13 book = $28.

#3: 12-week Body-for-LIFE Challenge

The Body-for-LIFE Challenge runs on the principles of eating right & exercising properly, and if you join the challenge (which starts Sep. 1 — the same time I was thinking of starting!), they provide you with exercises to do and meal planning suggestions.

PROS: Cash prizes! $25,000 for Grand Master Champion & $10,000 for Category Champions.

CONS: Still a little DIY, but not as much as the Bowflex Plan. And, let’s face it, anything I do will have to be customized to my own personal workout style.

COST: Free (unless I want to purchase any of the numerous EAS products they have on their website — for which I would be reimbursed, naturally, if I win. Hey, they’ve gotta make money somehow).

I’ve got a pretty good idea what I’m going to do now, but I’d love to hear what you think, either in the poll below or in the comments section.

Let me know what you think!