Ripped in 30: Midway Thoughts

At just 30 minutes, you’ll still get a great workout!

 

Now that I’m a bit over the half-way point of my Jillian Michaels Ripped in 30 DVD, I wanted to share some thoughts and give a midway review.  So far I’m really enjoying the DVD, and it has been a great change from P90X and can’t really run :( (womp, womp).  Because the workouts are shorter and more efficient (more exercises squeezed into less time), it’s just what I was looking for following the intensity of P90X (1 hour+, 6 days a week).  Mentally I was ready for a bit of a break, without totally falling off the bandwagon.  Here’s how I’ve been doing with the program:

•  Minimum of 4 days a week – my average has been about 5 times a week.  Jillian suggests 5-6 times a week for maximum results.  I was hoping for 6, but life happens!

• I have not been following the diet plan Jillian provides online (for free!).  If you are looking to fully complete the program, I’d suggest following it.  I have been tracking (loosely) using My Fitness Pal (except for 4^th of July…I couldn’t resist my mom’s chocolate chip cookies that I’m convinced are filled with crack they are so addicting).

• I have not been following it as a “30-day program” – though it’s designed for that and would be excellent.  This is more a ‘filler’ for me in between programs – something to keep me active on a regular basis.  So I did not take before/after pictures or measurements, though part of me is wishing I had!

• The DVD contains 4 separate workouts with the idea that you graduate to a new workout each week.  For week one you do the first workout 5-6 times and then the following week move onto workout 2 and so on.  I have been following this pattern.

I’m gonna make you sweat!

So in usual fashion, let’s get a little pros/cons list going, shall we?

Pros:

• Length.  These workouts are short.  I’m talking you-can’t-really-find-an-excuse-not-to-do-them short.  Including the warm-up and cool-down they run somewhere around 30-35 minutes.  It’s easy to squeeze 30 minutes into the day!
• Intensity.  At just 30 minutes it is amazing how intense these guys are!  By the end of the workout I am definitely sweating.  Even though the workout is on the shorter side, I feel Jillian really gets you moving and makes the time you do spend working out very worthwhile.
• Convenience.  These workouts are done at home , no need to drive to a gym!   If you’re always on the go and need the ability to quickly get a workout in, this is a great option.
• Limited Equipment.  Not a lot of equipment for this one: just hand weights.  Additionally the weights needed are pretty light – we got away with using water bottles as our weights while on vacation, and still felt the burn!  Jillian does use a mat in the video, and if you are on hard wood floors you would likely want a mat for some of the ab exercises.
• Inexpensive.  I got my DVD on amazon for around 12 dollars!  Not bad for something I’ll be able to use again and again.  12 bucks for 4 workouts seems like a deal to me!
• Low Impact.  I purchased this DVD on the advice from my Physical Therapist – and it was good advice!  This is relatively low impact – most exercises I can complete without causing issues to my knees.  There are a couple higher impact exercises, but I have been modifying them with little issue.  Even though it’s low impact, I’m still managing to sweat!
• Full-body.  Jillian targets everything!  The workouts are divided into a warm-up, 3 circuits of cardio, strength, and abs, and a cool-down.  The circuits really target everything which provides a nice well-rounded workout.

Cons:

• Monotonous.  Though there are 4 different workouts on the DVD, I have found the repetition on a daily basis a bit blah.  Once I finish the workouts, I think I will plan to shake it up and do a different workout each day, rather than each week.  The workouts themselves aren’t monotonous, I’m just used to the variety of P90X – doing something really different everyday.
• Personality. This could be a pro or con, but Jillian definitely has a strong personality.  If you don’t respond well to the whole “Macho-man” thing, this might not work for you. I have found her to be entertaining and it doesn’t really bother me.  However, I did the workouts at my parent’s house and she does swear in workout 3, which didn’t impress my mother very much…
• It’s Hard. So another pro/con…but these workouts are hard!  It can be discouraging to not being able to complete something fully – and I just finished P90X!  Jillian doesn’t use the whole “Do your best and forget the rest” so at times I feel a bit meh when I can’t do things all the way (partly due to my knees too).
• Targets Women. If you like to do your workouts with a male (or are a male), this might not be the best DVD.  Not because guys won’t get a great workout, but because it seems like a workout targeted for females.  I tried to get my brother to workout with me last week and got the comment “That’s for girls!” (We don’t need to touch on the maturity of this statement).  This DVD focuses on toning, not building, so it might not strongly appeal to guys.  If you get over the whole “this is targeted for women” thing, I think the actual moves would still get a guy in good shape!

Grrr!!! Come on Shelly!! Push it!! Arrghhh!!

Overall I have enjoyed the DVD and would recommend it to someone looking for a quick full-body workout.  If you’re serious about pursuing this DVD, here are a couple other tips.

General Tips

• Take before/after pictures.  I always find these to be incredibly motivating as you mentally feel you are “following a program.”  It makes you more accountable.
• Follow the nutrition guide, or some nutrition guide.  Diet is 85% of fitness – make sure you aren’t sabotaging your workouts!
• If you have always wanted to become a “morning work-out person” this could be your gateway drug.  At just 35 minutes, it’s something you could tag onto your morning routine without totally rocking the boat.  I have done these in the morning and really enjoyed it.
• Take the DVD with you if you travel.  This is a great one for summer, as I seem to be gone every weekend.  I have been substituting water bottles or soup cans and managed to still get my workouts in (though slightly less intense).  I may use this in the future as my “travel workout” because of the minimal equipment needed and length.

I have been impressed with this DVD and I would definitely consider another Jillian Michaels DVD in the future.  Personally I tend to prefer the whole-program-in-one-box style of the Beachbody programs (as I’m quite lazy and also like variety), but the JM DVDs are a nice inexpensive alternative to home fitness.  For now I’ll keep working out with Jillian for another few weeks until my next adventure, or my knees heal up… let’s see what happens first!

-Kelly

Have you used a Jillian Michaels DVD before?  Do you like her workouts?