Anyone who knows me very well knows that I am a
huge Jillian Michaels fan. Her aggressive, no-nonsense, kick-butt approach to fitness gets me moving like nobody's business. I purchased her newest DVD, "Ripped in 30," about 8 weeks ago and thought I'd share what I liked and didn't like about it with you guys.
To start off, let me give you an idea of how "Ripped in 30" works. It's a four week workout plan (with a bonus meal plan) made up of four progressive workouts, levels 1-4. You start with level 1 the first week, working out 4-5 days a week, progressing in the workouts every week until you hit the four week mark (eg. you're doing level 4 in week 4). Jillian uses her trademark 3-2-1 system in this DVD - three minutes of strength, two minutes of cardio and one minute of ab work, in that order. Each level/workout is made up of a warm-up, three circuits of exercises following the 3-2-1 system, and a cool-down/stretch. Jillian uses Level 1 and 2 as the foundation for the remaining two levels, hammering basic moves to make sure you have good form down "so you're ready when things get a little crazy [in Level 3 and 4]." As always, Jillian includes a modified/beginner version of all the moves for those who are just starting their fitness journey (or for us fitness gurus who need to catch our breath for a bit to keep going) and an advanced version for those who are looking for an off-the-charts fitness challenge.
I liked that Jillian included a meal plan with the DVD as an extra bonus. I'll be honest and admit that I didn't follow it to the letter like she says to in the DVD intro (shhh, don't tell Jillian!). If I had, my results probably would have been even better than they were, but I did find it helpful to use as a general game plan for meals.
I liked that none of the 3-2-1 moves were repeated in any of the levels. That really helped keep boredom and plateauing at a minimum for me.
This might seem silly, but I liked all of the girls she picked to be in this DVD. All of them seem to know what they were doing, and they seem to be having a good time sweating it out with Jillian. And of course Jillian seem to have a blast pushing them around. ;) I got more than one good laugh watching her joke around with them, which helped get me through the workouts.
I wish she had included a little more rest time in between circuits, especially in Levels 3 and 4, but that's more of a personal preference. I had to pause the DVD a few times on Levels 3 and 4 in order to catch my breath, but again, that's more of a personal preference as I don't like keeping my heart rate up super high for extended periods of time. And let me tell ya, your heart is
pounding like crazy when you finish, especially the last two levels, so make sure you give yourself plenty of time to recover and cool down.
So, the big question . . .
did I get ripped in 30?
Well, I don't really get "ripped" when I do these kinds of exercise programs. That's just how my muscles are. But I did observe a noticeable difference in my muscular strength and reaction time, in the way my clothes fit, in my energy levels, in my muscle tone and in my cardiovascular endurance. As I said before, I didn't follow the meal plan very closely, so that probably affected my results. I apologize for the lack of before and after photos; that would probably give you a better idea of my results.
That's my take on Jillian Michaels' "Ripped in 30" DVD.
Myrna
