Ripped in 30.

Good Morning, Friends!

As I mentioned in my ideal day post, I've started using Jillian Michael's Ripped in 30 dvd as part of my workout rotation.  I have found, as irritating as workout videos can be, that Jillian's are a great option for me during this season of life.  I need to be able to work out hard for 20-30 minutes and move on.  I can't spend hours in the gym or even an hour in my living room.  When the boys are sleeping I need to maximize my time to be as productive as possible.  With a 25 minute workout, I can fit lots of other things in before they wake up.

Now, let's talk details.  It is a similar concept to her 30 Day Shred.  3 circuits.  Each circuit is 3 minutes of strength, 2 minutes of cardio and 1 minute of abs.  There are 4 workouts (Week 1, 2, 3 + 4).

I have been a 30 Day Shred lover for quite some time.  Again, because it's effective.  But, if I hear Jillian say "I could always use a good chest fly in my life" one more time....I'm going to throw my hand weight through the tv.  I need to switch it up.  I get bored too easily.

There are a couple of things that I like better than the 30 Day Shred:

1.  I like that there are 4 different workouts.  Since I get bored, I only have to stick it out with one workout for a week before moving on to the next.  Eventually, I'll probably rotate all the different workouts.  Between 30 Day Shred and Ripped in 30, I'll have 7 different workouts.  So, I'll just choose one each day instead of doing each workout for a week before moving on the the next.  
2. There are more exercises.  There are three strength exercises instead of two in each circuit.  This is nice because it doesn't make you feel like you are repeating the same exercise for.ev.er.  It helps me stick it out.  It's a lot easier to workout even the same muscle group for longer if you're adding variety instead of trying to do even more reps of the same exercise.  Does that make any sense? 

Oh, and one last trick:

When I use these workout videos, I put them on my computer and turn the volume down pretty low while I watch the Today Show on t.v. (or I watch a show on my computer and use the t.v. for the workout).  I can still hear when she changes to a new exercise but my focus is somewhere else.  It makes the workout fly by.  It's a little difficult to do this the very first time you do the video but by the second or third time, you start to remember what's coming next so you don't need to hear all the instructions.  It's an easy way to enjoy your workout a little more!

I hope this helps some of you who are ready for a change from the 30 Day Shred or those who are looking to start somewhere!  These types of workouts are a great starting point.  They are challenging but can be modified when you're starting out!

Do y'all have any good workout plans?  Would love to hear about them!  I hear that Shaun T. (from Insanity) is coming out with T-25.  It's a 25 minute workout by the creator of Insanity.  I can't wait to look into it when it comes out!