Thursday, May 31, 2012

New to You Cross Training Challenge - May


So - last day of the month, and what am I doing?  Scrambling to complete my New To You Cross Training challenge post of course!  And guess what else?  I am a big fat liar. For last month's submission I reviewed workouts #1 and 2 of Jillian Michaels Body Revolution workout system...

....and I said in that post that I wouldn't be using workouts 3 and 4 for my May cross training submission.  But, that's exactly what I'm going to do.  Because unless you count getting hooked on the TV show Justified as a new cross training workout, I haven't done anything else new in May.

well, hello cowboy!
  So yes, I'm a liar, but after my last post it sounded like some people were interested in hearing exactly what the workouts consist of, so hopefully this will be of interest...

Here's a breakdown of the two new workouts I did in May - workouts #3 and #4 in Phase 1 of the 90 day program (each workout is done twice a week for two weeks before moving on to the next workouts).

Workout 3 (Front of the body)
Warmup:  jumping jacks/cat and cow(?) stretch/standing high kicks/lateral leg swings each side/jumping jacks again

Circuit 1:
Push ups military style
Hold downward dog position with arm reaching through to opposite leg and holding/switch arms
Alternating back lunges (weights for added difficulty)
Raise arms/lower to ground and walk out to a plank/hold/walk back and up to standing position
Cardio interval (one minute): Jump rope
Repeat circuit (except cardio)

Circuit 2:
Sumo squats with tricep extentions (with weights)
Camel yoga pose - reach back and tap the opposite toe
Squat with overhead press (with weights)
Lunge with cable chest press
Cardio interval: Squat with punches
Repeat Circuit

Circuit 3:
Plank to Crescent pose/back to plank/switch legs/repeat
Tricep dips on floor in crab position (hold one leg out straight to add difficulty)
Side crunches each side (straight legs for added difficulty)
Cardio interval: Sumo hops
Repeat Circuit

Circuit 4:
Tree pose with lateral raises one side (with weights)
Plank-ups switching sides
Tree pose with lateral other side
Abs - inch worms
Cardio interval:  Mogul twists
Repeat Circuit

Cool down

Workout 4 - (Back of the body)
Warmup:  butt kicks/standing stretch with leg crossed over knee and sitting back/backwards arm circles/butt kicks again/stretch with opposite leg/arm circles again

Circuit 1:
Alternating forward lunges (weights for added difficulty)
Static squat with medium row (with weights)
Single leg dead lift with upright row (with weights)
Single leg dead lift with upright row opposite leg
Cardio Interval: Skaters
Repeat Circuit

Circuit 2:
Alternating side lunges with bicep curls (with weights)
Bent wide row (with weights)
Surrenders with weights
Step ups with hop (with weights)
Cardio Interval: Side to side hops
Repeat Circuit

Circuit 3:
Leg lifts (on ground) one side with weights
Plank with alternating leg lifts
Leg lifts opposite side
Hollow man
Cardio Interval:  Fast Feet
Repeat Circuit

Circuit 4:
Lat/Terry (sp?) pulls one side (with weight)
Good mornings with weights
Lat/Terry pulls opposite side
Squirms
Cardio Interval:  Jab/Cross/Hook/Uppercut combo
Repeat Circuit

What I like:
  • I'm really liking that you only do each set of workouts for 2 weeks and then you switch.  As with any  DVD, after you do them for a while you start to memorize them, so it's nice to know that you have a new set to do after two weeks.
  • 1/2 hour workouts - such a short amount of time it's easy to convince myself to fit it in.  Plus, if I do miss a day, I've doubled up on the workouts the next day and that lends to really great hour long workout as well.   My favorite way to fit it in is go for a short run as a warm up and then do a workout. 
  • Last time I commented that workouts 1 and 2 were a bit on the easy side - but I've since changed my tune.  Not only are these workouts more challenging, but I think that they all are as hard as you make them to be.  Either by increasing the weights or by doing the modifications JM recommends - it's easy to get a really challenging workout.

What I don't like:
  • The cooldown/stretching sections are pretty short.  I think I just need to stretch more, so I just ignore what she does and stretch for significantly longer than the DVD does.
  • She states in workout #3 that you should have lost about 5 lbs by now - which, really? In 2 weeks - isn't that a lot?  I assume this is probably for people who are not only doing the workouts, but are also following the meal plan that comes with the DVD's as well (which I am not doing).  The workouts alone don't seem to me like they would be enough without a significant dietary change as well.  I don't know what, if any, weight I have lost because I don't own a scale - but I do know my jeans are looser - so I'll take it!
  • Jillian - well she yells and acts tough and all her usual stuff.  It doesn't really bug me for the most part, but some days (depending on my mood) it grates.  This is why it's good that the DVD's switch out every two weeks!
All in all I'm happy with this workout program so far.  As the workouts go on I'm feeling more and more challenged, so that has kept me motivated and interested.   Hopefully next month I will do a different and more interesting cross training workout and I won't be reviewing workouts 5 and 6 for my June submission.... :)

7 comments:

XLMIC said...

Holy cow...that's some solid work! I need to dust of my JM dvd...it's so lonely and neglected :P

jillconyers said...

I'm looking for new DVDs to take a needed break from the P90X and X2 routines. I keep coming back to JM. Thanks for the breakdown/review!

Beth (i run like a girl) said...

Ah! I was a last-minute Annie this month, too. Great minds procrastinate alike? ;)

Unknown said...

I have heard on her podcast that she consider this DVD to really be for people who have a lot of weight to loss so that is probably why she said 5 lbs and I would guess has to include the meal plan also!

Her dvd schedule does rock of course!

Unknown said...

Great review. May was a tough month to find something new...

Tink said...

Wow, I can't believe she tells you how much weight you should have lost by a certain point. Unbelievable. What a demotivating thing to say. How on earth could she know?

Jamie said...

Great job!! I need to start my Jillian Michaels six week 6-pack dvd soon.

I also can't believe that she mentions how much weight you should lose in 2 weeks.

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