Tuesday, September 4, 2012

Extreme Shed and Shred BnA and mini review






I really dislike that my belly nose refuses to go away
Couple of things: My after picture was taken after a large breakfast so I don't know if it's an accurate depiction of my progress. I will take them again Friday and compare.  I know too 4 pounds may seem measly but every pound counts as progress to me. Also, my original plan to do 2 weeks of the combined levels was foiled by my own self, by forgetting my dvd at the MIL's, so my last week was of Yoga and kickboxing.

So, Extreme Shed and Shred.
Level 1 is 42 minutes long including warm up and cool down, with 6 minutes of warm up.  It contains 4 circuits, each 4-5 moves completed twice.  Each circuit is good for keeping your heart rate up towards 85%, and the mix of things to do kept me from being bored. The cool down is long, ending in shavasanna  for a few minutes.
Level 2 is 52 minutes long and features the same warm up and cool down. This level features 5 circuits, and is a bit slower paced than the first level. It still gets you sweaty with, as Jillian says, heart gargling goodness, but still a little more low key than level 1. The extra circuit left me cursing at Jillian when she starts the second to last circuit, it made telling myself 'You're half way through, yay!' etc less effective.
Levels 1 & 2 is 1hr20min long, featuring the same warm up and cool down. This is  NOT for those who are newer to working out.  The length is for those who have been pursing fitness for awhile. It is something to work up to. That being said, this combined version still stops in the middle for brief respite, but while level 2 is lower key, by the time you hit circuit 7 you will be wondering why you thought this was a good idea. By the end of the cool down though, it will feel definitely worth it.

A few thoughts:
-Either level by itself is fine to do everyday, as suits your fitness needs
-The combined levels should be alternated with something like kickboxing or another short cardio session.  From personal experience, day after day of it will not give you enough rest in between.
-I highly recommend eating a protein bar, shake or something like greek yogurt immediately after.  The days I didn't I had bad blood sugar crashes, and felt sore for longer. This may be just me and my fitness level, but it's what I would recommend.

See you tomorrow for my weigh in!

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