I’m back for a little workout update. I have 16 days left of my 30 Day Shred, and I’ve progressed onto Level 2 now. Here’s a little breakdown of the Jillian Michael’s 30 Day Shred Workout video:

• What you’ll need: Light weights (3 lbs. + depending on how studly you are) and a mat if you’re on a hard surface. Defibrilator is optional

• The Shred workout is approximately 30 minutes long. There is a brief warm up and cooldown before the main 20 minute workout.

• The workout is based around a 3-2-1 format. 3 minutes of Strength (with weights). 2 minutes of Cardio. 1 minute Abs. This is repeated for a total of 3 circuits.

• The entire DVD consists of 3 levels. An easy breakdown is to tackle each level for about 10 days. As soon as your body starts to feel comfortable with a level, it’s fine to progress. As for me, I felt that at about days 7-8 I was ready to move on to Level 2. However, I stuck with Level 1 just to build a little more endurance.

• The workout maximizes your calorie burn by combining strength, cardio, and abs. For example, you will be combining lunges and squats with weights. Combining crunches with weights. And in between…quick bursts of cardio (jumping jacks, leg kicks, punches, etc). With everything combined, you WILL feel like you’re at bootcamp.

• I like Jillian’s style. She’s not one of those sugary sweet trainers that has a botox smile through the entire thing. I’ve never seen her on the Biggest Loser, but I’ve decided her no-bull personality is just fine when you’re trying to get a serious workout done in 30 minutes.

• There are no breaks! She emphasizes over and over again that if you want a maximum workout in such a short time, there isn’t a minute to lose. With that said, should you lose consciousness on your floor for a minute or two … no one will hold it against you.

• Overall, I’m really enjoying the workout, mainly because it is short enough that I can fit it in when Noob Baby is taking her nap, and still have time to take a shower! I also like that it is TOUGH. I feel like I’m really toning up. I haven’t noticed much weight loss yet (outside of what I was already losing with managing my calories), but I do notice my body feeling more toned. I think I felt an ab muscle under that baby belly! With the commitment to daily workouts, I also get some extra room in my food budget to eat some snacks during the day or an extra dessert at dinnertime. Hurray!

• At this point, I’m not really sure I’ll shred off a whole lot of weight in 30 days, but I’m satisfied to know that I’m getting in shape at the very least. I wasn’t working out at all before this, so it’s greatly impacted my overall energy level and happiness. It always feels good to be doing something strenuous, whatever that workout may be. I plan on continuing this workout or another one after my 30 days are done!

• And last recommendation, check your cable channels to see if you have some sort of Free/On-Demand exercise channel. Both Level 1 & 2 Shred workouts were available on my cable for free for the month of August. They seem to rotate in new workouts regularly so you can preview these for free before you decide to buy your own DVD!

I’ll give you a final update after I finish Level 3. Good luck workout buddies!