It is no secret that I love myself some Jillian Michaels workouts. I would say about 90% of my workouts are Jillian's. I love the circuits. I love changing exercises often. I love strength training and cardio all in one workout. I also love that she has so many DVDs that I can have a different workout or combination of workouts every day for a couple of weeks. Sometimes I combine workouts in the same muscle groups and sometimes I try to mix it up. For most of her workouts you will need some hand weights. Start out small and work your way up.
I have had a lot of questions about what workouts I like the best and why. Well, that is kind of hard to do because I like them all for different reasons. I workout for about 45-65 minutes, 6 days a week and I often complete more than 1 DVD in any given workout. Here is my overview of my workout collection.
Jillian Michaels The 30 Day Shred-This is the one I started with when I first decided I needed to get in shape. I think it is often the one that everyone starts with. It is a series of 3, 25 minutes or so workouts, with the 3-2-1 system. This is 3 circuits of 3 minutes of strength, 2 minutes of cardio and 1 minute of abs. All of the exercises are different in each circuit. All of these workouts have a modifier to watch for the beginners.
Jillian Michaels Ripped in 30-This is the second one I bought. It has 4 different workouts with the same format as The 30 Day Shred.
Jillian Michaels Extreme Shed and Shred-I must say that I really love this one. This one has 2 different workouts. They have the same warm up and the same cool down. If done separately, the first workout is about 37 minutes and the second is about 42 minutes. If you do them together, it is about an hour long (only doing the warm up once and the cool down once.) This does not have the 3-2-1 format but still goes through many exercises (strength AND cardio) throughout the workout. I love the variety of this workout.
Jillian Michaels Cardio Kickbox-This one is a little deceiving. It isn't really much of a kickboxing workout. Sure, there are some kickboxing moves and you will get a great cardio workout, but I think calling it kickboxing is a stretch. This one is about 27 minutes long and I normally combine this with a 30 Day Shred workout, an ab workout or Shred it.
Jillian Michaels Kickbox Fast Fix-This one is 3, 20 minute kickboxing workouts. The first is for upper body, the second for lower body and the third for abs. I am not going to lie, I am not the most coordinated person in the world, so some of these kickboxing combinations were difficult for me, but I can do them fine now after practice. I normally do a couple of these at a time depending on my mood.
Jillian Michaels 6 week Six Pack- This DVD has 2 (35 minutes or so) workouts. It uses hand weights and combines cardio and strength.
Jillian Michaels Killer Abs-3 great workouts, about 30 minutes each. Beware of the 3rd workout if you have bad knees. My knees aren't that great and I hurt myself on the third workout. I only do workouts 1 and 2.
Jillian Michaels Killer Buns and Thighs- This one has 3, 30 minute workouts. You need hand weights and a chair. You will certainly have sore buns and thighs after these workouts.
Jillian Michaels Shred it with Weights-LOVE IT! It is a Kettle bell workout. If you don't have a kettle bell, you can just use a hand weight. Just be careful with the hand weight because I whacked myself in the shin once. Not pretty. ;) There are 2 (35 minutes or so) workouts.
Jillian Michaels No More Trouble Zones-This is one of her first DVDs and it is an effective one. There is only 1 workout in this one. It is about 50 minutes long and focuses on shoulders, chest, arms, abs, back, legs, hips and glutes. Many of these exercises work many muscles at once. She starts working on an area and works it until you are shaking, then she moves on to something else.
Jillian Michaels Yoga Meltdown-This is a nice change. Now, don't think to yourself, "WOW, I'm sore. I should do the Yoga Meldown for an easier workout." There are 2, 30 minute workouts on this one and they are challenging. It requires a lot of balance.
Jillian Michaels Hard Body-see
yesterday's review of this new, awesome workout.
Other frequently used workouts:
P90X Ab Ripper X-This is a 16 minute that focuses solely on your abs/core and like Tony Horton says, "I hate it, but I love it." It is challenging for the entire 16 minutes. It is from the Beachbody series. You can't buy this DVD separately. You CAN find a friend who no longer uses their P90X DVDs and snag this 16 minute gem.
This is Taebo-Yup, Billy Blanks...I owned his VHS tapes when they were sold late at night on TV back in the 90s. I love myself some kicking and punching so I tend to do this once a week or so.
Taebo Cardio Explosion-This one is similar to the previous one. It has "Cardio" in the title, but I don't think it is any more "Cardio" than This Is Taebo.
Bob Harper Body Rev Cardio Conditioning-Everyone thinks that Bob is the nice one on The Biggest Loser, but let me tell you something. He is ruthless. This is over an hour long and TOUGH!
Bob Harper Pure Burn Super Strength-You use weights the ENTIRE time. It is pretty repetitive and PAINFUL. You use weights the entire time and talk about sore arms? OUCH!!
Winsor Pilates- another late night TV purchase. LOVE IT. Works your core. I like doing this one because it lengthens and strengthens. No cardio here, just a good workout.
If you were to ask be what my top 5 favorite workout DVDs would be, I'd say 30 Day Shred, Extreme Shed and Shred, Kickbox Fast Fix, Killer Abs, and Hard Body. My 6th favorite is Shred It with Weights. ;)
If you have any questions about these, don't hesitate to ask. I will do my best to answer.
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees
1 cup quinoa
Do you drink coffee all day? Do you look for those energy drinks that have loads of calories or chemicals to help you get through the day? I found a NATURAL energy drink that has only 10 calories. It is EBOOST and I LOVE IT! When I find myself dragging, I get the powder packets and dissolve one in a glass of water and go about my day. There is pink lemonade and acai pomegranate. There is also one that is Immunity Boosting. Both of my kids had colds, so to try to not get a cold myself, I drank the Natural Orange to help boost my immunity. It worked!! I also love the fact that I don't crash after a few hours. I found mine at the Vitamin Shoppe and at Amazon. I highly recommend these as you can also keep some in your purse to have when you really need it.
These are all problems that almost every teenage girl goes through. They look at the magazines and the TV shows and the movies and aspire to be like them. Uggg, it is the worst.
Who doesn't LOVE a soft pretzel? Look at this! It is a Fold it (from the makers of Flat Out) for your sandwich! It is only 100 calories and 6 grams of protein! It is so yummy! Enjoy this soft pretzel sandwich with your favorite sandwich fixings. You won't regret it!
Maybe I have been watching too many food documentaries. I have been taking a hard look at processed foods. There are far too many processed foods in the world and I am trying to be more cognizant of the foods that I put in my body and my family. Now, I know I won't be one of those people who will cut all processed foods out of my diet but I certainly can reduce it. 
Before every meal I have been having a full glass of water with a couple of tablespoons of Bragg Apple Cider Vinegar to aide in digestion. It is rich in vitamins and minerals, eases digestion and washes toxins from the body. 
I know. I haven't posted much lately. Our kitchen is being renovated and it is not a big motivator to try new recipes. We should be back to normal soon. Hang in there with me. All I wanted was a new backsplash and it has snowballed into something much bigger. We are all waiting on the new counter tops now. :)
No Time
It is no secret that I love myself some Jillian Michaels workouts. I would say about 90% of my workouts are Jillian's. I love the circuits. I love changing exercises often. I love strength training and cardio all in one workout. I also love that she has so many DVDs that I can have a different workout or combination of workouts every day for a couple of weeks. Sometimes I combine workouts in the same muscle groups and sometimes I try to mix it up. For most of her workouts you will need some hand weights. Start out small and work your way up. 
I was ecstatic when I heard that Jillian had a new DVD coming out. Hard Body has 2, 45 minute workouts. Today, I did work out one. I can tell a good workout by how un-cute my hair looks by the end. I had horns after this one. 
For the first 25 minutes of this workout there was a 5 minute warm up and then 6 different circuits. After 25 minutes, the 6 circuits repeated. As usual, Jillian gives modified moves as well as more advanced moves. I loved the fast pace. It was a sweat-fest. What excites me now, is that I know what to expect. I know the moves. I will burn more the next time. I love the challenge! Needless to say, I definitely recommend this workout. 
I love coffee. I drink it A LOT. This morning, I decided to make a protein shake with my morning coffee and it was DELIGHTFUL!
2 Tablespoons Chili Powder
This morning I decided to change things up a bit and made myself a breakfast pizza! I put a multigrain tortilla in the oven at 350 degrees right on the oven rack until it was crispy (about 10 minutes). Then I sprayed a pan with cooking spray and cooked an egg. When the tortilla was done, I spread one laughing cow light garlic and herb cheese wedge and then half an avocado. I put the egg on top and added some freshly cracked pepper! DELISH!
As you may know from reading my blog in the fall, I love apples. I go apple picking with the hubs and our kids every year. I love apples baked/cooked in everything too. It is a cold and snowy day here and I just needed a snack that would warm me up and make me think I was eating something that wasn't so good for me. :)
I am a huge fan of dips. I loooove fondue as well. Here is a healthy snack that won't break the calorie bank. I made 2 dips, one peanut butter and one chocolate to dip my fruit in. 
