to Jackie and Jillian.
I've said it 1,000 times in the past (I am shocked you guys don't call me out on this stuff because I honestly only do about 50% of what I say I'm going to do when it comes to food and fitness) that I am going to commit to strength training. It's been even harder to commit to it since switching gyms and not having access to my beloved BodyPump classes anymore. Plus my new gym is smaller and cramped and I just don't enjoy working out there.
In comes Jackie Warner (Power Circuit) and Jillian Michaels (30 Day Shred), my two go-tos for strength.
Last Friday morning, I did Jillian Michaels Level 1 Shred. And as of last night, I could still feel the DOMs in my quads and hamstrings from the lunges and squats. I also couldn't even finish the push up set. Damn I am weak.
But last Friday was the start. Every Tuesday I will be doing Jackie's Power Circuit and every Thursday/Friday I will be doing Jillian's Shred, with another day of just ab work thrown in somewhere when I have the time.
As I've said in the past, cardio is my first fitness love. I have no problem motivating myself to break a sweat. But when it comes to lifting weights, I am lazy, unmotivated, whiny, and I just plain don't want to do it. But I know it is the key to boosting my metabolism (you know, so I can eat lots of cookies) and gaining the strength and definition I so desperately want.
I decided to alternate between Jackie and Jillian because I love them both for different reasons (as I stated here) and a little variety is good for your body.
I did Jackie's Power Circuit this morning and I expect to be sore for the next few days. I did miss that sore, got-run-over-by-a-bus feeling that lets me know that I worked hard. Pain like this is the sign of progress, right?
This morning also marked the return of the green smoothie.
It's hard for me to drink these in the cold winter months whilst I'm buried under 100 feet of snow here in Boston. But once the whether starts to warm up, I crave smoothies. In the mix after my Power Circuit with Jackie this morning: a ton of spinach, one frozen banana, a handful each of frozen pineapple and mango, a scoop of protein powder, one scoop of Amazing Grass.
Oh my yum!
Are you good about strength training? Or are you a cardio queen?
I loooooooooove weightlifting. My favorite part is lifting more than some dudes in the gym. And being in the free weight area with almost all dudes while kicking their asses. Yessssssssssssss
ReplyDeleteI am good at strength training mostly because I meet with a trainer and take a few classes that only focus on strength training. I am not that good about mixing up my cardio I usually only run for my cardio, every now and then I will use the stair master to mix it up.
ReplyDeleteI love strength training, but I'm not good about it when I'm not running, they go hand in hand for me!
ReplyDeleteI've recently been a lot better about strength training (meaning I've been doing it one day a week for a few months) but I'm trying to do two days a week now. It's just so much more satisfying to know I'm burning tons of cals during cardio.
ReplyDeleteI haven't done a real workout in about 100 years - but I'm much better about sticking to cardio and yoga than I am ST. I'm hoping to change that once I move.
ReplyDeleteI am horrible at strength training. I love running but hate strength training.
ReplyDeleteI need to increase my strength training - but like you, I say that about 1 million times and never do anything.
Good for you! I was chuckling a little bit because I just bought a bunch of Jillian Michaels dvds in hopes of improving my strength. I love weight lifting and do it at least once a week, but also enjoy the videos. :)
ReplyDeleteNice! I always have big goals for lifting and am super dedicated for a few weeks then it just falls to the side. I even love doing it, I just don't find the time. Videos are a great idea!
ReplyDeleteI LOVE strength training and hate cardio. I love Core Fusion and Physique 57 because it mixes them both. Good luck. You can definitely stick to the plan :)
ReplyDeleteI'm more of a cardio girl, but I can honestly say I am happier with my body thanks to the shred. I'm very streaky with it- one week without any strength, the next week is full of it. So I'm trying to find a balance between the two as to not get bored one way or the other...
ReplyDeleteI just came across your blog and love it - I'm also a Boston area blogger who's working on a healthy balance. I love cardio too and find that strength training invariably takes a back seat, but I've been trying to get back into it. Have been wanting to try Jackie Warner's DVDs - thanks for the review!
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