Ripped in 30

I had the most amazing experience yesterday. I wish I could say that I wished upon a falling star and it came true or that I ran into Joel McHale and decided to leave his wife and kids for me, but no, this was a far more mundane amazing experience.

If you read this blog regularly (i.e. my friend Robyn) you know that I recently tried out Jillian Michaels 30-Day Shred workout video. I made it a solid two weeks before skipping a day and over time actually did the full 30 days. Like with all my good intentions, somewhere along the way life gets in the way and I had to skip a day here and there. It probably took me 40 days to get the 30 days in. I realized that the workout system she uses might be good for me when I repeatedly found myself selecting the toughest workout. Lucky for me, she came out with a new video in March that follows the same principles. So I bought it.

The new video is called “Ripped in 30,” and the best thing I can say about it is it freaking hurts. It works muscles I didn’t even know I had. And muscles that I thought I used regularly, but clearly didn’t use them up to Jillian’s standards. Thank goodness she recommends doing this 5-6 days a week, which is much more reasonable than 30 days in a row.

I’m on the Week 2 workout currently, which is where the most amazing thing happened. At one point during the workout you have to do spiderman pushups. She calls them something else, but essentially you do pushups while bringing one knee up and to the side (like you’re climbing a wall) while doing a pushup. So balancing on one leg, doing a pushup and doing a crazy oblique thing with your non-balancing leg. In full disclosure, I’m doing these particular pushups on my knees (girly, or modified, if you will) because they’re hard as hell. Two days ago I couldn’t do them. Yesterday, I was able to do them correctly and completely. I was pretty damn impressed with myself.

That was my amazing experience. That I was able to do something this difficult and intense when I couldn’t do it the day before. That’s what I love about Jillian’s work out videos. They hurt, make you want to die and/or throw up, but you see results and changes over short periods of time. Even when you’re lying in a sweaty heap after finishing the last set you feel empowered. I’m almost looking forward to doing those spiderman pushups tonight. Almost.