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I was six weeks postpartum and ready to start a workout program. I hadn’t gained a lot of pregnancy weight, but my middle section was extremely soft, and I had lost all definition in my core. The pictures below are some I took about a week postpartum. This is a good example of “skinny fat”. I looked lean, but when I flexed my abs, there were no abs to be seen…
I bought Jillian Michaels’ Ripped in 30 DVD while pregnant, but didn’t have a good feel for it because half of the moves had to be adapted to accommodate my belly. I wasn’t sure how effective it would be, but I figured even if it wasn’t very effective, at least it was something to help me get back into the habit of working out. Here are my Jillian Michaels Ripped in 30 results and review.
What the Program Includes
Workouts:
The program consists of four workouts, each of which you are supposed to do for one week. The workout routines are 24 minutes long, so pretty reasonable! The only equipment you need is one set of low weight dumbbells (five to ten pounds).
Meal Plan:
The Ripped in 30 meal plan is included and is actually available to access, download and print for free on Jillian’s website. I’m not going to lie, I did not follow this meal plan. I did find some good ideas for healthy recipes, but as you guys already know, I am not someone who diets. It’s very possible that my results wuld have been better if I had more closely followed the meal plan!
Where Can I Buy It?
You can stream Jillian’s videos or buy the actual DVD’s on Amazon.
Jillian is now doing a membership program, which includes ALL her workouts and meal plans, including Ripped in 30. The membership includes an app where you can plan and track your progress, and the workouts and nutrition can be fit to tailor your needs. There is a free 7-day trial so you can see if this is something that will work for you.
What’s in the Workout?
Jillian does a short warm-up and stretch routine for the first couple minutes, then follows this 3-2-1 interval system:
- Three minutes of strength: using dumbbells, usually consisted of three exercises repeated twice with no breaks
- Two minutes of cardio: two bodyweight exercises repeated twice
- One minute of abs: two to three exercises, only one set
The 3-2-1 system is repeated three times in each workout.
I found this system to be very effective for elevating my heart rate and getting the right balance of strength and cardio.
My Honest Opinion After Week One…
I started doing the week one workout, and I seriously thought, “This is going to be too easy. I will not be able to get results with this program.” And that’s saying something, cuz I’d just had a baby! I had really weak core muscles to begin with.
The week one workout focused heavily on hamstrings. That was the only area where I noticed soreness all week. All the other exercises didn’t make me work up much of a sweat.
But I decided to stick it out and see what the other weeks could offer.
I took the following picture at the end of week one:
It may not be super obvious in the picture, but I was really noticing how much muffin top I could pinch at this point. My core needed a lot of work, and I wasn’t getting it from the workout yet. It was really difficult for me to do just a regular plank for any length of time.
Things Started Changing On Week Two
The week two workout was SIGNIFICANTLY harder than week one. The strength exercises focused more heavily on the arms and I noticed that my chest was getting more sore as well.
One aspect that stood out to me was Jillian’s lack of focus on speed– at least during the strength circuits. Her style really emphasizes form and SLOWER strength-based movements.
By Week Three
One thing I noticed about Jillian’s week three workout was that it required a lot of balance along with strength. For me, this made it hard to have good form during the exercises and took away from the effectiveness of the workout. But I still did the best I could and did notice sore muscles and tighter abs.
Week Four: Toughest of Them All
Wow, what a difference between week one and week four! I literally could not get through the workout without taking extra breaks. Week four was tougher in all three circuits– strength, cardio and abs. There were actually a couple moves that I had to do the “easy” version.
One odd thing about week four was the long break right at the end of the workout but before stretching. Jillian has her workout buddies lie on the floor and close their eyes while breathing deeply, and she gives a motivational speech. I thought it was a bit odd, and I wanted to get on with the cool-down and stretch, so I chose to fast-forward that part.
Share the Results Already!
Okay, so I’ve talked all about the workout and what I did and didn’t like. But what it all boils down to is RESULTS! The funny thing is, I don’t think my before picture looks so different from my after picture. But I FELT different. I felt much stronger. I could still pinch my muffin top, but there was not as much there, and my abs looked generally more toned (at least to me).
Here are the pictures I took at the end of week four:
Where I Saw the Most Improvement
I noticed the biggest change in my core and shoulders. Which was lucky for me, because I would not have been happy if I’d seen no improvement in my core! I was glad that I got the added bonus of more definition in my shoulders.
Who Do I Recommend This Workout To?
I feel that this workout is best fit for:
- Beginners
- Intermediate level athletes
- People who need something to help them get back into shape before trying something harder (me!)
I feel that this workout may not be a good fit for:
- People who struggle with balance
- Advanced athletes
These exercises are not the type of exercises that you can make more difficult by adding heavier weights, unfortunately. I would not recommend doing tricep kickbacks with 20 pound dumbbells while balancing on one leg. That’s why I only recommend this workout for beginner and intermediate levels.
Have you tried Jillian Michaels’ workouts? What did you think?
If you have not given Jillian Michaels a shot yet, you should. I got the results I wanted from her Ripped in 30 program. Try out the program, then make sure to share your results in the comments below!
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