Jillian Michael's 30 Day Shred Workout Video Review

Jillian Michaels, one of the popular trainers from The Biggest Loser TV show came out with the 30 Day Shred workout video.  I had heard mixed reviews on it but wanted to give it a try and challenge myself for a full 30 days.  I popped in the workout video to get an idea as to what I was getting myself into.  My initial opinion before starting the workout was that it seemed simple because I had done some of the moves before in past workouts.  But definitely don't mistake simple with easy.

I would consider myself advanced when it comes to exercise.  I usually work out at least 5 days a week doing a combination of different exercises and have been doing that for about 5 years now.  The 30 Day Shred was tough in some aspects but overall I would say a great workout video.  I love how Jillian Michaels pushes you to keep going although she's not as intense as she is on The Biggest Loser show.

The 30 Day Shred follows a 3-2-1 formula that is said to be effective at burning fat and building lean muscle.  There are 3 levels, approximately 20 minutes each and there are 3 circuits in each level.

Circuit 1- Strength
Circuit 2- Cardio
Circuit 3- Abs

The strength circuit is 3 minutes long, the cardio circuit is 2 minutes and the abs circuit is 1 minute in length.  Hence the 3-2-1 formula.

The only items you'll need for the 30 Day Shred workout video are hand weights (I used 4 lb and 2 lb weights) plus a mat if working on a hard surface.  My workout area is carpeted but I still chose to use a mat.

There are a variety of moves throughout each level from basic to advanced.  Here are some examples:

• jumping jacks
• butt kicks
• crunches
• plank jacks
• mountain climbers
• superman

and more!

The option to modify versions of many of the moves is there plus Jillian shows proper form too.

I didn't find the music to be motivating and I was disappointed as I mentioned in my 30 Day Shred workout video overview blog post that you can't skip straight to the workout once the dvd starts.  I would have to start the video before I got dressed to work out because it took a while for it to get to the main workout.

In the video, Jillian mentions that if you need to take a 5 second break it's OK and it would have been a bonus to see her put more focus on water intake.  Warm up and cool down were a little short especially for beginners but as usual you can modify that and warm up/cool down at your own pace.

I'm not sure how I feel about the claim "Lose up to 20 lbs in 30 Days" that is stated on the cover of the 30 Day Shred workout video.  I imagine it could be possible to lose that much but I haven't heard anyone who has experienced that yet.  I'm sure following the diet plan mentioned in the video would aide in that as well.

I had very little inch loss and no weight loss BUT I did feel much stronger as I advanced through each level.  That is an awesome feeling!

I would recommend this workout for a good challenge.  I personally will not do the 30 Day Shred workout video in it's entirety again because I like to have more variety in my workouts.  I found myself getting a little bored of the same thing for 10 days straight on each level.  But it will be a good addition to my regular workouts.

This quick 20 minutes goes by fast and anyone looking to better their health and strength can find an extra 20 minutes to fit this workout into their schedule.  Overall, I would give the 30 Day Shred workout video a thumbs up and as you can see above, I gave it 4 stars!

You can see on my 30 Day Shred workout video overview blog post how the entire 30 days turned out or you can also find all posts through my 30 Day Shred blog category.