Shred-head update and Level 3 commentary!

Let me start this post by sharing that all three of my kids harassed me mercilessly about posting the pictures above. My daughter poked fun at my workout skort with a sarcastic, "Mom, what in the world are you wearing? She then added insult to injury when she asked if I could crop myself out of the picture on the left and send her just Scout. My oldest son took one look at my talking cartoon bubbles (a proud design moment, btw) and simply said, "Mom, sometimes I feel bad for you." Next up was my youngest son who upon seeing the pictures said, "Are you sure you want your readers to know how weird you are in real life?" Seriously, what is wrong with my children?!

And on that note, allow me to introduce my newest blog readers to Scout-the-wonder-pup, who also happens to be my biggest (littlest?) Shred supporter. As you can see, Scout was there to cheer me on when I graduated to...are you ready for this? Level 3 for the first time! Never mind that it took my body two full days to recover before I could attempt it again. Last night was my 5th time to do Level 3 and I am now over the hump. For those of you who are just now tuning into my Shred journey, I have completed the full 30 days (Level 1 for the 20 days, Level 2 for ten days). My goal in the aftermath of the 30 Day Shred is to do Level 3 (every-other-day) and sometimes incorporate Level 1 or 2 on the off days. The one time I tried doing Level 3 for two days in a row, I felt a strong temptation to cuss at my television set and curse Jillian Michaels, so I guess you could say that I'm fleeing the temptation.

That said, here are a few random thoughts regarding my overall assessment of level 3:

• Those of you who posted comments saying that level 3 was not any harder than level 2 (in your opinion), are either A) delusional, B) much younger than me, C) in much better shape than me, or D) all of the above.
  

• The following day, it was painful to sit, stand, or lie down for extended periods of time. Translation: I hobbled around, whined incessantly to my family members, and popped the maximum number of Advil tablets allowable per day. When there was little improvement on the second day, I suggested that my husband call our pastoral care minister at the church to see if we qualify for the meals ministry. It was certainly worth a try.
  

• When Jillian made this comment during the dreaded Superman move: "If you're following our 30 Day Shred, you should be seeing that six-pack right about this time," I wanted to crawl through the TV set and slap her silly. Um, earth to Jillian, for those of us who have birthed multiple children and are pushing 50, the closest we will come to seeing a six-pack is on the drink aisle at the local supermarket.
  

• The move that looked easy, but proved anything but: Scissor crunches. Mercy. Muscles I didn't even know existed were screaming in pain.
  

• Rockstar jumps: There are no words for this. You would think that my cheerleader days would have put me at an advantage, but such was not the case. I had to sit out on the 2nd set. Besides, I needed the 30 second break to wipe up the sweat that was pouring off my body and spritz my face with the kitchen sink sprayer.
  

• Jumping lunges, aka: "jump training." I am convinced that this will be a required workout move in Hell's Gym. All the more reason to pause right now and make sure you are right with God. I don't normally endorse scaring folks into the gates of heaven, but the thought of round-the-clock circuits of jump lunges with no ability to lower the thermostat just might be incentive to get saved. I found it interesting that Jillian referred to this move as an "eccentric contraction." Having birthed two of my three children naturally, I will have to admit that by the final jump lunge on the second set, I was pondering which type of contractions were in fact, more painful. And yes, I would definitely recommend Lamaze breathing while doing jump lunges.

Next week, I will post another Shred-head update and the results of both my sons' first-ever attempt at doing the Shred workout, starting with Level 3 (pictures and possible clip included). Mind you, one of them plays three sports and works out regularly. The other one has been talking smack for weeks about how effortless the workout looks and bragging that he could easily master it, starting at Level 3. Suffice it to say, I called his bluff and feel vindicated.

Now it's your turn. How are you doing?