Has anyone tried Jillian Michaels ripped in 30?

[Princess_1]

What are your thoughts? I am thinking about getting this, but I am unsure yet.

[JenniLacey]

Pretty sure you can find the full video on youtube.

It's a fun cardio routine but you won't get "ripped" from it. The weights are too light and repetitions too high. It makes for a challenging cardio video but you won't burn as many calories as many other forms of cardio that are continuous moderate-high intensity, if that is your goal.

[abb123]

@JenniLacey   I'm not sure what you are basing that statement on.  "ripped" is simply a term used to say that muscles are well defined, which has little to do with size.  If she burns all of her fat and has any muscle at all, she can be very well ripped. (Bruce Lee comes to mind) 

Also, small weights will help you gain muscle mass.  Not as extreme as heavy lifting, but over the course of 30 days, if she were to use some 5 pound weight during the exercises, she would see significant gains in muscle and endurance.

[Tatalus]

Hi There.  I have this DVD and think that it is really good.  I can't do levels 3 and 4 as I find they are too hard for me, but I love levels 1 and 2.  The best thing is that 30 minutes and it is over!!!!

[KLD1]

Hi

You can get level 1 of 30 day shred on youtube but cant get ripped in 30.  Well, i dont think so.  I am a big fan of Jillian Micheals.  I have the 30 day shred. Lose it with Weights (kettle bell), The 6 week stomach one and the ripped in 30.  You can give a good effort in the 30 minute sessions and your fitness improves.  You will also notice changes in  your physique if you stick to it.

Its based around interval training doing some strength (your own body weight and weights - which you can increase to suit when you improve), cardio and abs.  All in short bursts.  Go for it!!!

[JenniLacey]

"Also, small weights will help you gain muscle mass.  Not as extreme as heavy lifting, but over the course of 30 days, if she were to use some 5 pound weight during the exercises, she would see significant gains in muscle and endurance."

-- In order to build muscle you have to create microscopic tears in the muscle fiber, correct? Sure... you *could* do this in hundreds of repetitions and spend way more time than need be trying to create these tears. Or you could use heavy weights/resistance and cut the amount of repetitions and your workout in half. It's just ineffective. In order to build muscle you have to challenge it in a way it isn't used to... lifting something as heavy as your handbag is hardly going to provide adequate challenge. I wager it would take more like 12 months to see any noticeable gains doing a JM video.

She would increase endurance, I'm not arguing that. They're cardio videos. My point is that they shouldn't be a replacement for a proper weight training program and you're not likely to build much muscle using them because JM uses the 15+ rep zone which is endurance training, ie; cardio.

Personally, I've done the JM videos and they are fun. I just think there are far more effective ways to get toned and that these sort of videos are not a substitute for strength training. They are endurance videos. But.... if they help someone who is new to exercise get their foot in the door and help them to establish the foundation of a strength training and cardio routine, there's nothing wrong with that. I can guarentee that most women who are "ripped" or "toned" (not excluding Jillian herself and her fitness models) did not become that way lifting 5 lbs weights. I certainly didn't. It's very difficult for a woman to gain noticeable muscle mass (and of course stripping away fat is equally important)... we have to work our butts off for it and use weights that provide more challenge than the groceries we carry to our minivans.

ETA: Darn, you're right. There's just a 5 minute clip for it. Well if the OP hasn't tried the 30 day Shred yet, why not start with that and see if you like it? Ripped in 30 is very similar but a little more challenging than 30DS.

[KLD1]

HI,

I use these as top ups to my normal training.  I like them though.  However, I would like some tips on getting more toned this year.  I do spinning, some jogging but need to work on this, gym and circuit.  When i cant get to the gym I use my bike at home and DVD's and kettle bells.  I cant run at present as too dark where i live when i get home.  You need a torch just to walk ourside.  This is why I got the fitbit.  I really want to increase all aspects of my daily activity.

[JenniLacey]

KLD1,

Are you in the process of losing weight or are you currently maintaining your weight?

It's difficult to gain muscle while on a calorie deficit to lose weight, it can be done if you eat clean (make every calorie vs. nutrient count), get adequate protein and only create a slight deficit from your total calorie expenditure. You're only losing under 1/2 lb/week.

If you're maintaining your current weight and you want to gain muscle quickly, before the summer. You can try eating at a slight calorie surplus... about 200-400 cals above your TDEE while using a challenging routine in the 8-12 rep zone. You can either do a full body routine 3x a week or break up your muscle groups 4-6 days a week... up to you. Just make sure you're allowing adequate recovery (48 hours) between working muscle groups. You'll gain weight, muscle weight with hopefully minimal fat gain but you will gain some (likely nothing noticeable to anyone but you). Limit cardio to 30 mins of high intensity interval training only a few times a week.

You could follow this plan for the next 3-4 months and then in the spring reduce your calories slightly (to reduce muscle loss while losing weight) -200 to -400 cals from TDEE to lose any fat gained and show off your new muscles. Continue the same training.

I personally prefer compound exercises for beginners, that really ensure all muscles are being worked... deadlifts, squats, lunges, pull ups, push ups, bench press, overhead press, one arm rows, planks.

[KLD1]

Thanks for the reply.

Im not big but always sit 1/2 to 1 stone above pre childen weight.  I would like to see this come off but i think i would prefer the muscle definition first so may try your 2nd option.

[raindog]

I have it and really like it as far as being about to get a decent workout in a short time--- I was doing it in the morning right after getting up, before work. My problem with it was that I have rotator cuff issues with my left shoulder, and after level one she includes a lot of weight exercises that made my shoulder worse, so I can't advance to the other levels and I got bored with 1. I really liked 30 Day Shred better because this one seems to focus more on weights and less on cardio, although that might be my perception. 

[Naomi94]

I have done Jillian Michaels ripped in 30 several times. It is a great workout

[abb123]

@JenniLacey High  reps (12+) with a moderate amount of weight will definitely increase your muscle mass. Low weight is relative to what your ability is already, but not everyone wants to add a lot of large muscle, they want leaner, more enduring muscle.    

At any rate, you basically said the same thing I said in a much more detailed explaination.  Since I followed my initial statement with (not as extreme as heavy lifting).

[JenniLacey]

Low reps do not add large muscle.... there is no such thing as large muscles vs. endurance muscles. You increase muscular endurance when doing high reps. Which can have a place in a training program if you want to increase your ability to perform a certain exercise but they do very little to increase LBM.

Women do not develop large, bulky muscles, short of taking supplements, enhancements or they have an abnormally high level of testosterone.

I lift heavy... I bench 100 lbs and deadlift 200 lbs at 5'2 and 115 lbs and am very lean. Leaness has to do with your body fat percentage vs lean body mass. Fat is bulky, muscle is dense and takes up less room per pound than fat. You want more LBM vs. fat weight if you want to be lean and toned. Therefore, you need an effective program to build LBM. Muscular endurance training is *not* that program. You do that if you want to increase your ability in sports, running, etc.

It has nothing to do with ability, the amount of weight you use is relative to your ability yes... but you can still use a weight where you reach muscle fatigue in a lower number of reps.

Please don't perpetuate the myth that if a woman lifts anything heavier than her hand bag than she'll leave the gym looking like She-Hulk. It's simply not true and causing a lot of women to waste their time.

[abb123]

I haven't perpetuated any myth.. ?  However, I'm not sure I agree with you about womens ability to build muscle without taking supplements or increasing testosterone.

Supplements are just that, supplements to a diet. Meaning if a girl changes her diet, just like a man can/does, she can develop more muscle mass.  Higher protein, fat, etc... effect women too.  If you search on "natural body building" you will see there are a lot of women in various weight classes that DO build large muscle without the use of supplements or testosterone.  

Also, if you would google muscular mass vs muscular endurance, you will see there is a difference in the types of muscle that your body builds depending on your workout routine.  Lifting heavy weights in short bursts (low reps) will build one type of fiber in your muscles, while doing low weight high reps will build a completely different fiber.  

[abb123]

One more note, because you seem to be taking all of my statements to the extreme, rather than at their face value.  I'm not suggesting that a woman is going to change her diet and be able to build the muscle of a large male body builder.  I'm only suggesting that women, relative to their gender, can become quite bulky as well.  

As with pretty much every discussion about the type of body you want or the weight you want to lose and keep off is about both the exercise habits and the diet.  

You seem to enjoy speaking in absolutes in regards to the female, which undermines the power of diet.  

[JenniLacey]

These articles should be helpful at explaining my point...

http://www.metaboliceffect.com/should-women-lift-heavy-or-light-weights/

http://www.shape.com/fitness/workouts/8-reasons-why-you-should-lift-heavier-weights

http://weightdownweightloss.wordpress.com/2013/09/10/8-reasons-women-should-lift-heavier-weights/

http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/girls-get-your-guns-why-women-should-lift-weights.html

If anything, lifting light and high reps disrupts the fat burning process in the same way just doing cardio does. It increases cortisol levels. If you want to be lean, ie; burn fat and increase muscle and look tight and toned, light weights/high reps are very inefficient.

Challenging weights and low reps make you smaller, not larger. I weigh about 10 lbs more than I weighed as a teen and young adult when I wore a size 3-4. Now I wear size 1-2 and weigh more. I'm tighter and less jiggly. I didn't accomplish that by lifting tiny weights at high reps. I lifted heavy, low reps and built muscle... quickly and efficiently. This fired up my metabolism and fat burned off quickly. At 5'2 and 115 lbs I have to eat 2300-2600 cals just to maintain my weight.

My point is; if your goal is to lose fat, be smaller, have a defined beach body all while being able to eat like a king. You'll put down the 3-5 lbs weights and lift some challenging weights.

[dterry0125]

What is your best workout with the most calories burned?

[vickilind61]

I am a little late to this topic, but I purchased the Ripped in 30 video a week ago.  I haven't tried to do it yet as I am building my endurance right now.  I've been doing Leslie Sansone walking videos and some strength training on my own.  I'm giving myself till the end of May before I start using Jillian.  I have very bad knees but I'm fairly sure I can modify.  Any ideas on if you think it can be modified for bad knees?  For those of you who have done this workout anyway.