Making the Cut: Beginner Shred

I can't even begin to tell you how excited I am that I am back to exercising! It is amazing and although I'm not back to where I was - and nowhere close - I am at least heading in that direction.

I was at a point where I felt like I was physically ready and definitely mentally ready. I wanted to get back to being more active. I also felt like PT in general was not doing enough for me. I needed to push a little harder and do a little more. So I decided it was time to jump back in. However I knew I wasn't going to be doing anything intense for awhile because like I said before I wasn't even close to the level I was at when I dislocated my knee. In some sense I'm basically starting all over.

So I needed something that would be a little easier on my leg. I can do little hops and I am currently working on being able to quicksteps but I'm not to running yet. Of course I'm not a runner but in a lot of my workouts there is some serious cardio. So at least for my first workout I needed some low-impact stuff. Which meant Jillian Michaels Beginner Shred was exactly where I needed to start.

I was definitely excited but also very nervous. It's been so long since I have exercised and although my knee is out of any danger zone I'm never completely sure about how well it will hold up. So my goal for my first day was just to complete the workout. I could go at whatever pace and use the lightest weights but I wanted to get through the 20 minutes.

And I did. I made it through day one of level one and I felt amazing. I didn't burn a ton of calories but I felt like I still got a good workout. It was definitely the best place for me to start. I had get over my fear of modified push-ups which meant I was on my knees and I had to fight to get through the first circuit which was all squats and lunges. But I survived the workout and ready for the next day.

Then the next day it was a little bit easier. My knee bothered me less. I could do a little more, a little faster. Of course across the board I still continued to struggle a little with lunges when my left leg was in the back because that's a hard one, but each time I did it it got a little easier. I also struggled through the push-ups because apparently I'm really out of shape. But it felt good to something other than PT. It felt good to sweat a little and wake up the next morning feeling a little sore.

I definitely had a good start to working out again, starting out strong for two weeks at level one.

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I was definitely nervous about level 2. I knew that in the warm-up there was jogging in place. There were moving backward lunges and side lunges. But when my two weeks were up with level one I was ready to move on to something more. My goal was much the same as going into level 1, I just want to make it through. I used only 3-pound weights and just aimed to do the best I could.

Turns out all the worry was for nothing. Granted I still struggle with running in place. That's a hard one for me still. I lack the strength to control my leg and I'm basically relearning but it will get there. And each time I do it, I get a bit stronger. But the rest of the workout wasn't nearly as bad as I imagined it to be. I didn't struggle with any of the leg stuff like I thought I could and even thought about how I really needed heavier weights because the 3-pound weights wasn't cutting it. So after day one at this level I upped my weights to 5-pounds and continued to feel awesome.

I could definitely feel that I was growing stronger each day I was doing it. I usually struggled right at the beginning of the workout as my knee was warming up and getting stretched out. Sometimes my knee still aches some and just hurts while I'm just starting but as I get along in the workout I feel better and my knee stops hurting as much.

I have definitely learned to love the stretching at the end. I have always like stretching but even more than I used to because when I get to really stretch my quad out is an awesome feeling. Sometimes my leg still gets tight and bothers me quite a bit [when I'm not working out] and even cramps during the course of the day. So that stretch is amazing.

Overall level 2 went really well. I definitely liked stepping it up and having some harder things to do. I'm definitely not to any crazy cardio yet and it will be awhile before I am but I'm getting there and definitely feeling stronger.

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Level three definitely kicked it up a notch. Holy batman I struggled. Or at least I did at first. So remember how about five months ago I had knee surgery. Turns out I still struggle with some exercise moves. But not necessarily because of knee pain or strength but sometimes just due to not being able to figure out how to do certain moves.

Anyway, it was definitely harder. But it's a good thing to have it a little harder because that means I'm getting myself ready for the next program I'm going to do that definitely isn't a beginner workout.

At the beginning of starting this level I struggled a lot with river dance and the towel runs. Those are both knee related and its stupidity. Whereas I struggled with the tricep push-ups because apparently my triceps are a bit weak. But how else do you keep going other than to keep pushing through?! I do wonder if part of the reason why I struggled so much with this level was actually because I was still sick and just under the weather. That's definitely less than awesome when you feel terrible and you can't breathe out of your nose then try to do cardio. But I kept going.

By the end of the two weeks at this level I was able to do more of these moves. I was struggling less. I really loved to see the progress as the two weeks went on. I still couldn't do butt kicks (basically running in place pulling your feet up behind you to your butt) because I just lack the strength but I made it work and I will get there one day again. Overall I felt really good about how these weeks went. My least favorite circuit was definitely first circuit and once I got through that I felt like I was almost back to normal again (which I really am not but I'm definitely stronger).

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I definitely struggled finding the motivation. I was so excited about getting back to working out again but yet about halfway through I just lost my drive to get through this. But I also kept going each day because I knew that one day I would regret stopping. I knew that I would start feeling better and I would wish that I had just kept exercising even if I lacked that motivation. 

It was definitely awesome being back at it again. I needed to get back to exercise (even if I didn't have much motivation during about half of this program). I knew this program was never going to be a body changing workout because it was only a way to get myself back into it and ease my quad back into exercise. So today I survived my first exercise program back from knee surgery. It went good and I'm glad I started here. But I'm definitely ready to move on to the next program and see where I can go from here. 

Comment below: What is your favorite way to exercise? What program do you love and recommend?