I think the post title about sums it up.

Apparently I have the upper arm strength of a toddler, because hoo boy, I cannot lift myself up easily. Even in the girly version. I suck.

(Though it doesn't help when there is a cat nipping at your arms the whole time.)

Even so, I'm still persevering, and I suppose that's what counts.

I still hate push ups, though.

My work hours are quite long here in London - 9 to 6:30pm during the week. During school holidays here though, we work on reduced hours until 4pm, meaning I can be home within an hour, stress free. It's awesome in summer time too, as we can head out to the pub across the street and indulge in some beverages in the sunshine, lovely!

I have been good the last few days though, and came home to do the Shred instead! Instead of spacing it out over two days like I have been, I completed it consecutively, and OY. My arms are really sore this evening, and my not really abs yet but I'll call them that anyway abs feel quite tight; even if they are still deeply buried.

The workout is still killing me though and I'm not sure if this is a good or a bad thing? I thought I'd be getting stronger, and while I can push through most parts of Level 1, it is quite literally kicking my arse. I hate Anita. How she stays so happy and smily and gorgeous is beyond me. I kind of want to push her over.

In other news, tomorrow and Friday night should be exciting - cocktails & pub outings all round. I love where I work; my team are awesome, and great fun to be around. It's always a good sign when after spending the entire working week with them, you still enjoy seeing them on your nights off too!

I hope your Easter has been enjoyable, wherever you are and however you are celebrating. We don't go all-out crazy with just the two of us here, but we do have a few little splurges we can indulge in later today.. hence my reasoning for getting my butt into gear and continuing with the Shred.

Well, I'm alive.

I'm feeling quite stiff in my arms today - mostly because of the strength section, I think. I'm used to doing weights, but I generally do them quite slowly AND on their own, none of this combining arms & legs malarky! It feels good though; I guess if you feel your muscles afterwards, you know you've done something right.

I still struggle with the first set of cardio; the jumping jacks and the jump rope straight after each other. I know it's not that big of a deal, but the constant bouncing leaves me breathless. I love the punches & squats in the second set, as well as the butt kicks. As for the third set? Let's just say, by the time I finish that, I quite literally collapse on the ground and have to really push myself to move again and complete that last ab set.

I'm enjoying the 20-minute aspect though. Makes me think this is something I can most definitely handle. I don't know that I'll do the thirty days in straight succession, but if I do it 3-4 times per week, I think it'll make quite a big difference in my regular routine.

And that way, should I miss a day for whatever reason, I won't automatically go into the 'YOU MISSED A DAY! YOU FAILED! MIGHT AS WELL JUST QUIT NOW. HERE, HAVE A LOAF OF BREAD!' mode. I hope.

Last week before I left Australia, I mentioned I had ordered the 30 Day Shred DVD by Jillian Michaels of the Biggest Loser fame. I'd been following The Casual Perfectionist on her shredding journey for a few weeks, and was intrigued and inspired. The DVD arrived quite literally the day before my flight out, how's that for perfect timing?

The day after I arrived back in London, I popped it in the player to check it out. I wasn't planning on religiously starting the program yet; I had quite literally just flown for 24 hours, gone through daylight savings AND gone back in time in the space of two days. I had a shot at Level 1 as an introduction.

Let's just say, I wasn't quite prepared for it.

I managed the warm up, got through the jumping jacks (or star-jumps as I'm used to calling them) and quite literally felt my legs contract. I don't think they'd forgiven me for the hours they'd been cramped up on the flight. I did bits and pieces of the workout, but stopped often to stretch and catch my breath. Because I didn't follow the instructions and keep pushing through, I decided NOT to count that day as part of the 30. Despite that, the last two days at work I was in a world of pain. Hello, muscles.

Today was the Real Day 1.

Level 1 was just as tough as I remembered, but this time I felt better prepared and ready to take on the challenge, mainly because I knew what was coming. That seemed to work for me; it gave me that little bit of extra indurance. Even so, I was huffing before I got through the warm up, and am thankful I was alone in the flat while doing the workout, bar Oscar, who sat watching me with complete boredom the entire time. I'm sure he thought I was insane, but at least it kept him amused.

Here are my thoughts on Level 1 so far:

• I suck at push ups. Despite having quite broad shoulders, I have lousy wrist strength and I really struggle to keep pushing through them.


• Jumping jacks, I like. Jumping rope on the spot, not so much. I've no idea why.


• I love how strong I feel using hand weights... for the first set. The second and third leave me feeling like I'm about to die.


• The burn. I am feeling it. Hoo boy.


• Apparently I've been cursed with uncoordination. I can't even do the hip swivel thing without getting myself confused and rotating directions mid-way through. But hey, it's still stretching, right?


• I'm not entirely sure if I'm doing the ab exercises right. I'm trying to follow her instructions the best I can, but seriously, I don't actually know HOW to pull myself up with my abs. I figure as long as I feel myself NOT pulling up on my neck, I'm doing ok. I did start to feel some burning at the end during the bicycle crunches.

In my opinion, this workout is really tough for beginners, even at Level 1. After the 20 minute workout, I feel more wrecked than I did after running 5km on the treadmill; a feat I was able to do only last year until my shin splints went haywire. I'm still red in the face a half hour and a shower later, and I know the muscle soreness will haunt me tomorrow - but I'm feeling in the zone. I'd like to do this for the month, reflect on how I'm feeling, and see what happens. Wish me luck!

For more information on the workout, read the reviews here.