Jillian Michaels 30 Day Shred Workout – Complete Review

June 5, 2018 by Spencer Rowles Workout

Is the Jillian Michaels 30 Day Shred Workout Right for You?

Trying to lose weight is always a significant challenge and requires a lot of dedication.

Adjusting your diet is a vital first step, but exercise is also needed.

That’s why a growing number of people are turning to the 30-Day Shred not only to lose weight but to get high-quality nutrition suggestions.

This program has become so successful that it is a good idea to take an in-depth analysis of its creation and its setup.

Started by fitness expert Jillian Michaels, it could be the exercise program that you have been looking for to get into shape and stay that way.

 

What is the Jillian Michaels 30-Day Shred Workout?

The 30-Day Shred workout is a program developed by fitness expert Jillian Michaels.

It is known for being a challenging program that requires a lot of difficult and fast-paced exercises.

The interval pacing of this program uses various small exercises in a short period to create a total-body workout. Three different levels are designed to increase in difficulty to gradually mold your body.

Everyone who is starting this program should begin at the first level and stick with it for at least 10 days.

These levels contain three different circuits, each of which includes three different sets of exercises.

The total time for a 30-Day Shred exercise should be no more than 25 minutes. The activities shift throughout the routine to ensure you get a comprehensive workout experience.

After finishing the first level, you move on to the second level and then the third.

The intensity of these levels increases as you achieve fitness success. At the end of the 30 days, you can either restart the program or continue your level three workouts indefinitely.

The design of these routines is set up to not only burn fat from your body but to tone your ab muscles quickly and efficiently.

 

Jillian Michaels 30 Day Shred Before and After Video

The 30 Day Shred Exercise Format

A typical 30 Day Shred routine consists of either starting up an appropriate DVD or watching one of the many episodes online through a streaming service.

Jillian and two other experts perform the exercises for you and cheer you on throughout the routine. One of the other girls in the video performs a simpler variation of the exercises while the other performs an advanced one.

Each exercise starts with a short warm-up and ends with a cool down.

During the warm-up, Jillian will give you advice on how to accomplish each activity and describe them to you in brief detail. Before you start a new circuit, she will then walk you through each workout slowly to give you a feel for how to perform them. The pace is relatively fast and has little time for rest between circuits.

You will also perform your routine with a pair of hand weights to increase the intensity.

Jillian states that you can start out the method without them but should work up to six-pound weights eventually. I suggest starting out with two-pound models to warm yourself up to more difficult and challenging exercise routines.

 

Jillian Michaels 30 Day Shred Workout Schedule

30 Day Shred Level 1

 

• Warm Up – Windmills, Arm Crosses, Hip Circles, Jumping Jacks, Knee Circles, Jumping Jacks

 

• Circuit One Strength – Three Minutes: 30 Seconds of Push Ups, One Minute of Squat and Press Repeated Three Times

 

• Circuit One Cardio – Two Minutes: 30 Seconds of Jumping Jacks and 30 Seconds of Jump Rope Repeated Twice

 

• Circuit One Abs – One Minute: 30 Seconds of Crunches and 30 Seconds of Reverse Crunches

 

• Circuit Two Strength – Three Minutes: 30 Seconds of Dumbbell Row, One Minute of Static Lunge With a Bicep Curl Repeated Three Times

 

• Circuit Two Cardio – Two Minutes: 30 seconds of Butt Kicks and 30 Seconds of Punches (my favorite!) Repeated Twice

 

• Circuit Two Abs – One Minute: Side Crunches

 

• Circuit Three Strength – Three Minutes: 30 seconds of Chest Flies and One Minute of Anterior Raises and Side Lunges Repeated Three Times

 

• Circuit Three Cardio – Two Minutes: 30 seconds of the Previous Cardio Techniques

 

• Circuit Three Abs – One Minute: Bicycle Crunches

 

Who is Jillian Michaels?

 

Before trying this workout, it is worth knowing where it originated.

You may have heard the name Jillian Michaels at various times in your life. That’s because she has become a fitness guru and a personal training expert. Her breakthrough came in 2004 when she joined the cast of “The Biggest Loser” and helped train obese people and taught them how to lose weight.

 

Since then, Michaels has created a variety of videos, multiple types of clothing, many books, and a high-quality newsletter that keeps her millions of fans in touch with her life.

Michaels’ success is an inspiration because it did not come easy for her. In fact, she had to overcome severe trauma at a young age to get where she is now.

 

Jillian Michaels’ Early Life

 

Born in 1974 in Los Angeles, Michaels describes her childhood as difficult and states that she was a “really disturbed kid.” Her night terrors pulled her out of sleep nearly every night, and she experienced serious paranoia, such as believing that sharks would come out of the bathtub to eat her or that aliens would kidnap her late at night.

As a result, Michaels was enrolled in therapy at the age of five.

This move marked a lifelong commitment to regular therapy to manage lingering self-esteem issues.

These issues arose at a young age and were heavily influenced by her parents divorced when she was 12. The traumatic breakup of her parents forced the sensitive Michaels to turn to food for comfort. So contrary to her currently ripped physique, Michaels was a heavier-set girl at a young age.

At her heaviest, she weighed 175 pounds at just 5’2” and suffered from hazing and bullying from children that were so bad that she was pulled from her school and sent to another.

However, her life took a more positive change when she started martial arts at 14 and started getting in much better physical shape. That said, she was kicked out of her mother’s house at 17 and was forced to pay her way through college by bartending. Her relationship with her parents is still strained, and she and her father are considered estranged.

 

The Growth of Her Training Career

 

After graduating from college, Michaels had a brief career as an agent with International Creative Management before opening a gym in 2002. This gym, Sky Sport & Spa, became very successful and inspired her getting hired to “The Biggest Loser.” Her time on the show showcased a tough trainer who truly cared about the success of those on the show.

 

After a few other shows that weren’t quite as successful, Michaels started creating a variety of exercise programs and releasing them to the general public. Her most significant success in this realm has been the 30-Day Shred program. In many ways, it has become her signature accomplishment and is likely to be followed long after reruns of “The Biggest Loser” are off the air.

 

The 30 Day Shred Meal Plan

Your diet should change when you are on this workout plan. However, there is no real suggested eating schedule designed by Michaels.

However, her meals can serve as a guide for your success through this routine.

They are carefully balanced and provide you with all of the major food groups. Even better, they will support your exercise success by improving your overall health.

 

Breakfast

 

Unlike many other dietary routines, Michaels’ focuses on carbohydrates instead of proteins for breakfast. A typical breakfast for Jillian is two English muffins topped with almond butter for a stiff 500 calories. She also eats a variety of fruits, yogurt, and other high-carb foods instead of the typical proteins inherent in many breakfast foods. For example, she avoids ham and bacon because they contain high levels of salt, which can force you to retain water and make it difficult to lose weight.

 

Lunch

 

Fish is often on Jillian’s lunch menu because it has a lot of healthy protein. She also enjoys it because it is naturally low in fat and has amino acids that help to improve your muscle strength. Fresh vegetables, such as green bell peppers, lettuce, broccoli, and carrots are also a staple of most of her lunches. Cheese is not one of her favorite lunch items, though it can be used sparingly and as a flavoring throughout your diet.

 

Dinner

 

Carbohydrates are cut to a minimum for Jillian’s supper, as she focuses mostly on fish or grilled chicken. Spinach and asparagus are crucial elements in her diet and can help promote further weight loss in your routine. Flavor them with a little garlic and lemon to make them easier to eat. Organic ingredients are also required because they ensure the food is as fresh as possible.

 

Various Snacks

 

You’re going to have to throw out your potato chips and other unhealthy snacks and focus on carrot sticks, hummus, and a variety of fruits and nuts. Almonds are a great choice because they are filled with many types of healthy fats. Brazil nuts are also a great choice because they are tasty and fill you up. If you want to indulge in something a little less healthy, a cup of corn chips and salsa may be appropriate once a week.

 

Desserts

 

Desserts are okay on this routine as long as you don’t go overboard. Jillian is a huge fan of dark chocolate and enjoys eating a single bar of it throughout her day. Aim for the darkest chocolate that you can stomach because it comes with a high concentration of healthy vitamins and nutrients. Your deserts should be no more than a small portion of the bar and should take up no more than 200 calories of your diet.

 

Adjusting This Plan

 

These suggestions are based on a typical day in Jillian’s life and can be adjusted in any way you see fit. For example, if you hate fish, you can swap it out with chicken. And while an occasional fried food won’t destroy your diet, it should mostly be avoided because of its high levels of fat. And don’t fall victim to the “cheat day” trap! A cheat day is more likely to ruin your diet and make it difficult for you to lose weight.

 

The Advantages of Doing the Jillian Michaels 30 Day Shred Workout

There are several major advantages you receive when trying this workout. A few of the most common that I found include the following

 

 

• The Short Duration – Everybody has a spare half an hour in their day, meaning that this workout method is easier to manage than others.

 

• Adaptable Schedule – You can fit this exercise into your day at any point, meaning you can workout in the morning, afternoon, or at night.

 

• Comprehensive Workout – The 30-Day Shred works just about every major muscle group in your body to create a very comprehensive plan.

 

• Flexible Meal Schedule – While you should change your diet when starting this workout routine, there is no specific plan to follow. This fact makes it easier for more people to enjoy.

 

• Improved Muscles – The intensive nature of this workout means that you will tone your muscles while burning fat.

 

• Better Cardiovascular Health – The diverse nature of this exercise plan means that you will also improve your overall cardiovascular health.

 

 

Precautions to Consider Before Starting the 30 Day Shred

 

While the advantages of this exercise are pretty clear at this point, there are also some downsides or precautions that make it problematic. While I found that this routine does achieve a high level of success, it can be a difficult program for many to master.

 

In fact, the biggest problem I have with it is the fact that it is advertised for people of all fitness levels. I don’t think that is an appropriate suggestion. True beginners are going to have a hard time with this program and will need something a little less intense to get into shape.

 

In fact, if you haven’t worked out in years before starting this program, I suggest that you:

 

 

• Talk to a dietitian about how to adjust your eating

 

• Visit a heart specialist to ensure you can handle these routines

 

• Get your legs, arms, and back muscles examined by a specialist

 

• Receive a cardio test to see where your fitness level is at

 

• Try out a few routines before committing to the whole program

 

 

These simple steps should give you an idea of how successful this program would be for your overall fitness. It can help gauge your overall health level and ensure that you aren’t going to injure yourself. You should particularly pay attention to areas where you have been injured in the past and to avoid straining them too much.

 

The Dietary Considerations May Be Confusing

 

While Jillian Michaels does have a suggested eating routine for this program (as I already discussed), a version of it doesn’t come with the workout DVDs. Even packaged bundles of this routine lack a dietary guideline. As a result, you will have to invest in another book if you want to follow the stricter eating suggestions set down by Michaels. Just as troubling, the guidelines may be confusing to people who aren’t used to measuring out food before they eat.

 

And you also need to talk to your doctor before making these changes to ensure that you don’t affect your health. Michaels’ daily eating routine is specific to her health needs and may not be right for everybody who follows her program. Running it by your doctor ensures that you don’t end up suffering from poor nutrition and injuring yourself. Thankfully, the basic guidelines are broad enough to prevent too many issues here.

 

Joint Health is Critical

 

All of the jumping and regular movement inherent in this routine means that you should talk to a joint health specialist before starting out. These specialists can test how strong your knees, ankles, elbows, and wrists are before you start. You’ll need fairly strong joints if you want to finish these exercises and may injure them if you aren’t careful.

 

In fact, a few online reviews I researched state that they had broken these bones while doing these routines. That’s because they didn’t get checked out before starting this workout method. And this is one big reason why I don’t like the “beginner” label being given to this exercise. While I can handle the demands of this method, I know many people who would not be able to manage it as true beginners.

 

What Kind of Results Are Possible With the Jillian Michaels 30 Day Shred?

 

The results of any exercise routine will vary depending on your dedication to it. You can’t skip any days when on this routine or take a break if you get tired. Every day is essential to the success of this routine, which is a large part of why it can be so difficult to follow. However, the results can be quite astonishing if you take the time to perform this exercise on a regular basis.

 

I examined several different online reviews written by people who performed this exercise to get a feel for what kind of results you can expect. While there were a few negative ones from people who didn’t implement it right or who got injured, a vast majority were very positive. A few of these reviews will come from Amazon while others were posted independently on other websites.

 

The First Amazon Reviews

 

A 33-year-old Asian-American female wrote the first review I will examine. She weighed 160 pounds at 5’6” before she started 30 Day Shred. So while she wasn’t an incredibly large woman, she had a few extra pounds that she wanted to burn. Before she started, her fitness level was essentially non-existence, as she had not exercised regularly since high school.

 

The turning point for her came when, on a date, her partner said that she would “be a 10 in looks” if she had a healthy weight. While those cruel words could be laughed off by some, she found that they reflected a considerable part of her self-image. In fact, she realized that she had been turning to heavy eating as an emotional outlet and was very unhappy with her fitness level and her weight.

 

As a result, she turned to 30 Day Shred to get into better shape quickly and efficiently. By the time she was done, she had shed those lingering extra pounds and was in the best shape of her life. In fact, her abs were toned for the first time in her life, and she had become a huge fan of exercising. Hopefully, she found that guy who had been harsh to her on that date and gave him a good slap across the face.

 

The Second Amazon Review

 

The second review I examined was written by a 27-year-old woman who had once been in shape during college. However, a static lifestyle and poor eating habits caused her to peak at 213 pounds before she started to exercise. Before starting her self-esteem had plummeted to low levels, and her doctors were concerned about her weight. So like the woman in the first review, she decided to try out Jillian Michaels 30 Day Shred because friends had suggested it to her.

 

She started by adjusting her diet to be more healthy, including yogurt, a variety of vegetables, and salads. This eating plan was put into place a few weeks before she started working out. At this point, she then began 30 Day Shred. After 10 days of level one routines, she jumped right to level three. While Michaels does not recommend this approach, this woman found that her fitness had increased enough to work out at this level.

 

By the time she finished her 30 day routine, she had burned 26 pounds and was below 200 pounds for the first time in several years. As a result, she gave the method a full five-star review and stated that she had taken the lessons from the program to heart and remained in great shape.

 

The Independent Reviews

 

I’m bundling these two reviews together because they were very similar in their starting point, their approach, and their results. The first review came from “Calorie Bee” and was written humorously. The author stated that she was just slightly overweight and was by no means obese before she started her routine. She shows several pictures to showcase her starting weight.

 

The “XO Jane” review was very similar in this aspect. There were multiple pictures of the reviewer scattered throughout the study that gave a good idea of her starting weight and fitness. Both of the reviewers stated that they were attempting to tone up and to get into better shape as a way of improving their overall health level. These reviewers were in no real danger of becoming obese and likely had few weight-related health problems.

 

And the pictures showcasing their results after the 30-day program indicated that the bit of extra flab and skin both had been carrying around had disappeared in just 30 days. Even better, their muscles (mainly their abs) were toned and in better shape than ever. Both reviewers were very pleased with the success of their routines and stated that it was an excellent choice for people who were at their fitness level.

 

What About Reviews From Obese People?

 

I searched several different sites and found almost no reviews written from a severely obese person’s point of view. In fact, the woman in the second Amazon review I highlighted was the heaviest person I could find reviewing this product. As a result, I am not sure what the results of this program would be for someone who was severely obese.

 

As a result, I would suggest talking to your doctor about this program if you are 50+ pounds overweight. The intensity of its exercises may be too much for you to handle. Thankfully, there are other exercise programs and dietary plans that you can use to lose weight before trying out this one. In fact, your doctor may even give you the okay to follow the low-intensity variation showcased in each exercise.

 

Final Thoughts

 

Although the 30 Day Shred is a truly challenging program, it might just help you overcome obesity and get into shape. Even if you aren’t obese but just have a few extra pounds, it can help trim you down and tone your muscles.

 

So don’t hesitate to pick up or rent one of the DVDs. Try it out first to get a feel for its difficulty. Your body is going to ache for the first few days of this workout. However, once you get into the groove of it, you’ll find your body getting more trim with every passing day.

Have more questions?  Be sure to visit our community forums.

 

Resources

Style Craze: A Complete Guide to the 30-Day Shred

Calorie Bee: Before and After With the 30-Day Shred With Jillian Michaels

Amazon: 30-Day Shred Reviews

Biography: Jillian Michaels