Jillian Michaels Body Revolution vs. Body Shred?

[JENILU]

Originally Posted by kat999

I may discover that. With JM, I'm perpetually bouncing back and forth between the "regular" mode of doing a move and checking in with the modifier. I can do the advanced version of many moves. But some things she does I honestly just don't think my anatomy is capable of it. For example, I can do high knees okay but not butt kicks, even though there's both essentially jogging in place with only a small adjustment. I think my legs are also too short to kick very high, so her kickboxing DVD and segments are often embarrassing for me (I can do the basic move, everything's just lower haha).

I so do not belong in this thread since I am probably way below y'all fitness wise, but I am sooo glad I am not the only one that feels incapable of butt kickers!!! they say its so easy, and my legs just will not do it! Sooo if its to stretch and open hip flexers with raising heart rate, would I do kick backs fast (I can't think of what they are called but Jessica Smith does them a lot in warmups. Not butt kickers but kinda squat and one kicks back and so forth) or just heartrate and do high knees?? Since my hip flexers are always tight, the first choice would probably be best. But back to the inability to do that move, I am kind of an hourglass/ more pear, with, I think, a longer hip to knee ratio? Wonder if that causes it. This stuff fascinates me so sorry I got stuck on that in this thread.
I do wonder where BR sits in intensity next to her other DVDs? Your excitement made me want to look at her DVDs again, since I have several and have been looking for something really efficient in a good time range.

Hope you have so much fun with this rotation (whichever you have decided on) and I'd love to hear how its going!!

[violingal3]

Originally Posted by hdw

I love Body Revolution when I did it way back when. IIRC the first phase was way too easy, and the last phase is just right.

Body Shred is the continuation of Body Revolution. I only liked the first phase. I didn't move on from there. I thought it was way too hard!

I totally agree - last phase of BR and first phase of BS are kind of my sweet spot. I just ended up modifying the rest of BS because I'm just not interested in doing crazy stuff anymore. haha

[bubbles76]

To those that did JMBR did you get strength gains and definition? I am trying to get stronger.

[kat999]

Originally Posted by JENILU

I so do not belong in this thread since I am probably way below y'all fitness wise, but I am sooo glad I am not the only one that feels incapable of butt kickers!!! they say its so easy, and my legs just will not do it! Sooo if its to stretch and open hip flexers with raising heart rate, would I do kick backs fast (I can't think of what they are called but Jessica Smith does them a lot in warmups. Not butt kickers but kinda squat and one kicks back and so forth) or just heartrate and do high knees?? Since my hip flexers are always tight, the first choice would probably be best. But back to the inability to do that move, I am kind of an hourglass/ more pear, with, I think, a longer hip to knee ratio? Wonder if that causes it. This stuff fascinates me so sorry I got stuck on that in this thread.
I do wonder where BR sits in intensity next to her other DVDs? Your excitement made me want to look at her DVDs again, since I have several and have been looking for something really efficient in a good time range.

Hope you have so much fun with this rotation (whichever you have decided on) and I'd love to hear how its going!!

Haha I feel vindicated now! Butt kickers are not automatically easy for everyone to do! So I think in terms of modification I consider what my goal is and what the workout's focus is. For JM, honestly, she's mostly going for a cardio/fatburning effect, so the running/jogging/high knees might be the better swap, but if it's more of a strength workout and the butt kickers are just there as part of a general warm-up, go for the Jessica Smith move.

I think you're on to something about why they don't work for some people. I'm on the short side (5'4"-5'5" or so) but my legs are actually fairly short in proportion to my body, so I always seem shorter in terms of exercise modality and pants length than I actually am. I have a longer quad but a shorter calf/shin area, basically, and my hip flexors are not built for efficacy at explosive moves (e.g., I can and do run, and I can even run very fast for extremely short distances, but I peter out extremely quickly; I also have trouble with just upward thrust if I'm trying to do really crazy plyometric moves).

[JENILU]

Originally Posted by kat999

Haha I feel vindicated now! Butt kickers are not automatically easy for everyone to do! So I think in terms of modification I consider what my goal is and what the workout's focus is. For JM, honestly, she's mostly going for a cardio/fatburning effect, so the running/jogging/high knees might be the better swap, but if it's more of a strength workout and the butt kickers are just there as part of a general warm-up, go for the Jessica Smith move.

I think you're on to something about why they don't work for some people. I'm on the short side (5'4"-5'5" or so) but my legs are actually fairly short in proportion to my body, so I always seem shorter in terms of exercise modality and pants length than I actually am. I have a longer quad but a shorter calf/shin area, basically, and my hip flexors are not built for efficacy at explosive moves (e.g., I can and do run, and I can even run very fast for extremely short distances, but I peter out extremely quickly; I also have trouble with just upward thrust if I'm trying to do really crazy plyometric moves).

YESSS!!! Thankyou!! i think my proportion is like that. My sister and I are the same height (5'6"), and years ago, she and I and my mom went on a trip together. My mom took a pic of her and I waking into the ocean from a distance and I was stunned at the difference. I had a really long waist and shorter legs, and she was all legs. - and I think my leg ratio is kinda like yours and I have those same issues. Thank you for my "ok human" moment, haha!!

[nyskier]

I like both programs. JMBR is definitely the easier of the two. Body Shred gets really challenging.

[kat999]

My copy of Body Revolution just came today, so for anybody who wants to do these systems with me, I'm going to create a separate check-in thread! I did Phase 1 Workout 1 today and it was GREAT!

[kat999]

I made the mistake of watching Opus (the infamous final workout in BodyShred) on YouTube today and good GRIEF that thing looks tough. It's not even part of the BS rotation but is apparently a little "add on/challenge." At 36 minutes long, it seems deceptively easy up to a point and then suddenly even Jillian can't really do any of the moves.

I don't know if I'll even attempt it when its time comes when I do BodyShred after Body Revolution, but I might enjoy failing!