Are Jillian Michaels DVD Workouts for Men, Too?

Natalie says: It’s harder than it looks!

As I read the search results leading to this blog, occasionally I see people (presumably men) looking for information about Jillian Michaels workouts for men, or suitable for men. I can definitely respond to this topic, since I am a man who has lived through several Jillian Michaels DVD workouts.

I have been doing Jillian’s workouts for a while. I started with a 3 DVD Set: 30 Day Shred (30-40 minutes), No More Trouble Zones (50 minutes), and Burn Fat,  Boost Metabolism. I didn’t use the third one very much, because it involved more kickboxing moves than I wanted to do at the time.

More recently, my wife purchased  Jillian Michaels Body Revolution (jillianmichaelsbodyrevolution.com), Jillian’s 2012 response to the 90 day workout phenomenon created by P90X and other routines that choose 90 days as the magic number for improved fitness (and possibly weight loss, as a side effect). I don’t need to lose any weight, but I’m always curious about Jillian’s latest project, so I’ve been working my way through the three phases of Body Revolution. Currently I’m on Phase 3, in week 11 of the 13 week program. I’m following the workout schedule more closely than the meal plan.

When I first started looking for home fitness DVDs, I knew I didn’t want to do some crazy dance-inspired thing. I knew that Jillian Michaels was on The Biggest Loser, had a reputation as “America’s Toughest Trainer,” and by then I might have been listening to her radio show (in podcast form), so I was familiar with her training philosophy even more than the brief segments shown on TV. I respected her as a trainer, so I figured I would buy a couple of her DVDs. Besides, at about $10 each, what did I have to lose?

Body Revolution: Men and women, working together!

My first impression when I started 30 Day Shred was that I was entering the women’s gym. Jillian’s warm up in Level 1 included a bent-knee, hip-swiveling move that made me feel a little uncomfortable. By the way, the swiveling is supposed to move the knees and hips through a wider range of motion, to prevent injury! Anyway, I hung in there for the 30 minutes, and it was pretty difficult. At the time, I had done very little resistance work (push ups, sit ups, etc.) and it was just what I needed. Over the next few weeks, I progressed to Level 2, then Level 3. Along the way, I learned about Plyometrics (what Jillian calls “jump training” or “metabolic training”). Jillian’s 3-2-1 system for training with body weight resistance, light weights, cardio, and abdominal work helped me to get stronger, especially in the upper body.

Once I felt I had conquered 30 Day Shred (long after 30 days, because I’m a creature of habit), I moved on to No More Trouble Zones. The theme of “targeting my problem areas” didn’t really appeal to me, but I was ready for a change. This DVD was similar, in that it had three difficulty levels, and a mix of upper body and lower exercises, as well as abdominal work. Again, I was following Jillian and two women on the screen, but it wasn’t easy.

Who said working out with the ladies was a bad thing?

Fast forward to today, and I have almost completed  Body Revolution after a two-year gap in my Jillian workouts. During this time, I have used P90X, P90X2, and the book Bring It! by P90X creator Tony Horton. In comparison, I will say that Jillian accomplishes a lot in 30 minutes, compared to Tony’s 60 minutes or more. If you want to see my full comparison of Jillian and Tony’s approaches, read 30 Day Shred or P90X?

Yes, it’s OK to do Jillian Michaels workouts if you’re a man!

Here are some pros and cons for you to consider.

Pros:

• Jillian’s workouts are short (30-60 minutes, depending on the DVD) but very effective
• If you can get over the “Ladies Club” look of the DVD, these are some tough workouts
• You can learn good technique related to plyometrics, abdominal exercises, and other concepts included in Jillian’s “metabolic training”
• Body Revolution, a 90 day (more expensive) workout system, does include men in the workouts, even if they are intended to be eye candy for the ladies as well as inspiration for the guys.

• Maybe you don’t like being the only guy at the gym. Consider investing in Body Revolution, especially if weight loss is one of your goals.
• Jillian’s workouts use light hand weights. She’s a fan of body-weight training, not heavy lifting. If you want a true bodybuilding workout, consider P90X or Jillian-endorsed rip:60.
• Jillian uses timed exercises instead of maximum repetitions. Again, if you want to lift heavy weights to exhaustion, this might not be for you. The workouts do wear you down, though.
• Some exercises might seem a little weird for guys; but only a few of them, honest!

While working my way through Body Revolution, I’ve seen many similar (or identical) exercises as in P90X and P90X2, but Jillian’s workouts are shorter for a comparable amount of effort.

I hope this has helped you to consider using Jillian Michaels workout DVDs, whether you are a man or woman. Jillian helped me to get off the treadmill as my only form of exercise (not that there’s anything wrong with that, as part of a balanced workout schedule). She taught me that it was possible to work on many body parts in a short period of time, to get the results I wanted.

Amazon.com Affiliate Links (like the ones below) support the blog (when you make a purchase) at no additional cost! Thanks!

Jillian Michaels Products
P90X
rip:60

Related Posts

30 Day Shred or P90X?
Jillian Michaels Body Revolution