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| Overhead Press with Leg Raise |
Things are getting really serious lately with the Body Revolution Week 7 and 8 workouts. I mean, it was tough before, because I was going for the more difficult moves, or putting in the extra effort where possible. As a matter of fact, there were days that I did back to back resistance and cardio workouts, for about an hour total, just because I had the extra energy and it seemed like a good idea. Well, for the past two weeks, I haven’t done that on very many days. As a matter of fact, with my crazy schedule and the increasing difficulty of these workouts, I was happy to follow Jillian’s recommended daily workout routine.
Workout 7 is for the “Chest, shoulders, triceps, quads, and a little bit of abs”. There are several plank position exercises in the first circuit, including the dreaded (for me) plank push up (or as it is called in P90X, the Sphinx). I have written before about how I struggle with these! Ditto when it comes to walking push ups, which are also in the first circuit.
I did better in circuit 2, which focused more on triceps and shoulders (including the exercise pictured above, which I learned about from P90X2). The cardio move in this cicuit was a nice surprise: The Cross Hop, which is familiar to any P90X fan since 2003. Apparently, some truths are universal.
Circuit 3 features push ups with a raised leg (also seen in P90X2), and Jillian makes either a joke or a mistake when she asks us to switch legs right away and keep going at the end of a set. The laughter tells me it was a mistake. A Boat Pose is another example of the new yoga influence in Jillian’s workouts. The cardio move here is a Star Jump, and I hate to repeat myself, but I’ve seen something like this in P90X Kenpo.
Circuit 4 is a combination of floor exercises, with and without dumbbells. This is classic Jillian! It’s a welcome relief after what she put us through for the first 20 minutes.
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| Anita Demonstrates Dumbbell Row |
Workout 8 is for the “Back, bummy, biceps, and abs” (Yes, she says “bummy” a couple of times). The warm up includes a yoga Cobra pose, and a Swimmer stretch (lying down, reach out one arm and the opposite leg, then switch). In this workout, she begins to refer to the supplied resistance band as a “Torture Tube.” I’m not sure if that’s good marketing.
Circuit 1 combines dumbbell rows, lat pulls, squats and ab exercises. As with previous back and bicep workouts, heavier weights can be used at your discretion.
Circuit 2 begins with a classic Jillian move: Pendulum Lunges with a Bicep Curl. She has added a balance component by raising the leg at the midpoint of the back-and-forth movement. I still have trouble with that part. The abdominal exercises include use of the “Torture Tube” and seem to evoke some sexual imagery in Jillian’s mind. Hmm.
Circuit 3 is brutal! It begins with a deep lunge (the yoga Crescent pose), combined with Rear Delt Flies (elevating light dumbbells with extended arms to the sides). This is followed by another one of my weaknesses, the Warrior 3 pose with arms (and weights) extended forward. Aaaaaaarrrrgh! Of course, every circuit is repeated twice, for double the punishment. The cardio exercise here is the Rock Star Jump, which seems like a relief.
Circuit 4 was a little easier for me, except for my lack of coordination at certain spots. There was a Good Morning (forward bend with a weight held behind the neck, supported by the abs), a Crossover Lunge with Bicep Curls (requires coordination!), Bicycle Lunges with the Torture Tube (to engage the biceps and restrict the feet), and Suicide Runs for cardio.
Am I ready for Phase 3? Honestly, I wonder if I am ready for another notch higher on the difficulty scale. If I can get away from those plank moves and Warrior 3, I would be willing to work harder. Somehow, though, I doubt I will get off that easily.
Related Posts
My Jillian Michaels Body Revolution workouts
Jillian Michaels vs P90X (comparison and criticism)
