How do I know when to up my workout levels?
I’ve lost about 50 pounds over the past three years, through a mix of watching my diet, exercising every damn day, and not eating after my mom died.
I used to do 30 min of elliptical every day, moderate level of difficulty, but found myself getting bored and my body too used to this particular exercise. I tried 30 Day Shred, couldn’t walk for many days, cursed aloud often, then tried it again a while later. I’ve been doing level one every weekday for two weeks. I let myself do the elliptical on the weekends as a break.
So how do you know when to up your level? Like, when do I switch from soul-sucking level one to kill me now level two? How can I tell when it’s the right time?
– question sent in by Kim
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Ooh, good question. With 30 Day Shred, I never followed the exact guidelines for doing the workout — I believe you’re supposed to do it EVERY DAY for 30 days, so you’d up your level every 10 days or so. Like Kim, I was too busy not being able to walk after trying it for the first time, and I’m not sure how long it was before I started trying the other levels. Now that I’ve been doing it on and off for a few months, I tend to rotate through the workouts so I don’t get super-sick of any particular level.
There are definitely moves in Levels 2 and 3 that are harder than Level 1, but really, I found that certain things were easier, too. As some of you know Level 1 starts out with a combo of pushups and overhead presses — I still think that’s one of the most challenging moves, especially since it’s the first thing you do. Of course, the jumping lunges in Level 3 are, as Jillian calls them, “NO JOKE”, but I wouldn’t say that there is an *enormous* divide between each level. If you can get through Level 1 without ejecting a lung out your nostril and you’ve done it several times, then by all means, move on. It’s kind of the point to continue challenging your body beyond what you think you can do, and I bet you’ll be surprised at what you’re capable of after only a few more sessions.
Readers, what do you think about stepping up the intensity of your workouts? When do you decide it’s time to take things to the next level?
Tags: 30 Day Shred
February 2nd, 2009 at 1:07 pm
When I started back at the gym after the hiatus from having my son, any of the classes I did, I did low-impact. And anything that required a step, I never used risers under it. After a few weeks I realized I wasn’t sweating as much or feeling as flushed or breathing as hard. So, I started to up things a bit.
Instead of going right for the big thing – adding a riser – I told myself that I wouldn’t modify any moves for the first half of class and see how I felt. Then, once I could do that, I upped it to not modifying things the whole class. Which means I did every jump, every “power”, every lunge, every jumping jack.
I’m definitely feeling a difference and I’m going to stay here at this level – the Not-Modifying Level – until I feel that same twinge that my body is getting used to it. Then, maybe I’ll add that riser.
The thing with 30DS as Linda mentioned is that it’s hard to tell when you’re ready to move up because each level is more DIFFERENT than HARDER. I mean, there are certainly parts in Level 3 that are KILLMENOW but overall, but mostly, it’s just different.
I say try it and see what happens. Worst case, you hork up a lung and go back down a level for a week.
February 2nd, 2009 at 1:33 pm
I’ve been doing a lot of weight work,and I find that I’m ready to intensify/add more weight when I don’t get sore for a couple of weeks. Then I’ll add some weight, feel the pain for a day or so, and then work at that weight for a while. Rinse and repeat.
For 30DS, I started doing the lunge, squat and pushup stuff on a BOSU, and that added a whole new challenge of balance and stabilization–a different kind of intensity than upping the weight, but effective.
February 2nd, 2009 at 1:55 pm
Ooh, I second the BOSU suggestion.
Also, if you haven’t already tried the interval programs on your elliptical, can I recommend that? My trainer told me that you get more ‘bang for your buck’ that way, and I find it much more challenging.
February 2nd, 2009 at 3:23 pm
Agree on the 30DS. The different levels aren’t so very difficult compared to each other. I ended up hating Level 2 more than the others because it seemed there was more balance work involved (groan, my balancing sucks). For all of the levels, I just made them harder by using heavier handweights, or pausing the DVD and spending more time on particular moves (I always spend about 2X as long on the pushups).
My workouts of choice are swimming and bicycling, and it’s easy enough to just go into maintenance mode on those… get into a comfortable rhythm and just do them for a while. When I feel like I’m getting too comfortable, I add intervals to the swims (timing myself in between, doing sprints and limiting how much recovery I get, making myself do butterfly intervals in between freestyle), and change the bicycling routes to include more hills, then standing on the pedals and pushing up the hills. Some days you feel more energetic than others, and on those days it’s time to consciously give yourself a harder workout.
February 2nd, 2009 at 6:38 pm
Dr. Mirkin, a sports medicine physician has some great articles on fitness and changing up one’s routine to build strength.
http://www.drmirkin.com/fitness/1346.html
Your muscles should feel sore on some days after you exercise. If you go out and jog the same two miles at the same pace, day after day, you will never become faster, stronger or have greater endurance. If you stop lifting weights when your muscles start to burn, you won’t feel sore on the next day and you will not become stronger. All improvement in any muscle function comes from stressing and recovering. On one day, you go out and exercise hard enough to make your muscles burn during exercise. The burning is a sign that you are damaging your muscles. On the next day, your muscles feel sore because they are damaged and need time to recover. Scientist call this DOMS, delayed onset muscle soreness.
How to become strong:
http://www.drmirkin.com/fitness/8845.html
Principles of Training
http://www.drmirkin.com/fitness/8700.html
Good Muscle Soreness
http://www.drmirkin.com/fitness/good_muscle_soreness.html
February 3rd, 2009 at 8:55 am
I gotta disagree with Dr. Mirkin. Soreness is not really a good indicator of a good workout. I lift heavy and don’t always feel “the burn” but I’m definitely working hard and getting results. Usually I’m sore when I’ve added in new exercises or hit muscles in ways they’re not used to. However, if you aren’t feeling sore, it does NOT mean you’re not working.
February 3rd, 2009 at 2:31 pm
I don’t know about 30 Day Shred, but if you get off the elliptical or stop running or whatever and think, “I could do that again,” you need to up the ante. That’s my test, at least.
February 3rd, 2009 at 5:33 pm
Amblus, Mirkin says you should feel sore on “some days” when you’re working. He didn’t say every time. Soreness happens when muscle fiber is torn.
February 4th, 2009 at 7:05 am
Well, but I build muscle and I’m not always sore. And I lift heavy. I’m just saying that “soreness” is not necessarily an indicator of a successful workout. I really was disagreeing with this:
“If you stop lifting weights when your muscles start to burn, you won’t feel sore on the next day and you will not become stronger.”
This is equating soreness with improved strength. You can breakdown muscle fibers without getting DOMS, is all I’m saying.
February 4th, 2009 at 11:37 am
I agree with Amblus. When I was in the best shape of my life I never got sore, even though I was doing serious weight lifting and cardio. I was sore for a few days right at the beginning but after that I was good. My body was really tired, but not sore.
February 10th, 2009 at 10:07 am
You know one of the great things about this site? THe “duh…” moments I have. For instance, the comment above about pausing the DVD and spending a little more time on a move? Why had I not thought of that? Gah. I’m afraid I must be too much of a follower (“Well, the DVD is through, I guess I’d better stop…”)
Great advice, as always…
February 17th, 2009 at 8:27 am
Good to know about 30DS. I’ve been doing Level 1 for about a month-plus, and it still sometimes kills me DEAD (especially the pushups, and, for some reason, the butt-kicks), so I was a little afraid to go up to Level 2. But if it’s more just different than excruciatingly harder, I might give it a try!