Posts by Sophia Garcia81

I think I totally botched my original questions—what I actually need are full-body workouts. Mentioning abs was really just me giving an example of what I'd *like* to achieve if I focused there... clearly, I had no clue what I was talking about. 🙈 Thank god I asked though.

My diet isn't exactly "superfood" territory, but it's not junk food either. Please don't tell me that on top of all this sweat and effort, I also have to obsess over every single calorie even though losing weight isn't even my goal... 🙂

Right now, I'm doing the Jillian Michaels 30 Day Shred, and then—instead of jumping straight into another one—I'll tack on maybe 20 or 30 minutes of something else... mostly stuff for my core and glutes, and occasionally throwing in some yoga or Pilates for 20 minutes or so. Is that enough?

Susan Jackson12 thanks. I had to extend things a bit because I was barely hanging on at first, and I definitely wasn't hitting it every day when I started. But I've settled into the program now. Honestly, this level 2 is so incredibly boring that I’m basically counting down the days until it's over. From what I've seen, Jackie Warner seems awesome, but I can't find her full program anywhere. I only have dumbbells, and since Cathe Friedrich requires a ton of extra equipment, I think I'll just skip her...

Chloe Morris12 those legs aren't bad, but I'm more into that lean look. 🙂

Back at it again. 🙂

I'm currently grinding through >. I had to hang out on > for a bit longer than I planned—it was pretty brutal at first—but things are finally starting to click. And the sweating... 🙂 Honestly, yeah, it bugs me, but my stubbornness is officially stronger than my desire to stay dry. 🎉 I noticed some tiny changes right out of the gate, but nothing major yet. Fingers crossed it’s not just some "newbie luck" phase.
My knees also tend to act up a little after a workout, though they usually chill out after a while. Is that totally normal, or am I low-key messing up my form?

One more thing. I've dabbled in some yoga, and I realized the breathing isn't quite the same. This whole breathwork thing is still super confusing to me since > doesn't always explicitly say when to inhale or exhale. If anyone could give me a quick breakdown, that would be great.

I'm really digging >—the fact that I get a full-body burn in just thirty minutes is huge. It saves me from having to stress about whether I hit every muscle group, which I definitely wouldn't know how to balance on my own anyway. So, I just tack on whatever extra stuff I feel like doing. Now the big question is... what comes next?

Susan Jackson12 are the workouts by > based on the same principles? Also, if you happen to know, could you drop a link for her and > where I can download the routines? I haven't had any luck finding them.

I’m totally failing at the group thing, but honestly? The motivation is there—the will, the drive, the whole deal—I just had zero clue where to even start.
Thanks for everything, guys. I finally pulled the trigger on Jillian 30 Days. It’s quick, it’s daily, and best of all, I don’t have to sit there second-guessing if I loaded the right videos or if I'm actually doing the moves correctly... it just works. And, yeah, just to brag a little, I already started. 👋 I literally exhaled... like, for real. I had to take breaks constantly. Whatever, though—I’m sticking to level 1 until I can actually nail the movements properly.

I might check out some Jackie Warner too, and I was thinking about throwing in AB Ripper part 1 during the day... maybe some other combo you guys suggested, though I much prefer having a video to follow. Or is that too short? Is that just wasting my time according to you people?

Regarding the "bulking" thing—I didn't think I'd turn into a bodybuilder from a few workouts or messing with some dumbbells, but then I read something about those specific exercises meant to lengthen your muscles—or whatever they call them, I don't know—so I started wondering if certain moves could actually change your body shape.
Actually, scratch that, it’s not even about bodybuilding... I phrased that badly. Look at this leg http://www.gophoto.it/view.php?i=htt...f#.UNWGm6ziujZ—it’s not muscular or anything, but I’m just not feeling it.

And I *just* realized what BF actually stands for... now I’m confused because I used those measurements to calculate mine, and it probably isn't even right. I have no idea how anyone manages to calculate their actual body fat percentage accurately by themselves.

Keith Davis7 you should try this Jillian stuff too.

Susan Jackson12 the link isn't working for me.

So, I did a little digging and I gotta admit... I think I might have bitten off more than I can chew here. P90X or Insanity? Yeah, absolutely not—not happening right now because my cardio is basically non-existent. I can barely make it up the stairs to my fourth-floor apartment without gasping for air. That’s why I was thinking maybe breaking things down into shorter bursts? Or maybe starting with just five minutes at a time and slowly ramping it up?

Anyway, I checked out those workouts by Jillian Michaels and Susan, and honestly... I'm not feeling Susan's leg workouts at all. They don't look slim to me. If you ask me, they look way too bulky—kind of like men's legs. Is that from overtraining, or does the specific routine dictate how you shape up? I really don't want to look like a bodybuilder; I just want to look toned...

I mean, my head is spinning from all this info flying around. You know, knee strain, spine issues, this one thing, that other thing, working out every day vs. every other day, eating two hours before versus right after... whether it actually works or not, breathing techniques... It’s a lot. Now I’m just standing here totally lost on what to even do.

Look, I’m ready to sweat, I just need someone to tell me where the hell to start. 🙂
Truth be told, I've never really worked out before, and for the last two years, my favorite "exercise" has mostly been sitting down... occasionally lying down, too. 🙈

I only used 180 as an example, but honestly, I’ve got a whole month ahead of me... so I was thinking about just going all in.

And yeah, I’d much rather focus on whatever else actually works—mostly because I absolutely loathe ab workouts. I’m not looking to get all shredded or have a six-pack or anything crazy... my main goal is probably just cinching in my waist a bit.

It's not even about losing weight, really. My issue is that I'm starting to feel a bit soft 🙂—so I figured I should probably do something about it before gravity takes its inevitable toll. My stomach is pretty flat and I don't really have any fat, unless you count this little bit of looseness as "fat"... My midsection is the main priority, but I guess I want to work on my whole body too.

I just ran the numbers and if it's right, my body fat is at 18.2%. Look, I hate sweating... what can you do? But if it’s necessary, I guess I'll just suck it up and deal.

Any advice is welcome, especially on how to see some actual results within a month. Am I being way too ambitious here?

I'm gonna go Google the stuff you guys suggested and then I'll check back in.

Does the whole thing go out the window if I split up my hour-long workouts into little 10-minute chunks scattered throughout the day? Like... just doing a bit here and there every few hours?

Also, would I actually see better results if I spread out 180 crunches over the course of the day—maybe doing 20 now, then 30 later on—versus just knocking out 90 all at once?

And how much daily training am I looking at if I want to see some real progress by this time next month?

Just to be clear... I’m not trying to lose weight. I just want to tone up a bit, and honestly, I really hate sweating.

Thanks