Even though I will never have washboard abs, or the long sinewy gams of a ballerina, I do like to try to stay in shape. With two little critters, my writing, and my job, it’s nearly impossible to find time to work out! So, we canned the gym membership, and I’ve been taking walks with my mom and my kids, and trying to squeeze in a 20 minute Pilates or Yoga routine here and there, but really felt kind of uninspired, and I still had to lay down on my bed to zip up my favorite pair of jeans (after I broke two belt loops trying to pull them up in the first place).

Then I came accross Jillian Michael’s 30 Day Shred!

Jillian Michaels – 30 Day Shred

This gal is well known amongst people who watch “The Biggest Loser”, which I’ve never seen. But, what caught my attention, even over my two kids screaming and fighting with eachother in the shopping cart at Target, was the fact that each workout contained cardio, strength training and ab work, and it only took 20 minutes for the whole thing! Love that! With a family vacation in June, I need something quick, but results-driven. So, I thought I’d give it a try.

I came home, put my kids down for their nap, threw my sweatpants and a sportsbra on, laced up my gym shoes (after I looked all over the house for them, and found them under my daughter’s bed filled with beads from a broken necklace- fabulous), and put on Jillian. In the first few seconds, as she comes out, she introduces me to these young, skinny bitches who’s bodies have never seen a stretch mark or ate a Cheeto, but within seconds, I was not focusing on the negative, and my heart was racing!

I was hooked! Jillian is very good about teaching you about proper alignment and posture so that you don’t injure yourself, and the skinny broads are actually super athletic and muscular, and they made me break a sweat, for sure! Jillian is also super encouraging and mentions that it takes hard work to see results in 20 minutes, and that it’s a short time, but she’s packing a ton of training into that time, in order to ensure results. The twenty minutes went by real fast, the music was upbeat, and Jillian had inspired me!

In a nutshell, if you’re looking for something calming and soothing, stick with Denise Austin, but if you’re ready for a workout that definitely succeeds at boosting your heartrate, challenging your muscles, and incorporates some great boxing sessions to punch out any pent-up aggression, all in 20 minutes: Jillian’s your go-to gal!