January: 10 Minute Body

Read also: 2 Weeks Later;
10 Minute Body Transformation DVD Review

   After using Jillian Michaels' Killer Buns & Thighs and Killer Arms & Back for eight weeks, I decided to give myself 2 weeks off before moving into Kettlercise's 'Ignite' in February. The original plan was to use the Killer Body v2 workout for 6 weeks and start something new on January 2nd, but I found the last workout so good that I gave it an extra 2. I'm glad I did for a number of reasons, the two biggest being that I was getting undeniable results so it was worth keeping up, and that, to satisfy the OCD organised side of me, I had 2 weeks before the start of February. It's true I could just go ahead and start Kettlercise now, but I'd rather start a month's workout at the start of the month, not half-way through, and I really don't want to jump from one intense workout right into another, as I said yesterday.
   So I'm giving myself two 'free' weeks to cool off before beginning what, from my experience with Kettlercise, is guaranteed to be a toughy.

   I've had 'free' weeks before, and I find them quite rewarding. It's an opportunity to revisit old workouts - books, DVDs, websites - and remind myself why I loved them, as well as perhaps remind myself that I wanted to give one or two another go before they got pushed out of the limelight.
   Having said that, I was also given two DVDs for Christmas and one for my birthday that I want to have a go at, because I'm not sure that two of them would be good for a month's dedication, and the other I know isn't. And yet it's that last one that I want to give some attention to.
   I am a Jillian Michaels fan girl, it's true, but only because she has delivered me guaranteed results in every DVD I've ever bought from her. And my fitness journey began with a mixture of Wii Fit and 10 Minute Solution DVDs. In fact, though I've long abandoned the dance DVDs, I still actively use the kickboxing 10 Minute Solution DVDs. I'm a firm believer that DVDs of five 10 minute workouts should be a staple in everyone's fitness collection because it provides a guided workout for the days when a long one intimidates you - especially when you're first starting out - but often results in you doing two or three of them because 'what's another 10 minutes?'
   So when Jillian Michaels brought out 10 Minute Body, a DVD of five 10 minute workouts, it went straight on my wishlist.

   Each 10-minute workout is a different theme - kickboxing, bum/lower body workout, Pilates, calisthenics and 'killer cardio' - which means you have a good mixture of cardio and resistance to suit any mood, even on lazy days. It's true that I never give in to lazy days - I often find that I have the best workouts on the days I can't be bothered, so I can't justify not bothering - so if I play a DVD like this I'm guaranteed to use at least three workouts, and that's what I intend to do here.
   For the next two weeks I'm giving myself leave to do whatever workout I fancy, but I intend to use 10 Minute Body six times - three days a week. I don't think I'll be able to get a month's straight use out of this DVD, and to be honest I have no desire to try, but I am still giving it 2 weeks and priority because I'm certain that it's worth the attention. And I'm sure I'll end up using a couple of the 10-minute workouts more than the others, but so be it.

   I do have certain expectations from this DVD. 10 Minute Solution DVDs aren't very high-impact, though the kickboxing is quite good, hence why I still use it, but there's only so much you're going to get from 10 minutes. These DVDs are designed, I feel, for people with little time and little experience - people with lots of experience usually make more time for it, but '10 minutes' is an incentive for newbies, and that's good because it makes fitness so very much more accessible and less intimidating.
   Having said that, this is Jillian Michaels we're talking about, and she does not waste time. Therefore I expect lots of compound moves, no rest and absolutely no wasted time in each of these 10 minute workouts, but the fact that they're all different - kickboxing and Pilates are so very far from the same thing - means that stacking them up shouldn't be an issue.
   I'm hoping to use it for half an hour on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, using two resistance and one cardio on every run. Though on Fridays I have more time, so I may aim to use all five workouts, or do my usual thing of switching to a kickboxing DVD for an additional 20 minutes after my compulsory 30.

   Also, look at my epic new leggings!! I've wanted these for ages; they're from Wild Bangarang, and they're the armour of Sylvanas, the faction leader of the Forsaken, the first faction I ever played on World of Warcraft and of whom my warlock is once again my main. I was so surprised when he gave them to me for Christmas because they sell out on Wild Bangarang so fast, and I knew size small had been out of stock for months. What I didn't know was that the Blizzard gear store also stocked them (I thought they only had the Infernals) and they had my size. Very happy Kim. They're immensely moisture-wicking, too, and though there's 0 compression because they're not specifically designed for the gym, they're so gorgeous that I really don't care.
   Now I know what amazing quality they are, I can justify buying Arthas and Nozdormu - you know, eventually... 

   Otherwise, I'll report back in 2 weeks on this DVD and then write a formal review. I'm hoping it will end up being used as my 10 Minute Solution DVDs used to be, to add in a little extra resistance or cardio after another month's dedicated workout, or as a substitute on 'off' days in between the dedicated workout. I usually choose high-impact resistance workouts as my priority each month, and while I used to use them every day despite knowing I shouldn't do full-body resistance on consecutive days, I'm trying to restrict them to 3 non-consecutive days a week. As such, I have room for yoga and general cardio once again, as well as the opportunity to work on skills and flexibility, rather than just weight loss. I am excited for this change, and for this free week, because, 10 Minute Body or not, I'm still free to use other workouts instead.