Jillian Michaels’ 30 Day Shred Review – Can You Really Get Shredded in 1 Month?

As far as fitness goes, I find I always come back to the tried and true things.

Such as Jillian Michaels’ 30 Day Shred.

I just started doing these workouts again recently, partly from nostalgia, and partly because I remembered what a great butt-kicking they gave me. 

And although the Shred is 12 years old, it still holds up as an effective way to get in shape – to an extent. 

Since it’s still a popular program, I thought I’d bring you this 30 Day Shred review to help you decide if it’s right for you to try! If you don’t have time to read the whole thing, I have included a quick FAQ near the bottom!

Disclosure: I was not paid to write this review. However, I am an affiliate of Jillian Michaels’ My Fitness app which is mentioned below, as well as part of the Amazon Associates program, which means I may make a commission if you make a purchase after clicking on the links below. Full disclosure here. That said, I assure you this review is based on my honest thoughts and experiences! 

What is the 30 Day Shred?

30 Day Shred is a fitness program designed by celebrity fitness trainer, Jillian Michaels. It consists of three, 20-minute, full-body workouts. You start with the Level 1 video and work your way to the Level 3 video. 

Naturally, each level is harder than the last!

The workouts consist of Jillian’s “3-2-1 interval system” which is:

• 3 minutes of strength
• 2 minutes of cardio
• 1 minute of abs

Back when I first did this program, I was a little fuzzy on whether you’re supposed to do each level for 10 days straight or if you take a day or two off somewhere. The DVD doesn’t seem to really come with any instructions for that. (Unless I missed them.)

When I did the program, I ended up doing the workouts 4 or 5 days a week, switching to the next video or “phase” every 10 days or so. 

But using the app, the schedule has you doing Level 1 x 8 times, Level 2 x 10 times, and Level  3 x 6 times, for 27 days, resting every 7th day.

How Much Does it Cost?

What you pay for 30 Day Shred depends on where you get it. You can find very affordably priced DVDs on Amazon or through Amazon Prime Video.

You can also access 30 Day Shred through JM’s app, My Fitness. There is a monthly subscription cost, but you get access to an entire library of JM’s workout DVDs, as well as highly-customizable fitness plans that are perfect for maintaining your fitness regime.

As the name implies, 30 Day Shred fills your days with workouts for the first month, but then you need to figure out what to do after, right? This app solves that problem. 

And compared to other fitness apps on the market, the subscription plans are some of the lowest I’ve seen – it works out to between $7.50-$14.99 per month, depending on the plan you get. 

You can even start with a 7-Day free trial.  

(Read my full review on JM’s My Fitness for the lowdown on this awesome app!) 

How much weight can you lose with the 30 Day Shred? 

This is one question that seems to get asked a lot, especially since the DVD cover claims you can lose up to 20 pounds in 30 days. 

But of course, how much you can actually lose depends on a lot of factors.

Your age and weight will make a huge difference. For example, I only lost a few pounds after 30 days but I am petite and had less than 10 lbs to lose when I started, so each pound lost made a big difference. 

Personally, I think 20 lbs in a month is a bit high to shoot for anyway. Most experts recommend 8 lbs a month as a good target, which translates to about 2 lbs a week. 

Remember too that fitness isn’t just about the number on the scale! The strength training parts can help build muscle, which as you may already know, is denser than fat. 

That said, these are high-intensity workouts and you can expect maximum calorie burn for your effort. The Level 1 workout I did today burned 200 active calories which is about as many calories as I’ve ever burned in 20 minutes. 

And as these are high-intensity workouts, you can bet there is an afterburn effect too!

So if you combine it with a reasonable diet you should definitely see some weight loss. 

Equipment required

This program caters to people who are looking for a home workout. As such, only very basic equipment is needed, like an exercise mat, a pair of dumbbells, and some quality workout shoes. 

My favorite kind of program!

30 Day Shred Before and After – My Own Experience and Results

This program was my very first introduction to any kind of strength training. (And, coincidently, was my last for almost a decade until I discovered HIIT via the Bodyboss program.) 

It was January 2012 when I did the 30 Day Shred for the first time. 

Let me start by saying this loud and clear: this program is not easy! If you are as new to strength training as I was when I did this, use light weights to start! 

I was about halfway through the program when I strained my shoulder doing the side lunges with a front raise. *facepalm* 

But it’s totally my own fault because I was using dumbbells that were way too heavy for me. 

You have been warned!

When I healed up a couple of weeks later, I started over and finished the program without further incident. 

And although the workouts are really tough, I also felt like a boss every time I made it through. Personally, I enjoy Jilliian’s coaching style, which has this energetic toughness that I really find pushes me to do my best. 

And she makes it clear that if you want to see results, you have to fight for them. And I find that blunt honesty refreshing. 

However, some people find these same characteristics to be off-putting, so I suppose it is a matter of preference. 

As for my results? I went from an untoned-pounds 125 lbs to a noticeably leaner 119 lbs. (Remember I am kind of short with a small frame.)

A 6 lbs weight loss may not sound like a lot, but I also made gains in strength and endurance. And I just felt that much healthier!

So this program works as far as kick-starting weight loss and building strength in a short period of time.

What about after the Shred?

Everyone gets so caught up in results but there’s another factor to consider that hardly anyone ever talks about.

Something that’s just as important if not more so. 

And that’s maintaining your results. 

But here’s the thing. After you finish 30 Day Shred, you’re probably not going to be overly keen to do it again immediately. 

Why? Because you’ve been doing the same 3 videos every day for a month! It gets a bit too predictable and boring.

At the time, I remedied this by moving on to do Jillian’s Ripped in 30 which I also highly recommend. (And is also available via the My Fitness app’s DVD library!) 

But sadly, after that, I ended up not working out regularly again for many years. I lost steam because I didn’t really know what to do next. 

Fortunately, now there’s My Fitness, which eliminates that problem. Because not only do you get an entire library of JM DVDs at your disposal, but you also get customized, long-term fitness plans so that you never run out of fresh, effective workouts! 

30 Day Shred Review Summary: An ideal way to kick-off your home workouts with a bang!

Here’s the bottom line of this 30 Day Shred review: It is not a long term solution. But in 30 days you will definitely kick-start weight loss and see results. 

Especially if you’re just starting out on your fitness journey. 

Whether you “get shredded” or not I suppose is a matter of perspective. It’s more of a buzz word than something you can measure. 

But if you stick with it and do your best, I think you’ll be pretty pleased with the results.

Just remember that your nutrition also plays a role in what kind of success you’ll have in just 30 days. 

And you need to have a plan for how you will continue and/or maintain once you finish the program. 

But if you need something effective to get started with and are a bit intimidated by longer programs, I would definitely recommend the shred as a great place for you to start!

What did you think of this 30 Day Shred review?

What are your favorite Jillian Michaels’ workouts?

Let’s hear it in the comments!

Pros 

• 20-minute workouts get the job done in as little time as possible
• Low cost
• Accessible on multiple platforms (Like DVD, Amazon Prime, or the My Fitness App)
• Easier modifications offered for each exercise if you have a more limited range of motion or need to stick to lower-impact moves

Cons

• Only 3 workout videos in the program means there isn’t much variety from one day to the next 
• It’s a short term solution – After 30 days you’ll need to figure out a plan for maintaining or continuing your fitness gains
• Workouts are only 20 minutes, but they are very challenging! Not for anyone who can’t handle high-intensity.

Other things to consider

• Although I adore her, the truth is that JM isn’t everyone’s cup of tea. She’s a “tough love” type trainer, and some people find her a bit too theatrical. However, her personality in this particular video is about as tame as it gets, so if there is any one of her videos you’re going to like, it will probably be this one.

Quick FAQ!