JILLIAN MICHAELS ON CARDIO, ROCK HARD ABS, & HER NEW APP

JAZZ HANDS! Because Jillian Michaels is on The Skinny Confidential AGAIN!

I feel like everyone in the fitness & health world looks up to Jillian- she’s an example of a woman who’s crushed it on every level. She’s created her destiny by writing multiple books, starring in TV Shows like The Biggest Loser & The Doctors, & creating a mega brand…& NOW she has an App to add to that list.

BALLER, RIGHT.

Businesswoman, author, trainer, mom, TV personality, AND philanthropist. She’s inspiring to say the least.

I sat down with Jillian to talk with her about her new App called Essentially. The App’s goal is to “let Jillian be your trainer.” The App is super interactive & you can personalize workouts. Also, there’s an easy, medium, & hard option- which is always nice. AND the coolest part is you can chat with Jillian via the App. Other features: there’s over 550 unique exercises, a progress checker, you can pick your music, & it’s Bluetooth compatible with most Bluetooth heart rate monitors.

Anyway, I am super excited to have her on the blog AND get VERY excited because she will be on TSC Podcast early next year- please leave any questions below for Jillian & I’ll ask them when we podcast with her!

Ok, let’s get into it- shall we?

+ Ok Jillian, for the few people who don’t know you, introduce yourself.

Jillian Michaels: Ha! I am a triple certified fitness expert and nutritionist. I owned a sports medicine facility. I am a black belt. I do continuing education for other fitness experts. And I worked on a tv show for a few years : ). I’ve been helping people with their fitness and health goals since I was 17 actually. I fell into it when I was a teenager training for my black belt test and have pretty much been doing it ever since.

+ You just launched an App- I always like to ask WHY? So! Why an App?

JM: In truth, we were stuck in an old deal, which had a 10 year term, for my website that unfortunately prevented us from developing our own App. Finally, when the deal ended after 10 years we were able to take advantage of apps and the technology they provide. Being able to utilize all the benefits of a Smartphone & Smartphone technology allowed me, for the first time, to really interact with the consumer and truly be their personal trainer.

I can respond to their feedback and personalize a fitness and nutrition program for them based on their current fitness level, fitness goals, dietary needs and so on.

+ What makes your app different from other fitness apps?

JM: My App is the most comprehensive on the market. We currently have 600 exercises on it and by 2018 we will have over 1000. We cover all modalities of fitness and are currently adding yoga, kickboxing, and prenatal in the first quarter of 2018. So whether you want to run a 5k or a 10k, prepare for your wedding, lose 50 LBS, lose the last 10 LBS, get in shape after baby etc., this app has you covered.

You can even have me design daily workouts for you based on how much time you have, how fit you are, what you want to train, what equipment you have available and so no. Plus, there are 5 separate meal plans so whether you are vegan or paleo you will find exactly what you need to get you in the best shape possible and feeling your absolute best. And last, this app is the best priced in the category. Most people charge between $12 dollars a month and up to $20. We charge $9. And if you buy the year you get it for $6 dollars a month. There is just no reason for fitness to be that expensive.

+ Talk to me about the eating portions. How can you track your food?

JM: My App has 5 meal plans as mentioned. There are hundreds of recipes. You can access them all and swap them out if there is something you don’t like. Plus, we add new recipes regularly. Each recipe has a calorie allowance and each meal plan lays out exactly how much you should be eating based on your goals. That said, my App syncs with Apple’s health app so I can help you track your calories and overall activity as well.

+ TOP three go-to’s when it comes to healthy foods?

JM: This is a really tough question because it implies there are three types of foods that are ideal and this simply isn’t true. There are many foods that are great for you and in a perfect world you would get a variety of them because they all offer different benefits. For example, foods high in omega 3 are great for brain and heart health as well as athletic performance. You can find them in wild salmon, grass-fed beef, and nuts and seeds.

Then of course there are foods high in probiotics that are great for immunity and gut health. Great sources of probiotics are fermented foods like yogurt, kefir, kimchi, tempeh, and miso.

Moving on to the micronutrients of vitamins and minerals – these are literally the building blocks of our bodies. We need them all or our body falls out of balance. So eating plants in technicolor is ideal for phytonutrients and minerals. You have your green leafy veggies, your red, blue and purple berries, your orange, yellow and red peppers etc.

These foods are loaded with key micronutrients from iron and Zinc to Vitamin C & Vitamin A. These micronutrients basically keep your body running optimally so they fend off aging, help boost metabolism, fight disease, and essentially optimize your hormone balance. If the question is, what are my go-to’s for convenience?, I’d say organic grass-fed beef jerky, organic Greek yogurt, organic almond butter packets or a piece of fruit.

+ Are there recipes on the App? What’s your fave?

JM: Personally I love to make dishes over. Take unhealthy things and make them healthy. So this way you can still enjoy your favorites, but without all the crap and extra calories. For example: hemp waffles with almond butter and honey drizzle, the pumpkin seed cinnamon parfait, chocolate cherry smoothie and veggie Bolognese with zucchini pasta.

+ What do you do if you’re traveling & need to workout? Tips?

JM: That’s what’s great about the app. You can use your own body weight to train anywhere with no equipment needed. However, you can also get out and go for a run in the area and sight-see. You can use the gym in the hotel if there is one. But in truth, an app is ideal because it allows me to train you in a small space with literally nothing.

So things like squats, push-ups, burpees, high-knees, butt-kicks, lunges etc. are all examples of what you can do. And the app sequences them all for you in your time frame.

+ Talk to me about what you see women doing wrong when it comes to fitness.

JM: Wow. This is a long list. And it isn’t women per se; It’s everyone that isn’t an expert. I think people believe that fitness should be simple and obvious, but it really isn’t. That’s why fitness experts study fitness for years.

I see poor form (which is a cliché, but a really big deal). I see them using the wrong equipment or not knowing how to use the equipment. I see overtraining. I see people not pushing themselves enough. I see people getting stuck in routines, which is ineffective and can cause overuse injury. I see them embracing dangerous trends like doing olympic lifts for time – so bad. Or, they want to be “skinny” and are afraid to lift weights. Weights happen to be one of the most effective ways to boost metabolism, burn fat, and maintain muscle and bone density as we age. The list really is long. And that’s why having expert advice is so important. At least in the beginning until you truly learn the ropes.

+ BEST workout for a lifted butt?

JM: Keep in mind that so much of what people are seeing on Instagram regarding the butt lift is either implants or injections. So, having said that, expectations must be managed. And the basics for booty are always the best. Weighted squats, weighted lunges, weighted step-ups, and pelvic thrusts.

+ Favorite workout for rock hard abs?

JM: In truth, ab definition, like everything else, is a combo of clean eating and proper fitness. You need to burn the fat that is over your abdominal muscles in order to see them. For this reason training techniques like HIIT, that are more metabolic are the best. Multiple muscle group movements that burn more calories and incorporate core are ideal, like push-ups, mountain climbers etc. Plyometrics (if you are in good enough shape to do it) is also very effective at shedding fat – jumping lunges, box jumps, burpees etc.

+ WHAT TO DO: workout when you have 15 minutes?

JM: If you are short on time then you have to increase your fitness intensity. Those two components work in tandem. The longer the workout, the more moderate the intensity of the workout and conversely, the shorter the workout, the more intense the workout should be.

So if I only have 15 minutes I aim for intensity techniques that burn the most calories during and after the workout is over. I do HIIT intervals (sprints ) or a jump rope. I do plyometric (jump training) workouts like squat jumps, burpees, clapping push-ups, box jumps etc. I lift heavy with free weights so my workout is still functional (not on a machine). Contrary to popular belief women don’t bulk up from heavy lifting unless they are eating a crazy amount of food and in some cases taking steroids. And, weight lifting helps to burn fat, maintain muscle and bone density. I also focus on compound movements that work multiple muscle groups at the same time. This saves time & burns more calories because it requires more energy to train multiple muscle groups simultaneously. Examples would be squat thrusters, pull-ups, lunges with biceps curls etc.

+ Thoughts on cardio? What’s your favorite?

JM: Straight cardio is extremely inefficient. And, if you do it over and over your body will adapt to it creating a plateau and you can get overuse injuries from the repetitive nature of it. I only do cardio on my “rest days” when I am not doing resistance training.

I train each muscle group twice a week and I do it in muscle splits. So for example: I do push muscles Monday and Thursday (chest, shoulders, quads, triceps). I do pull muscles Tuesday and Friday (back, biceps, hamstrings, glutes ). This leaves me with three “off days” a week. I make sure to have at least one rest day, preferably two, which leaves me one day for straight cardio. When I do cardio I mix it up for all the aforementioned reasons. I do everything from row, stairs, hike, paddle board, jog, and spin to keep it interesting and prevent plateau and boredom.

+ Tell us about the workouts on the app?

JM: They are virtually endless. As mentioned, there are literally hundreds of different exercises and come 2018 you can choose yoga programs, kickboxing programs, pre natal, post natal, 5 and 10k, 30 day shreds, 60 day fitness optimization programs, 90 day weight loss programs, body specific programs like sexy abs, lean legs, beautiful back, chest and arms, foam roller and recovery programs. The list is pretty much endless. Plus, there is a workout generator so you can have me create one-off workouts daily. See the mention above.

+ Three healthy resources you love.

JM: I love Thrive Market. They deliver health foods and products straight to your door at cost. I love medical journals because they keep me current on the latest findings regarding fitness and nutrition. I love certain fitness accounts on Instagram because it helps me stay creative with my workouts. I love blogs on nutrition from registered dietitians & biochemists.

+ Cocktail of choice?

JM: BIG heavy red wines that punch you in the mouth!

+ Where can people find you?

JM: On Insta & Facebook. My podcast on nutrition and fitness called The Jillian Michaels Show. My App- called My Fitness by Jillian Michaels. My website, which has my blogs, testimonials, podcast, and app info all in one place & my Amazon page has literally ALL my favorite things/obsessions in fitness trends, supplements, clean makeup, & beauty products etc.

♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡

Thank you Jillian for taking the time to hang on The Skinny Confidential! If you guys want to try the App there’s a free 7-day trial & you can access it in, you guessed it, The App Store. Leave your questions for Jillian below for TSC Podcast.

Happy sweating!

lauryn x

+ FOLLOW Jillian on Instagram.

++ Jillian loves Thrive Market like me! You can find $60 dollars of free groceries & shipping HERE. So many good finds. Enjoy.

SHOP THE POST: top | jacket ( << men’s ) | sweats ( size up! ) | phone case | headphones | pink file folder

+ this post is in collaboration with Jillian Michaels. As always all opinions are my own.

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