Jillian Michaels’ Lean Legs Interactive Program Review
So many of you have loved all the other program reviews I’ve done, and I’ve decided to keep writing them!
I’m all about helping girls get lean legs, and some of you have been curious about Jillian Michaels’ Lean Legs Interactive Program. The program is on her app, The Fitness App. I’m excited to answer your questions and help you explore some of the fitness programs that are available. :)
I’m happy that all of you want to work so hard to get fit and healthy. But it is best to not combine my program with any other programs. This can lead to overworking your muscles!
Who Is Jillian Michaels?
Jillian is well-known in the fitness world. She’s developed The Diet and Exercise App and The Fitness App. In addition to this, Jillian’s been on television shows to lead workouts and share her nutrition tips. She’s created successful DVD workout plans and created a fitness website called fitfusion.com.
In 2008, Jillian started a wellness company called Empowered Media, LLC, which is all about self-help, nutrition, fitness, and a healthy lifestyle. She has written eight New York Times bestseller books, and she has her own podcast.
She’s managed to do all of this and I think that’s amazing!
More About the Fitness App
Jillian’s fitness app includes information about how to train, and information about diet too. The app also provides community forums, so that users can ask each other questions.
The app contains a variety of different programs like Fitness for Beginners, Low Impact Shred, etc. But since I know many of you are focused on getting lean legs, I decided to focus on her lean legs program. :)
Lean Legs Interactive Program
This is a 30-day program focused on fat burning throughout the body and toning and strengthening the lower body. The plan consists of 18 individual workout videos that are each about 20 minutes long.
The plan is broken down by days, which makes it easy to follow along to. The days alternate between strength training and cardio workouts to give the muscles time to recover. There are six workouts per week with one rest day on the 7th day.
I’ll be going over the first six days of the program. This will give you a good sense of what her program is like. :)
About the Videos
When you follow workout videos, the app allows you to play music from your preferred streaming service, like Spotify. None of the videos come with their own music. Whenever Jillian speaks, the volume lowers, so you don’t have to worry about hearing her over your music.
Jillian doesn’t talk while she is showing the workouts. Instead, she talks over the videos to help explain what’s going on. She does a good job of letting you know different techniques and details that you should pay attention to. Jillian also explains the upcoming exercises, provides some motivational quips, and lets you know how much time is left.
If you’re concerned about following the exercises correctly, you can press on the specific exercise, and she will explain how to complete it. She also includes some text that explains why this exercise is good for you as well as how to do it properly. This is an excellent feature! Doing the correct form is so important to me. Performing exercises correctly will help you look your best and, more importantly, will help you avoid injury. :)
The app also lets you skip exercises that you don’t want to do or can’t do.
RELATED POST: Most Common Workout Injuries and How to Prevent Them
Day 1 of the Lean Legs Interactive Program
Day 1 starts off strong with strength training! Before you begin, you start with a warm-up to avoid hurting your muscles.
Some of the exercises in the strength portion include:
- Butt kicks
- High knees
- Cross over jacks
- Knee circles
- Alternating squat to curtsy lunge
- Sumo squats
- Skaters
- Alternating forward lunge
- Pelvic thrusts
- Chair pose
You finish up the day with a great cool down stretch, like the butterfly stretch that will feel great on your tired legs.
I like some of the exercises on here like the high knees. But some of the moves, like the lunges and squats, can cause bulky leg muscles, not lean ones.
If you’re hoping to get lean legs, you should be careful not to overdo these exercises. This is especially true for women with endomorph or mesomorph body types. Ectomorphs who want to build muscle will have less trouble with these moves. :)
Day 2 of the Lean Legs Interactive Program
This is cardio workout with elements of boxing. Unlike day 1, there aren’t any lunges or sumo squats.
Some of the exercises on day two include:
- Burpees
- Running man
- Butt kicks
- Upper cuts
- Jog in place
- Side to side hops
And if you’re worried about those burpees, you can always switch them out for a different exercise, like mountain climbers. :)
I really like that this routine has some elements of boxing in it since boxing is a great cardio workout that can done easily at home even without a punching bag.
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Day 3 of the Lean Legs Interactive Program
This is another strength circuit workout. The exercises include:
- Jump rope
- High knees
- Butt kicks
- Modified plank jacks
- Pelvic thrust
- Modified star jumps
- Sumo squats
- Superman
Day 3 only has one squat variation. Because of this, endomorph and mesomorph girls shouldn’t experience too much bulk from this workout.
But I’d still recommend that you be careful if your focus is getting slim legs with lean, toned muscle and not building too much muscle bulk . If you notice that your lower body is getting bigger, you can always replace the squats with something else. :)
RELATED POST: Which Is Better for Weight Loss – Cardio or Strength Training?
Day 4 of the Lean Legs Interactive Program
This cardio workout will get your heart rate up! The exercises include:
- Marching in place
- Jump rope
- Fast feed
- Crab kicks (no plyo)
- Jumping jacks
- Skiers
- Running man
- Speed robe
This cardio workout will get you sweating! Although it shouldn’t be too challenging for most people, beginners might need to modify the routine. If you’re struggling, I suggest doing fewer repetitions or removing the jumps.
Day 5 of the Lean Legs Interactive Program
Back to strength training! The exercises on Day 5 include:
- Fast feet
- Butt kicks
- Psoas lunge (alternating)
- Forward lunge (alternating)
- Side lunge (alternating)
- Backward lunge (alternating)
- Sumo squats and squats
- Modified crescent lunges
This workout is full of lunges and squats. I know a lot of fitness people recommend these exercises to slim down legs, but they can actually have the opposite effect and cause bulk, especially if you overdo it. Endomorph and mesomorph girls should be careful when doing a workout like this.
RELATED POST: Do Squats Make Your Legs Bigger or Smaller?
Day 6 of the Lean Legs Interactive Program
The last cardio day of the week include:
- Jogging in place
- Mountain climbers (no plyo)
- Jump rope
- Suicides
- Skaters
- Speed bags
- Speed rope
- Alternate punches
- Burpees (no plyo)
Overall, I like these exercises. I try not to do too many burpees, as they are risky when it comes to bulking up. But, in my experience, if you don’t do these too often, you shouldn’t bulk up. Just be careful and stop if you notice any unwanted changes. :)
Once again, I like that this cardio workout includes some boxing elements, like alternate punches and speed bags. That’s a great (and fun!) way to do a cardio workout.
Final Thoughts
Overall, this is a really excellent program. I like the combination of cardio and resistance training, and alternating days between the two types of training should help your body recover from each.
As I mentioned, the squats and lunges that Jillian includes in the strength training days can lead to bulk for some women with endomorph and mesomorph body types. If you’re concerned about gaining too much muscle for your liking, consider doing different lower-body moves.
However, you shouldn’t combine it with my program which is designed to help you get lean legs on its own. Adding another program to it will cause you to overwork your muscles. Combining the two could easily lead to injury, fatigue, and bulky thighs.
Let me know if you have any other programs that I should review!
Love Rachael xx
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Rachael is an Australian born certified personal trainer and nutritionist who holds a Bachelor degree in Science.
After struggling for years to find an exercise and diet program that is tailored to women striving for lean and toned body with no bulk she designed her Lean Legs Program. This program is tailored to each body type and focused on helping women get toned but feminine bodies, without getting bulky.
Her mission is to empower women and help them stay in shape in a healthy and balanced way.
Hi there,
I would like to know what type of body you think that Jillian has – Ecto, Endo or Mesomorph?
Hi lovely,
Based on her photos, she’s a mesomorph. But there are still a lot of factors to be considered like the way her body responses to exercise and certain diets. :)
I do love these reviews. Jillian’s program sounds too intense & rough for me. I know my legs would bulk up. Prefer your pilate-type videos.
Hi lovely,
We’re glad to know that you enjoy reading Rachael’s blogs. :)
If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to us at info@rachaelattard.com
We wish you all the best in your fitness journey! xx
Love,
Len
I tried your program for a few weeks but noticed I was losing muscle and being less toned being a mesomorph body type. I am not a beginner to working out and prefer a bit more muscle than maybe most girls. However I had to quit your program due to the exercises affecting my wrists. My job is high risk for carpel tunnel and I was noticing soreness beginning to happen. I’m nervous to try again. Longevity of my career is important.
Hi lovely,
I’m sorry to hear that hun. If you wish to restart the program, you can make some modifications to the workouts or avoid the ones that are hurting your wrists. The program was designed to help you lose weight and lean down bulky muscles but the resistance exercises will still help you get toned and gain lean muscle definition. If you need any help or tips, feel free to reach out anytime at info@rcahaelattard.com :)