I met Jillian Michaels today.
THE. JILLIAN. MICHAELS.
I’ve been intrigued by her since starting to watch The Biggest Loser years ago. Her passion for helping others get healthy is obvious, and her breed of tough love is unique. I was addicted to watching her coach the contestants on TBL as I was on my own weight loss journey. If they could do it, so could I. I got an extra boost of motivation watching her push them to achieve what she knew they could accomplish, but they didn’t yet know.
Just before Christmas, I got an email from a PR rep asking if I wanted to attend an event where Jillian would be.
UM, YES PLEASE. I have never written back so quickly.
This morning I went to Uplift and tried to half-ass my way through class so I wouldn’t kill my muscles for working out with Jillian. Oops. I forgot to cancel my class and didn’t want to get charged extra for not showing.
I got to work and was endorphin WASTED. I was so happy from my workout and coffee and excited for the event. I tried really hard to stay really, really quiet all morning, because all I had to say anyway was how excited I was.
She’s working with Curves, so this event was to kick off that partnership.
We walked in, and I was bursting with excitedly nervous energy. Like, so excitedly nervous, I couldn’t stop tapping my foot. I play it real, real cool around celebs, let me tell you.
The event started late, but finally JILLIAN BOUNDED DOWN THE STAIRS, AND WALKED RIGHT PAST ME. Omg, I was dying.
She talked for a few minutes about the partnership, and then we began the workout. So, back in the day, you’d go to Curves and do one machine, then recover, on and off for thirty minutes. Now, you do 30 seconds on a machine, 30 seconds of a cardio interval and repeat. They play a video of Jillian cueing you what to do.
BUT WE GOT REAL JILLIAN.
Y’all. The machines use air resistance, so they are incredibly low resistance, but I knew that the cardio intervals would not be, because Jillian wouldn’t let us take it easy.
This is accurate.
The intervals included air squats, plank holds, high knees, jump ropes, push-ups and …some other stuff.
She was great at both telling us when we were doing an awesome job and helping us when we needed help.
As I was doing push-ups, she came over to me to correct me. OMG, OMG. Do not collapse, Theodora. Do not turn bright red out of nervousness. DO THE BEST PUSH-UPS OF YOUR LIFE. I guess I was doing them a little too fast and with not good enough form, because she told me to focus on form, not reps and widen my arms a little bit. Oh, and of course she didn’t walk away until I did.
Another interval was air squats. I did approximately 17 million squats this morning, so I probably wasn’t pushing super hard. She came over to me, and said “I know you’re fit! Come on! I want to see you go lower.”
JILLIAN MICHAELS THINKS I’M FIT. IS THIS REAL LIFE?!
So, squat lower I did, obviously.
We also did sumo squats with elbow-to-knee touches, with an advanced option to touch the ground instead. I wanted to impress my new BFF, so I went for the floor. My squat still wasn’t that low, because my hips are tight as hell. She came over to tell me to get lower, and I told her my hips were tight. I wanted to tell her I was a runner, and I had lost 50 pounds and then ran 4 marathons and I listen to her podcasts all the time, but I just stuck with “my hips are tight.” “I can see that!” she said. “This is about mobility, too. You’ll get there.”
I wasn’t expecting a great workout, to be honest, but we were all sweaty by the end from all of the intense cardio intervals.
SEE? I WAS REALLY THERE. ME, HER, SAME FRAME. I’m not actually shaking my fist at her, even though it looks that way.
It was so, so cool to meet her. I didn’t get to talk to her one-on-one, but she just seemed so laid-back. After the workout, someone asked about the Q&A, and she goes “yeah! Let’s do a Q&A.” One of her people said she didn’t have time for it, and she said “come on! I want to do one” and they said she only had time for 1-2 questions. “That’s not a Q&A!” she said…and ended up answering a good handful of questions, including telling Nicole a cute story about getting her daughter to eat kale by telling her Katy Perry loved kale. (Her daughter is obsessed with Katy Perry.)
When I got the invite to this event, I thought how this was such a dream come true – to be able to meet and work out with someone I really admire because of her work to popularize fitness and teach people what they’re capable of. (Don’t get me wrong, I realize how controversial she can be, but overall, I think she’s done a ton of good.)
Which fitness celebrity would you die to meet?
I can’t even think of the appropriate words to say how jealous I am of this. So freaking cool.
I’m so jealous. Wow.
That picture of you and her together is hilarious! Love that she corrected your form and really cared that you were doing it right- sign of an authentic person!
Super jealous. Won’t even try to pretend I’m not! Dying of jealous! You lucky thing! (her hair looks so good)
Oh my gosh i sooooo want Jillian Michaels to correct my push up form. I basically love everything she does, and would love to have her train me, and be my friend, she’s hilarious.
You’re so lucky — how awesome! I fear I would hug her and not let go…
Your comment …” Y’all. The machines use air resistance, so they are incredibly low resistance, but I knew that the cardio intervals would not be, because Jillian wouldn’t let us take it easy.
This is accurate.” …. Actually is inaccurate, sorry.
The machines use Hydraulic Resistance (not air)….meaning, if you go slow, they give very little resistance-true…the idea is to go as fast and hard as you can…the faster you push, the more resistance you get from the machine.
Just an FYI.
I really love Jill. She’s so awesome!!!!!! I’d die if she told me I was fit. I love Bob too though!!!
That sounds like a great opportunity. Was there one of those moves that lots of people seemed to be doing wrong? I’m always curious on moves like air squats or other things where we often go for time during call it, tabata intervals, whether I’m losing form.
You say a video cues them when to move. Is there a monitor on the machines?
Holy Toledo! That is awesome that you met Jillian!!
OH MY GOSH, I am sooo jealous but also so happy for you! Meeting JM is basically a dream of mine and I can’t believe she corrected your squats and push-ups!
Ohmygoodness! I am green with envy. I cannot think of one other celebrity I would ever want to meet more than Jillian. Do you listen to her podcast? If you don’t, you should, it’s fantastic 🙂
@Katie H.: YES. It’s basically free therapy, in earbuds.
Ahhhhh that’s so cool! I got to GChat with Dolvett from the Biggest Loser and almost forgot my name…lol. I couldn’t even imagine being there in person. Glad you enjoyed it!
oh my goodness, this is so awesome! i’d be just as nervous and excited as you if i met jillian michaels, and she called you fit! that’s like the ultimate butt kicking personal trainer compliment 🙂
I would LOVE to meet Jillian Michaels. I love her despite the controversies! I listen to her podcasts on long runs and love them! Very envious!
I am so jealous! I went to one of her presentations while she was on tour last spring but actually getting to work out with her?? So awesome!!
That is so exciting! I do her videos all the time and love her no nonsense attitude.
On a scale of Kerri Strug to Yao Ming, how tall is she?
SO cool! I’ve done Jillian’s workout- they are tough! Fitness celebrity? Ryan Gosling! He’s a celebrity and he’s fit! 😉
Jillian is awesome. I use a ton of her exercises in my workouts, and look forward to her podcast every week. I loved hearing your viewpoint on meeting her.
as someone who has (regularly) had her ass kicked by jillian’s dvds, i’m envious that you got to meet her! and that she told you you are fit! that’s awesome.
That is soooo fantastic that you got to work out with Jillian! I’ve love to meet both her & Dolvett from Biggest Loser, but I’d most love to meet Bob Harper!
What a fantastic experience!!! I would love to meet and workout with Jillian (and Bob and Dolvett)!!
OH MY GOSH! I would love to meet JM!!! What an awesome experience!!
WOW- what a cool opportunity for you! I think I’d be unbelievably nervous to workout in front of her though!
I would die if I ever met Jackie Warner!
I’m so jealous right now. Trying not to dislike you! She is sooo amazing!
THIS IS SO AMAZING.
OMG I LOVE JILLIAN MICHAELS!!!!
Gonna be honest — I may have peed myself if that were me and she were coming over to correct my push up. Just a little.
I would have broken down & cried & said, “I have issues” so she’s sit & talk to me & hug me like she does the Biggest Loser contestants 🙂
Love the pic of the two of you “together”! I would love to meet Jillian or the Tone it Up girls – both their workouts kill me!
Very cool!! I have a few of her DVDs and basically end up yelling at my TV when I do them at home 🙂
She is one tough cookie.
SO JEALOUS! I love Jillian! I find her podcasts super motivating. What a great event and opportunity!!! Thanks for sharing.
I love Jillian! She can come off as obnoxious on TV and in some of her DVDs. And I love her podcasts, she’s really authentic and incredibly empathetic! Free therapy in your earbuds indeed!
Yay for you!! I love Jillian (and Bob. And Dolvett!) but if I could meet anyone it would be Chris Powell for sure. Yum!!! 🙂
Jillian is the best! All her YouTube videos inspire me to eat healthier and be a better person. I really hope one day I could meet her live or even get an email from her.