Dear Jillian,

You don't know me, but I spend about half an hour with you and your bare midriff every morning. I have tried a lot of exercise routines, programs and regimens, and some of them I've even liked. But you and I, we have something special. I've never felt this way before, and I don't care who knows it.

That's not to say that I'm unaware of your imperfections. There is a time during level one when you say, "Believe me, I know this is hard. I get it." But you know what, Jillian? I don't believe you. You do not get it. And do you know how I know that you do not get it? Because when you do those last few jumping jacks, you look like you are making perfect snow angels in the air, not like you are desperately signaling for help by flapping your arms at a plane, a plane circling the island where you have been marooned without food or water for several days. And during the side lunges with anterior shoulder raises, you actually raise your weights to eye level, rather than struggling to hoist them as far as your nipples.

Click here to read about Alexa's issues with Jillian and give her your help.

But in general, I have nothing but compliments for you, specifically because of the fact that in only 16 days, you have turned me from someone who had to get a job writing about exercise in order to force herself to complete a workout -- an extreme measure, I'm sure you'll agree -- into someone who willingly exercises every day she can and likes it. I worked out six times last week. In the week before I started doing the 30-Day Shred, do you know how many times I worked out? ONE.

So it is with great sorrow that I tell you that this morning I did not cycle through our familiar routine of push-ups, squats and jumping jacks, and that as far as I know, I won't be doing it tomorrow, either.

You seem to have done something to my knees.

I have tried skipping a day between workouts, diligently watching my form and jumping more half-heartedly during the cardio, and still my knees creak and send terrible spikes of pain ricocheting around when I attempt to utilize them in any way. Last night I required assistance from my husband to get from the couch to the bedroom, and this morning my knees cracked alarmingly when I attempted to swing my legs out of bed. It is not simple overexertion -- my other muscles no longer stay sore after completing level one, and I was about to move to level two when this knee problem cropped up. I am not really overweight, and my knees have never bothered me before. Of course, the last time I was this active was elementary school, so I suppose I could have had faulty joints all this time without knowing it.

So unless my commenters can think of something I haven't, this is the end for us. I wish things could have worked out differently. It's not you, it's knee.

Love,
Alexa

P.S. You know the two women in your video, the ones doing the routine with you? At one point you mention that they don't even cheat when you're not looking, but I think you should know that during the static lunges with bicep curls, Natalie takes a little break. Oh sure, she keeps doing the bicep curls, but she stops lunging for a few reps. If you don't believe me, look for yourself. I think you should dock her pay.

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So how about it? Does anyone have any ideas? If not for knee-sparing techniques, for workout routines similar to my beloved Shred that would be easier on my joints? Does Jillian make a knee-friendly video that is equally brief and hardcore? Could I substitute something for the leaping cardio portions?

Alexa Stevenson tries out various exercise techniques and documents them every other week on Lemondrop.