Have I ever mentioned that I'm an idiot? My friend's going away party was the other night and I had two too many Irish car bombs and ended up with a skull splitting hangover yesterday. It was my rest day so it didn't matter but instead of drinking lots of water and cuddling with my dogs, I had some beer as I watched the Seahawks game. That successfully pushed my hangover to today. I thought I was going to have to take a mulligan with today's workout but I decided to go ahead and attempt it. It went okay. Today was the first day of the rest week. While it is not easy, it had a more laid back pacing compared with the other workouts. I'll go more into what the workout entails in a future update. I'm too tired to right now.
I have a New Years Eve party to go to tonight. I will not be drinking any alcohol! (Okay, maybe a little champagne...)
Monday, December 31, 2012
Sunday, December 30, 2012
Saturday, December 29, 2012
Day 27 - Plyometric Cardio Circuit
Well, that does it for month 1. I'm not sure how I feel about that. It certainly feels like an accomplishment but at the same time I still have 5 weeks to go meaning I am not even halfway through yet. I am pleased with the results so far but have gotten a bit impatient and want them to come faster! I need to chill.
It is interesting how at this point some workouts feel great while others just feel good. Today was a just good. It seemed like I was only there for half of the second circuit but while I was collapsed on the floor trying to regain my arms and catch my breath I actually looked at the other people working out on the screen. It seems that they take many more breaks that I realized and suffer almost as much as I do. I think the camera changes try to hide it but if you look close, especially at the people in the back ground, you will see that they take nearly as many breaks as you do. Anyway, I am burning less and less calories with each workout so I guess it is time to move on to month two. Before that starts, we have a recovery week and WE ALL KNOW WHAT THAT MEANS. I actually have no idea what that means. I just wanted to write that. It is the same workout for 6 days straight so I hope it's a good one!
It's going to be hard to maintain my discipline over the next few days. I have three days off from work starting tomorrow. Tonight I have a going away party at my favorite brewery and Monday is New Years Eve. I just have to make sure to track the calories of each drink so I don't screw up too much of my hard work.
Tomorrow closes out the month with a rest day.
It is interesting how at this point some workouts feel great while others just feel good. Today was a just good. It seemed like I was only there for half of the second circuit but while I was collapsed on the floor trying to regain my arms and catch my breath I actually looked at the other people working out on the screen. It seems that they take many more breaks that I realized and suffer almost as much as I do. I think the camera changes try to hide it but if you look close, especially at the people in the back ground, you will see that they take nearly as many breaks as you do. Anyway, I am burning less and less calories with each workout so I guess it is time to move on to month two. Before that starts, we have a recovery week and WE ALL KNOW WHAT THAT MEANS. I actually have no idea what that means. I just wanted to write that. It is the same workout for 6 days straight so I hope it's a good one!
It's going to be hard to maintain my discipline over the next few days. I have three days off from work starting tomorrow. Tonight I have a going away party at my favorite brewery and Monday is New Years Eve. I just have to make sure to track the calories of each drink so I don't screw up too much of my hard work.
Tomorrow closes out the month with a rest day.
Friday, December 28, 2012
Day 26 - Pure Cardio and Cardio Abs
I really want like 5 tacos and a beer and some nachos and some more beer.
Something is wrong. Normally I'd be bitching about the workout but I've got no complaints about today. I pushed pretty hard, did pretty well and feel great now. The cool thing about doing Pure Cardio and Cardio Abs on the same day is that I get to eat more with the extra calories burned. Booyah! Five tacos, a beer and nachos is probably still out of the question, though. Anyway, I did Cardio Abs before Pure Cardio because the latter pretty much uses every joule stored up in your body so I thought I'd get more out of Cardio Abs doing it first. I think that was the right choice. Of course I have no idea if it was Shaun T's intention for the workouts to be done back to back since there really are no instructions with Insanity (probably my main gripe with the program) but doing them in that fashion seemed to be fine and it prepares me for setting enough time aside for the longer workouts of month two. Cardio Abs went much better than the first time. I was able to do a majority of the moves with the exception of the last one. It is hard to explain and seems a little obscene. It involves doing some hip pulses in low plank and then high plank. I have trouble with it because it is hard to hold plank for that long and I have no idea if I'm even doing the move correctly. Pure Cardio went very well. Most notably, I was able to do the entire Level-2 drills! That's 32 push-ups among other things.
Dinner time!
Tomorrow is Plyometric cardio circuit, I think. THE LAST WORKOUT OF MONTH ONE!
Something is wrong. Normally I'd be bitching about the workout but I've got no complaints about today. I pushed pretty hard, did pretty well and feel great now. The cool thing about doing Pure Cardio and Cardio Abs on the same day is that I get to eat more with the extra calories burned. Booyah! Five tacos, a beer and nachos is probably still out of the question, though. Anyway, I did Cardio Abs before Pure Cardio because the latter pretty much uses every joule stored up in your body so I thought I'd get more out of Cardio Abs doing it first. I think that was the right choice. Of course I have no idea if it was Shaun T's intention for the workouts to be done back to back since there really are no instructions with Insanity (probably my main gripe with the program) but doing them in that fashion seemed to be fine and it prepares me for setting enough time aside for the longer workouts of month two. Cardio Abs went much better than the first time. I was able to do a majority of the moves with the exception of the last one. It is hard to explain and seems a little obscene. It involves doing some hip pulses in low plank and then high plank. I have trouble with it because it is hard to hold plank for that long and I have no idea if I'm even doing the move correctly. Pure Cardio went very well. Most notably, I was able to do the entire Level-2 drills! That's 32 push-ups among other things.
Dinner time!
Tomorrow is Plyometric cardio circuit, I think. THE LAST WORKOUT OF MONTH ONE!
Thursday, December 27, 2012
Day 25 - Cardio Recovery
I was going to do Cardio abs in addition to Cardio Recovery today but I am dealing with a sick dog and found myself short on time. Therefore, I am sticking to the schedule and only did Cardio Recovery today and will do Pure Cardio and Cardio Abs tomorrow.
I've made it known that I really don't like Cardio Recovery but it really wasn't that bad today. I guess I am getting more out of it as I get stronger. I still can't hold a lot of the holding poses for as long as Shaun would like but I hold them as long as I am able. It's kind of a pity that I am finding this routine tolerable now that I won't have to do it again. I'm not looking forward to its equivalent in month two! Anyway, Cardio Recovery served it's purpose and my muscles all feel super relaxed right now.
I must go attend to my poor little doggie now. The poor girl has an upset stomach and there isn't much I can do for her, which really sucks.
I've made it known that I really don't like Cardio Recovery but it really wasn't that bad today. I guess I am getting more out of it as I get stronger. I still can't hold a lot of the holding poses for as long as Shaun would like but I hold them as long as I am able. It's kind of a pity that I am finding this routine tolerable now that I won't have to do it again. I'm not looking forward to its equivalent in month two! Anyway, Cardio Recovery served it's purpose and my muscles all feel super relaxed right now.
I must go attend to my poor little doggie now. The poor girl has an upset stomach and there isn't much I can do for her, which really sucks.
Wednesday, December 26, 2012
Day 24 - Plyometric Cardio Circuit
Yesterday was Christmas. My girlfriend got me a bottle of Scotch for a gift. It is very good Scotch and I probably had one more drink than necessary so I wasn't really feeling like working out this morning. Not that I had a raging hangover or anything, I was just a little sleepy and dehydrated. The workout ended up being fine, though. This one really gets my quads with all the squats and jumps. My push-ups keep getting better. I am curious how many I could do at once but I'm not going to try that until maybe after I'm finished with Insanity.
I'm going to keep only updating my weight during Fit Test days but I would like to report that it seems to be dropping very quickly lately. Of course that could be from dehydration but each morning it seems to be lower.
Tomorrow is Cardio Recovery. Not my favorite, but I think I could really use it. I have been a little sore and beat down from the workouts and from busy days at work. I think I'll also throwing in the Cardio Abs so I don't have to do it on Friday.
I'm going to keep only updating my weight during Fit Test days but I would like to report that it seems to be dropping very quickly lately. Of course that could be from dehydration but each morning it seems to be lower.
Tomorrow is Cardio Recovery. Not my favorite, but I think I could really use it. I have been a little sore and beat down from the workouts and from busy days at work. I think I'll also throwing in the Cardio Abs so I don't have to do it on Friday.
Day 23 - Cardio Power & Resistance
Have you ever tried Kashi Go Lean cereal? I've been having it for breakfast every morning since the start of Insanity because it has "as much protein as an egg". It also taste fine but it has a side effect they should really mention. I could seriously heat my home with the amount of gas coming out of me. It smells terrible, too. That's fine with me but I'm sure my coworkers are getting sick of it. I try to hold them until I'm alone, but invariably someone will walk in a few seconds after I let it loose. It never fails. I should probably find something else for breakfast... TMI?
I've bitched a lot about how much I hate Cardio Power & Resistance so I should be rejoicing right now since it is the last time I will do it during this round of Insanity. It is kind of bittersweet, though. While I had a huge improvement from the first time, I still didn't master it so I feel a little defeated. Anyway, like I said, I had a huge improvement and I was actually happy with the workout I did. My triceps are still weak but I was able to do most of the push-ups and other plank position moves. I'm sure whatever equivalent workout there is during month two will be even worse so I should enjoy the power and resistance break I will get.
Tomorrow is Plyometric Cardio Circuit.
I've bitched a lot about how much I hate Cardio Power & Resistance so I should be rejoicing right now since it is the last time I will do it during this round of Insanity. It is kind of bittersweet, though. While I had a huge improvement from the first time, I still didn't master it so I feel a little defeated. Anyway, like I said, I had a huge improvement and I was actually happy with the workout I did. My triceps are still weak but I was able to do most of the push-ups and other plank position moves. I'm sure whatever equivalent workout there is during month two will be even worse so I should enjoy the power and resistance break I will get.
Tomorrow is Plyometric Cardio Circuit.
Monday, December 24, 2012
Day 22 - Pure Cardio
Week 4 has begun! It kind of had a crappy start. Not from the workout. It's Christmas Eve but somebody in the hospital has to work. That someone is me this year and it was a doozy. There is some horrible bug going around and my coworkers are dropping like flies so I was down a coworker today. I thought it'd be cool, being Christmas Eve and all, but noooo, I think people were avoiding their families and in-laws by going to the doctor. I was busy and very exhausted by the end. The last thing I wanted to do was work out when I got home. I'm glad I did. Breaking a sweat is a good way to come down from a shitty day.
I say it every time, but Pure Cardio is still my favorite and I'm able to do more and more of it each time. The warm up was a breeze and I can finally do all of the stretches. I noticed the biggest improvement with the Level-2 Drills. I think I only had to step out and skip one rep so I still did most of the push-ups. My max heart rate was 176 and the average was 143. I'm too lazy to look back and see how that's changed but I do believe its lower which is a sign of my fitness improving.
Tomorrow! Christmas! Cardio Power & Resistance! I doubt I'll have time for a write up but I'll try.
I say it every time, but Pure Cardio is still my favorite and I'm able to do more and more of it each time. The warm up was a breeze and I can finally do all of the stretches. I noticed the biggest improvement with the Level-2 Drills. I think I only had to step out and skip one rep so I still did most of the push-ups. My max heart rate was 176 and the average was 143. I'm too lazy to look back and see how that's changed but I do believe its lower which is a sign of my fitness improving.
Tomorrow! Christmas! Cardio Power & Resistance! I doubt I'll have time for a write up but I'll try.
Sunday, December 23, 2012
Day 21 -Rest (plus Cardio Abs)
Oh man, those rug burns I got during the last fit test are itching like crazy! I wore a short sleeve shirt to work today and I wouldn't be surprised if my coworkers thought I had some skin disease on my elbows.
Today is supposed to be a rest day but as I mentioned in my last post, I decided to do Cardio abs today instead of doing them tomorrow with Pure Cardio. I think it was the right choice. I was able to do a majority of the workout which is a huge improvement over the last time I did it. I am thinking it's because my muscles aren't already shot from doing Pure Cardio before it. In the future I would like to do Cardio Abs in the morning and the other workout after work but that depends on my schedule. If it doesn't work out then I'll continue to do Cardio Abs on Sundays.
Now that I'm done with work and my workout I will start my resting. I could watch the Seahawks game. I don't really want to spend the whole evening in front of the TV but Shaun T. tweeted today that he is going to watch it so I might just have to! (I probably won't)
PURE CARDIO TOMORROW
Today is supposed to be a rest day but as I mentioned in my last post, I decided to do Cardio abs today instead of doing them tomorrow with Pure Cardio. I think it was the right choice. I was able to do a majority of the workout which is a huge improvement over the last time I did it. I am thinking it's because my muscles aren't already shot from doing Pure Cardio before it. In the future I would like to do Cardio Abs in the morning and the other workout after work but that depends on my schedule. If it doesn't work out then I'll continue to do Cardio Abs on Sundays.
Now that I'm done with work and my workout I will start my resting. I could watch the Seahawks game. I don't really want to spend the whole evening in front of the TV but Shaun T. tweeted today that he is going to watch it so I might just have to! (I probably won't)
PURE CARDIO TOMORROW
Saturday, December 22, 2012
Day 20 - Plyometric Cardio Circuit
I think I'm doing a real number on my carpet with Insanity. I keep ending up with pieces of it stuck in my beard and ending up in my mouth. Maybe I'll have hardwood floors by day 63.
I've grown to not despise Plyometric Cardio Circuit quite as much. The warm up isn't bad anymore. I remember it being a workout itself but now it does what it's supposed to do and gets me ready for what's to come. After the warm up and stretching, I was determined to get through the first rep of the first circuit without taking a break. Success! It wasn't easy and the following two reps had their share of little breaks throughout. Especially with the ski downs. My quads hate Shaun T. for those. The second circuit is still pretty brutal but I am getting better each time. I made it through all of the first rep of Level 1 drills without taking a break. That's a lot of push-ups for me! The ski abs and in and out abs are still too much for my puny arms to take but I do what I can. I did notice that Shaun T. gives his arms a very small break on the "in" of in and out abs by shifting his weight onto his legs. I started doing that. It helped a little.
The sun came out for a little while when I got off of work. That is rare this time of year in the Pacific Northwest. It really made me want to go for a run. Insanity makes running seem like a light workout. I'm looking forward to seeing the effect Insanity has on my running when I start up again.
Tomorrow is a rest day but I think I am going to break my rules and do Cardio Abs tomorrow since I won't be able to split that from Pure Cardio on Monday. Adios!
I've grown to not despise Plyometric Cardio Circuit quite as much. The warm up isn't bad anymore. I remember it being a workout itself but now it does what it's supposed to do and gets me ready for what's to come. After the warm up and stretching, I was determined to get through the first rep of the first circuit without taking a break. Success! It wasn't easy and the following two reps had their share of little breaks throughout. Especially with the ski downs. My quads hate Shaun T. for those. The second circuit is still pretty brutal but I am getting better each time. I made it through all of the first rep of Level 1 drills without taking a break. That's a lot of push-ups for me! The ski abs and in and out abs are still too much for my puny arms to take but I do what I can. I did notice that Shaun T. gives his arms a very small break on the "in" of in and out abs by shifting his weight onto his legs. I started doing that. It helped a little.
The sun came out for a little while when I got off of work. That is rare this time of year in the Pacific Northwest. It really made me want to go for a run. Insanity makes running seem like a light workout. I'm looking forward to seeing the effect Insanity has on my running when I start up again.
Tomorrow is a rest day but I think I am going to break my rules and do Cardio Abs tomorrow since I won't be able to split that from Pure Cardio on Monday. Adios!
Friday, December 21, 2012
Day 19 - Cardio Power and Resistance
Well, that wasn't my best effort. Maybe it was. It's hard to tell with this program. As long as you are trying, the workouts are going to be tough. I felt a little off today and I'm not sure why. It may have been because today is my day off so I was up too late last night and I didn't eat as much today as I would on a normal day. On most of my days off I will do my Insanity workout first thing after I get up but I decided to try something different today. I thought that it might help to do the workout at the normal time in the day to give my breakfast and lunch some time to digest and also gives me most time to drink some water and get hydrated. Good idea or not, I did not feel very strong during the workout. My quads were the biggest problem. They felt weak and were burning anytime I needed them. On a positive note, I am able to do more and more push-ups with each workout. I still suck at the triceps dip but I did manage to do 4 or 5 before I had to put but ass on the floor. Seriously, how do the people on the video do a straight minute or those? I think it's CGI.
I think tomorrow is Plyometric Cardio Circuit. I used to say that one was my least favorite but now I think Cardio Power and Resistance is. I'll try to be less negative tomorrow. (I went to Costco today to buy some food and Christmas presents and people were driving insanely slow on the way there. Once I got there, the store was a total madhouse and there were screaming kids running around and people constantly in my way. Ahhh! I just about lost it. I've been in kind of a shit mood ever since.)
I think tomorrow is Plyometric Cardio Circuit. I used to say that one was my least favorite but now I think Cardio Power and Resistance is. I'll try to be less negative tomorrow. (I went to Costco today to buy some food and Christmas presents and people were driving insanely slow on the way there. Once I got there, the store was a total madhouse and there were screaming kids running around and people constantly in my way. Ahhh! I just about lost it. I've been in kind of a shit mood ever since.)
Thursday, December 20, 2012
Day 18 - Cardio Recovery
These are my dogs:
They are pretty cool but can be a total pain in the ass during workouts. They tend to walk directly beneath me when I'm mid jump or sit down behind me as I'm about to kick my legs back. Today Gruff rolled a tennis ball underneath me in an attempt to kill me. When they aren't endangering them or me they are shedding like mad. When I come up from plank position with some sweaty hands, I will be wearing a glove of loose dog fur. I still spoil them to death, though.
 |
| Gruff and Sadie |
Lets change the subject! Have I mentioned that I don't really care for the Cardio Recovery days? The lack of intensity makes it a loooong 33 minutes. Plus, I'm still a weakling so a lot of the poses are absolute misery. I am getting better, though. I noticed today that I am a lot more flexible. One thing I need to work on is breathing. I caught myself holding my breath during some of the poses.
Lets change the subject again! As I was changing for the workout I glanced in the mirror and did a double take because my abs looked very odd and misshapen. A muscle! 30 years on this beautiful planet and I have just became the proud owner of an ab muscle. I admired it in the mirror for a good 20 minutes.
If the Mayans were wrong, I'll be back tomorrow for some Cardio Power & Resistance!
Wednesday, December 19, 2012
Day 17 - Pure Cardio & Cardio Abs
Boy, I tell you guys, seeing some results really gets the ball rolling. Before I was sticking to Insanity out of pure stubbornness (which is the reason I stick to most things) but seeing some results really gives me some momentum in the motivation department. My weight keeps dropping, my HRM strap was too loose today and I keep noticing new muscles popping up all over the place. It's pretty encouraging knowing that I'm not even at the hard part yet.
The warm up hardly phased me for the first time since I started. That may have made me a little cocky but Pure Cardio put me right back in my place. I did do most of the push-ups during the level-2 drills! Progress! Cardio abs still needs some work and it would probably do me some good to separate the two workouts. Maybe I'll try that next time if my schedule permits. I think my abs were getting a nice workout during the c-sit phase of the workout but my quads and inner thighs started to get really fatigued. That's the wrong area, body! The plank phase was still pretty sad. Really sad. It's that part that I think would benefit most from separating the workouts.
Tomorrow is Thursday, so Cardio Recovery! A nice short workout before the end of the world!
The warm up hardly phased me for the first time since I started. That may have made me a little cocky but Pure Cardio put me right back in my place. I did do most of the push-ups during the level-2 drills! Progress! Cardio abs still needs some work and it would probably do me some good to separate the two workouts. Maybe I'll try that next time if my schedule permits. I think my abs were getting a nice workout during the c-sit phase of the workout but my quads and inner thighs started to get really fatigued. That's the wrong area, body! The plank phase was still pretty sad. Really sad. It's that part that I think would benefit most from separating the workouts.
Tomorrow is Thursday, so Cardio Recovery! A nice short workout before the end of the world!
Tuesday, December 18, 2012
Day 16 - Plyometric Cardio Circuit
I mentioned in my last post that today was another early workout for me. It sure was! I decided it'd be best to do today's workout in the morning because this afternoon was the annual meal that the hospital that employs me provides. Its a free meal with a huge cut or prime rib, salmon, assorted salads and cheesecake. So good! So unhealthy! I figured that eating all that food would make working out pretty unpleasant so I worked out before I ate!
I still hate plyometric cardio circuit for the same reasons. While I am improving, I just have so much trouble holding plank position for so long for the last three moves of the second circuit. My arms are feeling stronger but I don't feel my abs have had enough chance to recovery lately and they feel very sore while in the plank position. Not the good sore, either.
The old abs won't be healing up tomorrow when I do Pure Cardio & Cardio Abs!
Monday, December 17, 2012
Day 15 - Fit Test #2
Progress!
I was a little weary going in to the second fit test because I was worried that I wouldn't improve and that all the work I've put in over the last two weeks would be for naught. I had nothing to worry about. Lets just get into the numbers.
As you can see I had improvements in all of the moves, though some are much greater than others. The switch kicks could have been a larger increase but I caught myself in "pace yourself" mode that I've been doing to get through all the regular workouts. About halfway through the minute I remembered that I'm supposed to be going for speed. I could have done them over but I don't care enough. I am satisfied as long as there is some improvement. I was going full throttle for the second half of the switch kicks and all of the power jacks and power knees. It wasn't until the power jumps that I needed a break. Even still, 14 more of those is huge. The increase in globe jumps doesn't look that impressive but keep in mind that 2 more reps is equal to 8 more jumps. Same goes for for suicide jumps since each rep is down, back, forward jump. The biggest thing holding me back for the push-up jacks and low plank obliques was my abs. I think I pull an ab muscle or something during a workout last week and it is causing discomfort while in the plank position. Also, I forgot to protect my elbows again during the low plank obliques so I've got a rug burn to the bone. All in all I am very happy with my results. Going forward, I don't think the changes will be quite as substantial but as long as I show improvement, I'll be happy.
One sign of progress that you can't measure is how I felt after I was finished. After the first one I thought I was going to barf and/or pass out. Today I feel like I could go on and do another workout.
Now for my measurements
Some of the lost weight is just water, which I was expecting, so it's nice to see the loss of inches in my hips and waist andboobs chest. My BMI is still considered overweight but it is at the very low end so next time I post my measurements I'm expecting to be in my normal range.
That's all for today. I've got another early morning workout tomorrow with Plyometric Cardio Circuit!
I was a little weary going in to the second fit test because I was worried that I wouldn't improve and that all the work I've put in over the last two weeks would be for naught. I had nothing to worry about. Lets just get into the numbers.
| Move | Day 1 | Day 15 | Day 36 | Day 50 | Day 63 | Change |
| Switch Kicks | 62 | 65 | +3 | |||
| Power Jacks | 38 | 51 | +13 | |||
| Power Knees | 70 | 102 | +32 | |||
| Power Jumps | 23 | 37 | +14 | |||
| Globe Jumps | 7 | 9 | +2 | |||
| Suicide Jumps | 11 | 16 | +5 | |||
| Push-Up Jacks | 16 | 22 | +6 | |||
| Low Plank Obliques | 37 | 47 | +10 |
As you can see I had improvements in all of the moves, though some are much greater than others. The switch kicks could have been a larger increase but I caught myself in "pace yourself" mode that I've been doing to get through all the regular workouts. About halfway through the minute I remembered that I'm supposed to be going for speed. I could have done them over but I don't care enough. I am satisfied as long as there is some improvement. I was going full throttle for the second half of the switch kicks and all of the power jacks and power knees. It wasn't until the power jumps that I needed a break. Even still, 14 more of those is huge. The increase in globe jumps doesn't look that impressive but keep in mind that 2 more reps is equal to 8 more jumps. Same goes for for suicide jumps since each rep is down, back, forward jump. The biggest thing holding me back for the push-up jacks and low plank obliques was my abs. I think I pull an ab muscle or something during a workout last week and it is causing discomfort while in the plank position. Also, I forgot to protect my elbows again during the low plank obliques so I've got a rug burn to the bone. All in all I am very happy with my results. Going forward, I don't think the changes will be quite as substantial but as long as I show improvement, I'll be happy.
One sign of progress that you can't measure is how I felt after I was finished. After the first one I thought I was going to barf and/or pass out. Today I feel like I could go on and do another workout.
Now for my measurements
| Day 0 | Day 15 | Day 36 | Day 50 | Day 63 | Change | |
| Chest | 41 | 39.5 | -0.5 | |||
| Waist | 38 | 36.5 | -1.5 | |||
| Hips | 36.75 | 36 | -0.75 | |||
| Biceps | 12 | 12 | 0 | |||
| Weight | 176.9 | 174.4 | -2.5 | |||
| BMI | 25.4 | 25 | -0.4 | |||
| %Body Fat | 27.6 | 24.5 | -3.1 |
Some of the lost weight is just water, which I was expecting, so it's nice to see the loss of inches in my hips and waist and
That's all for today. I've got another early morning workout tomorrow with Plyometric Cardio Circuit!
Sunday, December 16, 2012
Day 14 - Rest
Well, dudes, I've made it two weeks! Only seven more to go...
I am going to take advantage of my rest day by doing very little. I will probably watch the Seahawks game and then some TV. I will be one with the couch!
It's nice that I'm starting to notice some changes because I was starting to feel a little discouraged and overwhelmed with the program over that past week. The most noticeable change has been with my lower abs and chest. I'm starting to get some definition and I think my boobs are shrinking. I've also been sleeping much better and I've had more energy during the day. It's hard to describe but my body movements are also different. They are smoother, I guess. Perhaps that is due to some core strengthening. My weight is also dropping, slowly but surely.
Tomorrow is the second fit test. I'm hoping it goes well. It will be nice to have some actual numbers that show my improvement. For now, the couch beckons!
I am going to take advantage of my rest day by doing very little. I will probably watch the Seahawks game and then some TV. I will be one with the couch!
It's nice that I'm starting to notice some changes because I was starting to feel a little discouraged and overwhelmed with the program over that past week. The most noticeable change has been with my lower abs and chest. I'm starting to get some definition and I think my boobs are shrinking. I've also been sleeping much better and I've had more energy during the day. It's hard to describe but my body movements are also different. They are smoother, I guess. Perhaps that is due to some core strengthening. My weight is also dropping, slowly but surely.
Tomorrow is the second fit test. I'm hoping it goes well. It will be nice to have some actual numbers that show my improvement. For now, the couch beckons!
Saturday, December 15, 2012
Day 13 - Pure Cardio & Cardio Abs.
Yowza! Pure Cardio was as nuts as ever but today we added Cardio Abs on top of it. I'm not sure about the wisdom of adding an additional 16 minutes of workout on top of the first month's most intense workout. It seems like it would serve better to be added on to fit test days but I guess those don't come along very often, and looking ahead I see that month two tacks an ENTIRE workout on top of the fit test. Also, looking ahead, it appears that Pure Cardio & Cardio abs in the new status quo for Pure Carido days. I did some research on the internet and it seems that a lot of people choose to do the Cardio abs on different days. I may do that in the future but for my first time through Insanity I'm going to stick with how it is written.
I do feel myself getting strong with Pure Cardio. I don't know if it's possible to get through the entire routine without taking some breaks but I've been taking fewer and the ones I take are shorter. Cardio Abs on the other hand was not pretty. My stomach consists of a layer of skin, a layer of blubber and then my internal organs with no muscles at all. It is a short workout at 16 minutes but was probably only doing the moves for half of it. It starts out fine for me with some jumps that get the heart rate going but that is followed by floor exercises. There aren't any sit ups or crunches, which is nice, and I could handle most of the moves that were done in the sit up position. Those are followed by moves in the plank position and that is were things fell apart. My arms are still weak and my abs were spent. It really felt like they were about to tear in half. I'm not too discouraged since it was the first time seeing this routine and I'll have plenty more tries at it. It will be interesting to see how I improve.
Overall workout time: 55 minutes
Average HR: 149 BPM
Max: 182 BPM
Calories: 749
Tomorrow is some much need rest followed by the return of the Fit Test on Monday!
I do feel myself getting strong with Pure Cardio. I don't know if it's possible to get through the entire routine without taking some breaks but I've been taking fewer and the ones I take are shorter. Cardio Abs on the other hand was not pretty. My stomach consists of a layer of skin, a layer of blubber and then my internal organs with no muscles at all. It is a short workout at 16 minutes but was probably only doing the moves for half of it. It starts out fine for me with some jumps that get the heart rate going but that is followed by floor exercises. There aren't any sit ups or crunches, which is nice, and I could handle most of the moves that were done in the sit up position. Those are followed by moves in the plank position and that is were things fell apart. My arms are still weak and my abs were spent. It really felt like they were about to tear in half. I'm not too discouraged since it was the first time seeing this routine and I'll have plenty more tries at it. It will be interesting to see how I improve.
Overall workout time: 55 minutes
Average HR: 149 BPM
Max: 182 BPM
Calories: 749
Tomorrow is some much need rest followed by the return of the Fit Test on Monday!
Friday, December 14, 2012
Day 12 - Cardio Power & Resistance
Sometimes when I have some free time at work I'll do a little more Insanity research on the net and I'm always drawn to before and after pictures. It probably isn't a good idea to do that at work because it would be kind of difficult to explain why I'm looking at scantily clad people flexing their muscles should my boss happen to walk up behind me. I find myself drawn to these pictures, though. I guess to give me inspiration to keep going with this insane incredibly difficult program. However, sometimes I come across a before and after pic in which the person looks EXACTLY the same. Does that mean they didn't work hard enough, didn't eat right or didn't really need a change? I do not know, but it gives me a lingering fear that I will suffer a similar fate. I guess that is its own kind of motivation. Anyway, I did take some before pics and I will take some after pics. You just have to wait for them!
I wrote the above paragraph a few days ago. It's hard to come up with a topic to discuss each day so I have to get them down when I think of them. I actually noticed quite a difference in the mirror this morning and my weight was slightly lower this morning for the first time since I started Insanity. It's good to see results and I'm excited to see how much more I'll change since I'm not even two weeks in yet.
Today was Cardio Power & Resistance. I think it went pretty well. I was able to get through all of the warm up without taking any small pauses for the first time. I think that's from a combination of knowing how to pace myself better and being in better shape. I still can't do the triceps dips properly at the end of the first circuit but I'm cool with that. I can still feel the burn by doing a modified dip. I have no problem with the triceps ball push ups, though. Interesting... The second circuit is still a beast. I actually get a bit of a break doing the hurdle jumps since they are more cardio and less power. I think I'm getting better at the globe jumps but I suppose I'll know for sure on Monday when I do my second fit test. I don't know what it is with the moving push ups, but I do horrible on the first set, better on the second and best on the third. I was pretty well spent by the time I got to the hop squats/pushups that cap off the second circuit. I tried to do regular push ups but my abs were on fire so I had to do the modified knee-to-the-ground push ups. Still, I am satisfied with today's workout.
I was pretty surprised when my HRM said I burned 540. I thought it'd be more since the last time I did this workout I was at about 600, but then again, what is 60 calories? 66% of a stick of string cheese? I should probably quit focusing on my calories burned as an indicator of the quality of a workout, especially since it's just an estimate. Also, I don't pause it during the stretching and I think my recovery has gotten faster so that could be throwing it off.
I am not looking forward to tomorrow one bit. Pure Cardio AND Cardio Abs. Craaaaaaap.
I wrote the above paragraph a few days ago. It's hard to come up with a topic to discuss each day so I have to get them down when I think of them. I actually noticed quite a difference in the mirror this morning and my weight was slightly lower this morning for the first time since I started Insanity. It's good to see results and I'm excited to see how much more I'll change since I'm not even two weeks in yet.
Today was Cardio Power & Resistance. I think it went pretty well. I was able to get through all of the warm up without taking any small pauses for the first time. I think that's from a combination of knowing how to pace myself better and being in better shape. I still can't do the triceps dips properly at the end of the first circuit but I'm cool with that. I can still feel the burn by doing a modified dip. I have no problem with the triceps ball push ups, though. Interesting... The second circuit is still a beast. I actually get a bit of a break doing the hurdle jumps since they are more cardio and less power. I think I'm getting better at the globe jumps but I suppose I'll know for sure on Monday when I do my second fit test. I don't know what it is with the moving push ups, but I do horrible on the first set, better on the second and best on the third. I was pretty well spent by the time I got to the hop squats/pushups that cap off the second circuit. I tried to do regular push ups but my abs were on fire so I had to do the modified knee-to-the-ground push ups. Still, I am satisfied with today's workout.
I was pretty surprised when my HRM said I burned 540. I thought it'd be more since the last time I did this workout I was at about 600, but then again, what is 60 calories? 66% of a stick of string cheese? I should probably quit focusing on my calories burned as an indicator of the quality of a workout, especially since it's just an estimate. Also, I don't pause it during the stretching and I think my recovery has gotten faster so that could be throwing it off.
I am not looking forward to tomorrow one bit. Pure Cardio AND Cardio Abs. Craaaaaaap.
Thursday, December 13, 2012
Day 11 - Cardio Recovery
Hola! The company Christmas party I went to last night was in Ballard. If you are not familiar with Seattle, Ballard is a neighborhood in the northwest part of the city. Seattleites will find any opportunity they can to rave about how much they love it. I live in the suburbs and do not share this sentiment. It is a bitch to get to, parking sucks and as far as I can tell, it really has nothing to offer that you can't find in a more accessible neighborhood (other than my friend's restaurant that you should totally go to if you find yourself in the area). Anyway, aside from it taking 20 minutes to get there from I5 and another 10 minutes to find parking, the party was pretty enjoyable. However, Xmas parties and fitness programs are like oil and water. I will not refuse a $9 Manhattan and a big IPA that I do not have to pay for. I will not refuse buffalo chicken wings that I do not have to pay for. I will not refuse fried pickles that I do not have to pay for. Needless to say, I went way over my caloric limit for the day. Now I am faced with a dilemma. Do I shave off some calories each day for the rest of the week or do I just consider last night a mulligan?
One thing is for sure: I did not burn off the extra calories with today's workout. While it is still a workout there really isn't any cardio. I really hated this one the first time I did it but today I felt much better and much stronger. Progress! I'm sure by the time I am actually comfortable with it I'll be switch to the second month start back at square one. Such pessimism!
Tomorrow: Cardio Power & Resistance
One thing is for sure: I did not burn off the extra calories with today's workout. While it is still a workout there really isn't any cardio. I really hated this one the first time I did it but today I felt much better and much stronger. Progress! I'm sure by the time I am actually comfortable with it I'll be switch to the second month start back at square one. Such pessimism!
Tomorrow: Cardio Power & Resistance
Wednesday, December 12, 2012
Day 10 - Plyometric Cardio Circuit
I really was not in the mood to do this today. Like I mentioned yesterday, I had to get up an hour early to take care of the workout before I left for work. Plus, today was Plyometric Cardio Circuit, my absolute least favorite of the month 1 bunch. I did notice that I am able to do more of the workout but it is still frustrating having to sit out so much for the second circuit because I don't have the strength yet. I pulled a groin muscle at some point so my basketball jumps were pretty weak but I didn't want to make it any worse than it already was.
I keep screwing up the stretching part of the warm up. I understand that Shaun T. is like a mirror image of me, so when he lifts his left hand I lift my right. No problem! For some reason my brain flips that around during the stretches and get all sorts of screwed up. I notice that I tend to do the hip flexers on the same side, just facing a different direction. I must concentrate more, I guess. I wonder if that is part of the reason I suck so much at the stretches.
My HRM said I burned 510 calories. I wonder how that would change if I was able to do more of workout. It did say I was "In the Zone" for almost 30 minutes, whatever that means. I assume it's good. It's kind of difficult washing my hair afterwards since my arms are so tired by the end.
Tomorrow is Cardio Recovery, another workout that I wasn't so fond of my first go round. We'll see if I like it more! At least it will be nice to give my muscles a break and give them a good stretch.
I keep screwing up the stretching part of the warm up. I understand that Shaun T. is like a mirror image of me, so when he lifts his left hand I lift my right. No problem! For some reason my brain flips that around during the stretches and get all sorts of screwed up. I notice that I tend to do the hip flexers on the same side, just facing a different direction. I must concentrate more, I guess. I wonder if that is part of the reason I suck so much at the stretches.
My HRM said I burned 510 calories. I wonder how that would change if I was able to do more of workout. It did say I was "In the Zone" for almost 30 minutes, whatever that means. I assume it's good. It's kind of difficult washing my hair afterwards since my arms are so tired by the end.
Tomorrow is Cardio Recovery, another workout that I wasn't so fond of my first go round. We'll see if I like it more! At least it will be nice to give my muscles a break and give them a good stretch.
Tuesday, December 11, 2012
Day 9 - Pure Cardio
Um, does Shaun T. say, "Let's jack off!" before the first round of jumping jacks?
I've said it before, and I'll say it again. I love pure cardio! Love might be too strong of a word. I despise pure cardio less that the other Insanity workouts I've done thus far! is more accurate. I dig the intensity and it humanizes the Insanity crew since every one of them has to take a few breaks throughout.
Calories burned: 537 and I can really feel it in my abs today. Speaking of abs, I thought I saw a tiny bit of definition in the lower abs that I don't remember seeing before. It could be that I've been looking harder for some progress since that would be a motivation shot in the arm that I really could use. Not that I'm close to quitting or anything. Far from it, but seeing some results would really help push me to work even harder.
I have my girlfriend's corporate Xmas party to go to tomorrow after work so I'm going to have to do another early morning workout. That's probably not enough recovery time but I am trying my hardest to stick with the schedule.
Tomorrow: Plyometric Cardio Circuit before the sun comes up. Ugh.
I've said it before, and I'll say it again. I love pure cardio! Love might be too strong of a word. I despise pure cardio less that the other Insanity workouts I've done thus far! is more accurate. I dig the intensity and it humanizes the Insanity crew since every one of them has to take a few breaks throughout.
Calories burned: 537 and I can really feel it in my abs today. Speaking of abs, I thought I saw a tiny bit of definition in the lower abs that I don't remember seeing before. It could be that I've been looking harder for some progress since that would be a motivation shot in the arm that I really could use. Not that I'm close to quitting or anything. Far from it, but seeing some results would really help push me to work even harder.
I have my girlfriend's corporate Xmas party to go to tomorrow after work so I'm going to have to do another early morning workout. That's probably not enough recovery time but I am trying my hardest to stick with the schedule.
Tomorrow: Plyometric Cardio Circuit before the sun comes up. Ugh.
Monday, December 10, 2012
Day 8 - Cardio Power & Resistance
A year or two ago I bought the Perfect Pushup. I have no idea why I bought it since I really don't care much about my pectorals. I think Conan O'Brien mentioned them once and I thought they would change my life or something. They would at least make my boobs look better. Anyway, they arrived and I excitedly opened the box, watched the DVD and studied all the diagrams for the perfect form and movement. I was ready! No, I was not. I think I managed to do a single push up. I swallowed my pride and put my knees on the floor into the girl push up position (sorry for the sexism, I don't know what they are actually called). I managed two do a few more but I was severely humbled. I stuck with it, though, and after a few weeks I could do an entire set and was following the fitness plan and building up my reps. While there was an improvement with my performance, there was not with my appearance and eventually I did them less and less until the Perfect Pushup ended up in the corner of my home office with all my other crap. Cardio Power & Resistance really makes me regret not sticking with it. Damn! the last circuit kicks my ass. I think there was definitely an improvement over the last time I did it but that could be due to knowing that the triceps dips were coming up at the end up the first circuit and taking it a little easier with those this time. All in all it was a good workout.
Last week I forgot to turn on my heart rate monitor for this workout. Today was the inaugural workout of my brand spanking new monitor! Using my Garmin's heart rate function wasn't cutting it. The BPM number is tiny so I'd have to go into another room just to read it. The strap is also made of hard rubber and not very comfortable. It served it's purpose but I enjoy the Polar FT4 much better. The strap is made of elastic and the heart rate number is big! It calculated the calories burned at just shy of 600. Using the old website to calculate gives me 635. I like the latter more since it makes me more of a badassss but I'll stick with the HRM calculation going forward for consistency's sake. I also purchased some sweat bands so I look like a total baws. It did make the walking push ups easier since I wasn't slipping across the carpet from having sweaty paws. The head band was totally drenched afterwards and I had to ring it out in the sink. Aren't I awesome?
OKAY, tomorrow is the return of my favorite, Pure Cardio!
Last week I forgot to turn on my heart rate monitor for this workout. Today was the inaugural workout of my brand spanking new monitor! Using my Garmin's heart rate function wasn't cutting it. The BPM number is tiny so I'd have to go into another room just to read it. The strap is also made of hard rubber and not very comfortable. It served it's purpose but I enjoy the Polar FT4 much better. The strap is made of elastic and the heart rate number is big! It calculated the calories burned at just shy of 600. Using the old website to calculate gives me 635. I like the latter more since it makes me more of a badassss but I'll stick with the HRM calculation going forward for consistency's sake. I also purchased some sweat bands so I look like a total baws. It did make the walking push ups easier since I wasn't slipping across the carpet from having sweaty paws. The head band was totally drenched afterwards and I had to ring it out in the sink. Aren't I awesome?
OKAY, tomorrow is the return of my favorite, Pure Cardio!
Sunday, December 9, 2012
Day 7 - Rest Day
One week down, 8 to go!
I know I said I wasn't going to have time to post anything yesterday but I found out the Blogger app makes it pretty easy, hence the picture of me drenched in sweat. Good to know if I find myself short on time again. The workout yesterday morning went okay. I hate the Plyometric Cardio Circuit because my arms are still too weak to do most of the moves in the second part of the workout. I did do better than my first attempt at it, though. I forgot to turn on my heart rate monitor again (the damn ads at the begining of the DVD distract me) but I'm pretty sure I didn't have any heart attack level hearts rates this time. Doing it in the morning was also pretty nice but I don't think I'll be able to get up at 3:45 on a regular basis.
Today, as with every seventh day, is the much deserved off day. After the past six days it feels odd not to have to work out but I am going to try to enjoy it as best I can. I am going to do a little shopping, watch the Seahawks game and then play some Borderlands 2. This workout has really cut in to my Borderlands time!
Insanity has really changed my mindset about working out and eating healthier. With running the main motivation for me is to get in good enough shape so I don't look like a dork at a race but with Insanity I am really motivated to get the most out of each workout. That desire carries over in to eating as well. I noticed last night while out with friends that I just couldn't imagine eating a huge hamburger and fries and drink copious amounts of beer. Instead I limited myself to two beers and a grilled chicken burger with no sides and it didn't feel like I was shorting myself any caloric satisfaction. This is what I WANTED to eat and that is a great feeling. I hope it stays and isn't just a first week pink cloud.
We march ahead tomorrow with the return of Cardio Power and Resistance!
I know I said I wasn't going to have time to post anything yesterday but I found out the Blogger app makes it pretty easy, hence the picture of me drenched in sweat. Good to know if I find myself short on time again. The workout yesterday morning went okay. I hate the Plyometric Cardio Circuit because my arms are still too weak to do most of the moves in the second part of the workout. I did do better than my first attempt at it, though. I forgot to turn on my heart rate monitor again (the damn ads at the begining of the DVD distract me) but I'm pretty sure I didn't have any heart attack level hearts rates this time. Doing it in the morning was also pretty nice but I don't think I'll be able to get up at 3:45 on a regular basis.
Today, as with every seventh day, is the much deserved off day. After the past six days it feels odd not to have to work out but I am going to try to enjoy it as best I can. I am going to do a little shopping, watch the Seahawks game and then play some Borderlands 2. This workout has really cut in to my Borderlands time!
Insanity has really changed my mindset about working out and eating healthier. With running the main motivation for me is to get in good enough shape so I don't look like a dork at a race but with Insanity I am really motivated to get the most out of each workout. That desire carries over in to eating as well. I noticed last night while out with friends that I just couldn't imagine eating a huge hamburger and fries and drink copious amounts of beer. Instead I limited myself to two beers and a grilled chicken burger with no sides and it didn't feel like I was shorting myself any caloric satisfaction. This is what I WANTED to eat and that is a great feeling. I hope it stays and isn't just a first week pink cloud.
We march ahead tomorrow with the return of Cardio Power and Resistance!
Saturday, December 8, 2012
Friday, December 7, 2012
Day 5 - Pure Cardio
My muscles are feeling even better today. They are still achy when I bend or reach in certain positions but this is the first day since the start that I wasn't moaning and groaning all day whenever I moved.
After the Cardio Recovery yesterday I was ready to get back into an intense workout. I popped in the Pure Cardio DVD and....sat through the Team Beachbody ads. Those are so irritating and why did they put them at the beginning of every DVD? I almost forgot to hit "go" on my heart rate monitor again because of the distraction.
Things start out with one of the same warm ups that we are used to. One of these days I'm going to post another heart rate chart so you can see just how intense these warm ups are. I'm a sweaty Betty by the time we get to the stretches. Once the warm up is complete Shaun T. lets us know that he is nervous to do this work out. Great. I think the actual work out is a little shorter than the other ones so far (not counting cardio recovery or the fit test) because it is set up a little different. There is only one circuit and there are no breaks! The circuit consists of 15 exercises, all for a minute a piece. A lot of them we've come across before. They are: suicide drills, switch kicks, wide football sprints, stance jacks, pedal, hooks and jump rope, power jacks, level 2 drills, frog jumps, power knees, mountain climbers, ski down, scissor runs (Shaun T. was so tired at this point that he forgot what they were called), suicide jumps, and the lovely push up jacks. The stance jacks involve doing a squat with one arm down to the floor, coming up and then doing another squat with the other arm down. For the pedal you sprint in place for a few counts, drop down to a lunge with one foot forward, then switch feet and start sprinting again. Repeat for a minute. The frog jump is like the globe jump, only you jump forward and back instead of left, back, right, forward. I hate them just as much.
This was a very intense workout which helped the time go by quickly. It was hard, but so far my favorite. It was also fun watching the Insanity crew dropping like flies behind Shaun T., who was struggling himself. At the end he plops down on the ground and exclaims, "That shit is bananas, yo!" I also like watching Tania (I think) switch on her scary intense face whenever she realizes the camera is on her. By the end her face just reads misery!
Total calories burned: 575. I was expecting more but whatevs. It's just a ball park. It also means I have about 3 hours to consume 1250 more calories before bed. I might write up a separate blog about how I've been handling the nutrition demands but I should wait until I start to see if I actually have some positive results first.
Tomorrow is the return of Plyometric Cardio Circuit! I won't be able to have a write up of it tomorrow. I'm going to a hockey game with some friends after work so the only time I'll have to get the workout in is before work. That means 4:00 am. Do you feel sorry for me? I'll write up a week one recap in 2 days.
Thursday, December 6, 2012
Day 4 - Cardio Recovery
I'm feeling much better today. My abs and quadriceps are still pretty sore but they aren't as bad as they were for the past two days. I thought my triceps would be in pain after the dips yesterday but they really aren't too bad.
Today was Cardio Recovery. As Shaun T. says, its all about control, not cardio. You need some strength for control, which I don't have. I knew from researching the workout ahead of time that this was going to be some yoga and pilates type moves. I've tried yoga in the past but have always given up after a few days because my muscles were too weak to hold any poses and my right wrist was kind of screwed up from some drunken shenanigans in my college days. My wrist hasn't been bothering me as of late and I was hoping that I might be a little stronger than the times I've tried in the past. Nope! It is still very hard for me to hold a lot of the poses for any amount of time and I'd be shaking like crazy while trying to hold them. I gave it my all and will continue to do so when this workout is repeated (looks like every Thursday). I am curious to see how much I will improve by the end of the month.
I remembered to turn on my heart rate monitor this time, but it doesn't really do much good for this type of workout. I topped out at 149 bpm and my average was 113. All the calorie calculators require at least 120 bpm. When I plug in 120 it says I burned around 350 which is definitely high so I won't worry about calories burned today. I did work up a nice sweat, though.
Back to the grind tomorrow with PURE CARDIO!!!!!!!!
Today was Cardio Recovery. As Shaun T. says, its all about control, not cardio. You need some strength for control, which I don't have. I knew from researching the workout ahead of time that this was going to be some yoga and pilates type moves. I've tried yoga in the past but have always given up after a few days because my muscles were too weak to hold any poses and my right wrist was kind of screwed up from some drunken shenanigans in my college days. My wrist hasn't been bothering me as of late and I was hoping that I might be a little stronger than the times I've tried in the past. Nope! It is still very hard for me to hold a lot of the poses for any amount of time and I'd be shaking like crazy while trying to hold them. I gave it my all and will continue to do so when this workout is repeated (looks like every Thursday). I am curious to see how much I will improve by the end of the month.
I remembered to turn on my heart rate monitor this time, but it doesn't really do much good for this type of workout. I topped out at 149 bpm and my average was 113. All the calorie calculators require at least 120 bpm. When I plug in 120 it says I burned around 350 which is definitely high so I won't worry about calories burned today. I did work up a nice sweat, though.
Back to the grind tomorrow with PURE CARDIO!!!!!!!!
Wednesday, December 5, 2012
Day 3 - Cardio Power and Resistance
I was off from work for my first two days of Insanity. That was not the case today. My alarm went off at 5:45 AM and I had to rollllll myself out of bed because every muscle in my body was too sore for me to sit up. I spend a lot of time looking through a microscope at work but luckily I do get to move around a fair amount so my muscles did loosen up a bit throughout the day. However, I was drinking some tea during my lunch break and some of it went down my windpipe. Coughing was TORTURE because of my sore abs.
I was dreading today's workout. Cardio Power and Resistance just does not have a nice ring to it. It actually wasn't that bad. I'm not sure if it was because I was dogging it or because I'm just getting used to how the program is set up and learning to pace myself. Unfortunately I forgot to turn on my damn heart rate monitor so we may never know... It was still taking readings, so I could glance down at it now and again to make sure my heart rate wasn't too high like yesterday, but it wasn't storing the readings so I don't have my average heart rate and can only estimate my calories burned. Usually when I checked my heart rate it was in the 170s or 180s so I was in the right range, I think.
The warm up was a little different this time with the addition of Power Jacks (in the fit test), Log Jumps which are basically sprints with some jumping side to side and vertical jumps which are exactly how they sound. (sorry, I don't have time to link videos today. Maybe I will edit this in the future to add them). The warm up also included jogs, 1-2-3s, butt kicks and high knees. No problem! I was actually starting to feel a little cocky towards the end of the warm up.
The first circuit contained Power Jumps (see fit test), Belt Kicks, Hit the Floor, and V Push Ups. I did fine for the first three moves and I could really feel a difference in my form for the Power Jumps when compared to the day 1 Fit Test. I was scratching my head through the first round of V Push Ups just wonder how to get in the right position but I figured it out and actually was able to do most of the other reps. After the third set Shaun throws in some triceps dips, one leg triceps dips and ball triceps push ups. My triceps are non existent so this was not cool, Shaun. I did as many as I could but it felt like my triceps were about to tear so I had to get my but on the floor and do some modified dips.
The next circuit consisted of Hurdle Jumps, Globe Jumps, Moving Push Ups and Floor Sprints. I think we've seen some of these before. After obliterating my triceps I was not able to do one normal moving push up and ended up doing as many knee push ups as I could (not many).
Finally, the last circuit was short, a few reps of "8 hop squats/8 push ups". Hop squats were no problem. You get into a squat position and hop eight times. Fun! Then you drop and give Shaun 8! Literally drop, there was very little time between the hops and push ups. Again, I had to do knee push ups. We did this a few times and then finished up with some cool down stretches.
I'm feeling better about the program after today's workout. I think a few factors probably contributed, including working out in the afternoon after work instead of first thing in the morning, pacing myself and focusing more on form (still need a lot of work on this) and understanding the program more. I think my cardiovascular system is in pretty decent shape from all the running I did over the past year and a half. My main hurdle is building up my strength so my muscles can carry me through the workout.
Tomorrow is Cardio Recovery. I like the sound of that!
I was dreading today's workout. Cardio Power and Resistance just does not have a nice ring to it. It actually wasn't that bad. I'm not sure if it was because I was dogging it or because I'm just getting used to how the program is set up and learning to pace myself. Unfortunately I forgot to turn on my damn heart rate monitor so we may never know... It was still taking readings, so I could glance down at it now and again to make sure my heart rate wasn't too high like yesterday, but it wasn't storing the readings so I don't have my average heart rate and can only estimate my calories burned. Usually when I checked my heart rate it was in the 170s or 180s so I was in the right range, I think.
The warm up was a little different this time with the addition of Power Jacks (in the fit test), Log Jumps which are basically sprints with some jumping side to side and vertical jumps which are exactly how they sound. (sorry, I don't have time to link videos today. Maybe I will edit this in the future to add them). The warm up also included jogs, 1-2-3s, butt kicks and high knees. No problem! I was actually starting to feel a little cocky towards the end of the warm up.
The first circuit contained Power Jumps (see fit test), Belt Kicks, Hit the Floor, and V Push Ups. I did fine for the first three moves and I could really feel a difference in my form for the Power Jumps when compared to the day 1 Fit Test. I was scratching my head through the first round of V Push Ups just wonder how to get in the right position but I figured it out and actually was able to do most of the other reps. After the third set Shaun throws in some triceps dips, one leg triceps dips and ball triceps push ups. My triceps are non existent so this was not cool, Shaun. I did as many as I could but it felt like my triceps were about to tear so I had to get my but on the floor and do some modified dips.
The next circuit consisted of Hurdle Jumps, Globe Jumps, Moving Push Ups and Floor Sprints. I think we've seen some of these before. After obliterating my triceps I was not able to do one normal moving push up and ended up doing as many knee push ups as I could (not many).
Finally, the last circuit was short, a few reps of "8 hop squats/8 push ups". Hop squats were no problem. You get into a squat position and hop eight times. Fun! Then you drop and give Shaun 8! Literally drop, there was very little time between the hops and push ups. Again, I had to do knee push ups. We did this a few times and then finished up with some cool down stretches.
I'm feeling better about the program after today's workout. I think a few factors probably contributed, including working out in the afternoon after work instead of first thing in the morning, pacing myself and focusing more on form (still need a lot of work on this) and understanding the program more. I think my cardiovascular system is in pretty decent shape from all the running I did over the past year and a half. My main hurdle is building up my strength so my muscles can carry me through the workout.
Tomorrow is Cardio Recovery. I like the sound of that!
Tuesday, December 4, 2012
Day 2 - Plyometric Cardio Circuit
My inner Norwegian is exclaiming, "Uff da!" right now. I woke up this morning incredibly sore. Sore, like the most sore I've been in my entire life. I think my quads, abs and lower back have it the worst. I'm actually dreading getting up from my seat after I finish writing this. I was a little worried that I'd be too sore to do the workout today but I took some ibuprofen, gathered my courage and went forth!
Day 2 is Plyometric Cardio Circuit. They describe it as,"Burn fat with intervals of intense lower-body plyo and sweat inducing cardio." They aren't lying about it being it being sweat inducing! I will definitely need to invest in some sweat bands for my wrists and noggin.
The workout started out with the same warm up that begins the fit test. This one was a little different than the fit test because we actually did the warm up circuit three times, getting faster and faster each round. I usually think of warm up as light activity to get you ready for the big stuff but this was by no means light. By the end of it my heart rate was over 180 bpm and I was sweating like a pig. That is followed by some stretching. This was nice because it gave my body a chance to rest a little and to catch my breath but I am too weak to hold some of the poses for very long.
After the warm up, the first circuit starts. This consisted of suicide drills, power squats, mountain climbers, and ski downs. I couldn't find a video of ski downs but you basically do a lung and then jump to the left, do another lunge and jump back to the right and repeat. I actually was doing pretty well during this circuit but I do need to work on my pacing. I accidentally hit 190 bpm at one point which is my max heart rate for my age. This circuit is done three times.
The next circuit totally kicked my ass. I think I am pretty much going to suck for any move that require the plank position until my arms get a little stronger. First up was the Basketball. For that one you do a lunge and then jump up and act like you are shooting a basketball. Those were kind of fun. Next are the Level-1 Drills. I HATED these. I did a couple reps before my arms totally gave out. That is unfortunate because I needed them for the next two moves. Next was Ski Abs, followed by In & Out abs. I can't really remember what the last one was. I think I was resting more than I was actually working during this circuit. My arms were just totally dead and my hands were so sweaty that they kept sliding when I was in the plank position.
The next circuit was a little easier for me. It consisted of punch the air a lot. I still wasn't able to make it through all of this circuit either but I at least got through most of it.
This was tough. Very, very tough. However, I did feel better afterwards than I did after the fit test According to my heart rate monitor I burned 700 calories. Not bad! I also learned that no matter how crappy and miserable I am during the workout, it is worth it for how great you feel when it is finished. Other than the sore muscles. I am not looking forward to getting out of bed and going to work in the morning...
Tune in tomorrow for Cardio Power and Resistance. I don't like the sound of that!
Day 2 is Plyometric Cardio Circuit. They describe it as,"Burn fat with intervals of intense lower-body plyo and sweat inducing cardio." They aren't lying about it being it being sweat inducing! I will definitely need to invest in some sweat bands for my wrists and noggin.
The workout started out with the same warm up that begins the fit test. This one was a little different than the fit test because we actually did the warm up circuit three times, getting faster and faster each round. I usually think of warm up as light activity to get you ready for the big stuff but this was by no means light. By the end of it my heart rate was over 180 bpm and I was sweating like a pig. That is followed by some stretching. This was nice because it gave my body a chance to rest a little and to catch my breath but I am too weak to hold some of the poses for very long.
After the warm up, the first circuit starts. This consisted of suicide drills, power squats, mountain climbers, and ski downs. I couldn't find a video of ski downs but you basically do a lung and then jump to the left, do another lunge and jump back to the right and repeat. I actually was doing pretty well during this circuit but I do need to work on my pacing. I accidentally hit 190 bpm at one point which is my max heart rate for my age. This circuit is done three times.
The next circuit totally kicked my ass. I think I am pretty much going to suck for any move that require the plank position until my arms get a little stronger. First up was the Basketball. For that one you do a lunge and then jump up and act like you are shooting a basketball. Those were kind of fun. Next are the Level-1 Drills. I HATED these. I did a couple reps before my arms totally gave out. That is unfortunate because I needed them for the next two moves. Next was Ski Abs, followed by In & Out abs. I can't really remember what the last one was. I think I was resting more than I was actually working during this circuit. My arms were just totally dead and my hands were so sweaty that they kept sliding when I was in the plank position.
The next circuit was a little easier for me. It consisted of punch the air a lot. I still wasn't able to make it through all of this circuit either but I at least got through most of it.
This was tough. Very, very tough. However, I did feel better afterwards than I did after the fit test According to my heart rate monitor I burned 700 calories. Not bad! I also learned that no matter how crappy and miserable I am during the workout, it is worth it for how great you feel when it is finished. Other than the sore muscles. I am not looking forward to getting out of bed and going to work in the morning...
Tune in tomorrow for Cardio Power and Resistance. I don't like the sound of that!
Monday, December 3, 2012
Day 1 - Fit Test
What in the hell have I gotten myself into? I'm sure that is a common question after day one. I came in to this knowing it would be difficult, but holy crap. By the end of it I was light headed and the closest I've ever been to puking after a work out and this wasn't even a full one!
Day one is the fit test. This consists of a warm up, followed by doing 8 different exercises for one minute each while you count how many repetitions you do. This is a good workout but the main purpose is to establish a baseline that will show how your overall fitness is progressing. The fit test is done on day one and then every 15 days and on the final day. There should be an increase in the number of reps for each exercise as I get stronger.
The Moves
I'm not going to try to describe the moves because I doubt I'd be able to to it in any coherent way. Instead I'll try to link a video of somebody else doing them.
Switch Kicks
I didn't have too much trouble with these since it was the beginning of the workout and my heart wasn't quite trying to escape my body yet. I was able to go the entire minute without taking any breaks.
Power Jacks
Again, not too bad. I was able to do this without stopping but I was a little concerned about my form with the jumps. There is so much to concentrate on with the counting and trying not to jump on one of my dogs and trying not to die that my form may have suffered.
Power Knees
These look easy but this was the first move that I wasn't able to do for the entire minute. It also seems weird to me that you on do it on one side. It'd be pretty awkward switching back and forth but all the other moves are symmetrical.
Power Jumps
Wow, check out her abs! This is where I went to shit. I've read other people complain about this and for good reason! I wasn't even close to doing them for the entire minute. I'm a concerned about my form on this one as well. I think my form pretty much sucks any time I have to jump.
Globe Jumps
I watched the fit test last week when I received Insanity in the mail to see what I was in for. I thought these looked fun. They weren't. The power jumps really did a number on me and I just could not recover from them so any moves following them really suffered.
Suicide Jumps
The name says it all! Did you hear how she was suffering in the video? (side note: don't search for suicide jumps on YouTube)
Push-Up Jacks
When I watched the Fit Test DVD from the comfort of my couch I thought that these looked the toughest. They actually weren't too bad and I probably could have done more if I wasn't so close to death from the power jumps/globe jumps/suicide jump blitzkrieg.
Low Plank Oblique
These weren't too bad either, though I hate any exercise that requires me to get on the floor. I wasn't sure how to count these because with the switch kicks, two kicks equals one rep. I think with these, each "kick" is a rep but I could be wrong. I don't think it matters as long as I am consistent with the counting during future fit tests.
Results!
I was kind of expecting to do better but that is the wrong way of thinking about these numbers. My numbers on future fit tests are what I need to be focused on.
According to my heart rate monitor my average rate was 159 bpm. Plugging that into here and here I came up with 400 calories burned. Now I don't know how accurate these calculations are but that's not bad for 25 minutes. Check out the graph:
The red line is the heart rate. I thought it was cool how you could see 9 peaks. The first one is the warm up followed by the 8 different moves.
What I've Learned
I stood in the shower for about 20 minutes, shell shocked about what I had just been through. As I stood there, reflecting on the previous 25 minutes, I realized a few things.
Day one is the fit test. This consists of a warm up, followed by doing 8 different exercises for one minute each while you count how many repetitions you do. This is a good workout but the main purpose is to establish a baseline that will show how your overall fitness is progressing. The fit test is done on day one and then every 15 days and on the final day. There should be an increase in the number of reps for each exercise as I get stronger.
The Moves
I'm not going to try to describe the moves because I doubt I'd be able to to it in any coherent way. Instead I'll try to link a video of somebody else doing them.
Switch Kicks
I didn't have too much trouble with these since it was the beginning of the workout and my heart wasn't quite trying to escape my body yet. I was able to go the entire minute without taking any breaks.
Power Jacks
Again, not too bad. I was able to do this without stopping but I was a little concerned about my form with the jumps. There is so much to concentrate on with the counting and trying not to jump on one of my dogs and trying not to die that my form may have suffered.
Power Knees
These look easy but this was the first move that I wasn't able to do for the entire minute. It also seems weird to me that you on do it on one side. It'd be pretty awkward switching back and forth but all the other moves are symmetrical.
Power Jumps
Wow, check out her abs! This is where I went to shit. I've read other people complain about this and for good reason! I wasn't even close to doing them for the entire minute. I'm a concerned about my form on this one as well. I think my form pretty much sucks any time I have to jump.
Globe Jumps
I watched the fit test last week when I received Insanity in the mail to see what I was in for. I thought these looked fun. They weren't. The power jumps really did a number on me and I just could not recover from them so any moves following them really suffered.
Suicide Jumps
The name says it all! Did you hear how she was suffering in the video? (side note: don't search for suicide jumps on YouTube)
Push-Up Jacks
When I watched the Fit Test DVD from the comfort of my couch I thought that these looked the toughest. They actually weren't too bad and I probably could have done more if I wasn't so close to death from the power jumps/globe jumps/suicide jump blitzkrieg.
Low Plank Oblique
These weren't too bad either, though I hate any exercise that requires me to get on the floor. I wasn't sure how to count these because with the switch kicks, two kicks equals one rep. I think with these, each "kick" is a rep but I could be wrong. I don't think it matters as long as I am consistent with the counting during future fit tests.
Results!
| Move | Day 1 | Day 15 | Day 36 | Day 50 | Day 63 | Change |
| Switch Kicks | 62 | |||||
| Power Jacks | 38 | |||||
| Power Knees | 70 | |||||
| Power Jumps | 23 | |||||
| Globe Jumps | 7 | |||||
| Suicide Jumps | 11 | |||||
| Push-Up Jacks | 16 | |||||
| Low Plank Obliques | 37 |
I was kind of expecting to do better but that is the wrong way of thinking about these numbers. My numbers on future fit tests are what I need to be focused on.
According to my heart rate monitor my average rate was 159 bpm. Plugging that into here and here I came up with 400 calories burned. Now I don't know how accurate these calculations are but that's not bad for 25 minutes. Check out the graph:
The red line is the heart rate. I thought it was cool how you could see 9 peaks. The first one is the warm up followed by the 8 different moves.
What I've Learned
I stood in the shower for about 20 minutes, shell shocked about what I had just been through. As I stood there, reflecting on the previous 25 minutes, I realized a few things.
- I was doing the workout on carpet so I didn't use my exercise mat. In the future I will! The low plank obliques gave me a nice rug burn on my elbows
- My dogs are going to be a problem. I think they thought I was playing with all the moving around I was doing so they were constantly bringing me a toy or trying to lap up some of the sweat that was pouring off me like a monsoon. I might have to confine them to the kitchen if they continue to be a problem. I really don't want to land on one of them.
- Beer=bad :-( I didn't have to work today so I enjoyed a nice oatmeal stout and and IPA last night while I watched Boardwalk Empire and The Walking Dead. It wasn't much but I do think it had a negative effect on my performance and had me feeling a little sluggish. I guess it's time to put the plug in the jug going forward with the program.
Sunday, December 2, 2012
Intro and Pre Insanity info
Hi! I'm Dan. I recently decided to do the Insanity Workout and decided to blog about it!
My Fitness Background and Why I Chose Insanity
Everything I've read about Insanity says that you must be in decent shape before you even attempt it. I think I am. I started getting more active about two years ago when I decided I should probably lose some weight. I did not realize it but I had a broken scale that would max out at 185 lbs. I thought that was cool because I liked to eat entire pizzas a few nights a week and drink lots of beer. It wasn't until I saw some vacation photos of myself from a trip to NYC that I could see how fat I had become. I was shocked at a biometric screen at work when I discover that I tipped the scales out at 210 lbs. That was by far the fattest I had been in my life and I decided then and there that it was time for a change. I started practicing portion control and calorie counting with the food I ate and I bought a rowing machine. The rowing machine kicked my ass for a few months but I eventually got strong enough to use it for 45 minutes straight on the maximum resistance and could probably go a lot further if the seat wasn't such a butt killer. I decided to move on to a stationary bike with similar results. I went from only being able to do 15 minutes on the lowest resistance up to 45 minutes on maximum resistance with the seat again being the limiting factor. Exercise equipment needs better seats! I think at that point I had gotten down to 185 lbs and hit a plateau. At that point I decided take up running like I did way back in high school. (I'm 30 years old, by the way). Running was hard! At first I was doing half a mile and wanting to die. Then I got injured. Then I recovered. Then I got even more injured. Then I recovered again. I gradually was able to add more and more miles on and managed to top it off at 13.1 doing my first half marathon last week in Seattle. My time was 2:18:40. It was a great achievement for me but it doesn't feel like enough. My long term plan is to finish a full marathon within the next year. That's where Insanity comes in.
Running helped me lose even more weight. At my lowest I was down to 163 but eventually gained some back and was hovering at around 170 for this past year. My weight is higher now, I think from the carbo loading I was doing for my long training runs and the race. Even without the carbs, my weight just would not go down. 170 isn't bad but I wanted to lose more to help me run. I could conserve a lot of energy not hauling around the 10-15 lbs of extra fat. I decided to try Insanity after all the great reviews I read and other people's blogs about it. I am hoping it can help me lost the weight I've been wanting to shed and also give me a nice cardio boost to help my running when I start that up again. It'd also be cool to get some definition, especial in the abs, too!
Nutrition
Insanity comes with a nutrition guide that I'm not going to follow. I think it would work great for people with lots of money, time and jobs that allow them to eat whenever they want. I think I'm pretty good with what I eat so I think it will be okay. They do stress that you need to eat a lot more on this program and that is advice I will take seriously. I am going to track my caloric intake with the Myfitnesspal app and calculate my calories burned using my heart rate monitor (HRM). The HRM I am going to use is my old model Garmin GPS watch that I use to track my running workouts. Hopefully that works okay. If not then I'll pick up a separate HRM. Anyway, I will subtract the calories burned from the calories eaten and make up the difference by eating more. Yay food!
DAY 0 Measurements
Chest: 41"
Waist: 38"
Hips: 36.75"
Biceps: 12"
I only really care about the first three but I did the biceps for the hell of it. I ordered Myo Tape for the measurements. It is handy!
Weight: 176.9
BMI: 25.4
Body Fat: 27.6%
My weight is probably falsely elevated from a very salty meal I had last night and from weighing myself in the middle of the day. Future weigh-ins will be in the morning. I calculated my BMI and body fat percent from here. That BMI is slightly in the "overweight" zone but I only need to lose 3 pounds to get back in the "normal" range. The body fat percentage seems high. I wonder if I put in the right numbers. I'll look into that more in the future.
I made the decision to write this blog in hopes that it will keep me honest and accountable to help me stick with it. I'm also hoping it may help others who are currently doing or thinking about doing Insanity and maybe Insanity veterans can pass on some knowledge as well. I am hoping to update this as often as time permits in the next 60 days so stay tuned and join me tomorrow for the fitness test and probably me being very very humbled.
My Fitness Background and Why I Chose Insanity
Everything I've read about Insanity says that you must be in decent shape before you even attempt it. I think I am. I started getting more active about two years ago when I decided I should probably lose some weight. I did not realize it but I had a broken scale that would max out at 185 lbs. I thought that was cool because I liked to eat entire pizzas a few nights a week and drink lots of beer. It wasn't until I saw some vacation photos of myself from a trip to NYC that I could see how fat I had become. I was shocked at a biometric screen at work when I discover that I tipped the scales out at 210 lbs. That was by far the fattest I had been in my life and I decided then and there that it was time for a change. I started practicing portion control and calorie counting with the food I ate and I bought a rowing machine. The rowing machine kicked my ass for a few months but I eventually got strong enough to use it for 45 minutes straight on the maximum resistance and could probably go a lot further if the seat wasn't such a butt killer. I decided to move on to a stationary bike with similar results. I went from only being able to do 15 minutes on the lowest resistance up to 45 minutes on maximum resistance with the seat again being the limiting factor. Exercise equipment needs better seats! I think at that point I had gotten down to 185 lbs and hit a plateau. At that point I decided take up running like I did way back in high school. (I'm 30 years old, by the way). Running was hard! At first I was doing half a mile and wanting to die. Then I got injured. Then I recovered. Then I got even more injured. Then I recovered again. I gradually was able to add more and more miles on and managed to top it off at 13.1 doing my first half marathon last week in Seattle. My time was 2:18:40. It was a great achievement for me but it doesn't feel like enough. My long term plan is to finish a full marathon within the next year. That's where Insanity comes in.
Running helped me lose even more weight. At my lowest I was down to 163 but eventually gained some back and was hovering at around 170 for this past year. My weight is higher now, I think from the carbo loading I was doing for my long training runs and the race. Even without the carbs, my weight just would not go down. 170 isn't bad but I wanted to lose more to help me run. I could conserve a lot of energy not hauling around the 10-15 lbs of extra fat. I decided to try Insanity after all the great reviews I read and other people's blogs about it. I am hoping it can help me lost the weight I've been wanting to shed and also give me a nice cardio boost to help my running when I start that up again. It'd also be cool to get some definition, especial in the abs, too!
Nutrition
Insanity comes with a nutrition guide that I'm not going to follow. I think it would work great for people with lots of money, time and jobs that allow them to eat whenever they want. I think I'm pretty good with what I eat so I think it will be okay. They do stress that you need to eat a lot more on this program and that is advice I will take seriously. I am going to track my caloric intake with the Myfitnesspal app and calculate my calories burned using my heart rate monitor (HRM). The HRM I am going to use is my old model Garmin GPS watch that I use to track my running workouts. Hopefully that works okay. If not then I'll pick up a separate HRM. Anyway, I will subtract the calories burned from the calories eaten and make up the difference by eating more. Yay food!
DAY 0 Measurements
Chest: 41"
Waist: 38"
Hips: 36.75"
Biceps: 12"
I only really care about the first three but I did the biceps for the hell of it. I ordered Myo Tape for the measurements. It is handy!
Weight: 176.9
BMI: 25.4
Body Fat: 27.6%
My weight is probably falsely elevated from a very salty meal I had last night and from weighing myself in the middle of the day. Future weigh-ins will be in the morning. I calculated my BMI and body fat percent from here. That BMI is slightly in the "overweight" zone but I only need to lose 3 pounds to get back in the "normal" range. The body fat percentage seems high. I wonder if I put in the right numbers. I'll look into that more in the future.
I made the decision to write this blog in hopes that it will keep me honest and accountable to help me stick with it. I'm also hoping it may help others who are currently doing or thinking about doing Insanity and maybe Insanity veterans can pass on some knowledge as well. I am hoping to update this as often as time permits in the next 60 days so stay tuned and join me tomorrow for the fitness test and probably me being very very humbled.
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