Round 2, Week 7

Oh man, I forgot how long these max interval workouts are!  This week would have been week 6 if I had been following the Insanity schedule as written.  It starts off with Maximum Interval Circuit.  For me, this is the most intense of all the Insanity workouts.  That could be because at 55 minutes it is the longest.  That's only 10 minutes longer than plyometric cardio circuit, but that 10 minutes includes an entire circuit that is repeated thrice. The following day was Max Interval Plyo.  I think this one is a little easier, which surprises me because I still consider plyometric cardio circuit from month one to be pretty tough.  That's mostly because of all the upper body shit during the second circuit. Max Interval Plyo does have a few moves thrown in that don't really do much for me (like the pogo) so I get a little bit of a recovery at a few points.  Also, the 3rd circuit is only gone through once.  Max Cardio Conditioning is my favorite.  I imagine a few Insaniacs will find that crazy.  It is intense so the time goes by pretty quickly and I am stronger with cardio than I am with any thing that requires a lot of strength.  There are some push ups and stuff in there but since it is just one long circuit, I do what I can and move on.

I did manage to get all of the workouts in, but I did have to make up a Max Interval Plyo at the beginning of week 8 because I had company over during the weekend of week 7.  I can't stand having people watch me work out so I decided to swap a run from week 8 for the missed MIP.  Anyway, I'll get in to week 8 and 9 with my next post but I will give you a hint that so far it isn't going well!

The Max workouts are hard and my muscles were pretty sore. They still are a little.  I mentioned in my last post that I got a foam roller to try to workout some of the kinks and knots.  I was originally using the Marathon Stick which really helped me while training for my marathon.  However, it could not work my quads, glutes and hamstrings enough because those are massive muscle groups.  The foam roller allows me to put a lot more pressure on those parts because it uses my body weight to apply the pressure.  It still isn't enough for my hamstrings so I'll probably have to get a PVC pipe or something in the future.  Anyway, YEOWTCH!  If you have ever used a foam roller, you know what I'm talking about.  It is almost unbearably painful at first.  Especially along my IT band, which I had been neglecting with the Marathon Stick and could be the cause of some of the difficulty I've had with running lately.

I've made a few changes to my workout habits, which I feel I am able to do since I am an Insanity veteran and did the program to a T the first go round.  The first change I made is a big one.  The workouts are too damn long now so I skip the first round of stretching.  I read somewhere that static stretching really does nothing to prevent injury and by fast forwarding through them I shave 5 minutes off the workout but still burn the same amount of calories.  I do not condone skipping the warm up at all, okay?  The next change isn't that big of a deal.  I hate the warm up during the Max work outs, especially the floor hops side to side, so I skip that move.  What is it supposed to warm up anyway?  I do butt kicks now instead.

Weeks 8 and 9 are another pair of running hybrid weekends.  I like to break up the workouts but so far the hybrid weeks have become excuse weeks and I've been skipping more running workouts than I should.  It kind of defeats the point and makes me wonder if I should just do Insanity straight.  Those are thoughts for when I finish the program.

Round 2, Week 1

I had forgotten how difficult Insanity was!  While it definitely went better than my very first week, I was a little surprised at how sore I actually was.  I shouldn't be surprised, of course.  I had been focusing on running so most of these moves were using muscles that have been sleeping for a few months.  I was most sore in my chest, abs and back.

I still suck at Plyometric Cardio Circuit and still do best at Pure Cardio.  PCC just has way too much upper body during the second routine.  Maybe by the end of this round I won't suck at in anymore.

One thing I forgot when I started round two is that I am on vacation (more of a staycation) during the second week (which I am halfway through now).  That's a bit of a problem because I am never healthy on my vacations.  I tend to eat out every night and drink more booze since I don't have to be up in the morning.  So far it hasn't been too bad but I do have some events that I'm attending in the next few days that might make it difficult to get my workouts in.

Halfway through week one I was considering dropping the running/Insanity hybrid just to get Insanity over with.  I'm going to stick with the hybrid for now, because what's the rush?  Week two and three are the first weeks with a fair amount of running but I have to be honest, I skipped the running workout at the beginning of the week.  I had a rough (but fun!) weekend and I needed a recovery day.

I think the biggest difference I've noticed so far is that I am in better shape which lets me focus more on my form.  It has improved considerably.  I think doing the workouts barefoot helps a lot too.

Day 61 - Max Interval Plyo (and Cardio Abs)

Oops.  For some reason I was certain that today was Max Cardio and Cardio Abs so I set my alarm early to get the Cardio Abs out of the way before work.  It wasn't until after the ab routine that I decided to actually check to see if that was the correct workout for today.  It was not.  Oh well, no blood no foul.  I ended up just mixing the workouts up a bit so I did Cardio Abs this morning and Max Interval Plyo in the afternoon.  That probably works out better since tomorrow is my day off and I have shit to do so the shorter the workout, the better.

Max Plyo wasn't the best workout of my life.  My right knee has been kind of bothering me all day, especially when descending stairs.  I did take notice and tried to compensate my landings today but I took one bad one during the switch jumps and it sure hurt.  I caught myself before anything bad happened and sat out the rest of that interval but that was alarming.  Hopefully it is nothing to worry about.  The rest of the workout was ho hum.  I'm mostly just trying to get through them at this point.  Two more days!

Tomorrow is Max Cardio Conditioning for real.

Day 57 - Max Interval Plyo

I am writing this on my phone which is a pain in the ass but I'm not near a computer right now and I'd like to get this done.  Please ignore any auto correct typos.
I was up too late and consumed things I shouldn't have last night so this workout wasn't the greatest.  I also had to do it in the morning because my schedule is all wacky from working the swing shift today.  One of the bad (but delicious!) things I consumed was a double black stout.  It lead to some amazing insanity farts today!  I managed to get through the entire workout but I didn't give it my full effort.  So far my final week is off to a bad start but I will rebound tomorrow!
Speaking of tomorrow, I have a health screen I have to go to in the late morning so I will have another early workout.  Hopefully my numbers from the screen will improve over last year since I did all that running, Insanity and have been eating better.  I'll let you know how it goes!
I think tomorrow is Cardio Abs and Max Cardio Conditioning but I am not at home and can't check right now.

Day 41 - Max Interval Plyo

Good golly this is a tough workout!  Towards the end of each set I am totally dead and only going at half speed (or less).  I don't mind.  It only shows that I am giving it my all.

This is the last workout of the first week of month 2.  I really miss the first month's workouts!  I don't know if its the length of these ones or the alterations to each move that makes them more challenging than their month one counterpart.  No doubt it is the combination of both.  It makes the workouts very unpleasant but I think it has greatly accelerated the results.  I have had noticeable weight loss since Monday and I think there has been more development in ab definition.  I bet month one workouts would seem boring now.  While this workout kicked my ass up and down, I did notice an improvement over the first time I did it earlier this week.  I doubt I'll be able to get through the entire workout by the end of the month but we seek progress, not perfection.  Right?

Tomorrow is my rest day.  I would love to spend it watching the Seahawk's playoff game but I'll be at work and we have no TV.  Sad face.  I could record it but I doubt I'll be able to make it through the day without hearing how it turns out.  Oh well.  As long as I can see them in the Super Bowl, which will certainly happen.  Right?  RIGHT?!

Day 38 - Max Cardio Conditioning

As I expected, this was the month 2 equivalent of Pure Cardio from Month 1 and the structure is similar.  Max Cardio Conditioning is longer and the moves are harder, as you would expect.

Things start out with the same warm up as Max Interval Circuit and Max Interval Plyo but when it comes time for the balls out third set, Shaun T. has us do a throw back to the month 1 warm up, which was welcome since I feel those routines did a better job of warming me up than the month two ones. That could be because I am still a weakling and the new warm ups are more difficult.  The main workout starts after the stretching, and like Pure Cardio, they are continuous with no water breaks between.  Here are the moves:

1. High/Low Jab Squats
2. Football Runs
3. Basketball Shots with Squats
4. Right and Left Kicks
5. Diamond Jumps
6. In-Out Push Up Jacks
7. Suicide Jumps
8. High Knee/Low Sprints/Floor Sprints
9. Ski Abs
10. Kick Step Back
11. Squat Twists
12. Over the River Hop
13. Attack
14. Power Knees
15. Ski Down Hooks
16. Belt Kicks
17. Forward/Back Suicides
18. Push Up Abs
19. Plank Punches
20. 8 Jump Ropes/Hop Squats
21. Squat Speed Bag

Sorry, I'm not going to describe the moves.  I'm too tired and hungry.  Maybe I'll add links to some later (don't count on it).  A lot of them are moves we already know, or combinations of two or more moves we are familiar with.  Unlike Pure Cardio, not all of the moves were at full intensity and Shaun T. stressed that control is more important than speed.  I can't remember which those were, though.  I think 10 through 15 were kind of a mid-workout recovery but my heart rate stayed pretty high throughout those.  I think my heart rate actually hit a low point during Push Up Abs and Plank Punches because my arms were dead and I really wasn't doing much during those.  All in all I'm fine with how I did today.  I'm looking forward to getting stronger so I can take less breaks and get even more out of it but I swear at one point during the DVD there are only two people actually doing the moves while everyone else is taking a break.  That makes me feel better.  I have now been through all the main exercises of month two.  They are more difficult and longer but I'm not discouraged.  I remember how shell shocked I was during the very first week, but I got stronger every day and I am confident that will happen during the second month as well.

Tomorrow is Max Recovery and my Max Day Off From Work!  I'm hoping I enjoy Max Recovery more than the recovery from the first month.

Day 37 - Max Interval Plyo

There was a problem at work that happened after I got home this afternoon so I had to deal with that with a long phone call.  That and the length of these MAX workouts is really cutting in to my blogging time for this evening so my descriptions of these moves won't be as detailed as I'd like.

The warm up is the same as Max Interval Circuit and is much more difficult than the first month warm ups.  It consists of jogging, Jumping Jacks - Arms Up (like a regular jumping jack but the arms go straight up and down instead of in a sideways arc), 1-2-3s, Jump Rope S-S (The S-S means side to side), High Knees - Arms Out (good ol' high knees, just this time the arms are held up and out at shoulder height for the duration), Switch Kicks, Hit the Floor, S-S Floor Hops  (I'm not going to try to describe these).  The first time I saw the S-S Floor Hops during yesterdays warms up I think I slung a few F bombs at Shaun T. They didn't seem like a warm up move.  These are all repeated three times, building intensity with each.  The third time you go all out but each move last for a shorter amount of time.  This is followed by the warm up stretch which is about the same as the ones from month one.

The first set contains the following moves: Switch Jumps, Squat Push Ups, Wide In and Out Abs (same as In and out abs but the feet are kept wide), and Power Jumps, our favorite!  This set was tough but completely manageable for me.  After the third set, this rotation is topped off with One Legged V Push Ups.  Just like the V Push Ups of month one, just one foot is on the ground and one is help back in the air.  Not fun!

The second rotation was interesting, starting with Pogo Jumps.  These didn't do much for me, probably because I struggle with the balance so much that I wasn't able to do many reps.  Next is Power Push Ups.  I did better than I thought I would with these but there is still room for improvement.  Globe Twists are like globe jumps, just side to side instead of r-b-l-f.  Still one of my least favorites.  The last move is Level 3 drills.  I thought life couldn't get much worse than level 2 drills but I was wrong!  16 push ups, followed by 16 runs.  Then you hop up and repeat.  I only did one set each time, but still, that's 48 push ups.  Quite and improvement for me!  The second rotation is topped of with one round of Power Lunges/ Hop Squats.  Those are a combination of moves we already know.

The third and final rotation was only done once and my biggest problem with it was just trying to figure out how the hell to do the moves.  I probably said, "Wha.....?" out loud as Shaun T. tried to explain the Side Push Ups.  Those are followed by Kick Stand Hit the Floor which is like a lunge followed by a Super Mario Jump.  Balance was again an issue for me.  Next is 8 Power Knees/8 Diamond Jumps and then Balance Push Ups.  So many push ups!  My problem with this rotation is that all the moves are so different but only doing one set prevents me from really getting the form down.  Anyway, cool down stretch and that's it!

This blog turned out longer than I anticipated.  It is dinner time!  My muscles are very fatigued and it feels like I should eat two giant steaks to get all the protein I need to rebuild them.  I'll probably cook something more sensible.

Tomorrow we discover the Joy of Max Cardio Conditioning!

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.

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.

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!

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!

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.

Day 6 - Plyometric Cardio Circuit

I despise this one!
Calories burned: 675
Arms: rubber

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!