Insanity Workout Review: Be Back Soon
So I am starting to feel better, my sickness is finally starting to come to an end. It has been a really rough week with having flu symptoms and feeling pretty weak. I expect that in the next couple days I will pick the Insanity Workout back up and finish this second month. I am going to finish this Insanity workout and I will see results from it! Once I start doing all the workouts again, I know I will start eating healthier and taking care of my body once again too. There is something about exercising that motivates you to be more healthy in all the areas of your life, just not with fitness, but eating too.
I got back from my elk hunting trip, and unfortunately I did not get anything, neither did my Dad or my Uncle, we got shut out.
Insanity Workout Review – The 40th Day
Today was the 40th day of my Insanity workout review. I have missed the last two days of the insanity workout, because my body was feeling pretty fatigued and it really needed to rest, but I jumped back into the insanity workout today! I did the the Max Interval Circuit today, which is extremely hard to do, but I got through it and should have a great time finishing the last 20 daysof my Shaun T Insanity Workout.
This has been the longest workout so far, it is seconds away fom being a whole hour long. I was exhausted by the 30th minute, and then I still had 30 minutes to go. The full body workout is still one of the toughest workouts in this Insanity workout. That is the one where you drop down in plank posiition and then sprint, then you do 4 moving push ups, and then you do four wide sprints in plank posistion. There are other workouts other than that one that are tough. Frog jumps are difficult, the suicide oblique push ups are difficult, and anything that has to do with a squat or a lunge is difficult.
Tomorrow I will be doing the Max Plyometrics workout, bright and early, my body got plenty of rest the last couple days, so I should be all ready to go.
For my nutrition today I have had a bowl of cereal and some grapes, I have not really planned what the rest of my day is going to look like eating wise.
Insanity Workout Review – Day 37 – Max Plyo
In my Shaun T Insanity workout today, I did the Max Interval Plyometrics workout and I’ve got to be honest…I struggled today. I do have a great excuse though, I blame….the cycle class I did yesterday evening. It was probably one of the toughest workouts I have ever done, even in the first five to ten minute I was dripping in sweat. By the end of the cycle class my shirt was so wet, I probably could have rung out my shirt.
Doing that class really made it difficult for me to do my workout today. I started off the workout with a killer headache, so I started drinking more water, eventually the headache went away. My legs were also tired, I was having a hard time getting my legs up. After I warmed up, my body started to feel better. I will not be doing anymore crazy workouts like that but once a week. I really liked the cycling class, it was a great challenge.
The Shaun T Insanity workout today was pretty tough, regardless of me being already tired. There were some very new workouts that I have not seen before, so it was a great learning experience. The Max Interval Plyometrics workout was about 55 minutes long, and the main workout starts around the 38 minute marker. The workout that challenged me the most was the level 3 drills. It is the last workout in the second interval section. You do 16 push ups and then sprint it out in a plank position, and then you do it again. Since you are already exhausted it makes it really tough to to this exercise 3 times.
There are two Interval sections in this Insanity workout, plus there is a five minute workout after the intervals are over. This is a great workout, and I am excited to see what type of results I am going to get.
I ate pretty well yesterday, but I did have some eggnog. I love eggnog, I am like an eggnog addict.
Insanity Workout Review – Day 36 – Max Interval Training
Today was the first day of the 2nd Insanity Workout Month. I was supposed to do the Fit Test again today, but decided to skip it because I did not have enough time. So I went straight to the Insanity Workout called Max Interval Circuit, which is an hour long…Double the time of the first month of the Insanity workouts. If I were to do the fit test, it would have been an hour and a half workout today, and I just did not have that kind of time.
It starts off with a warm up like usual, but the warm up is different than the first month’s warm up. The warm up is around the same length of time as the first months, but with more difficult moves. You will definitely be sweating, by the end of the warm up.
One thing that kind of surprised me, was that the stretching did not seem as long, I could be wrong, but I felt like we did longer stretching in the first month of the Insanity workout. Anyway, you start the main workout with about 42 minutes left in the DVD. Usually you would start around the 22 minute marker…But this is the second month!! This is where it really starts to get crazy!!
There were some pretty tough workouts. There was one particular exercise called the….something? I can’t remember what it was called, but Shaun T has you do 4 ski ab jumps, into 4 jumping jack push ups, into in and outs, then into four oblique push ups. It totally sucked. Another exercise was called “full body drill”…I think. This exercise had you drop down into a plank position, then do sprints, four moving push ups, then four wide sprints, you then got on your feet and jumped and then do it all over again. The workouts were exhausting today. I was glad I decided only to do the Max interval circuit workout, instead of doing the fit test before it.
As for my knee…it is feeling better, the three days of rest really helped it. I started wearing my knee band when I was working at the Elk Camp, and by Sunday there was no more pain. So I wore it today through the workout, and I am wearing it right now.
I was not able to keep to the Nutrition plan this weekend, because at elk camp the only thing to snack on are cookies and chips. Then my Dad makes the most unhealthiest dinners and breakfasts in the world, but they are sooooo delicious.
Later on today, I am going to a cycling class at the gym with my friend. I am going to have to eat a lot of food today, because I heard you can burn anywhere up to 600 to 800 calories from one of those cycling workouts. We’ll see how it goes.
Get insanity!
3rd Day – Shaun T Insanity
So today I did my Shaun T Insanity Workout and it was once again a very tough workout. Today’s Insanity workout was called Cardio Power and Resistance, it really was a great workout. I felt yesterday’s workout through my whole day, I felt it through my legs, my core, and all the way to my upper chest. My lower back muscles have been sore, but it’s been a good sore. I thought to myself, “I will get a great night sleep and the next day I will feel better.” I was wrong…My muscles were burning right when I woke up this morning, and I was doubting if I was even going to workout this morning. I felt as if there was no possible way for my body to workout when it feels so tight and so sore, but I did it anyway. Although my calves and my thighs were on fire, I still pushed on and did the whole workout. I am sure that I will be sore for the next week, but I know eventually that soreness will go away…HOPEFULLY! Today was really important for me to push through and workout, it was a big step in the right direction.
Let’s get down to the Insanity workouts! I actually made a mistake yesterday explaining the warm up part of the workouts. I said that there are 30 second breaks in between the circuits in the warm up section….I was wrong, there are NO breaks. The warm up is around 11 minutes of non stop action. It is important to get your muscles warmed up so you can prevent injury, especially if your muscles feel tight from the day before. After the 11 minutes of warm ups today, my body felt a little better. Don’t get me wrong I was still sweating profusely and tired, but my muscles loosened up a little. I then went into stretching, I love this part because your heart rate goes down, and the stretching is relaxing. But it is pretty much the calm before the storm, you know at some point it isn’t going to stay like that. So even though you try to enjoy the stretches, you really can’t because you know the furry is coming. There were some really great workouts, there are full on sprints with jumps like you are doing hurdles, there are power jumps and a great shoulder push up workout…plus many more! Once again there were people in the workout video having to take breaks during the workouts because it is so tough, even Shaun T himself took a little pause. This workout was around 40 minutes long, but when the count down hits 23 minutes is when the party really begins. The workouts were different then the first disc, but it had the same structure. Do a circuit, 30 second break, same circuit, 30 second break, same circuit, 30 second break, then you start over with a new circuit and do it all over again. Your blog really gets pumping and your body gets really hot, it is important to breathe properly through these workouts.
For my nutrition: Yesterday evening I had an apple and some turkey, then for dinner I had chicken. This morning after the workout I had a bowl of Kashi Go Lean cereal (1 cup), with non-fat milk (2/3 cup), and flax seed (1 Tbsp). For my mid-morning meal, I am going to have a Shakeology Drink, and for lunch I will probably have a sandwich with whole wheat bread. I am going to Costco today to get some more healthy food. I will get veggie burgers, turkey burgers, lean steak, whole wheat Pita bread, and whole wheat buns. I will also need to get some fruits and vegetables.
See you tomorrow!! Get Insanity
2nd Day of The Insanity Workout
Alright…I woke up today pretty sore and tight, but I still kicked myself in the butt and did the 2nd day of Shaun T Insanity. Good News!! I did not puke!! That was a pretty good accomplishment for me because today was a very tough workout. I feel though as if every workout is going to be tough, especially the first week because I do not know what to expect. But today I got my first taste of what the Insanity workouts are all about.
Before I start explaining how I did in the workouts, I wanted to mention that the Insanity workout is an extreme workout, and that you should consult your doctor before you jump into these workouts. And if you do decide to get the Insanity workout, then do not feel as if you have to keep up with Shaun T. Even Shaun T says it on the DVD, take breaks if you need to, do not compromise you form for speed. Other than that, if you can keep up with Shaun T, then give it all you got!!
Okay here we go…Today I did the Plyometric Cardio Circuit, from start to finish this workout is around 41 minutes long. The Insanity workout has a completely different opinion on how your warms should go. Other workout programs I am have done in the past, do about 5 minutes of warm ups, not the Insanity workout. You do about 3 and half minutes of warm ups, where you do around 5 to 6 different exercises, then you take a 30 second break. Then you do the same circuit again, but you push yourself faster, once again you take a 30 second break. When you think you will not possibly do the same circuit again…you do it again! You do the whole circuit three times, each time pushing yourself harder and harder. The great part about the third time around, is that you do extra moves at the end. Those are just the warm ups!!(Around 11 minutes) After the warm up, you finally go into stretching, which is a nice little break. With 23 minutes left in the workout, you then begin to actually do the Insanity workout. It gets harder and harder, but Shaun T does a great job in keeping you focusing on the workouts and your form.
I had to take breaks, I was literally pushing my body to failure. By the end of the workout I was dead tired, sweating like crazy. Between circuits you only get 30 second breaks, but it is important that you stay in the safe zone with your heart rate, so if you need to take a little longer break then it is okay. There are about 20 people working out in the video, and even people in the Insanity workout have to take breaks because they are so tired. But jump back into quickly, do not cheat yourself!
Nutrition – Today I had a sandwich with whole wheat bread, and I am about to have a Shakeology drink, to help replenish my body. I don’t exactly know what I am going to have for dinner. But no more soda, and no more sweets for right now.
So the Insanity Workout Begins!
Today was my official start day of the new Shaun T Insanity Workout, and the first day was….um…How do I say it?…Difficult. It has been a couple months since I have done any major activity, so I am a little out of shape. Actually, I am more out of shape than I thought I would be. It has been a long time since I have thrown up from a workout, and today I did just that!…Thanks to the Insanity Workout! And the sad thing about it was, is that it was only the FIT TEST. THAT’S RIGHT THE FIT TEST! I was pretty worn out near the end of the workout, when I tried to do the last exercise I began to feel queazy, so I ran to the bathroom and puked. I know this might not be what you want to hear right now, but I am going to be as real as possible when I write about my workouts. I am also not claiming to be in the greatest shape, Although I have lost 45 pounds since March 08′, I still have a ways to go. Anyways, even though I threw up a little bit, I am still going to go on with the workouts. The feel like the Shaun T Insanity Workout will be a great challenge for me, I have never been a huge cardiovascular guru, but I have always wanted to do more cardio. I usually lift weights with little cardio, but in this season of my life I will be doing more cardio and less weight lifting. Especially since I have shoulder problems that just won’t go away.
To fill you in on what the workout was like, I am going to try to explain it to the best of my ability. First off, the Insanity Fit Test was around 25 minutes long and had around eight workouts. You start off by doing a few warm up exercises and then you go for it. Understand, that you will not be working out the whole 25 minutes, there are break periods to catch your breath and to record your progress. But when you are working out, you are going for maximum reps. Which means you are pushing yourself to the limit, to the point of puking. (Disclaimer: Although I was working out hard and did puke, do not get the idea that I found my limit today, it was purely because I was out of shape) You do each workout for a full minute, and the minute seems like it takes forever!! You do difficult versions of kicks, squats, jumps. push-ups, and so on. After you do the the 8 workouts, there is a cool down time, where you get your heart rate to rest, and stretch your muscles. Besides the workouts, the thing I liked most about the Shaun T Insanity Workout was the trainers. Mostly just Shaun T, there were not a lot of cheesy motivational lines, not a lot of flair, it was just in your face working out.
I’m Back From Uganda!!
So it has been a few weeks since I have been able to write about what my plans are with Chalean Extreme. My original plan is still my plan now. I am still going to do the Chalean Extreme workout and I was going to start it the Monday after I got back, but unfortunately when I was playing soccer at a village in Uganda I sprained my ankle on the uneven ground of the soccer field. I have rolled my left ankle a couple times before that, but this was by far the worst I have ever rolled my ankle. It is starting to get annoying, I feel like i am just getting injured all the time, and it is stupid things like my shoulder or my ankle, it is probably a sign of old age, but I am only 26, I should not have so many problems or accidents with my body. I probably take care of my body more than normal people do, and for some reason I always injure it.
Anyways, Monday the 14th of September I am gonna kick this pig, and start with my Chalean Extreme workout and Shaun T insanity workout. It is going to be tough but I think I can do it, I probably need to make another bet with someone so I can remain motivated through the whole thing. I am a little nervous, because I want to do the workouts and the nutrition plans really badly, but I do struggle with seasons of laziness and I am kind of in one right now. Laziness is a hard habit to break and I never want to to be complacent in that, it’s a bad place to be!!
Along with my Chalean Extreme workout and Insanity workout I want to start using the Shakeology, I think that will help replenish my body and help cleanse my system of any unwanted toxins.
Getting Serious With Weight Loss
So if you do not know by now, I have put my Chalean Extreme Workout on hold. If you want to know what the workouts are like, you can definitely search my blog to find what you need know. I will eventually pick the workouts back up, but right now I am trying to get in shape for my 17 mile hiking trip. I absolutely love the Chalean extreme workouts, but I definitely need to focus on getting my legs and brain into shape for my hike. I also am going to lose 10 to 15 pounds before the hike, the minimum weight loss I would like to achieve would be 10 pounds, any more weight after that would just be a bonus.
So I did a couple more hikes from the last time I wrote, I did Poo Poo point again, which is a two mile hike up and then a two mile trip back down. It was a lot of fun, I actually pushed myself harder than I ever have. There are two clearings, after the first clearing there is about another quarter mile hike to get to the very top, well for the most part my friend and I ran that part, and that was after the hardest part of the climb. I also had another friend who was a little behind, so I ran back down to the first clearing and hiked back up with her. Running that last stretch really got my heart pumping, it was the hardest I have breathed in a long time. After the hike I felt really good, like I could have done it again. A couple days later Ben and I(Ben is going on the 17 mile hike with me did a hike called Mt. Peak. It is only about one mile high but it is very steep. I was breathing hard in no time, but we did not stop until we got to the top. Mt. Peak is the hike that we would like to do twice back to back with 20 pound packs on our backs. Ultimately that will probably be the hike that gets us into expert hiking shape.
Tomorrow I will be doing mt. peak again with Ben, this is our first hike since Wednesday of last week, because Thursday we left for New York and we were there till Sunday. I definitely did not stay on a diet when I was in New York because there is just so much good food, and if you go to New York, you got to do it up right. But we are back now and I am back to eating healthy and doing hikes.
My New Mission
So I have decided to put the Chalean Extreme workout routine on hold again, I have recently switched gears and am now in hiking mode. I am trying to lose 10 more pounds before I go on my Enchantment hike again in July, so I have the last part of May and all of June to get into hiking shape and get under 185 by the time the hike starts. I went on a 4 mile hike this morning to get a nice little warm up in before the grueling hikes begin. Our plan is to start small and then build up to some 8 mile hikes, but the real test will be when we do Mt. Peak, it is only a one mile hike, but it is very steep and we will do it twice back to back with 30 pounds on our backs. That is going to be the hike that will get us into shape, so we can conquer the 17 mile hike of the Enchantments. I still really would love to do the Chalean extreme program but it will just have to wait for a little bit longer, as great as the workout is, it will not get me in shape to do a 17 mile hike. It’s just a different workout.
So the new workout plan is simple, we are hiking three times a week in the morning and then maybe try to fit either another hike on a Saturday or go running at nights to get my heart back into cardio mode. I will be on a calorie restricted diet, so I will be throwing out a lot of carbs and eating a lot of protein just for the start. I lose weight pretty fast when I am on a high protein diet, however I will include carbs when I do hikes so I can give myself some extra energy and keep my body up to speed.
I am really looking forward to the challenge of getting back into shape, this was the hike last year that inspired me to lose 40 pounds, I have continued to keep all that weight off and actually lose around 10 more pounds since. But I would still love to lose even more weight and really be able to just knock this hike out. It is great to set up these type of goals for yourself every year, so you can continue to remain motivated to stay in shape. I will be posting about my workouts and the weight loss progress through the next couple months.
