The 10th Day of the Insanity Workout Review
I woke up today not remembering what insanity workout I was supposed to do, as I walked down my stairs and picked up the Insanity Calendar I was a little disappointed, because it was the Plyometrics Cardio Circuit again. Don’t get me wrong, this is a great workout, but it is tough! Near the end of this workout there is a part where you seem like you’re in a push up position forever. You do the level 1 exercise, ski jumps, then in and outs, all in a push up position. Your arms just want to die…at least mine did. This is the workout I did last Saturday, where I think I sweated out every bit of moisture I had in my body. Today I did not sweat as much, probably because I was back downstairs in my living room where its cooler, instead of my bedroom upstairs.
It was a great workout today…for the most part. I did a pretty good job keeping up with the workouts, but I think it might be awhile until I can go through the whole workout without a break. I mean…even Shaun T takes breaks to go check out his workout crew. Sometimes I feel sorry for Shaun T, because he has to talk while he is doing these workouts, sometimes you can tell he is having a hard time trying to breath and talk at the same time. Even though this workout is pretty tough (I actually think it is one of the hardest workouts), I still go through it, even if I was on my knees huffing and puffing when it was all done. Sometimes I am so tired I just want to lay on the ground after the work and do nothing, but I have to do the stretches. It’s weird…I sweat a lot during the workouts, but at the end when I am stretching, it seems like my pores open up to a flood of sweat…It drips down my face all the time, so i am constantly using a towel. Oh well, that probably just means that I worked hard.
To compliment my Insanity workout, I ate steak last night for dinner and then had a slice of bread and some all natural peanut butter. This morning I had a bowl of whole grain cereal for breakfast, then I had a turkey sandwich, with a little mayo, mustard, avocado, and some oregano for seasoning. It was grrrrreat! For my lunch I had a shakeology shake, and I have yet to figure out what I am going to have for mid-dinner and dinner. I need to eat my last steak before it goes bad, so I will definitely have that. I also went over to my parents house again and weighed myself, I have lost two more pounds!! So that makes it 6 pounds all together! Woot woo!
Power Cardio – Insanity Workout Review
Last night seemed to fly by, I still got around seven hours of sleep but the morning felt like it came so fast. Although the rest day was nice, sometimes it’s hard to get motivated again after you have a break, because the “rest day” is so nice you just want more of them. But I did my Insanity workout this morning and it went really well. I felt like this was the best I did so far in any Insanity workout. The Power Cardio and Resistance workout is a pretty intense workout…I mean, they all are…there is no really easy workout, but they are all tough in their own way. What do you expect though with a fitness program called Shaun T Insanity!
So in today’s Insanity workout, I really wanted to challenge myself to stay in the workouts as much as possible, take less breaks and more reps. I felt like I did better with that this time around on this power cardio and resistance workout. There were times when I want to take breaks but I decided to push through, even if I did take a break it was only for a few seconds. There are a lot of power moves in this workout, a lot of squats and moves where you need to focus on your core. There are also some wonderful push ups in this workout, so far this workout has the most upper body workouts. After all the circuits are done, there is one last exercise called 8 squats and 8 push ups (something like that). This is where you really have to push through, you are so tired from all the circuits, but this exercise really is important, because this is a great exercise. You want to push your body to failure, where it just cannot do anymore.
Today for my breakfast I had a Shakeology smoothie, I did two scoops of shakeology and blended it with water and ice. I actually really like starting my day off like this, because I make a couple cup fulls of this smoothie. It is pretty much all water, but it fills me up so much. For mid lunch today I will probably have a pita bread sandwich. I do not know what else I am going to have after that, but I what I will not have and that is a roast beef tortilla, those things give me so much gas it is ridiculous!!
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Insanity Workout Review – Rest Day
So today is a rest day, YESSSS! I have officially made it through my first week of the Insanity workout! Today, I am going to take the time to relax. My body still feels great, and I woke up today without any soreness. I haven’t been able to check but I feel slimmer, it feels like I have lost some weight. Hopefully all the working out and eating healthy will pay off, because if it doesn’t I am going to be pissed!
I do not really have much to write on today, except that it was a really good week. The workouts were tough and I have been challenged mentally more than I have in a long time, since P90x. I did P90x last year, and comparing the two so far…well you really can’t. They are two very completely different workouts. Yes, I am exhausted with the Insanity workout and doing all cardio has been extremely difficult for be, but when I did p90x I had a hard time doing simple tasks, like driving, because y muscles were so tired. I would say that the Insanity workout and the P90x are equally the best workouts for what you want them to do.
Let’s talk about my nutrition, on Saturday I started off great, had healthy meals all day, but I did have a date night with my girlfriend and some other friends. Since it was a special night for me and my girl, I decided to have some dessert with her. but my dinner was pretty right on to the diet. I had Fillet Mignon with a Lobster Tail and a baked potato. It was INCREDIBLE!!!! Loved every bite. Today I had another steak and potato, and then I had a turkey burger with some mayo, tomato, and lettuce, it was pretty delicious.
Saturday’s Insanity Workout
Today is Saturday which marks the last day of the week for my Insanity Workout…yeahhhh…1 week down. I woke up today feeling great, I had no soreness and my body felt great, it seems as if I am past the stage of being sore. I was out pretty late last night, but since it was a weekend, who cares. I got to sleep in this morning and was all rested up before I did my Shaun T Insanity workout. In the past when I did P90x I really had a hard time motivating myself to workout on Saturdays, but I really did not have a problem with that today. I was driven to get it done and stay on track. I really need to get over to my parents house to see if I have had any weight loss results…I don’t have a scale at my place. I hope I lost some weight, it will help me stay motivated to keep on going. I have a lot of weight to lose, especially in my mid section, that is where all the fat likes to go for me. Even after the Insanity workout, if my mid section fat is not gone, then I will have to keep on going, until I get toned.
Today’s workout was the same workout I did on Tuesday, the Plyometric Cardio Circuit. This time around I tried to keep up even more with the workouts and the speed. I was doing pretty good all the way up to the last two circuit, where my body just wanted to quit, this was the most I have ever sweated so far in any of my workouts. I think I sweated more, because I had to do the workout upstairs in my room rather than in the living room which is downstairs, it is a lot hotter upstairs, so I was sweating pretty bad. I feel as though I was very successful in this workout today, even though I hard a hard time staying in the game near the end. I just need a little bit more time to get in better shape before I can keep up with these workouts. Tomorrow I have a rest day…THANK GOD!! I have been waiting for this day all freaking week! I will surely enjoy doing absolutely nothing tomorrow.
Yesterday I had another great day with my diet. For lunch I had a Pita Sandwich with roast beef, tomatoes, and lettuce, which was delicious. Then for mid dinner I had a whole tortilla with mozzarella cheese, roast beef, and tomato, which was also delicious. For dinner I had brown rice, some deer meat, and whole grain bread.
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.
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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.
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.
The ChaLean Extreme Fitness Routine
Let’s first just go over the basics. ChaLean Extreme is a 90 day workout, but you have the option of going 120 days. There are three main phases, the first phase is the Burn phase. In this phase you will lift weights so you can speed up your metabolism and break down any fat reserves. There are upper body and lower body workouts and most the time your are working them out at the same time. The second phase is called the Push Phase. There are different workouts and still weight lifting, but this time with heavier weights. Where in the burn phase you do a weight where you can get 10-12 reps, in the Push phase you use weights where you can only do 6-8 reps. It gets tougher, but you are still gaining muscle to burn away that fat. The third phase is called the Lean Phase. This is where you will really start to see the results, all that weight lifting and work you did in the first two months, lead you up to this point. You will do new workouts and exercises that will help melt those fat reserves right off your body. After this phase you can be done, but there is also another phase that you can chose to do called the Lean for life phase, it is an extra thirty days for anybody who really wants to push themselves. It is there as an option, so you can make the decision after the 90 days is over.
The great part about the Chalean Extreme workout and even the Px90 workout, is that they both focus on beating the workout plateau. The workout Plateau is when a person stops seeing results from their workout routine, your muscles adapt to your routine and even though you might be working harder, you still do not see results. But Chalean extreme addresses the problem, by continually switching up the routine every 30 days. The Chalean Extreme program also comes with a fitness guide and a nutrition guide, because eating is a huge part of the workout if you are going to see results or not. There are recipes for breakfast, lunch and dinner, and I am pretty sure there are some recipes for snacks. Chalean Extreme comes with a sculpting band and a body fat monitor, and if you get the deluxe version it comes with weighted gloves.
All this to say, the main goal is to build muscle so you can burn fat. Do not worry about bulking up though, because this program is designed for building lean muscle, not huge bulky muscles. The Chalean extreme program has a lot to live up to, because it says you can burn up to 60% of your body fat in three months….I guess they are right no matter what, because it do not promise 60% fat loss, but “up to” 60%. Anyways I am sure that if someone really took it seriously and did it by the book, then they can see great results from it and that is what I am going to try to do. My challenge is to see if this thing actually does work, so I will be sticking to a diet of my own and pushing myself to muscle failure. Let’s see how it goes.
