Insanity

I am in relatively good shape and consider myself to be a healthy person. I usually go for a bike ride at least once a day, take a spin on my rollerblades or walk along the beach. However, as my swimsuit will tell you, this isn't enough to have me beach ready by April. Therefore, I have decided to go the insane route with Shaun T.

Beachbody Insanity Program is a 60 day intense cardio workout that guarantees results! The main reason I was drawn to this particular program is because it doesn't require any equipment, just a good pair of cross trainers. It is my intention to record my progress and share it with all my fellow bloggers, partly because I hope it will inspire others to get fit, buy mostly because it will keep me accountable :)

Today I started with the Fit Test, a 30 min. workout and warm-up to get you familiar with the program and record your beginning fit test results. Before I record my results, let me thank Shaun T. for making me well aware of how out of shape I am and for making me sweat like a hot stone sauna!

Here are my results for Day 1:

Switch Kick - 90
Power Squats - 43
Power Knee - 80
Power Jump - 20
Globe Jump - 6 *
Suicide Jump - 8 *
Push Up Jacks - 8
Plank Knee - 26 *

In comparison to the starting numbers of the people on the video, I thought I did OK. The areas marked with a * are the areas I need to work extra hard at to increase my numbers.
Overall, I feel good and I'm still sweating as I finish this entry. The fitness test did not scare me away from the program, but it motivated me to keep going and I'm looking forward to seeing my results improve with every workout.

Day 2
I started my workout at 7am with a 10 min. warm-up and 8 minutes of stretching. After the warm up and stretching, I did an 8 min. ab workout. This is not part of the insanity program, which I will complete later this afternoon. Thanks to my friend Cortny, I have the schedule of Insanity workouts, now I just have to wait for Piotr to download the videos onto my computer and I'm good to go.

Day 3
Plyometric Cardio Circuit
I had my ass kicked by the Plyometric Cardio Circuit yesterday morning. 40 minutes of kalistetic drills, repeated over and over, each time at a faster pace. Today, I am feeling extremely sore and will surely need to do some stretching. However, it is Sunday, the day of rest, so I will not be doing an Insanity routine today.

Sunday - Day of Rest
Today I went with two of my girlfriends for a body massage, facial massage and mask:)

Day 4
Cardio Power and Resistance
I started my workout today at 10am, but my goal is to be and at 'em at 8am and at the beach for a walk by 9am. Today's workout was tough...they all are. However, there were more 30 sec. breaks today, but I think the exercises where more challenging and Shaun T. really pumps up the pace of the workout. I have a hard time when it comes to the pushups because the sweat that drips off of me makes the floor slippery:) ha I'm in the process of finding a yoga mat (not easy to do in this city) and that should help eliminate the slip and slide routine I've got going. Not to mention, I plan on starting a yoga class in the next month:) Insanity Out!

Unofficial Day 5
Busy, busy day. I didn't have time to do Day 5 of the Insanity program, however, I did ride my bike to and from the market and a friends house. That's the extent of my workout for Day 5.

Official Day 5
Cardio Recovery
Today's workout was a nice break from the usual cardio routines. Recovery day = more stretching, slower moving exercises and more time to breathe:)
Hip Hop Abs
I added Hip Hop Abs to my routine. Shaun T. is the instructor, along with some good music and some crunch free moves. I only did the 6 min. abs video today because I didn't want to overdue it on my "recovery" day. My whole body is sore, a good sore.

Day 6
Pure Cardio
Sweat Factory 5000! Cardio, Form, Speed! Today's workout pushed me to the limit, but I made it to the end:) During the Level 2 exercises, which involve pushups, I find it easier just to focus on doing pushups and skipping the up down stuff in between. Hopefully, by month 2 I will be able to complete the full series involved in Level 2 drills.

Day 7
Plyometric Cardio Circuit
Today, Piotr decided to put Shaun T. to the test and joined me for the Plyometric cardio circuit. This is the second time I've done this routine, and it still managed to kick my ass...and Piotrs! I'm glad he did it with me so he can get a feel for how out of shape he is and be alittle more impressed by what I'm doing everyday:) Cam and Thinh stopped by just after we finished the workout and wanted in on the fun, so I did the Hip hop Abs routine with them:)

Week 2
Day 8
Cardio Power and Resistance
I feel great! My shoulder feels so much better every after doing these workouts and it is bothering me less and less in the evening. I think my endurance has gone up about 2%, but hey, its better than nothing. I feel more energized during the day and don't feel as tired at night. The only thing I would change about the workout is that there isn't a whole lot exercises specific to just abs. I'm starting the hip hop abs program, but its not an everyday thing (which it should be.) I've always been a healthy eater, but I'm even more conscience about my eating habits not that I've started the program. I'm trying to eat small meals about 5 times a day, lots of fruits and veggies and lean proteins. Lunch today: Tuna salad :)

Day 9
Pure Cario
I started off my workout today with the "Hips, Buns and Thighs" video, which is 25 min. long. Then I put on the Pure Cardio video, which is what the schedule calls for, but I only made it through just over half of the video. I'm heading down to the beach for a walk to cool down:)

Days 10-12
Done but not recorded

Week 3
Fit Test - Week 1 vs. Week 3

Switch Kick - 90 - 115
Power Squats - 43 - 48
Power Knee - 80 - 87
Power Jump - 20 - 30
Globe Jump - 6 * - 10
Suicide Jump - 8 * - 12
Push Up Jacks - 8 - 16 (mainly regular pushups)
Plank Knee - 26 * - 32