Sorry for no posts recently. I decided to just relax the last few days before the trip to avoid any soreness. I'm feeling great and am at an airport hotel, leaving tomorrow with family and friends for Colorado. I'll try to post some pictures. The next round of Insanity, which I'm calling "Unfinished Business" starts the Monday after I get back!
Thursday, March 21, 2013
Friday, March 15, 2013
Journey Day 68: My First Run
Instead of doing an Insanity workout I took advantage of the nice day and decided to run. It felt great. I ran 3.37 miles in 34:40 and burned 640 calories. The significance of this is that I have never run that far before and this was my first time running in over a year and a half. I've done a 5K but this was 3/10 of a mile further. I was really happy with the fact that I was able to maintain a 10 minute and 17 second pace throughout the run. I know that's not fast, but to me that was great because I had not run anywhere or anytime since the summer of 2011.
There's no question that doing the Insanity workouts has brought my cardio to a new level. Woo hoo!
There's no question that doing the Insanity workouts has brought my cardio to a new level. Woo hoo!
Thursday, March 14, 2013
Journey Day 67: Some More Cardio Today!
Short post today. Busy work day plus band practice tonight. I did Pure Cardio but had to skip about 5 minutes so squeeze it in before a conference call. Burned 570 calories, maxing the heart rate at 178 and averaging 148.
Tomorrow I will likely do a recovery workout. I feel great with no back or shoulder pain, and I continue to avoid those moves.
Started a new container of P90X Recovery drink. Packaging is exactly the same as the previous 2 containers but the taste isn't quite as good. Strange...
Anyway, til tomorrow!
Tomorrow I will likely do a recovery workout. I feel great with no back or shoulder pain, and I continue to avoid those moves.
Started a new container of P90X Recovery drink. Packaging is exactly the same as the previous 2 containers but the taste isn't quite as good. Strange...
Anyway, til tomorrow!
Wednesday, March 13, 2013
Journey Day 66: Mixing it Up with Power & Resistance!
I went old school again today, pulling out month one's Cardio Power & Resistance workout. A bit more strength training than I wanted but I followed along to see how I had improved. Those "V push-ups" I couldn't do the first week of Insanity came much easier today, so I did those. Same with the "tricep dips", which I couldn't do at all 60 days ago. That was cool. But then came "hit the floor" and "globe jumps", which I completely skipped and did "cross jacks" and "side to side jump ropes" instead. My back feels almost 100% so I'll continue modifying until after I get back from my ski trip.
I burned 596 calories today, peaking at 178 and averaging 144. As always, peaks and averages are lower with the strength routines because there's less cardio.
Looking at the weather, I'm thinking Friday may be a good day to try running again. More on that later in the week...
On an unrelated note, I saw a good movie last night: Life of Pi. Incredible story, acting, and special effects. I suppose it's a "family movie" since it's PG, but it will mean something very different to a child than it does an adult. To a kid, it will be a movie about a boy and a tiger on a raft. To adults, well, you'll have to see it yourself. Cool story that gets you thinking about all sorts of stuff...
Anyway, I wore a T-shirt I bought in China last month, and it was not good to workout in. It didn't absorb anything, or wick anything for that matter. So the sweat just pooled in strange places. Almost looks like I just poured water on myself, but trust me that was not the case! .
I burned 596 calories today, peaking at 178 and averaging 144. As always, peaks and averages are lower with the strength routines because there's less cardio.
Looking at the weather, I'm thinking Friday may be a good day to try running again. More on that later in the week...
On an unrelated note, I saw a good movie last night: Life of Pi. Incredible story, acting, and special effects. I suppose it's a "family movie" since it's PG, but it will mean something very different to a child than it does an adult. To a kid, it will be a movie about a boy and a tiger on a raft. To adults, well, you'll have to see it yourself. Cool story that gets you thinking about all sorts of stuff...
Anyway, I wore a T-shirt I bought in China last month, and it was not good to workout in. It didn't absorb anything, or wick anything for that matter. So the sweat just pooled in strange places. Almost looks like I just poured water on myself, but trust me that was not the case! .
Tuesday, March 12, 2013
Journey Day 65: Back to Pure Cardio from Month 1!
I was back in the basement for the first time in 2 days after completing Insanity on Sunday. But first, I need to admit that I was bad yesterday. I didn't workout because I was sore, and that's legit, but I wrote in my blog yesterday I was still on my diet, then I proceeded to eat Wendy's for lunch. I hadn't eaten any fast food since starting Insanity and I decided "What the heck", but I felt kind of sick afterwards, and pretty guilty, too. Then I watched "Biggest Loser" on TV and felt even more guilty, but also more motivated. Finally, I watched the Insanity infomercial (which is preserved on my DVR) before bed, and woke up this morning ready to rock and roll.
Instead of doing a short subset of an Insanity workout, I decided to do the entire Pure Cardio workout from Month 1, and it was awesome. I did it so much better than a month ago, and burned 640 calories, pushing myself much harder than I could back then. My heart rate peaked at 182 and averaged 152 for the 37 minutes. I modified the "push-up/plank" and "bending down" moves as I said I would, so as not to aggravate my back or shoulders prior to our ski trip in less than 2 weeks. I just ran in place or did "cross jacks".
I'm going to be very strict with diet, with the hope of losing a few more pounds before the trip.
It was great to back doing Insanity again, and even better to do a workout I hadn't seen for 5+ weeks. I'll just take these next couple weeks day-by-day, deciding which workout I want to do from Month 1 each morning. The freedom to pick is kind of fun.
So my journey continues, and I'll continue to "count up" as I had before. Til tomorrow...
Instead of doing a short subset of an Insanity workout, I decided to do the entire Pure Cardio workout from Month 1, and it was awesome. I did it so much better than a month ago, and burned 640 calories, pushing myself much harder than I could back then. My heart rate peaked at 182 and averaged 152 for the 37 minutes. I modified the "push-up/plank" and "bending down" moves as I said I would, so as not to aggravate my back or shoulders prior to our ski trip in less than 2 weeks. I just ran in place or did "cross jacks".
I'm going to be very strict with diet, with the hope of losing a few more pounds before the trip.
It was great to back doing Insanity again, and even better to do a workout I hadn't seen for 5+ weeks. I'll just take these next couple weeks day-by-day, deciding which workout I want to do from Month 1 each morning. The freedom to pick is kind of fun.
So my journey continues, and I'll continue to "count up" as I had before. Til tomorrow...
Monday, March 11, 2013
Journey Day 64: Paying the Price for Pushing Hard!
I woke up this morning and I was really sore! That's what I get for burning almost 1200 calories Saturday and pushing so hard on the Insanity Fit Test yesterday. My intent was to workout today, but my body has made it clear I need to take a small break to heal now that Round 1 of Insanity is complete. I haven't had a break since last Sunday, and I suppose I've earned one. So I'm taking today off completely, except for diet of course. And I'll resume some cardio tomorrow, whether I'm sore or not. ;-)
Have a great week!
Have a great week!
Sunday, March 10, 2013
Insanity Day 63: Insanity is Complete with a Family Fit Test Finale!
This is it. I felt a burst of emotion once I completed the last move and will admit that if I had been alone downstairs, I probably would've shed a few tears of joy at the accomplishment. All 63 days have been leading up to today, and I'm really proud to say I've passed the "Insanity Challenge!"
I was joined by my wife and daughter for the final day. We completed the Fit Test and I was exhausted at the end, left speechless with rubber noodle arms and legs after every move. I improved overall in every movement. You'll see all my Fit Test scores below.
Beyond the scores, what's really important is how I feel. There is no question that I'm in the best shape of my life. I still have weight to lose and muscle to gain, but my cardio is at an all-time best and I just feel fit. The diet, along with all that sweating, has even improved my skin. I've been told I look younger. I certainly feel younger. My core is rock solid, even if it's still covered up a bit (hey, it's a work in progress!). In short, the program has been an absolute success!
Here are my results:
Total weight loss: 22 pounds
Body fat percentage reduction: 5% point reduction
Waist size reduction: 8" reduction
Fit Test results on Day 1 and Day 63:
Switch Kicks: 57 to 79
Power Jacks: 56 to 67
Power Knees: 85 to 160
Power Jumps: 35 to 64
Globe Jumps: 9 to 12
Suicide Jumps: 10 to 19
Push-Up Jacks: 21 to 44
Low Plank Oblique: 43 to 94
You may be staring at the waist size reduction and thinking "How is that possible?", but it is. I'm measuring my waist the "right way". Prior to looking up how to do it, I always assumed my waist was where my pants sit. But it isn't. Your waist is 1 inch below the belly button. I had what some may refer to as a "beer belly", and I measured all improvements with my stomach relaxed. I didn't tighten my core when measuring anything. I was relaxed and loose. So yeah, I really did reduce the size of stomach/waist by 8 inches, and I'm damn proud of it.
I'm deliberately not going to post my actual measurements or weight. That's for 2 reasons. One, I'm still self conscious, particularly about where I started. And two, they're not important. What's important is the improvement, not the result. It's just like Insanity itself. It doesn't matter how many push-ups I can do now (but I will say it's over 100). What matters is how many more I can do now than I could when I started. It's all about doing better every time. When I look in the mirror, I'm very happy with the improvement, but my journey isn't over. So here's my plan for the next 2 weeks:
I'm going to pick and choose workouts, mostly from Month 1, and do them 6 days a week for the next 2 weeks. I will avoid all "bending over" movements and most (if not all) push-up moves. The reason is, as I stated yesterday, I'm going skiing with my family and some friends in Colorado, and while I want to maintain the cardio improvement I've achieved, I don't want to be sore. I've had some lower back pain pretty consistently with Insanity, and my rotator cuffs have also been sore, which is why I'll be avoiding those exercises. I will, however, be doing some rotator cuff stretches and exercises, using a resistance band. A few weeks of strengthening the rotator cuff should help me down the road. I will be skiing 5 full days and will get plenty of exercise doing that.
Once I return from skiing, I will restart Insanity and do the entire program again, except I'll follow the diet even more carefully. It will be hard to lose the next 20 pounds, which would bring me close to my overall goal weight. I've also purchased P90X, which I will do in its entirety after my second round of Insanity. By the end of the summer, I should be in pretty good shape!
I will continue to blog each day the next 2 weeks, letting you know which workout I completed, calories burned, and how I'm feeling. I may even do some from Snowmass, time permitting! This has kept my accountable and was probably the second best decision I made, the first being to start Insanity in the first place.
Thanks to everyone and anyone who has read some or all of this blog. The support I felt knowing people are reading this has been amazing. To those who I've seen or spoken to recently, sorry about all the exercise and Insanity talk. No I don't work for Beach Body. But I am a believer. This has been such a big part of my life these past two months that I don't think of much else, outside of work and family of course. Anyway, thanks for putting up with my new healthy obsession!
So here I am at the end of the beginning of my journey. I've conquered this program and can't wait to see where my journey leads from here. I just need to remember to keep my core tight, keep breathing, never quit, dig deeper, and "push play every day."
Oh yeah, and I need to send the form in for my free Insanity T-Shirt. ;-)
I was joined by my wife and daughter for the final day. We completed the Fit Test and I was exhausted at the end, left speechless with rubber noodle arms and legs after every move. I improved overall in every movement. You'll see all my Fit Test scores below.
Beyond the scores, what's really important is how I feel. There is no question that I'm in the best shape of my life. I still have weight to lose and muscle to gain, but my cardio is at an all-time best and I just feel fit. The diet, along with all that sweating, has even improved my skin. I've been told I look younger. I certainly feel younger. My core is rock solid, even if it's still covered up a bit (hey, it's a work in progress!). In short, the program has been an absolute success!
Here are my results:
Total weight loss: 22 pounds
Body fat percentage reduction: 5% point reduction
Waist size reduction: 8" reduction
Fit Test results on Day 1 and Day 63:
Switch Kicks: 57 to 79
Power Jacks: 56 to 67
Power Knees: 85 to 160
Power Jumps: 35 to 64
Globe Jumps: 9 to 12
Suicide Jumps: 10 to 19
Push-Up Jacks: 21 to 44
Low Plank Oblique: 43 to 94
You may be staring at the waist size reduction and thinking "How is that possible?", but it is. I'm measuring my waist the "right way". Prior to looking up how to do it, I always assumed my waist was where my pants sit. But it isn't. Your waist is 1 inch below the belly button. I had what some may refer to as a "beer belly", and I measured all improvements with my stomach relaxed. I didn't tighten my core when measuring anything. I was relaxed and loose. So yeah, I really did reduce the size of stomach/waist by 8 inches, and I'm damn proud of it.
I'm deliberately not going to post my actual measurements or weight. That's for 2 reasons. One, I'm still self conscious, particularly about where I started. And two, they're not important. What's important is the improvement, not the result. It's just like Insanity itself. It doesn't matter how many push-ups I can do now (but I will say it's over 100). What matters is how many more I can do now than I could when I started. It's all about doing better every time. When I look in the mirror, I'm very happy with the improvement, but my journey isn't over. So here's my plan for the next 2 weeks:
I'm going to pick and choose workouts, mostly from Month 1, and do them 6 days a week for the next 2 weeks. I will avoid all "bending over" movements and most (if not all) push-up moves. The reason is, as I stated yesterday, I'm going skiing with my family and some friends in Colorado, and while I want to maintain the cardio improvement I've achieved, I don't want to be sore. I've had some lower back pain pretty consistently with Insanity, and my rotator cuffs have also been sore, which is why I'll be avoiding those exercises. I will, however, be doing some rotator cuff stretches and exercises, using a resistance band. A few weeks of strengthening the rotator cuff should help me down the road. I will be skiing 5 full days and will get plenty of exercise doing that.
Once I return from skiing, I will restart Insanity and do the entire program again, except I'll follow the diet even more carefully. It will be hard to lose the next 20 pounds, which would bring me close to my overall goal weight. I've also purchased P90X, which I will do in its entirety after my second round of Insanity. By the end of the summer, I should be in pretty good shape!
I will continue to blog each day the next 2 weeks, letting you know which workout I completed, calories burned, and how I'm feeling. I may even do some from Snowmass, time permitting! This has kept my accountable and was probably the second best decision I made, the first being to start Insanity in the first place.
Thanks to everyone and anyone who has read some or all of this blog. The support I felt knowing people are reading this has been amazing. To those who I've seen or spoken to recently, sorry about all the exercise and Insanity talk. No I don't work for Beach Body. But I am a believer. This has been such a big part of my life these past two months that I don't think of much else, outside of work and family of course. Anyway, thanks for putting up with my new healthy obsession!
So here I am at the end of the beginning of my journey. I've conquered this program and can't wait to see where my journey leads from here. I just need to remember to keep my core tight, keep breathing, never quit, dig deeper, and "push play every day."
Oh yeah, and I need to send the form in for my free Insanity T-Shirt. ;-)
Sweaty and in desparate need of a comb!
Great job Ali!
Saturday, March 9, 2013
Insanity Day 62: Two and Two on Sixty Two!
Today is Saturday, and it's Day 62 of Insanity. Two of us, my wife and I, just finished two workouts: Max Cardio and Cardio Abs. It's the last workout of the program. Tomorrow is the Fit Test and I will have completed Insanity! I feel absolutely great that I made it through, but I'll reflect more on that after tomorrow.
I burned 1148 calories today. As usual, I pushed myself harder with my wife there. My heart rate hit 188 and averaged 152.
My sciatic nerve tingling has not returned but my back is still a bit sore. I did the heat pad and stretching again last night and it felt much better today, but I modified a couple of exercises to avoid some of the bending down. I left nothing in the tank. I was "Gauley River exhausted" at the end of Max Cardio, completely dripping in sweat with my shirt soaked all the way through. It was awesome!
After some snow on Thursday night, it's finally starting to feel like spring with sunny skies and temps in 50s today and tomorrow. I may go for that first run tomorrow after the Fit Test. We'll see...
I'm still trying to decide exactly how I'll be working out these next few weeks before I leave for a ski trip. I don't want to have a sore back there, so I may just pick and choose a few Month 1 Insanity workouts to do and skip the moves that aggravate my back, then restart Insanity after I return from Colorado. I definitely want to keep my cardio up so I don't lose anything I've gained these past two months... I'll figure that out on Monday.
Have a great weekend!
I burned 1148 calories today. As usual, I pushed myself harder with my wife there. My heart rate hit 188 and averaged 152.
My sciatic nerve tingling has not returned but my back is still a bit sore. I did the heat pad and stretching again last night and it felt much better today, but I modified a couple of exercises to avoid some of the bending down. I left nothing in the tank. I was "Gauley River exhausted" at the end of Max Cardio, completely dripping in sweat with my shirt soaked all the way through. It was awesome!
After some snow on Thursday night, it's finally starting to feel like spring with sunny skies and temps in 50s today and tomorrow. I may go for that first run tomorrow after the Fit Test. We'll see...
I'm still trying to decide exactly how I'll be working out these next few weeks before I leave for a ski trip. I don't want to have a sore back there, so I may just pick and choose a few Month 1 Insanity workouts to do and skip the moves that aggravate my back, then restart Insanity after I return from Colorado. I definitely want to keep my cardio up so I don't lose anything I've gained these past two months... I'll figure that out on Monday.
Have a great weekend!
Friday, March 8, 2013
Insanity Day 61: Last Day of Plyo Torture...For Now!
Second to last workout of Insanity is complete. Goodbye Max Interval Plyo...at least for a little while! I had to skip a couple of exercises due to a time constraint: We're bringing our cat to the vet. She's almost 17 years old, skinny as a rail and is allergic to herself. I won't go into her other issues. Anyway, hopefully it won't be anything serious.
Anyway, I still burned 651 calories in the 47 minutes of the 55 that I did. I still did the complete warm-up and stretches, but I eliminated a couple of interval circuits.
Tomorrow will be the last real workout until the Fit Test on Sunday. Almost there!
Anyway, I still burned 651 calories in the 47 minutes of the 55 that I did. I still did the complete warm-up and stretches, but I eliminated a couple of interval circuits.
Tomorrow will be the last real workout until the Fit Test on Sunday. Almost there!
Thursday, March 7, 2013
Insanity Day 60: Yes, Day 60! (But It's Not Over Yet!)
Despite the infomercials that clearly state that Insanity is 60 days long, it isn't. Insanity is actually 63 days long but I've completed the numerically significant 60 days, so I feel great about that. Today was pretty much a recovery day, doing Core Cardio & Balance for 37 minutes. I burned only 477 calories, which mostly reflects the fact that I didn't do this workout with Meghan today, plus it's short duration and minimal cardio. Still it's a fun workout, especially the end (try holding your arms straight out and flapping them a little for 3 minutes. The first minute is easy, then it's HARD!)
My back is still a bit sore today, but my sciatic nerve is much better. I did a bunch of stretching last night (thank you YouTube once again!) and I'll continue that, even into next week after I'm done with Insanity.
In the spirit of transparency I will say I'm going out with some friends for a birthday tonight, and we're doing Italian (I know, shocker for New Jersey right?). I'm going to cheat, and I'm going to cheat big time. I will order whatever I want and suffer the consequences tomorrow. I don't care, and I won't feel guilty about it. As I've said a gazillion times, this isn't a competition. This isn't Biggest Loser. I'm not trying to lose x number of pounds in 63 days. I need to be able to sustain this new lifestyle, and that means there will be times where I will let loose. And tonight is one of those nights!
Okay, so with that off my chest, I'll just end with this: I feel great overall. I'm really proud of myself, and I hope I stay as injury free as possible for these last few days so I can finish strong. I've learned so much about myself, about how to exercise, how to eat, and how to stay accountable and motivated. Thanks to those who continue to read these admittedly self-indulgent blogs. I hope they help to motivate others and provide a real view, from someone who ISN'T a BeachBody employee or coach, of what Insanity is all about, at least for me.
See you tomorrow!
My back is still a bit sore today, but my sciatic nerve is much better. I did a bunch of stretching last night (thank you YouTube once again!) and I'll continue that, even into next week after I'm done with Insanity.
In the spirit of transparency I will say I'm going out with some friends for a birthday tonight, and we're doing Italian (I know, shocker for New Jersey right?). I'm going to cheat, and I'm going to cheat big time. I will order whatever I want and suffer the consequences tomorrow. I don't care, and I won't feel guilty about it. As I've said a gazillion times, this isn't a competition. This isn't Biggest Loser. I'm not trying to lose x number of pounds in 63 days. I need to be able to sustain this new lifestyle, and that means there will be times where I will let loose. And tonight is one of those nights!
Okay, so with that off my chest, I'll just end with this: I feel great overall. I'm really proud of myself, and I hope I stay as injury free as possible for these last few days so I can finish strong. I've learned so much about myself, about how to exercise, how to eat, and how to stay accountable and motivated. Thanks to those who continue to read these admittedly self-indulgent blogs. I hope they help to motivate others and provide a real view, from someone who ISN'T a BeachBody employee or coach, of what Insanity is all about, at least for me.
See you tomorrow!
Wednesday, March 6, 2013
Insanity Day 59: A New Pain!
So yesterday after my workout I started to feel a sensation I've never felt before: Sciatic nerve pain. Actually it wasn't really a pain. More like an annoying tingle that went down the back of my left leg for the most part (and a little down my right). It doesn't feel like stretching a muscle. It's more like someone ran a string through my leg and started tugging on it from one end. There's a position you can get into to find out whether it's really sciatic pain or not. See what the woman below is doing? If it causes the sensation or pain, it's your sciatic nerve:
Anyway, it was more of an annoyance than anything else. Probably caused from stressing my lower back too much. I did some sciatic exercises and stretches I found online (including the one above) and it felt a bit better. I also took Advil for the first time during Insanity, but only to help as an anti-inflammatory. Later in the evening, I also applied some heat pad and did my usual back stretches. I felt fine when I went to bed.
When I woke up today, it was much better, but I took it a bit easy on the "hit the floor" and other back-intensive exercises today, doing some modifications instead (mostly cross-jacks and high knees) to keep my heart rate up. Today was my favorite workout: Max Interval Circuit. I burned 748 calories, maxed out at 164, and averaged 135. I'll admit I took it a bit easy because I didn't want to hurt myself, but I still got a great workout in and burned a lot of calories.
I'm starting to rethink whether I should just leap right into the next rotation of Insanity without taking a break. I am 42 years old and I've read a lot of good advice to "take a break and let your body heal", so I'll think about how I want to handle that. Perhaps I'll go running. Not sure yet. More to come.
If you're around my age, thinking about doing Insanity, and wondering if your body will take a beating, the answer is unequivocally YES. But that's no reason not to do it. The body will heal, even if it's a bit slower then when I was younger. The benefit of weight loss and muscle gain far outweighs the risks of injury in my opinion. I suppose that's a personal choice, and I made mine 2 months ago!
Still feel great overall and I'm looking forward to hitting day 60 tomorrow. Only 3 workouts and 1 Fit Test left to go. Woo hoo!
Anyway, it was more of an annoyance than anything else. Probably caused from stressing my lower back too much. I did some sciatic exercises and stretches I found online (including the one above) and it felt a bit better. I also took Advil for the first time during Insanity, but only to help as an anti-inflammatory. Later in the evening, I also applied some heat pad and did my usual back stretches. I felt fine when I went to bed.
When I woke up today, it was much better, but I took it a bit easy on the "hit the floor" and other back-intensive exercises today, doing some modifications instead (mostly cross-jacks and high knees) to keep my heart rate up. Today was my favorite workout: Max Interval Circuit. I burned 748 calories, maxed out at 164, and averaged 135. I'll admit I took it a bit easy because I didn't want to hurt myself, but I still got a great workout in and burned a lot of calories.
I'm starting to rethink whether I should just leap right into the next rotation of Insanity without taking a break. I am 42 years old and I've read a lot of good advice to "take a break and let your body heal", so I'll think about how I want to handle that. Perhaps I'll go running. Not sure yet. More to come.
If you're around my age, thinking about doing Insanity, and wondering if your body will take a beating, the answer is unequivocally YES. But that's no reason not to do it. The body will heal, even if it's a bit slower then when I was younger. The benefit of weight loss and muscle gain far outweighs the risks of injury in my opinion. I suppose that's a personal choice, and I made mine 2 months ago!
Still feel great overall and I'm looking forward to hitting day 60 tomorrow. Only 3 workouts and 1 Fit Test left to go. Woo hoo!
Tuesday, March 5, 2013
Insanity Day 58: And The Countdown Continues!
Today is Day 58, and I only have 5 workouts remaining in Insanity. Can't wait to get my free T-Shirt! LOL.
I did Max Cardio and Cardio Abs today, burning 942 calories, maxing out my heart rate at 180 briefly, and averaging 136. The average is lower than usual largely due to Cardio Abs which doesn't really raise the heart rate much. The diet has been good today: Kashi cereal, egg white omelet, salad with olive oil and vinegar, and of course my recovery drink. My back is a bit more sore again today, but nothing major. Lots of "hit the floor"-and squat-type exercises in Max Cardio. But I've learned how to handle that: Heat pad and stretching of the lower back. Seems to work every time. I still haven't taken a single pain reliever since I started Insanity. I just don't think it's a good idea to mask the pain. I'm afraid it could lead to an injury.
I'll admit I've been watching the Biggest Loser TV show this season. Not something I would normally watch. Aside from Survivor I don't like reality TV, but I must say it's provided some good motivation. While some of the people are emotional messes which I suppose makes for good ratings, there are a couple who have a grip and are just there to lose weight, so I focus on them. I'm not into all the drama. ;-)
Have a good rest of the week!
I did Max Cardio and Cardio Abs today, burning 942 calories, maxing out my heart rate at 180 briefly, and averaging 136. The average is lower than usual largely due to Cardio Abs which doesn't really raise the heart rate much. The diet has been good today: Kashi cereal, egg white omelet, salad with olive oil and vinegar, and of course my recovery drink. My back is a bit more sore again today, but nothing major. Lots of "hit the floor"-and squat-type exercises in Max Cardio. But I've learned how to handle that: Heat pad and stretching of the lower back. Seems to work every time. I still haven't taken a single pain reliever since I started Insanity. I just don't think it's a good idea to mask the pain. I'm afraid it could lead to an injury.
I'll admit I've been watching the Biggest Loser TV show this season. Not something I would normally watch. Aside from Survivor I don't like reality TV, but I must say it's provided some good motivation. While some of the people are emotional messes which I suppose makes for good ratings, there are a couple who have a grip and are just there to lose weight, so I focus on them. I'm not into all the drama. ;-)
Have a good rest of the week!
Monday, March 4, 2013
Insanity Day 57: First Day of the Final Week!
Well I made it to the final week of Insanity. I would dare anyone to make it this far then tell me that this program hasn't changed their life. Impossible. I feel like a completely different person, both physically and mentally. I look in the mirror and I see cheek bones for the first time in a decade, not pronounced yet, but glad they're still there after all these years. My shoulders are bigger. My waist is smaller. I've lost somewhere between 22-25 pounds (tough to tell exactly since my weight fluctuates by about 4 pounds throughout each day, and from day to day). More importantly, I look forward to working out each day.
I have a little soreness in my back and shoulders today, but it's the regular muscle kind, not the joint kind. My knees have amazingly held out almost completely pain free throughout the past 57 days. I've learned to love diamond jumps, but I still hate power jumps (if you don't, you either have never tried them, or you are not human!)
I'll admit it, I don't want this week to end. There's a part of me that knows it will never be the same again, not like the first time. But there's also a part of me that knows when I start it again, I'll be able to dig even deeper because I won't be starting as Oompa Loompa. I still have a lot of weight to lose on my journey, but I now know I can do it. I've been successful at changing my lifestyle. I'm eating healthy and exercising 6 days a week. Put simply, I'm hooked, and will continue this journey once this program ends on Sunday.
Today was my second-to-last Max Interval Plyo. I burned 783 calories, maxed out my heart rate at 173, and averaged 141. I felt great throughout the workout. Still not my favorite, and I think it's the hardest Insanity workout overall, but I've improved a lot since I first did it a month ago.
Have a great week!
I have a little soreness in my back and shoulders today, but it's the regular muscle kind, not the joint kind. My knees have amazingly held out almost completely pain free throughout the past 57 days. I've learned to love diamond jumps, but I still hate power jumps (if you don't, you either have never tried them, or you are not human!)
I'll admit it, I don't want this week to end. There's a part of me that knows it will never be the same again, not like the first time. But there's also a part of me that knows when I start it again, I'll be able to dig even deeper because I won't be starting as Oompa Loompa. I still have a lot of weight to lose on my journey, but I now know I can do it. I've been successful at changing my lifestyle. I'm eating healthy and exercising 6 days a week. Put simply, I'm hooked, and will continue this journey once this program ends on Sunday.
Today was my second-to-last Max Interval Plyo. I burned 783 calories, maxed out my heart rate at 173, and averaged 141. I felt great throughout the workout. Still not my favorite, and I think it's the hardest Insanity workout overall, but I've improved a lot since I first did it a month ago.
Have a great week!
Saturday, March 2, 2013
Insanity Day 55: Sometimes It Takes Two to Earn a Steak!
It's always hard to get motivated to workout on a Saturday morning, but it's much easier when I'm not working out alone. Meghan joined me today for Core Cardio & Balance, which is the same workout I did for recovery week between months 1 and 2. I burned 580 calories and felt great. No shoulder or back pain whatsoever, even with the "walking planks" and "hit the floor" moves. It almost felt like a recovery day since this is kind of a month 1 workout, certainly in duration. But it still had some solid cardio in there. Most significantly this concluded my second-to-last week of Insanity. I'm off tomorrow and Monday begins a 7 day stretch of straight workouts, with the program concluding next Sunday with my last Fit Test.
I'm going to reward myself tonight with a filet mignon dinner. While admittedly off-topic and certainly not on the Insanity diet, I've got to share this recipe because it's the best way I've ever had filet. We got the recipe from our friends Mike and Tess a few years ago and it's basically the only way I cook filet mignon anymore. If you're on a low sodium diet or you like your steak well done, this recipe is not for you.
First, you need to buy a whole filet mignon tenderloin. Have the butcher trim the fat and tie it up with string to hold it together.
Next, make the marinade using:
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup honey
2 tablespoons chopped ginger
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1/3 cup dry red wine
2 tablespoons black pepper
2 tablespoons chopped garlic
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1 bay leaf
I'm going to reward myself tonight with a filet mignon dinner. While admittedly off-topic and certainly not on the Insanity diet, I've got to share this recipe because it's the best way I've ever had filet. We got the recipe from our friends Mike and Tess a few years ago and it's basically the only way I cook filet mignon anymore. If you're on a low sodium diet or you like your steak well done, this recipe is not for you.
First, you need to buy a whole filet mignon tenderloin. Have the butcher trim the fat and tie it up with string to hold it together.
Next, make the marinade using:
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup honey
2 tablespoons chopped ginger
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1/3 cup dry red wine
2 tablespoons black pepper
2 tablespoons chopped garlic
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1 bay leaf
Mix everything in a heavy sauce pan and heat it just to the boiling point. Remove from heat and allow it to cool completely. Pour cooled marinade completely over tenderloin and marinate overnight or several hours in an airtight (i.e. Tupperware) container in the refrigerator.
Preheat oven to 450 degrees and bake uncovered in a roasting pan at 450 degrees for 20 minutes. Reduce oven to 350 degrees (leave door open for a minute to cool oven) then bake for another 20 minutes. The steak will be medium rare. If you like it medium, bake for another 5-10 minutes (you may need to cut it to check how done it is). Take it out of the oven and let it rest for at least 5 minutes then slice it into 1/4 inch thick slices. Now take a bite of that pure deliciousness and enjoy!
Have a great weekend!
Friday, March 1, 2013
Insanity Day 54: Self Imposed Double Beating Complete!
As I mentioned in my Day 53 post this morning, I wasn't able to do a workout yesterday due to a funeral and travel. I wasn't sure when/if I would makeup the workout, but I felt so good after today's workout that I did them back to back.
So I started with my favorite, Max Interval Circuit, and burned 1032 calories. I felt great, with tons of energy. At the end, I wasn't ready to stop, so I popped the Max Recovery DVD in and went to town. I skipped the warm-up because I was completely warmed up at the point and had just completed the cooldown stretch. I still dislike Max Recovery. I think it strains shoulders far too much to be considered a recovery at all. With that said, I burned another 233 calories for a grand total of 1265 calories burned today.
Glad I was able to make up yesterday's workout, and now I won't have any guilt about skipping it. Even better, that's the last Max Recovery of Insanity, and I'll probably never do it again. Assuming I repeat Insanity, I'll swap something else in its place, perhaps the recovery workout from month 1...not sure yet.
Have a great weekend!
So I started with my favorite, Max Interval Circuit, and burned 1032 calories. I felt great, with tons of energy. At the end, I wasn't ready to stop, so I popped the Max Recovery DVD in and went to town. I skipped the warm-up because I was completely warmed up at the point and had just completed the cooldown stretch. I still dislike Max Recovery. I think it strains shoulders far too much to be considered a recovery at all. With that said, I burned another 233 calories for a grand total of 1265 calories burned today.
Glad I was able to make up yesterday's workout, and now I won't have any guilt about skipping it. Even better, that's the last Max Recovery of Insanity, and I'll probably never do it again. Assuming I repeat Insanity, I'll swap something else in its place, perhaps the recovery workout from month 1...not sure yet.
Have a great weekend!
Insanity Day 53: No Recovery Today
As I mentioned a few days ago, my wife's aunt passed away and we were in Philadelphia for 2 days. I did manage to get my Day 52 workout in before we left, but there was no time or place for Day 53. We were up early to head to the church service, burial and luncheon. We weren't on the road home until 4pm, got home around 6pm, with my wife's other aunt from California in tow. So we went out to dinner then to bed early since we had to wake her up at 3am to get a ride to the airport to fly home.
So how to make this up? My plan is to do it this coming Sunday, or perhaps even tomorrow. Even though I dislike the "Max Recovery" workout, I didn't come this far to skip a workout, not even a recovery workout. So I'll get it in and will blog about it once I've completed it.
I'm off to do the Max Interval Circuit in a little bit, since I'm writing this on Day 54.
Talk to you all in a bit!
So how to make this up? My plan is to do it this coming Sunday, or perhaps even tomorrow. Even though I dislike the "Max Recovery" workout, I didn't come this far to skip a workout, not even a recovery workout. So I'll get it in and will blog about it once I've completed it.
I'm off to do the Max Interval Circuit in a little bit, since I'm writing this on Day 54.
Talk to you all in a bit!
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