So here I am again at the beginning of Insanity, having completed my first round almost a month ago on March 10, 2013. So why would I put myself (and my body) through this all over again? If it wasn't clear to me before today, it sure is now: If I don't continue, I won't stay in shape, and certainly won't get into better shape. After just a couple weeks off, and despite skiing for a week in Colorado, I gained back 5 pounds and my cardio is nowhere near as good as it was last month. I also wasn't eating right, and I just didn't feel as good or strong as I did just a few weeks ago. I want that back, and even more of it. So here I am back with my virtual buddy Shaun T, resuming my routine to "push play every day" (except Sundays!)
I decided I'm not doing the Fit Tests again until the very last day. I never enjoyed them and I don't need a test to know I feel and look better. So I will substitute a different workout on the days the Fit Test is in the program.
Today I did the Pure Cardio workout. I burned 723 calories, with a maximum heart rate of 182 and an average of 153. That's all good, but I felt like crap. My heart was once again feeling like it would burst out of my chest. It's that tight, breathless feeling that is reminding me of the progress I lost by not working for out for a few weeks. I had to take a bunch of breaks and even paused the DVD a few times. It was not the Insanity I remembered. It was REALLY hard again! My cardio should come back pretty quickly I'm told. Probably just a week or two. But I literally felt like I did back on Day 1 the first time around.
One thing I learned the first time is to keep the core tight when doing anything that involves bending down. This will protect the back, and as you may recall I had a lot of issues with back soreness last time around. I'm sure I'll have some again, but I think I'll be better at avoiding it, and I always have the trusty electric heat pad if needed. My shoulders were the other problem, and I purchased some resistance bands to do some rotator cuff exercises. I haven't started those yet, but I'll get to them once I get back into a routine.
I'm still down 16 pounds from my starting weight the first time around, and I'm guessing the first few pounds will shed quickly, but I'm sure it will be hard work to lose weight after that. I'll be really happy once I'm below my finishing weight from last month, because then I'll be making real progress again.
I also just enjoyed my first P90X Recovery drink in several weeks. Just as delicious as I remember (seriously, it is!).
Anyway, it's good to be back. I will continue to blog every day to keep myself accountable. It really works, so why mess with a good thing?
And so my journey continues...
I decided I'm not doing the Fit Tests again until the very last day. I never enjoyed them and I don't need a test to know I feel and look better. So I will substitute a different workout on the days the Fit Test is in the program.
Today I did the Pure Cardio workout. I burned 723 calories, with a maximum heart rate of 182 and an average of 153. That's all good, but I felt like crap. My heart was once again feeling like it would burst out of my chest. It's that tight, breathless feeling that is reminding me of the progress I lost by not working for out for a few weeks. I had to take a bunch of breaks and even paused the DVD a few times. It was not the Insanity I remembered. It was REALLY hard again! My cardio should come back pretty quickly I'm told. Probably just a week or two. But I literally felt like I did back on Day 1 the first time around.
One thing I learned the first time is to keep the core tight when doing anything that involves bending down. This will protect the back, and as you may recall I had a lot of issues with back soreness last time around. I'm sure I'll have some again, but I think I'll be better at avoiding it, and I always have the trusty electric heat pad if needed. My shoulders were the other problem, and I purchased some resistance bands to do some rotator cuff exercises. I haven't started those yet, but I'll get to them once I get back into a routine.
I'm still down 16 pounds from my starting weight the first time around, and I'm guessing the first few pounds will shed quickly, but I'm sure it will be hard work to lose weight after that. I'll be really happy once I'm below my finishing weight from last month, because then I'll be making real progress again.
I also just enjoyed my first P90X Recovery drink in several weeks. Just as delicious as I remember (seriously, it is!).
Anyway, it's good to be back. I will continue to blog every day to keep myself accountable. It really works, so why mess with a good thing?
And so my journey continues...
I just finished Round 1 on my birthday yesterday and will take a two week break before starting Round 2. I didn't get the results that I wanted due to a crappy diet so this time I'm focusing more on nutrition now that I know I can actually do the program. I lost a few inches, but this time I'm hoping to drop some pounds too. Congratulations on your progress!
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