Insanity Day #1 - 10/10/11
October 10, 2011
Aww yes, I've officially started the workout program called Insanity. Why you might ask? Simple, I am getting flubby (see One Life's dictionary) and I needed more than what my normal workout has to offer. My normal workout consists of playing basketball from 12-1pm about 3-4 days a week and lifting weights about 3 days a week at about 5pm. I thought by doing this I would be getting into great shape but instead, I don't know, I'm not feeling all that amazing. I often feel sluggish and not overly motivated. I have been waiting...and waiting....and waiting....for the weather to become cool enough to be able to start Insanity in the man cave aka the garage. So, today, I can say that its officially cool enough (mid 70's). I have decided to devote the next 60-70 days to this intense workout and also dedicate myself to a healthy eating schedule. I hope to track my results and see progress.
Day 1, Fit Test: Yeah, so, I weighed in at 228 fluffy pounds. Am I fat? Nope. Like I said, I've been pumping iron for the last several months so I am in decent muscular shape but I do have myself a little bit of a gut. Ideally, I would like to be at between 200-210 lbs so that I can be ready for either the football or baseball season that starts this winter. I haven't decided if I'm going to play football or baseball but whichever it is, I need to be in good shape. Anywho, I've got a long way to go.
The first day of Insanity starts with the fit test. Since I have been wanting to do this 60 day workout for a long time I have had an anticipation level and I placed it in my mind that I am going to be dedicated to this. With that being said, I don't really know what to expect so before I started the fit test, I said my usual prayer as I do for all activities that I do. "God, as I start this, please let me get through this no matter what comes my way."
The fit test consisted of all different things like Power Jacks, Power Knees, Power Jumps, and Push Up Jacks. There were others but yeah...wow! The point of day #1 is to see where you stand in your fitness. I didn't do so well. I had some trouble and I'm thinking cuz I went to IHOP before and guzzled a few cups of coffee with eggs, sausage, bacon, and Freedom Toast (French Toast). The fit test only lasted about 30 mins but within 10 mins I was sucking air....bad! I really didn't think I was that out of shape considering I play basketball so much but I guess I was. So, the combination of being out of shape, IHOP starring two cups of coffee, and being an old broken man led to me doing the dazed, glassy eyed, about to collapse but determined to finish type of workout. I was like a fountain....of sweat. I was dripping and pouring out the sweet liquid we know as perspiration. Yum, right? By the last 3 mins, which consisted of the stretch and cool down period, I was too dazed and tired to really put in a decent effort. Wow, Shaun T (lead of the videos) you kicked my butt and it wasn't even really the first workout...just the fit test.
Initial thoughts? I'm going to get into shape despite feeling quite nauseous at the end. I'm going to stick with this. Just like the Appalachian Trail...you can't get rewards without going through the pain. I'll be back tomorrow!!!
Oh yeah, to show my dedication to fitness and spirituality I have decided to shave my head. How does this show those things? Not quite sure but its my way of showing this....
Glory to Him.
INSANITY DAY #2 - Purely Insane 10/11/11
1 Corinthians 3:16-17: 16 Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you? 17If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy him. For God’s temple is holy, and you are that temple.
(sexy....ok not exactly)
October 11, 2011
Day #2 - Don't go gettin' all worried on me and thinkin' that I'm going to bore you with a blog for every day I am on theInsanity trail. Nope that's not my intention at all. I will simply post periodic updates on my progress. Why? No good reason other than I just want to see if this workout really works. I figured the first week was worth writing about since my body will be in the "what the heck are you doing to me" mode which is followed by "I am rejected this at all costs" mode. All previous updates will be stored in the Insanity Challenge tab.
Yeah, day #2 sucked. I knew I wasn't in awesome shape but I definitely didn't think I was that out of shape. Today was the plyometric workout. Look it up if you don't know what that means. Needless to say after a quick "God, I love you, spare me" prayer, I started with the "warm up" phase like all other workouts. After 5 minutes I had forgotten that I was still in the "warm up" phase and I was breathing heavily with my hands on my hips. After that phase came a stretching phase which I promptly panted my way through. I was like a dog sitting on the porch on a August day in 100 degree Texas. Panting hard, sweating, slobbering all over myself, shirt soaked, and........the workout hadn't really begun yet.
The workout phase kicked my buttocks....literally. All sorts of combinations of basketball jumps, ski jumps, mountain climbers, push ups etc etc etc etc etc etc oh and etc. What the heck man? It was tough. 30 minutes of this type of workout left me doggin' it at the end. I felt like Professor Klump in the Nutty Professor at the end of my workout when I was doing (or attempting to do) high knees. I was in that "where am I?" stuper because I was so tired. Instead of feeling like a quarterback I felt more like a 350 lbs lineman. I managed to finish day #2's workout but it wasn't exactly a picture of beauty.
Last note about day #2: Lets talk Sweat, shall we? Have you ever seen the Niagara Falls either live or on TV? Yeah, that's me. Gushing with sweat. When I finished I thought I looked exactly like someone who had just been pushed into the pool with all of their clothes on. Not a dry inch on my body. There, I hope I gave you some good visuals to eat dinner with. You're welcome.
Lastly, this workout marks the physical and spiritual fitness challenge. While I read the Bible nearly every single day I am using the Insanity 60 day challenge to also challenge myself spiritually in all aspects of my life. No one is perfect 'cept for the Son but I am striving to work on all areas of my life that I feel I'm weak at. This week I'm striving to talk less and listen more. Today's readings consisted of 1 Samuel 9 through 13. Good stuff.
All for Him
INSANITY DAY #7 - Goin' Strong
Philippians 4:13 I can do all things through him who strengthens me.
Dog Tired!!!
October 17, 2011
Day #7 - Ah Ha!!!! You thought I had secretly quit eh? Nope, still going strong baby!!! After day #2 I had to take the next day off from Insanity because of coaching obligations. I coach a 10 year old arena flag football team...Go Raiders!! Anyways, since I took Wednesday off I had to keep working out during the scheduled day off of Sunday. Oh Well, no big deal.
The last couple of days have been great! I find myself very excited each day. Do I get my butt kicked?? Absolutely! But for some reason I am addicted to this intense workout. I am that determined to get into shape. Let me tell you this..its working. In just a week I am feeling awesome. I must be deranged in some way because I actually look forward to feeling miserable for about 40 minutes. Its like a drug to me.
The greatest thing this workout has done for me so far is build strength in my hips. I was resigned to the fact that I had some very bad problem with my hips. My left hip in particular. For the last few years I haven't been able to bend over to tie my shoes without pain. I can't fall down (in football) or do much bending at all without some sorta pain. Ladies and gentleman, I can honestly say that in the last week, with all of the squat plyometrics and various other exercises I have been "tie my shoes" pain free. With the in-depth stretching and intense leg workouts I am building strength and feeling awesome.
So as you can see, I'm already making progress in just seven days of working out. Only another month and three weeks left or 53 days left! Today's workout was intense strength and cardio. Very accelerated cardio with lots of different push-ups etc. Things like squat jumps, globe jumps, V-push-ups, sprinting in place then doing hurdles, suicide squats....you know, stuff like that. Heck, I'm soaked after even the warm-up so you can imagine what its like for me after we get started. I'm a fountain of sweat.
SPIRITUALLY - This week I am going to focus on leading by example. Taking queues from last week with trying to talk less I want to be a spiritual leader with action and not just words.
Weight
Day #1 - 228 lbs
Day #7 - 229 lbs (I'm assuming I'm putting on lean muscle right now and then the weight will drop...remember, muscle weighs more than fat).
INSANITY DAY #16 - Still Truckin'
A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones. Proverbs 17:2
October 25, 2011
Nope, still haven't quit yet. I just haven't been updating the old website as frequently. However, I am still on the straight and narrow. There's also good news on the countdown front...I haven't been counting the one day a week I get off but I learned that the Insanity program does count those days so instead of it being day #14 it is now day #16. Wooohooo!!!
Yesterday, I took my second "Fit Test." You have to take these every other Monday to chart your progress. The first day of Insanity was my first fit test and yesterday was my second. I saw great improvement in the testing exercises that involved any push ups. I think my chest and shoulders are getting in shape nicely. I didn't see much improvement in anything related to jumping like frog hops and those kind of things. I think I was just tired or something yesterday.
Being that it is day #16 since I started, I can tell you one thing for sure. I feel like a million bucks. I am really pushing myself. With two awesomely guided stretching/yoga sessions for each day of workouts, I feel I am getting better and better with getting in shape. I love the way I feel when I settle down at night. You know that feeling when you really feel like you have put in a great day?? Yeah, Insanity is a great top off to putting in 100% at work. I love pushing myself through each workout. Do they get easier as each day passes? Honestly, not really. I am still winded. I think I haven't been able to completely get through the whole video without some sort of quick breaks that are not already given by the Insanity instructor, Shaun T. However, he is constantly saying to take a break when you need one. I'm also very good at not breaking for long. I hope that by the end of the 60 days I will be able to complete each day without my own mini breaks.
Where have I see the most visual gains? I can really tell in my stomach that I am making progress. You really use your core muscles in almost every exercise so its almost impossible to not have some gains there. I can also tell in my legs. I mean think about it, you are working your legs 6 days a week....and your butt....of course they are going to get strong.
So far, how is it going? It's going really good. Since I am completely dedicated to this, I find myself working out on Saturdays and Sundays for the first time in my life and doing it with pleasure. Yup, Insanity has put a hex on me to work out. I love it. Instead of getting Sundays off like the program has on the calendar I have to take Wednesdays off due to coaching obligations so tomorrow is my one day off. I'm going to go out on a limb here and say that my body definitely needs a day off but its not falling apart like it is during the football season from all of the abuse. I just simple need to give my legs a rest.
Another thing is, and I knew this was going to happen, I get hungrier at night. I am sticking with the nutrition guide so I don't have the blood sugar crashes I had when I ate what I wanted but I have to eat a few time at night to keep my body from feeling starved. I sleep like a baby at night when I am properly nourished and I LOVE IT!!! Especially now that its down to normal temperatures at night here in TX. But yeah, most of the time, like last night, I ate Salmon, rice, and squash for dinner but then had to have a bowl of cereal before I went to bed (with some snacks in between). Unfortunately, that was still not enough and I woke up at 5am cramped from being so hungry. I mean, it is to be expected...afterall, your not feeding your body for almost 8 hours. That agitates me but a simple early morning snack never hurt nobody, right?
So in closing, I am still very much in love with this workout. The g-funk (see One Life's Dictionary) insisted on starting yesterday. She puked (shhhhhhh don't tell her I said that). She was a wobbly mess after today's workout. So, its tough, but it's well worth it!!
HE allows me to do this.
INSANITY DAY #23 - 1/3 of the Way!
2 Samuel 22:33 - It is God who arms me with strength and makes my way perfect.
A mean Insanity Machine (and for those wondering....I don't tan)
November 2, 2011
Another glorious week has passed. Yup, I'm on day #23. Sweet, glorious day #23. I'm still going strong and I'm still loving this workout. This is the last week of the first group of workouts. In Insanity, you rotate five different workouts for the first 4 weeks. Pure Cardio, Plyometric Cardio Circuit, Cardio Power and Resistance, Cardio Recovery, and of course the Fit Test. These are tough but I'm sure the next set of workouts for the next month are going to be tougher. The good news is, next week I will be doing what is called the Recovery Week. I'll be basically doing one routine the whole week called Core Cardio and Balance. This is to let my body rest and get a chance to heal.
Although there are only five workouts (really four because the Fit Test doesn't count), they are action packed and there is never any down town. Shaun T's (creator of Insanity) thing is interval training. If you've seen the Insanity infomercial you know what it is. Its where you workout for several minutes at a clip, usually between 3-5 minutes at a high pace and then you get 30 seconds of rest...usually by getting water and catching your breath. Its tough stuff, boys and girls. Lots of jumping, squatting, push ups...all in different forms so that your really pushing your body.
Although there are only five workouts (really four because the Fit Test doesn't count), they are action packed and there is never any down town. Shaun T's (creator of Insanity) thing is interval training. If you've seen the Insanity infomercial you know what it is. Its where you workout for several minutes at a clip, usually between 3-5 minutes at a high pace and then you get 30 seconds of rest...usually by getting water and catching your breath. Its tough stuff, boys and girls. Lots of jumping, squatting, push ups...all in different forms so that your really pushing your body.
The good news is, I am slowly but surely getting better and stronger about being able to do each exercise for longer. I have found the more I get my body in shape the more I am able to push which, of course, is the name of the game. Today, for instance, I wasn't so much out of breath when I was doing the Cardio Power and Resistence as I was going into muscle fatigue. You know that feeling, where you can't possibly do another "moving" push up or another mountain climber. My cardiovascular levels have gone up drastically. Now, I'm more into getting my muscles into shape. I'm slowly eating the fat around my body but increasing the muscle.
Diet....yup, I'm still sticking to the eating plan. Man, it makes such a difference. I eat a breakfast and then I snack about once every hour to hour and a half on something healthy (i.e bananas, clementines, oranges, snack bars etc). Then I eat lunch, continue snacking until dinner where I have started to really eat healthy. Tonight was a nice large piece of salmon, green beans, potatoes, and a side of 4 Twinkies. Ok, I was kidding about the Twinkies...I'm just seeing if you were paying attention.
Boys and girls, I feel like a million bucks. I really do. I see noticeable changes in my body, I feel stronger and more flexible than ever, and I just feel way healthier. If you're on the fence about doing something like this...you have got to trust me when I say its well worth the pain and effort. The way I feel is awesome. Its amazing. Is Insanity tough? Yeah, no doubt about that. Is it impossible? Absolutely not. You just have to be mentally tough and tell yourself you're going to make it. Its a lot like the Appalachian Trail. You have to be tough, you're going to go through a crap load of pain and discomfort, but you can go at your pace and you will be so proud of yourself when you're done!!
In closing, I haven't lost much weight because I am building muscle and burning fat but it will start happening soon. Insanity is tough but it only makes me that much stronger both physically and mentally.
from day #20
INSANITY DAY #36 - Start of Month #2
More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope
able to workout until 5pm...so needless to say I spent the rest of my workday with a sense of "oh crap, I'm going to die today." Thoughts of "should I write my will now" did creep into my head.
Now, lets get to the workout. Foist (remember what that means boys and girls?), there was the Fit Test. This was fit test number 3 for me. Below are the results comparing the first fit test from day #1 to today's fit test:
Fit Test #1 (10/10/11) Fit Test #3 (11/14/11)
Switch Kicks 25 100
Power Jacks 25 45
Power Knees 50 85
Power Jumps 16 35
Globe Jumps 6 6
Suicide Jumps 12 12
Push-up Jacks 16 25
Low Plank Oblique 17 30
So, as you can see, some great improvement, for the most part, in most areas. Some areas stayed the same but frankly speaking, this was in due part to being still tired. This tells me that while I am making great strides I still need to work on stamina and endurance.
So that was that. The Fit Test took 25 minutes and I was dripping wet and soaked to the bone. More importantly, I had given a great deal of energy to this portion and I was pretty tired already. So I threw in the Max Interval Circuit Training DVD and.....BOOOOM...the first thing that jumped out at me was the timer on the screen said we had 59 mins and 30 secs left in the workout. WHAT???? I don't have the energy to do the whole time! CRAAAAP! So, I had no other choice but to do what Shaun T always says and that was "dig deeper." The warm-up portion took 15, repeat, 15 minutes and its exhausting. This is intended to get you warm so that you can stretch. Lets just say I was plenty warm before the stupid warm-up :) Anyways, I stretched and the fun began. Right from the get go, I was exhausted. I meandered my way through the rest of the 45 minutes. All new exercises were introduced. Lots of walking push-ups, abs utilizing your obliques, and jumping stuff. Most of it is a blur due to my tired state but one thing I remember is doing the oblique push-up thingy-mo-bobs. Essentially, you put your hands out in front of you on the ground and shoot your legs out to the side. The reason I remember it is cuz I felt like one of those street dancers in New York City from the 1980's blasting my Run DMC on my boom box stereo. Yeaaaahhhh boyeeeeee!!
When the timer hit 0 and I was done I was exhausted to say the least. I had that muscle fatigue shake thingy going on. Not to mention that today was 83 degrees (in November?) so I had the added pain of being too unseasonably hot. In fact, as we speak, I have one of those nasty exertion headaches that I frequently got on the Appalachian Trail if you read my trail journal (that I had an MRI on a few months ago and they didn't find anything wrong with my brain but they did charge me $1k). Oh well, I guess its worth it, right? So, I figure I burned between 1000-1500 calories in this one workout so the name of the game is to make sure I fuel my body constantly with positive foods. Its not like I get the rest of the week off to rest. I'm right back at it tomorrow through Saturday.
I will say this though. I am very proud to make it this far. Working out so much makes you feel so good about all aspects of your life. I am very pleased that I have really put an emphasis on health and God and that I can stick with this even when it hurts. Insanity is like life....it hurts, you go through some really tough spots, but in the end you are incredibly much more stronger than you ever thought you could be.
On an ending side note, next Monday, November 21, I will be pursuing another dream of mine which is to play music. Yup, I am going to be learning how to play the Piano. That's right boys and girls, its important to be as well rounded as you can and there's more to me than just sports and working out. I'm going to learn the Piano. So watch out....before you know it I will be playing a mean verse of Three Blind Mice.
Today after I joyously finished my workout
INSANITY DAY #52 - Wearin' Me Out!
Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be men of courage; be strong.
Blessed to be able to sweat my butt off
December 5, 2011
AHHHH HAAAAA, you haven’t heard from me in a quiet minute so you have either forgotten about me or you thought that I had secretly bowed out of the Insanity Challenge. The answer is no…..I’m not secretly trying to quit this challenge. I will have to admit something now though. I am roughly 2-3 days behind the given schedule. Why, you ponder? Well, I have been working on the Man Room on the weekends and thus, I have no time or energy on the Saturday of the schedule to commence Insanity-ing but more on that later.
First, why such a large gap in blogging between day #36 and fitty-two (day #52)? Well, quite simple really….its soooo much harder than month 1. Day #36 marked the beginning of month 2 and ever since then it has been quite difficult…but that’s what I signed up for, right? Needless to say, between my nightly readings and various other projects I do not quite have the energy or time to blog but I did take some mental notes.
Another reason for such a gap; I have been devoting my evenings to other activities after I finish my Insanity workout. Per the picture below, I spent a ton of hours painting the man room below. That one wall took me a bazillion years courtesy of being a perfectionist. I was some tired that week but I got it done. Besides doing that painting I have been doing other things to get the man room together…..
What the heck are you talking about? What’s a Man Room? My Man Room is just that….a man room. I have already painted one wall with my alma mater logo, UK (University of KY). I just put in a wall where the garage door is so from the outside it looks like a garage but in the inside it is a room….or in this case a man room! What do I have left to do with it? I have many dreams and aspirations for this fine room. I am getting astro-turf for carpeting because this is also the room I work out in. I am painting the rest of the walls. I am going to paint the Dallas Cowboys logo on one side. For the main wall (the one I just put in) I am thinking about painting an Appalachian Trail mural. What do you think? On the other wall I am hoping to put a 70-80” flat screen TV with surround sound. I am also thinking of raising the floor of the back part of the room about 6-8” and having theater seating. Finally, on the last wall, I want to build a mini bar. Another project I have my sights on is to build a poker table.
Yes, lots of fun project stuff going on. Anyways, back to Insanity. Like I said earlier, the second month has been brutal. In all honesty, I think 6 days a week is a bit too much for my body. Everyone’s body is different which means it heals differently. Mine, I just think that 6 days a week is very strenuous on my body and I think that I may not be getting the most out of my workouts because of the strain. I am not the type to give up during a day’s workout so I might be pushing too hard. With that being said, the workouts are tough. I think sometimes, they are so tough at times that you don’t give it your all because you can’t give it your all…you’re trying to do too much. Shaun T’s number one thing is for you to never give up on your form. Well, sometimes, in order to keep good form you have to slow down and it’s hard to keep up when you do that. Overall, although I do try to stick to the 6 day a week schedule, the couple of times I could only work out 5 days a week I felt very good and much stronger.
Well, now for the positive. Yes, I am waaaaay stronger than day #1. Am I starting to see changes in my body? You bet! However, I think my natural body shape will always be more of a stockier type so I will never be one of those toothpick people you see on the Insanity infomercial. My cardiovascular level is a lot better as well. I can really see the changes in my legs and their shape. The ole g-funk says she can tell that Insanity has been shaping my arms as well but in my head I always had a perfectly sculpted Brad Pitt in Legends of the Fall body (not really).
So yeah, day #52 out of 63 days is in the books. That means I will be done with my Insanity torture…I mean workouts at the end of next week. What will I do when they end? Yeah, I haven’t thought about that very much. I’m thinking I will do more of a hybrid working using the Insanity videos and weights.
On a side note, I started out weighing 228 lbs and I currently weigh 234 lbs. What the heck, man?? I did this in part to lose weight…not gain weight. Well, I know that muscle weighs more than fat but I didn’t realize I would be putting on this much muscle. Oh well….One Life is a chubster.
INSANITY DAY #60 - CHANGES
"All hard work brings a profit, but mere talk only leads to poverty."
A Pre-workout Ritual
December 13, 2011
Ch-ch-ch-ch Changes, turn and face the strain, ch-ch Changes....oh how the lyrics to David Bowie's song Changesresonate so clearly to my life now. Well, today marked the completion of day #60. Yup, 60 days of workouts!! Just to make it clear, the Insanity program is actually 63 days so I'm not finished but I will be on Friday. Wow, I can't believe I've made it this far. I mean seriously, I've actually made watching TV 60 days straight benefit me.
So instead of boring you with the "oh I sweat like buckets" and "the second month is extremely tough" routine, I thought I would quickly talk about what 60 days of doing Insanity has done for my body. In other words, what changes have I seen.
The number one question I get when people find out that I am doing Insanity is "have you lost any weight?" In Appalachian Trail lingo its the equivalent to "what do you do for food?" Yeah, this seems to be everyone's question to me. I think mainly they are trying to get the scoop on whether this workout works enough for them to lose weight and I am their test monkey. Well ladies and gents, the answer to this popular question is no, I haven't lost weight. I've actually gained some pounds. I started at 228 lbs and currently reside at 234 lbs Lane. The follow up question by my curious spectators is usually "Did you not follow the meal plan?" Ha, I sure did follow that sucker. Then I have to proceed in telling them that lean muscle weighs more than fat and while I have gained a few pounds I have lost a lot of body fat. This is usually followed by a "oh, I see." Hmmmmm, its funny...now that I think about it, no one ever says "boy, I can tell that Insanity is working for you..." :) Oh well, some people just have thick bones, right?
Anyways, back to the ch-ch-changes (sing the song while you say changes please...thanks). So the whole weight thing sort of surprised me. I was hoping to lose 15 lbs or so but I gained weight. However, I can honestly say...and I say this as someone who has played both college football and baseball and still plays those sports...that I feel the strongest I have ever felt in my life. That's right. I haven't lifted one weight in the last 60 days so how can I feel this strong? Simple. Insanity is all about core strength. I have built up my core strength to a level its never been before. My stomach, chest, shoulders, hip flexors, legs, and my mind are in incredibly good shape right ow. I love it.
Another huge change is my mind. My ability to push through the days that I didn't want to work out. Especially in the second month when the workouts got a lot longer and tougher but I was able to overcome. My personal slogan is "let me get started so I can knock this out." Yeah, let me tell you, there's nothing better than completing your workout and laying in bed at night with that tired but feel good soreness, you know what I'm talking about? As I was pushing through some hard workout, I would imagine laying in bed and feeling good and that helped me get through many days workouts.
A major discovery I made was how much a bowl of cereal benefited me. I quit eating cereal when I was like 12 cuz I didn't think it did much for me but I found it to be an awesome pre-workout snack. I'd get home from work, eat a quick bowl of Yogurt Cheerios, get dressed, and hit the day's workout. I found when I did this I had a lot of energy...or should I say I could go deeper in the workout. So the moral of the story is...yay Strawberry Yogurt Cheerios. A disclaimer: Since I didn't give my body adequate time to digest the yummy Cheerios there were many times where they would find there way back up my chest cavity as I went from a push-up to a standing position...not so fabulous.
That's it for now. Like I said, I still have three more workouts to complete but I am completely done with Insanity. I just figured I would give a quick write-up at the 60-day milestone. Wish me luck.
Working out in the unfinished man-room
INSANITY DAY #63 - COMPLETED
2 TIMOTHY 4:7
"I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith."
December 19, 2011
That's it, boys and girls. This past Friday I successfully completed the 63-day workout popularly known as INSANITY. First, we must tackle the numbers. There were 5 fit tests in the 63 days and below is the improvement from fit test #1 to #5. So before we get to my thoughts, let's run by the numbers real quick.
FIT TEST
10/10/11 (day #1) 12/16/11 (day #63)
1. Switch Kicks 25 125
2. Power Jacks 25 54
3. Power Knees 50 108
4. Power Jumps 16 50
5. Globe Jumps 6 8
6. Suicide Jumps 6 13
7. Push-up Jacks 16 32
8. Low Plank Oblique 17 40
So there you have it. Quite an improvement in most categories from day #1 to day #63. Now that you know my final numbers, let me just go over my thoughts on the INSANITY program in case any one is interested in doing this or just wants to know what I went through.
What did I like about the Program? I really liked this program for many reasons. First, I love working out for the most part and well, yeah, you certainly workout during the two months. I love putting in my all and I specifically love seeing the results. Like I've said before, I got a ton stronger. I had never really focused a majority on my workouts on my core and INSANITY definitely does this. I love how this program is structured and the videos are well put together. I love how Shaun T explains how to properly do the exercise and I love how I got water breaks. I really loved how it made me feel when I went to bed at night....all worn out but feeling really good.
What did I not like about the Program? I wouldn't say I disliked much about the actual program. I will say that since its 6 days a week that it's hard to push yourself through a Friday night workout or a Saturday sweat session. Six days seemed hard but I knew it was only going to be for two months so I pushed through it. I couldn't do that on a permanent basis though. Let's see, what else...well, there were some exercises that seemed a little too tough for me. I'm not overly flexible in the hips so there were times that all of the bending and squats were tough. That leads me to my final thing, there were a lot of exercises where you had to jump to the ground and get up. I don't have the best quality knees or hips so these were as hard on day #63 as they had been on day #1. I pushed through it though.
Was I disappointed in any of the results? Well, honestly speaking, I was a little disappointed in my weight gain instead of my weight loss. I ended up gaining about 5 pounds. I was hoping to lose about 15 lbs but that didn't happen. I followed the meal plan for the most part and cut out the junk in my diet. I just put on my lean muscle than I was expecting. I wanted to be end the program at 215 lbs but I ended up at around 235 lbs. Like I said earlier though, I am very happy with the results in my strength.
Was I pleasantly surprised by any results? Yes, I was totally surprised with the huge gains in strength I made. Even though I have lifted weights for years I feel stronger than ever. The definition in my arms, abs, and legs have really gotten (not a real word) a lot better.
Would I recommend this to people? Heck yes I would. If you are committed to it, you WILL see the benefits. I will warn you though...it takes a sure commitment. Whats the point in doing it if you're going to slack, you know? Don't take the easy way out..just fight through the tough days. Relax on your day off. Again, this is more mental than physical. If you convince yourself that nothing will take you down, then nothing will take you down. My faith in God allows me to triumph through this workout and everything else I do. I had some really tough days towards the 2/3 mark of the program but I just pushed through. My body was tired, I was just a little overwhelmed, and it was getting tough but I kept on keeping on. I recommend that you make sure you are mentally tough enough to finish what you start. Don't allow any thought that will make you quit to creep into that ugly head of yours (kidding, you're beautiful).
In Conclusion: It was tough but quite rewarding. I feel very good physically. Like I've said a million times...I feel very strong. Not only do I feel physically tougher but this is something that has helped build me to being a mentally stronger person as well. When stuff in life gets tough I can say, "No worries, I got God and I walked the Appalachian Trail and completed Insanity." The little things in life don't seem so tough when you've been able to push through and accomplish huge goals. So if you decide to do it, make a two month commitment and do it. Don't let yourself make excuses. Show everyone you have what it takes.
Now What? Well, for now, I'm going to continue with the INSANITY workouts. I am going to mix in weight training while I'm doing the INSANITY program so that I can continue getting stronger. I want to do the new P90X2 that came out this summer. I just need to get some of the equipment that the workout requires. Anyways, I will continue to workout but I am going to slim down to 5 days a week instead of 6.
GOOD NEWS FOR YOU!!!!!!!!!! I will stop writing my INSANITY blog and posting stuff on my Facebook as to not bore you anymore. Ha. I am honestly looking forward to going back to writing about the stuff I enjoy writing about...Life.
Day #2 (10/11/11)
Day #63 (12/16/11) HULK!!!!
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