Week 2

Week 2 Tip
Nutrition Tip: Try to eat 5 times per day—3 meals and 2 snacks—each with roughly the same amount of calories. It keeps your blood sugar stable instead of peaking and crashing, which can lead to overeating and a general poor feeling.
Fitness Tip:  You might be tempted to skip a workout because you are feeling sore.  Exercise actually increases circulation, which in turn, speeds healing. So keep going and make sure to get your 8 hours of sleep each night so that your body is getting the rest and recovery it needs.

By the way, my husband just got a heart rate monitor, so I will start to include his calorie count too.  His will likely be kind of inflated this week until we can change the settings with an accurate resting heart rate, target heart rate, weight, etc.

Day 8
Cardio Power and Resistance
W: 41 minutes, 398 calories

We both started today's workout having a hard time getting our heads into the game, so to speak.  I really had to focus and concentrate on what I was doing, but it got better after the warm-ups.  Cardio Power and Resistance starts right off with Power Jumps, so right off the bat we're wiped out.  I asked my husband, "Why are these Belt Kicks so hard?"  "Because they're right after the Power Jumps!"  By the third set on the interval, he had modified to just a standard squat because the energy for another jump just wasn't there.

Many people get discouraged when they can't complete a move, or maybe they can do a couple but can't get through the whole set.  What do you do?  Modify!!  Modifying moves is a smart idea.  First off, I tell people to try to do as many of the original move as they can.  If you can do most of them, then perhaps all you need is a quick 5-second break and then get right back into it.  But if the muscles just aren't there and you're only able to do a couple, modify to a similar move until you build up the muscle strength.  Can't do moving push-ups?  Do regular push-ups or push-ups from the knees.  Can't do Power Jumps?  Do squats.  I've heard of people who just jog in place when they can't do the moves, but although this serves to keep your heart rate up, it doesn't actually improve the muscle strength to help you do those moves in the future.  So when you need to modify, take a good look at what Shaun T is doing, and see how you can simplify it - you'll likely find yourself digging deeper.

Day 9
Pure Cardio
W: 39 minutes, 384 calories
M: 39 minutes, 499 calories
Cardio Abs (not on the schedule, but I did the floor portion, about 15 minutes, 81 calories)

No matter how many times you've done this video, it's still really hard work! After the warm-up and stretching, there's about 15 minutes of intense exercises, each 1 minute long and with no breaks.  This doesn't sound that bad.  I have done plenty of intense exercises for 15 minutes straight with no problem.  And I've done the Max version of this workout - why can I still not get through this video without taking some breaks?

But these aren't just intense exercises - these are INSANE, often involving your full body and every muscle involved is working hard!  Shaun T's motto of "Dig Deeper" really rang true today.  There were many moments where I pushed myself to do every single second of an exercise, only to find that at the end of the minute I was too tired to go right into the next exercise.  My husband was feeling a little under the weather today, and although we both completed the workouts, I could tell he was dragging and taking a lot of breaks.  That's perfectly okay - when you're not feeling up to par, as long as you're not really sick, exercise is still good for you, but don't push so much that you wear yourself down.  It's a tough balance to reach, so you really need to just listen to your body.

At the end of Pure Cardio, I was exhausted, but felt like I just wanted to do some ab work.  I skipped the cardio portion of the video (I'll get to those on Day 14), and just did the floor exercises.  It's about 15 minutes with exercises that engage your entire core.  When I first did Cardio Abs back in May, I had a really hard time even just maintaining the C-Sit position.  I couldn't get through any of the exercises without taking a break.  But after doing this video followed by Insane Abs in month 2, I'm proud to say I did the whole thing without any unscheduled breaks.  So keep at it - these exercises really do strengthen your abs!

Day 10
Plyometric Cardio Circuit
41 minutes
W:  447 calories
M: 604 calories

I was determined today to get through the whole workout without added breaks; to do every second of every exercise.  This frame of mind really helped me push through, and I made it through all 3 sets in the first interval like this.  Having a goal works wonders!  But it also exhausted me and I couldn't meet the same goal on the second interval. I'm having a problem with the Ski Abs - my arms are so tired from the push-ups right before that they are giving out holding the plank position for the Ski Abs.  I remember the first time through Insanity, my quadriceps were the muscles giving out on Ski Abs.  So, I guess it's nice to know that those muscles are stronger, but what's happening to my arms?  Kind of frustrating.  Had to take some breaks during Ski Abs and In/Out Abs and go into child's pose for a few seconds, but then hopped right back in.  I couldn't help but wonder, "Why is this so hard?"  Then I reminded myself that even those in the video, who are obviously quite fit, are taking some breaks, their eyes begging Shaun T for mercy.  Even Shaun T takes breaks, cleverly disguised as going around the class.  So I may just be expecting too much of myself to get through the entire 40 minutes without more than the 30-second water breaks offered in the video.  The point is not to give up - to take your break and hop right back in.  I'll get another shot when we do the video next week.

Day 11
Cardio Power & Resistance
41 minutes
W: 400 calories
M:  590 calories


First of all, let me clarify the schedule a bit.  Technically today was supposed to be Cardio Recovery, but my husband and I both agreed we wanted more of a workout today, and would save Recovery for tomorrow, when our schedule forces us to work out later in the day as opposed to the morning.

Got through the first interval without extra breaks, which is saying a lot since the interval includes a minute each of Power Jumps, Belt Kicks, Moving Push-Ups, and Floor Sprints.  I did almost as good during the last interval, but those Globe Jumps get me every time.  But after about an 8-second rest, I was ready to jump in and finish strong.  Also had to adapt the last couple sets of push-ups at the end to do from my knees, but finished them all after making that minor change.

Later in the day I added some strength training - biceps, triceps, deltoids, shoulders.  Wanted to do more but ran out of time.

My husband still has to take a lot of breaks to get through, including some during the warm-up, but he completes every video.  I think his biggest obstacle at this point is working up his endurance.  He can do all the moves, but just has to take more breaks to let his heart rate come down a bit and recovery before continuing on.  He's really doing a wonderful job, and I admire how when certain muscles give out, he automatically tries to modify so he can continue with the workout.  He doesn't even need to be prodded by me to do it :) 

Day 12
Cardio Recovery
33 minutes
W: 185 calories
M: 279 calories

Ah, recovery day.  Proud to say I can now hold all those squats and lunges for the full time, although I still have to take a quick break (stand up, exhale, go back into stretch) during the Yoga Plie Stretch.  Recovery stretching always feels good, although it usually leaves me itching for more.

Got my Shakeology Shaker Cup in, and happy to say it worked like a charm.  Added some leftover cold coffee refrigerated from yesterday, some milk, and a scoop of Chocolate Shakeology.  Shake it up and voila!  There's breakfast!  I wasn't expecting the shaker cup to work so well, but it really did.  In fact, I think I liked it even better than the blender for the Chocolate flavor.  However, not exactly a home run with the Tropical Strawberry flavor.  Going to stick to my personal-sized blender for this one.  I have a Cuisinart with a screw-on blade, and you actually blend it upside down, then use the same cup to drink out of - no pouring.  But at least now I know when on vacation or a long day at work, I don't have to bring my blender - just my chocolate Shakeology and a shaker cup and I'm in business.

Day 13
Pure Cardio and Cardio Abs
61 minutes
W: 546 calories
M: 691 calories

Today was the first day that the schedule called for adding Cardio Abs after Pure Cardio.  The Cardio Abs video is only 16 minutes long, but it's still hard to go through the wonderful cool down after the exertion of Pure Cardio, and then go right into an ab-based warm-up with High Knees, with a twist, and Tuck Jumps.  For someone not used to working the abdominals, or for those of us out there who predominantly do crunches, the C-Sit Position offers a whole new brand of torture. It engages the whole core from the get-go, and then you add abdominal exercises on top of it - whew!  I'm pretty sure this is the first time my husband has ever done anything in the C-Sit position, so he followed Shaun T's advice to lean forward when you need a rest, then go back into position.  The exercises were intense, but he said he loved the workout. 

Day 14
OFF