Week 5
Tips for Month 2
Throughout Month 2, the workouts increase in duration and intensity. For many, it feels like starting all over again with that feeling like this is impossible! But this is to force your body to readjust and continue to work harder. With these harder workouts, your body will be working harder and burning more calories. You need more fuel, so remember to up your calorie intake accordingly to get you through. You will also need more rest to allow your body to recover. Make sure you're getting enough sleep each night. Sleep is where your body recovers and your muscles grow, so if you want to be ready to push hard the next day, you need to get at least 7-8 hours every single night.
Day 36
Max Interval Circuit
55 minutes
W: 634 calories
M: 708 calories
This is it. Month 2. This workout wasn't necessarily harder than Cardio Circuit, and included many moves already done in month 1, with a slight variation or in a different combination. What really gets you is that these workouts are longer. In Max Interval Circuit, there's an entire extra circuit (that means 3 intervals with 4 exercises each - so 12 additional exercises, each about a minute long). Yep, this is definitely the part of Insanity where it all comes together, and the results come fast. As long as you can make it through!
I think I did pretty well today. Took a few extra breaks than I'm used to, and drank close to 50 oz of water just during the workout alone. My legs are definitely tired now, and there were a couple times during the last interval where I just collapsed on the floor, then took a breath and got back into it. My husband made it through as well, but with more breaks. He had to modify a LOT today due to a shoulder injury at work, and it seemed like every other move included punches, jabs, or raising your arms over your head. I think he did at least 3/4 of the video with these modifications, but he also collapsed on the floor several times. It's just a really, really intense workout. Hope we can keep up the pace even while doing the workout in the evening after work. My first time through, I worked out in the mornings, so I could really give it my all. Having to summon up this level of energy after a long day of work may start to wear us down, but so far we're up for the challenge!
Day 37
Max Interval Plyo
55 minutes
W: 557 calories
M: 622 calories
Remember yesterday when I said that workout wasn't necessarily harder than month 1, just longer? Forget that. This was harder. Holy crumbs this was harder. I can't believe how many different kinds of push-ups were in this workout alone. Squat Push-ups, Power Push-ups, Level 3 Drills with 16 push-ups each, Side Push-ups, One-Legged V-Push-ups, Balance Push-ups. Am I forgetting any? Sheesh! My arms are still shaking a bit. I actually had to stop after the 2nd interval and grab my Results and Recovery drink. I haven't used it in a couple weeks, but I was feeling nauseous from the intensity of this workout, and just needed a little something to get me through. A little R&R did the trick, and I was back in business.
These workouts definitely kick it up a notch, and I think my husband is having serious doubts about his ability to keep going. His work days are about to get longer next week, and I just don't think he is motivated to do this particular workout no matter what. I certainly don't want to lose my workout partner, but in the end he's got to do what's best for his body. Wish just 3 1/2 weeks to go, I hope he'll stick it through as long as possible, but either way we've both made commitments to stay active. We are brainstorming ways for him to get in a good workout every day, even if he's not up for Insanity at 9pm.
Day 38
Max Cardio Conditioning
48 minutes
W: 484 calories
Max Cardio Conditioning is the month 2 version of Pure Cardio. Except longer. And a little more intense. Some of the moves were extra difficult because my whole upper body is still sore from yesterday. But, made it through. Almost threw up right at the end, but made it through. Sorry. TMI. My husband did not join me in Max Cardio Conditioning tonight. He had a very physically exhausting day at work and already got his workout in, even if it wasn't Insanity. I have decided to press on with the schedule, although it felt a little strange to be doing it alone after 5 weeks of having a partner.
Day 39
Max Recovery
47 minutes
W: 278 calories
M: calories unknown, forgot to wear HRM
So glad tonight was recovery. Raging headache all day, husband has what appears to be the equivalent of carpal tunnel in his shoulder and forearm, and to top it all off I have a throbbing infection on my big toe apparently caused by some stray sock fuzz and a hangnail. Kind of made all the plank work and other balance-related exercises a lot more painful than they should have been. I couldn't believe my husband made it through all the hip flexor work. I couldn't even make it the whole time without breaking form to stretch out, so he's come a long way from Day 1. Once again, the Recovery video is not a walk in the park. My biceps were begging for mercy during the High Plank/Low Plank exercise. My only consolation is that others on the video were clearly in pain as well. Yep, in this case it's totally acceptable to revel in other people's pain.
Day 40
Max Interval Circuit
55 minutes
W: 660 calories
For any of you who have been following my blog regularly, you may have noticed I haven't updated in a week. Turns out that throbbing toe I posted about earlier was an infected ingrown nail that required minor surgery to remove the infected skin. It was painful just to walk (heck, it was painful even lying down) for several days. But then, I'm ashamed to say, I lost my motivation, and passed up two days where I could have worked out but just plain didn't want to. On that note, I highly recommend NOT stopping your schedule of Insanity if at all possible. Each day you spend away makes it that much harder to get back into it. And today was a perfect example of that. I had a very hard time getting through the workout. I took a lot of breaks - I think more than I ever have before. And I could feel that my heart just wasn't in it the way it was last week. I'm determined to turn these negative emotions around and really dig deeper my last 3 weeks. Words of encouragement would be appreciated!
Day 41
Max Interval Plyo
55 minutes
W: 568 calories
Wahoo! First week of max workouts completed! And it only took me 2 weeks to do it! Wait...not so proud about that. Disregard the exclamation point.
I was very sore from yesterday's workout. In fact, strangely sore. I wasn't even this sore after my first max workouts. So, again I repeat: Don't skip your workouts! Taking a week off really set me back. Of course, in the case of an injury it's better to err on the side of caution, but in my case I really could have gotten away with only 5 days off instead of 7 and been much better off for it. I did much better today than yesterday. The soreness wasn't a problem once I got through the warm-ups, but I'll definitely be taking my Results and Recovery formula today (in fact, excuse me a moment...ahh, sipping it right now). Hoping that will help alleviate some of the muscle soreness as well.
It feels weird to work out without my husband after doing them side by side for 5 1/2 weeks. He doesn't want to quit entirely, but after noticing what just one week off did to me (and I've already been through the program and am in better shape than he is), I doubt he'll be able to jump back in for a workout or two even if he suddenly has the time. So, I've decided to keep going for the next 3 weeks at my own pace. I hope this isn't too discouraging for anyone following along. Rest assured I'm committed to seeing it through till the end. I've come to far to give up now, when really the best results are yet to come.
Day 42
Off
Monday, August 27, 2012
Monday, August 20, 2012
Recovery Week
Recovery Week
Core Cardio and Balance all week long! Last time around, I was thinking I would be bored of doing the same video every single day. But I loved Core Cardio and Balance so much that I didn't tire of it at all. In fact, I highly recommend this video for anyone who may not be in the best physical condition prior to starting Insanity. Try this video first to get you going, then see if you're ready to start the program after 1 week.
Looking forward to another great Recovery Week!
Day 29
W: 346 calories
M: 386 calories
First day of Recovery Week, and I really enjoyed the workout. The workout is based on doing different exercises for 1 minute, with no repeats, wrapping up with some 3-minute isolated "burners" at the end. There's plenty of cardio included, but there's a decent break between each exercise so it's not as intense as the other workouts. My husband is sick, and I wasn't sure how much he would do, but I just told him to do what he could and he ended up doing all but one exercise. Very proud of him. He said besides Cardio Abs, this was the only video so far that he really liked. I think he was pleasantly surprised to discover we'd be doing the same video all week.
Day 30
W: 346 calories
M: 409 calories
Channeled my inner core and finished the entire 3-minute segment of Shoulder Burners. Not sure which burned more - my shoulders, or my glutes and quads from holding the plie squat position. Pretty proud of getting through without breaking form.
Now it's officially 30-days in. We took measurements and pictures of our progress to date. As in my first round of Insanity, not a whole lot of change on paper from the first 30 days. Chest, arms, abs, legs are all looking a little more toned, so pictures really help in seeing the difference. Since muscle is replacing some of the fat lost, it's kind of leveling out on the scale. My husband's measurements for the most part were about 1/4" larger due to muscle gain. Mine were the same or 1/4" smaller in areas like my waist, thighs, and arms. Not a huge difference, but noticeable to me.
For others out there, measuring is key - the numbers on a scale are just a sliver of the whole story. You are gaining muscle while burning fat, which can ultimately balance each other out or even result in a slight increase in weight because muscle weighs more than fat. Also, the scale can fluctuate based on water and time of day and is not the most accurate gauge of your progress. Our body tends to retain water under stress, including the stress of a new and challenging workout program. I didn't notice much of a change on the scale after my first 30 days, but was noticing that my clothes were fitting differently. Even so, the biggest change came during month 2.
Day 31
W: 328 calories
M: 380 calories
Hit the gym this morning for Step and strength training. Burned well over 600 calories, so I was very glad I brought some Shakeology with me. Eating breakfast earlier, so by the time I hit my workout it was already 3 hours after breakfast, and I was very hungry by the time I finished. Shaker cup saved the day!
Still had enough in me to do Insanity this evening with my husband. He's still sick, but managed to complete the workout, modifying as needed so as not to overdo it when his body is already run down. Even though I did Step, squats, and shoulders today (among other things), I was able to complete the Shoulder Burners again without stopping to rest. I have a feeling my shoulders may be yelling at me tomorrow though!
Day 32
W: 338 calories
M: 412 calories
Tried to focus on my core throughout the workout today. Keeping your core tight during these moves adds a whole new dimension to them. Sure enough, my abs were hurting the next day! Sometimes it's hard to focus on your core during every workout, but make an effort this week. You're doing the same workout every day, so you should really have it down by now. Try to focus on keeping your core tight and make every second count!
Day 33
W: 325 calories
M: 398 calories
Nothing much different to say today. Focused on the core again and felt the difference. With one more day of Recovery left, I'm starting to get excited for month 2. Itching to take it to the next level once more!
Day 34
W: 256 calories (plus first 10 minutes - forgot to press "start" on my heart monitor)
M: 441 calories
Last day of recovery. I tried to make every moment count and really push a bit harder today. I can feel that my shoulder muscles are stronger than they were at the beginning of the week. I'm also ready to take it up a notch as we start the more challenging workouts in month 2. I don't think my husband shares my enthusiasm.
Core Cardio and Balance all week long! Last time around, I was thinking I would be bored of doing the same video every single day. But I loved Core Cardio and Balance so much that I didn't tire of it at all. In fact, I highly recommend this video for anyone who may not be in the best physical condition prior to starting Insanity. Try this video first to get you going, then see if you're ready to start the program after 1 week.
Looking forward to another great Recovery Week!
Day 29
W: 346 calories
M: 386 calories
First day of Recovery Week, and I really enjoyed the workout. The workout is based on doing different exercises for 1 minute, with no repeats, wrapping up with some 3-minute isolated "burners" at the end. There's plenty of cardio included, but there's a decent break between each exercise so it's not as intense as the other workouts. My husband is sick, and I wasn't sure how much he would do, but I just told him to do what he could and he ended up doing all but one exercise. Very proud of him. He said besides Cardio Abs, this was the only video so far that he really liked. I think he was pleasantly surprised to discover we'd be doing the same video all week.
Day 30
W: 346 calories
M: 409 calories
Channeled my inner core and finished the entire 3-minute segment of Shoulder Burners. Not sure which burned more - my shoulders, or my glutes and quads from holding the plie squat position. Pretty proud of getting through without breaking form.
Now it's officially 30-days in. We took measurements and pictures of our progress to date. As in my first round of Insanity, not a whole lot of change on paper from the first 30 days. Chest, arms, abs, legs are all looking a little more toned, so pictures really help in seeing the difference. Since muscle is replacing some of the fat lost, it's kind of leveling out on the scale. My husband's measurements for the most part were about 1/4" larger due to muscle gain. Mine were the same or 1/4" smaller in areas like my waist, thighs, and arms. Not a huge difference, but noticeable to me.
For others out there, measuring is key - the numbers on a scale are just a sliver of the whole story. You are gaining muscle while burning fat, which can ultimately balance each other out or even result in a slight increase in weight because muscle weighs more than fat. Also, the scale can fluctuate based on water and time of day and is not the most accurate gauge of your progress. Our body tends to retain water under stress, including the stress of a new and challenging workout program. I didn't notice much of a change on the scale after my first 30 days, but was noticing that my clothes were fitting differently. Even so, the biggest change came during month 2.
Day 31
W: 328 calories
M: 380 calories
Hit the gym this morning for Step and strength training. Burned well over 600 calories, so I was very glad I brought some Shakeology with me. Eating breakfast earlier, so by the time I hit my workout it was already 3 hours after breakfast, and I was very hungry by the time I finished. Shaker cup saved the day!
Still had enough in me to do Insanity this evening with my husband. He's still sick, but managed to complete the workout, modifying as needed so as not to overdo it when his body is already run down. Even though I did Step, squats, and shoulders today (among other things), I was able to complete the Shoulder Burners again without stopping to rest. I have a feeling my shoulders may be yelling at me tomorrow though!
Day 32
W: 338 calories
M: 412 calories
Tried to focus on my core throughout the workout today. Keeping your core tight during these moves adds a whole new dimension to them. Sure enough, my abs were hurting the next day! Sometimes it's hard to focus on your core during every workout, but make an effort this week. You're doing the same workout every day, so you should really have it down by now. Try to focus on keeping your core tight and make every second count!
Day 33
W: 325 calories
M: 398 calories
Nothing much different to say today. Focused on the core again and felt the difference. With one more day of Recovery left, I'm starting to get excited for month 2. Itching to take it to the next level once more!
Day 34
W: 256 calories (plus first 10 minutes - forgot to press "start" on my heart monitor)
M: 441 calories
Last day of recovery. I tried to make every moment count and really push a bit harder today. I can feel that my shoulder muscles are stronger than they were at the beginning of the week. I'm also ready to take it up a notch as we start the more challenging workouts in month 2. I don't think my husband shares my enthusiasm.
Wednesday, August 8, 2012
Week 4
Week 4 Tip
Stick with it! One more week until Recovery Week! You can DO this!! This isn't the time to slow down, keep pushing all week long!
Nutrition Tip
Timing your preworkout nutrition is important. Unless you're working out first thing in the morning, try eating a very small meal about two hours before exercising. Exercising immediately after eating will lead to a lack of energy for your workout as your body is focused on digestion. This will become increasingly important for me this week as we're moving our workouts to the evening, after dinner, to accommodate our work schedule.
Day 22
Pure Cardio and Cardio Abs
56 minutes
W: 520 calories
M: 630 calories
Today we managed to squeeze our workout in before dinner (as opposed to late night after the kids are in bed). Pros and cons to this. I was still in my afternoon slump, which was kind of hard to pull out of. I really just wanted to take a nap, and my youngest was sick and just wanted to cuddle me, which was lovely, but it was not motivating me to get up and work out. Between the time it took my husband and me to decide we were in fact going to work out right now, and the time I got changed and ready to go, he had fallen asleep on the couch. Another con was that this is usually the time I use to make dinner, so I'm going to have to figure out how to adjust my schedule or my dinner plans accordingly. Sigh. I miss morning workouts, but to accomplish that during the school year means getting up at 4am to work out. Ummmmmm... No. Evenings will have to do.
All that said, by the end of the warm-up I was in it and ready to dig deep, as Shaun T likes to say. Completed both workouts, but I probably should have had my recovery drink afterwards, because I felt tired and sluggish all evening. It may take a while for me to get the hang of evening workouts, but I'm prepared to do whatever it takes to make sure my husband and I can both maintain our regular exercise and stay committed. If we make this a habit now, we can stick with it even after Insanity is over. Whether it's with another Beachbody program, or just taking walks or bike rides as a family before bed. For us, this isn't just a 60-day program and then it stops. It's a lifestyle change we're striving to make together.
Day 23
Cardio Power & Resistance
39 minutes
W: 379 calories
M: 454 calories
Got my Insanity "I Earned It!" shirt today! This is a special gift you get when you complete Insanity and submit your results to Team Beachbody. This isn't just a shirt. This shirt represents several pounds of sweat and 60 days of the hardest physical work I've ever done in my life. I'll wear it proudly because I really did earn it! Stick with the program and you can earn yours too!
Now about the workout. This was one of those days I really can't believe I worked out. My day was crazy and I was on the go literally all day long. Running errands with kids in tow and then getting ready for a garage sale starting tomorrow, I was pricing and organizing and moving tables and furniture until 11:30pm. Even though the sale started early the next day, we pushed play and we did our Insanity workout. You know how usually after you work out, you feel great and are just so glad you decided to do it? This was possibly the only time in my life I did NOT feel that way after completing the workout. We both got through it, but both had that realization that maybe, just maybe, we had pushed ourselves too far. I climbed into bed and felt like my body was just shutting down. I felt fine the next day, so no regrets on my end, but I think my husband may have felt differently in the morning.
Friday
unscheduled Insane Abs, 255 calories
I'm entitling this next entry as "Friday" instead of Day 24 because we did not do the scheduled workout for Day 24. Had a full and busy day at the garage sale, in which I was on my feet for 8 hours straight, and my husband is fighting off a cold and feelings of regret over pushing too hard during yesterday's late night workout. But, feet tiredness aside, I felt ready for a workout. I didn't want to do the Plyo Circuit without my husband, and since my feet were so tired, Insane Abs seemed to fit the bill of a good workout without too much extra exertion of my feet. The saying "If you don't use it, you lose it" rang a bell today. I haven't been working my lower abs as intensely during the last 3 weeks, and I found I couldn't hold 6 Inches. At all. Maybe 12 Inches. Or more like 18 Inches. I swear I was able to do this at the end of Round 1 just a month ago. Oops! That being said, I was able to do everything else, so I must not be too bad off.
Hoping the extra rest helps my hubby kick this cold, and we can be back on track tomorrow.
Day 24
Plyometric Cardio Circuit
40 minutes
W: 424 calories
M: 544 calories
Weekend means morning workout. Yay!!! Much more enjoyable than the evening workouts, but c'est la vie. The best part about this workout was knowing I only have to do this video one more time. :)
Day 25
Cardio Recovery
33 minutes
W: 177 calories
M: forgot to press "start" on heart rate monitor. Oops!
Last Cardio Recovery! Of course, that means "recovery" now gets harder, but I'm going to focus on the positive. Such as not having to hear Shaun T say that he can't get his knees up very high because "I got big quads."
I made it through the whole workout without any breaks in the stretches. That means I held the squats, lunges, and plie squats for the full time and did all the pulses without having to stand up to stretch out my muscles before going back into it. For me, this included an audible "pep talk" during the plie squats, reminding myself that this was my last time doing this video, that I HAD to make it all the way through this time, and lots of repeating: "I can do it I can do it I can do it". My husband still had to break some of the stretches early and go back into them, but that's totally understandable even at Week 4. I mean, this is only the 4th time through this video. If you weren't too flexible going into it, it's going to improve by Week 4, but it's also not magic. I noticed a great improvement in the length he was able to hold his stretches compared to his first time. Fitness doesn't happen overnight, so it's kind of nice to have these videos that you do several times to compare yourself.
Tuesday
Step Aerobics
50 minutes
469 calories
Weight Training
no heart rate data used
Husband is sick, so I kind of figured he wouldn't be up for the scheduled Pure Cardio/Cardio Abs tonight. I hit the gym in the morning just in case. It's been a few weeks since I've gone to my Step class, and I still love it. Heart rate was at the low end of my target range throughout the workout. Kind of used to pressing the envelope during Insanity, so it was a nice change of pace to have a fairly consistent 170 for the entire 50 minutes. I was sweating, but it still felt too easy after 3 months of Insanity. Wrapped up my workout with 30 minutes of strength training, which was much appreciated and missed during my Insanity workouts. I was able to do assisted pull-ups at a much lower weight of assistance than before. I'd love to be able to do them unassisted, but right now my limit is about 1 on that, so I have to go with what works. I must admit I caught a glance at myself in the mirror while doing seated cable rows, and was impressed with my back and shoulder muscles. Seriously, when did I get those? Confidence just upped itself a notch.
Glad I worked out, because it turns out I was right - my husband came home and felt too sick to work out. Took some Nyquil and went to bed instead. But, for the record, I was ready for more and would have gladly done Insanity with him.
Day 26
Pure Cardio and Cardio Abs
60 minutes
W: 522 calories
M: 724 calories
Last day of Pure Cardio. Husband is still fighting a cold, and had a hard time pushing through tonight, but we managed to complete both workouts before dinner, which is a huge plus for us tonight since we have evening commitments. I had a moment of weakness during "Frog Jumps" - the phone rang, and I was all too happy to get it! Back in for the last 20 seconds and finished strong. Muscles were a little sore from the weight lifting yesterday, so I did some extra stretches afterwards for my calves and chest, which were feeling the burn the most. Looking forward to wrapping up Week 4 tomorrow! This has been a really long "week" - too many setbacks for my liking.
Day 27
Plyometric Cardio Circuit
41 minutes
W: 427 calories
M: 588 calories
This is it! Finished with Month 1! Our very last Plyometric Cardio Circuit video! Unfortunately, I know what's to come in month 2, so I'm trying to pump up my enthusiasm, but it's not quite the same as it was the first time around. My first time, I was really excited to take it up a notch, and to see what month 2 had in store. Perhaps it's because I already know what's to come, or perhaps it's the evening workouts that are just making me a little more tired and I'm not quite ready for an hour long workout at night. At any rate, I have a feeling my husband and I are both going to need each other to keep our motivation up during the next 4 weeks after Recovery Week.
Day 28
Off
Stick with it! One more week until Recovery Week! You can DO this!! This isn't the time to slow down, keep pushing all week long!
Nutrition Tip
Timing your preworkout nutrition is important. Unless you're working out first thing in the morning, try eating a very small meal about two hours before exercising. Exercising immediately after eating will lead to a lack of energy for your workout as your body is focused on digestion. This will become increasingly important for me this week as we're moving our workouts to the evening, after dinner, to accommodate our work schedule.
Day 22
Pure Cardio and Cardio Abs
56 minutes
W: 520 calories
M: 630 calories
Today we managed to squeeze our workout in before dinner (as opposed to late night after the kids are in bed). Pros and cons to this. I was still in my afternoon slump, which was kind of hard to pull out of. I really just wanted to take a nap, and my youngest was sick and just wanted to cuddle me, which was lovely, but it was not motivating me to get up and work out. Between the time it took my husband and me to decide we were in fact going to work out right now, and the time I got changed and ready to go, he had fallen asleep on the couch. Another con was that this is usually the time I use to make dinner, so I'm going to have to figure out how to adjust my schedule or my dinner plans accordingly. Sigh. I miss morning workouts, but to accomplish that during the school year means getting up at 4am to work out. Ummmmmm... No. Evenings will have to do.
All that said, by the end of the warm-up I was in it and ready to dig deep, as Shaun T likes to say. Completed both workouts, but I probably should have had my recovery drink afterwards, because I felt tired and sluggish all evening. It may take a while for me to get the hang of evening workouts, but I'm prepared to do whatever it takes to make sure my husband and I can both maintain our regular exercise and stay committed. If we make this a habit now, we can stick with it even after Insanity is over. Whether it's with another Beachbody program, or just taking walks or bike rides as a family before bed. For us, this isn't just a 60-day program and then it stops. It's a lifestyle change we're striving to make together.
Day 23
Cardio Power & Resistance
39 minutes
W: 379 calories
M: 454 calories
Got my Insanity "I Earned It!" shirt today! This is a special gift you get when you complete Insanity and submit your results to Team Beachbody. This isn't just a shirt. This shirt represents several pounds of sweat and 60 days of the hardest physical work I've ever done in my life. I'll wear it proudly because I really did earn it! Stick with the program and you can earn yours too!
Now about the workout. This was one of those days I really can't believe I worked out. My day was crazy and I was on the go literally all day long. Running errands with kids in tow and then getting ready for a garage sale starting tomorrow, I was pricing and organizing and moving tables and furniture until 11:30pm. Even though the sale started early the next day, we pushed play and we did our Insanity workout. You know how usually after you work out, you feel great and are just so glad you decided to do it? This was possibly the only time in my life I did NOT feel that way after completing the workout. We both got through it, but both had that realization that maybe, just maybe, we had pushed ourselves too far. I climbed into bed and felt like my body was just shutting down. I felt fine the next day, so no regrets on my end, but I think my husband may have felt differently in the morning.
Friday
unscheduled Insane Abs, 255 calories
I'm entitling this next entry as "Friday" instead of Day 24 because we did not do the scheduled workout for Day 24. Had a full and busy day at the garage sale, in which I was on my feet for 8 hours straight, and my husband is fighting off a cold and feelings of regret over pushing too hard during yesterday's late night workout. But, feet tiredness aside, I felt ready for a workout. I didn't want to do the Plyo Circuit without my husband, and since my feet were so tired, Insane Abs seemed to fit the bill of a good workout without too much extra exertion of my feet. The saying "If you don't use it, you lose it" rang a bell today. I haven't been working my lower abs as intensely during the last 3 weeks, and I found I couldn't hold 6 Inches. At all. Maybe 12 Inches. Or more like 18 Inches. I swear I was able to do this at the end of Round 1 just a month ago. Oops! That being said, I was able to do everything else, so I must not be too bad off.
Hoping the extra rest helps my hubby kick this cold, and we can be back on track tomorrow.
Day 24
Plyometric Cardio Circuit
40 minutes
W: 424 calories
M: 544 calories
Weekend means morning workout. Yay!!! Much more enjoyable than the evening workouts, but c'est la vie. The best part about this workout was knowing I only have to do this video one more time. :)
Day 25
Cardio Recovery
33 minutes
W: 177 calories
M: forgot to press "start" on heart rate monitor. Oops!
Last Cardio Recovery! Of course, that means "recovery" now gets harder, but I'm going to focus on the positive. Such as not having to hear Shaun T say that he can't get his knees up very high because "I got big quads."
I made it through the whole workout without any breaks in the stretches. That means I held the squats, lunges, and plie squats for the full time and did all the pulses without having to stand up to stretch out my muscles before going back into it. For me, this included an audible "pep talk" during the plie squats, reminding myself that this was my last time doing this video, that I HAD to make it all the way through this time, and lots of repeating: "I can do it I can do it I can do it". My husband still had to break some of the stretches early and go back into them, but that's totally understandable even at Week 4. I mean, this is only the 4th time through this video. If you weren't too flexible going into it, it's going to improve by Week 4, but it's also not magic. I noticed a great improvement in the length he was able to hold his stretches compared to his first time. Fitness doesn't happen overnight, so it's kind of nice to have these videos that you do several times to compare yourself.
Tuesday
Step Aerobics
50 minutes
469 calories
Weight Training
no heart rate data used
Husband is sick, so I kind of figured he wouldn't be up for the scheduled Pure Cardio/Cardio Abs tonight. I hit the gym in the morning just in case. It's been a few weeks since I've gone to my Step class, and I still love it. Heart rate was at the low end of my target range throughout the workout. Kind of used to pressing the envelope during Insanity, so it was a nice change of pace to have a fairly consistent 170 for the entire 50 minutes. I was sweating, but it still felt too easy after 3 months of Insanity. Wrapped up my workout with 30 minutes of strength training, which was much appreciated and missed during my Insanity workouts. I was able to do assisted pull-ups at a much lower weight of assistance than before. I'd love to be able to do them unassisted, but right now my limit is about 1 on that, so I have to go with what works. I must admit I caught a glance at myself in the mirror while doing seated cable rows, and was impressed with my back and shoulder muscles. Seriously, when did I get those? Confidence just upped itself a notch.
Glad I worked out, because it turns out I was right - my husband came home and felt too sick to work out. Took some Nyquil and went to bed instead. But, for the record, I was ready for more and would have gladly done Insanity with him.
Day 26
Pure Cardio and Cardio Abs
60 minutes
W: 522 calories
M: 724 calories
Last day of Pure Cardio. Husband is still fighting a cold, and had a hard time pushing through tonight, but we managed to complete both workouts before dinner, which is a huge plus for us tonight since we have evening commitments. I had a moment of weakness during "Frog Jumps" - the phone rang, and I was all too happy to get it! Back in for the last 20 seconds and finished strong. Muscles were a little sore from the weight lifting yesterday, so I did some extra stretches afterwards for my calves and chest, which were feeling the burn the most. Looking forward to wrapping up Week 4 tomorrow! This has been a really long "week" - too many setbacks for my liking.
Day 27
Plyometric Cardio Circuit
41 minutes
W: 427 calories
M: 588 calories
This is it! Finished with Month 1! Our very last Plyometric Cardio Circuit video! Unfortunately, I know what's to come in month 2, so I'm trying to pump up my enthusiasm, but it's not quite the same as it was the first time around. My first time, I was really excited to take it up a notch, and to see what month 2 had in store. Perhaps it's because I already know what's to come, or perhaps it's the evening workouts that are just making me a little more tired and I'm not quite ready for an hour long workout at night. At any rate, I have a feeling my husband and I are both going to need each other to keep our motivation up during the next 4 weeks after Recovery Week.
Day 28
Off
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)