DAY 38: MAX CARDIO CONDITIONING

First time doing 'conditioning' ..excited much!

This workout lasts approx 50 minutes, maybe slightly less, i was concerned trying to get the window open for the beginning, all i could hear was the sound of ' 3...2....1....INSANITY'.

And i jogged my way back from the window to start the warm-up.

I thought maybe there'd be a bit of difference by now, but no...same warm-up, can't really complain as all of Month 1's workout warm-ups were the same. 

Then we got our Stretch for 5 minutes, little did i know, the calm before the storm. This workout is a harder version of Pure Cardio...i think so anyway. And i did not know i would not get another water break for 29 minutes. JEEEZ.

Each exercise lasted a minute for yep...29 minutes. 

High Low Jab with Squat - killer, my legs ache already somehow

Football Runs - i actually despise these, after doing like 10 my legs again are on fire

8 Ball shots with Squat - remember 'BUTT DOWN' shoot the ball four times, squat..again!

Right and Left Kicks - gotta do it on each leg, balance is the key

Diamond Jumps - slightly less tiring Power Jumps in my opinion

In and Out Push Up Jacks - 4 in and outs and 4 push up jacks

Suicide Jumps - by now you must know what these are...KILLERS

High Knee Low Floor Sprints -  sweat in my eyes, ouch

Ski Abs - tiny bit of recovery, but gotta keep going

Kick Step Back - 1st actual recovery exercise, 

Squat Twists - 2nd recovery exercise, 

Over the river Hops - final recovery exercise,

Attack - basically jabs...jab jab jab with a flat hand. 

Power Knees -  each side, a minute each

Ski Down Hooks - whilst jumping side to side, we do a hook at the end, 

Belt Kicks - OUCH

Forward Back Suicides - by this point i want to curl up and rest, but no....WORK.

Push Up Abs - working the obliques

Plank Punches - stomach really starts to work now, paiiiiin.

8 Jump Ropes/Hop squats - you know, and we're still going

Squat Speed Bag - just a squat with some crazy arm rolling, but your legs will be shaking like mad by now.

COOOOOOOOOL DOWN!

Main downer about this one, is i neeeeded water but you get no water breaks. So i must have downed about a litre after we'd finished. 

Yay, Recovery Day tomorrrow!

A.

DAY 37: MAX INTERVAL PLYO

Now this one ain't as cray as yesterday's Circuits. You still sweat your butt off, but you have to watch more demonstrations and explanations, so you get a little time to breath. 

Last approx 55 minutes or so, that includes a 10 minute warmup and about 4.5 minute stretch in the beginning. 

The warmup is the same as yesterday, i'm just so glad Mummy Kicks have gone, those literally made me want to lie down and not get back up. The first two times you do the warm-up in Month 2 workout's however is slightly different. You do two rounds at 4 minutes each, going at your own pace,  but the last time you do your warmup it only lasts 2 minutes and your supposed to really push yourself and speed it up!!

STRETCH.

Then we got into our first circuit. I was a bit apprehensive at first, wondering what on earth could this be like compared to Plyometric Month 1. 

I soon found out...Switch Jumps, which are basically a squat, jump and turn 180 degrees and squat again. Repeat for a minute. Squat Push ups, almost fell on my face a few times not going to lie. Wide In and Out Abs...think back to normal In and Out Abs, then cry. Power Jumps..self explanatory, and also painful. These really don't help with how fatigued you get. 

After the third round we have a minute of One Legged V Push Ups...again self explained. V Push Ups...but with one leg raised off the ground. Not fun!

Second circuit, Pogo's. Quite a bit of focus on balance and power with these. Reaching down to touch the floor balancing on one leg, then straighten up to hop. Repeat on both sides. Power Push Ups..actually like these. Globe Twists, pretty much the same as Globe Jumps but we're only going side to side and squatting. Level 3 drills! 16 PUSH UPS...16! THEN ANOTHER 16!

After third round we're doing Power Lunges/Hop Squats with 8 sets. 

Final and third circuit guys! Side Push Ups, Kickstand Touch the Floor, 8 Power Knees and 4 Diamond Jumps. I'm not saying much about these because unfortunatley with it being my first time doing the workout i was so concentrated on getting through it i forgot to jot a note down. Next time! 

We end with a Balance Push Up..which is nice and relaxing. (ish) It at least doesn't require as much energy, just more balance..which i have luckily. 

Tomorrow is MAX CARDIO CONDITIONING.

A.

DAY 36: MAX INTERVAL CIRCUIT

'DEATH WORKOUT'

Is what i was thinking after completing this, compared to Month 1...holy crap!

The difference with this Month 2 workout to the previous is the time: (59minutes) and the amount of energy i needed, oh and the amount i sweat during. Wondering if somehow there's a way to not sweat so much...with Insanity, doubt it.

The warmup with this workout is similar to Month 1's.

Jog: As usual

Jumping Jacks with arm's up: Slightly different, no more angel arms, get them up and straight

123's: Guaranteed to trip up at least once

Jump Rope side to side: Different, and i feel a bit like a pansy

High Knees with arms out: Much harder than normal  high knees, ouch

Switch Kicks: In the warmup...REALLY?

Hit the floor: Again, in the warmup....are you mad?

Side to side floor hops: These are fun and i like hopping.

And guess what, do all of this 3 times!

Then we have our lovely stretch which lasts about 5 minutes, i'm getting seriously flexible lately too. My hamstrings no longer ache at all! Which is odd, considering there's usually always a twinge of an ache when stretching. I think with warming my muscles up throughly every day then stretching is really doing em good!

The workout begins...

The whole lot of circuits last approx 39 minutes which is how long a full workout including warmup and stretches lasted in Month 1..so you can already see it's gunna be tough!

Basically we have three circuits compling about 3 or 4 exercises into each, with three rounds each ciruit. 

The first circuit consists of Pedal/Power lunges, these really target your quads, and burn. Especially by the third round. Ski Abs/Jacks/In&Outs/Obliques, kinda like a dance routine haha. You gotta try and learn the sequence and then complete it, will get easier once you've done it a few times. Aaand, Power Strike closely followed by Frog Jumps!

After the third round we did some Football Runs and Cross Jacks for a minute. Everything burns and we still had two more circuits to go!

Second circuit we have Hook Jumps, really make you puff after. High Knees with twists, can occasionally get cramp with this one from the twists, High-Low Jab with squat, Floor Switch Kicks - these almost have me crying, arms shaking, sweat dripping..not fun. 

After the third round we got to do a fun filled minute of 123 Jab Across. Helped me to recover slightly as my heart was almost pounding outta my chest. 

Finally, third circuit, WOOOO. We haaave, Side Suicide Jumps, these are just ridiculous..seriously. Squat Hooks, i like punching air. Full body drill comes next, Plank Punches and then finally we're done!

Shaun T and the posse collapse to floor after this one, normally i don't join then..opting to stand up and shake it off, but i had to...i collapsed and i enjoyed it. 

This MAX business may just kill me off.

A. 

RECOVERY WEEK ROUNDUP!

Initially, yes...i was going to write up errrryday about the Core Cardio and Balance workouts, but i just couldn't. Not only could i not bring myself to write everyday about the same damn workout, but the repetitiveness was driving me craaazy. You even mix it up when you go to the gym right? So i had to add little bits of other workouts in after i'd finished this workout by the Thursday. Monday to Wednesday i stuck to the plan, but by Thursday i completed the normal workout and did a little few exercises i remembered from Plyo and Power and Resistance, just to really help my progress. 

In all honesty, i think it's a wrong move doing the same workout for 6 days straight, it's too easy to almost lost interest. I mean, it's not neccesarily an 'easy' workout, yes it's recovery as each exercise your doing is slowed down compared to the normal Month 1 workouts. However, you find yourself thinking 'really....again' ..so like me maybe vamp it up a little and add in some other exercises from previous workouts, i promise it helps. A LOT.

I'm writing this post rather late, as i'm now onto Day 4 of Month 2 workouts, which i'll be writing about sooon (probably later on today as i need to catch up). 

A helpful quote from Shaun T:

This is your recovery week so I don't want you to over-pound your body.  I want you to focus, keep your core strong, keep your energy up and next week we will start it back up'.  

A

DAY 30: CORE CARDIO & BALANCE WITH PHOTO'S AND MEASUREMENTS

Progress!

That's the thing we all want isn't it?

When you start a new workout plan, meal plan, diet guide...anything to do with fitness, we all want to see progress right?!

Of course we do, i've been so excited for this point. I've been seeing little changes in my body, but stayed away from the scales and tape measure literally until this morning! You always notice little changes, like how when i workout, i can see my abs through my skin..woohoo! If only they stayed like that when i'm not working out, and my legs are looking trimmer and not wobbling as much! SCORE!

So, here goes the big reveal! Oooo i feel like it's Extreme Makeover or something...just not extreme and not a make-over. Ha! 

Before i started Insanity above, and today Day 30!

As you can see with both pictures there are some subtle differences. But that's what i wanted! I didn't expect to all of a sudden be a size 4, with a tiny waste, thin legs and no fat at all. That would be something wouldn't it!

I expected what i got.

My stomach in the top photo you can see is much flatter, i have more muscle there than prior and my overall shape has gotten a little thinner. I feel so much thinner if that makes sense, i no longer have the feeling of being bloated on a daily basis and that's due to the foods i'm eating along with the regular exercise. On the front facing picture you can see the fat around my hips has dropped off and i'm now more narrow around the waist. You can't see too well in the pictures, but i'll post my measurements below. My legs are also looking slightly less hench! I've always had rather muscular legs, larger than your average super model, mile long length legs. I'm 5'1 and have little legs, but they're looking more lean now rather than bulky...comes from the cardio i think. Here goes the measurements:

INSANITY	DAY 1 22/07/13	DAY 30 20/08/13	Difference
Weight	61.4kg / 9st 6 / 132lbs	57.6kg / 9st 1 / 127lbs	-3.8kg / -5lbs
Size	8-10	8-10
Body Fat %	28.4	22.1	-6.3
Chest (inches)	36	34	-2
Waist (inches)	30	28	-2
Hip (inches)	34	33	-1
Leg (top of thigh - inches)	23	22.3	-0.5
Arm (bicep - inches)	12	11	-1

I'm so overjoyed with the changes, i can't wait until i've finished Month 2...especially with my new eating plan, cutting out sugar etc. Explained more about this on Day 27. Hopefully i'll reach my goals and have even more impressive results! The best change for me has been on Body Fat %...my ideal goal is to be down to 16%..i may not reach that before the end of Insanity, which is why i'm going to do Month 2 again straight after the 63days. I'll add in some other elements of exercise then, like going back to the gym and doing 5k runs like i used to. But i wanted to soley do Insanity this round to see what difference it made on it's own.

I'm over the moon with my halfway point results!

It proves hard work really does go far!

DIG DEEPER ...i know i am!

A.

DAY 29: CORE CARDIO AND BALANCE & MEAL PLAN!

Today was the first day of a completely new workout! I had no idea what was coming and that absolutely thrilled me, after a whole month of the same workout, and often dreading what was to come, i was so hyped for this workout!

This is like a halfway point, as we now have a whole week of 'RECOVERY'...yeah right, as if this is going to be any easier....and it wasn't! It seperates the '40 minute workouts' from the Month 2 '60 minute MAX workouts'. 

Really, this isn't a recovery. I still sweat like hell, but it is slightly easier than the likes of Plyo and Pure cardio, and we don't have no repetitiveness either, yay. The warm-up isn't a 3 set killer, it just consists of Switch Heel Kicks, Mummy Kicks, Football Shuffle and Over the Log. They're all quite nice exercises to do, the only difference is we're being asked to do it slower, and that's the harder bit, how do you jump slow?! Please..someone inform me!

After a quick break we have 8 High Knees into 8 Power Jacks followed by 8 Fast Feet into 8 Alternating Hooks. I like these as i feel bad ass punching the air infront of me.....weird huh?

As usual we have to stretch, always my favourite part. It lasts about 4 minutes, and the stretches are pretty much the same as Month 1 just a little bit deeper than previous. A lot more focus is put into the hip flexors and the hamstrings...which i love by the way!

For the workout, i can't lie..it was exhilarating, but i'm not it's number 1 fan that's for sure.
I was sweating the same and pretty out of breath, more fatigue than actual exhaustion. My muscles were crying especially at the end where we had Hip Flexor Burners.
Lemme explain a little:
You lift your knee to hip height, bent knee and keeping your elbows and arms in a defensive kind of position. We then tap our leg to the floor bringing it back up to the same position for approx. 30 seconds. Then, without lowering your leg, hold your knee up and pulse up and own for 30 seconds.
PAINNN.
Then, again without lowering the leg, YES IT'S STILL UP...stretch your leg out and bend, out and bend. For another 30 damn seconds.
......
AND SWITCH LEGS AND DO IT AAAAALLLL AGAIN.

Other exercises in this workout, i'll go through a little day by day. Because i've got to do this for 6 days, i may as well explain a few exercises each day rather than block up a post with a 2500 word essay on my likes an dislikes of Core Cardio and Balance!

MEAL PLAN

I had a bowl of muesli to start my day today, i wasn't feeling anything hot for some reason, woke up craving some cold milk!
For lunch i made some brown rice and chicken breast, tossed together with some onions, garlic and chillis. This is my go to meal, and i love how many different flavours you can add to make it slightly varied each time, i'm a spicy person so 9 times outta 10 i'll have chilli in mine.
Noodles became my dinner and i'm rather annoyed, i had to leave the house pretty quickly and genuinley couldn't grab anything. The cafe at work was closed, there are NO shops on the way to grab some fruit or something, so i sulked and ate noodles feeling them go to my hips instantly. Hence why i refused to let myself rest during my workout and put double effort in. Won't be doing this again, felt crappy as soon as the noodles hit my stomach i swear!

A. 

MONTH 1 IS COMPLETE!

So today is Monday 19th August, it's Day 29 and later today i'll be completing the first day of the Recovery Week: Core Cardio & Balance. 

I thought i'd do a bit of a round up on the past month, i've wanted to cry and quit. But i haven't. I may have cried a little but quit i did not. From the first day of doing the first workout which was Plyometric, i knew i was in for some serious exercise. Saying previously, i'm a dancer and my job is to keep myself fairly fit and flexible, but nothing could have prepared me for this. The amount of research i did on Insanity still always had me thinking 'it'll be a breeze, this is for people who need to lose a lot of weight quickly'..I was so wrong. Hell yeah it'll help you lost weight, and quite quickly as your doing some sort of cardio 6 days a week for 63 days, if you didn't lose some weight at the end of that, your doing something wrong! But it gives you something else, which is better than losing weight...it makes you feel amazing. During the workouts you might want to stop or just sit and watch, DON'T. I can guarantee afterwards you will feel like a new person, waking up on a morning i no longer feel lethargic and like i don't want to get up. I want to eat healthy, unhealthy food just doesn't appeal. Most of all i think of how much good it must be doing my insides not just my outer appearance.

I'm going to upload some progress pictures and measurements this evening. I initially was going to do that after 2 weeks, but i think now i'm at the month goal, i can see the difference and feel it, so i'll share it! And it'll help me see on paper what i've achieved. 

So check back for the progress pictures and i'll post on the new workout's later tonight!

A.