DAY 15: FIT TEST ROUND 2!

Your wondering where Day 14 is right?

Well it was REST DAAAAY! SO no workout, just rest rest rest rest. I ate clean though, so just because i rested doesn't mean i pigged out. Promise!

So today i had my second Fit Test, i was so excited for this becuase i really wanted to see if i'd improved from Day 1's fit test. I knew it wouldn't be any less sweaty or tiring, but i was raring to go, got my pen and paper and pressed play!

Throughout the test, this time i really pushed myself. When i didn't want to do another one, i tried to do two. The aim again..just a reminder:

Complete the 8 exercises shown, each exercise you have one minute to do as many as you can.

Here are my results:

MOVE	FIT TEST 1 (DAY 1)	FIT TEST 2 (DAY 15)
Switch Kicks	116	118
Power Jacks	62	65
Power Knees	110	120
Power Jumps	40	40
Globe Jumps	13	13
Suicide Jumps	16	18
Push-Up Jacks	20	30
Low Plank Oblique	50	69

So as you can see i've improved my a few on most of the exercises, bar a few. Power jumps really take it out of you, your knackered after those and it's so hard to do loads constantly, even for a minute. Globe jumps, welll....straight after power jumps? Really?! I'm already knackered what does Shaun expect. 

The one thing i'm really happy of, is that at least i didn't do less on any of them. But to be honest i don't think you can let yourself, i had a rough idea of how many i did last time, i purposley didn't look so i could get a true result of if i had improved. And i have. WOO!

I did think i was going to upload some 2 week before and after photo's at this point, but i really wanna do it after the first 30 days. Then i've got like a half-way point to show off. But i've seen some changes, so i'm sure i won't be dissapointed. It's all to come and i can't waittttt.

Who else out there is doing Insanity? Speak up, feel the burn, love the results!

A. 

DAY 13: PURE CARDIO & ABS & MEAL PLAN

 I had to do this workout with a headache and a poorly stomach.

Do you feel sorry for me?! Well you should, it hurt and i almost cried, then nearly shattered the Insanity disc.It was an eventual hour and a bit, even though i looked mega deranged and crazy after the workout, i did it. Didn't smash the disc, didn't cry (kind of) and i'm here to tell another tale.

Everything i've read about Pure Cardio ('it get's easier'...'you'll grow to like it')

Just shutup....STOP. It doesn't get easier, and i don't bloody like it. I want it to end from the first round of the warmup, why? Because i know whats to come. Switch Kicks, Power Jacks, Heisman's, Power Knees. This was the first time too i had to do Cardio Abs afterwards, the previous week it was only Pure Cardio. 

The abs workout consisted of a small warmup as usual, but a lot of crunching...not actually crunches, you don't hit the floor when you relax. You stay constantly in the 'C' position..figure it out, your body looks like the letter C. And do a variety of twists and pulses with your legs in the air, out in front, and changing all the time. Plank is also involved in this one, but once again there's a whole variety involving the exercise. 

Niiiiiiiice end to the workout i thought. My abs felt well and truly worked after this. Luckily so was my appetite, so fooooooood, come to meee!

MEAL PLAN

This will sound random and not very healthy, but it really isn't that bad when you think about the things that made up my breakfast. 

Beans on Toast!

Yum! Easy to make, but i differed a little from the normal stereotypical 'student' meal. I had whole-grain bread rather than white...which i really can't eat, and only half a tin of beans. It gave me the energy i needed and i vowed to be extra clean for the rest of the day. 

For lunch, i went to my Gran's and she had put on a beeeautiful salad spread. Boiled eggs, lettuce, tomato salad, beetroot, potato salad, wholemeal/white/seeded bread rolls, the works. Seriously it was a healthy food dreaam. There was even fruit salads for afters and copious cups of tea...GREEN FOR ME!

Dinner came to me in the form of two chicken legs seasoned with sweet chilli rub, sweet potato mash ( which i 'm seriously loving..just shove two sweet potatoes in the oven for the same time as your chicken...skins on....and when they're done, peel skins and mash, you don't even need any butter as they're so fluffy ) 

and some green beans for my veg. Didn't manage to get through the two legs, ate like 1 and 3/4's. Full full fullllll.

A. 

DAY 12: CARDIO POWER AND RESISTANCE & MEAL PLAN

'THAT WAS INSAAANE'

It's so much easier now, i say so much easier but i mean that i can now do at least 3 runs of the exercises without needing to rest. I tend to only rest when i see someone in the Insanity workout resting. Makes me feel better i guess haha. I can totally feel a difference in my power with this one, i'm able to do more pressups now...and no not girly ones, real man ones XD without feeling like my arms are gunna drop off. My legs also feel a lot stronger, not getting that jelly legged feeling until right at the end now. 

Also i'm beginning to notice the definition in my arms again, i've always had quite muscular arms anyway but recently they've been covered with a layer of fat *sigh*...so now that the fat is gradually melting away, my arms are coming back to their normal form. Hopefully they'll become more lean than previously, as i used to be quite hench. Again, *sigh*.

Next up: Pure Cardio....OH GODDD.

MEAL PLAN 

I ate rather strangely today, reasons unknown. I started the day with an apple and a plum. Not enough i realised half way driving home i was pretttty hungry. 

Once i arrived back at my apartment i whipped up an egg white omelette with a side of cottage cheese, gave myself a well needed protein boost. 

I think i drank about 5 litres of water today too, no joke. Being out in the country in the morning i was soooo parched. My havfever makes me thirsty, no idea why either. But it's good in a way because it makes me guzzle the water. My other intake of fluid involved lots of green tea with jasmine and lemon (OBSESSED).

After my workout i made myself a salad with a tin of tuna chunks, and a dressing made of balsamic vinegar/chilli flakes/olive oil..sounds odd, tastes amazing!

P.S - I'm going to revive the whole picture taking of my food thing, it just looks so boring without it right?!

A. 

DAY 11: CARDIO RECOVERY & MEAL PLAN

My favourite day!

CARDIO RECOVERY! 

Such a nice little break, well i say break..it's just a nice change than sweating and not being able to breath 5 times out of the week of workouts. The stretching feels awesome, and i genuinley finish the workout smiling. Everything feels so loose and stretchy after this one. I really make the most of the time on this one, as i like to follow through and get myself as flexible as i possibly can. 

There's still an element of cardio in this as you need your muscles to be warm in order to get them to stretch, if not..your just asking for an injury stretching on cold muscles. I know a lot of people will stretch a little before they go to the gym or get on the treadmill, it's just not good! A quick 5 minute jog on the treadmill or outside, THEN stretching will do you the world of good and you'll seriously get better results!

MEAL PLAN

Porridge once again started my day...and two apples. I was hungry! 

Once my mum had came back from her horse ride we sat down to a nice salad of tuna, lettuce, broccoli, tomatoes and onions. Then off we went for a day out in Whitby...now Whitby is known for it's fish and chips. So i caved. Come on, i'm on holiday! To make things a lot better though, we shared a portion of small chips and had a large cod each. It's fish so i still had some protein and good vitamins thrown in there. 

Back at the cottage because we'd eaten quite late in the day, i didn't have another large meal after my workout, i had another apple and some rice cakes with peanut butter. It made for a nice snack but i was so full off the carbs from earlier i went to bed with a nice full but content stomach. 

Now i'm home and about to do Power and Resistance, so i'll post my next workout for today and then i'll be caugh up! YAYYYY.

A. 

DAY 10: PLYOMETRIC CARDIO CIRCUIT & MEAL PLAN

Another little change. I've decided to put both workout and meal plans now into one post. Reasons for this is mainly it's rather time consuming and with some workout's i won't have much to say about them as i don't wanna relay every detail of every exercise, but i'll always try and give my opinion and a few tips. 

 

Today was Plyo! Me and this workout don't have a good relationship, it just kills me...worse than Pure Cardio..it really does. The Level 1 drills are the killer, because my muscles are already a bit tender from yesterday i find my pace did go a little slower on some of the power moves. Especially cos we'd done Level 2 drills yesterday. HOW MANY PUSHUPS CAN A GIRL DO?!?!?!

By the way...did i say i'd just came back from a 6 mile mountain bike ride prior to doing this. So safe to say i was physically knackered, not sure how i coped! 

Can't believe it's Day 10..almost 2 weeks in. I'm feeling goood. 

Tips:

• Keep form, it's so important, otherwise you won't get the workout for the body part intended.
• Be vocal..if you need to shout..shout (i sound like a banshee at times)
• Have a decent meal to follow, need to replenish your muscles. 

MEAL PLAN

Mum made some scrambled eggs this morning with 2 eggs each ontop of some wholemeal seeded bread for breakfast and a cup of coffee. To be fair i needed the caffein..we were embarking on what was supposed to have been a 5 mile bike ride...and turned out to be a 6 mile mountain bike ride, i fell off..got nettled, cried because of the hills. Oh it was intense. 

We stopped at a little cafe at the end and i picked up a Yorkshire farmed Ham Salad sandwich on brown bread and a cup of green tea. I must have eaten this in about 3 minutes. 

Apples and plums were my snacks for today, we had a huge stock of them in the fridge, so i helped myself every few hours. Yum!

Dinner was a home-made risotto by mother hen, i made her leave out the cheese and put extra tomatoes and veggies in. Gotta keep it healthy i said, she complied as she loves making up new little concoctions, and damnnnn it tasted good. 

A. 

DAY 9 MEAL PLAN

Had quite a varied series of meals today. Before i left for the Yorkshire hills i made myself some trusty porridge oats with water, seasoned with a little cinnamon and bananas. This fueled me up for my drive and i was still full at about midday. Once i'd arrived at the cottage i was offered a lovely cup of green tea after telling my mum about Insanity, she insisted i didn't have any sugar...fair enough mother!

We then walked up to a quaint little local pub with my grandparents who had met us at the cottage for the day and i chose to have a Thai Prawn curry with brown rice and a Naan bread. Now i only ate half of the Naan bread as i'm not really too good with white bread as it is, makes me bloated and to be honest i just prefer brown!

As a snack my mum had some chopped up celery, tomatoes and onions in the fridge left over from her salad yesterday. So as we got back to the cottage i just chomped on those. Not the onions so much....my breath must have seriously ponged!

Night fell over the cottage and we could hear those country sounds, mooing..baaing..hooting. AAh it was so nice and peaceful. After doing the Pure Cardio workout, i was crying out for some food. My gran is an amazing cook and she'd brought us some of her tasty chicken broth, which consisted of chunks of moist chicken, stock, lentils, celery, carrots and other veggies i'm not 100% sure of. But it tasted so good and was so full of vitamins i could feel my muscles repleneshing with every bite.

A.

DAY 9: PURE CARDIO

So...i kinda messed up with my days if your wondering why i've skipped from Day 7 to Day 9. Basically i started Insanity on a Tuesday when i should have started on a Monday with the FIT TEST, so to catch myself up i didn't have a rest day on the Sunday (Day 7) I did Saturday's workout so i could start my Monday with the correct workout (Day 8) Cardio Power and Resistance. Making sense?

I didn't think so. 

All that matters is that this post is for Tuesday and Pure Cardio!

Why i am i posting this late, and why didn't i post on Tuesday...I've been on holiday! Well not really, i went on a countryside break with my mum to go on mountain bike rides, walks, rambles and some relaxation. It was just what i needed, but that didn't mean Insanity fell by the wayside. HELL NO. I kept it going, moving all of the cottage furniture out of the way to make room. I even got my mum to do one with me...PURE CARDIO, i'll tell you something though she kept up, and was even egging me on at times. 

Because Pure Cardio is really really really tiring and energy consuming, we went for lunch at the local pub (I ate healthy, don't panic - next Meal Plan post) the came home, watched a bit of Masterchef and prepared for the workout. 

Now the warmup always gets me on this one, by the end of it i'm dripping and it feels so nice to stretch. Compared with the last Pure Cardio, i've found myself being able to hold form so much better, it still hurts but i've found my fitness levels increasing for sure. 

A nice cold shower ended todays workout and then a walk with my two beautiful doggies! 

A.