Insanity Day #13: 2-week Fit Test

Okay, let's recap my weekend. Friday I attended my Insanity class and did the Cardio Power and Resistance work-out and for some reason, it kicked my ass. I felt way stronger the last time I did it. Also, during the work-out I twisted my knee wrong while doing suicides. I was able to power through but my knee was throbbing by the end. When I woke up Saturday it was even more painful and slightly swollen so I took the day off. Luckily, after motrin and some ice, it felt much better and I was back at it today.

I felt bad for missing a work-out, but I would miss many more if I made my knee any worse. 

Sunday, I was going to go to the gym to work-out to make up for Saturday but I received some bad news. Early Sunday morning my cousin passed away unexpectedly. Needless to say, I wasn't in the mood to go to the gym.

Today, we did the fit test. Honestly, I did better than the first fit test but it still kicked my ass. Here's how I did:

I did quite a bit better but it still kicked my ass. And I just looked at the calendar for tomorrow. Plyo. Damn it.

Insanity Days 8, 9 & 10

Whew. Almost through the second week. We aren't supposed to weigh ourselves and now I know why. My yearly physical was yesterday and part of it involves height and weight. My weight was 2 lbs more than my weigh in before I started this madness. However, I realized later I was fully clothed and in shoes, so I'm trying not to let that discourage me.

My next test came when our leadership team went to a very yummy chinese buffet for lunch. I was good though, I only have one plate and I avoided food that was super bad. Despite this, I was under my calorie intake for the day. Success!

My physical was encouraging too. My cholesterol is perfect, as are all of my labs. That makes me happy. Hopefully once the diet and exercise start to pay off, I will be a healthy individual.

Okay, back to Insanity.

Day 8: Pure Cardio

This work-out is hard. If you recall, it is the work-out with fifteen 1 minute moves with no breaks. I tried to push myself more than I have in the past. I definitely was sweating and panting at the end.

Day 9: Cardio Plyometrics

So, just when I thought Pure Cardio was my least favorite, this work-out sneaks back in. Plyometrics is interval training and it kills me. This is the work-out that made me puke the first time. Luckily, I was able to make it through without having to run out to barf. But it totally kicked my ass. My legs hurt sooooo bad.

Day 10: Cardio Recovery

Ah. Recovery day. This work-out is still hard but man...it is not nearly as bad as  the previous two days. I was pretty sore afterwards however, because I am trying to do more squats and more of the moves.

Okay, now...on to watch Grey's Anatomy and Glee. Yay! Fall TV!

Insanity Day 7

Happy Monday! It was a typical day in the ER. A very typical Monday after the full moon craziness. It was also day 7 of Insanity, which is Cardio Power and Resistance again, or the same as day 3. I tried to push myself further today and I definitely feel like I did. I wish I could do all the moves without having to modify them, but that's okay. I am definitely still working...I feel like every day when the work-out ends I am dripping with sweat and I feel like barfing.
That must mean something, right?
The end of this work-out kills me. Seriously, Shaun T? 8 squat hops following by 8 push-ups times 3?? I wanted to pass out halfway into the work-out and you want me to do that?! Cray.

I am trying to eat better as well. I am logging my food in My Fitness Pal and I have been under calories everyday. I am learning some new recipes too and avoiding fast food. I will share those later this week! Tonight, I am exhausted!

Insanity Day 6: Should've been Plyo...

I forgot to write yesterday about day 6 of Insanity! Day 6 should be day 2 again, which is the plyometric cardio circuit (the work-out that made me puke). However, the instructor couldn't find the DVD at first so we decided to do the upper body weight training work-out instead. I can't say that I was disappointed because I really didn't want to throw up again. Plyo is a very intense work-out and I didn't miss it!
Anyways, the weight training DVD wasn't no picnic either. It's a longer work-out, about 45 minutes. You start by doing 2 rounds of speed jogs, jump ropes. jumping jacks, 123s, heismans, and power hooks. Once again, the warm-up definitely had me ready to lay on the floor...and that was only the first 10 minutes!!! This work-out has plenty of breaks in between the weight exercises. I used 3lb and 5lb weights, because I am weak and I didn't know what to expect. I probably could have used higher weights, but I will say my arms are definitely sore!
After the warm-up and stretch, you go into weight exercises. The first round included the following exercises: 360 shoulder presses, pulse bicep curls, in-out abs with tricep push-ups, and floor sprints. You do three reps: 12, 10 & 8. You should start with lower weights and work up as you go.
Second round includes: squat biceps, 180 lateral raises, elevated triceps dips, and power jumps. Again, three reps at 12, 10 & 8.
Third round includes: full rotation flys (ow), push-up with front raise, high knees with twist. Again, 12, 10 & 8
Fourth round: Chest press/leg raise, bent over rows, ski abs; 3 reps @ 12, 10 & 8
The end. I was sweating, my heart was racing and my arms felt like jello. Especially after the elevated tricep dips. Those suck. Despite this however, this is a work-out I wouldn't mind doing extra at home. I hope we do it again in class. 
There you have it. I have officially made it through one week of Insanity. Wee!

Insanity Day 4 & 5

Day 4: Cardio Recovery
I was so worn out yesterday that I forgot to write a post about day 4! Day 4 wasn't terrible. It was still HARD. You think with a word like "recovery" it might be easy...it's not. Day 4 is all about stretching. The music is slower. The moves are slower. But man, is it hard to hold yoga positions. First of all, I can't balance myself. There is a lot of squat positions and a lot of balancing on one leg positions. I definitely felt tired afterwards, but when I woke this morning my legs felt a lot better. This work-out is around 40 minutes.
Day 5: Pure Cardio
I knew when I saw the name "pure cardio" that I was in for trouble. My main focus today was not to faint and/or barf. This work-out was intense. I was able to make it through, again with modifications and breaks, but I didn't pass out or throw-up. When I left sweat was dripping off of me like crazy. 
The work-out starts off with the same warm-up, 3 rounds of the following exercises: jog, jumping jack, Heisman, 123s, butt kicks, high knees and mummy kicks. Once again, before the end of the warm-up I am sweating, starved for oxygen and ready to lay on the floor.
After the warm-up, is 8 minutes of stretches. After the stretchs, Shaun T says something like "I'm nervous for this next part."
Uhm, seriously? You're nervous?! That means I am about to get my ass kicked. 
He should have been nervous. The next part is 15 minutes of ass kicking exercises with no breaks. However, you can break if needed. And I definitely needed to several times. The work-out involves 15 moves, each 1 minute long. The exercises are:
1. Suicide drills 2. Switch kicks 3. Wide football sprints 4. Stance jacks 5. Pedal sprint lunge 6. Hooks and high jump rope 7. Power jacks 8. Level 2 drills 9. Frog jumps 10. Power knees 11. Mountain climbers 12. Ski down 13. Scissor runs 14. Suicide jumps 15. Push-up jacks
These were NO joke. I will say though, the work-out went fast. I think with each move only being 1 minute definitely helped. We seemed to move through each move rather quickly. The work-out is about 38 minutes long.
I have class tomorrow at 8:30 am and then week 1 is officially finished! Woo woo!!! I will say I have done awesome between exercising and changing my diet. I hope I can keep this momentum up! Shaun T says I can.

Insanity Day 3: Cardio Power and Resistance

Today's workout went better than yesterday. It was extremely hard, but I managed to get through it with breaks and without vomiting. To me, that is an accomplishment.
Once again the work-out started with 3 rounds of exercises, in which you are supposed to start off slow and speed up by the 3rd round. Uhm, no. I did what I thought was slow, but still by the 3rd round my muscles were screaming at me to stop. Seriously, I can hardly handle the warm-up to the work-out. 
So, for the first interval you do a series of exercises 3 times. The exercises are power jumps, belt kicks, hit the floor and V push-ups. After one round, I was a sweaty mess and ready to lay on the floor in the fetal position. During the second interval, you do 3 rounds of the following: hurdle jumps, globe-jumps, moving push-ups, and floor sprints. And somewhere in there we had to do sitting push-ups. Not sure, but I know my arms hurt.
I was dying.
Then at the end you have to do 8 hop squats, and immediately go into 8 push-ups. Yeah right. At this point, I could barely get off the floor. But then, most of the class couldn't get off the floor. The work-out is about 35-40 minutes long. And I can't lie...it sucks. I will be lucky if I can get dressed tomorrow.
Ok, now to write a paper for school. I hope I have enough stamina to type.

Insanity Day 2: Plyometric Cardio Circuit

So, today was day #2 of the Insanity work-out challenge and all I can say is holy crap, that shit is hard.
I haven't worked out regularly in probably 2-3 years. So, to say that I am out of shape is a complete understatement. My whole body hurt today from just doing the 28 minute fit test, which was NOTHING compared to today's workout. 
The work-out started off okay, we ran through the same warm-up that we did with the fit test, except we did it 3 times in a row. After the warm-up, I was ready to crawl into a hole and die. Or throw-up. Whichever happened first.
Next, we did stretches. Now, stretching is one of my favorite parts of working out. NOT today. Every time I had to bend over I wanted to pass out, not that I was close to passing out but I simply just wanted to lay my ass on the floor.
However, with some breaks and modified moves I managed to make it through most of the work-out. I don't want to say I did the whole thing, because I definitely had to stop to catch my breath and rest my muscles. And I threw-up. Twice.

Despite the fact that every muscle in my body hurts, and my head hurts from caffeine withdrawal (I haven't had a Diet Coke in 2 days. I would punch someone for a glass right now), and my stomach is screwed up from completely changing my diet (from crap food to all natural and good foods), I am not yet ready to give up.
I can do this. 
Right?

Insanity Fit Test

I survived the fit test.
Barely.
I didn't do the greatest, but like the instructor said...I am doing more than what I was doing before. It was hard. My head hurts. My arms hurt. My legs hurt.
And it's going to get worse. Oui. Anyways, here's how I did:

Not so good, and as you can see I definitely slowed down as it went on. This is not going to be easy.

Insanity.

The hospital I work for offers wellness programs such as Zumba, Boot Camp, etc. A co-worker of mine convinced me to sign up for 8 weeks of Insanity.
Yes, that's right. Next Monday, I will attend the Insanity Fit Test. Now mind you, I am way out of shape. I haven't exercised on a regular basis for at least 2-3 years. The lady at the wellness center convinced us that we could do it, that the program is tailored to work for everyone. I am reading reviews online that say the opposite, but I am going to trust them since they have been doing this for awhile. 
The bright side is there is 4 of us that are going to do this, so at least we all have each other. When one person doesn't feel like going, there are 3 others making sure she goes. Hopefully we are all successful on this journey...cause it doesn't sound like an easy one!!
Have any of you used the Insanity DVDs? Were you successful?

The One with Running Apps

As I continue on my weight loss journey, I find myself exploring Pinterest and other sites for fitness tips and tricks. I used to work out all the time but for the past 3 years I have really not been a gym rat like I used to be. One of my goals and something on my bucket list is to run a 5K. So, I have been trying to find ways to keep track of my runs and progress. Here's a list of some good iPhone apps to help you on your journey:
One. Nike+ Running

Cost: Free
About: Map your route and track your mileage, pace, and calories burned. It saves the data from all your runs so you can look back over the past month (or even years) and see your progress. If you're connected to Facebook, you can post the start of your run and hear "cheers" every time someone likes or comments on your post. Choose running playlists that are already on your phone, and just tap the arrow on the easy-to-read screen to skip tracks. For even more motivation, you can set goals and challenge yourself to run farther, faster, or longer than your previous run.
Two. Map My Run

Cost: Free
About: Track your distance, pace, and calories burned, as well as your route — you can even plan one out online to use on your phone. A neat feature is that you can set a goal such as to run at a certain pace and you'll hear voice announcements to help you stay on track like, "below target pace, speed up!" You can also connect with a heart rate monitor to track your beats per minute, and this app also acts as a food journal to keep track of your calorie intake. Connect to Facebook or Twitter and you can use your friends to help you stay motivated.
Three. Get Running: Couch to 5K

Cost: $2.99
About: This app follows the Couch to 5K program, to help walkers (like me) transition into runners. This app talks you through a 9 week training plan. Once you complete the plan, you should be ready to run a 5k. Each day the app talks you through your work-out including a warm-up and cool-down. The app tells you how many times you will run during the work-out. Unlike other apps, you have to close out to get to your music. I still like this app though because it coaches you from walking to running. App is also available for Android.



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