Changing my mind and a little naughty today

Ok today was the last day of week three for me and tomorrow is my rest day. I can tell things are getting better for me because I am not going into the rest day feeling beat up and wiped out, I feel pretty good although my hip is a little sore. Today was plyo circuit and I am no longer getting worried about making it through the workouts without stopping now that I am doing it consistently every time, today I was a log more focused on form and keeping my abs tight there were times where I would lose it but as soon as I noticed I tightened them back up and by the end of the workout my abs were killing me and feeling quite worked out. As for changing my mind I tried the Greenberry Shakeology just the shakeology with ice and water and it was pretty good, I am not going to lie it is a little chalky but it did not taste awful like it did yesterday, I think I have to either go with just the greenberry and water or be a little more selective with what it gets mixed with. It seems like it does not have the same mixability as the chocolate does. Now for the being naughty part of I really think that my metabolism is going way up because I am eating like I alway have but I am getting hungry more often and today I was getting way hungry about an hour before my snack time so I had two mini dark chocolate hershey pars (80 calories) but hey dark chocolate is a super food DON'T JUDGE ME!!!!!. Tomorrow is my rest and I am going to enjoy it might try to stretch a little but that is it.  One last thing today was day one Turbo Jam for my wife and I wanted to take a minute to tell her how proud of her I am and to wish her luck and success in the program.

Another great workout

Getting closer to the end of week three, tomorrow will be the end of it for me and I will be finishing it with some plyo circuit in the morning. Today was cardio power and resistance and it was a good workout, I came out of the office soaked in sweat and happy that I made it through the entire routine, I got a little slow on the last set of moving push ups and the 8 hop/8 push up drill but I finished the workout and was glad that I did yet again. I also got a box of the greenberry shakeology this week and have tried two of the shakes so far. I am thinking that I am going to try it with just the powder, some ice and some water. I have tried two different beachbody recipes and have not been all that big a fan of either of them so far. The first one was almond milk, honey, the greenberry, and some ice. This one was OJ, water, a banana, and the greenberry and it just had a rather sour after taste too it that I couldn't put my finger on. As it stands right now I don't know that I could recommend to someone to buy but perhaps I will change my mind after I have tried it with just the powder and some water. I guess we will just have to wait and see. If I get enough coach credit I may give the tropical a shot and see if that is any better but right now the chocolate is the winner hands down but I don't know if that is still the case since the formula has changed. I guess I will have to see about getting some samples of the new formula and see for myself. Other than that not a whole lot to talk about today when it comes to my fitness, I feel like I am starting to see some more changes in my body thanks to INSANITY and I am even starting to look forward to the Max workouts since I think that is where I am going to get the most gains, but I know I am going to have to work for them. On another note my wife is starting Turbo Jam tomorrow so I wish her the best of luck and continued success with Beachbody programs, she has gotten amazing results so far.

Half way through.....week 3 at least

Well today was pretty much the mid point of week three and it was cardio recovery, which meant it was  a little more of lighting my legs on fire for 30 minutes and stretching. I know during the workout it burns like crazy and then for a few hours after that my legs are a little tender but by the end of the day I feel much better and ready to go for the next workout. Let me tell you how yesterday went since I didn't have time to post like I would have liked to, yesterday was pure cardio and cardio abs and like I said I was looking to get through the abs DVD without having to stop like I did the first time and I also wanted to make sure that I could get through the pure cardio DVD, that one always makes me nervous but hey the start of every workout makes me nervous because I know how disappointed I will be with myself if I don't get through the video without stopping and trust me the last two workouts, plyo circuit and pure cardio I came close to having to stop but I pushed on and made myself finish without the break. I know that I might have suffered on form a little bit but I kept the work going and that is important to me, next time it will be a focus on form. After Monday I will have my rest day and it will be on to the final week before recovery week then the portion I have been most worried about, the max workouts. I know those are going to be a killer, as a matter of fact, I have a guy that posts on a thread that I run who is an animal when it comes to fitness, he posted once about how hard and deflating the max workouts were and then one more time since and we have not heard from him again. I figure if that guy got defeated by the Max workouts how am I going to do? Well I guess we will know soon enough. As for the abs DVD, I did get through the workout without having to stop on that one as well but I was barely getting the reps out by the end of the c-sit section but I got it done so I was happy to get through both workouts yesterday without stopping. I was soaked when I was done, and felt great about doing it but man did I have to push. Recovery went well today, I didn't do all that great on the balance stuff but when you have a two year old pulling on you it becomes hard to stand on one leg. I look at it this way, falling over once or twice because your daughter is in the room watching you work out and setting a good example is totally worth it.

Feeling it again already

Well I tried to post yesterday but did not get the chance to because it was so busy at work so I will go ahead and fill you in on how the last two days went. Yesterday was my second fit test and like I had said I was pretty worried about it going into it because I didn't want to let myself down since I feel like I have been working pretty hard in the program each day. For the most part everything was great, all my numbers went up except for the first exercise, that one went down but I am thinking it is because I focused more on kicking the legs up higher than last time. I remember thinking to myself that I didn't kick as high as I should have at the end on the first fitness test. Here are my numbers, the first number is the first test and the other one is yesterday.


Switch kicks: 67/65
Power jacks: 46/52
Power knees: 83/95
Power jumps: 28/34 (I lost count on this one so they might be low)
Globe jumps: 8/10
Suicide jumps: 14/18
Push-up jacks: 26/30
Low plank oblique: 67/75


Today was cardio plyo circuit and man did I have to dig deep to get through it. I try to keep up the good work with getting through  the workout each day and today I really had to try to make it happen. When I got near the end I was really feeling it and wanted nothing more than to pull up in the ski abs and the in and outs but I knew if I did I would be mad at myself so I just paced myself and tried to keep the form as well as I could but I did slow down a little there and in the level one drills. I have been sore all day since about 10 o'clock so I know I gave it all that I had. Tomorrow is Pure Cardio and Cardio abs again. I am going to try and get through the ab workout without stopping this time but it is going to be hard. I have not been this sore in my legs in a while so I know just getting through pure cardio tomorrow is going to be a challenge and then I am going to have to make it through the ab workout. Hey, I didn't decide to do the program because I wanted it to be easy so I am getting what I asked for. Come back tomorrow and see if I got through both workouts. The good news is I am working from home so I am going to have a little more time to rest before going. 

Worried about tomorrow

Well today was a rest day and I didn't get up and stretch like I wanted to but I am thinking that I should have, I should have because my neck is a little tight and my shoulder is hurting a little the moment. There may still be some time for a little yoga flex tonight but we will see how I feel. Like I said today is a rest day and I am working on getting back in good shape to be ready for tomorrow. So I am sure you are wondering why I am worried about tomorrow. Well here it is, tomorrow is my second fit test since starting INSANITY and I have been busting hump to do a little better each workout and now that it is time to do the fit test and se ethe numbers I don't way to end up letting myself down by not getting the improvement that I am aiming for but I guess I will just have to see how it goes. What is funny is a guy in the thread that I am running mentioned something about being worried at the start of every workout and was wondering if he was the only one that did that. I have not had a chance to yet but I plan on letting him know he is not. I get a little worried at the start of every workout since getting through each of them without having to stop, I am always wondering if I am going to be able to get through it again and Thursday's workout is going to be no different.  Thursday's workout is plyo and I am always worried about getting through that one without stopping but I guess we will see how it goes. Come back tomorrow to see the results of the fit test.

Two weeks done...man dose it fly by

Today I finished week two (really tomorrow if you count the rest day) and I am feeling good about how I have been doing so far. Let me tell you about yesterday before I go into today. Yesterday was another Resistance and Power day. It is still my favorite workout so far and I was able to get through the entire thing without having to stop again so there is still improvement happening now I can work on getting more reps done on some of the moves. As always, totally covered in sweat when I finished but felt great about the workout and was ready for the day. When the workout was done I ate, spent a little time with the family, and was off to do some yard work. I spent about an hour or so in the yard getting it all nice and pretty. Or at least a pretty as you can get a yard hanging on for its dear life in this heat. Then it was a nice day with the family, some time at the mall, and a bit of resting, before I knew it the day was over and I was getting ready for bed.

Today was my first hour long workout since starting INSANITY and there are a few other things I have noticed since starting that I didn't realize with P90X. First of all, I never looked so forward to rest days as I do on this program, second I did a good amount of sweating in P90X but nothing like what gets done in an INSANITY workout. Today for instance, as I said before was my first hour long workout since starting INSANITY, I got to do pure cardio, which I was able to get all the way through without stopping again, followed by cardio abs. It felt like it was never going to let up. I finished the first workout and "cooled down" (I think I got my hear rate down to a mere 140 BPM) and then started the cardio ab workout. It started off with a pretty OK warm up until you go to the high knee twists, jump knee tucks, and spread jump knee tucks. Once that was done it was time to get on the floor and really work the abs. You start by getting into what Shawn calls a C-Sit position, then you start into the exercises. When this section starts there are about 12 minutes left in the DVD and you hold the position for about 5 minutes, get about 30 seconds of rest, then get to do it all over again but with harder moves. I have a new goal now, get through the DVD without stopping just like the rest of the workouts. I got pretty darn close to the end but didn't quite make it so I don't think it will take too many tries. When I finished the two workouts there was not a dry spot on my shirt, and I am not making that up there truly was not a place left for me to wipe my shirt off with. All in all it was a good workout and I have been feeling it in my abs and legs all day. As a matter of fact I am thinking of borrowing my wife's Yoga Flex DVD tonight and waking up at the crack of dawn to do X-Stretch tomorrow to help get the soreness gone and get me 100 % for the next fit test. The good news is the next fit test is the only workout on the schedule for that day so at least it will be a little easier to take care of.

On to a great recovery

So today was my second cardio recovery day and just like the other DVD's I wanted to try and make it through this one without having to stop or come out of any of the exercises like I had to the first time. I tell you what for a recovery DVD it is pretty darn hard. It isn't the sweat producing workout the other DVDs are but it is pretty hard at some points. It starts out pretty OK a few good bits of stretching followed by some slow squats. All that isn't so bad it is once you get into the end of the squats and you find yourself holding squats and lunges and doing pulses that really light you on fire. When the time is up and you get to get up your legs truly feel like they are burning, not like a I just worked them out really well burn but a oh my god get me out of this fire type of burn! I pushed through it and had to really breath but I did it. Now that it is over my legs have been pretty sore most of the day but I know when I wake up tomorrow they will be feeling much much better so all the pain today was worth it. Tomorrow is going to be back to the sweating, I have cardio power and resistance and will be finishing up my second week with my first double workout. From this point on all the pure cardio days have the cardio abs workout along with it so they will be a little longer and I am sure a bit more difficult but you all know me by now I am going to go after them like I do all the other workouts and see how it goes. I am thinking tomorrow is going to be a wake up early and get it done day because I have to get the lawn mowed, starting working on the one year list for our builder, get the workout in, get my tires rotated, and spend time with the family all in a single day so if I can get the workout done before Haley wakes up and the lawn done after breakfast it will make getting everything else done much easier. Lets see if I can get through cardio power and resistance without stopping twice or if it was just luck the last time.

Justin

Another win for me

Like I said yesterday today was my second go at Pure Cardio and yes if you were still wondering yes it is still a really good really hard workout. Just like last time it starts out with the same warm up (the one I will be doing tomorrow) as Plyo Circuit so three times through a 3.5 minute romp through, jogging in place, jumping jacks, heismans, 1-2-3s, butt kicks, high knees, and zombie kicks. At the end of that 11 minutes I am breathing pretty darn hard and starting to sweat. Shawn T gives you a whole 18 seconds to get some water before you go into the warm up. You start with breathing and move into lunges and other stretches. A lot of the same types of stretches you do in yoga only they are much more difficult because you just spent 11 solid minutes warming up. The funny thing is at the end of the warm up I am not sweating all that much it is at the end of the stretching when I really start dripping. Once the stretching is over you go right into the workout, 16 or so exercises all 1 minute long and all back to back with no breaks in it at all just give it everything you have until the end. That is exactly what I did, I told myself going into the workout that I was going to do everything I can to get through the DVD without stopping. So I know what you want to know, did I make it or did I have to stop. I am happy to say that I made it! I didn't stop at all, I slowed down as I ran out of gas but I didn't stop. There was one point where I was just about to pull up but when I looked at the timer I had around 3 minutes of exercise left before rest and cool down so I made myself go after it and I am glad I did. The switch kicks, power jacks, mountain climbers all of those went great, I didn't run into a slow down until the level two drills which are pretty close to the end, and the push up jacks. On those I didn't go the pace of the DVD but I never got out of the plank I was able to pump out a few push up jacks and when I started to slow I would come up from a push up jack take an extra breath and go down again. By the time the workout was over I was exhausted and sweating like crazy, there was not a dry piece of T-Shirt on me but I was done. I wanted to chug the water I had with me but I was breathing so fast and hard I think I would have passed out if I did. Now that it is over and I have been at work for half the day I was I am feeling great, my hips are a little tender but other than that I  feel good. Tomorrow is another plyo circuit and if I can get all the way through that DVD I will be thrilled it is the last one I have to complete. Just like P90X this goes flying by and I can't believe I will be taking the next fit test in less than a week. Come back tomorrow to see if I got through plyo.

Movin' on up

Well it is only the first day of the second week and I am already seeing improvements. Like you saw on Monday I did a little better in the Plyo Circuit and today was power and resistance. Only the second time through the DVD. The great news is that I was able to do the whole workout without having to stop and rest or catch my breath so I was thrilled when I was finished. Don't get me wrong I didn't just power through it like an animal, it was hard, I slowed down a little near the end and I am sure my form started to fall apart a little but I made it through. When I was done I just had to drop to the floor for a minute and breath and take in what I just did. I was feeling great, and a little shaken but great that I got it done. Tomorrow is pure cardio again and I hope that I see some improvements there was well, I just hope that the effort I put into the workout today does not cause me to lose something tomorrow so I guess we will see. Not going to do a long post today because I am going to bed defeated on another matter since it seems that I can't even take care of a toilet clog in my own house but it is what it is. I will deal with it the next time I am home. Wish me luck on pure cardio tomorrow lets see if I can do it better than last time.

It's been a rest day, and a super way.....

to recover from a week of INSANITY. Yesterday after having dinner with the in laws I went home and put Haley to bed, went down stairs and did some 10-Minute trainer Yoga Flex. I was not trying to get a workout in as much as I was just trying to keep my legs from getting too sore today. I think it paid off because I was feeling pretty good at the end of the yoga and I could feel the old leg muscles relaxing for about 30 minutes after I was done. When I woke up this morning most of the soreness in my legs were gone and I think doing it again today should really get me rebooted and ready for cardio power and resistance. Don't get me wrong it has been nice to have today off to rest but I am looking forward to getting into week two tomorrow. Just like the second round through the Plyo Circuit I am going to try and make it all the way through this DVD as best I can. This one is a little bit shorter so I might be in good shape to come closer but since it is only the first day of the second week I am not going to be beating myself up if I don't make it.

No case of the Monday's here

Today was the last day of week 1 of INSANITY and tomorrow is a rest day. When I was doing P90X I would sometimes run or do a little extra yoga on the rest day but after this first week if INSANITY I think I am going take full advantage of the rest day, at most I might do the 10 minute trainer yoga flex DVD to make sure I don't get stiff on the day off but I have not made that decision yet. Before  I go into my first week's thoughts of the program lets start by talking about today. Today started the workouts all over again so there will be no new workouts until the recovery week in three weeks so now I get to focus on mastering the form and digging deeper in order to get through the workouts without stopping. I got a little closer to that today and as I was making my way through the DVD I was confident that I was going to make it. I got through the first circuit without losing too much steam but I was not quite keeping up with some of the people on the DVD but that paid dividends at the end of it. I was feeling pretty good going into the second circuit and when compared to the people on the DVD I had not stopped for a breather at that point so I was kicking their butts. Then, just like last time I got to the Ski Ab Jumps and the Ab in and outs and it was like running into a wall. The first time through I made it through the ab ski jumps but did slow down quite a bit and had to stop and breath during the ab in and outs. The second time through the circuit, I didn't got off my hands and feet during the ab ski jumps like list time but I did stop for a second and did go to my knees in the ab in and outs. Not quite there yet but an improvement and that is really all you can ask for. I have three more weeks of that workout so I should be able to get through it without stopping by then but if I don't I am sure I will get pretty darn close.

So here is what I think about the first week, this program is awesome, if you have been exercising or are in at least average shape (no beginners for this program....sorry) and you are ready to really challenge yourself then this is the program for you. The workouts are a bit shorter than P90X so far but the intensity is out of this world. I finish every workout feeling great and know that what I just did to myself if going to bring changes. The workouts are hard, but rewarding and I know they are working the muscles more than I had expected because I do have some soreness but only in a few spots of my body but mostly in the area below my neck and above my ankles. :-) I will enjoy the rest day then it is back to Power and Resistance which is coming out as the front runner for my favorite workout.

Longest 20 minutes ever!!!!

Yes it would seem that I still have not learned a darn thing when it comes to these INSANITY workouts. Today was pure cardio and I knew going into it that once it started there was no resting until the end. I put the DVD in and was pretty surprised that it was only about 40 minutes long, again something I have to get used to after hour long P90X workouts everyday. The warm up is the same 11 minute warm up you do in the plyo DVD and by the end of it get again I was sweating pretty good and my heart rate was at about 170 BPM. As I went into the stretches the sweat started to drip off me pretty good. At the end of the stretch section you get a 30 second break to get water and get ready to go and then you are off. I usually try not to focus on the timer all that much so it took about 5 minutes to notice that they are not in fact kidding about the no rest, I started to get winded about 5 minutes and so I took a quick peek to see just how long it was going to be before the first break and was quite surprised to see it was about 15 minutes away. Ahhh.....now I remember, no breaks, I sucked it up and did my best, I ended up surprising myself and kept on going until there was about 3 minutes left in the workout portion then I had no choice but to stop for a few reps to let the muscles rest before digging right back in. When it was all over I was sucking wind pretty hard and had the old hand on the hips trying to get the wind back in me before going on to the stretching. At the end of the workout I was still dripping sweat something kind of fierce and trying to catch my breath, I had to sit down while I took my post workout shake and then off to the shower, just like the last few workouts (except yesterday) I continued to sweat for about 45 minutes after the workout and it took about 20 minutes for the nausea to wear off but it passed. So far I am going to put this one in as the hardest workout of the bunch. I know when the second month comes that will change but right now this one is the front runner. Just like the other workouts since I had to pull up for a little bit I am determined to get through it without having to before the end of the first months so I am already looking forward to doing the workout again. Tomorrow is the plyo circuit again so I am going to be working getting a little further without stopping. After todays workout I think I have a pretty good chance of making that happen. The way I see it is if I can get as far as I did today without a break these workouts where you push it for three minutes and rest should be a little bit easier. Not easy mind you just easier. Come check out tomorrow to find out.

Paved in suffering....

Yes today was cardio recovery day, it was not a bad little DVD and it was pretty short, it was only about 30 minutes long so it went by pretty fast. I am sure you are wondering about the title, well let me explain. Although today's workout is named "Recovery" it used the term recovery just like P90 X uses the term recovery and does help you feel better but it also really puts a good burn on your legs as well. The workout started off well enough nothing too out of the ordinary some deep breathing and stretching to get limber. It moved on to some lunges and squats to really light the fire in the legs muscles and trust me that is exactly what it did. I have not felt a burn in my legs like that in my life. The next closest thing to it was the first few times through yoga X an that was only one leg at a time. These moves have both your legs lit up by the time it is over. You start by doing squats at a slow pace 16 times and once you have finished you hold the squat for about 45 minutes or so while you do pulses once that is done you get to stand up for about a nanosecond before going onto lunges and lunge holds. This is about the time my legs were blazing in flames, as a matter of fact I ended up having to come out of the move once because if I didn't I am sure that I would have fallen over and that would not have been fun for me at all. When it was over I had a little bit of a sweat but not all that much and although my legs were tender I was feeling good and can tell that although there was a burn it was like a yoga burn that is not going to cause soreness but is going to release the tightness in the morning. Speaking of mornings tomorrow is the one workout that I have been the most nervous about since getting the program, the pure cardio. My cardio has suffered a little bit since this last round of P90X since it was focused on mass and not cardio so I expect tomorrow's workout to be very challenging but I am going to attack it with everything that I have and try not to stop as much as I can to get the most out of the workout. Come by tomorrow and see how it goes I am sure it will be killer.

Power and resistance

Yep, second workout of INSANITY today, Cardio Power and Resistance. Things in this workout changed up a little bit, the warm up was a little different, still had jogging, butt kicks, and 1-2-3s but it had some new moves that were not part of yesterday's warm up so that was nice. The way the warm up went was the same, three round of the moves faster each time. By the time the 10 minutes ended I was already starting to sweat and it was dripping off me while going into the stretches so I knew I was going to be in for a good workout today. I was a fan of the workout, it was a little bit shorter than yesterday's so I figured how hard could it be. I learned pretty quickly. Since this workout had some strength involved I got to do some fun exercises like shoulder presses and walking push ups. The shoulder presses were not quite like the ones in P90X, Shawn has you bring your feet a little closer to your hands and then point your fingers at each other when doing the presses. This turns out to be just a little bit more difficult because it adds more of your body weight but I was able to get through them. Shawn also has you do these fetal position like presses that work your triceps but I didn't feel all the much burn on those, I am thinking I have a little work to do on the form there I might pop the DVD in tomorrow and watch that move again to see if I was doing it right today. I did enjoy the moving push ups, those are where you do a push up while separating your feet and hands on the way down and bringing them back together on the way up moving 2 right then 2 left. Those and the 8 and 8s put a good burn on me. The 8 and 8 is going to a plank position, doing 8 push ups followed by 8 mountain climbers and standing back up, near the end of those I was not quite getting to the 8 push ups every time but didn't do too bad. I felt like I did a lot more sweating today than I did yesterday and again it took about 30 minutes to stop even after my shower but the good news is I really didn't have to pull up and catch my breath during the workout just had to slow down on a couple of the jumping moves. I can't wait for today to end because it will bring time with the family closer and get me going on the next workout. In case you are wondering it is Cardio Recovery but from all that I have heard the work "recovery" should not be used, I was told to expect to have my quads lit on fire. I guess we will see but so far I am loving the program.

Only 61 days to go

Today was my first full INSANITY workout and one thing I can say about it is that it went by pretty quick. When the DVD started the timer was at 41 minutes from start to finish. The workout starts off with a 3:30 warm up that you do three times getting a little faster each time. The each exercise in the warm up is 30 seconds, and I don't have them all memorized yet but it starts with jogging in place, jumping jacks, heismans, 1-2-3s, butt kicks, and high knees. I think there is one more but I am not recalling at the moment. When it was done I was sweating pretty good and my heart rate was around 160 BPM or so. Once the warm up is done you get 30 seconds (feels like 2) to grab a little water then it is into stretching. Shawn T does a great job taking the time to stretch out correctly and that portion of the workout take about 7 minutes so by the time the warm up and the stretching is done you only have about 25 minutes left before the workout is over. Man I saw that and thought no problem this is nothing compared to what I have been doing in P90X I am going to crush this first workout! I ended up doing really well but I don't know if I would use the word crush to describe how it went. I got through the first circuit pretty well, I kept up with the people on the DVD and had pretty good form, there was one exercise that I need to focus on that a little more because I don't quite understand the form all that much yet but I will soon. Then the next 30 second water break came, again only felt like about 2. By this point I was rocking about a 170 BPM heart rate. Before I knew it is was on to the same exercises a second time but faster, I still did well and continued to do well on the third set. First set was done, by now I was pouring sweat and my heart was really racing so I know I got a great workout so far. As the last 30 seconds were flying by I totally had the "This isn't all that bad, I can totally do this" then the next circuit started, this one was quite a bit more difficult but I did well the first time through the second and third time through I was losing steam but pushed through it. By the end of the DVD I had only pulled up for a rep or two three times and was feeling great. There was one more 30 second rest then it was on to stretching and cool down. Again Shawn T spends a good amount of time with the cool down so I hope that it helps with the soreness I am sure I will be feeling in the morning. When the workout was done, I was totally covered in sweat and it was dripping off me pretty darn good. I continued to sweat for about 20 minutes after the workout before my body finally cooled down enough to get my temperature back to normal. If that does not boost the metabolism and burn the last bit of fat off I don't know what will. As I sit here now my legs and butt are barking pretty good but nothing that is going to slow me down. Tomorrow is cardio power and resistance so I can't wait to see what is in store for me there. I was able to watch today's workout before doing it so I had an idea what was coming I am going into tomorrow blind so it might be a bit different but I will power through it just like I did today. Come back tomorrow and see how it goes.

The INSANITY started today

Today was the big day the first day of INSANITY, it was not all that bad today was just the first fit test. Before I go into that lets talk about yesterday. I decided that I was not going to do any workouts like I said because I wanted to let my body rest a day before I started in on this. I also decided that I would take a day off from tracking calories and watching what I ate. Don't get me wrong I didn't go an open the flood gates and take in 10,000 calories yesterday but I did enjoy some time in the candy drawer at work, had some less than ideal toppings on my frozen yogurt and snacked on some gummy savers. Since I was grazing most of the day I can't think that my calories go over what they normally would they were just not the right type of calories. It was worth it I got rid of some of the cravings that have been nagging me and felt like I was ready to start fresh today with the new program. So I know what you are wondering, how did it go. 


Today was not a full workout is was just the fit test which was 8 different moves for one minute each to see how many you can do. The workout time ends up being right about 25 minutes and here were my results:


Switch Kicks: 67
Power Jacks: 46
Power Knees: 83
Power Jumps: 28
Globe Jumps: 8
Suicide Jumps: 14
Push-up jacks: 26
Low Plank Oblique: 67




When I was done I was feeling it, sweating and breathing hard but felt great, so good in fact that I wanted to use the extra time to get some ab work in but decided not to I don't want to sacrifice any of tomorrow results by over doing it today. Tomorrow is the first full workout and it is cardio plyo circuit. I am looking forward to it, I totally expect to be sweating like crazy and sucking wind when I am done but I am going to give it all I have and have my water near by don't you worry about that. I figured I had a pretty good heart rate going after todays warm up and tomorrow's warm up is the same thing only three times in a row faster each time. Then when my heart is about to explode out of my chest I can stretch and get ready for the workout. 


Wish me luck. 

I'll give me something to talk about

So today was the last day of my second round of P90X and I finished it with a great round of Yoga X, worked really hard to nail the poses so and to get flexible so that I didn't have too much soreness going into the next day and Wednesday, which as you all know if my start date of INSANITY. Can't wait. I want to take a second before going into my rant to thank my wife for putting up with my over the last six months while I have been doing these rounds of P90X and for helping me out tonight by writing and telling me what to do next for the final fit test. I could not have done it without her. Anyways, yoga was great as always and tonight, like I said, I did my final fit test. I was a little worried about going into it since my legs were a little sore from the workout before and yoga this morning but I was determined to get it done tonight so that I could have a full rest day before starting INSANITY. What worried me was letting myself down, I had numbers in my head that I wanted to hit for everything and some things I was worried would not move at all or not get to where I wanted them to. Good news is that didn't happen, the only thing I wish would have gone better was the measuring of my arms, they did go up but they didn't go up as much as I would have liked. My wife did have a good point though, as usual, I measured my own biceps the first time so it may not have been the best in the way of being accurate, if you see the pictures you can see that they have gotten bigger but I do have a way to go before they are where I want them to be. When you do see the pictures, not today, you will see I still have a little bit of fat to trim off the belly and a little off the chest but not too much and I am hoping that INSANITY will take care of that for me. The things that I was happiest about during the fit test was a 3:26 second wall squat (on tired legs), 11 pull ups (I started with 2.5), and 31 push ups (Started with 20). If that does not tell you that anyone that is running around saying P90X does not work is just plain wrong. If you put the work in you will get the results. Tomorrow I may post the pictures but if not they will be up when I talk about my first ay (fit test) of INSANITY, I am excited but also a little nervous since I have not done any extended amount of cardio training in three months. Wish me luck, time to get the six pack showing.

Second to none

Or really second to last, yes today was my second to last day and it was my last resistance workout in the program. I had legs and back today and by now you should all know that I normally go into that workout dreading it but today was different. I went in there feeling good and knew I was going to give it all I got to make it end on a high note just like the rest of the workouts this week. Today my focus was really finding the intensity on the leg routine I worked harder to go deeper in the lunges and to keep my foot off the ground as much as possible. Doing so really brought the burn to the workout and I was really working hard to get through some of the exercises. Since legs was my focus the amount of energy I was expending made the pull ups suffer a little bit at the end of the workout but nothing to get up set about. It is funny I used to really hate getting into that workout but now I am almost looking forward to the next time I do it, mind you that will be in a few months, but looking forward to it none the less. I may even go crazy and buy some heavier weights before the next round (if my cheapness does not get the best of me.) Tomorrow is my final day of the program and then it is right on to INSANITY. I am doing Yoga X in the morning followed by the fit test and pictures after I put my daughter down. I am really looking forward to seeing the improvement in the numbers. In the back of my mind I am a little worried that I won't do as well as I could if I go into the fit test sore from today and tomorrow's yoga but I don't want to do that fit test the day before I do the INSANITY fit test because I was to be as fresh as I can be for that. Like I have been saying I am really excited to start INSANITY and am so glad that it is just a few days away. Granted I might not feel that way after the first couple of workouts but that is how I am feeling now. I most likely won't put my numbers on the blog post tomorrow but you should see them on Tuesday, after that keep on coming back to see how INSANITY is going.

Wish me luck

Sometimes it just takes two

Two what you might ask, well let me tell you....two (well really three) workouts in one day to feel better. Yes I said it, with only three days until the end of this round of P90X I did three workouts. They were not all killer workouts by any stretch (pun) but three total none the less. I woke up a little early today so that I could get my scheduled workouts in, today was X Stretch and Abs. When I got out of bed I was still stiff as a board and knew I needed the DVD I was about to put into the player. It starts with some forward bends and sun salutations, let me tell you the first few were ugly, I could not get my hands any closer than about 8 inches from the floor and everything was moving like an engine with sand in the gas. By the end of the DVD I was feeling better but still didn't feel like I was totally recovered from the workouts over the last few days. Next up was abs and I went with Yoga Abs rather than Ab Ripper X, really I went this route because I wanted to really feel the burn in my abs since it was the last ab workout I would be doing on this program as well. I focused on keeping my shoulders off the mat as much as I could so I had my abs contracted for pretty much the entire 15 minutes, I was feeling that workout for about 3 hours once it was over, if you have been reading this blog than you know that is a total win in my mind.

Now to address the three, Like I said above, I never really felt like I had totally limbered up from stretching, although I got better by the end of the DVD the soreness was still there an I still had tightness in my legs so I decided a little Yoga should take care of that. I ended up putting in my fountain of youth yoga DVD in to help get the last little bit of soreness out and that is just what it did. I have been finished for about an hour now and still feel that mind set of relaxation and being limber so it was totally worth the 45 minutes of time, for anyone reading it is worth every penny of the $20 price tag. As a matter of fact I totally expect to purchase the other yoga DVD in the one-on-one series.

Tomorrow is the final legs and back, can't wait, for two reasons. First is it will be the last time I do that workout for about 3 months, and since it is the last back workout in the program it is my time to see just how many of each I can do before getting ready for the final fit test and measurements Monday night.

Only three days left

The count down to the end of P90X/ start of INSANITY continues I only have three workouts left. Tomorrow X Stretch and Abs, Sunday is the last legs and back, and Monday if the final yoga and that is it on to INSANITY. Yesterday was cardio and abs, I went with Bob Harper and Yoga abs, it was pretty tough because my legs decided to wait until Thursday morning to get sore but I sucked it up and got it done. Then it was on to abs, I focused on keeping my shoulders off the ground as best I could and I think it paid off because I was feeling it in my abs for about 2 hours after the fact. Today was my final shoulders and arms and like all the other workouts I really wanted to go as hard as I could and get the rep numbers up one more time before putting the sheets away. That is just what I did, some of the tricep  exercises stayed at the same number of reps but everything else the numbers went up on. I could not have asked for a better way to end that exercise than that one. I expect to be quite sore by the morning but that is OK that is why we do this, sore equals change and change equals good. At home keeping an eye on my daughter so I can't type too long. Tomorrow if X Stretch and I am going to need it, I am pretty sore and tight today but know I will feel better tomorrow.

End of another era

Today was the first day of the last week of this round of P90X, I am very proud to think that just over a year ago I was 265 lbs and wearing a size 46 pant and now I am about to finish my second round of P90X and even run 3 to 4 miles on my rest days. Today was Chest and Shoulders and like all my last workouts I really wanted to bring it today and make the numbers go up. For the most part  I did make that happen but there were a few exercises where it didn't. I didn't lose any reps on the exercises and did get more reps on just about every chest workout but some of my pull ups didn't change all that much. I am guessing it has a lot to do with doing the workout before getting anything other than water in my body for fuel. If you think about it I did a four mile run and now a serious workout both on the fuel I got from dinner the night before. When I finished my run yesterday I was being a little cheesy and talking about how good of shape I was in but was brought back down to earth when even after a shower it took me a good 45 minutes to stop sweating, but I am sure some of that had to do with the 100 degree heat we have been dealing with here for the last few day. Today is a day that I am notoriously bad about wat I eat but that is not the case this time, we are having the family over the house and we are doing the cooking which means that it is healthy, we are having bbq crock pot pork and it is one of my favorite meals...yum! Tomorrow is cardio and abs, I am going to up the intensity in prep for INSANITY next week but am still deciding if I am going to go Bob Harper cardio or Plyo, right now I am leaning more towards Plyo since it is more similar to what INSANITY will be like but you never know that might change when the time comes to put the DVD in. On a final note, I was pretty happy this morning when I woke up and didn't have any soreness in my legs at all. I am guessing that few minutes I took to stretch when I finished the run paid off. Today I had my Shakeology with milk rather than water, a little bit of coffee, and blended with ice. It really made it thicker and it was really good. The only hard thing about it was a 2 year old trying to try it but I know better than to give a kid a drink with coffee in it. Come back tomorrow to see what cardio I ended up doing.

And......not to yoga

So I am pretty sure I said it yesterday, I was going to wake up early today so that I could get some Fountain of Youth Yoga before bible study today. The alarm went off at 4:10 and it was shortly followed by the snooze button and finally a reset of the alarm for a later time. I was not all that happy with myself for that choice most of the day but then I guy I know told me about a half marathon he is going to run in October and when he sent me the information for it I was sold so I will be registering for it on Friday and will start training for it after I finish my round of INSANITY and get my cardio back in line. Since I didn't yoga today but was feeling good all day I decided that deciding to run another half marathon was a good reason to go out and run so I did that after putting my daughter to bed. I went just about four miles today and did it in a pretty good time so I was pretty happy about my longest run in almost three months. I know I have a long way to go in order to get back into the shape for this half marathon but I will get there again. Just knowing that I am registering for it at the end of the week really put the running fire back under my butt. I am going to see if I can't fit a little bit of running into my INSANITY program but I guess I will just have to see how hard the workouts are first. Can't wait for that and can't wait for this next half marathon, I will finish this one without stopping to walk and I am shooting for 2:10 minutes.

To yoga or not to yoga

No not really a question at all, I totally yoga'd this morning and it was one of the better sessions I have had in a few week. I was able to get my mind clear right away and really focus on getting loose. By the end of the DVD I was limber and feeling strong not to mention I got a really good sweat out of the workout but that might have a lot to do with the 100+ degree weather outside over the last few day. Tomorrow is a rest day but I am feeling so good and full of energy I am going to go for another Yoga session and do some fountain of youth yoga before bible study in the morning. I can't wait. I am also excited that I don't work on Wednesday so I can sleep in, still get up and workout and have the day with the family while relaxing and taking in how blessed I am to have the two smartest, beautiful girls under one roof. Back to the yoga, I started the day pretty stiff (not surprising for 4:15 AM) and the first forward bend I couldn't even touch the group but a few deep breaths and some focus and that all changed quickly and I was actually getting deeper in the poses than I have in a few week. Don't have a lot to day today so I will finish with this, I heard there is a half marathon in October and I am waiting to get a little more information about it because I would love to be able to do that one and I am going to do the Tom King again next year before running the country music marathon in 2013. I figure a round of INSANITY should help the old cardio out and get me in shape for an October half.

Until next time

End the Trend contest

A not so common second post because I keep forgetting about about it. Today is the first day of my first Beachbody End the Trend contest and the prize is a laptop. All you have to do is sign up for a free teambeachbody.com account through my coach site and refer your friends to it as well. For each referral you send you get a point and the person with the most points gets the laptop, it is that easy. Go HERE and click the Join link to sign up for you free teambeachbody.com account now and best of luck to everyone! Once you have signed up you will get a welcome message from me with contest rules and ways to get bonus points to help your chances!

One more thing, if you have ever wanted to try a fitness program now is the time Beachbody is letting you try one of three programs for 30 days for just 14.95. This will get you the program and a bag of Shakeology, Beachbody's meal replacement shake. You can find details on my coach page or click the contact me button on the page for questions.

Last one was a pretty good one

So today was the last back and biceps workout for this round of P90X and looking at my calendar it will be the last time I do it for about 3 months. Armed with this bit of information I went into the workout focused on doing the best I could and getting the most out of it as possible. I think I may have done just that. None of my exercises had numbers that went down at all some of the exercises for biceps stayed the same, and some of the bicep exercises the reps went up. As for the back exercises almost all of them went up! A few of the band exercises for the back stayed the same but more importantly all of the pull up exercises went up in reps. As a matter of fact I made it to a goal today and got to 10 pull ups, actually I got to 11 so I beat my goal and still have two back workouts left so if I can really bring it on I might even get to 15 pull ups before the end of the program but I guess we will wait and see. According to my tracking information I should get my copy of INSANITY on Tuesday which should give me a week to read the material, come up with the nutrition plan and be ready to go the next week with no problems. I am feeling good about starting it and think that if I give it all I have I should be able to get to the six pack I am wanting to see before we go on vacation. Tomorrow is Yoga and I will be going for Yoga X, I think it will be a good one since I am feeling really good today, not sore, no tightness in the legs and ready to go. If I can carry this into my yoga tomorrow I should start off having a great week. I went ahead and had another Shakeology today for a snack I made it just like I did the last one but this time I added a banana to it as well. It was still good but I did like it a little better without the banana. I am still getting creative and trying to think of other recipes and will share them as I come up with them.

Until next time