DVD - Max Cardio Interval
I finally got the Floor Switch Kicks! This is the move where your hands and feet are on the floor and you're making something of a table with your torso, belly up. Then you alternately kick your feet off of the floor with a hop so that at points both your feet are off the ground. It's fucking hard to hold yourself up on your arms and not crash land on your ass (as I did a few times) when both your feet are off the ground, because your center of gravity is in your hips, lower abs and buns. I wasn't strong enough to do it for long until tonight. I generally modified this move so that I was going slower, bringing my leg up higher, and always keeping one foot on the floor. This is a modification made by some of the people in the video, too. Remember, form trumps speed.
Overall, tonight was the best I have done with any of these workouts. I lagged a little the last two nights, but tonight I gave it my all and did more of each move at a faster pace than I've ever managed before. 59 days of Insanity has definitely made me more fit!
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
Day 58
DVD - Max Cardio Conditioning
DVD - Cardio Abs
I cheated a little tonight and skipped the warm-up on Cardio Abs. Hell, I'd just completed 43 minutes of a different workout, I was already "warm".
I've been trying to pay attention to my heart rate more the last week or so. I've noticed that my maximum heart rate seems to be the same as at the beginning of Insanity. What's changed is that it takes me a little longer to get there, especially during the warm-up intervals. Curiously, I do start to sweat earlier with the Max workout warm-ups, and I'm pretty sure it has something to with the Side to Side Floor Hops, because there is a slight break in the cardio pace as you get into position, and the move itself is a little harder to do as fast as the rest. I've noticed that I tend to heat up and start to drip when I stop after an exertion. During Insanity, this has usually meant that I start to get really hot and sweaty during the warm-up stretch, when I am no longer flinging my body around at high velocities, but executing slow, deliberate moves. Or when I walk really fast to BART on a cold morning, feeling chilled until I stop on the platform to wait for the train.
It's interesting to me how different types of exercises effect my heart rate. Obviously the exercises that require me to move fast will raise my heart rate rapidly: they are the equivalent of sprinting, and we're asked to "sprint" for anywhere from 2 - 3 minutes straight. Seriously - that's a pretty long time to sprint. But then moves like Suicides, where I am only able to do about 20 in the allotted time instead of 60 - 100, because it requires getting up and down from the floor. According to Shaun, engaging all of your major muscles increases your heart rate just as well as sprinting. My experience suggests he is right.
Now, if you'll forgive the clunky segue to a bit of nostalgia, I'm going to end this blog entry by noting this was my final run through of these two DVDs during the initial 9 weeks of Insanity, so this was my goodbye workout. But "goodbye" for a break, no permanently. I'll be seeing them again once I implement my plan to incorporate Insanity into an ongoing regime including running and Hip Hop Abs.
DVD - Cardio Abs
I cheated a little tonight and skipped the warm-up on Cardio Abs. Hell, I'd just completed 43 minutes of a different workout, I was already "warm".
I've been trying to pay attention to my heart rate more the last week or so. I've noticed that my maximum heart rate seems to be the same as at the beginning of Insanity. What's changed is that it takes me a little longer to get there, especially during the warm-up intervals. Curiously, I do start to sweat earlier with the Max workout warm-ups, and I'm pretty sure it has something to with the Side to Side Floor Hops, because there is a slight break in the cardio pace as you get into position, and the move itself is a little harder to do as fast as the rest. I've noticed that I tend to heat up and start to drip when I stop after an exertion. During Insanity, this has usually meant that I start to get really hot and sweaty during the warm-up stretch, when I am no longer flinging my body around at high velocities, but executing slow, deliberate moves. Or when I walk really fast to BART on a cold morning, feeling chilled until I stop on the platform to wait for the train.
It's interesting to me how different types of exercises effect my heart rate. Obviously the exercises that require me to move fast will raise my heart rate rapidly: they are the equivalent of sprinting, and we're asked to "sprint" for anywhere from 2 - 3 minutes straight. Seriously - that's a pretty long time to sprint. But then moves like Suicides, where I am only able to do about 20 in the allotted time instead of 60 - 100, because it requires getting up and down from the floor. According to Shaun, engaging all of your major muscles increases your heart rate just as well as sprinting. My experience suggests he is right.
Now, if you'll forgive the clunky segue to a bit of nostalgia, I'm going to end this blog entry by noting this was my final run through of these two DVDs during the initial 9 weeks of Insanity, so this was my goodbye workout. But "goodbye" for a break, no permanently. I'll be seeing them again once I implement my plan to incorporate Insanity into an ongoing regime including running and Hip Hop Abs.
Monday, March 1, 2010
Day 57
DVD - Max Interval Plyo
I'm in the home stretch!
And finding the blogging to be more tedious than the workouts. I can summon the will to push my body, but writing takes a different kind of push, and I just don't have it in me at the moment to come up with something new and interesting about this workout.
That being said, I don't have much else to add today except to note that I'll do this workout one more time before the end of the program, on Friday night, bookended by doing Core Cardio & Balance the day before and day after.
I'm in the home stretch!
And finding the blogging to be more tedious than the workouts. I can summon the will to push my body, but writing takes a different kind of push, and I just don't have it in me at the moment to come up with something new and interesting about this workout.
That being said, I don't have much else to add today except to note that I'll do this workout one more time before the end of the program, on Friday night, bookended by doing Core Cardio & Balance the day before and day after.
Sunday, February 28, 2010
Days 55 & 56
DVD - Core Cardio & Balance (Day 55)
DVD - None, + 6 miles of walking (Day 56)
Yesterday (Day 55) was pretty uneventful. Core Cardio and Balance is a good workout, but not challenging like the interval workouts and Pure Cardio/Max Cardio Conditioning. I did it, it was fine, yadda yadda yadda.
Today I walked to Berkeley Bowl (my favorite grocery store EVER) and back to do grocery shopping (2.4 miles), walked around Lake Merritt with a friend (3.4 miles), and to the laundromat and back 3 times (at least .2 miles). Lots-o-walkin'.
I did my bi-weekly measurement check in again today. Apparently I was wrong when I conjectured the inches lost would increase during the 2nd month. No big uptick in the inches lost - in fact, there has been less change since the last measurement check then there was between any of the rest. Only another 1/2 inch of my waist, for a total of 3.5. Another 1/2 inch from my chest and 1/4 inch from my hips. These aren't the losses I was hoping for at this point, but I'm almost done so it's not like I'm going to give up in frustration.
I mean, what the fuck. I'm going to stop with a week left because I've only lost 3.5 inches from my waist and not close to 5?
No.
What I'm going to do is accept the fact that there are no magic bullets, 9 weeks isn't long enough to see the results I was hoping to see, and keep progressing toward my goal with my post-Insanity plans. Because ultimately I am happy with my efforts to date and impressed with my level of commitment. I'll reach my goals, even if it takes a little longer than I thought.
Friday, February 26, 2010
Day 54
DVD - Max Interval Circuit
This was the first chance to really test my new resolve. I took advantage of the fact that it is Friday and managed to leave the office a few minutes before 5:00. I was home a little after 5:30 and started the workout just a little before 6:00.
I left my heart on the floor tonight. To take a phrase from my favorite "reality" TV series "America's Best Dance Crew", I killed it. I don't mean that I made it all the way through the work-out without breaks or anything. I just felt like I actually did more of the workout than I have in the past. More of each exercise in the interval circuits, more of the bonus moves. Partly I'm more conditioned now so I can push myself harder and keep my heart rate up at close to its peak level. But I think I finally figured out the key on Wednesday during Max Cardio Conditioning. The key being: don't stop unless I really just can't push myself through without a break. If I slow down first rather than just stop and move more deliberately while executing the move with good form rather than cardio speed I can pick up the pace when I've recovered a bit, and my heart rate doesn't begin to plummet like it does if I just stop.
Funny how it took me 52 days to figure this out.
This was the first chance to really test my new resolve. I took advantage of the fact that it is Friday and managed to leave the office a few minutes before 5:00. I was home a little after 5:30 and started the workout just a little before 6:00.
I left my heart on the floor tonight. To take a phrase from my favorite "reality" TV series "America's Best Dance Crew", I killed it. I don't mean that I made it all the way through the work-out without breaks or anything. I just felt like I actually did more of the workout than I have in the past. More of each exercise in the interval circuits, more of the bonus moves. Partly I'm more conditioned now so I can push myself harder and keep my heart rate up at close to its peak level. But I think I finally figured out the key on Wednesday during Max Cardio Conditioning. The key being: don't stop unless I really just can't push myself through without a break. If I slow down first rather than just stop and move more deliberately while executing the move with good form rather than cardio speed I can pick up the pace when I've recovered a bit, and my heart rate doesn't begin to plummet like it does if I just stop.
Funny how it took me 52 days to figure this out.
Thursday, February 25, 2010
Day 53
DVD - Cardio Recovery
It was yoga night again, so I didn't try to make sure I left work right at 5:00. I won't do this workout again before the end of the 63-day program. Next week on Thursday instead of Cardio Recovery, I do Core Cardio & Balance. I'm pretty sure I just won't do Cardio Recovery again. There isn't anything wrong with it, I just think I won't need a yoga stretch to offset 5 other days of crazy Insanity cardio because I won't be doing 5 crazy Insanity cardio workouts per week.
So what will I be doing?
Well, for the first week, I'm going to take a little break. Not a complete break, I just won't do any of the intense Insanity workouts, and I won't workout 6 days. I'm thinking 4 days sounds good. For those 4 days, I'll do Core Cardio & Balance, and maybe Cardio Abs once or twice.
The week after the week after Insanity, I start Shaun T's other series, Hip Hop Abs. I just ordered the DVDs. This set is a 30 day program, also 6 days per week, but the workouts aren't as long or as intense. One of the DVDs is only 13 minutes. I figure, even though I'm not much of a morning person, on the days when I have the short workout I can do them in the morning, that way I am not sacrificing all of my nights during the week to working out. I love to dance so I am excited about the prospect of dancing as a workout.
And after Hip Hop Abs? Then I start alternating running and DVDs. I'm thinking a weekly schedule where I do 1 Insanity workout, 1 Hip Hop Abs workout (or two of the short ones) and running 2 days for 30 - 45 minutes sounds pretty good.
It was yoga night again, so I didn't try to make sure I left work right at 5:00. I won't do this workout again before the end of the 63-day program. Next week on Thursday instead of Cardio Recovery, I do Core Cardio & Balance. I'm pretty sure I just won't do Cardio Recovery again. There isn't anything wrong with it, I just think I won't need a yoga stretch to offset 5 other days of crazy Insanity cardio because I won't be doing 5 crazy Insanity cardio workouts per week.
So what will I be doing?
Well, for the first week, I'm going to take a little break. Not a complete break, I just won't do any of the intense Insanity workouts, and I won't workout 6 days. I'm thinking 4 days sounds good. For those 4 days, I'll do Core Cardio & Balance, and maybe Cardio Abs once or twice.
The week after the week after Insanity, I start Shaun T's other series, Hip Hop Abs. I just ordered the DVDs. This set is a 30 day program, also 6 days per week, but the workouts aren't as long or as intense. One of the DVDs is only 13 minutes. I figure, even though I'm not much of a morning person, on the days when I have the short workout I can do them in the morning, that way I am not sacrificing all of my nights during the week to working out. I love to dance so I am excited about the prospect of dancing as a workout.
And after Hip Hop Abs? Then I start alternating running and DVDs. I'm thinking a weekly schedule where I do 1 Insanity workout, 1 Hip Hop Abs workout (or two of the short ones) and running 2 days for 30 - 45 minutes sounds pretty good.
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Day 52
DVD - Max Cardio Conditioning
DVD - Cardio Abs
Well, I didn't get to test my "leave work right at 5:00" resolve today, because I woke up with one of my lovely combination migraine-sinus headaches and decided to stay home, medicate, and sleep it off. My always testy sinuses have been funky for a couple of weeks and I've suffered almost monthly migraines since I was a teenager. Every so often both hit me at once and my head feels like a big, painful balloon. Painkillers, allergy meds and sleep while avoiding as much light, sound and smell as possible are usually the best remedies, as long as the pain and pressure are no so intense as to make me nauseous and unable to hold down any medication. I was lucky this time because the pain was bad, but not so bad it made me sick to my stomach. So I medicated and slept.
When I woke up in the late afternoon the pressure in my head had subsided, but I was feeling a little sniffly (still am). I ate a little something, waited an hour or so, and got my ass in gear to do the workouts, determined to give them both my all in keeping with the new resolve I discussed in my Days 50 & 51 post.
I think I was right when I said yesterday that I have more physical and mental energy to push myself through the workouts on days when I am able to start earlier. The fact that I was able to start tonight at 5:30 pm instead of close to 7:00 pm as with previous nights this week, combined with my new resolve meant I was able to do more of this workout than I have on any of my previous attempts even though I'd woken up earlier today feeling like crap.
If not for the flagging energy and its effect on my mental and emotional state, I can't explain why I respond better to the challenge of working out when I didn't feel well earlier in the day vs. when I've had a long day at the office. Unless! Maybe it's that my body understands that getting my heart rate up and the blood pumping through veins full throttle helps with circulation which in turn helps with an overall feeling of well-being? Or maybe my body craves the adrenaline rush from the exertion and that somehow masks any sense that I don't feel well?
At any rate, tonight I made it all the way through the warm-up on Max Cardio Conditioning without a break for the first time this week. I didn't feel the need to watch the workout clock and pray for the minutes to tick away faster. I pushed myself through more of the workout than I had in the past. I still took breaks, but I tried to keep them to a minimum and see if sometimes just slowing down and being more deliberate in my moves rather than stopping completely was something I could manage. In many cases, I was able to keep myself moving in this manner even if I wasn't going balls out in terms of speed. Sometimes though, an all-out stop for a few seconds is the only thing that will do to reset my ability to finish out a particular exercise or interval. As Shaun says in one of the workouts "A break can fix you!" He's right.
After Cardio Conditioning I did the Cardio Abs DVD again and like the last time I skipped the cool down stretch at the end of Cardio Conditioning. I still don't feel bad about this adjustment given it's only 4 minutes, is not cardio, and I'm just going to warm-up again at the start of the Ab workout.
Before the end of the 63-day program, I will do this workout combination 2 more times and I'm pretty certain my performance will only improve.
DVD - Cardio Abs
Well, I didn't get to test my "leave work right at 5:00" resolve today, because I woke up with one of my lovely combination migraine-sinus headaches and decided to stay home, medicate, and sleep it off. My always testy sinuses have been funky for a couple of weeks and I've suffered almost monthly migraines since I was a teenager. Every so often both hit me at once and my head feels like a big, painful balloon. Painkillers, allergy meds and sleep while avoiding as much light, sound and smell as possible are usually the best remedies, as long as the pain and pressure are no so intense as to make me nauseous and unable to hold down any medication. I was lucky this time because the pain was bad, but not so bad it made me sick to my stomach. So I medicated and slept.
When I woke up in the late afternoon the pressure in my head had subsided, but I was feeling a little sniffly (still am). I ate a little something, waited an hour or so, and got my ass in gear to do the workouts, determined to give them both my all in keeping with the new resolve I discussed in my Days 50 & 51 post.
I think I was right when I said yesterday that I have more physical and mental energy to push myself through the workouts on days when I am able to start earlier. The fact that I was able to start tonight at 5:30 pm instead of close to 7:00 pm as with previous nights this week, combined with my new resolve meant I was able to do more of this workout than I have on any of my previous attempts even though I'd woken up earlier today feeling like crap.
If not for the flagging energy and its effect on my mental and emotional state, I can't explain why I respond better to the challenge of working out when I didn't feel well earlier in the day vs. when I've had a long day at the office. Unless! Maybe it's that my body understands that getting my heart rate up and the blood pumping through veins full throttle helps with circulation which in turn helps with an overall feeling of well-being? Or maybe my body craves the adrenaline rush from the exertion and that somehow masks any sense that I don't feel well?
At any rate, tonight I made it all the way through the warm-up on Max Cardio Conditioning without a break for the first time this week. I didn't feel the need to watch the workout clock and pray for the minutes to tick away faster. I pushed myself through more of the workout than I had in the past. I still took breaks, but I tried to keep them to a minimum and see if sometimes just slowing down and being more deliberate in my moves rather than stopping completely was something I could manage. In many cases, I was able to keep myself moving in this manner even if I wasn't going balls out in terms of speed. Sometimes though, an all-out stop for a few seconds is the only thing that will do to reset my ability to finish out a particular exercise or interval. As Shaun says in one of the workouts "A break can fix you!" He's right.
After Cardio Conditioning I did the Cardio Abs DVD again and like the last time I skipped the cool down stretch at the end of Cardio Conditioning. I still don't feel bad about this adjustment given it's only 4 minutes, is not cardio, and I'm just going to warm-up again at the start of the Ab workout.
Before the end of the 63-day program, I will do this workout combination 2 more times and I'm pretty certain my performance will only improve.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)