Well, that's it. I'm so sweaty right now I'm thinking I need to clean this keyboard when I'm done. was not feeling so great this morning. In addition to the usual sixth-day-overworkedness, my lower back was sore yesterday and it felt very stiff when I woke up this morning.
I spent some extra time before Plyometric Cardio Circuit stretching my back and it did help. Plyo Cardio Circuit is my favorite, but I still had a hard time getting going with it. Still, I was absolutely determined to put everything into it and do the best I've done yet, and I know I did. I did not take any extra rest until the in-outs in the second round of the last circuit. Then I had to take about 15 seconds and the rest of the floor rounds didn't quite match the participants' speed, but I still stuck with it and in the "bonus" round right at the end I worked so hard I'm surprised I didn't throw up or pass out. I'm going to miss this one! Still can't "conquer it" completely, but I'm close. I know the participants had been through the full two months of Insanity at least once before filming this. I think I'm sufficiently trained to handle month 2. I have seriously considered repeating month 1 after the recovery week, but I'm going to keep going.
I did not think I was going to make it this far. I'm astounded I've finished month 1. I thought when I started that at almost 34 years old with touchy knees and lower back, a hatred of cardio, and a proclivity for doing things my own way at least to some degree, something would derail me. But I've not only finished month 1 exactly as written, but I've far exceeded my own expectations.
Insanity is addictive. In addition to being much smarter now about my body and my joints, I've found pushing through this has done so much for my outlook, my drive, and my confidence. And the great thing is it's all laid out for you. You get the schedule, and you get the motivation. You get the big scary man yelling at you for 40 minutes to try harder. Insanity demands every ounce of your attention and despite how hard it is, time flies.
Time to bask for the rest of the day and through tomorrow.
Sunday, February 28, 2010
Saturday, February 27, 2010
Day 26: PURE CARDIO and CARDIO ABS
Glad to cross this one off one last time. I ate way, way too much yesterday and slept in this morning, so I was feeling lazy Saturday all over the place. But once again, the warmup was no indicator of anything, as I felt bleh during the first round of it and by the middle of the second, I was loosened up and pouring it on. You just have to get started. I really wanted to nail this one as another personal best because as much as I hate it, I think it's probably the most beneficial to your performance of all the month 1 routines. I was able to get through all of the power jacks but had to skip the first 15 seconds of the level 2 drills. Then, I had to take another 20-second rest toward the end of the frog jumps. There -- now when you do this one, see if you can beat me!
I do the drills a bit slower than they do, too -- consider doing ALL the reps in the drill rather than try to match their speed. What I mean is, do 8 slowly before you move on to the floor sprints; don't bang out 3 to their 8 and move on with them. I've seen better performance increase by doing it this way the last couple of weeks.
That middle section is a bear, and if you can get to the end of the frog jumps, the rest is cake by comparison. In Cardio Abs, I usually need to take a brief rest once during the double leg lifts. I do like Cardio Abs and will miss it.
One more day of month 1, and it's my favorite tomorrow, the Plyo Cardio Circuit.
I do the drills a bit slower than they do, too -- consider doing ALL the reps in the drill rather than try to match their speed. What I mean is, do 8 slowly before you move on to the floor sprints; don't bang out 3 to their 8 and move on with them. I've seen better performance increase by doing it this way the last couple of weeks.
That middle section is a bear, and if you can get to the end of the frog jumps, the rest is cake by comparison. In Cardio Abs, I usually need to take a brief rest once during the double leg lifts. I do like Cardio Abs and will miss it.
One more day of month 1, and it's my favorite tomorrow, the Plyo Cardio Circuit.
Friday, February 26, 2010
Day 25: CARDIO RECOVERY (and first vinyasa practice)
And today marks my very last turn with Cardio Recovery. I won't miss it (unlike Cardio Power and Resistance, which I realized yesterday I'm also done with for good) and can't see working it into future rotations, but it's still a good and short routine and a mini-break I've been glad to see each week. It's also short enough to let me tack on yoga afterward. Up until now it's always been very therapeutic and mellow, but today for the first time in nearly a month, I did a shortened version of my regular style of advanced vinyasa (flow/power), as I was already warm and loosened up from Cardio Recovery.
On the plus side ... This also marked my first time upside-down in a month, and I was pleased to see that my headstands and forearm stands, as well as arm balances, were strong and steady; the core work has been very beneficial. My standing postures and balances were also strong, as Insanity has done wonders for my legs. I had forgotten how much a yoga practice can get your heart thumping, and it felt great.
On the downside, my hips have definitely tightened up despite my best efforts. My lower back also feels tighter and not as strong. Insanity doesn't strengthen the lower back as much as yoga does, so I'll need to work on this as my low back is a definite weak point anyway. I also felt a little overworked just going into it. I don't know why, but the fourth week of Insanity is hitting me hard -- last week felt easier. I perform better in the routines and I'm not tired (as in sleepy), but the muscles feel creaky and bits of soreness have returned. I think recovery week is needed, although I'm still on the fence about how to go about it. Despite my temptations I have done Insanity exactly as prescribed, and I hate to depart from that now. However, the idea of doing Core Cardio and Balance six days in a row next week doesn't sound that appealing.
On the plus side ... This also marked my first time upside-down in a month, and I was pleased to see that my headstands and forearm stands, as well as arm balances, were strong and steady; the core work has been very beneficial. My standing postures and balances were also strong, as Insanity has done wonders for my legs. I had forgotten how much a yoga practice can get your heart thumping, and it felt great.
On the downside, my hips have definitely tightened up despite my best efforts. My lower back also feels tighter and not as strong. Insanity doesn't strengthen the lower back as much as yoga does, so I'll need to work on this as my low back is a definite weak point anyway. I also felt a little overworked just going into it. I don't know why, but the fourth week of Insanity is hitting me hard -- last week felt easier. I perform better in the routines and I'm not tired (as in sleepy), but the muscles feel creaky and bits of soreness have returned. I think recovery week is needed, although I'm still on the fence about how to go about it. Despite my temptations I have done Insanity exactly as prescribed, and I hate to depart from that now. However, the idea of doing Core Cardio and Balance six days in a row next week doesn't sound that appealing.
My Butt
Ha! I so wanted to write that. It seems like we give a lot of attention to Insanity results in the abs and upper body... most of the photos you see are from the waist up, probably because that's easier to photograph. But last night I was standing in the kitchen and my 9-year-old son was pretending to drum on my butt and he said, "Mom, your butt doesn't move!"
Thursday, February 25, 2010
Insanity and Your Joints: The Big, Long Story
The following comes from not just my experience with teaching yoga and with anatomy but also from many mistakes made over the years. I've been through many sports injuries and helped many students through them, and unfortunately have learned many things the hard way. As I like to say, I know the surefire ways to fail.
If you're starting Insanity, pay close attention to the Digging Deeper section of the DVD. Form should always come first, but to do that, first you have to understand exactly what the form should be and why, and Beach Body only barely touches on that.
Insanity is loaded with plyometrics (jumps). Each time you land, the shock of that landing is ideally absorbed by a) the floor; b) your shoes; c) your feet; d) your ankles; e) your knees; f) your hips; and g) your lower back. In other words, most of the compressive force you generate with the jump goes right back into your body. To avoid damaging yourself, you want to spread the force out as evenly as possible.
SURFACE AND SHOES
I stupidly practiced high-impact aerobics in my early 20s on a concrete floor overlayed with industrial carpet. This type of floor absorbs no shock, and it's no surprise I had terrible knee trouble and quickly. I have witnessed these same injuries in many yoga students over the years. The surface you're practicing on is vital (as is the type of shoes you wear). Even if you have a less-hard floor, it's a good idea to use a plyo-friendly mat too. I use the black mat by Manduka and highly recommend it. It also has a lifetime warranty (of which I'm sure Insanity is a very good test). Your shoes will also lose shock absorbency over time, so make sure your crosstrainers still have good life. Runners are known to replace their shoes every six months.
LANDING and CENTER OF GRAVITY
When you land on the ball of your feet first, you help distribute the shock more effectively throughout your feet and ankles as well as your legs -- there are more joints that can "give" -- if you strike heel first, the shock goes directly into your knees and to a greater degree. It's vital to land ball-first, and to do that you need to have your core engaged to keep your weight more forward. This is what Shaun means when he talks about keeping your core tight and your weight forward. When you let your belly go, you tend to lean backward a little to keep your balance, and you're more likely to land the same way, striking on the heel and sending shockwaves directly up. In the same vein, keep your knee over the ankle when squatting, as Dig Deeper indicates. Jutting the knees out over the toes puts stress on the knees.
KNEES AND ELBOWS UNLOCKED
Shaun notes throughout to keep your knees soft. This allows some give in the joints when you land. You can probably see where I'm going with this... locking a joint prevents soft tissue from absorbing shock and leads to bone-on-bone pressure, and when you apply force to that, you have instant injury. Equally important is to protect your elbows by keeping them very slightly unlocked anytime you're in the plank position.
WOMEN AND HIPS
Men have a very fixed, stable pelvis with femurs (upper thigh) extending straight down to the knee joint with no angle. This means that when men run, the downward force is evenly distributed. Women, however, have a wider pelvis and this means that there is an angle from our hip to knee joint. Right out of the starting gate, we're at a disadvantage with unequal pressure on the knees. Unfortunately, this just means we need to be extra cautious.
BODYWEIGHT
When you walk, you put four times your bodyweight in pressure on your knees. When you run, this becomes tenfold. This is why the supposed ideal weight for runners is 100 pounds for the first 5 feet and 5 pounds for each additional inch. That's really light, but not as far as your knees are concerned. If you're overweight and you're jumping, you're placing a huge burden on knees that are already bearing tremendous force. So if you're only 20 pounds overweight, you're putting 200 EXTRA pounds of pressure on each knee during, say, log jumps. Now consider how many times you strike down over the course of a 40-minute workout.
This is where a little bit of what ails you can be the cure. Plyometrics can help strengthen your knees when done correctly and wisely. Strengthening the muscles and supporting structures in and around the knee joint will allow you to endure more compression over time, but be careful -- if you're completely out of shape, be aware that your joints probably have very little protection around them and injury becomes likely. Knee injuries take a long time to heal, and knees are unfortunately a weak point in human anatomy in the first place, even without other strikes against them.
JOINT HEALTH and FLEXIBILITY TRAINING
Finally, with all the compression on your joints, it's vital to lengthen everything back out to bring everything back into alignment and allow healthy fluid exchange. Never skip the stretching, and ideally, stretch more. When you bend forward to stretch your hamstrings, make the back as long as possible (most people round the back to allow them to reach farther, but they put a lot of stress on their spinal discs). Just soften your knees to the point that you can make your back long. With straight legs, tight hamstrings will pull on your low back and force it to round. Also know that tightness in one area will be felt two joints away. If your hips are tight, they will pull on your knees. An imbalance in flexibility between the quads and hamstrings will pull your back out of alignment. This topic is complicated, but can be summed up this way: stretch. A lot. Do it while your muscles are warm, and never skip it or consider it wasted workout time.
SUMMARY
In summary, pay close attention to proper form at all times. Don't try to match the participants' speed and never take your mind off what you're doing, even for a second. All it takes is one tiny misstep. Pay attention to your choice of shoes and flooring, and seriously reconsider taking on Insanity if you're very out of shape. However, if you understand the mechanics of your joints before starting, you can head off a lot of problems. Even though I'm 10+ years older now than I was when I first abused my knees, I am now practicing Insanity pain-free. If you have any questions, please post and I'll do my best to answer. Good luck with this program and thanks for following me!
If you're starting Insanity, pay close attention to the Digging Deeper section of the DVD. Form should always come first, but to do that, first you have to understand exactly what the form should be and why, and Beach Body only barely touches on that.
Insanity is loaded with plyometrics (jumps). Each time you land, the shock of that landing is ideally absorbed by a) the floor; b) your shoes; c) your feet; d) your ankles; e) your knees; f) your hips; and g) your lower back. In other words, most of the compressive force you generate with the jump goes right back into your body. To avoid damaging yourself, you want to spread the force out as evenly as possible.
SURFACE AND SHOES
I stupidly practiced high-impact aerobics in my early 20s on a concrete floor overlayed with industrial carpet. This type of floor absorbs no shock, and it's no surprise I had terrible knee trouble and quickly. I have witnessed these same injuries in many yoga students over the years. The surface you're practicing on is vital (as is the type of shoes you wear). Even if you have a less-hard floor, it's a good idea to use a plyo-friendly mat too. I use the black mat by Manduka and highly recommend it. It also has a lifetime warranty (of which I'm sure Insanity is a very good test). Your shoes will also lose shock absorbency over time, so make sure your crosstrainers still have good life. Runners are known to replace their shoes every six months.
LANDING and CENTER OF GRAVITY
When you land on the ball of your feet first, you help distribute the shock more effectively throughout your feet and ankles as well as your legs -- there are more joints that can "give" -- if you strike heel first, the shock goes directly into your knees and to a greater degree. It's vital to land ball-first, and to do that you need to have your core engaged to keep your weight more forward. This is what Shaun means when he talks about keeping your core tight and your weight forward. When you let your belly go, you tend to lean backward a little to keep your balance, and you're more likely to land the same way, striking on the heel and sending shockwaves directly up. In the same vein, keep your knee over the ankle when squatting, as Dig Deeper indicates. Jutting the knees out over the toes puts stress on the knees.
KNEES AND ELBOWS UNLOCKED
Shaun notes throughout to keep your knees soft. This allows some give in the joints when you land. You can probably see where I'm going with this... locking a joint prevents soft tissue from absorbing shock and leads to bone-on-bone pressure, and when you apply force to that, you have instant injury. Equally important is to protect your elbows by keeping them very slightly unlocked anytime you're in the plank position.
WOMEN AND HIPS
Men have a very fixed, stable pelvis with femurs (upper thigh) extending straight down to the knee joint with no angle. This means that when men run, the downward force is evenly distributed. Women, however, have a wider pelvis and this means that there is an angle from our hip to knee joint. Right out of the starting gate, we're at a disadvantage with unequal pressure on the knees. Unfortunately, this just means we need to be extra cautious.
BODYWEIGHT
When you walk, you put four times your bodyweight in pressure on your knees. When you run, this becomes tenfold. This is why the supposed ideal weight for runners is 100 pounds for the first 5 feet and 5 pounds for each additional inch. That's really light, but not as far as your knees are concerned. If you're overweight and you're jumping, you're placing a huge burden on knees that are already bearing tremendous force. So if you're only 20 pounds overweight, you're putting 200 EXTRA pounds of pressure on each knee during, say, log jumps. Now consider how many times you strike down over the course of a 40-minute workout.
This is where a little bit of what ails you can be the cure. Plyometrics can help strengthen your knees when done correctly and wisely. Strengthening the muscles and supporting structures in and around the knee joint will allow you to endure more compression over time, but be careful -- if you're completely out of shape, be aware that your joints probably have very little protection around them and injury becomes likely. Knee injuries take a long time to heal, and knees are unfortunately a weak point in human anatomy in the first place, even without other strikes against them.
JOINT HEALTH and FLEXIBILITY TRAINING
Finally, with all the compression on your joints, it's vital to lengthen everything back out to bring everything back into alignment and allow healthy fluid exchange. Never skip the stretching, and ideally, stretch more. When you bend forward to stretch your hamstrings, make the back as long as possible (most people round the back to allow them to reach farther, but they put a lot of stress on their spinal discs). Just soften your knees to the point that you can make your back long. With straight legs, tight hamstrings will pull on your low back and force it to round. Also know that tightness in one area will be felt two joints away. If your hips are tight, they will pull on your knees. An imbalance in flexibility between the quads and hamstrings will pull your back out of alignment. This topic is complicated, but can be summed up this way: stretch. A lot. Do it while your muscles are warm, and never skip it or consider it wasted workout time.
SUMMARY
In summary, pay close attention to proper form at all times. Don't try to match the participants' speed and never take your mind off what you're doing, even for a second. All it takes is one tiny misstep. Pay attention to your choice of shoes and flooring, and seriously reconsider taking on Insanity if you're very out of shape. However, if you understand the mechanics of your joints before starting, you can head off a lot of problems. Even though I'm 10+ years older now than I was when I first abused my knees, I am now practicing Insanity pain-free. If you have any questions, please post and I'll do my best to answer. Good luck with this program and thanks for following me!
Recipes: Smoothies That Actually Taste Great
I find Beach Body's recipes, including the smoothies, to be rather unpalatable. A little flavor goes a long way to being satisifed with your meals, and a lot of spices have health benefits as well for few-to-no calories. If you're one of the Insane who is trying to gain weight (my recipes are definitely slanted for those trying to cut calories a bit), just add the full scoop of protein powder, more peanut butter, 2% milk, honey, etc. It's really easy to make my recipes more caloric.
KEY-LIME PIE PROTEIN SMOOTHIE
1 cup light vanilla soymilk or skim milk
1/2 scoop vanilla whey protein powder
2 TBSP crushed pineapple in juice
1 TBSP lime juice
1/2 cup frozen tropical fruit (suggestions: mango, peaches, papaya, pineapple, melon)
Dash of vanilla extract
Stevia drops to taste (I use about 10, as I like it sweet) or other sweetener
A few ice cubes
Optional but highly recommended: 1/2 TBSP instant vanilla pudding mix, regular or sugar-free. It makes them thicker and more flavorful.
Blend and enjoy! This has about 225 calories and 20 grams protein.
"THE ELVIS" PROTEIN SMOOTHIE
1 cup light vanilla soymilk or skim milk
1 1/2 to 2 TBSP peanut butter
1/2 large banana
1/2 scoop vanilla whey protein powder
Dash of vanilla
Stevia or other sweetener to taste
5-8 ice cubes
1/2 TBSP instant vanilla or banana pudding mix, regular or s/f
Blend. By the way, for another 5 calories, you can top these with fat-free Reddi Wip, which is made from skim milk. This one has 275-325 calories and 22-25 grams protein.
KEY-LIME PIE PROTEIN SMOOTHIE
1 cup light vanilla soymilk or skim milk
1/2 scoop vanilla whey protein powder
2 TBSP crushed pineapple in juice
1 TBSP lime juice
1/2 cup frozen tropical fruit (suggestions: mango, peaches, papaya, pineapple, melon)
Dash of vanilla extract
Stevia drops to taste (I use about 10, as I like it sweet) or other sweetener
A few ice cubes
Optional but highly recommended: 1/2 TBSP instant vanilla pudding mix, regular or sugar-free. It makes them thicker and more flavorful.
Blend and enjoy! This has about 225 calories and 20 grams protein.
"THE ELVIS" PROTEIN SMOOTHIE
1 cup light vanilla soymilk or skim milk
1 1/2 to 2 TBSP peanut butter
1/2 large banana
1/2 scoop vanilla whey protein powder
Dash of vanilla
Stevia or other sweetener to taste
5-8 ice cubes
1/2 TBSP instant vanilla or banana pudding mix, regular or s/f
Blend. By the way, for another 5 calories, you can top these with fat-free Reddi Wip, which is made from skim milk. This one has 275-325 calories and 22-25 grams protein.
Day 24: PLYO CARDIO CIRCUIT
I'm actually starting today's entry before the workout, because I am having that much trouble getting myself started. I felt tired and crabby last night, and I've been sleeping fitfully the last couple of nights. Last night I had nightmares about month 2! I also woke up sore this morning from Cardio Power and Resistance, which surprised me. I think finally being able to do most of the resistance exercises was like another shock to the body. My chest and shoulders are sore today, and so are my quads. I think a person could just keep repeating month 1 and still improve continually. I can't do any of these month 1 cardio routines without resting, slowing down, or in some other way not matching the participants. And that's good; I think it would be pointless to do something you can already do perfectly (something I tell my yoga students a lot and now have to take to heart even more). OK, back soon.
Gack. I think that like everything else in this magically sequenced program, the recovery week probably comes at just the right time. True to form, the warmup was hard and I kept thinking, "Maybe this will be the day I have to just stop and turn it off." But I still was able to push by the end of the second round of the warmup, and I think I even hit a personal best for this routine in general. I often take an extra 10-15 seconds of rest before the last round of each circuit, and on this one I forced myself not to take it at the end of round 2, last circuit. Still had to slow down some of the floor exercises a bit, but overall, I'm really happy I was able to overcome my munge. I know I have to be able to do that now to survive next month.
I'm looking forward to recovery day tomorrow even though I don't care for the routine, and I know that my joints need the yoga I'm going to tack on afterward. My knees and hips felt just the slightest bit grouchy today, so I was especially careful to land ball-of-foot first, keep the knees soft, core in, and not lean back. I'm going to write a whole post soon on joint health and form above and beyond what they tell you in this program, so stay tuned!
Gack. I think that like everything else in this magically sequenced program, the recovery week probably comes at just the right time. True to form, the warmup was hard and I kept thinking, "Maybe this will be the day I have to just stop and turn it off." But I still was able to push by the end of the second round of the warmup, and I think I even hit a personal best for this routine in general. I often take an extra 10-15 seconds of rest before the last round of each circuit, and on this one I forced myself not to take it at the end of round 2, last circuit. Still had to slow down some of the floor exercises a bit, but overall, I'm really happy I was able to overcome my munge. I know I have to be able to do that now to survive next month.
I'm looking forward to recovery day tomorrow even though I don't care for the routine, and I know that my joints need the yoga I'm going to tack on afterward. My knees and hips felt just the slightest bit grouchy today, so I was especially careful to land ball-of-foot first, keep the knees soft, core in, and not lean back. I'm going to write a whole post soon on joint health and form above and beyond what they tell you in this program, so stay tuned!
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Recipes: Insanely Fast Huevos Rancheros, Berry Oatmeal Sundae
Here are two delicious Insanity-friendly recipes I've made in the last couple of days.
INSANELY FAST HUEVOS (EGGS) RANCHEROS
This is so fast, high in protein and fiber, vegetarian, and delicious. It's perfect for one of your Insanity meal blocks. We had this for dinner last night and the kids gave it four big thumbs up. If you need more calories, jazz it up with some fresh guacamole, more eggs, sliced avocado, or roasted sunflower seeds.
1 15-oz. can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 15-oz. can diced tomatoes, undrained
2+ TBSP fresh chopped cilantro (I usually double it, because I love cilantro)
1 4.5-oz. can of mild chopped green chiles
2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp black pepper
2+ TBSP chopped green onions
6 small corn tortillas
6 eggs
3/4 cup reduced-fat shredded cheddar or Mexican blend cheese
In a 350-degree oven, toast tortillas on a sprayed baking pan for about 5 minutes per side until crisp. Set aside. Combine first eight ingredients in a large nonstick skillet, stir well, and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes. Carefully break each egg on top of the mixture, evenly spaced. Cover and simmer until eggs are nearly set. Sprinkle with green onions and cheese and turn the heat off.
Top each crisped tortilla with one egg and bean/veggie mixture and eat like a pizza! As written, this has about 300 calories and 22 g protein per serving (makes 6).
INSANELY FAST HUEVOS (EGGS) RANCHEROS
This is so fast, high in protein and fiber, vegetarian, and delicious. It's perfect for one of your Insanity meal blocks. We had this for dinner last night and the kids gave it four big thumbs up. If you need more calories, jazz it up with some fresh guacamole, more eggs, sliced avocado, or roasted sunflower seeds.
1 15-oz. can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 15-oz. can diced tomatoes, undrained
2+ TBSP fresh chopped cilantro (I usually double it, because I love cilantro)
1 4.5-oz. can of mild chopped green chiles
2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp black pepper
2+ TBSP chopped green onions
6 small corn tortillas
6 eggs
3/4 cup reduced-fat shredded cheddar or Mexican blend cheese
In a 350-degree oven, toast tortillas on a sprayed baking pan for about 5 minutes per side until crisp. Set aside. Combine first eight ingredients in a large nonstick skillet, stir well, and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes. Carefully break each egg on top of the mixture, evenly spaced. Cover and simmer until eggs are nearly set. Sprinkle with green onions and cheese and turn the heat off.
Top each crisped tortilla with one egg and bean/veggie mixture and eat like a pizza! As written, this has about 300 calories and 22 g protein per serving (makes 6).
BERRY OATMEAL SUNDAE with ALMONDS 
This is so tasty, and makes a great healthy snack. It's also a good way to satisfy a sweet craving without blowing it. For more calories, just double it as this makes a fairly small bowl.
1/4 cup rolled oats
1 TBSP berry fruit preserves (any flavor)
1/8 tsp cinnamon
1 packet stevia
Dash of salt
1/2 cup fresh berries or frozen and thawed
1/4 cup vanilla frozen yogurt or light ice cream
1 TBSP honey-roasted or glazed sliced almonds
Mix oats with 1/2 cup water and microwave about 90 seconds until done. Stir in preserves, cinnamon, salt, and stevia. Place the scoop of frozen yogurt in the center, and it will start melting down into the oatmeal. Distribute the berries around the ice cream, and sprinkle the top with sliced almonds. Makes 1 bowl. About 200 calories. (This is adapted from a Hungry Girl recipe.)
Coming up tomorrow... protein smoothie recipes that actually taste good!
This is so tasty, and makes a great healthy snack. It's also a good way to satisfy a sweet craving without blowing it. For more calories, just double it as this makes a fairly small bowl.
1/4 cup rolled oats
1 TBSP berry fruit preserves (any flavor)
1/8 tsp cinnamon
1 packet stevia
Dash of salt
1/2 cup fresh berries or frozen and thawed
1/4 cup vanilla frozen yogurt or light ice cream
1 TBSP honey-roasted or glazed sliced almonds
Mix oats with 1/2 cup water and microwave about 90 seconds until done. Stir in preserves, cinnamon, salt, and stevia. Place the scoop of frozen yogurt in the center, and it will start melting down into the oatmeal. Distribute the berries around the ice cream, and sprinkle the top with sliced almonds. Makes 1 bowl. About 200 calories. (This is adapted from a Hungry Girl recipe.)
Coming up tomorrow... protein smoothie recipes that actually taste good!
Day 23: CARDIO POWER AND RESISTANCE
I notice an interesting pattern. First, I always feel kind of heavy and lethargic during the warmup, but by the third cycle, my energy kicks in. The second thing is, I found myself wondering today, "I'm almost done with month 1... isn't this supposed to get easier by now?" And then I realized, it never gets easier, and if it does, you're not working hard enough. You just push harder. It's just as hard four weeks in as it was the first week, but I'm amazed at how much more I can do/how fast/how high. I did ALL the moving pushups today. I did almost all of the globe jumps, and while I used to just touch my knees on the way down, I now touch the floor. Globe jumps used to be one of the toughest for me and now I'd say they're in the middle. Maybe I'll survive month 2 after all.
I also have continued to watch my heart rate, and get this -- at the end of the warmup today, it was at 200! The end of the stretch found me at 144, and the very end of the last circuit clocked in at 188. So there you go, guys. The warmup is not just a warmup. It's not only a full-on circuit, but it's without breaks.
I can tell I've made even more progress with measurements and my scale weight is also down since I posted my third week progress photo. Can't wait to give a full month-end report later this week. Also, I have more Insanity-friendly recipes to post later today.
Oh, one last thing. I've mentioned stevia several times as my sweetener of choice, a natural sugar substitute. I noticed in the Insanity nutrition guide today that it actually advocates using stevia as a sweetener! I missed this before and I'm pleased to read it, as using it was one way in which I thought I was departing from the nutrition guide. I much prefer it to Splenda and use Splenda as seldom as I possibly can. I'm actually following the nutrition guide more than I expected. Other than not using their uber-bland recipes, I'm following all of their suggestions, including eating five times a day -- and I'm gradually making the calories more equal at each mini-meal. I can see that's about to become even more important.
I also have continued to watch my heart rate, and get this -- at the end of the warmup today, it was at 200! The end of the stretch found me at 144, and the very end of the last circuit clocked in at 188. So there you go, guys. The warmup is not just a warmup. It's not only a full-on circuit, but it's without breaks.
I can tell I've made even more progress with measurements and my scale weight is also down since I posted my third week progress photo. Can't wait to give a full month-end report later this week. Also, I have more Insanity-friendly recipes to post later today.
Oh, one last thing. I've mentioned stevia several times as my sweetener of choice, a natural sugar substitute. I noticed in the Insanity nutrition guide today that it actually advocates using stevia as a sweetener! I missed this before and I'm pleased to read it, as using it was one way in which I thought I was departing from the nutrition guide. I much prefer it to Splenda and use Splenda as seldom as I possibly can. I'm actually following the nutrition guide more than I expected. Other than not using their uber-bland recipes, I'm following all of their suggestions, including eating five times a day -- and I'm gradually making the calories more equal at each mini-meal. I can see that's about to become even more important.
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Recipes: "This Bread is Bananas, Yo" and Mashed Cauliflower
A couple of recipes from dinner last night. I had grilled teriyaki king salmon with mashed cauliflower and healthy banana bread. Enjoy!
This is so delicious, whole-grain, and only about 160 calories for a big, thick slice. You get plenty of fiber and 5 grams of protein to boot. My husband was totally fooled by this. He said, "This is really fantastic banana bread!" Then he was really surprised to hear how healthified it was (and how awful the usual stuff is for you).
"THIS BREAD IS BANANAS, YO"
1 cup whole-wheat pastry flour
1/2 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 cup organic sugar
1/2 cup Splenda
1/2 tsp salt
3 medium or 2 large bananas, mashed
1/2 cup applesauce (or sub part of this with baby food bananas... no joke!)
1/2 cup Egg Beaters, or 2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla (if you have banana extract, throw in some of that, too)
Preheat oven to 350. Mix all the dry ingredients and the wet ingredients in separate bowls. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and gently fold in, just until combined. Spoon batter into a lightly sprayed bread loaf pan (medium) and bake for about 50 minutes, until a knife inserted into the center of loaf comes out clean. Let cool before slicing into eight thick pieces.
Calories: 160 Fat: 0.5 g Fiber: 6 g Protein: 5 g
MASHED "POTATOES"
Doesn't sound appealing? My kids actually prefer this to mashed potatoes, and they beg me to make it. It tastes almost identical and is a great way to get a big dose of cruciferous veggies without a load of starch. It has about 50 calories per cup. Trust me. Give it a try!
4 cups cauliflower florets
1/8 cup to 1/4 cup milk or fat-free half-and-half
1/2 tsp salt or to taste
A few dashes of black pepper
Fresh or dried chives
1 tsp butter
Steam the cauliflower until tender and then puree with the milk, butter, and spices. Start with just a little milk and see how much you need to get mashed potato consistency. Dig in!
This is so delicious, whole-grain, and only about 160 calories for a big, thick slice. You get plenty of fiber and 5 grams of protein to boot. My husband was totally fooled by this. He said, "This is really fantastic banana bread!" Then he was really surprised to hear how healthified it was (and how awful the usual stuff is for you).
"THIS BREAD IS BANANAS, YO"
1 cup whole-wheat pastry flour
1/2 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 cup organic sugar
1/2 cup Splenda
1/2 tsp salt
3 medium or 2 large bananas, mashed
1/2 cup applesauce (or sub part of this with baby food bananas... no joke!)
1/2 cup Egg Beaters, or 2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla (if you have banana extract, throw in some of that, too)
Preheat oven to 350. Mix all the dry ingredients and the wet ingredients in separate bowls. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and gently fold in, just until combined. Spoon batter into a lightly sprayed bread loaf pan (medium) and bake for about 50 minutes, until a knife inserted into the center of loaf comes out clean. Let cool before slicing into eight thick pieces.
Calories: 160 Fat: 0.5 g Fiber: 6 g Protein: 5 g
MASHED "POTATOES"
Doesn't sound appealing? My kids actually prefer this to mashed potatoes, and they beg me to make it. It tastes almost identical and is a great way to get a big dose of cruciferous veggies without a load of starch. It has about 50 calories per cup. Trust me. Give it a try!
4 cups cauliflower florets
1/8 cup to 1/4 cup milk or fat-free half-and-half
1/2 tsp salt or to taste
A few dashes of black pepper
Fresh or dried chives
1 tsp butter
Steam the cauliflower until tender and then puree with the milk, butter, and spices. Start with just a little milk and see how much you need to get mashed potato consistency. Dig in!
Day 22: PURE CARDIO and CARDIO ABS
I was so happy to cross this one off the list. I really don't like Pure Cardio in so many ways, but grudgingly acknowledge it's vital to performing better on the next fit test, because some of the fit test exercises only appear in this routine. I do enjoy Cardio Abs and went right into it with no break, but those tuck jumps and wide tuck jumps are so hard after Pure Cardio. Cardio Abs is definitely getting easier, too, and the only exercise I still crap out on is the double leg lifts. Yoga gave me a huge head start on all the core exercises and everything that starts in plank, though. I'm actually much stronger in my upper body than my lower body because I'm used to arm balances and inversions, so Insanity has produced the biggest change in the strength of my legs and in my cardio endurance. The latter has always been my biggest hurdle. So to speak.
I'm starting to really look forward to my recovery drink, like a sugary reward. I put a skull and crossbones on the bottle so the kids won't drink it! A couple of recipes are coming later today.
I'm starting to really look forward to my recovery drink, like a sugary reward. I put a skull and crossbones on the bottle so the kids won't drink it! A couple of recipes are coming later today.
Monday, February 22, 2010
Maximum Heart Rate
The comment about my high heart rate made me begin to wonder about it, too. I'm not using a heart rate monitor and never have; I've always used the talk test and have figured that when my body gives out, I can't breathe, or I want to puke, then that's the limit. But I've been taking my heart rate for the last couple of workouts during the water breaks out of curiosity, and was surprised to find myself reaching nearly 190. Even during the stretch yesterday in the cardio circuit, I was still at 157 bpm at the end of seven minutes.
My resting heart rate has gone from 60 to about 56 in the last three weeks. Because my resting heart rate is low, I assume I am not overtraining. (One of the signs of overtraining is an elevated resting heart rate.) I still wanted to look into what's safe, though, especially considering my medical history.
If you use the typical maximum heart rate equation you always hear about (220 minus age), my absolute maximum would be 187. Therefore, for me, 85% of maximum that denotes the anaerobic threshold would be 159. There is a lot of conflicting information out there about all of this, and it's hard to know whom to believe. Although there are lots of sources that would support the above (that I should stay below 159), there are just as many that say that equation is not applicable to everyone and that it's not even physically possible to reach your maximum heart rate, so there's nothing to worry about.
I e-mailed my boss, the owner of the fitness center where I teach. He's a chiropractic physician and a professional bodybuilder (and a yogi), and I have always considered him the final word on fitness matters. I then walked around with phantom heart pains until I got his response! Good news:
"... HIIT (high-intensity interval training) is cutting-edge aerobic technology. The program you are on is only one of a multitude of ways to do it, but it's obviously working well for you. The formula you mention for estimating maximum heart rate is just that. Your real maximum heart rate is really what you can bring it up to. Therefore, it's impossible for you to have exceeded it. For a healthy person, the higher you can raise your heart rate, the better -- and that's why HIIT improves our aerobic conditioning so well. Keep up the good work and don't listen to any well-meaning critics."
I haven't had any critics, but I guess that means to avoid the same sorts of "experts" who told me not to lift more than 25 pounds while I was pregnant. It seems logical that our bodies would have their own built-in "stoppers," and I'm sure cavemen weren't running around worried about their heart rates while hunting. So, bring on Pure Cardio tomorrow! It's a good thing today is a rest day. I was up most of the night with a child with a screaming, thrashing ear infection whose ear drum ruptured overnight. He and I are both pretty physically worthless today, poor kid.
My resting heart rate has gone from 60 to about 56 in the last three weeks. Because my resting heart rate is low, I assume I am not overtraining. (One of the signs of overtraining is an elevated resting heart rate.) I still wanted to look into what's safe, though, especially considering my medical history.
If you use the typical maximum heart rate equation you always hear about (220 minus age), my absolute maximum would be 187. Therefore, for me, 85% of maximum that denotes the anaerobic threshold would be 159. There is a lot of conflicting information out there about all of this, and it's hard to know whom to believe. Although there are lots of sources that would support the above (that I should stay below 159), there are just as many that say that equation is not applicable to everyone and that it's not even physically possible to reach your maximum heart rate, so there's nothing to worry about.
I e-mailed my boss, the owner of the fitness center where I teach. He's a chiropractic physician and a professional bodybuilder (and a yogi), and I have always considered him the final word on fitness matters. I then walked around with phantom heart pains until I got his response! Good news:
"... HIIT (high-intensity interval training) is cutting-edge aerobic technology. The program you are on is only one of a multitude of ways to do it, but it's obviously working well for you. The formula you mention for estimating maximum heart rate is just that. Your real maximum heart rate is really what you can bring it up to. Therefore, it's impossible for you to have exceeded it. For a healthy person, the higher you can raise your heart rate, the better -- and that's why HIIT improves our aerobic conditioning so well. Keep up the good work and don't listen to any well-meaning critics."
I haven't had any critics, but I guess that means to avoid the same sorts of "experts" who told me not to lift more than 25 pounds while I was pregnant. It seems logical that our bodies would have their own built-in "stoppers," and I'm sure cavemen weren't running around worried about their heart rates while hunting. So, bring on Pure Cardio tomorrow! It's a good thing today is a rest day. I was up most of the night with a child with a screaming, thrashing ear infection whose ear drum ruptured overnight. He and I are both pretty physically worthless today, poor kid.
Day 21: REST DAY
For the record, I rested. I have lots of say about heart rate, though, in the upcoming post. Side note, though... I am STARVING. Insanity decreased my appetite for quite awhile but it seems to be back with a vengeance. And strangely enough, I've been eating more lately, anyway. I think I've probably been eating about 1,900 calories. And, I think it's too much. My formerly loosening pants have tightened back up a bit over the last couple of days. Not sure what to make of it all.
Sunday, February 21, 2010
Recipe: Chai Oatmeal
A few days ago I posted about the fitness benefits of Indian spices according to none other than Beach Body. Some people don't like Indian food but almost everybody loves chai, so here's a great anti-inflammatory, thermogenic breakfast idea for you!
CHAI OATMEAL
1/3 cup oats (adjust depending on your needs... oatmeal-to-liquid ratio is 1:2)*
1/3 cup skim milk or vanilla almond/soy milk
1/3 cup water
1/4 tsp of each of these: cinnamon, coriander, cardamom, allspice
Generous pinch of each of these: turmeric, nutmeg, black pepper
1-2 TBSP sliced almonds (honey-roasted or glazed are great)
Stevia or agave to taste
Microwave everything for a couple of minutes until done and sprinkle with almonds.
*Sometimes I like to use 1/4 cup oats and 1/4 cup regular Fiber One cereal.
CHAI OATMEAL
1/3 cup oats (adjust depending on your needs... oatmeal-to-liquid ratio is 1:2)*
1/3 cup skim milk or vanilla almond/soy milk
1/3 cup water
1/4 tsp of each of these: cinnamon, coriander, cardamom, allspice
Generous pinch of each of these: turmeric, nutmeg, black pepper
1-2 TBSP sliced almonds (honey-roasted or glazed are great)
Stevia or agave to taste
Microwave everything for a couple of minutes until done and sprinkle with almonds.
*Sometimes I like to use 1/4 cup oats and 1/4 cup regular Fiber One cereal.
Day 20: PLYO CARDIO CIRCUIT
I FEEL LIKE A MILLION BUCKS!! My joints and muscles feel great. Week three is done. One more week of the month 1 rotation! I'm going to miss them. I have really gotten to like these (well, at least the cardio circuit and power/resistance). I love the length, the sequencing, everything. When I'm done with Insanity, I can't wait to come up with my own Insanity and yoga rotation, including the extra routines (Upper Body Weights, et al.).
I can see keeping up with this style of intense workout, even though I've been strictly a yogi for years. I'm smarter about it now than in my fateful early 20s as far as my joint health goes, and I'm so enjoying the sheer athletic performance and sense of accomplishment from doing something so tough. If nothing else, my standards of what constitutes an intense workout have definitely changed.
Day six of each week is always tough, although I felt less worn out today than usual. Still, this one was extremely hard and I found myself wondering why I have always considered it the easiest of the month one routines (besides Cardio Recovery). It most certainly is not, and in looking around the Web a bit I've seen that people with calorimeters report burning a lot more calories with this one than with Cardio Power and Resistance. I still seem to be taking breaks at the same spots and of the same length, but I did notice my speed is much faster and my knees much higher. I would love to be able to compare my form and power now to what it was three weeks ago. So I'm trying not to get hung up on the necessary breaks and modifications. I ordered a nice heart rate monitor for myself, as well. Another observation on the cardio circuit: my heart rate stays in the high aerobic zone even through the stretching. It was about 157 at the end of the stretch today. I took my pulse rate a few times during the water breaks, too, and it seems to hover in the 170s. At one point today, it was 188!
Scale weight is the other thing I'm trying not to get hung up on. While I dropped a few pounds quickly the first couple of weeks, I'm now only about a pound or two below where I started. However, the clothes are telling a different story. I would imagine all that lower-body muscle you have to put on to get through the plyos is heavy indeed.
No crazy cooking today, although I did create a great breakfast granola using the low-cal granola recipe I posted the other day but adding an extra 1/4 cup of high-protein, high-fiber cereal to it (Kashi) and an extra 1/2 TBSP of Cary's syrup. With the milk this gives you about 13 grams of protein and 250 calories. For lunch I had a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, a light cheese stick, and baby carrots.
Ah, rest day, here I come. I love the week's end because I polish off my recovery drink, wash all the bottles, wash my mat, wash all my clothes, and put them away. It makes it feel like even more of a success.
I can see keeping up with this style of intense workout, even though I've been strictly a yogi for years. I'm smarter about it now than in my fateful early 20s as far as my joint health goes, and I'm so enjoying the sheer athletic performance and sense of accomplishment from doing something so tough. If nothing else, my standards of what constitutes an intense workout have definitely changed.
Day six of each week is always tough, although I felt less worn out today than usual. Still, this one was extremely hard and I found myself wondering why I have always considered it the easiest of the month one routines (besides Cardio Recovery). It most certainly is not, and in looking around the Web a bit I've seen that people with calorimeters report burning a lot more calories with this one than with Cardio Power and Resistance. I still seem to be taking breaks at the same spots and of the same length, but I did notice my speed is much faster and my knees much higher. I would love to be able to compare my form and power now to what it was three weeks ago. So I'm trying not to get hung up on the necessary breaks and modifications. I ordered a nice heart rate monitor for myself, as well. Another observation on the cardio circuit: my heart rate stays in the high aerobic zone even through the stretching. It was about 157 at the end of the stretch today. I took my pulse rate a few times during the water breaks, too, and it seems to hover in the 170s. At one point today, it was 188!
Scale weight is the other thing I'm trying not to get hung up on. While I dropped a few pounds quickly the first couple of weeks, I'm now only about a pound or two below where I started. However, the clothes are telling a different story. I would imagine all that lower-body muscle you have to put on to get through the plyos is heavy indeed.
No crazy cooking today, although I did create a great breakfast granola using the low-cal granola recipe I posted the other day but adding an extra 1/4 cup of high-protein, high-fiber cereal to it (Kashi) and an extra 1/2 TBSP of Cary's syrup. With the milk this gives you about 13 grams of protein and 250 calories. For lunch I had a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, a light cheese stick, and baby carrots.
Ah, rest day, here I come. I love the week's end because I polish off my recovery drink, wash all the bottles, wash my mat, wash all my clothes, and put them away. It makes it feel like even more of a success.
Saturday, February 20, 2010
Day 19: CARDIO POWER AND RESISTANCE
Day 19! One more day and I'll be on to week four. It's passed really quickly and dare I say I'm really enjoying it? I was actually looking forward to this one today, and despite feeling lethargic during the warmup, I ended up doing better than I have in the past with this one, completing more repetitions and resting much less. Typically I feel near death midway through the last circuit, and this time I was still going strong. I think the yoga I added yesterday probably helped my performance today, too. So that's my encouragement for the day for you -- just because you're feeling tired during the warmup doesn't mean you're not going to rise to the occasion once you're warm and stretched. Keep going! Here's another motivating idea. Go to YouTube before your workout and enter, say, "Insanity Day 19," and you'll get video diaries by people at your exact spot.
I should add that while having company last night, the bottle of red wine broke out. I am not a drinker and haven't had a sip since I began Insanity -- I'm also supposed to keep it to a very occasional glass because of the medication I'm taking. But last night I had a very generous glass-and-a-half of red wine with dinner. I was careful to drink several glasses of water before I went to bed and was concerned about how it would affect the workout today, but it was fine. I'm certainly not recommending it, but am relieved it wasn't a big deal.
I should add that while having company last night, the bottle of red wine broke out. I am not a drinker and haven't had a sip since I began Insanity -- I'm also supposed to keep it to a very occasional glass because of the medication I'm taking. But last night I had a very generous glass-and-a-half of red wine with dinner. I was careful to drink several glasses of water before I went to bed and was concerned about how it would affect the workout today, but it was fine. I'm certainly not recommending it, but am relieved it wasn't a big deal.
Indian Food Burns Fat, And Does Other Things Too
Team BeachBody says so. So bring on the curries. I found this on their site:
"Curry powder: This complex spice mixture, which contains such ingredients as turmeric, ginger, cumin, and coriander, was created as a shortcut for preparing Indian food. While each of the spices can provide a small metabolic boost on its own, they may burn fat even better when used together. Turmeric itself has a variety of healthful properties, and shows promise as a potent anti-inflammatory agent that can help relieve joint pain and post-exercise muscle soreness.
Hot sauce/red pepper: The active ingredient in hot peppers, capsaicin, creates thermogenesis; that is, it temporarily turns up your body's thermostat. Studies have shown that people who eat pepper-laced food get a small metabolic boost, and burn more fat, for up to half an hour afterward. Hot food also makes you feel full more quickly, so you're likely to eat less.
Cinnamon: This common spice has been found in several studies to help improve insulin sensitivity and regulate blood sugar, so it helps prevent the spikes and dips that can cause food cravings. This effect may be due to healthful antioxidant chemicals known as polyphenols."
This supports what I know through study of ayurveda, or Indian holistic medicine. Spicy food is rajasic, or excites the nervous system (not great for meditation, but good for revving yourself up physically). Vinegar is also in that category. Also, I have used turmeric before for its anti-inflammatory properties but never made the connection between that and recovery from intense sport drills.
"Curry powder: This complex spice mixture, which contains such ingredients as turmeric, ginger, cumin, and coriander, was created as a shortcut for preparing Indian food. While each of the spices can provide a small metabolic boost on its own, they may burn fat even better when used together. Turmeric itself has a variety of healthful properties, and shows promise as a potent anti-inflammatory agent that can help relieve joint pain and post-exercise muscle soreness.
Hot sauce/red pepper: The active ingredient in hot peppers, capsaicin, creates thermogenesis; that is, it temporarily turns up your body's thermostat. Studies have shown that people who eat pepper-laced food get a small metabolic boost, and burn more fat, for up to half an hour afterward. Hot food also makes you feel full more quickly, so you're likely to eat less.
Cinnamon: This common spice has been found in several studies to help improve insulin sensitivity and regulate blood sugar, so it helps prevent the spikes and dips that can cause food cravings. This effect may be due to healthful antioxidant chemicals known as polyphenols."
This supports what I know through study of ayurveda, or Indian holistic medicine. Spicy food is rajasic, or excites the nervous system (not great for meditation, but good for revving yourself up physically). Vinegar is also in that category. Also, I have used turmeric before for its anti-inflammatory properties but never made the connection between that and recovery from intense sport drills.
Friday, February 19, 2010
Day 18: CARDIO RECOVERY (Recipe: Low-Cal Granola)
I'll keep doing these as written. But I added about 35 minutes of yoga afterward and it was probably the most enjoyable yoga in recent memory. I did Eoin Finn's "Shoulder High" routine from his Power Yoga for Happiness 2 set. I highly recommend Eoin and anything he has done. Specifically, my shoulders, hips, and lower back were in desperate need of some decompression and this was perfect.
"Gym-style" exercise, especially something along the lines of Insanity, creates huge compressive forces in your lower back and joints in general, and it becomes even more important to bring space back in. I have noticed that by the end of each week, I start feeling a little overworked and tight in spots. Also, while Insanity has been great for lengthening hamstrings, some hip angles, and inner thigh; I find that my shoulders, outer hips, and lower back have lost flexibility. I'm going to add in this yoga routine after Cardio Power and Resistance tomorrow, too (since it's only 38 minutes) and see how it affects the way I feel by the end of the week.
I'm trying to clean the diet back up, and I'm having my cousin over for healthy pad thai tonight (Cooking Light has a great vegetarian version) and coconut green beans. Great day so far... pumpkin oatmeal for breakfast. For lunch, I had a green monster as written below but with a full scoop of protein powder and with white peaches and honeydew added, sockeye salmon salad on a Oroweat sandwich thin, and a bowl of low-calorie granola as written below with almond milk. This is an excellent snack or a great part of one of your mini-meals:
BOWL OF AWESOME LOW-CAL GRANOLA
(makes one serving)
1/2 cup whole-grain puffed cereal (like brown rice or kamut)
1/4 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup chopped freeze-dried apples*
Dash cinnamon
1 1/2 TBSP light or sugar-free pancake syrup
Almond milk or skim milk (optional)
Preheat oven to 300. Mix the cereal, oats, cinnamon, and syrup together and blend well. Spread the mixture onto a sprayed baking sheet and bake for about 15-20 minutes until crisp. Stir in freeze-dried apples. Eat plain or serve with your favorite milk. Not counting the milk:
165-175 calories, 1.5 g fat, 4 g fiber, 5 g protein
*Freeze-dried fruit and regular dried fruit are very different. Look for the airy, crispy kind.
"Gym-style" exercise, especially something along the lines of Insanity, creates huge compressive forces in your lower back and joints in general, and it becomes even more important to bring space back in. I have noticed that by the end of each week, I start feeling a little overworked and tight in spots. Also, while Insanity has been great for lengthening hamstrings, some hip angles, and inner thigh; I find that my shoulders, outer hips, and lower back have lost flexibility. I'm going to add in this yoga routine after Cardio Power and Resistance tomorrow, too (since it's only 38 minutes) and see how it affects the way I feel by the end of the week.
I'm trying to clean the diet back up, and I'm having my cousin over for healthy pad thai tonight (Cooking Light has a great vegetarian version) and coconut green beans. Great day so far... pumpkin oatmeal for breakfast. For lunch, I had a green monster as written below but with a full scoop of protein powder and with white peaches and honeydew added, sockeye salmon salad on a Oroweat sandwich thin, and a bowl of low-calorie granola as written below with almond milk. This is an excellent snack or a great part of one of your mini-meals:
BOWL OF AWESOME LOW-CAL GRANOLA
(makes one serving)
1/2 cup whole-grain puffed cereal (like brown rice or kamut)
1/4 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup chopped freeze-dried apples*
Dash cinnamon
1 1/2 TBSP light or sugar-free pancake syrup
Almond milk or skim milk (optional)
Preheat oven to 300. Mix the cereal, oats, cinnamon, and syrup together and blend well. Spread the mixture onto a sprayed baking sheet and bake for about 15-20 minutes until crisp. Stir in freeze-dried apples. Eat plain or serve with your favorite milk. Not counting the milk:
165-175 calories, 1.5 g fat, 4 g fiber, 5 g protein
*Freeze-dried fruit and regular dried fruit are very different. Look for the airy, crispy kind.
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Day 17: PURE CARDIO/CARDIO ABS
Bad start today. Last night found me on the couch again with potato chips, Red Hots, and a bronzed poolboy. Or at least two out of three. Baffling self-sabotage after my great fit test results and belly photos from yesterday that show actual progress. Then I couldn't sleep well. I woke up this morning with extremely sore hamstrings from who-knows-what. I carried my six-year-old son up the stairs this morning and my legs literally felt so weak I started getting this giddy feeling and had to sit down. I don't know what brought that on. As I started Pure Cardio, I thought I truly was not going to make it through as I felt that giddy feeling in my legs again during the first few minutes of the warmup.
But then the Insanity magic happened somehow. First of all, when he said to "act like you're holding potato chips between your fingers," I felt a little surge of amusing guilt. And then all my motivating factors kicked in. It went better than I expected and I even made it a little farther into the 15-minute hell-block before taking a rest (to the end of the power jacks). I still need at least three 30-second rests during Pure Cardio and a few modifications, but today I am happy just to have gotten through it. I also went directly into Cardio Abs without a break. I knew that tomorrow would be a recovery day, so I wanted to make the most of my time.
The participants help a lot. There's my disdain for Tanya, who I think is actually an android with nonmoving parts (sorry, Tanya. I'm sure you're a very nice person but please understand that to make it through this, I need to dislike you a little). I really like Anna because she has my body type: short and stocky. I also like Shanita because she's a powerhouse but seems to be having a truly authentic experience. She rests, she says she wants to leave, and overall comes across as very human. Find someone you identify with somehow and strive to match him or her! New recipe below...
But then the Insanity magic happened somehow. First of all, when he said to "act like you're holding potato chips between your fingers," I felt a little surge of amusing guilt. And then all my motivating factors kicked in. It went better than I expected and I even made it a little farther into the 15-minute hell-block before taking a rest (to the end of the power jacks). I still need at least three 30-second rests during Pure Cardio and a few modifications, but today I am happy just to have gotten through it. I also went directly into Cardio Abs without a break. I knew that tomorrow would be a recovery day, so I wanted to make the most of my time.
The participants help a lot. There's my disdain for Tanya, who I think is actually an android with nonmoving parts (sorry, Tanya. I'm sure you're a very nice person but please understand that to make it through this, I need to dislike you a little). I really like Anna because she has my body type: short and stocky. I also like Shanita because she's a powerhouse but seems to be having a truly authentic experience. She rests, she says she wants to leave, and overall comes across as very human. Find someone you identify with somehow and strive to match him or her! New recipe below...
Recipe: Single Crispy White Pizza
1 large whole-grain tortilla*
1/3 cup lowfat ricotta cheese
1/4 cup chopped or thinly sliced onion
2 TBSP grated parmesan
About 6 fresh basil leaves
3 thinly sliced cherry tomatoes
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/8+ tsp salt
Black pepper
Optional: Extra lowfat mozzarella or Italian blend cheese
Preheat oven to 375. Place tortilla on a sprayed baking sheet and bake about 5 minutes each side until slightly crisped. In a small bowl, mix ricotta, parmesan, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Saute the onions in a sprayed nonstick skillet until lightly browned and stir into cheese mixture. Spread onto the tortilla and top with the tomato slices, basil leaves, and optional extra cheese. Lightly sprinkle the top with more salt, and return to the oven for about 5 minutes.
Calories: 225 (without extra cheese) Protein: 20-30 grams. (Fat and fiber vary depending on what you use.)
*I like La Tortilla Factory 100-calorie large tortillas. They taste great like a regular tortilla. Some high-fiber/low-carb tortillas are really awful, but I highly recommend these. This is adapted from an original Hungry Girl recipe.
1/3 cup lowfat ricotta cheese
1/4 cup chopped or thinly sliced onion
2 TBSP grated parmesan
About 6 fresh basil leaves
3 thinly sliced cherry tomatoes
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/8+ tsp salt
Black pepper
Optional: Extra lowfat mozzarella or Italian blend cheese
Preheat oven to 375. Place tortilla on a sprayed baking sheet and bake about 5 minutes each side until slightly crisped. In a small bowl, mix ricotta, parmesan, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Saute the onions in a sprayed nonstick skillet until lightly browned and stir into cheese mixture. Spread onto the tortilla and top with the tomato slices, basil leaves, and optional extra cheese. Lightly sprinkle the top with more salt, and return to the oven for about 5 minutes.
Calories: 225 (without extra cheese) Protein: 20-30 grams. (Fat and fiber vary depending on what you use.)
*I like La Tortilla Factory 100-calorie large tortillas. They taste great like a regular tortilla. Some high-fiber/low-carb tortillas are really awful, but I highly recommend these. This is adapted from an original Hungry Girl recipe.
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Day 16: CARDIO CIRCUIT (and Results, Part 2)
I think I finally fixed the commenting ...? I can't tell for sure and didn't know it wasn't working. Stupid ads.
First, PCC is probably my favorite of the four from month 1, and I was actually looking forward to it today. No soreness today even though I did Insane Abs yesterday and then taught a "fire" flow yoga class last night; I think I'm fully broken-in. I love the mostly aerobic intervals on PCC, especially the ones he tacks on at the end with the flying fists. Usually I get my second wind and pour it on there, but today my steam ran out at the end.
Sean's great month-end photo check-in inspired me to see where I was at mid-week three. Here it is, the belly check. Yes, minor, but noticeable even with having eaten too much salt yesterday. That and my fit test results from yesterday, which I didn't expect to be as improved as they were, have definitely motivated me to keep going and believe that yes, even month 2 will be doable.
Here's my refined recovery drink recipe with a different flavor of juice (slightly less sugar and slightly more salt and adjusted for one quart). Ugh, I realized I made the first batch wrong and added only about half the amount of water I should have, so I was drinking some seriously syrupy stuff. No wonder it was so tasty. For a one-quart bottle (dissolve the salt/sugar in the hot water and then add the rest of the ingredients and shake):
First, PCC is probably my favorite of the four from month 1, and I was actually looking forward to it today. No soreness today even though I did Insane Abs yesterday and then taught a "fire" flow yoga class last night; I think I'm fully broken-in. I love the mostly aerobic intervals on PCC, especially the ones he tacks on at the end with the flying fists. Usually I get my second wind and pour it on there, but today my steam ran out at the end.
Sean's great month-end photo check-in inspired me to see where I was at mid-week three. Here it is, the belly check. Yes, minor, but noticeable even with having eaten too much salt yesterday. That and my fit test results from yesterday, which I didn't expect to be as improved as they were, have definitely motivated me to keep going and believe that yes, even month 2 will be doable.Here's my refined recovery drink recipe with a different flavor of juice (slightly less sugar and slightly more salt and adjusted for one quart). Ugh, I realized I made the first batch wrong and added only about half the amount of water I should have, so I was drinking some seriously syrupy stuff. No wonder it was so tasty. For a one-quart bottle (dissolve the salt/sugar in the hot water and then add the rest of the ingredients and shake):
4 T organic sugar
1/4 tsp sea salt
1/4 cup peach-mango juice (100%)
1/2 scoop vanilla whey protein powder
1/4 cup hot water
3 1/2 cups cold water
(Per 8 oz.: 65 calories, 12.5 g carbohydrate, 116.9 mg sodium, 32.1 mg potassium, 3 g protein)
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
Day 15: FIT TEST 2 (and INSANE ABS)
The day of truth. I felt like an idiot, being all nervous about this fit test when I'm here by myself. The encouraging news if you're new to Insanity is that yes, this fit test is as awful as you think it is and it was just as hard the second time around. I was so tempted to hit "pause" and felt a little queasy a few times. Here are the results:
| Exercise | Day 1 | Day 15 | Percentage increase |
| SWITCH KICKS | 116 | 121 | 4.3% |
| POWER JACKS | 48 | 53 | 10.4% |
| POWER KNEES | 91 | 105 | 15.4% |
| POWER JUMPS | 27 | 33 | 22.2% |
| GLOBE JUMPS | 7 | 10 | 42.9% |
| SUICIDE JUMPS | 17 | 18 | 5.9% |
| PUSHUP JACKS | 20 | 24 | 20% |
| LOW PLANK OBLIQUE | 75 | 74 | -1.3% |
Overall, that is an average of 14.98% improvement! I am pleased. Even better, my biggest improvement was in the areas I hate most: the hardest plyos. Here is what else I notice results-wise as I begin my third week:
- My skin looks fabulous. Increased blood flow? More water? Who knows.
- Lower blood pressure. I believe my resting heart rate is about the same, but my average BP is about 100/65 or slightly lower. I had mine tested in the doctor's office Friday and even though I was stressed out because I'd just had a bad blood test result monitoring my medication, my BP was 90/60.
- Big change in muscle tone in my shoulders. My shoulders were strong before, but they've increased in size and definition. I can see the little ripply vertical "fingers" a lot better, and the "heart tip" where they attach to the upper arm.
- My formerly too-tight pants are for the most part now comfortable enough to wear. I'm wearing jeans I haven't worn in many months. I'm guessing I've lost 1/2" off my waist at least, but that's just a guess. I can see muscle definition on my hips, and I couldn't before. My belly is definitely tighter.
- I was a good sleeper before, but now I sleep even more soundly. And eight hours is a must and almost involuntary. I only slept seven last night; not great before the fit test, and I'm feeling it. Just couldn't pry my glassy eyeballs away from the Olympics.
- I'm a high-energy person with some nervous energy, and yoga alleviates that for me as does Insanity, but for totally different reasons. Insanity sucks every last little bit of everything out of me. Plus, I'm so focused on just getting through the workout each day that other little things are bothering me a lot less. I feel like I can take on pretty much anything.
I decided the Fit Test wasn't enough for one day and I've been curious about Insane Abs, so I did it as well. I hate this routine, and I probably didn't give 100% to it for the first time since I started. I even had to modify in the warmup, I was so spent. It's longer than Cardio Abs -- about 33 minutes. After two circuits for the warmup (including power jumps and tuck jumps, which I hate most), you spend the rest of the time on the floor. It's much harder than Cardio Abs, although I do like some of the exercises he throws in that require a lot more balance and smooth transitions, such as coming to a plank on the elbows and lifting the leg and opposite arm straight out, and going back and forth.
I don't know if I'll do this one again until the rotation is over and I go back to creating my own workout plan. Then I can see throwing these in occasionally, but right now it's hard to envision tacking this one on after the Max workouts in month 2. Maybe my view will change.
Monday, February 15, 2010
Day 14: REST DAY (and Green Monster recipe)
I slept 9+ hours last night in preparation for my big day watching the Olympics (again). The diet hasn't been so great the past two days, so I need to clean it up today so I'm ready for the fit test tomorrow.
For today, here is a fantastic smoothie recipe that sounds completely insane, but what better place for that? A green monster is a banana protein shake that is full of fresh spinach. It is bright green. Wait, stick with me on this. You don't taste the spinach, at all. Google it and you'll find tons of variations. This is not only loaded with about 30 grams of protein, but also with three-plus servings of fresh produce. In blender:
GREEN MONSTER
1/2 cup skim milk, or vanilla almond/soy milk*
1 peeled banana (frozen banana also works great)
1 scoop vanilla whey protein powder
Sweetener to taste (I use about 10 drops liquid stevia**)
splash of vanilla extract
1 1/2 to 2 cups fresh spinach leaves
a few ice cubes and extra water if needed
Optional:
1 TBSP flax seeds (optional)
1 TBSP vanilla or banana instant pudding mix (adds extra thickness and flavor)
Notes:
*Soymilk and regular skim milk are high in protein, but almond milk is not -- it has only 1 gram per cup. Still, it's tasty and a good source of vitamin E, and I use it a lot. The choice here depends on your nutritional requirements.
**Stevia is a sub for sugar, but it is not "fake sugar." Stevia is a naturally sweet herb and it is calorie-free. Liquid stevia is great because it takes just a few drops and a bottle lasts forever. It's also great for flavoring things like yogurt. If you use powdered stevia, I recommend the brand Truvia. If you aren't concerned about using sugar, I recommend agave nectar. It is more liquidy than honey and will blend better. It also is low on the glycemic index.
Enjoy! Tomorrow: results so far.
(Image from "Iowa Girl Eats." Great blog with awesome photos.)
Sunday, February 14, 2010
Day 13: PURE CARDIO/CARDIO ABS
Today was the first today I was actually scheduled to do Cardio Abs, but I think I've done it three times already. This combo is 55 minutes of working out, but's doable because you get a break in between and because Cardio Abs is mostly seated (although you have to do those two dreaded sets of power jumps and tuck jumps first). It's probably a good sneak peek of month 2, however. Scheduling this on the sixth day was evil. But I motivated myself through it by thinking of it as training for the fit test coming up the day after tomorrow.
On a sour note, one of my knees has felt the slightest bit twingy since yesterday. I mostly feel it when walking up the stairs and it's very subtle, but there. Also, my lower back feels a little "off." I have occasional lower back pain due to an unstable sacroiliac joint. (Ladies, if you have low back pain, this is a very likely cause, especially if you've ever had children and/or have some natural flexibility.) I spent some time last night stretching, in particular sitting in hero (sitting between the heels), internal hip rotation that also gently stretches the inner knee as long as you're open enough to sit safely in the posture. I also spent time opening my hips, as tight hips often pull on the knees and lead to knee pain. In fact, tightness at a specific joint location can lead to dysfunction two joints away!
The other thing I do to pop my sacrum back into place if it's out is to wrap a yoga strap around my ankles so my legs are hip-width, lie on my stomach, and lift my legs and chest while pressing strongly outward against the strap. If your sacrum is misaligned, you'll feel a gentle pop and like magic, the sore lower back disappears. I did that today before the workout, and now, a couple of hours later, both my lower back and my knees feel fine. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that careful application of yoga will keep my joints in working order. I can't practice yoga in the way I usually do as I'll overtrain -- but therapeutic yoga is going to be a must. I hope some of my tips can help some of you as well.
Done with week 2! I'm one-fourth of the way there! Now I can spend the rest of the day relaxing on the couch watching the Winter Olympics (we uber-northerners love our snow sports) and enjoying V-day dinner. Tomorrow, another Epsom Salt bath and some more therapeutic yoga. I feel pretty great right now.
Oh, I don't recommend hemp protein as a supplement. You get only half the protein for the same number of calories as whey, and it also tastes like ground-up rope with a dash of nutty hay mixed in. Feh!
On a sour note, one of my knees has felt the slightest bit twingy since yesterday. I mostly feel it when walking up the stairs and it's very subtle, but there. Also, my lower back feels a little "off." I have occasional lower back pain due to an unstable sacroiliac joint. (Ladies, if you have low back pain, this is a very likely cause, especially if you've ever had children and/or have some natural flexibility.) I spent some time last night stretching, in particular sitting in hero (sitting between the heels), internal hip rotation that also gently stretches the inner knee as long as you're open enough to sit safely in the posture. I also spent time opening my hips, as tight hips often pull on the knees and lead to knee pain. In fact, tightness at a specific joint location can lead to dysfunction two joints away!
The other thing I do to pop my sacrum back into place if it's out is to wrap a yoga strap around my ankles so my legs are hip-width, lie on my stomach, and lift my legs and chest while pressing strongly outward against the strap. If your sacrum is misaligned, you'll feel a gentle pop and like magic, the sore lower back disappears. I did that today before the workout, and now, a couple of hours later, both my lower back and my knees feel fine. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that careful application of yoga will keep my joints in working order. I can't practice yoga in the way I usually do as I'll overtrain -- but therapeutic yoga is going to be a must. I hope some of my tips can help some of you as well.
Done with week 2! I'm one-fourth of the way there! Now I can spend the rest of the day relaxing on the couch watching the Winter Olympics (we uber-northerners love our snow sports) and enjoying V-day dinner. Tomorrow, another Epsom Salt bath and some more therapeutic yoga. I feel pretty great right now.
Oh, I don't recommend hemp protein as a supplement. You get only half the protein for the same number of calories as whey, and it also tastes like ground-up rope with a dash of nutty hay mixed in. Feh!
Saturday, February 13, 2010
Valentine's Day and the Chocolate Monster
You can probably tell by now I'm a bit of a foodie. I like to cook, and I also know my weaknesses. I'm doing great with the healthy eating overall and can turn down a bowl of creamy pasta any day, but if you stick a box of, say, Cap'n Crunch under my nose, I'm wiggling like an excited puppy. Darn sugar and chocolate. So what to do tomorrow? I always make a special Valentine's Day dinner for my family, and this is where my good friends at Cooking Light come in.
The menu for tomorrow, which won't blow anyone's eating plan: Shrimp scampi over whole-wheat pasta, mixed baby greens salad with chopped veggies, and Mocha-Chocolate Pudding Cake with light ice cream (recipe below). I guarantee no one in my family will feel they've been stiffed, either.
Valentine's Day also usually involves chocolates in heart-shaped boxes, and by that I mean I get one for myself. A big one. And it has to be heart-shaped, because with any other shape of box, the candy doesn't taste as good. No heart-shaped box this year. I know it will render me completely useless in the face of Pure Cardio/Cardio Abs.
MOCHA-CHOCOLATE PUDDING CAKE
This can be in the oven in less than 10 minutes, and it bakes with its own pudding layer on the bottom. This makes four small servings.
1/4 cup + 2 TBSP sugar
1 TBSP butter
1/4 cup milk
1 TBSP brewed coffee, Kahlua, or water
1/2 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
2 TBSP unsweetened cocoa powder
3/4 tsp baking powder
pinch of salt
Cooking spray
Whipped cream or low-fat ice cream
--------------------
1/3 cup sugar
2 TBSP unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp instant espresso or coffee granules
1/2 cup plus 2 TBSP boiling water
Preheat oven to 350 and grease a small baking pan, around 6X9". Melt the butter in a glass bowl and mix in the 1/4 cup plus 2 TBSP sugar. Add milk and liqueur or coffee, beat well. In a small bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, 2 TBSP cocoa, and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients gradually and stir until well-blended. Spoon the batter evenly into the greased pan.
In a separate bowl, combine the 1/3 cup sugar, 2 TBSP cocoa powder, and teaspoon of espresso powder. Sprinkle over the top of the batter and pour the boiling water over batter. Do NOT stir. Bake for about 20 minutes until the middle just barely springs back when touched. The pudding will be bubbling up around the edges. Invert servings into bowls and top with whipped cream or ice cream.
Nutritional information (minus ice cream): About 275 calories, 3.6 g fat, 5 g protein, 55 g carbohydrate
The menu for tomorrow, which won't blow anyone's eating plan: Shrimp scampi over whole-wheat pasta, mixed baby greens salad with chopped veggies, and Mocha-Chocolate Pudding Cake with light ice cream (recipe below). I guarantee no one in my family will feel they've been stiffed, either.
Valentine's Day also usually involves chocolates in heart-shaped boxes, and by that I mean I get one for myself. A big one. And it has to be heart-shaped, because with any other shape of box, the candy doesn't taste as good. No heart-shaped box this year. I know it will render me completely useless in the face of Pure Cardio/Cardio Abs.
MOCHA-CHOCOLATE PUDDING CAKE
This can be in the oven in less than 10 minutes, and it bakes with its own pudding layer on the bottom. This makes four small servings.
1/4 cup + 2 TBSP sugar
1 TBSP butter
1/4 cup milk
1 TBSP brewed coffee, Kahlua, or water
1/2 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
2 TBSP unsweetened cocoa powder
3/4 tsp baking powder
pinch of salt
Cooking spray
Whipped cream or low-fat ice cream
--------------------
1/3 cup sugar
2 TBSP unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp instant espresso or coffee granules
1/2 cup plus 2 TBSP boiling water
Preheat oven to 350 and grease a small baking pan, around 6X9". Melt the butter in a glass bowl and mix in the 1/4 cup plus 2 TBSP sugar. Add milk and liqueur or coffee, beat well. In a small bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, 2 TBSP cocoa, and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients gradually and stir until well-blended. Spoon the batter evenly into the greased pan.
In a separate bowl, combine the 1/3 cup sugar, 2 TBSP cocoa powder, and teaspoon of espresso powder. Sprinkle over the top of the batter and pour the boiling water over batter. Do NOT stir. Bake for about 20 minutes until the middle just barely springs back when touched. The pudding will be bubbling up around the edges. Invert servings into bowls and top with whipped cream or ice cream.
Nutritional information (minus ice cream): About 275 calories, 3.6 g fat, 5 g protein, 55 g carbohydrate
Day 12: CARDIO POWER AND RESISTANCE
Man, I loathe Tanya. I want to sucker-punch her, with all of those goofy facial expressions. None of the other participants bug me in the least but her. But it motivates me, you know? I have to beat Tanya, 'cause she sucks.
Last night found me alone on the couch with a box of Cap'n Crunch, and I'm sorry to report that there were indecent acts, and not just in the second or third degree.
Regardless, morning came and so did the death train that is Cardio Power and Resistance. Well, this one hasn't gotten any easier and I'm sure last night didn't help. I did fairly well, though; about like last time. The warmups are luckily starting to feel like warmups. My power jumps have gotten a little higher and faster, which is good. The globe jumps also aren't as intimidating. The walking pushups are about the point where I start to lose it, though, and I find my buns creeping up in the air during the floor sprints. I'm probably "getting mine," because I'm forever walking around to my yoga students during class and telling them to lower their buns and engage their uddiyana bandha (In Shaun-speak, engage the core) while in plank position.
I have some delicious cabbage kofta waiting for me as soon as I can down the rest of this recovery drink and take a shower. I have found myself gloriously alone all day on a Saturday, as the rest of the family is skiing. And now that I've served my time for the day, I'm a free woman. By the way, cabbage kofta: Baked dumplings made of shredded cabbage, besan [chickpea flour], fresh cilantro, oil, and spices simmered in a tomato-based creamy curry sauce. I love the cooking videos on Manjula's Kitchen (Indian vegetarian).
Last night found me alone on the couch with a box of Cap'n Crunch, and I'm sorry to report that there were indecent acts, and not just in the second or third degree.
Regardless, morning came and so did the death train that is Cardio Power and Resistance. Well, this one hasn't gotten any easier and I'm sure last night didn't help. I did fairly well, though; about like last time. The warmups are luckily starting to feel like warmups. My power jumps have gotten a little higher and faster, which is good. The globe jumps also aren't as intimidating. The walking pushups are about the point where I start to lose it, though, and I find my buns creeping up in the air during the floor sprints. I'm probably "getting mine," because I'm forever walking around to my yoga students during class and telling them to lower their buns and engage their uddiyana bandha (In Shaun-speak, engage the core) while in plank position.
I have some delicious cabbage kofta waiting for me as soon as I can down the rest of this recovery drink and take a shower. I have found myself gloriously alone all day on a Saturday, as the rest of the family is skiing. And now that I've served my time for the day, I'm a free woman. By the way, cabbage kofta: Baked dumplings made of shredded cabbage, besan [chickpea flour], fresh cilantro, oil, and spices simmered in a tomato-based creamy curry sauce. I love the cooking videos on Manjula's Kitchen (Indian vegetarian).
Friday, February 12, 2010
Day 11: CARDIO RECOVERY
Another nice break. I do like the slow strength-building aspects of this practice, but a true yoga practice (vigorous) can do it better if you already have one. If not, this is a great introduction to some basic yoga postures with some bodyweight strength fusion.
I find this one does a decent job at opening hip flexors and hamstrings, and for some angles of hip opening (i.e. bringing the knee in and past the line of the torso). However, it doesn't adequately stretch the quadriceps (internal hip rotation), deep muscles of the hips (external rotation), the chest/front of shoulders, or give equal balance to spinal flexion and extension. That means it needs some backbending to balance out all the forward bends and spinal rounding. Note that those two things are different. Forward bends are bends at the hips where the spine is long and neutral.
If you're familiar with yoga, I highly recommend adding something like supine hero (supta virasana), pigeon (eka pada rajakapotasana), and some basic backbends like cobra (bhujangasana) with a few gentle spinal twists to finish.
My energy felt back to normal yesterday and I went to bed at a normal time without feeling exhausted. I think that energy drink boost was what I needed. I finally feel like I've worked out all the kinks of adjusting to the first month of Insanity. I know I'll need to re-evaluate everything when month 2 hits. But today I felt like I could have taken on another full-on day and put off recovery until tomorrow!
I find this one does a decent job at opening hip flexors and hamstrings, and for some angles of hip opening (i.e. bringing the knee in and past the line of the torso). However, it doesn't adequately stretch the quadriceps (internal hip rotation), deep muscles of the hips (external rotation), the chest/front of shoulders, or give equal balance to spinal flexion and extension. That means it needs some backbending to balance out all the forward bends and spinal rounding. Note that those two things are different. Forward bends are bends at the hips where the spine is long and neutral.
If you're familiar with yoga, I highly recommend adding something like supine hero (supta virasana), pigeon (eka pada rajakapotasana), and some basic backbends like cobra (bhujangasana) with a few gentle spinal twists to finish.
My energy felt back to normal yesterday and I went to bed at a normal time without feeling exhausted. I think that energy drink boost was what I needed. I finally feel like I've worked out all the kinks of adjusting to the first month of Insanity. I know I'll need to re-evaluate everything when month 2 hits. But today I felt like I could have taken on another full-on day and put off recovery until tomorrow!
Thursday, February 11, 2010
A little scared of month 2
I previewed the month 2 workouts today and I'm quaking in my boots. First, I didn't realize how much longer they are. When Shaun says "about 45 minutes," what he means is 60. They look incredibly hard, and in searching the Web for other Insanity blogs, I notice there is a serious lack of bloggers who have actually made it that far. On the plus side, some of the exercises look a lot more fun. These routines do get a little repetitive. As long as my joints are OK, I'll see it through. I imagine by the end of month 1, you're ready for these, but I'm intimidated to find out that what I'm doing is basically the beginner's version of Insanity and is just preparing you physically for the real Insanity that is month 2.
Exhaustion and Recovery Drinks
I have been exhausted every day since beginning Insanity, peaking around 3 p.m. (the usual slump time anyway) when I feel the irresistable urge to take a nap. I also fall asleep sooner than I intend in the evenings. I'm re-evaluating my former comments on diet. I'm getting enough sleep (ha! Can't help it.) so in addition to watching my water intake carefully, I clearly need a recovery drink. I'm forcing myself to eat lunch after Insanity but it usually comes more than an hour later and even after I eat lunch, I'm pooped. I know that there's no way I'm going to get through month 2 without restoring my energy levels and productivity, as much as I hate to drink sugar post-workout, and I don't think it's from not eating enough. I'm also not going to spend the money on the official Beach Body recovery formula.
I’ve done some research on the Beach Body Rest and Recovery Formula, what’s in it, and how to make something similar, low-calorie, and low-cost at home. Good news. After lots of reading on various sites for performance athletes, here’s a recipe that provides nearly exactly the 4:1 ratio of carbohydrate to protein that’s in their drink, as well as lost sodium and potassium. Other good news… it is damn tasty. Today, I drank it less than half an hour after finishing the workout. This recipe makes 2 liters (8 servings). Each serving is 1 cup. Shake everything up in a large water bottle. (By the way, I notice the Rest and Recovery Formula serving is bigger, at about 220 calories. You could drink more than 8 ounces to bring it to that, of course, but I am starting with 8 ounces as recommended on this site I found for endurance cyclists. Perhaps next month I will need more.)
Calories: About 75
Carbohydrate: About 14.4 g
Sodium: 104 mg
Potassium: 28.4 mg
Protein: About 3 g
½ cup orange juice or blend of 100% juice
1 scoop vanilla whey protein powder
3/8 tsp salt
9 TBSP sugar
Water to make 2 liters
Here's a link to the cycling performance site with a full list of homemade energy bars and drinks, plus variations. I added the protein powder, as Beach Body says that 4:1 ratio improves recovery 25% more than an energy drink alone.
Hey, good news. It's 3:04 p.m. right now and I feel normal. I even went for a walk with a friend before lunch less than an hour after the workout. I don't feel like sleeping. So, I think this is what was missing. I'll stick with 8 ounces of my homemade recovery formula each day until I need to re-evaluate (skipping it on Cardio Recovery day, of course).
Some great vegetarian recipes and snack ideas coming soon!
I’ve done some research on the Beach Body Rest and Recovery Formula, what’s in it, and how to make something similar, low-calorie, and low-cost at home. Good news. After lots of reading on various sites for performance athletes, here’s a recipe that provides nearly exactly the 4:1 ratio of carbohydrate to protein that’s in their drink, as well as lost sodium and potassium. Other good news… it is damn tasty. Today, I drank it less than half an hour after finishing the workout. This recipe makes 2 liters (8 servings). Each serving is 1 cup. Shake everything up in a large water bottle. (By the way, I notice the Rest and Recovery Formula serving is bigger, at about 220 calories. You could drink more than 8 ounces to bring it to that, of course, but I am starting with 8 ounces as recommended on this site I found for endurance cyclists. Perhaps next month I will need more.)
Calories: About 75
Carbohydrate: About 14.4 g
Sodium: 104 mg
Potassium: 28.4 mg
Protein: About 3 g
½ cup orange juice or blend of 100% juice
1 scoop vanilla whey protein powder
3/8 tsp salt
9 TBSP sugar
Water to make 2 liters
Here's a link to the cycling performance site with a full list of homemade energy bars and drinks, plus variations. I added the protein powder, as Beach Body says that 4:1 ratio improves recovery 25% more than an energy drink alone.
Hey, good news. It's 3:04 p.m. right now and I feel normal. I even went for a walk with a friend before lunch less than an hour after the workout. I don't feel like sleeping. So, I think this is what was missing. I'll stick with 8 ounces of my homemade recovery formula each day until I need to re-evaluate (skipping it on Cardio Recovery day, of course).
Some great vegetarian recipes and snack ideas coming soon!
Day 10: PLYOMETRIC CARDIO CIRCUIT
This one is feeling familiar. I think that what gets me through any of these is that I have to break it into chunks mentally, and then it’s chewable. That’s how I overcome the dread factor. I see myself as getting through the warmup only. Then I know a couple of water breaks and a stretch are coming. After the stretch I’m rested and ready, and I know that I get breaks after 3-4 minutes. So I look at each little chunk as its own separate workout and don’t worry about what comes after. Then I find myself ready when it’s time.
I was feeling great this morning and had lots of steam for the warmup through the end of the first circuit, or pretty close. I even felt like I was able to add extra umph to some of the exercises. I lost steam, though, and modified lots through the last 10 minutes at least. I still probably did better overall than I did the last time I did this routine, and certainly better than I did yesterday. I think I might have slightly pulled a groin muscle, though. Darnit. My digestive system feels better today so I didn’t have the heavy feeling, and I motivated myself by wearing my hot pink yoga pants that I so love. The color somehow made me push harder.
One thing I hate about this is having to wear two bras, though. I might have to spend some money at Title 9 and get a decent sports bra. Amazingly, my oldish cross trainers are doing extremely well. Last week I had a little bit of pain in one of my arches at the end of the week, but that’s it. My feet, ankles, and knees feel good. So does my lower back. I have terrible bunions on my feet and I was worried about them too, but no pain whatsoever. So I won’t be replacing my shoes just yet, thankfully.
Tomorrow is cardio recovery day, and I’m so happy. Maybe tomorrow I won’t be exhausted all day. Yesterday I had to take a nap at 3 p.m., despite that I really didn’t have time to do so. It was an overwhelming need. I e-mailed a guy whose Insanity blog I’ve been following who’s a couple of weeks ahead of me to ask about the fatigue, and I’ll post if he gives me any good tips.
I think I will do the Cardio Recovery routine tomorrow as prescribed. I’m continually tempted to replace it with a yoga day which I think would be a lot more effective, but I’ll give it another week at least and re-evaluate. I’ve been doing extra stretching/yoga after each workout and so far I don’t see much loss in flexibility.
I was feeling great this morning and had lots of steam for the warmup through the end of the first circuit, or pretty close. I even felt like I was able to add extra umph to some of the exercises. I lost steam, though, and modified lots through the last 10 minutes at least. I still probably did better overall than I did the last time I did this routine, and certainly better than I did yesterday. I think I might have slightly pulled a groin muscle, though. Darnit. My digestive system feels better today so I didn’t have the heavy feeling, and I motivated myself by wearing my hot pink yoga pants that I so love. The color somehow made me push harder.
One thing I hate about this is having to wear two bras, though. I might have to spend some money at Title 9 and get a decent sports bra. Amazingly, my oldish cross trainers are doing extremely well. Last week I had a little bit of pain in one of my arches at the end of the week, but that’s it. My feet, ankles, and knees feel good. So does my lower back. I have terrible bunions on my feet and I was worried about them too, but no pain whatsoever. So I won’t be replacing my shoes just yet, thankfully.
Tomorrow is cardio recovery day, and I’m so happy. Maybe tomorrow I won’t be exhausted all day. Yesterday I had to take a nap at 3 p.m., despite that I really didn’t have time to do so. It was an overwhelming need. I e-mailed a guy whose Insanity blog I’ve been following who’s a couple of weeks ahead of me to ask about the fatigue, and I’ll post if he gives me any good tips.
I think I will do the Cardio Recovery routine tomorrow as prescribed. I’m continually tempted to replace it with a yoga day which I think would be a lot more effective, but I’ll give it another week at least and re-evaluate. I’ve been doing extra stretching/yoga after each workout and so far I don’t see much loss in flexibility.
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Day 9: PURE CARDIO
I weighed myself this morning and I was shocked to see I’m down to 115.5 from 118, in nine days. It’s probably been a year since I’ve been down that far, and I’m wearing a pair of jeans that have been uncomfortably tight and thus ignored for many months. I was excited.
However, I have been so tired in the evenings and at night lately. I have been falling asleep in front of the TV in the evening and I’ve been feeling like I need a nap in the afternoon. I’m not sure if I’ll adjust to this or if I’m doing something wrong, but maybe I need to re-evaluate my diet. I’ve been eating around 1,500 calories. The weird thing is that I’m someone who normally has an enormous appetite and Insanity has pretty much killed my appetite. I do get hungry, but that’s different. Usually at this point when I have PMS, I’m a complete sugar monster and it takes all my willpower not to go nuts. I guess part of it is I don’t want to negate all the hard work I’m doing. I’m having a really hard time forcing myself to eat so quickly after a workout, too. I know I need it to recover, but I hate to eat when I’m not hungry; it’s so against everything I’ve known and experienced before. Perhaps I need to look into something similar to their recovery drink. But ugh, sugar is the last thing I want right after a workout.
I had to take a break in the middle of Pure Cardio at about the same point as last week – at about 8:30 left. I had to take several breathers during this one and during some of the exercises – like suicide jumps – I have to go a lot slower than they do. I felt so heavy in my lower belly and pelvis and my stomach didn’t feel so great, so I knew this wasn’t going to be one of my best days with Insanity. But I did it. This one seems a lot shorter than the others and it feels like I worked less, probably because the meat of it is only 15 minutes, but today I decided not to tack on Cardio Abs. This is my last scheduled day to do Pure Cardio without Cardio Abs, plus … I have a massage scheduled shortly! It was a birthday gift, and it sure comes at a great time. Oh, and the cooldown song sounds like a Def Leppard ballad.
No soreness this week, by the way.
However, I have been so tired in the evenings and at night lately. I have been falling asleep in front of the TV in the evening and I’ve been feeling like I need a nap in the afternoon. I’m not sure if I’ll adjust to this or if I’m doing something wrong, but maybe I need to re-evaluate my diet. I’ve been eating around 1,500 calories. The weird thing is that I’m someone who normally has an enormous appetite and Insanity has pretty much killed my appetite. I do get hungry, but that’s different. Usually at this point when I have PMS, I’m a complete sugar monster and it takes all my willpower not to go nuts. I guess part of it is I don’t want to negate all the hard work I’m doing. I’m having a really hard time forcing myself to eat so quickly after a workout, too. I know I need it to recover, but I hate to eat when I’m not hungry; it’s so against everything I’ve known and experienced before. Perhaps I need to look into something similar to their recovery drink. But ugh, sugar is the last thing I want right after a workout.
I had to take a break in the middle of Pure Cardio at about the same point as last week – at about 8:30 left. I had to take several breathers during this one and during some of the exercises – like suicide jumps – I have to go a lot slower than they do. I felt so heavy in my lower belly and pelvis and my stomach didn’t feel so great, so I knew this wasn’t going to be one of my best days with Insanity. But I did it. This one seems a lot shorter than the others and it feels like I worked less, probably because the meat of it is only 15 minutes, but today I decided not to tack on Cardio Abs. This is my last scheduled day to do Pure Cardio without Cardio Abs, plus … I have a massage scheduled shortly! It was a birthday gift, and it sure comes at a great time. Oh, and the cooldown song sounds like a Def Leppard ballad.
No soreness this week, by the way.
Tuesday, February 09, 2010
Day 8: CARDIO POWER AND RESISTANCE
I expected to be all fresh and ready today but I think inertia set in with the day off and I needed good butt-kicking to get going. Plus I remembered this was the one that almost made me throw up last week, so I was intimidated. I so hate those globe jumps, too.
It wasn’t any easier than last week. I needed to modify or take a breather a lot earlier than the second round of the last circuit. I remember having to stop quite a bit this time, although the stopping is never more than a few seconds and I never pause. I’m trying to avoid stopping if I can, and just slow way, way down. I did feel slightly nauseated a few times and I could sense the raspberries from breakfast, but everything was OK.
Oh, I finally started my account at Team Beach Body, and I was not impressed. After how expensive Insanity was, I wasn’t about to pay for a premium club membership, but unfortunately the free membership doesn’t give you jack. I supposedly have a coach, which is cool, and a workout calendar, but that’s about it. I really wanted to see all the tips and Q&As, but those are only available to the premium members. Oh well. Good thing I’m self-motivated.
It wasn’t any easier than last week. I needed to modify or take a breather a lot earlier than the second round of the last circuit. I remember having to stop quite a bit this time, although the stopping is never more than a few seconds and I never pause. I’m trying to avoid stopping if I can, and just slow way, way down. I did feel slightly nauseated a few times and I could sense the raspberries from breakfast, but everything was OK.
Oh, I finally started my account at Team Beach Body, and I was not impressed. After how expensive Insanity was, I wasn’t about to pay for a premium club membership, but unfortunately the free membership doesn’t give you jack. I supposedly have a coach, which is cool, and a workout calendar, but that’s about it. I really wanted to see all the tips and Q&As, but those are only available to the premium members. Oh well. Good thing I’m self-motivated.
Monday, February 08, 2010
My Thoughts on the Nutrition Plan So Far
I already have a diet that works very well for me, but I am making changes toward the Insanity diet in an effort to follow the plan as closely as I can. For many this plan will be very doable and will be a huge improvement over their current eating plan, and it is definitely healthy. But here’s what I don’t like and what I’ll probably adjust slightly … and please keep in mind before you criticize my own choices that the first thing you have to consider with anything is whether you’ll be able to stick with it. Better to make small adjustments and carry through than to go all-out with something extremely inconvenient, etc., and burn out early.
1. Eating five small meals a day. I know this works great for some people, and I am adjusting my eating habits so that I eat five times a day. But I can’t make all five be exactly the same in number of calories. I have always found snacking leads to weight gain for me. So, while I’ve added in two snacks per day and adjusted the three regular meals accordingly, my meals are still distinct. I still want to have more calories at dinnertime than, say, breakfast. And here’s perhaps the most important factor: I still am part of a family of four for whom I do all the cooking, and we have a sit-down dinner every day that needs to be appropriate for children’s nutrition. What I usually do is make a low-calorie dinner for all of us and then add on extras for the kids: glasses of milk, extra butter, etc. My breakdown is more like this: Breakfast 300 calories, Lunch 400 calories, Snack 1 200 calories, dinner 500 calories, Snack 2 200 calories.
2. According to their eating plan, I should eat around 2,000 calories a day to lose weight. I know from experience this is not going to happen, at least not in month one. I need to eat more like 1,600 to lose weight, or even less. They do advocate re-evaluating every week to see whether you’re progressing and if not, adjust your amount. I have found that for month 1, eating 1,500 to 1,600 calories a day is about right.
3. They do not allow anything sweet, whether sugar or artificial sweeteners. I have a real sweet tooth and it’s not something I can just suppress but rather need to work with. This is a make-or-break thing. I use stevia as a sweetener frequently, and it is a natural sweet herb and not an artificial sugar substitute. I’ll keep using stevia. I love it. I’ll also use small amounts of sugar, but I’ve found cutting out as much sugar as I can really balances my moods. I’ve cut out diet soda, as they suggest.
4. Honestly, many of their recipes sound quite unappealing. I know a lot about nutrition and I’m also a very good cook, so I’d rather create my own meals based on their general guidelines.
5. Their recipes are heavy on meat. As a 95% vegetarian, this doesn’t leave me many options or at least not from their nutrition guide. I see the value of the extra protein, though, and I’ve been making sure to get enough.
6. They say they avoid processed foods and additives, but when you look at their recipes, they include lots of the following, which are all quite processed: lunch meats and other cured processed meats, protein powder, soy/almond milk, commercial cereals and bread products, canned tomato juice, nutrition bars, and crackers. I don’t have any problem with any of these, but they are processed, and so I don’t feel so bad about some of my processed vegetarian meat alternatives. I acknowledge it’s probably far less processed food than most people eat.
Again, this is definitely a healthy and balanced diet. I like that it’s not low-carb, but rather based on the body’s actual needs. You eat bread, pasta, and other complex carbohydrates that your body needs; lots of fresh fruit and vegetables, and lean protein.
Another big change I need to make is drinking enough water. I’m naturally kind of a camel and I never get thirsty. Drinking more water is even harder for me than making me split my three meals into five. I have been drinking a full quart of water just during the workouts, I notice. Perhaps I should use a larger bottle with more water in it and see what happens.
1. Eating five small meals a day. I know this works great for some people, and I am adjusting my eating habits so that I eat five times a day. But I can’t make all five be exactly the same in number of calories. I have always found snacking leads to weight gain for me. So, while I’ve added in two snacks per day and adjusted the three regular meals accordingly, my meals are still distinct. I still want to have more calories at dinnertime than, say, breakfast. And here’s perhaps the most important factor: I still am part of a family of four for whom I do all the cooking, and we have a sit-down dinner every day that needs to be appropriate for children’s nutrition. What I usually do is make a low-calorie dinner for all of us and then add on extras for the kids: glasses of milk, extra butter, etc. My breakdown is more like this: Breakfast 300 calories, Lunch 400 calories, Snack 1 200 calories, dinner 500 calories, Snack 2 200 calories.
2. According to their eating plan, I should eat around 2,000 calories a day to lose weight. I know from experience this is not going to happen, at least not in month one. I need to eat more like 1,600 to lose weight, or even less. They do advocate re-evaluating every week to see whether you’re progressing and if not, adjust your amount. I have found that for month 1, eating 1,500 to 1,600 calories a day is about right.
3. They do not allow anything sweet, whether sugar or artificial sweeteners. I have a real sweet tooth and it’s not something I can just suppress but rather need to work with. This is a make-or-break thing. I use stevia as a sweetener frequently, and it is a natural sweet herb and not an artificial sugar substitute. I’ll keep using stevia. I love it. I’ll also use small amounts of sugar, but I’ve found cutting out as much sugar as I can really balances my moods. I’ve cut out diet soda, as they suggest.
4. Honestly, many of their recipes sound quite unappealing. I know a lot about nutrition and I’m also a very good cook, so I’d rather create my own meals based on their general guidelines.
5. Their recipes are heavy on meat. As a 95% vegetarian, this doesn’t leave me many options or at least not from their nutrition guide. I see the value of the extra protein, though, and I’ve been making sure to get enough.
6. They say they avoid processed foods and additives, but when you look at their recipes, they include lots of the following, which are all quite processed: lunch meats and other cured processed meats, protein powder, soy/almond milk, commercial cereals and bread products, canned tomato juice, nutrition bars, and crackers. I don’t have any problem with any of these, but they are processed, and so I don’t feel so bad about some of my processed vegetarian meat alternatives. I acknowledge it’s probably far less processed food than most people eat.
Again, this is definitely a healthy and balanced diet. I like that it’s not low-carb, but rather based on the body’s actual needs. You eat bread, pasta, and other complex carbohydrates that your body needs; lots of fresh fruit and vegetables, and lean protein.
Another big change I need to make is drinking enough water. I’m naturally kind of a camel and I never get thirsty. Drinking more water is even harder for me than making me split my three meals into five. I have been drinking a full quart of water just during the workouts, I notice. Perhaps I should use a larger bottle with more water in it and see what happens.
Day 7: REST DAY
Yay! I’m going to soak in an Epsom Salt bath today, and maybe take a nap. I did about half an hour of restorative yoga yesterday afternoon to stretch my back out a little more. I am missing the relaxation/meditation side of yoga. Insanity relaxes me just because I am so tired and have worked out any bit of nervous energy, but it’s not nearly as centering. Well, I’m pleased to have finished week 1 and with not a hint of twinginess in my knees. They were my big concern.
Sunday, February 07, 2010
Day 6: PLYOMETRIC CARDIO CIRCUIT
Ugh, I am sore this morning. Nothing specific, just overall creakiness and some twinginess/stiffness in my lower back. Everything just feels overworked. It’s Sunday, however, so I got plenty of sleep and ate really well the last few days, so I’ll take on PCC one more time shortly before resting. I also woke up starving – it was the first thing that crossed my mind when I came to. Usually I’m not hungry in the morning for awhile.
Today is Indian food day once again, and then not again for quite awhile. I wanted to make the same dishes for my parents, so we’ll be having cheese curry, flatbreads, and the little fried donuts in syrup again. Hardly an Insanity diet, so I’ll be ascetic this morning and afternoon and all day tomorrow. At least tomorrow is a rest day.
The workout went pretty well. All the cardio was fine, but it was all the drills from plank that killed me. I couldn’t go as fast and I had to rest midway through the second circuit. I feel pleasantly tired now, and excited that tomorrow I can rest. And eat. Oh, speaking of which – my 9-year-old son did the Fit Test yesterday. We try to get him to exercise 4-5 days a week, and I give him options. He’d seen me do this and I think he was intrigued by the title and the big, muscly guy screaming. It was so cute. He really threw himself into it. His form was not great, of course, but he pushed through and was completely exhausted. He did better than I expected. And like me, he was hungry before he started but after he was done he had no appetite at all for awhile.
I forgot that Plyometric Cardio Circuit doesn’t contain any of the drills that I really hate. Woo hoo! It does contain many that I like, though. Wow, like?! I actually like some of these? My favorites are suicide drills (but not suicide jumps), football drills, 1-2-3 Heisman, the one-armed jacks, the plank on the forearms where you bring the knees to each side, mummy kicks, and all the punching. I had forgotten he throws these in at the end on this one and even though I’m ready to drop, somehow these are doable. Probably because there’s no jumping. Well, I’ll write tomorrow, although typing might be too much energy expenditure.
Today is Indian food day once again, and then not again for quite awhile. I wanted to make the same dishes for my parents, so we’ll be having cheese curry, flatbreads, and the little fried donuts in syrup again. Hardly an Insanity diet, so I’ll be ascetic this morning and afternoon and all day tomorrow. At least tomorrow is a rest day.
The workout went pretty well. All the cardio was fine, but it was all the drills from plank that killed me. I couldn’t go as fast and I had to rest midway through the second circuit. I feel pleasantly tired now, and excited that tomorrow I can rest. And eat. Oh, speaking of which – my 9-year-old son did the Fit Test yesterday. We try to get him to exercise 4-5 days a week, and I give him options. He’d seen me do this and I think he was intrigued by the title and the big, muscly guy screaming. It was so cute. He really threw himself into it. His form was not great, of course, but he pushed through and was completely exhausted. He did better than I expected. And like me, he was hungry before he started but after he was done he had no appetite at all for awhile.
I forgot that Plyometric Cardio Circuit doesn’t contain any of the drills that I really hate. Woo hoo! It does contain many that I like, though. Wow, like?! I actually like some of these? My favorites are suicide drills (but not suicide jumps), football drills, 1-2-3 Heisman, the one-armed jacks, the plank on the forearms where you bring the knees to each side, mummy kicks, and all the punching. I had forgotten he throws these in at the end on this one and even though I’m ready to drop, somehow these are doable. Probably because there’s no jumping. Well, I’ll write tomorrow, although typing might be too much energy expenditure.
Saturday, February 06, 2010
Day 5: PURE CARDIO (and CARDIO ABS voluntarily!)
I was dreading Pure Cardio today. I had read so much about it and as a noncardio person whose Achilles heel is probably endurance, I was terrified. Interval training has always been -- not easy -- but doable for me because the short breaks (even as short as Shaun's) are enough for me to build back up. But straight through? Not only that, but I had to wait until lunchtime today to do the routine, and by then I was hungry. Astoundingly, I not only did really well with Pure Cardio, but while stretching during the ads following, I decided to go ahead and do Cardio Abs too, for the second time this week.
To back up, though. I think Pure Cardio's saving grace is that the "bananas" part is only 15 minutes long. You do an intense 10-minute "warm-up" (and we all know this is no warmup but a complete cardio circuit on its own), the usual 6-minute stretch that's getting repetitive and boring as hell about now although it's a relief, and then 15 straight minutes of intense cardio and plyos. The other saving grace is that none of the absolutely horrible plyos are in this one, like the globe jumps or the tuck jumps. There are even a couple of low-impact intervals. I made it about 8 minutes in before I had to take a modification/breather, and that was about the time that a bunch of the participants started crapping out, too. I needed to modify or rest briefly a couple of times, but overall I was extremely pleased. Then, when did the warmup of Cardio Abs that I found absolutely miserable on Tuesday, I was able to do it all without even modifying, even with the tuck jumps and even after having done Pure Cardio. I loved Cardio Abs. Now I feel like a million bucks. Warm bath time, then lunch -- although I notice that I'm having a really hard time forcing myself to eat for the first hour at least after these workouts, no matter how hungry I was before.
Speaking of eating, right before today's workout, I actually resisted some homemade chocolate chip cookies, which are something I usually would crumble at the sight of. I am so happy I didn't touch even one of them, or I think I probably would have pooped out early. I think my resolve came from the fact that I'm working so damn hard I don't want to spoil it. My weak time is actually after dinner, though, and last night I had a Hungry Girl dessert -- OK, two -- again. Well, that's better than devouring one of the kids' boxes of Valentine's chocolates I have hidden in the closet. The thought crossed my mind, though. So I guess I should consider it a win.
I know part of it is that I'm obviously having an "on day" despite all odds. After all, it's day 5 and I'm tired and now sore from Cardio Recovery, of all things. But even so, I can see that my fitness level has already increased quite a bit in just five days. My legs are much stronger and my endurance level is higher. The Fit Test doesn't seem daunting now and I'll be interested to see what happens the week after next. I did weigh myself this morning, though, and I wish I hadn't. Although I'm not trying to lose much weight (maybe 5 pounds), it was kind of a bummer to see myself exactly where I was when I started. I'm sure I've lost some fat and put on some muscle and so I know that's more important than the number on the scale. Still, I did expect a slight loss, even if it was just water weight.
To back up, though. I think Pure Cardio's saving grace is that the "bananas" part is only 15 minutes long. You do an intense 10-minute "warm-up" (and we all know this is no warmup but a complete cardio circuit on its own), the usual 6-minute stretch that's getting repetitive and boring as hell about now although it's a relief, and then 15 straight minutes of intense cardio and plyos. The other saving grace is that none of the absolutely horrible plyos are in this one, like the globe jumps or the tuck jumps. There are even a couple of low-impact intervals. I made it about 8 minutes in before I had to take a modification/breather, and that was about the time that a bunch of the participants started crapping out, too. I needed to modify or rest briefly a couple of times, but overall I was extremely pleased. Then, when did the warmup of Cardio Abs that I found absolutely miserable on Tuesday, I was able to do it all without even modifying, even with the tuck jumps and even after having done Pure Cardio. I loved Cardio Abs. Now I feel like a million bucks. Warm bath time, then lunch -- although I notice that I'm having a really hard time forcing myself to eat for the first hour at least after these workouts, no matter how hungry I was before.
Speaking of eating, right before today's workout, I actually resisted some homemade chocolate chip cookies, which are something I usually would crumble at the sight of. I am so happy I didn't touch even one of them, or I think I probably would have pooped out early. I think my resolve came from the fact that I'm working so damn hard I don't want to spoil it. My weak time is actually after dinner, though, and last night I had a Hungry Girl dessert -- OK, two -- again. Well, that's better than devouring one of the kids' boxes of Valentine's chocolates I have hidden in the closet. The thought crossed my mind, though. So I guess I should consider it a win.
I know part of it is that I'm obviously having an "on day" despite all odds. After all, it's day 5 and I'm tired and now sore from Cardio Recovery, of all things. But even so, I can see that my fitness level has already increased quite a bit in just five days. My legs are much stronger and my endurance level is higher. The Fit Test doesn't seem daunting now and I'll be interested to see what happens the week after next. I did weigh myself this morning, though, and I wish I hadn't. Although I'm not trying to lose much weight (maybe 5 pounds), it was kind of a bummer to see myself exactly where I was when I started. I'm sure I've lost some fat and put on some muscle and so I know that's more important than the number on the scale. Still, I did expect a slight loss, even if it was just water weight.
Friday, February 05, 2010
Day 4: CARDIO RECOVERY
While it was nice not to pound my joints into submission today, this was a decidedly unsatisfying routine, at least from the perspective of a yogi who was expecting a little yoga today. Not only were none of the stretches very deep or long enough for me, but some really key areas were completely ignored. No backbending, no deep external hip rotation. Loved some of the table work with one knee lifted and the other coming in to the armpit for oblique crunches, and I can see using these in my classes.
This routine also felt very short. I’ve had it in the back of my mind to swap this routine for a yoga day in the future, but I thought I’d give it a shot at first. I’ll see how I feel next week. I had to do a few backbends and pigeons after this routine was over. If I do a lot of forward bends without backbends to balance everything out, my lower back starts to ache. Also, my hips/piriformis are the first things to tighten up. I think most people would be more than satisfied with this DVD though, and would probably look forward to it.
Another thing, do this routine without shoes and use a yoga mat. Give your arches and toes a chance to open up after all the pounding. Yoga with shoes on is pretty pointless and you do not need shoes for this.
With the other routines I haven’t had half a second to notice whether I’m enjoying the routine or not – they are so hard they require every ounce of concentration, but not so with this one. Didn’t drink water, take any rests, or really even break a sweat. Which is fine. Tomorrow strikes fear in my heart, as I’ve heard that Pure Cardio is a tool of the devil himself. Cardio endurance is not my strong point, as I’m more like a cat with short bursts of power. Running used to just kill me and I never got very good at it. Plus, I hate cardio. Well, I’m committed to sticking with this, and I’ll get plenty of rest tonight and be ready to dig my claws in tomorrow.
Oh – I’ve still been eating around 1,600 to 1,700 calories. I’ve been eating more protein than I usually do. I’m a fish-eating semi-vegetarian who grudgingly eats other animals once in awhile, and lately I’ve been eating more chicken, etc. I do like my meat substitutes, though, like Morningstar Farms breakfast strips and “sausage patties.” Shaun advocates for no processed food and no sugar substitutes, but I’m not following that to the letter. I like stevia and I do use some sugar-free products. I’ve been cooking some things from Hungry Girl lately, and she’s not known for her purist attitude toward food. I also like that I can have some extremely low-calorie sweet treats and not totally blow it. I had microwave chocolate cake last night (130 calories… although I ate two!). Well, I haven’t had a diet soda since I started and other than my Indian food day, no high-sugar, high-fat desserts. I have a sweet tooth, though, that can’t be ignored.
My sinus problem is nearly gone. I’ve been using a neti pot twice a day and taking extra vitamin C, and I wonder if Insanity actually helps.
Results-wise, I know my jeans are a tad looser. I’m not going to weigh myself until next week. I feel like I’ve been looking a lot more muscled, although not today, which makes me wonder if I ate too much salt yesterday.
This routine also felt very short. I’ve had it in the back of my mind to swap this routine for a yoga day in the future, but I thought I’d give it a shot at first. I’ll see how I feel next week. I had to do a few backbends and pigeons after this routine was over. If I do a lot of forward bends without backbends to balance everything out, my lower back starts to ache. Also, my hips/piriformis are the first things to tighten up. I think most people would be more than satisfied with this DVD though, and would probably look forward to it.
Another thing, do this routine without shoes and use a yoga mat. Give your arches and toes a chance to open up after all the pounding. Yoga with shoes on is pretty pointless and you do not need shoes for this.
With the other routines I haven’t had half a second to notice whether I’m enjoying the routine or not – they are so hard they require every ounce of concentration, but not so with this one. Didn’t drink water, take any rests, or really even break a sweat. Which is fine. Tomorrow strikes fear in my heart, as I’ve heard that Pure Cardio is a tool of the devil himself. Cardio endurance is not my strong point, as I’m more like a cat with short bursts of power. Running used to just kill me and I never got very good at it. Plus, I hate cardio. Well, I’m committed to sticking with this, and I’ll get plenty of rest tonight and be ready to dig my claws in tomorrow.
Oh – I’ve still been eating around 1,600 to 1,700 calories. I’ve been eating more protein than I usually do. I’m a fish-eating semi-vegetarian who grudgingly eats other animals once in awhile, and lately I’ve been eating more chicken, etc. I do like my meat substitutes, though, like Morningstar Farms breakfast strips and “sausage patties.” Shaun advocates for no processed food and no sugar substitutes, but I’m not following that to the letter. I like stevia and I do use some sugar-free products. I’ve been cooking some things from Hungry Girl lately, and she’s not known for her purist attitude toward food. I also like that I can have some extremely low-calorie sweet treats and not totally blow it. I had microwave chocolate cake last night (130 calories… although I ate two!). Well, I haven’t had a diet soda since I started and other than my Indian food day, no high-sugar, high-fat desserts. I have a sweet tooth, though, that can’t be ignored.
My sinus problem is nearly gone. I’ve been using a neti pot twice a day and taking extra vitamin C, and I wonder if Insanity actually helps.
Results-wise, I know my jeans are a tad looser. I’m not going to weigh myself until next week. I feel like I’ve been looking a lot more muscled, although not today, which makes me wonder if I ate too much salt yesterday.
Thursday, February 04, 2010
Day 3: CARDIO POWER AND RESISTANCE
I was actually looking forward to today’s workout… until now, time to do it, and I’m stalling. I prefer resistance training, and I am feeling better with my sinus infection. However, I ate a big dinner last night of Indian curry and gulab jamun, and then I didn’t sleep well or long enough. I feel OK today and not much new soreness. In fact, almost no soreness in the torso at all. My buns and hips are still a little bit sore, but I expected to be walking sack of DOMS (delayed-onset muscle soreness) all this week. OK, time to motivate myself and remember I can do anything for 40 minutes.
1 hour later: This seems like it should have been easier than yesterday, but it was definitely harder. Even though there were fewer plyos, the plyos were the hardest ones: tuck jumps, globe jumps, etc. I actually had to modify in the warmup a little bit, which was a bad sign. The circuits actually weren’t as bad, but halfway through the second of three I had to rest a bit/modify. I felt like I was going to puke. I took the second one pretty easy (pushups from the knees, a few seconds between exercises, etc.) until the feeling subsided. Then I hit the last circuit hard. Overall I’m pleased, although 20 minutes after I’ve finished, I still feel a little nauseated. I can’t remember the last time I nearly threw up while exercising, but I read this isn’t uncommon with Insanity. I’m pretty sure my poor night of sleep (stayed up too late watching TV and then slept half the night on the couch because of snoring bedfellow) and my heavy Indian dinner last night didn’t do me any favors today.
But now I have 24 hours and then the recovery routine tomorrow, which I anticipate to be just that. Ahhhh. I miss yoga. I am tempted to swap the cardio recovery for a yoga day, but I’m going to follow the program exactly for awhile and then reassess. I can see I’ll need to do extra stretching to maintain my level of flexibility through this, although last night even the thought of getting off the couch to do some hip stretches was too daunting. Side note… I wonder what’s in the recovery drink and what I can use as a substitute.
1 hour later: This seems like it should have been easier than yesterday, but it was definitely harder. Even though there were fewer plyos, the plyos were the hardest ones: tuck jumps, globe jumps, etc. I actually had to modify in the warmup a little bit, which was a bad sign. The circuits actually weren’t as bad, but halfway through the second of three I had to rest a bit/modify. I felt like I was going to puke. I took the second one pretty easy (pushups from the knees, a few seconds between exercises, etc.) until the feeling subsided. Then I hit the last circuit hard. Overall I’m pleased, although 20 minutes after I’ve finished, I still feel a little nauseated. I can’t remember the last time I nearly threw up while exercising, but I read this isn’t uncommon with Insanity. I’m pretty sure my poor night of sleep (stayed up too late watching TV and then slept half the night on the couch because of snoring bedfellow) and my heavy Indian dinner last night didn’t do me any favors today.
But now I have 24 hours and then the recovery routine tomorrow, which I anticipate to be just that. Ahhhh. I miss yoga. I am tempted to swap the cardio recovery for a yoga day, but I’m going to follow the program exactly for awhile and then reassess. I can see I’ll need to do extra stretching to maintain my level of flexibility through this, although last night even the thought of getting off the couch to do some hip stretches was too daunting. Side note… I wonder what’s in the recovery drink and what I can use as a substitute.
Wednesday, February 03, 2010
Day 2: PLYOMETRIC CARDIO CIRCUIT
I expected to wake up this morning in excruciating pain, but I was pleasantly surprised. In addition to the fit test and Cardio Abs yesterday, I had to teach a power yoga class last night. I think I slept harder than I have in ages, even with the difficulty breathing (which is better today). No soreness in the upper body, but my legs were noodly yesterday and this morning they are mildly sore around my butt and quadriceps. My quadriceps were complaining when I would run upstairs.
This was really hard. It’s 41 minutes long, and the first full circuit is pretty much 100% plyometrics. After the third round (you go about 3-4 minutes and then take a 30-second water break), he adds in a couple more exercises for good measure before your rest. The second complete circuit added in a few strength moves, such as pushup/mountain climber variations and some ab work from plank where you jump your knees to the sides.
During the final two rounds of the second circuit, I found myself having to take few-second breaks. I am not using a heart rate monitor, but rather going by when my muscles give out or when I can’t breathe. Talk test works for me. Side note: I don’t think these workouts would even be doable if it weren’t for that long stretch right in the middle. If you can make it through the warmup, you get that break and then you’re only facing about another 20 minutes of intensity.
I am concerned about my knees. I felt a tiny bit of twinginess in one of them today. I am using a Manduka black yoga mat to cushion my joints, although I find myself moving off it a lot because the plyos cause the mat to bunch up and I can see myself tripping over a fold. Perhaps I should buy new shoes as well.
I don’t feel as trashed post-workout today as I did yesterday. I think I can do this. I like the looks of tomorrow’s routine even better, as in general I hate cardio and love resistance training. One more and then recovery day comes. I love the feeling of accomplishment that comes with this.
This was really hard. It’s 41 minutes long, and the first full circuit is pretty much 100% plyometrics. After the third round (you go about 3-4 minutes and then take a 30-second water break), he adds in a couple more exercises for good measure before your rest. The second complete circuit added in a few strength moves, such as pushup/mountain climber variations and some ab work from plank where you jump your knees to the sides.
During the final two rounds of the second circuit, I found myself having to take few-second breaks. I am not using a heart rate monitor, but rather going by when my muscles give out or when I can’t breathe. Talk test works for me. Side note: I don’t think these workouts would even be doable if it weren’t for that long stretch right in the middle. If you can make it through the warmup, you get that break and then you’re only facing about another 20 minutes of intensity.
I am concerned about my knees. I felt a tiny bit of twinginess in one of them today. I am using a Manduka black yoga mat to cushion my joints, although I find myself moving off it a lot because the plyos cause the mat to bunch up and I can see myself tripping over a fold. Perhaps I should buy new shoes as well.
I don’t feel as trashed post-workout today as I did yesterday. I think I can do this. I like the looks of tomorrow’s routine even better, as in general I hate cardio and love resistance training. One more and then recovery day comes. I love the feeling of accomplishment that comes with this.
Tuesday, February 02, 2010
Day 1: FIT TEST (and CARDIO ABS!)
The amazing news is that not only did I complete the fitness test when I am not entirely well, but I gave the participants a run for their money. I am living proof that practicing yoga alone is a complete fitness program. I am going to miss my practice, but my results today make me think I should see this through as long as my joints cooperate. I should add that because this is bodyweight resistance training and some of it is somewhat similar to some of the yoga postures I practice, it probably explains why they are very doable for me.
SWITCH KICKS: 116
POWER JACKS: 48
POWER KNEES: 91
POWER JUMPS: 27
GLOBE JUMPS: 7
SUICIDE JUMPS: 17
PUSHUP JACKS: 20
LOW PLANK OBLIQUE: 75
Because I’m a glutton for punishment, I decided 25 minutes wasn’t enough exercise for the day so I did Cardio Abs as well. This is the 17-minute program that I now notice doesn’t appear until week 2. The warmup was really hard, especially because I was tired. Those tuck jumps are definitely my least favorite. But the ab section was quite doable and I’m already strong there.
I was very tired after this and dragged a bit the rest of the day. My hopes also sunk when I saw that I had five straight days ahead of me before a rest. I was also hungry for dinner a lot earlier. I am going to follow their fitness plan for the most part, with a couple of changes. I’m not buying their recovery drink. Second, I am mostly a vegetarian, and third, I do use stevia as a sweetener. I will cut out diet soda as they suggest (or at least, I’ll try!). I also did their calorie requirements calculation and I really don’t think I need to eat that much food. About 2,000 calories a day for weight loss seems too high for me, especially for only exercising for 35-ish minutes, no matter how intense it is. I don’t count calories usually, but tend to eat around 1,600 a day with my yoga practice if I’m trying to lean out a bit, so perhaps I’ll need a little more than that. We shall see.
SWITCH KICKS: 116
POWER JACKS: 48
POWER KNEES: 91
POWER JUMPS: 27
GLOBE JUMPS: 7
SUICIDE JUMPS: 17
PUSHUP JACKS: 20
LOW PLANK OBLIQUE: 75
Because I’m a glutton for punishment, I decided 25 minutes wasn’t enough exercise for the day so I did Cardio Abs as well. This is the 17-minute program that I now notice doesn’t appear until week 2. The warmup was really hard, especially because I was tired. Those tuck jumps are definitely my least favorite. But the ab section was quite doable and I’m already strong there.
I was very tired after this and dragged a bit the rest of the day. My hopes also sunk when I saw that I had five straight days ahead of me before a rest. I was also hungry for dinner a lot earlier. I am going to follow their fitness plan for the most part, with a couple of changes. I’m not buying their recovery drink. Second, I am mostly a vegetarian, and third, I do use stevia as a sweetener. I will cut out diet soda as they suggest (or at least, I’ll try!). I also did their calorie requirements calculation and I really don’t think I need to eat that much food. About 2,000 calories a day for weight loss seems too high for me, especially for only exercising for 35-ish minutes, no matter how intense it is. I don’t count calories usually, but tend to eat around 1,600 a day with my yoga practice if I’m trying to lean out a bit, so perhaps I’ll need a little more than that. We shall see.
About Me
To give you some background, I am a vinyasa yoga instructor who for some insane reason decided to try Insanity. I am partially curious about my fitness level (because I only practice vigorous yoga) and I partially was intrigued by the stories and can’t resist a challenge. If you tell me I can’t do it, I’m going to try. I am short and my body fat is probably in the normal-athletic range but I am by no means skinny. I have had two children. Gack, my “before” pictures look awful, but I guess I went out of my way to make myself look like that. First thing in the morning, no makeup, dirty hair, ugly sweatpants, relaxed belly.
My objective: Assess how using only yoga for exercise has affected my overall fitness level, how Insanity changes my overall fitness level, and how the use of Insanity affects my yoga practice when I return to it.
Another thing to know about me is that six months ago I developed a blood clot behind my collarbone and into my armpit. I am currently taking warfarin, an anticoagulant. As of now, the clot is nearly gone and completely stable, and I have been cleared by more than one doctor for intense exercise. I notice the affected arm swells ever so slightly after a lot of intense muscle work, but the doctor has told me that’s to be expected with the slightly labored circulation there, and to just work through it. With my condition, intense exercise is actually good, because it increases blood flow. When you have a clot or a propensity for them (I have a minor genetic condition), sitting around in the same position is what you need to watch out for.
Current stats:
Age: 33
Weight: 118
Height: 5’2”
Waist: 27.5-28””
Hips: 36” at widest part
Thigh: 20.5”
Pants size: 4
For reference, my weight has been pretty stable for the last five years since I took off the pregnancy weight and amped up my yoga practice (and STOPPED traditional Western exercise… as a gym rat I weighed about 124) and started eating slightly less. My average weight has been about 114 pounds, and I peaked at the end of 2009 at 119 pounds after Christmas and several months of recovery from the clot during which I practiced yoga but differently and definitely did some emotional eating. My all-time low is about 110, and that was the point that my friends and family started telling me I looked way too thin.
I also looked at the different workout descriptions and decided that I can do just about anything for 40 minutes a day. I am used to practicing vinyasa/ashtanga yoga for 60-90 minutes a day, so I figured, wow – doing Insanity will actually save me time!
You might wonder why my thinking is so twisted, but your opinion will be cemented when I tell you this: I am suffering from a sinus infection and I decided to start Insanity anyway. I don’t feel too bad other than the difficulty breathing, but I reasoned that I could try the fit test and if it’s too awful, as he says, I can take it as a sign that Insanity is not for me. So, yesterday I took a very leisurely rest day, started this morning with a bowl of pumpkin oatmeal, and dived right in.
My objective: Assess how using only yoga for exercise has affected my overall fitness level, how Insanity changes my overall fitness level, and how the use of Insanity affects my yoga practice when I return to it.
Another thing to know about me is that six months ago I developed a blood clot behind my collarbone and into my armpit. I am currently taking warfarin, an anticoagulant. As of now, the clot is nearly gone and completely stable, and I have been cleared by more than one doctor for intense exercise. I notice the affected arm swells ever so slightly after a lot of intense muscle work, but the doctor has told me that’s to be expected with the slightly labored circulation there, and to just work through it. With my condition, intense exercise is actually good, because it increases blood flow. When you have a clot or a propensity for them (I have a minor genetic condition), sitting around in the same position is what you need to watch out for.
Current stats:
Age: 33
Weight: 118
Height: 5’2”
Waist: 27.5-28””
Hips: 36” at widest part
Thigh: 20.5”
Pants size: 4
For reference, my weight has been pretty stable for the last five years since I took off the pregnancy weight and amped up my yoga practice (and STOPPED traditional Western exercise… as a gym rat I weighed about 124) and started eating slightly less. My average weight has been about 114 pounds, and I peaked at the end of 2009 at 119 pounds after Christmas and several months of recovery from the clot during which I practiced yoga but differently and definitely did some emotional eating. My all-time low is about 110, and that was the point that my friends and family started telling me I looked way too thin.
I also looked at the different workout descriptions and decided that I can do just about anything for 40 minutes a day. I am used to practicing vinyasa/ashtanga yoga for 60-90 minutes a day, so I figured, wow – doing Insanity will actually save me time!
You might wonder why my thinking is so twisted, but your opinion will be cemented when I tell you this: I am suffering from a sinus infection and I decided to start Insanity anyway. I don’t feel too bad other than the difficulty breathing, but I reasoned that I could try the fit test and if it’s too awful, as he says, I can take it as a sign that Insanity is not for me. So, yesterday I took a very leisurely rest day, started this morning with a bowl of pumpkin oatmeal, and dived right in.
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