Friday, May 20, 2011

Insanity - Day 10: Plyometric Cardio Circuit

To quote Tony Horton, "I am ricketty right now!" This stuff is intense every single day. Judging by how much I sweat after just the warmup, I don't know that I'll ever necessarily get used to it.

Back side of my shirt
In and Out abs (oddly sharing the name of an awesome burger joint) are tough towards the end of the workout. Because my left hip flexor is sometimes tight from running, I have some issues with jumping back to plank from a crouching position. This time around I was able to jump back a few more time than I had before.

What are my readers up to? Are you currently doing Insanity or thinking about starting it up? Week 1 was brutal and Week 2 has been equally brutal... not gonna lie. Loving it!

Thursday, May 19, 2011

Insanity - Day 9: Pure Cardio & Cardio Abs

One thing that has amazed me about Insanity is how it seems to take up less time than P90X. Many of the workouts are under 60 minutes, so that's the main reason. However, even on days like Pure Cardio & Cardio Abs where you're working out for about an hour, you don't feel like you are. Everything is so fast-paced that time seems to fly by (except when you're doing plank work, haha!).

My only criticism so far is that I feel like the stretches are a bit too rushed. I like to inhale and exhale slowly and get deep into my stretch. Shaun T is a bit on the hyper side. He does stress that warm up and stretching are the most important parts of the workout, though, so that's a good reminder for those of us who are just ready to jump in. If I don't get used to the quick stretching, I may start pausing the DVD and do my own thing.

Pure Cardio is tough all the way through, but it's becoming one of my favorites. These days are like combining Plyo with Ab Ripper X. Crazy stuff. Because of the high level of intensity and movement, I've been sticking to VERY small amounts of water during the water breaks. Too many times was I having to stop my floor sprints because my stomach was full of water.

Cardio Abs is going great. I'm still having a bit of trouble getting through the final couple of moves without taking breaks, but I know by the end of Insanity, I'll be able to do them perfectly.

My "fear" of Insanity has dissuaded, and I'm happy to say that I am enjoying this level of fitness. I've been working out hard enough to know when I can push harder and when I should take breaks. Insanity has helped me get more in touch with my strengths and weaknesses.

Insanity - Day 8: Cardio & Power Resistance

I think I found my most challenging Insanity workout. The combination of cardio moves such as high knees and hit the floor and then power moves such as squat jacks, vertical jumps, belt kicks and V push ups makes the first half of the workout mighty hard.



Typical post workout sweat
My quads and hamstrings are toning up quite a bit. If you play any sports that are heavy on leg work, you will benefit from this workout in particular.

I'm on the road this week, so it's been difficult to have 5 small meals a day. I've had to stick to the typical 3-square meal option (and I can't cook anything since I'm staying at a hotel). So, I've noticed a difference between this week and last week. When I'm eating smaller portions throughout the entire day, I have more energy and feel less drowsy after meals. If you're doing Insanity, stick to the Elite Nutrition book! Or at least try it. It works great in conjunction with the workouts.

Wednesday, May 18, 2011

Insanity - Day 7: Rest Day

Insanity gives you a rest day, but I decided to go climbing on my rest day. It was kind of a rest from cardio I guess. I can't keep still!