Monday, January 31, 2011

Monday, January 31

What a day! That Fit Test is a killer. Note to self - don't do the fit test and a workout on the same day ever again.

Max Interval Circuit is the first workout of Phase II. It clocks in at just under an hour and I burned 1088 calories throughout. Combine that with the 400+ that I'm sure I burned during the Fit Test and that makes for a solid day. I could not do the Side Suicide Jumps; definitely have some work to do there. Overall this is a very productive way to spend an hour!

Shakeology recipe for the day: 3/4c organic lemonade, 1/4c soy milk, banana with the Greenberry mix. Similar to some of the others that I've had but better than most. I haven't been posting daily Shakeology updates for the past few days as I'm almost out. I only have one packet of chocolate left (which I'll probably consume tomorrow). I'm waiting on my variety pack to show up this week and have ordered a bag of chocolate to have on hand.

Also I didn't post my weight update with the Fit Test results. I am down 11.8 pounds after Phase I. A very solid effort. My goal is to do that amount during Phase II for a total of 23.6 lost for the program. I know I gotta dig deeper everyday. The way I see it, why not? I've already completed 36 of the 63 days, the rest is downhill.

Fit Test Results

Wanted to post my fit test results. I'll post later this tonight after I've completed the Max Interval Circuit workout.

First - Second - Third test results

Switch Kicks - 76-104-124
Power Jumps - 36-45-51
Power Knees - 63-85-96
Power Jumps - 22-30-33
Globe Jumps - 6-9-10
Suicide Jumps - 5-8-14
Push-up Jacks - 18-24-30
Low Plank Oblique - 30-44-50

I am most happy with my Suicide Jumps as that is the most difficult exercise for me.

Phase one down - BRING ON PHASE TWO!

Saturday, January 29, 2011

End of Insanity Phase I

Been at it all week. Seven straight days of workouts. Needless to say, I'm really looking forward to a rest day on 1/30.

Finished up my "recovery" week and the final week of phase one on 1/29 with Max Interval Sports Circuit. Burned a total of 989 calories this time around. I'm going to miss this workout for the next couple of weeks and am positive it will find its way into whatever hybrid program I do in the future.

I received my results and recovery formula, chocolate peanut butter bar, and ChaLEAN Extreme on Friday. Decided to give the recovery formula a spin on that day. Taste is excellent (even though I only used one scoop in 17oz of water) and it seems to do the trick. I'm going to use it during intense workouts instead of post workout. I think my body will respond better that way.

The protein bars were a bit of a disappointment. I'm not saying it was bad, it just isn't my favorite. I bought a box of them and they will get eaten, I just don't see myself ordering any more.

And as for ChaLEAN Exteme, well that starts 3/13. That gets me through insanity (complete 2/28), time for a Shakeology cleanse, and then a weeks vacation. I'm really excited for this program as I have heard nothing but great things.

It has been a great month back on this exercise train. Fitness test and official weigh-in on Monday. Looking forward to great things for the next phase of Insanity!

Thursday, January 27, 2011

Thursday, January 27

A new personal record for calories burned today - 1042 doing Max Interval Sports Training. This workout is legit! I hope that one day I will be able to actually complete the entire thing. For now, I push as hard as I can and take the breaks when I need them. I really like the boxing section. I don't think my triceps had fully recovered from Tuesday and they feel like mush right now.

Shakeology recipe for the day: 1c orange juice, 1tbsp lime juice, raspberries with the Greenberry mixture. A solid recipe - I am now convinced that this mix must have a citrus base (oj, organic lemonade, pineapple juice) to make it taste good. I am finding it easier to get through a glass, but not like the chocolate where I could drink it all day.

February Challenge!

In the spirit of friendly competition, I'm starting a challenge. I will (try and) do this every month. Each month will have a different theme or goal. Also in the interest of bettering our health, each person should make a commitment to make one healthy change for the entire month. The goals are completely up to you.

The challenge this month will be weight. Most of us are looking to shed some pounds. Perhaps you're goal is to gain a few. Either way, leave a comment with your name, what the goal is and what change you will be making for the month. Here is mine:

Goal - Lose 5 pounds
Change - No fast food

Writing it down is simple. Following through and holding myself accountable is the hard part.

I have started a thread on the Team BeachBody Message boards. You do need to register to participate on there, but let me tell you there are tons of resources and it is FREE! To register click here, then click on the join box, then scroll all the way to the bottom and click on try free membership. There is a paid membership option with lots of extra support like meal planning, access to BeachBody TV, a blog, fitness and nutritional articles, recipes, and they even give you a discount on products if you go this route. But the pay option is not necessary so please don't do it unless you see some value in what it offers.

If you want to join in the fun, just leave a comment on here with your goal and change.

Only a couple of days until the challenge starts. Tell your friends and keep checking back here as well as the message board for updates.

Wednesday, January 26, 2011

Wednesday, January 26

Today marks the halfway point of the "recovery" week. I went with Core Cardio & Balance for the second time this week (along with some Ab Ripper 200). I also threw on the heart rate monitor again and was very pleased - 780 calories in about 45 minutes. The hip flexor and shoulder burnouts at the end really push me. I quite enjoy this workout and think it might find its way into the mix when I'm not doing a program. I didn't get the resistance workout in today as I had planned, but I'm going to make sure and get in at least one more this week.

I did cheat and hopped on the scale today. I was very happy with what I saw - down ten pounds from where I started four and a half weeks ago. This was an unofficial weigh in for me as the next fitness test isn't until Monday. Hopefully I can maintain that number or even better it a bit.

Shakeology recipe for the day: 1c soy milk, 1/2tsp cinnamon, 1tsp almond extract, 1tbsp almond butter with the chocolate mix. This was divine! I could seriously drink this all day and be completely happy. I'm loving the fact that so many of these recipes are this delicious and I know that starting out my day with Shakeology is assisting with the results.

I am anxiously awaiting the P90X Recovery Formula, the chocolate peanut butter protein bars, and ChaLEAN Extreme which should be arriving on Friday. I decided to take advantage of the sale/clearance pricing to give these a chance. Gotta mix it up!

Tuesday, January 25, 2011

Tuesday, January 25

MAX INTERVAL SPORTS TRAINING! This is no joke. After watching the video last night I knew I was in for a trip. Nevertheless I pushed play and gave it all I had. I would call it a very successful workout - 966 calories burned in just over 55 minutes! I had to calm a couple of the exercises down to save the person that lives below me, but I made sure to keep moving during that time. What a way to end the day! Really excited to do this one two more times this week.

Shakeology recipe for the day: 1/2c plain greek yogurt, raspberries, 1tbsp honey, 1c soy milk with the Greenberry powder. This one was very good. The yogurt gave it just the right thickness and the flavors blended together very well. Definitely a keeper.

Monday, January 24, 2011

Monday, January 24

Another day of doubles in the books!

First workout of the day was P90X Shoulders & Arms with the wife. Such a great workout! It is a wonderful feeling when your sweat has made your shirt stick to your neck and you can't even peel it off with your own arms. Seriously though, this one gets me every time.

What I didn't realize is that my so called "Recovery" week of Insanity was going to be crazy intense. The week consists of six days of Core Cardio & Balance (or you can substitute Max Interval Sports Training which I will be doing every other day). Where is the recovery? I burned 659 calories in about 37 minutes tonight. My arms were still very sore and weak from the earlier workout and some of the moves were very difficult. I watched the other workout after finishing this one and I don't know how I'm going to make it through tomorrow. Oh yes I do, I'm gonna "Dig Deeper." I might even "Bring It." And I'm definitely going to "Keep Pushing Play!"

Shakeology recipe for the day: 1c soy milk, 1tbsp almond butter, frozen raspberries with chocolate mix. The base was pretty tasty, but I'm a strawberry guy and this definitely would have been better that way. Gotta use the fruit I have first, so I'll probably make this one again in the near future.

Sunday, January 23, 2011

Sunday, January 23

So it has been a few days. As I previously stated I was out of town for work and had some busy days and nights with not a lot of time to update on here. I didn't slack - well that might be an overstatement. I didn't make the best choices with food and I did miss the workout yesterday, but I made it up today. Now I'm back home with five weeks to go!

I busted out the heart rate monitor for Plyometric Cardio Circuit tonight (was supposed to be a rest day but had to make up for yesterday). Burned through 723 calories in just under 42 minutes. Felt great to get through the last workout of the fourth week. This week is the so called "Recovery Week." I'm going to mix it up with the Core Cardio & Balance and the Max Interval Sports Training as well as three solid resistance workouts. I'm looking forward to big changes over the next five weeks!

Shakeology recipe for the day: 1c Organic Lemonade, 1 banana with the Greenberry mix. This was quite delicious! The lemonade seems to be a very good base (along with orange juice) and I'll continue to explore my options here. Still enjoying the Shakeology and looking forward to the next shipment.

Thursday, January 20, 2011

Thursday, January 20

Skipped the recovery workout today. Went to sleep way too late (early) and I couldn't drag myself out of bed this morning before work to get it done. Instead I did a UML (Upper Middle Lower) workout. I tried to do this fairly quick to get the heart rate up and burn some calories. I stayed fairly close to the Mammoth UML from the One on One series with Tony Horton. I enjoy these type of workouts as you don't have one particular body part that is overly sore. Twas a nice change of pace.

Chocolate Shakeology with about 18oz of water this morning. Again, I have to admit I am surprised that this was not awful - decent taste even with nothing blended in. I might be able to make it through a cleanse after all.

Wednesday, January 19, 2011

Wednesday, January 19

What a long day!

Started the morning off with a drive to the airport. Mixed up a Greenberry packet with about 16 oz of water (past security of course). I was actually surprised that I didn't want to gag or dump it out. It tasted just fine this way. Shocking!

After two flights and many hours later I was finally checked into the hotel which meant time for Plyometric Cardio Circuit. I was shocked at how much energy I had and was able to push really hard through this workout. I guess the lower elevation helped with oxygen too. I didn't get in the double as I would like a little more time between workouts. That means up early tomorrow for a UML before heading off to training all day.

A year ago I never would have thought about exercising, let alone packing DVDs and clothes to do it on the road. This is not a fad or a phase - it is a lifestyle change. One that I have needed for a long time and one that I could not afford to put off any longer. Don't hold back - just keep pushing play!

Tuesday, January 18, 2011

Tuesday, January 18

Cardio Power and Resistance. I really need to plan my P90X doubles workouts a little better. Nothing like working shoulders and arms hard the night before only to do them the next day. Those dips with a leg raise are killer! Had a great sweat going the entire time and gave it all I had.

Shakeology for the day was the personal favorite: 1 banana, 1tbsp honey, 1tbsp almond butter, 1c water with chocolate mix. So delicious and yet so filling.

The hard part starts tomorrow as I will be doing the workouts the next couple of days in a hotel room. I got a ground floor room so nobody can complain about me jumping around.

Monday, January 17, 2011

Monday, January 17

What a Monday! Had the day off from work which makes multiple workouts a lot easier. Started off the morning with Pure Cardio and Cardio Abs from Insanity. I also decided to throw the heart rate monitor on. It was a wonderful workout with 975 calories burned. Couldn't think of a better way to start a new week!

Finished the night off with Shoulders and Arms from P90X. It has been a few weeks since I've done this disc as I've opted to work these out using the One on Ones which focuses on either the shoulder or the arm. Doing them together is way more intense. I could barely scratch my neck at the end of the workout.

Shakeology for the day was: 2 peeled kiwi fruit, 1c strawberries, 1/2c soy milk, 1/2c water with a Greenberry mixture. This was a great breakfast and will definitely stay in the rotation.

This week will prove to be a bit interesting as I have to travel for a couple of days. I'm going to take my Insanity discs and continue with that program and will likely mix in a couple UML workouts to keep things fresh.

Keep on it everybody and have a great week!

Tips for Healthy Shopping

This is a great video of healthy items to buy at Costco.

Friday, January 14, 2011

Friday, January 14

Put the workout off until tonight. Well, got super busy and stressed with work and family and so the workout got bumped. Probably not the best idea as I didn't feel like I had it in me. I pushed through Cardio Power & Resistance nonetheless. Got a very good sweat going and felt really pleased with the workout.

Shakeology for the morning was: 1/2c Orange Juice, 1/2c Water, Frozen Strawberries (didn't measure) with the Greenberry powder. It was pretty tasty and one that I will do again. I'm thinking the trick with the Greenberry is the Orange Juice.

Thursday, January 13, 2011

Thursday, January 13

Doubles today! Started with Cardio Recovery from Insanity. Felt really good to get some stretching and breathing in. The pulse ups are still difficult but getting stronger every week.

For resistance I chose Just Arms and some Ab Ripper 200 tonight. I really love these workouts together. I ache from my wrists to my shoulders - but in a good way! Thinking it might be time to invest in heavier weights though.

Shakeology for the day: 1 banana, 1/2c Orange Juice, 1/2c Water, Ice with a Greenberry mix. Another delicious combination! I let the blender go longer than I have and I think this helped as I had been getting pockets of the powder. None of that today and the shake was wonderful.

I will admit that I cheated and got on the scale today, but I liked what I saw. Not going to report it as I am tracking these numbers on fit test days. Two weeks from Monday is the next fit test and I hope to see some good results by then.

Wednesday, January 12, 2011

Wednesday, January 12

Pure Cardio and Cardio Abs today. I really look forward to the day I can get through the entire Pure Cardio workout. Will that ever happen? I'm not convinced it will - but that won't keep me from trying! I didn't have much left for Cardio Abs today. Also want to make it known that I prefer the Ab Ripper series to this. I am committed to doing the Insanity program in its entirety no matter how I feel about the workouts.

Best Shakeology yet this morning! 1c water, 1 banana, 1tbsp peanut butter, 1tbsp honey with the chocolate powder. I downed this thing in a matter of minutes and wanted another. Starting to feel the effects and loooking forward to big changes.

Tuesday, January 11, 2011

Tuesday, January 11

I'll start off with a confession: I didn't get the Legs & Back workout in last night. Got busy doing a whole bunch of other things and, well no excuses.

Today was Plyometric Cardio Circuit and it felt great! I really tried to put myself out there and go for as long as I could while trying to maintain form. I really feel like I'm getting into the groove of this. I doubled up with a resistance workout tonight and went with Diamond Delts from the P90X One on One series. First time through this workout and my shoulders are spent! The combination of the cardio and resistance is tough, but hopefully will pay dividends.

Shakeology recipe for the day: 1c water, 1c blackberries with a packet of Greenberry mix. Not my favorite, but it wasn't bad. I'd give it a 6 out of 10. Already thinking about tomorrow's shake.

Monday, January 10, 2011

Had to share this

So I just want to say that I am really excited to be a part of this company!  I'm in it for a lifestyle change - anybody with me?


Monday, January 10

I started using soy milk in my protein shakes a few months ago and have actually liked the taste.  I've been looking into alternatives and will give almond milk a shot.

Shakeology recipe for the day:  1/2c Orange Juice, 1/2c Water, Ice, with the Greenberry packet.  This one was a hit!  What I've found so far is that the first taste is a bit shocking, but both times as I have gotten closer to the bottom of the cup it seems to taste better.  One thing I have noticed is that I have felt better (more energy, happier) both mornings that I've started off with a Shakeology - zero complaints and no reason to stop now!  I'm going to keep trying some of the recipes and hopefully find a few that I really like.

As far as workout goes today was fit test number 2.  Results so far:

Switch Kicks - 76-104
Power Jumps - 36-45
Power Knees - 63-85
Power Jumps - 22-30
Globe Jumps - 6-9
Suicide Jumps - 5-8
Push-up Jacks - 18-24
Low Plank Oblique - 30-44

I really pushed myself through this today and was very pleased with the advancements made on most exercises.  I'm not sure if it is my height (6'8") or what, but the suicide jumps are by far the most difficult for me.  Weight didn't change, but I had anticipated that for the first month of this workout.

Haven't gotten in my P90X Legs & Back as this will be done late tonight (I really pushed myself through the fit test and need some time to recover).

Saturday, January 8, 2011

Saturday, January 8

Workouts done for the day.  Decided to go ahead and start the morning off with Shakeology - chocolate with 1c light soy milk a banana and some ice.  Didn't taste as good as the regular protein shakes I've been having, but it will do just fine.

Pure Cardio with Cardio Abs right after and I was spent!  Best singled Insanity workout day so far - loving it!  Tomorrow is a day off and Monday is the big weigh in and fitness test followed by Legs & Back from P90X.  Gonna be a beautiful weekend and looking forward to a strong start next week!

Friday, January 7, 2011

Friday, January 7

What a day of workouts!  First was Cardio Power and Resistance.  I really tried to focus on bringing as much power as I could to the workout.  I fell a little flat in the middle as I was burned out, but finished as strong as I could.  Felt really good about the intensity today.

Tonight I decided to do a routine I haven't previously done for resistance.  30-15: The Upper Body Massacre from the One on One series with Tony Horton.  Oh man, this workout is killer!  Thirty pushups and fifteen pullups - twelve sets of each.  Honestly I started at 20 pushups and got as low as 13 at the end.  Pullups I stayed flat at five throughout.  I am really focusing on building my pullup numbers and stressing the negative movement.

Been a great week so far - tomorrow is Pure Cardio and Cardio Abs.  Not sure how I'm supposed to do a workout after Pure Cardio, but I'm sure I'll have a story for tomorrow.

PS - Shakeology showed up today.  Gonna give it a start on Monday and will post reviews and favorite recipes.

Thursday, January 6, 2011

Thursday, January 6

Cardio Recovery? Why do I find myself sweating through the entire 32ish minutes? It felt good to take a "break" today and really push through the stretches. The weekend looks intense - can't wait!

Also the fitness test and weigh in happen on Monday.

Wednesday, January 5

Another grueling day of doubles! Plyometric Cardio Circuit from Insanity first and Just Arms from the P90X One on One Series tonight. Great combination of workouts today as I feel like my entire body is feeling it. One thing that I do to add some intensity to the Just Arms workout is do moves from the Ab Ripper (X and 200) while Tony talks. I feel like I'm accomplishing something instead of listening to him, after all it doesn't change no matter how many times you do the workout.

I do have to say that I have my first complaint about Insanity. I'm ten days into the program and have only done three different workouts. I think that is what I love about P90X - six different workouts every week. Don't want to complain though, I'm sure the second month is going to be an absolute nightmare. Bring it on!

Tuesday, January 4, 2011

It's a New Year

First post of the new year.  One full week of Insanity doubled with P90X resistance workouts down.  Eight weeks to go.  Shakeology should arrive the end of this week - can't wait to give it a shot.  We now have a Hawaii trip planned the first part of March which gives me extra incentive to work harder through the workout portion and after I finish I will do the 3-day cleanse with Shaekology.  I already have seen an increase in my energy levels and can't wait to see the changes in my body!