goredgo- Day 38 I knew this day would come...

This is the badge I should have been wearing for the end of recovery week and the weekend. I was a huge slacker! I got busy with life and let my workout slip. Unfortunately when my workout slipped, everything else slipped with it. The candy and coke crept back in, the snooze button was pushed, and I was feeling completely unmotivated.

I am not sure how this happened. I was feeling great, avoiding the crap and loving the core cardio and balance workout. Boys, you can stop reading for a minute. Ladies- I think it was the dreaded PMS. All my body wanted was junk and rest.

Ok boys, c'mon back. I went to curves last night and rocked my workout. I once again progressed on all my machines and was feeling great when I left. I came home and made a veggie omelet, whole grain toast, and some low fat chocolate milk. Plus- I took my vitamins. I think this, along with not enough water intake, has been one of my main problems.

I have been anemic since I was a kid and it was really bad during my two pregnancies. I hate taking pills though so I tend to slack off (there it is again) on taking my vitamins. When I was not working out it probably didn't affect me much but now that I am working out and building muscle I am probably close to the 7 range and for those of you who don't know 7 is bad.

This morning my little guy was up at 5:20. A sure sign from God that I needed to get back on track. I gave him a bottle and got started. I went back and started with the circuit. I did not do my fit test because I knew I didn't have enough time for both and really wanted to get a good burn in. My body was definitely feeling not doing the program for 5 days. But I punched through and got it done. I feel great but a little sore in my back. I was happy about all the arm work we did in this workout. Tomorrow is Curves. If I get up in time I will do my fit test in the morning before work- otherwise I will do it on Sunday and have those results for you next week.

Thanks for the encouragement everyone!

I'm BACK! (Zebulon)

My Fit Test #3
11/8/10
Side Kicks 130 from 110
Power Jacks 60 from 55
Power Knees 90 from 92
Power Jumps 40 from 25
Globe Jumps 5 from 6
Suicide Jumps 9 from 9
Push Up Jacks 30 from 25
Low Plank Oblique x from 30

I’m back and feeling great! I had to sit out for a few days last week to heal a miner pulled muscle in my back. (Not related to working out). After a few days of some light yoga and deep stretching I am able to jump back in. Today I pushed hard and I know I will be feeling this workout tomorrow. Lol It feels good to be in shape. I eat this, I sleep this and because of that this insanity workout, this constant pushing and being active is now my new way of life. I love it. Keep going everyone I’m right here with you.

Respect,

Zebulon

Nick: Day 32 - Still down

Day 32: Core Cardio & Balance (5:25am)

Today was still a rough wake up and workout, but I still pushed play and made it through.  Pretty much physically feel the same as I did yesterday, but think this "cold" or whatever I may have is starting to clear.  (Thank God).  Sorry, but today's update is going to be a short one.  (been a crazy day at work and the crap keeps piling up).  I promise more details tomorrow.

All I know is that tonight is Date Night with the wife, and it's totally needed.  I need a break, and she definitely needs one.  Can't wait to spend quality time with her.

I will see you all tomorrow.

goredgo day 31- sloucher

Day 30- Curves day- rocked my workout. Progressed on most of my machines but got yelled at for my range of motion. I will work on improving that today.

Day 31- Core cardio and balance- I still love this workout. What I really love is what it is going to do for my posture.

When I was about 6 years old my peditrician told me I needed to sit up straight or I was going to have a terrible slouch when I grew up. "Yeah right!" I thought. "I will show her!" Now it's 26 years later and, you guessed it, I have a terrible slouch!

I didn't think much of it in Middle School and High School. Secretly I dreamed of being a Sports Illustrated swimsuit model but because of my red hair I spent most of my formative years being picked on and told how ugly I was. I am not blaming that for my slouch- some of that was just pure laziness- but when you get beaten down you tend to fold into yourself a bit. In high school I fancied myself a punk rocker which just added to the not caring aspect of how I looked. In college I thought about it, but figured it was to late for me. After I had my kids I realized I was really slouching and asked my doctor for help. "Strengthen your core" she told me. "You should straigten right up."

So now I am trying. I am working out. Listening to Shaun T and checking my posture as I do my excercises. But I have to be honest- sitting up straight is harder than Shaun T's workouts at times. But just like with Insanity I will be digging deeper in search of a stronger body.

Curves workout again tonight, Core cardio in the morning followed by a Chocolate party. Should make for an interesing day. Until then~

Nick: Day 31 - The Mind Game...

Day 31: Core Cardio & Balance (5:20am)

Recovery week has been the toughest week for me so far.  Not because of the workout, but because of my uncontrollable brain.  It's killing me!  My weigh in on Monday has me feel chained down to something and I can't break free.  It really should not be bugging me because I KNOW I'm progressing very well.  I'm in three belt holes and can EASILY buy new khaki's or jeans at least a size smaller, if not two.  I'm able to complete more and more in each workout... just can't get over that I lost absolutely nothing last week.  Week 4 was my most successful week as far as progress in my routines and amount of reps I can complete.  (was finally keeping up w/ the people in the videos, too!)  I know I'm gaining muscle and I know that muscle weighs more than fat, but it's still a little tough going from losing 3 to 4 lbs per week for three weeks, then big fat zero with week 4.

Maybe I'm just a little scared on how I hit a terrible plateau through the 2nd month of P90X at the beginning of the year (which made me quit and get into an obsession with running through the spring and summer).  I do not want this to happen.  I can NOT quit this!  I've done too well and come too far.  I have heard and read in numerous places that Phase 2 of INSANITY can be considered the "Results Month" as it's far more intense than Phase 1.  I honestly can't wait to start Phase 2 on Monday morning because I'm really wanting to feel the burn again.  (A good full body muscle burn is a great motivator for me)  Let's me know I gave my body something that it needs and it will only get better as I continue.

On top of all of this, I'm getting what feels like will be a pretty bad head cold.  The congestion is getting worse and worse by the second.  ...sigh...

This mental struggle is taking out of me.  Maybe my brain will be on a different and more positive note tomorrow.  Until then...

Day 30 Zebulon

Today was a great day to work out the body. Eliminate toxins and stress. I’m feeling the core strength and I’m looking forward to more insanity. Keep pushing.
Namaste,
Zebulon

Nick: Day 30 - The Core

Day 30: Core Cardio & Balance (5:20am)

Yesterday, I did not really get too into detail on the workout.  This entire week is Recovery week and all six days consist of the Core Cardio & Balance workout.  I really like this one.  Probably my favorite.  I really feel a good burn going on in my core from it, and that's an area of mine that needs to most work.  It feels great!

It has definitely taken me some time to get used to keeping my core contracted during my INSANITY workouts.  It's a lot tougher than it first seemed.  My core is the part of my body that has never been too strong.  My legs have always been pretty solid and tough, my upper body... meh, but core has been non-existent.  I feel it getting stronger and stronger by the day (and there's a constant muscle burn in there, too).  I can get my legs higher and higher in the Mountain Climbers and Power Jumps each time we have to do them.  It's a very pleasing thing.  (now I just need to finish getting rid of the flabby stuff hiding my abs and obliques)

Tomorrow is day 3 of the Recovery week.  See you then.

goredgo- Day 30- Now is the Season of Evil....

Today is actually one of my Curves days so I do not have a workout update for you yet. I will be headed there this afternoon. I was going to try and do both workouts today because I enjoyed the core cardio so much but, unlike my good friend Nick, I need more than a few hours to sleep to function. Both my kids had me up last night so I caught a few extra zzzz's this morning.

What I would like to talk about is the trifecta of evil that we are now in called the Holiday season. Halloween was fruitful for my 4.5 year old even though he only trick-or-treated for about 45 minutes then wanted to play cars with Uncle Jimmy. The large bowl of candy you see is his loot. Now- unlike most kids Joe doesn't really go for the chocolate snacks. He is more of a now and later kid. What this usually means is that I go ahead and eat all of the chocolate for him. But I have remained strong thus far and haven't had any. Go me!

The next big hurdle will be Thanksgiving. My dad is some what of an amateur chef so Thanksgiving will be filled with all of the good things I love. Turkey, stuffing, cheesecake, scalloped potatoes, and dessert, dessert, dessert. Now we don't finish Insanity until the week after Thanksgiving. This means I will need to either stay strong and resist all of the goodness having Thanksgiving with my parents brings or workout in the morning, once during the day, and again when I get home. I definitely don't want to blow all of my hard work!

Christmas will be my final hurdle. Since there will be a small break between Insanity and whatever workout we commit to next I will really need to practice some self control in December. Cookie exchanges, cakes at work, and holiday parties are all diet killers. And in the great tradition of my grandma I am sure my parents house will be filled with every kind of cookie and chocolate imaginable. Homemade chocolate chip cookies, homemade peanut butter cups, Homemade buckeyes, you get the picture. And to top it all off I work for the Girl Scouts and the cookie sale starts December 19. The office will be filled with cookies!

Stay tuned folks- it's going to be a tough two months. But I think I have an awesome support system in place to tackle it. And the warrior dash is only 7 months away and always on my mind.

Nick: 27, 28 & 29 Recap - Beat, but NOT Defeated!

Day 27: Plyometric Cardio Circuit (6:30am)

...sigh... The kid kept the wife and I up pretty much most of Friday night (poor guy has some molars coming in) so, this was pretty much a forced workout.  Once I got through the warm up, I was in the zone and killed it!  (except for the dreadful Ski Abs and In-Out Abs... UGH!)  The wife and I ended up at two different parties during the day.  One was a 1 year old B-Day party and the other was a Halloween / B-day party.  I stayed strong and ate absolutely NO candy.  (I did have a few bites of B-day cake for a 1 year old party, though)  All in all, a pretty healthy day.  This completed week 4 of INSANITY!



Day 28: Day of Rest! 

I took a road trip to Columbus, OH on Rest Day in order to have Band Practice for a Benefit Concert I'm putting together and playing in this coming Thanksgiving holiday.  Again, I made smart decisions on what I ate, and drank water, water and only water.  During the night of my 13 month old son's first Trick 'r' Treating experience, I again had NO candy!  (thought the constant sight of Reese's Peanut Butter Cups made it rather tough)

Day 29: Core Cardio & Balance (5:30am)

Recovery week...

Well, this morning was a little rough.  (and this was before the workout)  For those of you that have been reading up on this entire blog, you all know that I had lost 12 lbs. in 3 weeks.  This morning, the weight loss was a big fat zero!  (but did not gain anything...)  I stayed put at 209.5 lbs. Now, I knew this week would come sooner or later.  I know I've been getting stronger and muscles are getting bigger and more solid.  So it was a matter of time before the loss of body fat would not be as high as previous weeks and the gain of muscle mass would outweigh things on the scale.  I just need to keep pushing hard and making sure I eat enough and drink enough throughout each day.  Here's to another of staying strong and making healthy decisions.

Until tomorrow...

goredgo day 29- Recovery my ass!

Silly me! I thought that recovery week would mean an easy week of yoga and stretching. I should have known that even in recovery Shaun T would be kicking my ass.

I pushed through though. Even though my arms and shoulders were burning and I was tired, I pushed through. What worried me was how dizzy I was throughout the workout. I thought perhaps it was because I was hungry. I hadn't eaten since the night before- that must be it! But my post-workout meal of a ham sandwich, string cheese, and carrots with peanut butter didn't help at all. I think maybe I am not drinking enough. (hence the pic of the tall, cool glass of water to the left)

I have never been a big drinker. My doctor always yelled at me when I was sick because I never drank enough. I think though that if I don't get to the kitchen and get myself a big tall glass I will be in trouble the rest of the day.

I did enjoy this workout though and I might do it everyday this week. I will keep you posted on how I ma feeling everyone. Have a great day!

goredgo- day 26 a message from my right knee...

Hi Brenda- This is your right knee talking. If you even think about trying to jump around today- I will just stop working all together. Thanks!

Needless to say my workout had to be a bit altered this morning. Not sure what I did to it on Wednesday but this morning about 3 seconds into frog jumps my knee gave it up. Nope! No jumping for you today. I listened to Shaun T though and kept moving. If I couldn't jump I would do the exercise with some slight modification. I still achieved a really good burn and was completely sweaty when I finished up. The sign of a great workout.

The follow-up of Cardio Abs was excellent. I like this because my core definitely needs a workout all its own. Looking forward to what next week holds. I haven't taken the time to preview it but I think it will involve a good deal of yoga which I love. Until Monday!

Nick: Day 26 - The Break Up...

Day 26: Pure Cardio & Cardio Abs (5:15am)

Dear Pure Cardio,

     Our six early morning dates this month have been a total blast, but I really must break it off between us.  Don't get me wrong, all the sweating & hard hitting with Stance Jacks, Level 2 Drills, Power Jacks, Frog Jumps, Mountain Climbers and the pain inducing Push-Up Jacks were quite fun, but it's just not working out.  It's not you, it's me.

-Nick

The Pure Cardio workout, for me, was the toughest workout in Phase 1 of INSANITY, yet I believe it to be the most effective.  My heart rate stays at a constant high and I get the best sweat / burn from the nonstop set of 15 hard hitting exercises.  But boy does it take it out of you... WHEW!  Then jumping into the Cardio Abs right after that?  A man can only take so much @ 5:00am.  But, as I have been for 26 days now, I push through and continue to eat right and feel great.

Today was a bit tougher than the five previous dates with Pure Cardio.  With each day, my body gets stronger and can dig deeper into the motions, but today my heart rate was just plain and simply out of control.  I kept spotting my heart rate hitting 190 to 195, and even 200 at one point so I had to pull back a little bit on some of the workouts.  I never felt like I was over working myself and kept good form, but better to be safe than sorry.  I am going to keep a closer eye on it tomorrow morning.

Tomorrow is my final visit with Plyometric Cardio Circuit to finish out week 4 of INSANITY and begin the Recovery Week which is the Core Cardio & Balance routine for 6 straight days.  I believe I am going to swallow my pride and more than likely post my Before pics and 30 Day pics next week as I feel I've generated some highly self-satisfactory results in Phase 1.

Have a great day, everyone.

go red go- day 25 Sir Mix A Lot would be proud

Today was my weigh-in at Curves. I almost had a heart attack when I got my stats back- I had gained 4 inches in my thigh and butt area! WTF!?! My trainer (a lovely college girl named Kim) laughed at me and told me not to worry. She told me "when you were sitting around doing nothing your butt got flat. Now you are working out and your butt is getting pumped up. It's a good thing!"

While I am not quite up to Jessica Rabbit standards I did lose inches in my waist and abdomen. My arms are more defined and have more muscle as well. I only lost one pound overall but I have lost almost 3 pounds of pure body fat since I started. While I am wildly jealous of the male species who can cut out candy and pop and lose 12 pounds in 3 weeks I am not going to worry about the numbers much. The important thing is I feel great!

My workout was awesome this morning as well. I keep progressing in the Curves Smart program and, just like with my Insanity workout, my form is getting better and better.

Tomorrow is Pure Cardio and Carido Abs which is my favorite workout by far. Until then- have a great day!

Nick: Day 25 - Battling Dieting & Cravings

Day 25: Cardio Recovery (5:20am)

I love this routine.  By no means do I burn as many calories during Cardio Recovery as the other videos, but the stretches involved feel great and make me feel like a million dollars.  This is the 4th visit to the video, and what a difference 4 weeks can make.  I can get so much deeper into the stretches as well as hold the Yoga stretches MUCH longer than I was originally able to.  Nothing is more rewarding than noticing and FEELING the progress.

Now, the picture you see with the Candy Corn, Pumpkins and other chocolaty treats are something I have been walking into each morning at work.  (An actual photo)  Since the start of my INSANITY Journey, I have not chomped on any candy at ANY time  (which is a very common happening in my office).  The diet I have set for my self is pretty strict, but enough to keep healthy and not bottom out, and I'm sticking to it.  It has been extremely difficult.  The foods floating around at home, and in the workplace keep the cravings sky high, but all it takes is will power, and I've had enough of it to pull through.  The cravings for stuff like a Rally's Burger and Fries are sky high, and would kill for an ice cold 20 oz. Dr. Pepper!  I battle my cravings at work with lots of water throughout the day, which keeps me feeling full and not wanting to fill my stomach when not needed.

Last night I tried my 2nd sample of Shakeology.  (the Chocolate Shakeology did not go so well as I had it straight up w/ just water and no additional ingredients).  Last night I made Banana Sunshine, which consists of the following.

Banana Sunshine (Greenberry Shakeology recipe)
1 Serving Greenberry Shakeology
1 Banana
1/2 Cup Orange Juice
1/2 Cup Water
(and I added a fair amount of ice for thickness)

This was all blended up very well in my Bullet food blender and was actually pretty delicious, and quite filling.  (did I mention healthy, too?).  This has helped in peaking my interest in Shakeology and what it may be able to do for me in my journey to a fit physique.  I'm looking into doing a Shakeology Cleanse / Detox during Recovery Week next week.  (the jury is still out on this one).

You can check out the above Shakeology Recipe as well as more than 60 others by following this link:  http://bit.ly/Recipeology  


Tomorrow is another visit with my enemy... Pure Cardio & Cardio Abs.  BRING IT!

DISCUSSION TOPIC:  How do you battle your cravings?  What are your cravings?

goredgo - days 23-24 sweating like a pig

Day 23- was a Curves day. I was pretty impressed with my performance considering I had forgotten my afternoon snack and went to Curves on an empty stomach. Once again I progressed on all of the machines and the Curves smart program up'd my fitness level. That means it pushes me to work harder than I was working before. I was exhausted but feeling good at the end of it.

Day 24- Plyometric Cardio Circuit- This continues to be the toughest workout for me. For some reason my body is not crazy about jumping. Plus- I twisted my knee somewhere during the first interval and it was none to happy with me the rest of the workout. Where I had trouble pushing it I substituted moves from the cardio abs routine. I had my little guy cheering me on for the first interval but watching Shaun T must have worn him out because he passed out during the water break.

I also realized today that i have been leaning too far back when I am doing my workouts. I made sure my posture was better today and now I am really feeling it. I am proud to say I was sweating like a pig.

Now- before you purists out there send me comments about pigs not having sweat glands I fully believe the saying comes from when a pig is roast on a spit and the melted fat oozes from the body. I like to think that's what Shaun T is helping me do- melt the fat from my body- hence the expression.

Tomorrow morning is my official weigh in and measure from Curves. I will also find out how much my BMI has gone down. I can't wait to give you the good news!