Insanity Program Complete! Or is it?

As of September 1st, my 60 days of Insanity was done. It should have been a total of 48 workouts; I pulled off 44 of them. Two workouts I gave myself a free pass on; one I was out of town on vacation, hiking; the other I did a substitute workout. The last two, which were literally the last two, workout 47 and 48, was pure burnout laziness.

The results, you ask? Before I queue the drum roll, keep in mind that I did not do the food diet suggestion. Which is a calorie counting one that balances carbohydrates, fats, and proteins in the meals. If I had I am sure the results would have been different.

Okay, queue the drum roll.

Weight? Gained 3-4 pounds. This I am very okay with. First, I am already in an acceptable weight range for my height/age. Second, I honestly think it was due to muscle gain/toning rather than fat gain.

Inches? This part is more tricky, since measuring exactly in the same spot is tough so the half inches could really be tape placement. If we ignore this possible variance, I lost a total of six inches. Almost equally in the butt and boob, none on the waistline, the waistline was my main goal. There is a saying, which I honestly don't know if it is true or not: last gained first lost. I really don't know where I "put on" weight first. If this is true apparently it was my waist line since it did not want to go anywhere.

Improvement via Fit Test tracking? The numbers at the start of the weeks and improvements between weeks:

	Week 1	Week 3	Week 5	Week 7	Week 9		Impro 3	Impro 5	Impro 7	Impro 9	Overall
Ex 1	63	71	68	66	72		13%	-4%	-3%	9%	14%
Ex 2	40	38	41	52	58		-5%	8%	27%	12%	45%
Ex 3	85	85	92	96	99		0%	8%	4%	3%	16%
Ex 4	25	30	34	34	39		20%	13%	0%	15%	56%
Ex 5	7	9	9.5	9.75	9.5		29%	6%	3%	-3%	36%
Ex 6	9	12	13	15	11		33%	8%	15%	-27%	22%
Ex 7	19	14	18	18	19		-26%	29%	0%	6%	0%
Ex 8	25	22	30	47	37		-12%	36%	57%	-21%	48%

Overall, just looking at the numbers, I improved but I know I improved in all areas beyond what the numbers show. Exercise 7, in the end it was a flat 0% improvement. This one was the flopping-on-my-face-push-up-jack I mentioned in my first workout blog. In the end it was a not-flopping-on-my-face-push-up-jack; as I like to call it, a regular push-up jack. Also, while I did not wean off the girl push-up like I hoped, it became crisp and flat. I even was able to pull off some regular push-ups during parts of the routines.

My main goal was to lose inches, for toning reasons rather than weight, before my girlfriends wedding. Goal met. Do I recommend this program? I would say yes. It is not a cake walk. The first half was much easier than the second half. Partly because the workouts are easier, partly due not having a burnout issue. But overall I say give it a go.

Time for a Mix Up

The Insanity is getting to me. I am getting twitchy and nervous. Randomly during the day I am hearing a voice inside my head saying "Come on everybody, let's GOOO!" I am tired of pushing it. I am tired of hearing I can do it. I am tired of digging deeper. All this tried makes me just want to nap.

It is odd to think that a few weeks ago, on the recovery week, I was wishing for a more vigorous workout. As the saying goes, be careful what you wish for. I certainly got my wish. The last four? five? thousand? weeks have been Max workouts - and Max they have been.

Monday I could not talk myself into a workout on my own. I ended up having to force an audience in the room with me (the soon to be husband playing Bejeweled) to guilt myself into a 55 minute routine that I feel I have done a thousand times. I tell myself, "It is not that bad, they mix it up." But since the warm-up is the same on three of the workouts it seems to drag.  So the random cheering from the peanut gallery, who did not look up from his game, helped.  

Tuesday was a bit better. I was groaning over having to do the double workout on the schedule when I saw the *.  “Hum..” I said to myself, “let’s see what the * is.” I had seen this before - it means there is an alternate workout - but usually I don’t notice until I am done. This time I checked first: Max Sport Training Interval.  I became excited, a video I had not done before! Even better was the fact it was only one workout.  

It was still Max, and so rivers of sweat still ensued, but at least it was different. Hopefully the switch for the day was enough that when I get home today that it won’t be such a struggle to get it done. I have started to push the Just Do It mentality in order to get through these.  Less then one week left and we will see if it was worth it.

Update: Well, no Max Insanity tonight. I was not able to talk myself into it. I was able to negotiate myself down to a Jillian Michaels workout video instead. I remember it being a bit tougher then it was, but after Max anything I suppose it would look easier.  Still got sweaty, just not as much, and still got a workout in, just 15 minutes less than the other. Hopefully tomorrow I will be back on Insanity. 

Cheaters Never Prosper

Now I have never really believed in the saying "cheaters never prosper" because usually they do. Cutting in line, being unethical to move ahead, or just plain lying usually behooves a person who is smart about it. At least in the short term. Sure, their kama might suffer, and maybe, if we are lucky, they may get their comeuppance, but usually not.  However with workouts it is not the same. Cheaters don't get the results they want - outside of performance enhancing drugs or nip and tucks, which the layman does not bother with.

These last two and a half days I have been a cheater. First I trimmed my workout on Wednesday. I don't consider this a bad cheat. It was a two workout day so I skipped the cool-down of the first workout and the warm-up of the second one. I find it silly and time adding to cool down when all you are going to do a minute later is warm up.

Sadly that is not where my cheating ends. Thursday was beers with the girls, not to mention a party with cake.. Mmm.. cake. Friday, mainly due to time constraints, no workout and off the cleanse again.  There may have been more beer involved too. Today, Saturday, the same deal minus some of the time constraints. To top it off I don't plan on trying to make up one of the days on my free day.

I am not quitting. Come Monday I am getting back on my horse. I consider this just a small side trip to the local watering hole.  A watering hole with delicious stouts. After the wedding in September I am even considering starting the program again, but with the program with the food menu added to my routine. That one I am not going to commit to quite yet, but it is high on my "possible" list. I certainly feel accomplished when I do it and berate myself when I don't.

So my cheating does not help me make my goals and my horse will be newly shod and ready to roll come Monday.

Still on the Wagon

No, no, I have not fallen off of the face of the earth.  I apologies to my 2.5 readers who, I am sure, have been eagerly awaiting my next post.  Due to the delay, one could assume that I have fallen off the wagon, and have been spending my days at the Cheesecake Factory eating bad overpriced food and delicious cheesecake.  Calm your worries, no such thing has happened.  The cleanse is still going, for the most part, and the workouts are still going, barely.

Yesterday was an almost-did-not-happen day.  The first part Insanity was good.  The workouts were tough but not killers, and they were mixed up enough that you did not get bored with the same workout.  The latter half, the mix up is still there, but keeping up the will to do it is flagging. 

The workout is a cycle of six days on, one off.  Sunday should have been my day off but due to taking Thursday off instead (I had a funeral that straddled two states and took all day) I had to use my free day to make up for it.  So there I was on Monday, no free day Sunday before, and stuck with a double workout; the Fit Test and Max Interval Cardio.  “Please let the max workout only be 35 minutes, 45 tops,” I kept hoping.  I knew that the Fit Test ran about 25 minutes, so an hour to an hour ten total would not kill me.  The max was the 60 minute one.  Sigh.  I got through it, but not by much.

I am going to stick it out.  This latter half has been hard.  I am not sure if it is because the workouts themselves are harder (and longer) or if I am just burning out on the routine.  The workout program has this week and two more.  Due to traveling out of town on the last week, I will be losing the last four to five workouts.

The question that is starting to crop up in my mind is: What to do with life after Insanity?  Do I start the routine again?  I do have a second wedding in October, my own, that I could try to get in better shape for.  Do I call it quits and move back to my old routine - a random workout with nightly walks.  Do I became an intense gamer with the new World of Warcraft expansion that will be coming out soon?  Well, probably not, that is what got me into this boat in the first place.

Have not decided yet, but I have a few weeks to figure it out.

Insane, Halfway 

I am officially halfway through my Insanity routine. Good news is some progress has occurred. My girly push-ups are now nice and crisp. I hope to graduate up to manly ones soon. My heart rate, while still up, is no longer in the impending-heart-failure range. And surprisingly my knees are not giving me issues despite all the high impact moves.  All around I feel good and think I am looking a wee bit more fit.

Measurements say that everything is as it was before. No great loss or gains anywhere. I am up about two or three pounds in weight, which is fine, since I am attributing that to better shoulder/chest muscles that are allowing me those crisp girly push-ups. 

In general the workout is a good one. Hard but not impossible. I find it a little bit easier to do without my glasses. Seeing the time bar at the bottom is a bit distracting. I keep checking it every two seconds to see how much longer I need to suffer. So taking away that distraction is a good thing. But the workout is a challenge. Water bottle and towel are a must. I also recommend good shoes since there is a lot of high impact moves. 

I am now upping the game for the later half of my workout; both in intensity and diet. The latter I planned to do even before the measurements or weight gain results were in. I am throwing in a cleanse. No, this is not a liquid diet with flax cocktails. All and all it is a raw food vegan diet with allergy prone foods tossed out. So I can eat all the (raw or cooked) whole fruits, vegetables, and nuts I want- while avoiding corn, peanuts, and gluten. Oh, and no booze or caffeine. 

I did this once before, for two weeks, this round I am going to do it until September. So those martini's and fancy cheeses that consumed in quantity two nights ago are out, and fruit platters and baby carrots are in. 

If the combination of the combination of the workout and cleanse does not kick me over into Insanity I am probably good for anything tossed at me. Including the wedding at the end of it. 

News Irratitaiton Side:

I am not for rants.  Well, that is not true.  I am not one for typed rants, but there is one thing that irritates me on TV that I feel must be vented.  Well, actually there are several things that can be irritating on TV, but the evening news gets my wrath this time due to it being on frequently in my home.

I do enjoy the weather part of the news, it is about the only part I find useful.  If there is something that I really need to know I figure that the weather radio will kick on or the emergency broadcast system will. Other then that I find it to be talking heads or people blowing up something more than it needs to be.

In recent years, well, at least the last decade, news has gone downhill.  Part is to blame of the decline of newspaper circulation/budgets.  Part due to the lessening of news reporting independence from large interests, and part is probably due to an apathetic audience.  Without good independent reporting, that one can make a living from, one can argue we are getting spoon fed from interest groups.  I find some news useful.  After all, I do love my NPR, but they also have had their issues on occassion.

If I am watching whatever big story there is out there, I am already hearing more fluff then needed.  Right now the big one is the Colorado theater shooting.  In addition to the facts, they are, as usual, over sensationalize it.  The killer might be acquitted due to such and such loop hole.  What certain drugs may or may not have been in play. All this stuff is supposition or just extra sensationalism; as if the event were not bad enough as it already stands.  The guy is not going to walk out of jail, nor, at this point, is there evidence as to what role drugs may or may not have played.  Stick to the facts and report when proper research backs it up.

But this is not a there-is-not-enough-independent-reporting or a stop-putting-extra-crap in the news rant. Well, maybe it has some of that, but it is not the main point.  My rant has to do with the even further lowing of already poor quality of the news, at least TV news, with Facebook and Twitter.  

The main news that runs in my house always has one or two moments where the reporters read what viewers have posted on the stations Facebook page in response to a story.  While I do not have any statistical numbers, I have read posted responses to stories online before.  The majority, in my opinion, are non-intelligent comments that don’t add value.  Feedback in certain forums can be enlightening, responses to stories on the news, not so much.  

The second irritation that ties into my rant is referencing/using Facebook or Tweets on the news.  A girl was murdered about six months back in my county.  The news used photos and read off condolence posts that were put on her Facebook page.  Something goes with Tweet quotes.  Bad form.

I find this an invasion of privacy.  Yes, yes, I know, don’t post it unless you are willing for all to see it.  But let’s face it, most of us don’t post a photo on Facebook ever thinking it will end up on news or printed in the newspapers.  I also think this circumvents allowing the family to decide how much they want or don’t want out there.  Lastly, we circle back to my extra crap in the news irritation.  Yes, people are sad when someone dies/houses are destroyed/other catastrophe happens, but reading their “my love to the such and such family” posts does not add value to the story.

The last, and probably most annoying thing, is the news referencing Facebook posts or Tweets as if they were fact.  I can post anything I want on the Internet.  I am now the CEO of Nike, Microsoft, AND Google.  Hopefully now that this “fact” is established I will start getting a paycheck to go with my new status.  The reason behind this might tie into the start of this blog.  There are not as many good independent reporters around.  With resources stretched thin it is easier to look for premade stories then actually finding and researching a real story. 

Regardless of the reasons it boils down to this: Unverified or superfluous posts do not make news.

Insanity Day Something: 

Well, I could wash, rinse, and repeat what I have already written. The Insanity routine has not really changed. I am most of the way done with week two and so far so good. I still do floppy fish moves. I still do girly push-ups instead of the other push-ups on the video. And lastly, I still use balancing devices on certain moves. Since I seem to tip over easily in regular life, props are a must for moves that are not natural to man.

I am not sure I have noticed much as far as changes physically.  I may have gained two pounds, but since I weighed myself after a rather large breakfast I have decided to ignore the extra numbers. No visible inches lost as far as I can tell. All though I may have lost the padding that might have just started to develop on my lower back. At the same time it could have been a figment of my imagination that it was there in the first place. Dang figment fat. We will find out if anything has actually happened when I do my remeasure at the end of week four. 

The one thing that has surprised me is my lack of soreness.  After any new workout you feel "something new" somewhere. I call this muscle discovery. Everyone has had this, the muscle that you did not know existed that makes itself known after a new workout. Don't get me wrong. I do feel better, and maybe even stronger. But I am not sore anywhere. No waddle in my walk, no cringe as I sit, and no groaning as I go to pick up something. Makes a girl wonder if she has done something wrong.

I have decided this is going to be my last real post about Insanity routine for a bit otherwise it would be a lot of that washing and rinsing and repeating. Maybe the next one I will compare how my workouts tie, or don't tie, into a book I am reading, The First 20 Minutes. I can already see the start of clashing, mostly in the static stretch area.

Insanity, about 1/4th done.

Continued Insanity:

The first week of Insanity is done and I feel, on the whole, good about it. My moves certainly do not have the fine form of the people on the video, sometimes I down right look similar to a flopping fish on the bottom of a boat, but I get them in.

The program is doable, but keep in mind I am only doing the workouts, not the diet that can go with it. I was not certain that I wanted to do all eight weeks of the program but after visiting my brother today I am not sure I can allow myself not do all eight weeks. He did the whole program after not having any exercise over some years and after coming off of being a smoker for about half his life. After he mentioned that my ego kicked in and said I had to finish it or I am a wimp. Stupid ego, it is trying to kill me.

The timing almost works out, if I do the whole thing. It will carry onto the week of my friends wedding. It also carries onto some vacation plans, where I doubt I can easily bring a video and do the routine, but I should be able to get in all but maybe five workouts.

The only downside/issues with the workouts, so far, is a occasional pain in my left wrist while I do push ups. Uncomfortable but I don't think any tendons will rip out of place. If they do I am giving myself a total free pass on doing any more push-ups. The other issue was the shoes. Shoes are a must for these workouts. I tend to go sans shoes on workouts, if I can avoid them, but not these workouts. The shoes I was wearing were specifically running ones and some of the moves the padding was not right and my toes slid in a way that made me worry about blisters. I fixed this today with a trip to the local factory outlet and got some trainer shoes that I have high hopes for.

We will see how the body starts shaping up. I feel twinges here and there but no hunched back or waddle walk as a result of the routines. Which I am sure that Angel will thank me not to have on her wedding day.

Stop the Insanity:

Day One:  Day one of the Insanity routine, the Fit Test, is about 24 minutes long total. It opens up with Shaun T giving his motivation speach while two assistants? fellow workout buddies? prisoners in his sick game? stand in the background and do each routine. The first day is to measure where you are by keeping a count of eight exercises at one minute intervals.  After each, there is about a pause while Shaun T reviews the moves and progress of the other two.   This progress tracking happens about every two weeks for a total of five times, according to the schedule.

Overall I don’t think I did too badly. The only one I really flopped on (pun intended) was the pushup jack. This is a push up with a leg separation, like a jumping jack, while you push. Pushups are not my strong suit on a good day, I tend to like my girly style, but throw in a jack.. well. I did 16 in the minute and push down I was hitting my chest on the way down rather than saying the nice board with three inches between me and the floor. So it was more of a push flop.

I did well enough that I am willing to brave the next routine without too much trepidation. And since Shawn T does not have any slogans to get me motivated I will have to steal Nike’s and Just Do It.  By the end of it, it will probably Tony Horton’s “I hate it, but I love it”; either that or “CLEAR!” while the ambulance EMTs zap my heart back into working order.

Day Two: Good thing I have two people that read this blog or I am not sure Day Two would have happened.  I got home from work (which I walk and it is currently 102 outside) and was looking for any excuse to get out of workout, and it is only day two. Sigh. I emptied the drainer of dishes, remade the bed, and was starting to consider cleaning the bathrooms when I finally brow beat myself into it. What would my two readers think if I crapped out only after one day? Well, I told myself, you could fake blog.  No, I told myself, move that muffin top Erik says you have and workout.  I hate when I lose arguments with myself.

Day two is a 41 minute workout called Plyometic Cardio Circuit. Since I am sure you can read on any review site what it is made up of, I will just sum. Interval training that gets faster with each set. By the end of warm-up the sweat was starting to drip. By the end of the whole thing it probably looked like I had showered.  That and like death warmed over. I had to keep telling myself, “Just xxx amount of minutes left.”

I got through it and I am sure I can get through day three, Cardio Power & Resistance, and I will get through this week. Just to make sure I do, I am going to post this right after I type it, rather than all at day six.  But having heard that the second half (of the workout routine), which starts on week five, is much more of a challenge I am not sure how far that will go. 

As the Wheels Turn:

There I was, dragged out of the house for a bike ride at an unholy morning hour. Probably for the best. The whole of the U.S. is on fire and having heatstroke so unholy hours are probably ideal for bike rides since it is not breaking 90+ at that time of day.

This is my real first ride of the season. The first attempt had too many technical difficulties to really call it a ride, so today's is the official first. The spouse was, of course, ready to rock in about 5 minutes after he made the announcement of our impending outing. Me, not so much. I had to break out the long sleeve breathable shirt, so my arms would not burn. Slap on some sunblock so my face would not toast. Pull out the padded biking shorts, or is it skort? so the rear would not bruise. And lastly slapped on the gloves and helmet so if my inner klutz made an appearance I would not damage my brain and my 10 key hand.

We were off! It was a good ride. Not to vigorous, which was good. Sunday mornings are pretty dead around here and taking the neighborhood streets makes it even quieter. We did some vague house hunting. Glancing up and down the streets, stopping and checking prices whenever we saw one to get an idea of the neighborhood price range. All and all it was a nice outing with some only minor points of uphill that made my quads yell at me. My quads are real wimps.


For the rest of the week I need to figure out my game plan. My brother just got me the Insanity DVDs. I have to say they look a bit insane and my knees protested greatly just watching them. The upside to Insanity, over P90X, is that no equipment is required. The downside is that it is an insane workout. I think I will give it a go for a week and if I can still move at the end of it I might stick it out. But really, while I am all about flat abs, but I really don't need a six pack... so we shall see.


The other option is of course the gym. But my membership is at the local university, which is a non air conditioned building. Just large fans in a thick stone building. While most times this is fine ALL of next week is 100 so the afternoons will not be comfortable there. I don't mind sweating on desert hikes but for my treadmill time I only want exercise generated sweat, not weather generated sweat. Unfortunately, due to this, it looks like Insanity my win out. Of course, if it also turns my brain to mush, maybe I won't notice the pain? Right? 


But that is not for me to worry about until tomorrow. While it is still a nice cool 96 degrees, this night is for bocce ball. 

Branding:

I was at the gym this morning, trying to be good with a run on the treadmill, since my legs are starting to revolt from my last two days of lunges. And like the typical gym there are the T.V. monitors all over the place. I prefer my music over the T.V. but if I am going to be stuck in front a monitor I try to plant myself in front of one with sports. The main reason is that sports seems to be the least obnoxious for viewing, but also seeing all the fit people is a bit of a motivator. But while I was running away, similar to a hamster on a wheel, I thought about brands. Who is doing it right and who is not. Commercials obviously spurred this thought.

My vote for who is doing it right are the brands that the public pays to advertise. The stickers you buy to slap onto your car, letting people know what you like. Apple and Nike are big for this one. Letting others know that you are hip, down with, jiggy with the current trends or products. Or when you work it in to your speech. Whenever I hit upon a question I don't know the answer to, my response is "we should Google that." Ziploc, Kleenex, are also brands that have replaced the product in speech.

The first time I noticed branding was back in high school. My brothers friend had a big Nike swoosh, in its large 2 foot glory, on the back windshield of his car. This was back when Jordan Air shoes were big. Another friend had a stereo logo on the back of his. The latter I thought was always stupid since it seem to me that all it said was "steal my stereo, it is a good one."

My first pair of real running shoes were New Balance but while I have loved my different New Balance shoes on and off over the years you don't see giant N's on the back of cars. Nike does it right; whether you like them or not, they are doing it right. You have swooshes on athletes, cars, kids. Once you get people spending brand names for kids (who grow out of things in two seconds) you know you are doing it right, or that you have tapped into an idiot market that likes to waste money, but that can be the same thing.

Then you have the talking heads that give things a bumps. Dr. Oz, Oprah (but I hear she retired), Colbert, and others that I could tell you if I watched T.V. at home. The fact that I know these ones show you how much people repeat them. Oprah will tell you what to read. Dr. Oz will tell you what to eat. Colbert... well, what he tells you is random but then thousands go out and do it. Me, I am a NPR parrot. "I heard on NPR" or "there was a story on NPR." Not as impressive as Oprah if my friends reactions are the judge of this.

It all boil down to marketing. Part of it is a good product, sure, but it needs to stand out or it will get pushed over the edge by someone else that is better at the game. Companies that have this should give their marketing departments bonus. Agree with it or not, it sells and sticks to the brain.

Foray Into Summer:


With the start of Summer I am starting a new game plan. My best friend is getting married in a little over two months and the months ahead of the event struck me as a window of opportunity. The chance to get "stuff" done. For me there are several things I want to work on. Health and Direction spring to mind.

My knee. I need to get running again.
My photo self. After all, I will be in wedding shots in a few months. This will tie in with the running.
My career self. Fine tuning my awesome skills into something that makes people sit up and notice.
And, of course, I will always include food because.. well.. it's food.

I figure that I can work on all of these better with a blog to focus my actions (and focus some accountability to keeping them moving in a positive way), as well as getting advice from others.

So in the coming days, and weeks (poor public) I will be talking about my progress. Taking advice. Telling what is working, and not working. So stay tuned!