Insanity Workout Day 36: Turtle Power and Resistance

2-9-10: Today was the dreaded Power and Resistance workout. Though not making it through the warm-up, I felt encouraged that I should be able to make it farther in tomorrow’s regular warm-up. Who puts vertical jumps into a warm-up? Honestly. My legs were burning (figuratively) by the time the warm-up was done. They felt so wonderfully awful that I was unable to hold all of the stretches today. Not because of the pieces of leg being stretched out, but because the leg(s) being used to stay in balance were so burnt, stationary positions became difficult for them.

Of course, this boded well for the actual workout. Each exercise required a few second “no, no, oh God no” moment before starting. Shaun T starts the Power and Resistance workout with, what I’m calling, “Air Squats”. Since he already tried killing us with power jacks in the warm-up, he needed a new creative way to hurt us using the same squat structure. These involve jumping from a squat position, but, while in the air, bring those legs up, so that you are essentially in the squat position, only in the air, rather than on the ground. Then land in the squat position. Repeat until dead. I would guess Shaun T’s theory is that by making this one so awful, we forgive him for the meager power jacks from the warm-up. But, no…that doesn’t work, because we were doing the power jacks in a FREAKING warm-up!

Anywho, plenty of pain the rest of the way, with some noticeable improvement in certain areas such as the moving push-ups, and most other push-up or plank position exercises. At the very least, it seems like my arms have been strengthened enough to not cause hindrances for some of the other exercises.

I tried having one of my happy shakes pre-workout this morning. I am not sure whether this helped or not. My workouts are not consistent enough to be able to notice the impact after one day. I will need to try this several times before deciding whether this should become part of the normal routine or not.

All advice is welcome. The more the merrier actually. I’m relatively inexperienced in the ways of exercise, so if anyone thinks of anything about anything exercise/workout/nutritional related, please fire away. Even if it is as far out as alternative/additional workouts for the present or future to something as simple as certain foods to include or avoid. Aside from helping me, it will also give me more blog material.

Another side benefit of this program has been the increased dedication towards writing. I now spend some time writing daily (even if it is not always for this blog). Sometimes it is movie reviews (www.donutreviews.com). Sometimes it is more detailed emails. Sometimes it is working on script outlines. It is getting me back into the writing world.

Insanity Workout Day 35: Support Groups and Recovery

2-8-10: With much wincing and groaning I made it through almost all of the recovery workout. Again the frozen squat and frozen lunge caused too much pain for normal humans to bear (only the robots on TV could hold such poses). Definitely pushed through quite well. In fact, if the entire Insanity program was this recovery workout, I would almost be a master.

So, a couple more friends are now tracking David Stampor’s Insanity progress. This is another great source of motivation. Now my health and well-being is much bigger than myself. Now a personal failure ripples out across the masses of friends gathered to support me. My simple goal had been to stay active every day the rest of my life. Now, it is to REALLY stay active every day for the rest of my life.

Awesomely, of the people I know following, they all have a vast wealth of knowledge and personal experience to offer to my campaign. It is like I was storming a castle that was 50 miles off and I suddenly starting charging (of course climbing many mountains and taking a lot of breaks when skiing down). Now, I have several military strategists and castle architects to offer sage advice to aid me in my goal of reaching my warring destination.

One piece of advice offered that I may attempt is to start eating before workouts in the morning of workdays. This would break Shaun T’s rule of no eating one hour before workouts. This scares me. Do I trust someone I’ve know for over a decade who has tremendous knowledge in the field? Do I dare disobey Shaun T? He’ll know and he won’t be happy. Clearly, I just need to wake up an hour earlier. This solves all of my possible “being killed by Shaun T” problems. One way or another, this will be attempted tomorrow.

Also, Lil Sarz has offered the services of Kimbo to provide me with a fat% test along with an “actual” fit test. I mean…I mean…a different fit test. I’M SORRY SHAUN T!!!! That will be fun. I imagine it will come sometime when I am in “Month 2” of the workout. Very nice of Lil Sarz to offer Kimbo services like that.

Finally, there is now increased motivation to slam. What started as an amusing side goal now holds vast importance to the life on this planet as we know it…or something. Realistically, I believe my vertical needs to improve by about nine inches to slam an actual basketball. I will check my vertical every Wednesday at my weekly basketball game and give my best estimate. Phew…nine inches. This may be a year end goal. We shall see.

Insanity Workout Day 34: Pure Concentrated Evil (Cardio) and Evil (Cardio) Abs

2-7-10: I woke up bright and early this fine Superbowl Sunday morning. At around 9:00 I had started the warm-up and did a good job through it. Not perfect, of course, but I am entering that realm of break-less completion. I could smell it today. It smelled a lot like disgusting sweat and evil. Weird.

I made it through stretching today without breaks. Probably the least impressive of the three areas of the workout DVD to make it through, but progress nonetheless.

Then the workout. Starting with the suicides, I started well. Everything else had varying degrees of success and failure. Frog jumps were a failure. Level 2 drills were success-ish. Most of the one minute drills were again done for about half the time. Shaun T was not as mocking today, but he did peer into my soul today. Almost as if he knew I was preparing to break his nutritional plan. Oh, how he burns the soul!

Again, Cardio Abs was done right after Pure Cardio. Making sure the core is tight as to not hurt the back, makes for an intensely painful experience for the abs and obliques. Still, that wonderfully intense pain means it was working! Yay! No sit-ups and no crunches. Just Shaun T’s own special recipe of pain.

And the best drill to do, especially if you are doing this with other people, is the drill he saves for the end, which I call the F the ground drill. Line up in a plank position and give 8 pulses with the hips, go into low plank and give 8 pulses with the hips. Repeat four times. If I start thinking about Shaun T when I’m having sex I may have to start rethinking the Insanity workout. Until then, upwards and onwards.

I did not have pizza today. I did have meatballs, mosticelli, Doritos, Sun Chips, brownies, cookies, and chip dip. No pop however. Still, this was definitely one of those fun cheat days where I just pray Shaun T never finds out about. Now, the challenge becomes the large quantities of uneaten junk food residing at my house. This has just become the biggest challenge of the Insanity workout program.

Insanity Workout Day 33: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Plyometrics

2-6-10: Heh. I can be a sneaky monkey. Without work to pressure me, it sometimes takes me a little bit too long to get going with the workouts on the weekends. It is dangerous knowing that I have all day to do them. Yet, I do not want to get off schedule. Sneaky monkeys.

Anyway, I believe I did the workout at around noon. Could have been a worse start time, but could have been better too. While I still can not make it through much of Shaun T’s gauntlet of doom, I am at least starting to have this bizarre mental picture in my mind where making it through the gauntlet of doom might actually be possible in some sort of alternate universe (one with less gravity would be helpful).

Aside from this mental state of being, there really was not much substantial improvement to report. Getting stronger in the warm-up, but still need breaks. No longer crying during the stretching, but still stopping a few of the holds a bit early. The power squats still mess me up for the rest of the workout, but I do still enjoy the suicide exercise and can typically force myself through most of the allotted time for those ones (plus if I push hard through those, then I need to take a break during the start of the next exercise…which are the power squats…it’s strategic exercising).

Insanity Workout Day 32: Phew! With This Fit Test I Am Almost To the Starting Level of Random Non-Shaun T Guy in Video

2-5-10: The Fit Test consists of eight exercises, one minute each, all of which I have seen as part of the other workouts. The goal is to get as many reps in as possible in that one minute.

I did not improve in all areas from the second test to the third test. However, I am not pessimistic about this as there is a reasonable explanation for the two exercises that I showed a decrease in reps.

First, the Switch Kicks. This exercise consists of bringing the arms down while kicking high with the heel out, then jumping off the leg still on the ground so that leg is now kicking while the other one hits the ground. It makes me think of Karate Kid. I dropped from 85 to 80 this go around. However, I feel this is most likely due to increased flexibility. Since I can now kick higher than before, it takes longer for the reps to be completed while also expending more energy. No, I am not worried about the Switch Kicks.

The other drop came with Power Knees. I dropped from 79 to 66. Seems significant, but I cheated last time. Last time after 30 seconds I switched knees to balance things out. However, this is not what Shaun T demands. The 66 is less, but it is a 66 all on one side. Oh, and Power Knees consist of slightly turning/slanting your body to either the right or left, raise your arms above your head and then bring them down while bringing the leg not being used for support to meet at the hips. Leg down, arms up. Leg up, arms down. Yay.

There was one tie as well, but the remaining five exercises all showed improvement. On a funny side note, in the video Shaun T is running this test for two of his resident exercisers. After each exercise he asks them where they started from and where they are now. I am happy to say that by Fit Test 3 I am ALMOST up to the guy’s starting point level. The girl, on the other hand, is a cheater or a filthy liar.

Oh, as far as weight is concerned, I am now down to 225. That is a 4 pound drop from the last Fit Test and is now 10 pounds overall in one month. I am still surprised at the weight loss a bit. I feel like with so many exercises working muscles that haven’t been worked in so long that I would offset any flab loss with muscle gain.

Most importantly, when I went to the community center today to work out a few kinks to my basketball game (shot has been adjusted and I have gone back to finger rolling all the layups…screw the damned backboard), I did my first vertical test at the basket. Back in my prime, I could barely graze rim. I am almost at that level right now. I felt ridiculously close. So, realistically I will be slamming in about 37 days.

Insanity Workout Day 31: An Actual Day Off

2-4-10: Yes. Readjusting the schedule was a good move. Having a relaxing day of no exercise felt good. Not much else to say about today other than I have made it through my first month on the Insanity workout. Being able to do something for a month straight is huge. It is by this that habits are formed. Now to go back in the schedule a couple of weeks to better prepare myself for the madness that the official month two is sure to bring.

Insanity Workout Day 30: Power and Resistance and Basketball, Oh My!

2-3-10: I woke up sluggishly this morning. When I got downstairs, Shaun T was already waiting for me. He was not amused by my sluggishness and demanded me to move.

I have noticed several consistent feelings about waking up in the morning to do this workout. First, I dread doing it. I know Shaun T is ready to bring the pain. He is Freddie Krueger…he is my nightmare. Since I have created a policy where I do not go to work until the workout is done, I do manage to get myself out of bed at a decent hour.

When I get downstairs, I usually feel like there is no way I will have enough energy to get through the workout. It is with this wonderful optimism and adrenaline rush that I start the DVD.

Somewhere within the warm-up I get motivated. I’m in it. (in it to win it perhaps?). I push, I claw, I fight, I cringe when I realize the painful warm-up is about to end for the painful stretching.

Though, I do not find the stretching to be that terrible these days. Other than a couple variations on the hip flexor I am able to stay with him most of the way. The end of the stretching usually brings forth a dread of the actual workout. If I remember what exercise is going to start us off, I will dread that exercise in particular.

During the workout, my dread leaves me. Sure, I will moan about a particular exercise here and there, but I know that I’m close. Every minute that goes by is like a ray of hope shining in my brain.

When I finish, I get a wonderful sense of accomplishment. I feel good about what I did. It is this feeling that will get me out of bed at a decent hour the next day.

In summary, I love the Insanity workout and think that everyone should try it!

Today was also the first day where I tried a workout in the morning to be followed by basketball at night. Not terrible, but definitely my endurance was hurting. Whether this was a result of the workout or simply me not being in basketball shape is hard to say. I will know for sure in the coming weeks. I missed a ton of layups/putbacks today. I think I am letting the thrill of organized ball get into my head. Also, I think the small backboards are messing with my brain. I will have to run to the community center on Friday to work on a few things. Still, do love the basketball.

Insanity Workout Day 29: Plyometrics Never Die

2-2-10: Since I was nearing the 30 day mark of this Insanity project, I figured I would finish looking at the materials provided within. One, there is a "Dig Deeper" dvd that I suppose it will tell you how to stay in proper form for the exercises. I imagine there will be a lot of discussion about the core. I will have to review that at some point, maybe on my day off.

Two, there is a disclaimer saying two things. The first talks about blah, blah, blah, go see your physician before starting, blah, blah, blah (ok, probably not a bad idea...still blah-ish). The second suggests that this workout is not for "beginners". Fascinating. There are two ways to take that. I am going to take the bastard approach and, seeing as anyone starting the Insanity workout is a beginner at it, NO ONE should be doing this. Take that Shaun T. How do you like that flexing of your vocab choices?

The workout today was good. Not the greatest. Needed to take a break nearing the end of the second iteration of the warm-up, but pushed through much better in the third iteration. I feel I did well in the first three rounds, the power squats still killing, and the ski downs leaving not much pain to the imagination. When the basketball drill started, I was beat. Effort for the remainder was sporadic, but I never gave up and never surrendered. Shaun T does give a "helpful" tip during the warm-up. When he gets tired, what he likes to do is take a deep breath. Really? I'm dying here and that's what you've got for me? I mean, that is a great idea. In between my violent gasps for air, I will take a deep breath. Good thinking. I hate Shaun T.

I am postponing my day off for a day, so I still have to figure out which workout to do tomorrow. A friend (Sarz) recently gave some important advice about making body awareness. Meaning, that while Shaun T demands a certain schedule, each person is at a different level and may not respond as well to intense workouts on the quads every day. So, an important addition to the workout schedule will be to focus on how I am feeling at the start of each day. If my arms and legs are sore and it's hard to walk, then pushing through a workout wouldn't make sense. Taking an extra day off here or there is not the end of the world. That being said, I have to say for the past week or so, I have not really been terribly sore in the mornings, just tired. I do understand the importance of this advice and must remember to not blindly follow Shaun T.

Insanity Workout Day 28: Recovery No Longer Has Any Positive Connotations

2-1-10: Today I woke up extremely late. Even still, Cardio Recovery had to be done and had to be done before work. I feel I did much better...at the FREAKING recovery workout of the week this time. Definitely feel weird that I need to improve at my "recovery" skills. Anyway, there were many parts that I was able to struggle through that I had previously collapsed into a broken mess before (more because of muscle pain than cardio exhaustion).

The killer part, for me, comes when we start the, what else, squats. It starts off in a way where it seems like it might just not be that bad. I mean, we are doing squats, but we are doing them in slow motion. Still bad, but at least I'm not trying to fit 50 of them in a minute. Then he makes you hold the squat position. This burns. This is painful. But, not painful enough for Shaun T. He then demands us to sit lower in the squat and push the thighs inward. This burns. This is painful. But, Shaun T isn't finished. He then demands pulses, or pushing up a little bit with the legs (not standing all the way up). Totally unnecessary Mcmahon. He gives a painful break of another equally evil "recovery" exercise before coming back to this one again clearly because he hates mankind.

I sure do feel recovered! Maybe? I have no idea. Yeeha!

On a side note, Vince let me have a couple of his P90X Nutrition bars. The peanut butter chocolate one was okay. Nothing special. However, the chocolate fudge one was fantastic. Favorite one of these wacky nutrition bar things I've tried thus far. I may have to get some of these if they are not too expensive.

Insanity Workout Day 27: Pure Cardio, Cardio Abs and Friend

1-31-10: Today I ventured out to Ypsilanti to do the day's workout with Vince. Trying to do the workout once a week with a friend is a good way to stay motivated. During the week I want to get better to put on a better show in the group setting. In the group setting I try to push a little harder. Amusingly enough I think I pushed a little too hard during the first iteration of the warm-up. This left me needing a break before the third iteration and a few more breaks than usual in the third iteration. Definitely started stronger though.

I did stretch better today. By myself it is the part I am most likely to take an unnecessary break...because I dislike stretching. It makes me angry. The group setting actually forced me to push through more so than usual.

The Pure Cardio workout was not my best workout, but it wasn't the worst either. I took breaks, but many were shorter than usual, encouraged to get back in the game. Vince, on the other hand, is a crazy man. His first break came during the frog jumps, which is about five minutes to the end of the workout, and about the time I take my 27th break. It sucks that something called Frog Jumps can be so difficult. It sounds like a stupid kiddie exercise...but it is a pure evil jump forward from squat jump back into squat rotation of doom. Still, a good day of Pure Cardio all in all.

I did better in Cardio Abs, but still not at the level needed to be. This may be the most important part to keep the core tight, otherwise it is working the back, probably in a bad way. Rule of thumb, if you feel it in the back, you are doing something wrong. If you feel it in the tummy, then it probably hurts and you'll want your mommy. And you will be doing it right. Good day of working out.