Day 52 - Max Interval Circuit

I'm still trying to catch up from the 2 days I have missed this week. Tonight was the 60 minute Max Interval Circuit. It follows the standard structure of warm up, stretching, then 3 rounds of 3 sets of 4 exercises each lasting 45 seconds. Each set has a 30 second rest between, which is no where near enough to recover!

I always dread these hour long sessions, but in truth they go quite quickly. You are so exhausted and sweating too much to notice where the time goes. I did well tonight. I found the side suicide jumps better, but the switch jacks I can still only do one leg at a time rather than the rapid movement that they manage in the video.

One last thing, this workout really makes me laugh at the end when one of the guys does a back spin on the floor. He throws himself up to a standing position but when he does he almost takes the head off the fit blonde girl in the video. The look on her face is priceless.

Another Postponement

It's not been a good week for Insanity as I have had to postpone tonight's session.

Unfortunately my grandfather has been taken ill and I have tonight been visiting him in hospital.

Back on Insanity tomorrow though.

Day 51 - Max Interval Plyo

This is the session I should have done yesterday but I am 1 day behind. I felt a lot better after doing this session tonight.I think it makes a difference whether you are doing a workout immediately after a rest day or not. Yesterday I felt terrible and thought I didn't perform well, but tonight I know I put in a good effort.

I'm still struggling with the push up jacks, but really trying. As for the balance push ups I am trying them on 1 leg and will try to progress to 1 arm, 1 leg next time. Tomorrow I am going to do Sundays exercise, Max Interval Circuit so to try and catch up on the sessions I missed.

Day 50 - Fitness Test Number 4

I've done the 4th fitness test tonight. I must admit that before starting it I did not feel ready to give my best effort.

I did the warm up, but found myself not feeling ready for the intensity of the fitness test exercises. Anyway, here are my results.



As you can see I started badly, but made a good improvement for the rest of the exercises. Perhaps if I had done a slightly longer warm up then my first two exercise results would have been better. I'm disappointed by the performance on the Switch Kicks, but on the Power Jacks I was only 1 behind my best score from the last test. For the other 5 exercises I managed to improve on all my previous results, so I am very pleased with those.

On to my body measurement results now. Having 2 days rest from Insanity I was apprehensive that those days would not have benefited my results, but the results were not as bad as I expected.



Importantly I have lost almost another kilo in weight. My body fat has gone down 0.5%, chest and hips going down too. I'm a little disappointed that my waist measurement has not gone down, but that is something to improve on for next time.

Feeling Better

My knees are better today and I'm no feeling the calf strain. I feel confident enough to do the fitness test tonight so hopefully I shall be back on track with only 1 day behind.

Postponed

I have had to postpone today's session because of my leg injuries. My knee's are both very sore to the extent that if I walk up and downstairs I have to take my time. My calf strain is better today, but I don't want to risk any more injury to it.

I'm disappointed not to do the fitness test today but don't feel I could do it to the best of my ability. I'm not quitting Insanity, but just taking an extra rest day to recover from the leg pains and hopefully have a go at the fitness test tomorrow. I plan to do the fitness test tomorrow evening (9pm ish), so that gives me over 30 hours rest from now.

I am hoping to reschedule a few of the workouts for this week. If I go straight through without a rest day then I can catch up by next Sunday, but it will be tiring.

Day 49 - Rest

Rest day, and I need it.

My calf strain is still bothering me and so is my knee. I've not got the opportunity to take it easy today, so I am hoping it recovers ready for the fitness test tomorrow.

Day 48 - Max Interval Sports Training

I sooooo almost didn't do this workout. I am absolutely knackered tonight. So much that I had a lie down for 5 minutes before deciding whether to do the workout or quit. In the end I reasoned with myself that I would be so disappointed if I gave up now, so I got my ass off the bed, got in to my shorts and started the workout.

My knee pain from yesterday has not gone and it has been joined by a really tight left calf muscle. The pains are getting more now, so I hope the rest day tomorrow will help me recover.

As for today's workout, well it was a completely new one - Max Interval Sports Training. It was based around sports such as boxing, gymnastics, american football and athletics. It was not the 3minute exercise/30 secs rest structure, but more of 1-2 mins exercise followed by 1 minute rest. There were a lot more rests in this workout than normal, so I was not as worn out as I usually am (which is good considering how knackered I am).

I did enjoy tonight's session and it gave a good all over body drill. I particularly liked the boxing exercises - you could feel the arm power for them. Some of the abs ones were tough, but I expect that was just my stomach getting in the way.

I'm off for a hot bath now with some Radox to soak my muscles. I truly am exhausted and hope my 2 boys give me a break tomorrow and give me a chance to recover.

Day 47 - Max Cardio Conditioning

I'm still not well, but I have just completed this 50 minute workout.
I still have ear ache which is now more annoying than painful, but I'm fed up of taking paracetamol to try and control it. Also today, I have some knee pain. I've noticed it all day, but whilst doing some of the jumps in the workout it really start to hurt. I couldn't do the diamond jumps, probably because of the style of exercise they are, since they were too painful to do.

On the whole I don't feel too bad afterwards. I got a good sweat on and completed all exercises well except the jumps. I do like this workout as it keeps a good pace and you notice it goes quicker than any of the other workouts.

I'm drinking my Recovery XS shake now, then a quick shower and an early night to try and recover my broken body.

Day 46 - Max Recovery

This is going to be my first criticism of the Insanity programme. I really feel that some of the exercises in today's recovery workout are not as effective as the ones in the Cardio Recovery workout which is done in the first month.

For example, one exercise is the one arm balance followed by press ups. It takes a great deal of control to do the one arm balance, when you follow it with push ups your arms are tired which means the next balance is not effective.
The next one I don't like is on workout 3. With these you open up the hips and pulse it followed by touching your toes.This single exercise is done for over 5 minutes, when it would have been more effective to do several exercises. After this is workout 4, which consists of moving from low plank to high plank. This is done for 6 minutes and I really don't feel it is beneficial.

I've decided that from next week I am going to revert back to the Cardio Recovery programme instead of the max recovery.

Day 45 - Max Interval Plyo

I am not well today. It started with a sore throat, but then developed in to ear ache as well. I took paracetamol and that seemed to stop it, but half an hour before my Insanity session tonight it came back. I took paracetamol again and it did go but I was not feeling 100% when I started the workout.

The warm up did not go well. I was struggling during the 2nd set and I couldn't do the pace I normally do. By the time I got to the first work out session I managed to put in a better effort.

There are a few exercises in this workout that I find really difficult. The one legged v-push ups really rip in to your triceps and require a lot of strength in the arms and shoulders (see right).

Then there are the power push ups. I simply cannot do these for love nor money. The pop back up into the upright bent position is just impossible for me. I can manage the push up, but it is the jump up so your toes meet your hands then upright stance which I cannot do. (see left)

As part of the same 3 minute session are level 3 drills. I've never liked these, but 16 push ups followed by 16 plank runs are a killer. I can manage one set and 8 push ups in the time allowed, but no more.

One exercise I am happy with though is my progress on the side push ups (right). These are a push up where you are on your side with one leg resting on the other. You need to do 15 on each side. Today I managed 15 on one side and 12 on the other, whereas previously I'm lucky to get 5.

I hope I feel better tomorrow, although it does seem to be a virus that is doing the rounds at the moment. Recovery day tomorrow and I shall look forward to that.

Day 44 - Max Interval Circuit

This was the 60 minute killer. I was dreading it before I began but I managed to focus and concentrated on all the exercises. I put in a very good effort and felt good afterwards. My sessions of it last week were not as good so I can already feel an improvement on it.

The full body drill is very difficult, mainly because of the speed they go at when doing it and it is 3 exercises involving the plank. The other exercises follow the 3 x (3 minute workouts / 30 sec rest) structure, so you know where you are and what to expect.

I'm making a big effort with the diet this week too. When I weighed this morning I had not lost any more weight from the previous week, which I was disappointed with. It's the fitness test the end of the week and I really hope to improve again over my previous scores.

Day 43 - Max Cardio Conditioning

This workout went pretty good today. It's the one with 30 odd minute of constant workouts with a different exercise each time. It's structured well so that you get a rest by doing less intense exercises around the crazier workouts.

I've noticed my recovery times after the workouts are becoming less. When I started Insanity I was knackered for ages afterwards, but now it only takes about 20 minutes to recover.

Wasn't sure if I'd get the time to do the workout today because my wife is working and I'm at home with the kids all day. But one of them was on the PS3 and the youngest was watching Peppa Pig, so I got 45 minutes to do it all.

Day 41 - Max Interval Plyo

It's Friday night, it's late, it's been a tiring day in work and I've just finished max interval plyo. As far as the 2nd level workouts go, this one is probably the least painful. I did it all pretty good. I made sure I took my time and concentrated on getting the technique right rather than trying to do the max number of reps. I feel good after the workout.

I did fail on the final exercise - the balance push ups that require you to push up on one arm and one leg. I cannot get the balance correct and have not got the single arm strength to push up when the balance is wavering. The other one I find tough is the side push ups, once again a difficult balance exercise. There is also a full body drill where you do 16 push ups followed by 16 floor runs. Sean and the team manage 2 whole sets of these in 45 seconds but I am lucky to manage one - although I have done better than the beginning of the week.

Overall I'm happy with me first week on level 2. It's been very tough and takes a lot of time (about 2 hours when you factor in preparation,workout, cool down, recovery drink, blog and shower. I'm hardly watching any TV and going to bed at midnight, so tiredness is an issue.

Day off tomorrow ......... and I really need it!

Day 40 - Max Interval Circuit

I cannot believe I have done 40 days of Insanity. I never thought I would have got this far, and I am two-thirds completed now.

That's the positive. The downside is that I was almost sick tonight doing the workout. It was probably because my wife had cooked a big roast chicken for dinner tonight. I made sure I didn't eat too much, but it was loaded with carbs and I felt a bit bloated afterwards. I did the workout 2 hours after eating (which is normally ok for me), but I felt terrible doing it. At one point I had to stop because I really thought I was going to be sick.

Despite that I did feel that I did better than last Sunday. The full body drill is tough and the switch jacks on the floor I just can't seem to do. The good thing about this workout is that it is structured well so you know what to expect : 3 mins workout, 30 secs rest, repeat 3 times. Then the same again but for different exercises in the workouts. The types of exercise are well thought out too, so that if you have a heavy cardio type of exercise, then it will be followed by a punching type of exercise to to allow you to recover slightly.

I took the Tri-Carb drink with the workout again tonight and I added more powder to the mix which made it taste slightly better. Not sure yet whether it is working.

Day 39 - Max Recovery

The session started with a lot off with stretches, which surprised me as I am used to a warm up. However, the stretches gradually increased in pace so they did act as the warm up.

Once again there were a lot of new exercises and concentration was key. I managed to remember to contract the core whilst doing them and I felt the abs working.

Balance was very important, especially for one of the exercises where you had to go in to push up position, do 4/8 push ups, then place your feet next to each other and roll onto the side so you are balancing on one arm and one leg with the other leg resting on top (pic). This was not easy, but trying to balance on one arm after doing 8 push ups was really tough.

At the end of the workout was some abs work and I did enjoy those. You could feel the abs working hard and I'm sure I shall benefit from it.

Overall the workout went ok. A lot to learn once more and you did work up a slight sweat from all the work. Back on to the tough workouts tomorrow, 65 minute Max Interval Circuit that almost killed me last Sunday.

Day 38 - Max Cardio Conditioning

This session was 45 minutes, so it was not so daunting a prospect as the previous 2x1 hour workouts. But that meant my expectations were lower and it didn't prepare me for what I was about to do. After the warm up it was then 28 minutes of non stop workout, followed by a 4 minute cool down.

I have to admit that the 28 minutes went quite quickly, because most of the exercises were new and every one was different. It took a lot of concentration as there were new techniques to learn. Some of the exercises were very intense consisting of a combination of a few exercises (such as push ups into flat running).

I'm not feeling any pain afterwards, but it is very intense. This workout needs a lot of stamina and I think that is what it is trying to build. One thing I also need to concentrate on is making the core tight. Because I am concentrating on the technique of the exercises I'm forgetting to tense my abs. I'll work on that next time, although I hope tomorrow is an easier recovery type of workout!

Thankfully some more of the Recovery XS came in to stock today, so I ordered some more (chocolate smooth is lush). I also ordered some Tri Carb. I am going to use this as a drink during the workout as it is supposed to give you more energy. This one is flavour summer fruits, so I'll let you know what it tastes like.

Day 37 - Max Cardio Plyo

I've been a bit sore all day from yesterdays fitness test AND hour work out. My legs were tight and aching, so I was a bit hesitant about today's workout.

Today was Max Cardio Plyo which lasted for 55 minutes. What's good is that all the exercises are new. Even the warm up exercises are new. The format is similar to the first month though - warm up (10 mins), stretch (5 mins), the main workout and finish off with stretching.

I am finding the new exercises difficult at the moment, probably because there are new techniques to learn. A lot of the exercises require good concentration in order to get the balance correct. Once again the format is the same though with about 3-4 mins of exercises then 30 secs of rest (God do you look forward to those rests!!).
Tonight was really tough, for a few reasons. There were a lot of new exercises. The session lasted for an hour. The exercises are a lot tougher. But above all I can say I did it and I feel ok after doing it.

I've gone back through the video and listed what exercises I could do with no problems, what I need to improve on and which ones I really hate. The hate list mainly include push up type exercises, so I hope I can improve on these.

What I liked
Switch Jumps
Squat Push Ups
Power Jumps
Pogo
Globe Twists
Power Knees / Diamond Jumps

What I can get better at
Wide In & Out Abs
Side Push Ups
Kickstand Touch the Floor

What I hated
Power Push-Ups - these are really difficult. It's a push up, whereby on the up movement you then jump up into a bent over position.
Level 3 Drills - 16 push ups, 16 runs. Oh My God. These Hurt.
Push Up Balance - this is push ups on one hand and one leg. I failed miserably on it. This is going to take a lot of practise to get right.


One other thing, I reckon I'm down 1 or 2 days of my Recovery drink. I tried to order more today but its out of stock. I hope its back in soon because I really need this to get me ready for the next day.

Fitness Test Number 3

Here are the results of my 3rd fitness test.



Although I fell short by 4 on the Switch Kicks, I am really pleased with my results. I was not far off on the Switch Kicks and I hope to improve on them next time. For all the other results I have made good improvements. The Power Jumps in particular had a 21% improvement - this is down to a different technique of doing 8 rapidly then resting for a little while. I'm glad I managed 2 extra Globe Jumps too as that is equivalent to an extra 8 jumps.

As I said earlier, Insanity is working as I have drastically improved on my scores. On to my measurements now.



I have lost 1.7kg in the last 3 weeks and almost 1% from body fat. I'm amazed that I've lost 4.5cm from my waist, 2.4cm from my chest and 0.6cm from my hips. My biceps have both increased in size.
I couldn't be more happy with these results. They show great improvements in my body measurements for just 6 weeks of exercise.

Day 36 - Fitness Test & Max Interval Circuit

Today was my fitness test, I did really well. I'll post in more detail later, but in summary my weight, chest and waist have all reduced and I improved on all bar one of my fitness test exercises. I'm really happy with the results and it shows that Insanity does work.

Yesterday when I checked the plan for today I was shocked that the fitness test was bolted on to another workout. Not just any workout but I'm now in to the 2nd month of Insanity and things really ramp up. The Max Interval Circuit workout is 60 minute long .... AFTER a 30 minute fitness test where you already push like hell.
When I started the workout I was a mess. Knackered and couldn't complete the warm up exercises because I was so exhausted. The shirt soon came off and it was dripping wet. I continued to sweat for the whole hour and I must say that is the most intense workout I have ever done to date.

There were a lot of new exercises, so I had to take my time and learn the technique. Some are quite technical, but they are interspersed with a few punching exercises which I enjoy.
At the moment I'm still exhausted and can't even think properly. I can't remember the names of any of the new exercises, but when I do this workout again later in the week I'll try and give more details.

Having my recovery drink now, which I'll have to order some more of next week as it is getting low.

Day 34 - Core Cardio & Balance

Before I do my daily Insanity diary I just want to take a moment to say how tragic the events of the Japan earthquake and following Tsunami have been today. My thoughts are with everyone in Japan, who may have lost family, friends, colleagues and everything they own. Fortunately we are not subjected to the horrors of earthquakes where I live, so I do find it hard to comprehend what the people of Japan have to d. But the scenes of sheer devastation caused by the relentless Tsunami ripping through the countryside really do make you feel for the loss and tragedy that has occurred.

I hope and pray that the people of Japan have the chance to grieve, time to reflect and strength to rebuild. Japan has always been one of the countries I would love to visit, but I shall not let this tragic event put me off. Events like this bring the world together and I am sure that with the unity of people around the world will help to rebuild and let Japan be a proud nation once again.


Insanity day 34 is done. Last day of the Core Cardio & Balance. A rest day tomorrow then a fitness test on Sunday. I really hope I can improve again on my last test results. Its a weigh in and measurement too, so I'll be careful what I eat this weekend.

Peace out.

Day 33 - Core Cardio & Balance

Switched back to the Mizuno trainers tonight and they were better than the Asics for balance. I'll just stick with them from now on.

I'm enjoying the Core Cardio & Balance workout. They are enough to get you working and sweating, but not so bad that you are knackered afterwards. I think one of the most important things to do during this workout is to concentrate on the core. You need to keep it tight so to ensure that the exercises concentrate on your abs area. I find it best to tighten my abs and keep them contracted during the exercises. You can then really feel them working.

Tonight I was much better doing the Hip Flexor Burners. (I got pics to show you !!)
With these you need to balance on one leg and lift the other leg above your hip. Once again it's important to contract the core so to give it a good workout.

The whole exercise is done in 3 stages.
First lifting the leg, which I find ok.

Next you hold the leg up and pulse it slowly, this I can only manage 5 or 6 pulses at a time.

Finally you hold your leg up and then move your leg in and out, which I find very tough and cannot extend my leg straight out at all (well done Tanya, as she can manage it easily).

One more day on this workout, then rest day, then the craziness begins again.

Day 32 - Core Cardio & Balance

Never have my shoulders burned so much as when I do the SHOULDER BURNERS IN PLIE. My shoulders from my neck to the tops of my arms are on fire. The first two parts of it when you're flapping the arms and then going in and out are ok. On the 3rd part (up and down) it starts to burn and I needed a quick break. Finally the 2 circular motions forward then back finish you off. And right in the middle of, Shaun says:

"I'm smiling, cos I love it."

Is he crazy or what? Maybe, but the guy is in awesome shape. Look at this latest pic of him posted a few days ago.

If I can do this Insanity for a year I could be on my way there!!

Anyway, back to tonight's session and it went ok. The Asics trainers were no better for balance and besides they give me arch pain from rubbing. (I spent £70 on them last year and they were crap. Gave me blisters every time I went for a run. My preferred choice is now Mizuno's). 2 more days of recovery week left.

Different Trainers To Improve Balance

Trying my asics trainers tonight to see if they improve the balance.

Day 30 - Core Cardio & Balance

I still quite can't believe I'm in to my 5th week on Insanity. It was tough to start with but if you can get motivated to do the session then once you get moving you seem to get in to it and the workout goes quite quickly.

Tonight's session was better. The final 3 minute burn went a lot easier, only feeling it during the last minute.
The balance is getting better too, although I was getting some foot pain but I think that's more to do with my trainers than anything else.

Day 29 - Core Cardio & Balance

It's Recovery Week, which means a week of moderate workouts to allow your body to recovery after 4 weeks of intense workouts.
It starts with a gentle warm up and there are a lot of new exercises. There's a lot of emphasis on working the abs and core. Balance is an important factor too, with a few workouts requiring balance on one leg.
The ones that really burn are at the end when you sit in a squat position and do 3 minutes of work with your arms moving up and down, in and out, then rotating.
I felt good afterwards and not sweating half as much as I would be on the previous intense workouts.

Day 27 - Pure Cardio & Cardio Abs

My legs are better today and I managed today's Pure Cardio session well. Still not 100% but I put in a much better effort than yesterday. Some things were difficult, such as the frog jumps and power jacks, since they really test the quads.

One thing I really could give up on though is the cardio abs session. It may only be 16 mins long, but it is very painful. Not on my abs, but on my legs. I'm finding sitting on the floor in the C position very difficult. I can only manage to sit there for 15-20 seconds a time before my legs ache or my lower back hurts. I've tried resting and repositioning but it does not help. With all the other exercises I've had difficulty with I have managed to develop my style and get used to them. However, the sitted C position I cannot get used to.

Saturday tomorrow, so rest day. Then into a week of Core Cardio & Balance from Sunday. Not done that workout yet so it will be a new one to learn.

Day 26 - Plyometric Cardio Circuit

I'm in a bit of a mess today. My quad's are still painful after the 6km run I did yesterday. I saw that tonight's workout was the 65 minute Pure Cardio & Cardio Abs and realised that my legs just wouldn't be able to take it. So I've swapped around tomorrows and todays session to try and make it easier.

I couldn't do the ski in and outs and normal in and outs, so I did mountain climbers instead. I tried, but my poor old legs were burning too much. I'm a bit disappointed with tonights session since my pace was a lot slower. But I tried my best and I'm hoping my legs will have recovered some so to put a better effort in tomorrow.

No Intensive Workout Day - Run Instead

In a moment of madness I agreed to go for a run with Tony from work during our lunch hour. It's the stretching day today and I felt like I had the energy to do it.

It's a beautiful sunny day in Swansea, temperature about 8c with no breeze. We did our usual 6 km run past the Liberty Stadium and around the Enterprise Park Lake. How did I do? Well not too bad. I though my pace was slower in the 2nd half of the run, but when analysing my results on www.sports-tracker.com it turns out it was my 2nd best ever run.

I'm sitting in my chair now typing this and my quadriceps are aching like hell. I'd even go so far as to pinpoint it to being the rectus femoris that is hurting. How do I know? Check out Body Browser from Google for a great insight in to your body

Day 24 - Plyometric Cardio Circuit

I thought I was going to vomit.

The Level 1 drills today killed me. The basket ball jumps are not too bad, but then straight in to the combination of 4 x push-ups, 8 x cycles, jump up then down is a real breaker. Then the ski-jumps, which absolutely wreck my legs. Finally the in and outs really get you.
There were several points where I had that taste in my mouth where I thought I was going to be sick. I had to stop and take a drink otherwise I'm sure I would have been.

Anyway I'm standing here typing this, still dripping in sweat as I recover.

Oh, and Happy St David's Day to everyone.

One other thing ....... I resisted temptation and didn't have any of those cakes from last night. My wife had two though so I'm going to make her feel guilty about it.