Side note ~ wow, it's been almost a week since I've posted! And to think I thought I'd be so on top of things, I'd be posting every day. Well, it was just one of those weeks ~ working as usual, my best friend visiting from out of town, and lots of going out and fun activities because of that. But since we've last chatted, something exciting has happened...
It's arrived.
On Friday, my Insanity workout DVD came in the mail. Have you seen the infomercials for Insanity? They dub themselves the "hardest workout ever put on DVD", and from reviews I've read, that's quite possibly a fact. The creator and instructor behind Insanity is Shaun T, who you may also know {and love} from the "Hip-Hop Abs" and "Rockin' Body" workout DVDs. In those workouts, I've always found Shaun to be an ideal workout instructor ~ he's motivating without being militant, encouraging without being annoying, and he seems to know what he's talking about. He is also too adorable for words, which helps!
So, it's here ~ a small cardboard box with the word "Insanity" stamped all over the outside {who knows what my mailman now thinks of me}. Cracking open the box, I find it's chock-full of goodies ~ some to help me, and some to promote other Beachbody products {there is an insert for Shakeology, Beachbody's meal replacement shake product, and several mentions of their Results and Recovery Formula}. There is also a guide explaining the science behind this workout {max interval training}; a nutrition guide they encourage you to follow while using Insanity {healthy eating without restricting calories or carbohydrates, basically...because your body needs fuel for this type of exercise}; and a calendar that outlines which workouts should be done on which days over the next 9 weeks of your 60-day challenge {a month of workouts, a "recovery" week that still involves working out, and another month of new intense workouts}. There's also a pamphlet outlining how to get a free t-shirt if you submit your "before" and "after" pictures when you're finished with the challenge ~ who doesn't love "free"?
This little cardboard box is also chock-full of WARNINGS. I don't believe any other workout video has ever tried so hard to scare potential users away. In a nutshell ~ "Insanity" is not supposed to be an ironic moniker. This is designed to be an intense workout, not for the faint of heart or faint of...muscles. Or joints. They encourage you several times to have your doctor approve you before starting this program, although I doubt many people do. In any event, Insanity is heavy on the disclaimers. I have had knee problems for years, but my intent is to modify as much as I can and go at my own pace ~ fingers crossed!
So, I plan on updating you regularly over the next few months as I {along with my hubby, who is hoping to gain muscle mass} embark on the "Insanity Challenge". Yesterday was Day 1, which is not a full workout, but rather the Fit Test. The Fit Test takes about 25 minutes and is done several times over the course of the challenge. It involves one-minute bursts of doing as many reps as you can of different exercise moves {power jumps, jumping jacks, plank oblique twists, etc}. You record how many of each you are able to do, and {hopefully} see your progression as you revisit the Fit Test down the road. They also warn you that if the Fit Test is too much for you, you should find a different workout. Now, I'm not sure what "too much for me" is defined as, but I can say that the Fit Test is a challenge. I started out confidently enough, performing switch kicks with relative ease {pretty much what it sounds like ~ you kick one leg out in front of you, then jump and switch to kicking the other leg out}. By the time I got to the fourth {globe jumps} and fifth {suicide jumps} out of eight moves, I was definitely feeling a bit weakened, and was not able to rack up the reps as I had with the first few exercises. But, the hubs and I both completed the Fit Test and will be moving on to the Plyometric Cardio Circuit video today.
So here's my plan ~ complete the 60-day Insanity Challenge and push myself to my limit every step of the way, while still being smart enough to modify when my body needs me to. I want to see some amazing weight-loss and toning results, and I want to update you all regularly so you can see if it's a workout you're interested in too. I began on Monday, September 19, 2011, so I should complete the challenge on Sunday, November 27, 2011 ~ three days after Thanksgiving.
I'm ready to get crazy with my workouts ~ are you?
xoxo
Bean
{photo credit: raisethebarfitness.com}
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