Round 6: Day 16: Insanity: Pure Cardio

Oddly, I still find this workout intimidating, mostly after the stretch but before plunging into the workout proper. It's the fear of not knowing how my body really feels, and whether I'll have sufficient energy to complete the workout, or, if I can complete the workout, it's not knowing how much intensity I'll be able to put into each exercise. This is, of course, all in my mind, and it shows you the importance of getting your mind right before engaging in exercise. I've heard Tony Horton say (during P90X Chest and Back) that your mind tells you to stop way before your body is really fatigued. This illustrates the power of the mind. What you need to do is to train your mind to convince your body to keep going and to do more work. This positive approach will result in a more beneficial workout. I'd even go one step further and say that such a positive approach would result in greater success in most of life's endeavours. All you have to do is research the effect the placebo can have on your body.

Once again, I managed to complete the entire workout without pausing the DVD, although again, I would say that of my effort on some of the exercises was pretty ugly (frog jumps come to mind). There are a few sequences during the workout which tax a particular part of the body: glutes and quads, or shoulders and arms. In particular, inserting switch kicks as the second exercise is particularly devilish. Shaun T evidently likes to challenge.

It's looking like my body is gaining strength during Week 3. I've noticed that my weight is up a few pounds, but my pants are fitting looser than ever. I'm likely gaining muscle while loosing some fat. Measurements should confirm my theory. I'm looking forward to pounding the upper body this week on the resistance days.

Round 6: Day 6: Insanity: Pure Cardio

I was looking forward to this workout because it's the only Insanity workout I can complete (so far) without pausing the DVD. At least, it was the only Insanity workout I can complete (so far) without pausing the DVD. I regressed again, slightly, and had to take a couple of mini-breaks during Frog Jumps and Suicide Jumps. Frog Jumps burn my quads and glutes like crazy, and, coming at about the half-way point in the workout, my quads are looking for a little relief. The Suicide Jumps, at the end of the workout, are tough because I'm really drained of energy by that time, and jumping back and jumping up aren't exactly my favourite items on the agenda.

The other reality for me is that I'm finding it more difficult to work out at this time of the year. During the winter, I'm working early in the morning out when it's dark outside, and completing my workouts when it's still dark. The benefit is that the air is cooler and there's no humidity. Now, we have 24°C weather first thing in the morning, with a ton of humidity. Sure, the sun is shining, but there's no breeze blowing through the house, the humidity is high, and the combination results in a severe energy drain. Not to mention the increased amount of perspiration. When Shaun T advertises that you'll be working out in a pool of your own sweat, he isn't kidding. The sweat is dripping off my body and getting flung off my hands and elbows at each movement. It's rather disturbing. Fortunately, I'm working out alone, and have ample time post-workout to clean up the evidence. I'm still sweating following my shower. It's the gift that keeps on giving. Pros and cons, I suppose.

This marks the end of Week 1. It's been a bit of a down week, with results that didn't quite match those that I posted at the end of Round 5. I'm looking forward to getting more into the rhythm of things with Week 2.

Round 5: Day 79: Insanity: Pure Cardio

Back to the asylum for a little Insanity. Like yesterday's workout, I'd have to say that (so far) Pure Cardio is my favourite Insanity workout, for the simple reason that it's the only Insanity workout I can complete without pausing the DVD. It's not hard to please me, just make a workout easy enough for me to do it.

That's not to say that this workout is easy. I still find the frog jumps burn my quads, and the final two exercises (suicide jumps and push-up jacks) drain what strength was left in your body. At the end of the workout, I'm a quivering mass of formless jelly. I can't even pat myself on the back for the job well done.

Then, following a shower, I hop on my bike and ride down to the office. It's a good thing the ride is all downhill (the story of my life).

Again, like yesterday, I suffered no ill effects from this workout. My lower back held up admirably, exhibiting no pain or discomfort whatsoever, and I had sufficient energy to really push myself throughout the workout. A splendid time was had by all.

I'm looking forward to the Fit Test on Friday, to monitor this Round's progress.

Round 5: Day 69: Insanity: Pure Cardio

I'm feeling a little more tired than usual today, having cycled to the office following this morning's Insanity workout. The workout was great. I managed to complete it without pausing; however, I did take a few seconds out here and there for a minor breather (frog jumps, suicide jacks near the end) but the breaks were of insufficient duration to pause the workout.

I would have to say that this is my favourite Insanity workout, for two reasons: firstly, I can do it without pausing the DVD; secondly, none of the moves repeat. This is not a circuit training workout, where a series of exercises are done, then repeated following a 30 second break. This is 16 minutes of non-stop exercises, each one different. I find the variety of exercises is what keeps me interested in this workout and motivate me to complete it without pause.

There is one exercise which I find really difficult: switch kicks. This consists of kicking one leg forward to waist height, then leaping off the stationary leg and bringing it to waist height, then repeating back and forth. It's non-stop jumping from one leg to the other for a full minute. It's tough on the quads, glutes, and abs all at the same time. It's also the second exercise in the sequence, so it tires me out almost immediately. Fortunately, there are some exercises which I find easier (level 2 drills) so there are some minor opportunities to catch my breath.

Cycling into the office wasn't as difficult as I thought it would be. No doubt, the cycling motion uses slightly different muscles from the Insanity workout. It's also beneficial that the route to the office is all downhill. On the other hand, it's all uphill on the way home. At least by then, I'll have recovered from the workout.

End of Week 10. Looking forward to Week 11. Following a day of rest, it's time to Bring It!

Round 5: Day 39: Insanity: Pure Cardio

Now I know why yoga is placed mid-week: it's to allow your body some time to recover from the pounding it's taken during the past three days, to stretch out the kinks and aches and to permit you to clear your mind of all the clutter and garbage that's been accumulating since the start of the work week. Unfortunately, due to work scheduling issues, yoga didn't happen today. Insanity did.

There was a major gain today: for the first time, I completed the entire workout without pausing the DVD. I recalled through the fog of working out that I almost made it last time, and just needed a little more mental fortitude to make it through the workout. So, I pushed like crazy, tried not to sacrifice form, dug deeper, and managed to eke it out. It wasn't particularly pretty as I neared the end, but I made it. Now, having done it, I'll likely see some improvements the next time out.

There are three moves which really stressed my body today: leap frog (which is really an easy move, but doing it for a minute near the end of the workout is really energy-draining), and the last two moves of the workout, in-and-outs followed by push-up jacks. At the end of those, the sweat is freely flowing, and shavasana is definitely in order.

It was a great workout. It moved quickly and I was really satisfied with my gain today. Now I'm looking forward to completing the other Insanity workouts without pausing. That's not too likely, but I'll at least make it a goal.

Tomorrow, I'll give the legs and lungs a rest, and pound out shoulders and arms.

Round 5: Day 30: Insanity: Pure Cardio

Note to self: never wake up early on a Monday morning following the Academy Award broadcast to do Pure Cardio. Now THAT's insanity. But that's exactly what I did. I stayed up late, listening to Sandra Bullock's wonderful speech, and Jeff Bridges' rambling incoherent mumblings, saw Kathryn Bigelow stick it to James Cameron (who says politics has any play at the Oscars) and enjoyed the moments when the presenters announced, "...and the winner is..." instead of the politically correct and tired phrase, "...and the Oscar goes to...", because we're all winners, don't you know.

But I digress. I was talking about Insanity, and today's workout, Pure Cardio. I improved slightly over the last time I did this workout, but still paused the tape once when I realized that my form was rapidly deteriorating. Now that I'm becoming more familiar with the moves, I'm optimistic that I'll be able to complete this entire workout without pausing, hopefully before this Round is completed. It's a great workout, with decent variety. The moves never stop coming, and it's a real mental challenge to will your body to complete the exercises. Thankfully, there are some push-ups, which are almost like a break for me. If it weren't for the destruction of my body during yesterday's 30-15 workout, today's push-ups would have been really easy for me. As it was, I was feeling a little tight in the chest and shoulders, and push-ups were a little more strenuous than normal.

I've modified my workout schedule to make Day 5 a resistance day. We'll see how that works out over the next few weeks, and whether that modification will hold, or whether further changes should be made. So far, it's been a good start to Phase 2.

Today is Day 30! A small milestone, but that's how I mark my fitness journey. It's nice to see that this Round is moving along nicely. Train hard, everyone!

Round 5: Day 9: Insanity: Pure Cardio

I'm starting to get used to the Insanity warmup. It gets my heart moving nicely and gives me time to get my mind focussed on the workout to follow. I'm also starting to get used to the various moves that Shaun T. is putting me through. What I'm not used to is Shaun T. advising me that he's scared of this workout. That was a bit unnerving.

As it turned out, there was no need to be particularly scared of this workout. I still had to pause the DVD once, due to excessive huffing and puffing, but I think that in a short time, I will be able to do this workout without pausing. The move which I find most challenging is the jump kicks which occur near the start of the workout. I was not the only one finding this difficult: some of the DVD participants slowed down significantly, or stopped, which made me feel slightly better.

Because of all the pushups we do in P90X and One on One, the Level 2 moves (8 pushups, 8 feet pedals in plank position, jump up, repeat) are like a break to me. I am beginning to understand why people feel that the resistance exercises in the Insanity workouts are inadequate, which makes me feel better about my decision to schedule my workouts in a P90X manner, substituting Insanity for P90X or One on One during cardio days.

I had a great amount of energy all day following this workout. So far, so good.