The Beginning of Insanity

Generally, I am a person who avoids the scale. I know it isn’t always an accurate measurement of a person’s overall health. It doesn’t count for muscle gained, fat loss, water retention, and although I tell myself that it’s just a number, stepping on the scale usually makes me feel disappointed. Instead of stepping on the scale, I more often try to focus on the fit of my clothes and how I feel and how I look in the mirror. If the pants are feeling a little more snug than usual, I evaluate what is going on in my life and look at what may be attributing to the snugness, and then I may step on the scale to see where I’m at.

Why am I bringing this up right now? Well let’s just say the pants are getting snug these days and I did step on the scale, so Ill leave you the tip of the best scales for weight loss !

Sure enough, a few unwanted pounds have crept onto my 5’4″ frame and it isn’t from any intense weight-lifting regimen, it is from the depth of winter. Yes, the dietitian can gain weight too. As hard as I try to eat well and stay active, the cold and snowy days of winter and this year’s sprinter (spring/winter) have really been tying me down to the couch in the evenings and have me reaching for comfort snacks at night.

couch

I know I do a pretty good job with healthy eating and, but an area I KNOW I need improvement on is my workouts. I am an active person. I love to move and be active whether it’s yoga, dancing, running, strength training, walking, biking, I love it all.

workout

I would say I am active 6-7 days a week, HOWEVER, I do know that I don’t push myself as hard as I could or should and that’s why I’m not seeing huge results from my workouts. My running stamina is improving, but my strength needs a lot of work.

Well guess what, that’s all about to change. I have made a commitment to improve my health, endurance, and strength…

I have jumped head first into The Insanity Workout.

I am now four days into Team Beachbody’s Insanity Workout Program. I have been eyeing this workout program for over a year (I actually wrote a post about my interest in it here) and my curiosity has only continued to pique as friends of mine were telling me they had plunged into the Insanity challenge themselves and were seeing results. I wanted to give it a shot. I had nothing to lose.

What is Insanity?

Insanity is a workout program which uses Max Interval Training; you perform long bursts of maximum intensity exercise followed by a short period of rest, and repeat. This really gets your heart pumpin’!

There are 10 different workout DVDS which are “packed with plyometric drills on top of nonstop intervals of strength, power, resistance, and ab and core training moves. No equipment or weights needed. Each insanity workout keeps you constantly challenged as you alternate between aerobic and anaerobic intervals performed at your MAX.” source

insanity

A different workout every day decreases my risk of boredom and increases my chances of sticking with the program…this is a good thing.

Now, I’m not one to believe the workout gimmicks, but after actually completing four workouts already, and hearing about results from friends, I can honestly say I have high expectations for the results. These workouts are serious business. The only adjective I can find to best describe them are “insane.” I’d say I am a mediocre sweater, but after completing these workouts I am literally dripping with sweat. These workouts kick my booty and I love it.

How long is this program? How long are the workouts?

Insanity is a 60-day program. You rotate through the workout DVDs for one month, take one week to recover with some core cardio and balance, and then hit it even harder for the 2nd month.

The workouts range from 30-86 minutes. The first month’s workouts are on the shorter side (30-55 minutes) and the second month’s are on the longer side (45-86 minutes).

The workouts are six days a week with one day of rest.

The Secret to Success

The secret to success is obvious: motivation and dedication. If you want to see results from this program you have to be dedicated to these daily workouts and not only that, you have to push yourself and really hit it hard. Not only that, you need to be careful about what goes into your body. Clean eating is SO important for everyone! Get rid of those processed foods as much as you can.

My Plan

Life happens and I can almost guarantee there will be days that I will not be able to complete a workout, but I plan to stick to this regimen as strictly as I can. Also, I want to continue to run outside so I will be incorporating that into the routine and I may take those days off from Insanity. I will plan to pick right up the next day with the workout I left off on.

As much as I want to say I will continue this program for the whole 60 days, I have to be honest with myself and say that yes, ideally I would love to complete all 60 days, but there is a possibility that I may not. I want to see how my body responds internally. If I feel it is causing disturbances in my healing process then I may have to quit. I have a feeling that this will only continue to improve my health by making my body stronger and improving my immunity, but if not, I may need to make some changes.

I am highly motivated to see changes in my body and mainly, to increase endurance and strength. If I lose the weight I put on, great, but if I don’t, I know it is just my body adjusting to new muscles and that weight is not an appropriate measurement of progress.

Thoughts so far

Granted I have only tipped my toes into the water so far, I can still say I love the way I feel after these workouts. After the first fit test and the first workout, I felt like I could have been sick, but I have found that if I complete the workouts in the morning before I have had too much food, my tummy is just fine.

It is such a phenomenal workout that truly works your whole body and like I said, I am covered in sweat by the time it is over. Some people can reach this level of fitness alone at the gym and get the same results, but I need the assistance of a regimented fitness program.

I am very anxious to continue the program and to see results.

Now that the weather is finally turning a corner over here in Minne, it is time to stop making excuses and time to get into tip-top shape, to see what I am capable of, and to feel good about myself and my fitness level.

April Fitness Challenge

One last thing. I haven’t forgotten about my April Fitness Challenge! I am hoping that the strength training of these workouts combined with my continued attempts on our home pull-up bar, will help me to reach a goal of one chin-up. I know I WILL get there!

So that’s that. That is what I am doing to improve my overall health. What are YOU doing?!

This Post Has 9 Comments

  1. i LOVE insanity! i bought it last summer when we stayed with my parents for 2 months before moving to minnesota and i didn’t have a gym membership. needless to say they will also be my traveling companion when the kids and i go back for our 4 week visit. these workouts are definitely INSANE. in a good way.
    kendra @ kennygump recently posted…saddenedMy Profile

    1. Melanie

      They definitely make you feel great once they are over!

  2. I am so excited to hear about your progress thru Insanity. I have heard so many good things about it. I am super excited for you! But reading this post made me tired – does that mean I shouldn’t do it?? 😉
    Katie @ running4cupcakes recently posted…1 year old!My Profile

  3. You and me both, girl. This never-ending Minnesota winter has not been good to my body either! I am excited to read about what you think of Insanity. I can never seem to motivate myself to push myself super hard through a workout video, I need a class structure or an outdoor run to do that. But, if you give it a good recommendation, then I might need to check it out!
    Becky @ Olives n Wine recently posted…Suja Juice Cleanse – Day 2My Profile

  4. I have thought about trying this but like Becky said, I often stop if it’s too extreme. But if there’s good music and instructors to help motivate me, then I keep it up. What do you think of the music so far? Is it pretty motivating?
    Sarah @ Making Thyme for Health recently posted…Comforting Mushroom & Barley SoupMy Profile

    1. Melanie

      Sean T. is the instructor and he is FABULOUS! There is music that plays in the background but to be honest I hardly hear it during the workouts because the workouts are so intense. I am definitely the same way with music—it does so much to pump me up!

  5. Natalie

    I LOVE these workouts, and feel so great after completing them! It’s a feeling of pride for getting through the tough workout, and the overall sense of happiness that only comes from great workouts. I am hopeful but so sure you will feel the same! I’m a Minnesotan too, so I hear ya about this “sprinter” haha! 🙂 About to take my first walk outside of the Spring- not letting the cold stop me anymore!

    1. Melanie

      You are so right. I feel so accomplished (and sweaty) after I complete a workout. Yesterday was a beautiful day in MN! I participated in a fundraiser walk outside and it felt great!

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