Whew, Not only am I feeling the effects of close to 3 hours of snow shoveling yesterday… but now day 5 is kicking my backside. The Pure Cardio workout is a tough one! It just feels like non-stop 85% plus pushing through the entire workout. (yes, he does give breaks but you need a lot more. :) It’s obvious that they make it tougher than anyone can handle and you are supposed to take your breaks as you need to. Even the top-level fitness students in his class are dying!

Ahhhh! The joys of the Cardio Recovery workout~

Don’t get me wrong, it’s still a workout but there’s a lot more stretching and more yoga-like exercises. A great reprieve from the “Insanity” of the earlier workouts of the week.

Now it was still tough on me but you have to add in the fact that Anna and I shoveled snow for 2 hours solid! (including several drifts up to 3’ deep) That was the real Insanity workout for the day. :)

Woke up this morning and my calves were so sore I could barely walk down steps without cringing. Shoulders are still pretty tender and triceps are very tight too. The rest of me is beginning to settle down though.

Last night I had to do a slightly modified version of the workout (besides having to step out and rest a half dozen times, for about 7 or 8 sec.) by bracing my arms on my knees as I would do the move that caused me to reach high and then lunge from side to side and then touch the floor (as I switched legs to do the other side). Both Anna and I had problems with our low-backs from doing that move on the previous workout however I noticed that when I braced my opposite hand on my knee as I went down, it solved the problem. No low-back back pain today.

BTY: If you look at the workout itself, you’ll notice that most of the participants are about 25. I think Anna and I are pretty happy just to “do it” at all at 48! :-)

Week 1- Day 3

Anna and I were so tempted to not work out today with all the soreness we’ve been dealing with but WE DID IT! Wow, the Cardio-Power/resistance course was a pummel er. We both look forward to the results on the back end but for now…it’s all about pain baby! My abs, shoulders, triceps, calves, butt, and quads were really sore today. We’ll see what tomorrow brings.

Week 1- Day 2 of Insanity-Not a pretty picture but essential for comparison.

Okay, the Plyo-cardio circuit kicked my butt. I’m totally wiped but Anna and I still jumped up and down with excitement when we finished it. I WILL do this!

Week 1 Day 2 of Insanity: the first “real workout”! Ouch

Notice the extremely rounded face, smooth arms with next to no definition, the exhausted look? At the end of 60 days, everything will change…except for the exhausted look. (Since you always push to the max regardless of your fitness level.)

It’s Sunday, and an off day. Slightly sore from the fit test yesterday but nothing major. Looking forward to tomorrow mornings workout with Anna…We’ll see how I feel afterward…

Our most darling Andrea, had her first snow incident. Luckily both she and the car survived intact…although she did miss a light pole by about a foot! Thank you Lord!

Week 1- Day 1, The initial Fit Test (notice I’m still smiling!)

Well, Anne and I have embarked on an adventure of unprecedented proportion. We have begun the “Insanity Workout”, 60 days of back-breaking, pulse pounding, thigh thumping; peck pumping, gut grinding…What?…right…that’s enough. You get the picture. I will be daily updating on my progress so my posterity (and posterior) may know what I’ve been up to.

The Fit test- Approximately 30 minutes of assessment that still constituted a seriously solid workout, yet proceeded to clearly point out our deficiencies! Yes, we have a long way to go. J Anne and I warmed up by sprinting all over the house together for about 10 minutes, up and down the stairs, until we were breathless and then it began. Once we were finished we were both gasping for breath but grinning from ear to ear that we had begun the long journey together. More to come…