Back to the Grind: Week 6/Day 1

After one full recovery week that I really needed, I was ready to get back in the game with my workouts again. I have changed my regime since month 2 of Insanity is more intense. I have decided to cut my gym sessions to 3x a week for the following month until I complete round 1 of Insanity. I have decided to go for 2 rounds of Insanity and I am teetering between trying the Insanity Asylum and Tapout XT. I still have time to decide this though :)

My workouts for today are listed below:

-15 minutes of deep stretching
-45 minutes of weight and resistance training (today was a day for the chest and arms)
-15 minutes of HIIT on treadmill with no incline today with rotations of 7.5mph and 3.5mph.
-Insanity Fit Test & Max Interval Circuit.


As listed above, I have done the fit test again today,  along with today's results, there is a comparison between today's test and my previous test 2 weeks ago. Here are my results:

-Switch kicks: 130 (+28)
-Power jacks: 53 (+8)
-Power knees: 120 (+4)
-Power jumps: 55 (+22)
-Globe jumps: 36 (+18)
-Suicide jumps: 16 (-4)
-Push up jacks: 27 (+5)
-Low plank oblique: 50/100 (+14)


I am very pleased with my fit test results, especially with the power jumps. Major increase for me! Just when I thought I wasn't doing well enough, this test proved otherwise :)


Below are my meals for the day:
-Snack: Large whole orange
-M1: post-gym: 2 scrambled whole eggs mixed with peppers, spinach, onions with 2tbsp salsa and sliced strawberries and blackberries.
-M2: post-insanity: Chocolate fudge protein shake. 1/2 cup water, 1/2 cup skim milk, chocolate-fudge whey protein, crushed ice.
-Snack: Luna Oatmeal and raisin nutrition bar.
-M3: Turkey meatloaf with 1/2 cup brown rice and cooked vegetables.


-Today, I burned over 1,600 calories and I know for a fact I did not eat enough once again today, I am trying at the moment to decide what to have for a final snack now before bed. I'm leaning toward another shake :)


I'm ready to get back in the grove again tomorrow. Happy Monday!

Week 5/Day 3

Today, I went for sprints before Insanity today and I feel sore and tired but it's worth it. I can begin to see greater definition in my arms and shoulders and it's amazing!


Below is my workout for the day:
-15 minutes of deep stretching
-45 minutes of strength training (full body all week)
-25 minutes of sprints 3:10minutes on 1:50minutes off @ 7.6 mph/high with 1.5%incline.
-Insanity Core Cardio & Balance


It is still mid-day here in sunny Arizona so below is a list of my meals planned for today:
M1: Whole egg with 1/2 toasted whole grain bagel thin and strawberry preserves, handful of green grapes and blackberries.
M2: (post workout and Insanity): Vanilla-Almond protein shake. 1/2 cup water, 1/2 cup skim milk, crushed ice, 1 scoop vanilla whey protein, splash of almond extract.
M3: Mixed greens with handful of baby carrots, tuna mixed with plain Greek yogurt and pepper and onion with celery pieces, Laughing Cow low-fat Swiss cheese wedge.
M4: Baked turkey marinated with lemon and pepper mixed with steamed vegetables.
M5: Gala apple with sliced strawberries.  

This week, I am planning to do full body circuit exercises every day since I will be out of town for 5 days. Plus, I have been needing time to deload from working out anyway. It will be a great rest and great to get on track after this weekend. For the trip, I am making myself cinnamon chocolate & vanilla protein cookies so that I will have healthy snack options for my trip to Milwaukee. The recipe is below:

1 cup all natural peanut butter
2 egg whites
2 scoops chocolate whey protein powder
1/4 cup Stevia
1/3 cup almond meal (ground almonds.. I like Bob's Red Mill)
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. vanilla extract

-Instructions
-Preheat oven to 350 F
-In a large bowl mix all ingredients together
-Use a tbsp. to scoop out the dough. Roll into little balls and place on a lightly greased cookie sheet
-Bake for 10 minutes. Make sure you don't overcook them!
-Cool for a few minutes before eating


Happy Wednesday!

Week 5/Day 1

Happy Monday!
After today's workout I felt great! Below is the info for my workouts for today:

-10 minutes of deep stretching
-45 minutes of weight & resistance training (today I opted for a full body circuit)
-25 minutes of intense running @ 1-1.5% incline @ 7.4mph max pace for 3:10 minutes/5 mph easy job for 2 minutes.
-Insanity Core Cardio and Conditioning


When I work on full body circuits, I make my sets less (12X12X10X8) incorporated with heavy weights, plus working the muscles to failure on select exercises. When I lift to failure, I go on the max weight I am capable of doing and repeating twice by slowly decreasing the weight.  Below is some of the workouts I've done today:

 -Leg curls @ max weight of 105lbs. >Lift to failure from 105, 85 and 60lbs
 -Chest press @ max weight of 60lbs.
 -Cable crossover (arms) @ max weight of 25lbs >Lift to failure from 25, 17.5 and 12.5lbs
 -Cable overhead triceps extension @ max weight of 32lbs.
 -One legged squat with 25lb weight.
 -Squat with dumbbell @ 35lb weight centered.

I also did some work for the abs and obliques such as elbow to knee exercises, bicycle crunches, reverse crunches and crunches with heel pushes.
My goal is to incorporate more ab and oblique exercises with my routine. It's my least favorite muscle group to work on and it's also the area I need to work on most. I am also trying to lose a few extra pounds & that's also the most difficult part for me. I will have to keep my progress posted!



*Today was my first day on the Cardio and Conditioning phase of Insanity and even though it was a much slower workout, it was still tough and it felt great. Can't wait for day 2 tomorrow!


My meals for today are below:

M1: Whole egg over easy on whole grain toast with grapes and blackberries (pictured below)

M2: (post workout & post Insanity): Strawberry protein shake. 1/2 cup water, 1/2 cup skim milk, 1 scoop strawberry whey protein, crushed ice.

M3: Mixed greens with a wedge of Laughing Cow Swiss cheese, handful of baby carrots, pepper, dressing on side.

M4: Lime chicken taco salad. Mixed greens, chopped green bell pepper, chopped green onions, diced white onions, pinch of shredded Mexican-style cheese, 2 tbsp fresh salsa, 4 small sized crushed multi-grain tortilla chips.

M5: Sliced Gala apple with handful of Cheerios.

Below is a picture of my breakfast of whole egg over toast. This is one of my favorite breakfast dishes.

Insanity Month 1 Complete!

-Yesterday, I finished the first month of the 2 month Insanity program & I gotta say, it felt awesome. I feel ready for month two & looking forward to what's ahead. With all 5 dvds the program comes with for month 1, my most favorite one was the plyometric cardio circuit & my least favorite was by far cardio power and resistance. I realized that I have a weaker core than I would like and my goal for the next month is to toughen up my core and work on balance. My running endurance has been great along with my weight training. They are both at the point I would like them to be so I can completely dedicate my goal of having a stronger core.


My workout Saturday is as follows:
-Insanity Plyometric Cardio Circuit

My meals are listed below:

M1: 1 bagel thin toast with strawberry preserve, 3 egg white scramble with green peppers, onions and pepper. Handful of grapes.
M2: (post Insanity): Chocolate fudge shake. 1 scoop whey chocolate fudge protein powder, 1/2 cup skim milk, 1/2 cup water, crushed ice.
M3: Applebee's spinach-berry salad with water and lemon.
M4: Baked chicken and broccoli with whole wheat pasta
M5: (cheat) Ice cream sandwich

My goal nutritionally is to work on adding more veggies this month along with more water. I don't drink a lot of water throughout the day and with this excessive Arizona heat, it's something I need to work on.
I'm feeling accomplished for what I've completed and look forward and excited for what's coming ahead.


Off to enjoy my Sunday! Happy Sunday!

Week 4/Day 3

With the holiday today, I was still able to manage to complete my Wednesday workout! I did have a few cheats today but I'm okay with that. My workout is listed below:




-Insanity Plyometric Cardio Circuit.


Below is a meal list for today:
M1: 3 scrambled egg white burrito with whole grain tortilla and green chili with handful of green grapes and blackberries.
M2: (post Insanity): Whey Up grape drink. It's only 90 cals for 16oz bottle and comes in 3 flavors and at least 20g of protein and no sugar.
M3: Mixed greens turkey salad with handful of carrots, sliced turkey breast, Laughing Cow Swiss cheese wedge with dressing on the side.
M4: Mixed greens chicken taco salad. 2 cooked and sliced skinless chicken tenderloins, 2tbsp shreeded low fat cheese, 2tbsp salsa, green onions, white onions, lime juice, pepper and hint of green chili with smashed whole grain tortilla chips.
M5: 2 chocolate protein cookies.


-Usually I eat 6 meals a day, but today I made homemade chocolate chip cookies for my husband and I did have 2 plus some zebra caramel popcorn. I think that's enough sweets for today.


Off to enjoy some fireworks & ready to hit the gym hard tomorrow. Happy Wednesday!

Week 4/Day 2

It has been a chaotic couple of days, but I have still been on track with my routines and progress. Today was the second day of my fourth week of Insanity and I'm excited to say soon that I've completed month one. My workout today is listed below:


-20 minutes of Deep Stretching
-40 minutes of Weight & Resistance Training (Day for the arms and upper body)
-30 minutes of HIIT on treadmill ranging from 0-4% incline @ 7.2mph
-10 minutes of additional HIIT on treadmill @ 4% incline @ 7.8mph
--This consists of 30 seconds on full speed/30 seconds off rotating for 10 minutes.
-Insanity Cardio Power & Resistance.

My meals today are also listed!

M1: 4 egg whites mixed with pepper, onions scrambled topped with green chili, whole grain toast with grapes and blackberries.
M2: Chocolate peanut butter protein shake. 1 scoop of chocolate pb whey protein, 1/2 cup skim milk, 1/2 cup water and crushed ice.
M3: Mixed greens salad with sliced turkey, handful carrots, 1tbsp sliced almonds, 1 Laughing Cow Swiss cheese wedge, dressing on side.
M4: 1 Gala apple with 2tbsp of natural peanut butter.
M5: 2 chicken tenderloins baked with pepper, onions, diced bell peppers, baked in green chili & steamed veggies.
M6: Chocolate peanut butter protein cookies. (recipe below)


Weekly Goal: Incorporate more vegetables daily.


Chocolate Peanut Butter Protein Cookies:
-1/4 cup peanut butter
-1/4 cup skim milk
-2tsp brown sugar
-1/2 cup oats
-1/2 cup whole wheat flour
-1 tsp baking powder
-1/2 tsp baking soda
-chocolate chips (if desired)
-cinnamon (if desired)
-1/2 scoop of chocolate protein powder (if desired)


**Heat oven to 350 degrees. Mix all ingredients together, if needed add a few teaspoons of water to add moisture. Roll into small spheres. Bake 12-15 minutes until done. I baked mine for only about 12 minutes, I prefer a doughy cookie :)

Out of all the recipes I've made, this is by far my favorite. This can also be made with sliced banana and made into muffins or bread.


Enjoy!



-Progress is coming along great & I look forward to continuing my journey tomorrow. Fitness does not take a holiday for me. Happy Tuesday!

Week 3/Day 5

I'm almost done with my 3rd week of Insanity and it's feels rewarding once I finish the work out every day, but it's never easy. Friday is always a workout day that runs in a circuit. I work the whole body (legs, arms, back, core, abs) in shorter sets. My sets for now run at 4 sets at 12x12x10x8 reps at max weight as I can handle. Today's workout is listed below:




>20 minutes deep stretching
>45 minutes of strength and resistance training. (whole body circuit)
>20 minutes of high intensity cardio. (0-.5% incline @ 7.3mph for 3 mins then 2 mins at steady jog (5.8mph) until 20 mins is reached.
>Insanity Cardio Power and Resistance.


The cardio power and resistance dvd is my least favorite. My arms are still weaker than my legs and I'm working hard at strengthening them.


Below are my meals for today:

M1:1 whole egg, 2 egg white scramble mixed with peppers and onions. 1/2 whole grain bagel thin with strawberry preserves and blackberries.
M2: (post workout): Xrated Cookies and Cream protein shake. 1 scoop of cookies and cream whey protein, 1/2 cup skim milk, 1/2 cup water and crushed ice.
M3: Mixed greens with chicken sausage, 1Tbsp sliced almonds, Laughing cow Swiss cheese wedge with dressing on side.
M4: (post Insanity): Chocolate protein shake and 1 medium sized banana.
M5: Lemon-pepper marinated skinless chicken with mixed greens, 4 cut strawberries, 1Tbsp almonds, handful of carrots, dressing on side.
M6: 2 peanut butter protein cookies.


 



Here is a photo of my dinner that I had today, since I decided to post at least 1 meal of mine every day to hopefully spark new meal ideas for everyone. :) Happy Friday!

Dinner: Lemon-pepper chicken & mixed greens