Insanity

...and by insanity, I do mean Insanity...the fitness program.

Scott and I were lucky enough to score the DVDs and all the "Insanity" on eBay.  It arrived in the mail on Thursday, and we have now embarked on this insane journey.

I will be keeping you up-to-date here. 

We started out by taking the fitness test.  It's the first step to beginning the program.  I can tell you that our results are that we're out of shape.

Like whoa.

The fitness test takes a half-hour.  (And it's AWFUL.)  There are brief rest periods in which the next test is demonstrated.  There are 8 exercises, and you are given one minute to do as many of each as you can.  After two weeks, you take the fitness test again to see if you improve.  So here are my beginning results:

Standing Kicks: 35
Power Jacks: 36
Power Knees: 54
Power Squat: 22
Globe Jumps: 2
Suicide Jumps: 4
Push-Up Jacks: 5
Planking Abs*: 8

*Can't remember what this one is actually called.  You get into a plank position, and bring each leg up.  You have to do both legs to count as 1 set.

I'll explain a few more of the exercises.  Power Jacks are a jumping jack into a squat.  Power Knees kinda made me mad.  You bend the right leg slightly, and then bring your left knee up & hit your hand.  I would have liked to have done these the other direction, too, but we didn't get to.  (Clearly, I was the best at these. lol)  The globe jumps involve you looking a bit like a frog.  You have to squat with your hands touching the floor.  Then you hop up and forward, up and over, up and back, up and over (back to where you started).  It takes 4 to count as one set.  So, I actually did 8 jumps.  :-p  Suicide Jumps are aptly named because I thought I would break my face.  You get on the floor, jump back into push-up position.  Jump back forward, and then jump up totally and reach for the sky.  Then repeat.  For push-up jacks, you get into push-up postion (I can't even do real push-ups anyway).  On the way down, you jump a little and spread your legs.  On the way up, you jump them back to the original position. 

As I said, awful.  And I didn't even describe these well.

There's also a meal plan involved.  Meal plans always scare me because I have this problem where I don't like food that's good for me.  haha

BUT when I looked through it, I was pleased to see that there are a lot of options that involve foods that I do actually like in healthier forms.  That made a HUGE difference.  You are supposed to calculate how many calories you need for your height, weight, and things like that.  Then you eat smaller portions 5 times a day: Breakfast, mid-morning snack, lunch, afternoon snack, and dinner.

Having both of us take this journey together is going to be a HUGE benefit.  This way, we're both on the same page in terms of food, and even if we can't work out together (our schedules often don't mesh), we can encourage one another and check in to see if we've each done our workouts.  You are supposed to work out 6 days a week.  Until summer comes, I will skip Insanity on my Zumba days after work.  I LOVE the dancing aspect of Zumba, and I don't want to miss doing something I love when I know that this is going to kick my butt.  :)

I reluctantly leave you with my before shots:

 

P.S. I was sucking it in a little....

Also, the winner of my giveaway with The Young Retiree will be announced soon!  Stay tuned!