MackLGrahamAKAHotMommy

Insanity Pure Cardio Review

So there is a reason why Insanity is considered to be the toughest workout on the market and after experiencing the joys of Pure Cardio I'm pretty sure I know why. So there you are after the traditional 10 minute insanity warm up taking a "breather" during the stretch and Shaun T casually mentions not once, but TWICE how nervous he is for this workout. Nice. Thanks Shaun T. If I wasn't crapping my pants in fright from the name of the video alone, now your little scaredy pants serenade to the camera caused me to need to change my shorts.

Total workout time - about 38 minutes. You've got your ~10 minute warm up and the 6 minute stretch before the main workout begins. So at this point I'm like... geez... that only leaves about 20 minutes. How bad can 20 minutes really be???? Well let me tell you. The next 15 minutes are killer. Now in other workouts, 15 minutes might sound totally doable, no prob, but in insanity we are used to going hard and taking breaks about every 2-3 minutes. Not in Pure Cardio. Pure Cardio is 15 minutes straight of 1 minute intervals - NO REST. So to be fair - most people are taking breaks here and there. Shaun T is even telling many of them to go to the side and get a drink. How did he put it? "We're not trying to kill you. Just make you stronger." Hrmm... lovely phrase Shaun T. If you can make it all the way through the 15 minutes w/o taking one then I bow down to you. I make it to about minute 8 as my legs crumble in the frog jumps. And do you want to know the total number of water breaks in the video? 2. Yes. 2. If you can find your breath to breathe then you are one level above me, because I spend my two water breaks wallowing in pain on my bedroom floor.

Warm Up – Same ole’ same ole’ insanity warm up of his 7 go to exercises (jogging, jumping jacks, the Heisman, 123 Heisman, butt kicks, high knees and mummy kicks that will leave you sweating like you’ve completed an entire workout after it. By the time I’m done the third, most intense round of these exercises I am wishing I could teleport to the end of the workout. He follows it with his standard 6 minute stretch in which the sweat will be rolling of you. It’s as if your body is just realizing the a$$ kicking it took and is finally catching up and deciding that sweating to cool down would be a good thing. I find some of these stretches like the deep lunge hard or impossible to hold. Shaun T is still trying to punish you while pretending that he is giving you a stretch break.

By this time you’ve been through some of his other workouts, so you think you know what to expect. Prfff… 15 minutes. This will be over before you know it. Not so my friend, not so. You will feel each and every second of this. I myself am obsessed with watching the clock, as if it will make time somehow pass faster. What a ridiculous notion. Make sure you pace yourself throughout so that you don’t burn yourself out in the first couple minutes.

There are 15 exercises, each 1 minute in length:

• Suicide Drills – run about 4 steps to one side, touch the floor, run the other way and repeat.
• Switch kicks – my nemesis. Hope from foot to foot kicking each time you alternate. Killer.
• Wide football sprints – I think everyone has seen an NFL player do these, but at the end of turning right, turning left, moving right, moving left, moving back, Shaun T makes you full out sprint for 10 seconds. JERK.
• Stance Jacks – deep squat jumping jacks touching each foot with the opposite hand when you jack down.
• Pedal – Sprint in place then drop into a deep lunge on one side, “pop” up and lunge on the other side. Nice way to torture yourself.
• Hooks and Jump rope – 8 hooks, then 8 high jumps moving your arms like you actually have a jump rope. Who would jump rope like this in real life for fun? Not this sister.
• Power jacks – deep squat jumping jacks
• Level 2 drills – drop down, do 8 pushups, sprint in place in plank position, jump legs in and explode up reaching for the sky. Level 1 drills taken the next notch up. I pray to God that Level 3 drills are only a myth.
• Frog Jumps – this is where myself and the test group start falling apart. Everyone in the video is near to the point of death. I make it about ½ the way through this and have to break because my quads are giving out. Squat, touch the floor, jump back, squat, touch the floor, jump front.
• Power Knees – same as the fit test, but alternating legs. Bring knee to hands in a side lunge position. Insert Shaun T’s head in your hand in your mind and pummel away as you bring your knee to your hands repeating this motion over and over.
• Mountain Climbers – same as high knees but using arms to pretend you are climbing.
• Ski Down – imitate a skier. Jump side to side as if you were cruising down a hill. But you aren’t cruising down any hill. You are probably wishing that you could die about now.
• Scissor Runs – almost like a run on the spot swinging your arms straight in front of you as you alternate feet. At this point, ironically Shaun T calls this move switch feet and then quickly explains that he is so tired, even he can’t remember the names of his moves.
• Suicide Jumps – everyone on set is at this point cursing Shaun T and I think you can even hear a few people moan and groan. Like a level 1 or 2 drill but without the pushups in there. I would call this an exploding burpee if this were my move but that sounds kind of like explosive diarrhea so maybe not such a good name.
• Push up jacks – as you are doing a standard pushup on the down maneuver you kick your legs out into a triangle and then on the way up you bring them back in. Repeat until your arms give out. I’ve got 15-17 in me and my upper body has positively no strength so many people should kill my numbers on this one.

And then, my positively favorite moment. It’s the end of the workout, and as Shaun T collapses on the floor he manages to say, “That $%*& is bananas - YO.” Love it. YO YO YO.

After your minute long water break, you go into a four and a half minute cool down stretch. Third most fav moment of the workout after the comment about being nervous to start the workout and the bananas comment is an introspective Shaun T moment. Mid stretch he says aloud, “Sometimes as a fitness professional, I ask, why do I do the things that I do?” Then he grins, and snickers and says, “Because I want to look goooooooooooooooooooood.” All done torturing yourself until the next day. Uggggg.

www.beachbodycoach.com/mackenziegraham

www.myshakeology.com/mackenziegraham

 

If only I had a personal chef...

So if I had three wishes to enrich my life, and by wishes I mean realistic wishes which means you can't wish to live forever, can't wish to have the body of a 22 year old supermodel, can't wish to read other people's minds, can't wish for infinite money, or wish to instant teleport (which by the way would be AWESOME), they would be as follows:

1. To be able to have a job where I could work less hours and make more money... still working on this one.
2. To have the means (time and $$$) to travel to all the places T-boy and I want to visit.
3. To have a personal chef (and a personal massage therapist) - ok ok this is really 2 wishes but whose counting!

 Seriously... I am not the most domestic wife on the planet, although my husband will tell you that when I set my mind to it I actually have some skills with baking.  Mostly this skill comes from being able to read and follow a recipe so it's not like I'm anything special.  I don't have anything near to a baker's touch and I can't claim most of my recipes as my own (thank you google and mommy group!), but I do enjoy making dessert.  Thank Goodness it requires little skill to blend a Shakeology shake in the morning or microwave oatmeal for breakfast!!! Now when it comes to making any sort of meat dish, I'm way outta my league!  As a vegetarian since the age of 13, I've never cooked any meat in my life.  I'm not joking.  I don't like touching raw meat, I don't like smelling it cook (well bacon does smell pretty nice), and I don't like cleaning it up.  Even as I'm typing this my face is crinkling into a disgusted look just at the thought of the whole meat experience.  So that being said, I'm so thankful that T-boy our resident meat-a-tarian of the house is in charge of the grill.  In general he is usually in charge of cooking most dinners.  I can handle prep work and I can handle the clean up, but I really rely on his saviness in the kitchen when it comes to getting sustenance to live on!  You could say it is a symbiotic relationship of sorts, but it would probably be more accurate to call myself a parasite!

That being said, despite his skillz to bay the billz in the kitchen I'd really love to have a personal chef.  Mainly this stems from complete lack of creativity.  We have about 10-15 go to meals that we rotate through and quite frankly I find it hard to think up any fancy-pants new dishes to delight our tastebuds.  We do like to experiment with recipes we find on line, it's just by the time we get home from work, do the dinner prep, etc. neither of us really feel like branching out and trying anything new.  Our typical nights go as follows: "hmmm... what do I feel like??  Hrmmm... I don't know... Hrmmm... I don't care... Hrmmmm.   What do you feel like??? etc. etc. etc.".   Imagine coming home from work, your table is set, food is waiting ready for you, it's healthy, it's delicious, it's something you haven't ate in a while or is a new flavor, and you DIDN'T HAVE TO LIFT A FINGER or burn a brain cell pondering.  This is Heaven... oh heaven on earth.

So now somebody grant me my wish and give me a personal chef free of charge!

www.beachbodycoach.com/mackenziegraham

www.myshakeology.com/mackenziegraham

 

 

Insanity Week 3 and Cardio Power and Resistance Review

My Week 1 & 3 Fit Test Stats:

1. Switch Kicks: 54, 60
2. Power Jacks: 61, 62
3. Power Knee: 97, 111
4. Power Jumps: 40, 55
5. Globe Jumps: 11, 11
6. Suicide Jumps: 18, 20
7. Push-up Jacks: 14, 17
8. Low Plank Oblique: 70, 78

Already improvement in two weeks.  Not too shabby.  Maybe I can't credit it all to improvement though.  I think that some of it is knowing I can actually push myself further then I thought I could.  I have noticed improved strength - especially when it comes to push ups and the plank exercise floor work.  My shoulders used to give out a lot sooner in the circuits then they do now and although I'm not up to the same number of "man" pushups the gals in the video execute, my numbers are definitely improving!  The swear words haven't decreased however. Those are still at an all time high.

So here is the review for the Cardio Power & Resistance workout. This was the 2nd true instanity workout after the Plyo Circuit that you complete if you follow the Insanity schedule.  It's about 40 minutes in length which is just enough time to kick your a$$.  We’re back on the gym with all the same insane people who are in awesome physical condition - damn you Tonya!  Again we start with the same ~10 minute insanity warm up with each interval getting more intense.  At the end of it, like with the Plyo workout I'm drenched in sweat.  It's 3 rounds and each round is about 3 minutes and 30 seconds and the intensity is raised so by the last round you're moving as fast as your legs can go. For me, my little feeties were burning a hole in the carpet.  The warm up runs as follows: Jog. Power Jacks. Log Jumps. The 1-2-3 Heisman. Butt Kicks. Vertical Jump. After the third repetition Shaun T is kind enough to give you a water break (if you call 15 seconds a break), and then you’re into the stretch.

The stretch is just under 7 minutes, and is very similar workout to workout. After the warm up and stretch, we roll into the main part which is about 21 minutes and 30 seconds. It consists of two segments with 3 rounds again increasing in intensity with each round.  The rounds are about 2-3 minutes each in length. Segment 1 lineup: Power Jumps. Lower into a wide squat, then jump straight up and slap your knees.  Belt Kicks. Squat, kick, and alternate. Hit the Floor. Lunging side to side while touching the floor. So I can barely breath at this point and my heart rate is outta control and Shaun T throws in a move that requires strength!  V Push Ups. In a push up position, you bring your feet in closer to your arms like a pike, forming a “V” with your bum up in the air, lowering your head towards the floor and push up.  This one is all about working the shoulders, instead of your chest.  Then it's a 30 second water break and round 2 kicks off followed quickly by round 3.  After round 3 and the water break, Shaun T throws in an extra bonus move - the tricep dips. This move works your triceps and core at the same time.  My arms were spazaming by the end of that - shizam.  It hurt.

So now there is 12 minutes left on the clock and one more segment with 3 more rounds is yet to come.  Rounds 1, 2, and 3 are all 2 minutes in length consisting of: Hurdle Jumps. Sprint in place and then jump to side.  Globe Jumps. In a wide stance you jump right, back, left, front in the shape of a box. Moving Push Ups.  Push up.  Move Right. Push up. Move Left. Continue.  Floor Sprints. Run in place in plank position. After each round you get a 30 second water break and I figured Shaun T was all done with me.  Not so Mack.  Not so.  One quick 15 second water break, and then he pulled out one last move.  Actually it wasn't so bad, this 8 hop squat / 8 push up combo.  I'm not saying every pushup was completed, but I kept going the whole time.  And then we’re FINALLY done.  A short 3 minutes and 30 second cool down and stretch and you're on your way!  On your way to sweating profusely for like the next 20 minutes or so because that is how long it took me to cool down enough to shower.  But I kind of actually am growing to like it, maybe.  When I needed it, I took breaks and tonight I watched T-boy take a break too as he was mid workout.  Shaun T himself even takes breaks - enough of a break to rip his shirt off and show you his rock hard man body.  Such a classic moment!!! 

Lastly, I've also noticed an increase in appetite due to the workouts.  I MUST have something to eat (my shakeology) by 7am at the latest or else I start to digest myself from the inside out.  Mmmmmm... me sure do likey the Shakeology and blueberry combo lately.  So delish.

www.beachbodycoach.com/mackenziegraham

www.myshakeology.com/mackenziegraham

 

Insanity Week 2 and Plyo Cardio Circuit Review

Firstly, what are plyometrics?  Taken from www.wikipedia.org:

Plyometrics (also known as "plyos") is a type of exercise training designed to produce fast, powerful movements, and improve the functions of the nervous system, generally for the purpose of improving performance in sports. Plyometric movements, in which a muscle is loaded and then contracted in rapid sequence, use the strength, elasticity and innervation of muscle and surrounding tissues to jump higher, run faster, throw farther, or hit harder, depending on the desired training goal. Plyometrics is used to increase the speed or force of muscular contractions, providing explosiveness for a variety of sport-specific activities. Plyometrics has been shown across the literature to be beneficial to a variety of athletes. Benefits range from injury prevention, power development and sprint performance amongst others. 

So in other words - exercise designed to make you more POWERFUL and FASTER!  Sounds like a lot of effort though... and let me tell you the first Plyo Cardio Circuit was just that - Insane Effort.  So to break down this workout for you, let me give you a replay of how I spent 41 minutes and 30 seconds of my life.

Pan to the open gymnasium again, and Shaun T opens up with his normal diatribe of let's warm up, keep your form, and stay safe.  As I mentioned, the clock timer starts with about 41 minutes and some 30 odd seconds posted.  We kick off with a warm up, but it certainly feels nothing like a warm up.  As far as I'm concerned we are off and running full bore into the cardio!  The warm up circuit consists of jogging in place, jumping jacks, the Heisman, the 1-2-3 Heisman, butt kicks, high knees, and mummy kicks. The set goes for about 3 minutes and is repeated a total of 3 times, for a sum of a little over 10 minutes with each set increasing in intensity.  This means by the time you're on the third and final "warm up" rotation it feels like you've completed a 10k run.  Shaun T is then generous to give you a 30 second water break followed by a very generous 7 minute stretch.  Man oh man... when I saw the word stretch come across the screen I was thankful for the opportunity to breathe.  The stretch is incredibly thorough and challenging and I was sweating profusely the entire time and after it's over, one more water break before it's time to move into the "main" cardio circuit.

The timer is now showing about 23 minutes left on the clock.  Sweet baby... that feels like a manageable length of time, but little did I know what was in store for me. The next 23 minutes sucked my entire will to live. Even the 30 second water breaks pass at lightning speed.  The first round again like the warm up consists of three sets of a series of exercises - suicide drills, power squats, mountain climbers, and ski downs.  After the first set, there is a time out for a water break and I'm thinking this is totally manageable.  Hardy har har, the second set is 3.5 minutes and at a faster pace (well at least I thought I was moving faster) but at the end I could barely utter a swear word to save my life.  30 seconds to rest again and the final round clocks in at 3 and a half minutes at yes, you guessed it, an even a faster pace.  My mind was telling me I was moving faster, but was I really going any faster?  And then, just when I thought I was done, tacked on after the last move of ski downs, Shawn T throws in some switch feet and football sprints.  The JERK. 

By the time he's done, there is about 15 minutes on the clock left.  Again 3 rounds consisting of basketball jumps, level one drills (burpee/push up/running plank move), ski abs (jump tucking from side to side in plank position), and in-out abs (jump in and out in plank position) getting faster with each round.  During the first set, my arms were giving out mid way through the level one drills.  I had to stop - numerous times.  I was going to collapse. After 20 weeks of TurboFire, I thought I was in good cardio shape, but this circuit was plain out tough.  I did what I could, took minimal rests, and got back to it each time.  As long as you give your best that's all that matters. My poor week shoulders!  I didn't feel so bad as the people in the video are taking breaks, laying on the floor panting in puddles of sweat, and frequently pounding water.  Just to really jimmy punch you in the gut, the last set is 4 minutes and 30 seconds, and Shaun T chucks on some jabs, cross jacks, uppercuts, and attack like jabby things.

And then... sweet relief as that 4 minute cool down clock starts.  Ahhhhh....  I was sweating everywhere, my clothes were drenched, my arms were aching, I could barely speak.  You should try it.  Good stuff and good times if you're looking for a nice way to spend 40 minutes of your day.  They encourage you to wear your heart rate monitor to ensure you stay in the safe zone, but mine was blaring bleeps the entire time!  Calories burned - in the area of 350-400 the few times I've done it.  None too shabby.

www.beachbodycoach.com/mackenziegraham

www.myshakeology.com/mackenziegraham

 

Insanity Week 1 & Fit Test Review

Dear Shaun T,

I don't want you to be offended and please don't come after me, but the other morning I plotted your destruction in minute detail. While laying in a puddle of human wastage exuding from every pore during a 30 second break period of the Plyo Cardio Circuit I envisioned myself harming you.  First I started with a quick jab to the face, followed with a knee to the crotch, then a round house to knock you off your feet onto the ground, at which point I proceeded to pummel you into a state of unconsciousness.  After those 30 seconds were over it was back to the grind, another set of drills and another volley of curses and the sounds of my heart rate monitor running wild.  Okkkkkk... okkkkkk... so when it was all I over I thought to myself "Danggggg I feel so good", but it still doesn't mean you are safe from me and my wrath!  See you tomorrow

Sincerely Mack G

 There you have it, if I had to write Mr. Shaun T a letter that is what it would say.  Thanks for the workout, but we're in a love hate relationship in case you care at all.  You hurt my body, wounded my pride, and totally destroyed the theory I had in which I saw myself as a cardio power house.  You crushed me.  But it was totally worth it.  It felt good at the end.  I know it's going to get easier with time.  I've never done a workout like this before where you take yourself to a max for three minutes, take a 30 second break and do it all over again.  What a workout.  I'm sweating just thinking about it. Exactly what I needed after that fateful week of Houston food!

So when I unwrapped my new box I got in the mail from Beachbody I was stoked.  I read all the Insanity info, from the disclaimer to the motivational notes on digging deeper and all that blah blah blah to get you to "want" to work this hard over a 40 minute interval.  It worked, because it got me excited to start the workout.  Now for  a quick review of the Fit Test.  The purpose of the fit test is to establish your baseline and gauge your progress as you move through the 60 days since you perform the fit test bi-weekly.  In addition, it can help you know if you are cut out to proceed with the Insanity regimen or not.  If you have significant trouble with the Fit Test, then just maybe you should reconsider starting with an easier program before progressing onto Insanity.  That being said, there are some people in the infomercial that are starting programs for the first time and tackle insanity so if you take care to prevent injury, and use proper form, I'm sure almost anybody could do this workout.

Let's set the Insanity scene...  Pan to a gymnasium... it's just Shaun T, this chick Tonya and this dude Chris from the Insanity Test Group apparently. They looked in good shape so clearly no messing around here.  The basics of the Fit Test are quite simple.  Warm up - Jumping Jacks, The Heisman, the 1-2-3 Heisman, Butt Kicks, High Knees, and the fateful mummy kicks (ouch on the shoulders).  Spout  a few swear moves and then onto performing the 8 exercises for a minute a piece, completing the maximum you can in that timeframe, and then record the number.  Sounds easy right?  Ummm not so much.

1. Switch Kicks  - Press your elbows against your ribs, fists up by your face, and then hop from one foot to the other, kicking straight out in front of you.  Each kick counts as a half with the right + left kick equaling one rep.  BRUTAL.
2. Power Jacks - A jumping jack basically, but instead of simply bringing your feet together when you lower your arms, you squat then jump back up and jump back down.  OUCH.  MY BUM STILL HURTS.
3. Power Knee - Leaning over to one side, you bring your knee up and into your hands, like your kneeing somebody's head over and over, while your entire body weight rests on one leg. BURN. BURN. BURN.
4. Power Jumps - Starting in a low squat position you jump up, bringing your knees high so that they touch your hands and then back into the squat and repeat smacking your knees as you go.  WTF-BOMB!
5. Globe Jumps - You go in the shape of a square box on the floor doing squat jumps to the right, then back, then to the left, then front, then repeat again.  Your arms go up and down with each jump and one trip around the box counts as one.  PAIN.
6. Suicide Jumps - In other words a burpee.  Jump down into crouch out to push up, back in, jump up, crouch down, continue.  SUICIDE IS RIGHT.
7. Push Up Jacks - Starting in a push up position, as you go down, you kick your legs out wide like a jumping jack and when you come back up you bring your feet together.  REALLY?  REALLY?
8. Low Plank Oblique - Start in a low plank position, resting on your forearms and alternate bringing each knee up to your shoulder to work your oblique muscles. PLANK THIS! UGG!

After the Fit Test exercises end, there was a four minute cool down.  Thank the Sweet Lord himself.  And there you have it - a quick breakdown of the Fit Test.  Don't let it scare you.  I almost decided to quit, but I'm two weeks in and already feel stronger!  I felt pretty good, because my pace pretty much mirrored Tonya in the video, but something tells me she probably has better form and more pizazz when she does her moves!

My Week 1 Fit Test Stats:

1. Switch Kicks: 54
2. Power Jacks: 61
3. Power Knee: 97
4. Power Jumps: 40
5. Globe Jumps: 11
6. Suicide Jumps: 18
7. Push-up Jacks: 14
8. Low Plank Oblique: 70

Until next time!

www.mybeachbodycoach.com/mackenziegraham

www.myshakeology.com/mackenziegraham

 

 

TurboFire. Done. 60 Day Insanity Challenge? Next?

So after wrapping up 20 weeks of TurboFire I felt like I was coming to the end of a relationship that I wasn't really ready to leave behind.  You know - like one of those break-ups you know is coming but you don't want it to happen.  It's not like anything is wrong with the relationship, in fact everything is going swimmingly, but it's just time for a change.  I was sadly deflated and felt a little bit lost when that last workout finale was completed.  Even a little in denial such that I continued onward another week with my fav workouts while travelling in Houston.  More about the Houston trip in a bit....

So for the last few weeks I had been debating what new workout would replace my ex-love TurboFire and settled on one of two choices - Insanity and Brazilian Butt Lift.  I know... I know... BBL (as I'll refer to it), the name alone is ridiculous, but I really do have a flat hiney and think that it just may be the program to add a little extra lift in the rump!  So anyway, I hopped online and ordered both programs (Thank goodness for my Beachbody Coach Discount) so that I could pop them in and preview before deciding. Insanity frightened me.  It is scary intense and I would have been in no shape to try it before my 20 weeks of TurboFire.  BBL is much more laid back and focused on strengthening vs. cardio conditioning so the intensity level would have been significantly lower than that of Insanity.  So what was a girl to do???

Well...  Houston came and went and I got home and on the scale.  Let me preface this.  I left nothing on the table while in Houston.  I ate everything I wanted.  I ate pizza 4 times.  Yes, 4 times.  I ate chips and queso until I was sweating pure salt from every pore due to the massive overload of nacho chip consumption.  I ate yogurt covered raisins like I was popping Vicodin pills House style.  Pappasitos... Churrascos... Pub Food... Cafeteria food... catering... It all went in my little belly.  Not once would I say I over ate until I was so full it hurt, but I barely ate anything healthy (except for my Shakeology) that week.  I arrived home in Bakersfield... I even waited a day... and then I stepped on the scale on Monday my usual weigh in day to discover.... BAMMMMMMMMMM!!!!   114.5lbs!  1.5lbs gained!  What the Schizzle?????  I actually took it easy in Houston.  I usually eat to the point of throwing up - don't ask me about that unfortunate hotel room / sink / Mexican Food / burp that turned into a massive barf incident from 2007.  Despite gorging events in Houston in the past, I had never put on a pound.  I was hit hard.  I slumped down, backed off the scale, felt myself want to cry (well not really, but I was sad), felt myself straighten up, felt myself get mad (mad at myself), and then decided to get even!  And that is how my 60 days of Insanity began.

 

 

 

 

 

 

These four photos may not do it justice (or may make me look a little frightening)... but this is what happened to me after my first test run of the Insanity workout.  It was like I took a shower in my clothes.  No word of a lie.  The Fit Test.  It ain't no joke.  30 minutes of pain, but now I have a baseline to check myself against over the next 60 days.  I actually swore while I was doing the first couple workouts.  I lay on the ground panting a few times.  I imagined myself punching Shaun T (creator of Insanity) in the babymaker.  I thought of that plate of nachos every time I wanted to stop.  But the truth is - I did have to stop.  No word of a lie.  I have NEVER had to stop before in a workout.  The people in the video were stopping too so I didn't feel too guilty, but man oh man I thought I was going to die.  And to quote a fellow friend "It felt good"!

So over the next 60 days I'll be providing updated posts about my journey with Insanity.  I'm actually already onto the 2nd week, but don't have all my initial stats here in front of me since I'm on the road again.  I promise an update with the week 1 baseline starting data next post so you can follow my progress and some reviews on each of the workouts since so many people would ask me specific questions about the TurboFire workouts. 

On another note... I have to say the reason I bought is three fold.  1.  I needed a new workout.  2.  I get a Beachbody Coach discount.  3.  I watched the infomercial and it sucked me in.  I swear I'd have a million "as seen on TV items if I had my way".  Stupid Infomercials.... So in closing, Tboy is thinking of starting Insanity as well and I told him - "We'll if those really out of shape people in the infomercial can do it, then so can you." Maybe not so politically correct of me to say, but hey he's my hubby and I can speak the truth can't I?  Really if I can do it (someone who can do like 4 push ups man style) then so can he and so can you.

I'm outta here.  Until next time.

www.beachbodycoach.com/mackenziegraham

www.myshakeology.com/mackenziegraham

 

Week 20 TurboFire Results Challenge

Week 0: 118lbs, Chest: 33.5", Upper Arms: 10.5", Waist: 31", Hips: 34", Thighs: 21" (R) & 21.5" (L).

Week 4: 114.7lbs, Chest: 33", Upper Arms: 10.5" (R) & 10.25"(L), Waist: 30", Hips: 34", Thighs: 20" (R) & 20" (L).

Week 8: 113lbs, Chest: 32", Upper Arms: 10.5" (R) & 10.5"(L), Waist: 29.5", Hips: 33.25", Thighs: 20" (R) & 19.75" (L).

Week 12: 113lbs, Chest: 32", Upper Arms: 10.5" (R) & 10.5"(L), Waist: 29", Hips: 33", Thighs: 19.5" (R) & 19.5" (L).

Week 16: 113lbs, Chest: 32", Upper Arms: 10.5" (R) & 10.5"(L), Waist: 29", Hips: 33", Thighs: 19.5" (R) & 19.5" (L).

Week 20: 113lbs, Chest: 32", Upper Arms: 10" (R) & 10"(L), Waist: 29", Hips: 33", Thighs: 19.5" (R) & 19.5" (L).

Down 5lbs and 9" in total.  Not too shabby for 20 weeks of work.  I wish I had pictures... but with all the craziness getting ready to leave for Houston I just didn't get any taken.  I'll get some up and posted in the near future here.

So I've been thinking a lot recently about something somebody said to me at the beginning of my whole 20 week challenge.  In response to one of my posts she said jokingly - "I've never weighed 118lbs!"  Well that is just it... the number to me doesn't really matter.  I'm 5' 2" tall and 118lbs is by no means over any weight limits for my body type, but it's all about being in the best physical shape I can be in.  I want my clothes to fit nicely.  I dread having a "muffin top" peek out over my pants.  I like having lots of energy.  I like seeing muscle definition and feeling stronger.  I like minimizing the appearance of double chins in photographs.  I like the high of endorphins after a good workout.  I like that you wouldn't know I had a baby (other than my "fat shelf" remnant).  And yes, this may be slightly vain of me, but I enjoy it when people in public ask me if R-dude was birthed from my body, because there is no way I had a baby 15 months ago for the kind of shape I'm in.  Thank you little old lady who most recently said that to me whilst I was pounding a pizza down over lunch (HA HA HA).  Like Ron Burgundy of Anchorman fame said, "Hey everybody.  Come see how good I look." 

All jokes aside, what it really boils down to being the healthiest person that I can be.  I want the little R-man see a healthy mom and dad who like to play outside, enjoy sports, and who will hopefully live longer healthier lives because they took care of themselves when they were younger.  One of my dearest childhood friends was messaging me the other week - by the way she has three kids, is just a shade over 30 and looks fantabulous.  I am NOT joking.  She is in killer shape, but she has sweated hard and worked like a dog for it all.  I hope she doesn't mind me quoting her, but we were talking about our fitness regimes (she's a runner) and trying to eat healthier herself (and force her husband to as well!) and what she said to me TOTALLY articulates my thoughts on the subject matter!  So here it is:  "It's nice because when I talk to most people about eating better and getting into great shape they just tell me I already look great for having 3 kids, blah blah blah. They just don't get that I'm not wanting to get skinny or anything, I just want to feel good about what I'm putting into my body and I want to be a good example for my kids. No kids of mine will be TV junkies porking out all day on treats!"  So very well put!

A couple months ago she blogged about turning 30 and being "Fab & Fit" and I totally love it.  She also has one of the world's best blogs I've ever seen  to the point that I'm green with envy - especially since she is a busy momma of three!  I can barely find time to post to this one weekly.  I guess when you are an overseas mom posting updates on your kids is like giving the best gift ever to family members far away so that they too can watch your kids develop.  If she's cool with me sharing, perhaps I'll post the link here next time for you all to follow her.  Strangely enough I do follow numerous blogs myself and I don't even know some of the people other than "electronically".  I guess the internet is kind of creepy in a way if you really think about it, but I know I have people who follow this blog who I've never meet either and I don't feel stalked in the least.  Isn't it strange how we are comfortable with less human contact and joining peoples lives via bits and bytes?  Anyway....  it is one of my goals for 2011 to get our personal blog resurrected from the dead.  I've been wanting to go back and update all of the last year of "milestones" to start but since that ain't happening maybe I should just move forward with our family from now and do a few throwback posts here and there.  Time to get back on the To-Do List of 2011....  Never know where we'll be living in 2012 so might as well get with the program early!

www.beachbodycoach.com/mackenziegraham

www.myshakeology.com/mackenziegraham

 

Week 19 TurboFire Challenge Results

Week 18: 113lbs

Week 19: 111.5lbs

So before everybody starts shooting high fives my way for my incredible week 19 weight loss, let me start out by saying I had nothing to do with it.  Unless you count contracting one of the world's deadliest bugs that knocked me on my butt for an entire 3 days as being something to cheer about.  Throughout the entire week I had been feeling a little off.  Queasy, lack of energy in the morning, no appetite (which is weird for me), feelings of being extremely fully after eating, and mild headaches.  Friday night we went out for a lovely dinner with one of Troy's guys who was celebrating his 30th anniversary with Chevron (I know - he starting working before we were born - CRAZY!).  The meal was lovely, but I didn't really enjoy it because I still had that strange off feeling.  Saturday we muddled through the day, but I still never really felt right and we crashed early in an attempt to rest up. 

Sunday morning began my day of pure h-e-double-hockey-sticks on earth.  I tried to go grocery shopping.  It nearly killed me.  After that attempt I spent the entire day in the fetal position facing inward on my couch (I couldn't even get the energy to open my eyes) and whatever moments I wasn't there you could find me suffering in the small room that contains the porcelain bowl.  I was forced to watch an entire afternoon marathon of Hoarders: Buried Alive with my eyes closed.  I couldn't even enjoy watching people with all their crazy wierd piles of stuff.  It was awful.  The worst part was not having any appetite and being unable to eat because I felt so full.  You know you need to eat when you are sick to keep your energy and fluids up, but when you just can't bring yourself to let the food touch your lips you just spiral into feeling worse as your blood sugar plummets.

Now let me start by saying, I can't remember the last time I called in sick to work but on Monday morning I knew there was no way I was going near my desk for fear of having to camp out in the handicap stall for hours on end.  And to top it off, I got a nasty head cold from being so run down.  I guess I deserve one good sickness a year.  I haven't had a stomach bug since I contracted my African Parasite (not joking here) in 2009.  I guess I was due, but man oh man I wouldn't wish this on my worst enemy.  And I got to thinking - thank God I'm not a single mom.  How would I have been able to care for Ryker with my eyes closed while I wallowed in my own self pity party all day long???  I guess that is another reason why single parents are so incredible.  They HAVE to do it and so they just do it.  So next time I'm sick, I'll just keep in mind that it could be worse.  It can always be worse.

So Monday morning rolled around and that scale read 111.5lbs and I felt no satisfaction whatsoever.  If you can't eat for three days then this is what happens.  I bet my body ate all my precious muscle I've been working to build in an attempt to survive stomach flu 2011.    Thank Godness the next week was a recovery week because there was no high intensity in this sister's future after that butt kick!!!!

And on a final note... we were at some friend's house for dinner the other night and our host made a little faux paux and only ordered two pizzas for 6 grown ups and 5 kids.  We all looked at those two pizzas roll in, and thought to ourselves..... "hrmmmm this is how many pizzas we would have ordered for our family alone".  We started to question his ability to count.  But you know what, at the end of it all, there was still a couple pieces left.  I guess you really don't "need" more than a couple pieces of pizza.  Who would of thought?  And it gave us a really great opportunity to make a lot of fun of our host.  I haven't laughed that hard about something so silly (like forgetting to order your kids food) in a while.  Now to just remember maybe I don't have to eat 3 or 4 slices of pizza next time we order in!

www.beachbodycoach.com/mackenziegraham

www.myshakeology.com/mackenziegraham

 

Week 18 TurboFire Results Challenge and Working out on the road

Week 0: 118lbs

Week 17: 113lbs

Week 18: 113.1lbs

Oh no .1 of a lb!!!  Must weigh myself post nose blow next week...  Week two of the HIIT workouts under my belt. It is way harder to jump and giver at 5 in the morning than it is to do just plain turbo cardio. I’m getting so close to the end of this 20 week challenge that I’m a little saddened at how quickly 20 weeks went by. My little guy is 5 months older and heck, I’m 5 months older! If that thought doesn’t depress, I don’t know what does. Well Chalene does always say that people who don’t exercise just look old. So I guess I’ll have to take it as a compliment when I get ID’d to buy a lottery ticket that I’ve still got it. Yeah yeah baby!!! Now I’ve just got to get a perm like I had in junior high school and maybe I’ll be mistaken for being even younger. Since I have a hair cutting phobia – i.e. I trust no one with my luscious locks – I really do still look the same as my high school photos. One haircut for 15 years… maybe it is time for a change??? Nahhhhhh…. I’m going to be one of those crazy ladies on Oprah come soon who hasn’t cut their hair in 15 years and can’t help but sit on it and will only submit to the makeover because Oprah’s team of expert handlers are beautifying me and I get a free trip to Chicago as well. Sounds like a plausible scenario hey? I think the Shakeology is assisting with this as my hair is growing like a weed and my nails are shiny and sleek to boot.

So with a bunch of travel coming up in the next two months, this week I wanted to blog a little about being prepared to stay in “health mode” while travelling and avoid gaining excess weight. I’ve got a trip to Houston and then a couple trips to Canada coming up and I’m afraid. VERY afraid. Houston… what more can I say??? Travelling on company money and being stuck in a hotel always leads to drinks, appetizers, full on dinner (Texas sized), followed by dessert, not to mention my partner in all things eating lives there (you know who you are girl!). I can’t resist dessert paid for by work. It tastes even more delicious when free!!! And then home to Canada where we get our fix of our favorite restaurants we can’t get down here and attend many social gatherings involving drinks, food, cake, etc.. So here is what I do to be prepared when travelling to prevent excess weight gain and if anyone else has any tips I’d love to know.

• I pre-scope hotels. Either they have to have a fitness center or I have to have enough space to pop in a DVD and workout in my room.

• I travel with a DVD player and/or laptop so that I can always carry my workout with me.

• I get up early and workout when travelling for work so that I don’t have to worry about trying to fit it in at the end of the day before going out for dinner.

• I sometimes get up early when I am travelling home to Canada as well, but at the very least I tend to workout before Tboy and I set out for the day wherever we are. I HAVE to do it first or else it NEVER gets done!

• I pre-scope restaurant menus and their nutritional information online before we go.

• I plan my day of eating starting at breakfast through dinner so that I can be prepared and know how many WW points (or calories if you like) the day will bring.

• When travelling for work I pack healthy snacks with me at all times – well I usually have go to snacks with me no matter what. Fresh fruit is a must. I always have some in my bag along with crystal light for my water so that if I find myself hungry I can satisfy it without foraging the tray of unhealthy cookies, popcorn, nuts, etc. they bring in mid-afternoon. People make fun of me because I’m constantly eating, but it keeps my blood sugar stable and prevents me from gorging on unnecessary food.

• I book hotels with a breakfast option so I can get some oatmeal and fruit before setting off for class or I look for a Jamba Juice in the neighborhood. Catered breakfast is always one giant grease station.

• I charge my ipod up, pack my heart rate monitor watch, bring a book or too (for the elliptical), and stock runners and workout gear at ALL times. That way if I can’t get to a gym I can go for a run. You can always workout if you don’t mind running no matter where you are.

• I pre-plan my workouts for when I’m gone so I know if I need to bring any additional equipment (like a resistance band) or have to gain access to a weight room for some resistance training. Pre-prep is critical to success.

So that is just a list of a few things I do. Taking a week off of working out just ain’t going to happen on my watch. I start to crave that high that exercise brings from all the lovely endorphins released and when I don’t work out I’m just plain grumpy. Working out = more food so it’s a win win situation!!!

www.beachbodycoach.com/mackenziegraham

 www.myshakeology.com/mackenziegraham

 

TurboFire Week 17 Results and I get by with a little help...

Week 0: 118lbs

Week 16: 113lbs

Week 17: 113lbs

First week of HIIT training under my belt. I was thinking back the other day on how hard those first weeks of HIIT training were – thinking all the way back to those first few weeks gives me pain. At that time I was on the baby HIIT workouts that were 15 – 20 minutes long and suffering the entire time and now I’m pushing myself at the 30 minute level 3x per week and loving it. I used to think that my body weighed a million pounds as I slogged my way through tuck jumps, jumping high lows, sumo burpees, air jacks, and the like but now I feel powerful like a ninja. Well I guess ninjas are more stealthy then powerful so maybe the more accurate way to describe my current state of being is Charlie Sheen style – I’m a warlock with tiger blood in my veins. I’m not saying I’m graceful, but the effort required to perform the maneuvers at the HIIT level of intensity definitely feels a lot less like I’m moving through water whilst attempting to super jump left, right, front, back, sideways, backways, upways, and downways! I’m nearing the end of this HIIT cycle as I’ve only got two more weeks left and then I’ll have made it all 20 weeks through my challenge. 20 weeks – man oh man where did the time go!!???

So last week I posted about my dream job – being a stay at home mom and I had made a comment in my blog that some people have made comments (of the adverse nature) on my decision to go back to work. Pleasantly this week, people were surprised that anyone would even mention it to me and highly supportive of my choice – thank you my soul sistas!!! And on a related topic, I was face-creeping one of my favorite beachbody coaches the other day, well I guess it’s not really facecreeping when you follow their status updates, and she had a really interesting post and I thought I’d share my thoughts on it. Commenting on a recent sermon by her pastor she said “Do you have more VDP people in your life or VIP people in your life? Very Draining People or Very Important People that lift you up?”. And I got to thinking about how true this really is. A few years back I had a friend who was a VDP and when I say a VDP I mean it. She practically sucked my will to live. Every time after we would get together I felt like my life force had been sucked dry. We’re talking a total Debbie Downer, nothing in her life was good, everything sucked, if she could just be this or that (rich vs poor, skinny vs. chubby, married vs. dating) she would be happy. You know that kind of person who just can never be happy and when you’re happy their even more disgruntled because hey, aren’t you supposed to be unhappy with them and wallow in misery too? At that time, I started evaluating my inner circle and just thought to myself, you know this person does nothing for me – I leave exhausted every time we hang out and in a funk – it’s time to back away and part ways. We still keep in touch superficially, but I don’t let myself get sucked into her aura of negative karma because life is too short for people to feed off you. It’s hard for me not to try to help, because I’m a giver but I like to think that it’s better to spend your energy supporting others who will in turn support you back instead of drain you to the edge of life like a dementor’s kiss. There’s no time for all that superfluous BS, and as most people who know me well, know I’ll say it like it is. It’s just that I find it hard to walk away from somebody whom I think “needs” me, but the reality was that she didn’t really need me for the right reasons. Nothing I said or did would change the situation, and I was sad to walk away from a friend whom I shared some good times with, but life moves on. I don’t have enough energy to spare on VDPs!

And so I jokingly move onto a comment I said one time to somebody years ago – “I only like 2% of the people I’ve ever met”. It’s true and I don’t mean it cruelly. When I think about all the people I’ve ever met and the number I count as acquaintances I see occasionally, casual friends, good friends, and my true soul BFFs it is in the area of 2%. And then when I think of the people who’ve seen me completely bare, at my ultimate worst, and pinnacle best – my soul mate BFFs - I can count them on one hand. You know they’re those people you feel like you’ve known forever, could squeeze them so tightly it hurts, and that even when you’re apart for a while when get together it feels like you never lost a beat? To my soul mate BFFs, you guys know exactly who you are, us old souls travelling through life together thank you for being my biggest VIPs out there! And as a final thought, the best and worst part about moving around so much for work is meeting new people. I’ve met a few people here in Bakersfield since we moved back that I know I will cherish forever (and a few VDPs along the way too that I try to avoid), who are becoming more than just good friends. By the time we move on again I know that I have some new VIPs joining my ranks and if I’m lucky, maybe I’ll even add another BFF to the mix.

www.beachbodycoach.com/mackenziegraham

www.myshakeology.com/mackenziegraham