Insanity Fit Test, Rounds 1 and 2

Insanity Fit Test, Round 1

Insanity Fit Test, Round 2

It's been a couple of months since my last round of Insanity. To round out my low-impact routine, I've added the following DVDs: P90X Core Synergistics (for core strength and some stretching, without any of the jumping; I record it in myfitnesspal as "Stretching, hatha yoga, 57 minutes"), P90X Yoga (first 50 minutes), and P90X Ab Ripper X (15 minutes).

Resolution

Cute bunny pic from here.

Resolution

A few days ago, my husband and I toasted, "To doin' it all, while maintaining balance." Last night, we finally shared the business plans with a select few, and they loved them. I may be very busy in 3 related businesses: a product (which I have contemplated for years, but am only this year focusing on), distribution (a complementary business), and servicing (our newest and most exciting enterprise). The latter business would be very labor-intensive and capital-intensive... Since we've returned from kayaking the Grand Canyon and are now okay with starting a family, I would need to keep priorities in check, delegate, and learn to relax so I can get precious and necessary sleep.

Other News...

I did my first chin-up without a head-start jump!

I am taking a break from high-impact Insanity cardio. Mixing up the workouts:

1) Stationary bike sprinting intervals, with core/back/arm/leg strength and flexibility floor work

2) Stationary biking with moderate effort over a longer period of time (while watching Netflix)

3) Strength and flexibility exercises using the Insanity Cardio Recovery DVD or Insanity Max Cardio Recovery DVD

Using a wall calendar to record the workouts and workout days. 'Have challenged the Bryan (even though we are on different levels of ability). :)

Searching...

They're real! Image from here.

Random Links on Diet, Exercise & Sleep

Many Insanity grads go on to CrossFit cults and paleo diets. After two rounds of Insanity, now I'm leaning more towards combining low-impact cardio workouts & some high intensity interval training with strength & flexibility exercises. Still, I found some interesting links after searching for these terms...

"CrossFit vs. Insanity" led me to a general blog entry about sleep:

http://whole9life.com/2009/08/the-serious-business-of-sleep/

"low impact max interval training" led me to a blog of a woman whose ideas on diet & exercise remind me of my own (except for butter on her shopping list!):

http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:uVXVXLPlhj8J:www.lovingfit.com/fitness/interval-training-beginner-to-advanced/+low+impact+max+interval+training&cd=2&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us

Limbo week for me, but hopeful for a resolution soon...

I have a product whose process I was thinking of patenting, but found out this week that there is now a company that produces something very similar and is following the same business model that I would have followed... My heart sunk when I found them... I don't think they pursued a patent, which negates the main way I would have pursued mine (the invention is no longer "new, non-obvious, and functional"). In some ways, the fact this company now exists 1) makes things easier in terms of a liability standpoint, and 2) shows there may be a growing market in this product area since I'm not the only one who thought of it and I've seen several blogs mention a need for it. However, it has me 1) re-thinking my business plan (how to compete with this competitor and possible future competitors, or how to develop a complementary service vs. competitive product), and 2) whether I want to go into a new business at all. I know that if I do proceed, I would like to keep my faith, family, and health as priorities. It is important to me that my home and family life stay stable as we may be starting a family soon, I am disciplined with sleep (I've seen the lack of it catch up with the health and lives of a several entrepreneurial and hardworking friends and colleagues), and keep what I do multi-purposeful and meaningful.

Where's the balance?

Cute bunny pic from here.

Last week I did my very first chin-up! Albeit with a little jump to start, and only one at a time (5 on Wednesday, 5 on Thursday).

I have a theory that over time, lack of sleep and too much stress can have very bad effects on one's body... Speaking of which... I need to get some sleep! Too much unhealthy food and too little exercise today. My body is definitely feeling it... Argh!

Back on Track

Cute bunny pic from here.

First full day back home and back on track with diet and exercise, and keeping up the great sleep schedule we had during our trip! New low-impact interval cardio/strength/flexibility workout, and with Bryan!

Exercise (morning)

10 minutes exercise bike for cardio warm up

stretching & flexibility lead by Stephanie

1 minute sprint on exercise bike

core and back strength lead by Bryan

1 minute sprint on exercise bike

core and back strength lead by Bryan

1 minute sprint on exercise bike

core and back strength lead by Bryan

Diet (morning)

Designer Whey Protein 100 calorie scoop

Fiber One 80 cereal

Sleep

9pm in bed, 7am arise

Hi-YAH!

EXERCISE
I'm well into my 2nd month of my 2nd round of Insanity DVDs! I've definitely been building up some upper body strength. A month ago I accidentally broke a shower faucet handle and two light switches (and fixed them myself--thank you, Home Depot). Last week I was able to do a few chin-ups in a row from the ground up, without jumping up halfway. Feelin' a bit aggro and a bit of a handywoman, like I've got grrl power! >:)

LASIK
This weekend, I read aloud a sign and Bryan said, "Wow, you can read that? Your eyesight is better than mine!" Oops! o.O

Things that make you go, "Hmm..."

Really?

EXERCISE
I'm in my second month of my second round of Insanity. I missed a few days and had to make them up from weekend trips kayaking.

I have not gotten hurt nor sore from Insanity. Considering all the jumping and intensity, the precautions and protein I've taken seem to have helped. However, I've been trying to get my combat roll ready for a whitewater kayaking trip, and I think in the process I somehow made my right hip twitch from attempting to hand roll, hurt my left knee on the way to the river, and got sore from not stretching before and after roll practice. Dang it!

DIET
I have not looked into it yet, but I'm skeptical of food items that claim to have fiber in them, but don't look like they have fiber in them. For example, "whole grain white bread" seems like an oxymoron to me. Do these items really help in the same way as natural, unrefined fiber that you can see, i.e. in raw vegetables, fiber one original (little bits of rope!), whole fruits, whole grain, etc.?

Dear Wonder bread, I love your texture, and I will still eat you with peanut butter! You make me go, "Mmm..." :9