6 Weeks of Insanity Done

The past 6 weeks have definitely flown by.  I can't believe that I only have 3 more weeks to go and I'll have successfully completed the Insanity workout.  This past week has been the start of the Max Interval Training section.  Honestly I don't know if I was really ready for this intensity.  Yeah, it's to be expected that the second month is when Insanity really ramps up, but OMG this is ridiculous!!  That's okay, though, I'm going to push through it and get it done.  I need some more results.  I haven't been satisfied with what my results have been for the last few weeks.  Part of that, I'm sure, is because I've done really bad on my diet.  I did go for my check-up at the doctor's yesterday, so this time I'll include my "official" weight as well.

After 6 weeks

There hasn't been too much of a change if any for the past couple of weeks.  Maybe others can see something that I don't, though.  The measurements don't reflect too much either.

Weight: 189lbs (down 3lbs in the past 3 weeks)
Stomach: 36 1/4" (down 1/4" since last week)
Chest: 38" (remained the same)

Okay really...for the next 3 weeks, I need to kick my ass back in gear...

5 Weeks Down- 4 To Go

This week was the "Recovery Week".  The workouts are set up so that you can get your heart rate up, but you're giving your body a break from the pounding that it took the first 4 weeks of the program.  The daily program is called "Core Cardio & Balance" and you do the same dvd each day.  If you have the extra dvds, you can substitute in "Max Interval Sports Training".  I did the substitution on Thursday (first day of the workout week for me) and after that, I focused on the Core Cardio & Balance instead.  I did like the Sports Training Workout, but I figured at least the first time through Insanity, I'd go with the basic program.

I'll honestly admit that I've been really bad about doing my diet.  Mentally I've been a bit fatigued with everything going on.  Yes, I know that it's no excuse.  I haven't been HORRIBLE about the diet, but I need to get back into really paying attention with what I'm doing and stop eating some of the crap that I have been lately. 

I don't know if it's my being bad with my diet that had an effect on my results or the fact that it wasn't as hard of a workout each day.  Here's my 5th week photo, which overall I'm okay with.  I believe I'm still gaining some tone although my measurement results don't reflect a change from last week.

5th Week Photo

Last Thursday, I also started refereeing for the Fall 2011 season of NVASA.  I will say that I definitely feel in better shape than I have been in a really long time.  I don't feel as exhausted when I've gotten home (after working 2 soccer matches) nor do I feel as sore.  I think I'm running better and I'm definitely not breathing as hard.  So far, I believe Insanity is really working for me.

Tomorrow starts Week 6, which is also the beginning of Max everything.  Where in the first month, the workouts generally range around 40 minutes, to my understanding the Max workouts are closer to 50 to 60 minutes each.  Tomorrow is a Fit Test PLUS the Max Interval Circuit.  Since I don't have soccer matches scheduled, the current plan is to take Fit Test #3 in the morning and then do the Max Interval Circuit in the evening.

1 Month of Insanity Completed

It's been a rough week for me- not so much for the workouts, although I've had a few rough days with those too.  I'm still trying to put together the thoughts about the loss of mine & my wife's beloved 19 yr old cat on August 20.  I've not had a very easy time dealing with it.  I'll go into that in another post, once I feel fully composed and can really put my thoughts into the right words.

For now, I'll just move on to the results since I've completed the first month.

after 4 weeks

What isn't translating so much in the photo yet is that I'm starting to gain at least a little definition in the top 2 rows of abs.  Also my stomach is definitely continuing to shrink.  I'm not posting the weight results this time and won't until I go back to the doctor on Sept. 6 and I'll post those "official" results at that time.  For now:

Stomach (around navel): 36.5" (down 1/2" since last week- 5 1/2 inches so far total)
Chest: 38" (same as last week- still down 2" since the beginning)

Starting Week 4 Already!

My my how time has flown by.  Yes, my post is about a day late to talk about my Day 22 workout.  Wifey and I decided to switch workout times for this week.  Where I've been getting up at 5 am to work out and she's worked out after we get home from work, now I'm on the late end of that.  It kinda screws me up, but whatever.  I can deal for a week.

Day 22 is supposed to be "Pure Cardio and Cardio Abs".  With Cardio Abs, you do have the option (if you have the additional dvds) to substitute Insane Abs.  I decided to give Insane Abs a go right after I finished Pure Cardio.  Yeah, "Insane Abs" is definitely titled correctly. Some of the moves on there are the same as on Cardio Abs, but there are a lot that are different.  Insane Abs is about 35 minutes, as opposed to Cardio Abs which is about 17 minutes.  I will admit that I struggled through a lot of the exercises for the Abs due either to lack of balance or lack of core strength.  There were a couple of things on there, however, that I really did like too.  Admittedly a couple of times when Shaun T said "and we're going to do that again- this time it's about speed and reps" , that i just might possibly have given the tv screen the finger.  That's the first time I've done that even including the first day!!

Tonight is Cardio Balance & Resistance- another killer for me.  I can't wait to get it knocked out though.

3 Weeks & the Scale @ Home Is Psycho

Today is the off day of the workouts, so it's weekly update time.  What I've found out in the meantime is that the scale at home is a liar and that it's psycho.  How do I figure this?  Well, one day I step on the scale and it says one thing, the next day is 2 lbs heavier, and then it's just random.  According to the scale at home, in the last week I gained 2 1/2 lbs.  Yesterday I went to my doctor's office for a follow-up with the diet and to get officially weighed in there (old-fashioned scale) and I actually lost 3 lbs.  The scale at his office is a lot more accurate than the digital one at home, even generally speaking.  So, when we go to the stats today, I'm going to post what I've weighed in at when I've gone to his office previously and what I weigh now.  I've had bi-weekly appointments since I've started the diet portion and since he said I have a good handle on the diet, the next appointment won't be for another 3 weeks.  We'll here on out use that to be official- so for future blog posts, I'm only going to post weight once I've gone to his office and I'm not going to use the scale at home for it.

Continuing on, I'm pretty happy with the picture this week.  I can see some tone coming in and when I look in the mirror, I can see a definitive difference from where I was before.

After 3 weeks of Insanity

Right now I'm really happy seeing the photo and seeing that I'm definitely starting to get results.  I honestly didn't expect to see much after only 3 weeks, but this really gives me extra motivation to keep pushing through.

And now for the stats:

Weight (at Dr.'s office)- The diet started on July 6- Insanity started July 28

July 5- 205lbs
July 19- 200lbs
August 3- 195.5lbs
August 16- 192lbs

So far, I've lost 13 lbs.

Measurements

Stomach (around navel)- 37" ( 1/4 inch lost since last week...not super happy with that this time), but so far, that's a 5 1/2" loss since July 14.

Chest- 38" (1/2" loss around chest since last week).  Since July 14, 2" have been lost around the chest.

In summary, my body is definitely changing, which is making me happy.  I'm not overly thrilled with my results for the week, but it is what it is.  I'm trying to stick to the diet hard and I'm pushing myself with my workouts every day, so the results are what they are.  Overall I'm pretty happy... just not thrilled with the results for the week.

20 Days Complete

I really had to push through today's workout.  I don't know why, but I felt a bit weak this morning, my stomach wasn't feeling the best, and I was a bit tired.  It took me quite a bit to get out of bed at first.  Still the motivation is that I need to do it if I want results- and not just half-ass it, get it going and put whatever I have into it.  So I did.  As usual with the Plyometric Cardio, I pretty much covered my workout mats in sweat... it was just really pouring off of me- even seemed like it was extra today.  The Level 1 drills still get me, along with the ski abs and in-and-outs.  It's that whole push-up position thing just eventually kills my shoulders.  I felt like I was doing better today, though.  After it was over, there was a certain sense of relief knowing that I've now finished 20 days and with tomorrow being the "off" day, that's 3 weeks that I've made it through.  After my shower, I pretty much collapsed on the sofa with my legs twitching and feeling really weak.  I know I pushed through extra hard today.  I really want results.

19 days!

Time is flying by! Already 19 days into it.  I feel a difference in myself definitely.  This morning was Cardio Power & Resistance.  Each time I do this, I can tell that I'm keeping up a bit better and I try to push myself harder.  Even though I didn't sleep very well at all last night, I still got my azz up at 5 am to get my workout done.  The way I see it, if I stay in bed or put it off, I'm only hurting myself.  If I want results, I've gotta get up, get to the workout, dig deep and push hard throughout the entire thing.  That's the ONLY way, I'm going to get the results that I want.

Cardio Recover y- Day 18

The Cardio Recovery still has to be my least favorite day of all.  While it may not necessarily be as "tough" of a workout as the rest of the dvd days, some of the exercises still continue to kill me. Getting into the various squat positions and holding them for the extended time, then doing the small thrusts and holding again feel like absolute torture.  Those are the ones that I still have to stop, stand up, shake it out, then get back into position.  I'm making it through pretty well, though.  Only 2 more workouts and I'll have completed 3 weeks!

Pure Cardio AND Cardio Abs

This morning's workout really kicked my ass.  According to the calendar, today was both Pure Cardio and Cardio Abs.  Yeah, I really put everything into it today and wore myself out.  I felt a lot better with the Cardio Abs today- it definitely wasn't as uncomfortable as the first time I did it.  Each day I can feel my cardio getting better and better...and I did a whole lot better pushing through and getting through the Pure Cardio too.  I've been feeling better and better about myself as far as my body too.  I can see and feel the differences occuring as I'm getting through the 3rd week.

16th Day

Plyometric Cardio Circuit Day!!  This one overall is still one of my favorites so far.  The only parts that I'm hating are the Level 1 Drills (up, down, 4 pushups, run it out, & repeat), the Ski Abs, and the In & Out Abs.  Okay, well that means all of them in the high plank position.  I can tell I'm doing better and getting a little stronger because at least on the first run-through of the Level 1 Drills, I can make it just about all the way through now without my shoulders saying "no way in hell".  Those exercises for me are still a straight killer.  I'm feeling good... just wish I could see faster results.  I know they're coming and that I can tell my body is changing, I'm just impatient.

Start of Week 3 - Fit Test Day!

What a start to the day!  Although I didn't fall asleep until late, I still got up at 5 am to get my workout done.  Kristen is adamant about not knowing what my Fit Test scores are until after she gets hers done (she hasn't been feeling well, so she's had to take a couple of days off of Insanity...so right now her fit test looks like it will be Sunday).  So, for her sake, in case she decides to read this, I won't post up my scores for this one in comparison to week 1 until probably Monday.  I will say this, though- there were definite improvements.  I'm not saying that I've vastly improved on ALL of them- although all of them were higher than day 1.  What I am saying, though, is that while a couple had minor improvements, a few had MAJOR improvements.  I really put what energy I had into it this morning and when I was done, my whole body was shaking and felt exhausted.  I'm here at work, still feeling a bit weak and a little not-so-good, but I'll recover.  Back to the regular workouts tomorrow!

2 Weeks Complete

Today is the 14th day for my workouts, which is my off-day.  As I did last week (and what I'm planning on continuing doing), I'm making my off-days my official weigh-in and measurement days.  Kristen and I are both noticing a difference in my appearance, although it is not necessarily translating into the photos just yet.  She's primarily noticed that I'm getting that indent along the sides of my abs.  I know along the top of my abs is definitely flattening out and my cardio is definitely coming up.  So here we go with the official results and today's photo (I'll save everyone the horror and not post up the prior 2 weeks' photos...just the one for today):

After 2 weeks (you can see part of the indent if you look near the tattoo)

Stats:
Weight: 190.2 lbs. (down 1 lb from last week)
Abdomen: 37 1/4' (down 1 1/4" from last week)
Chest: 38 1/2" (down 1/2" from last week)

Although I have had some very frustrating and trying days with the diet (because there's just literally NOTHING that I can have food-wise that can just be for "pleasure"), I do know that my body is changing.  I'm not necessarily seeing a whole lot (aside from knowing my stomach is going down and my shirts are fitting better in the stomach area too), but seeing things number-wise is good motivation.  Tomorrow is Fit Test Day- can't wait to see how much I've improved since Day 1!

Insanity Day 13...And Tomorrow We Rest

I was honestly a bit disappointed in myself this morning.  I never heard my alarm go off at 5 am to wake me for today's 13th day of Insanity workout.  I heard my wife stirring around and woke up...and it was 6:30 and I needed to get up and get ready for work!!  I planned, then, to hit it hard as soon as I got home this evening.  Unfortunately my wife, Kristen, got sick, so I took off work at 1 and went and got her.  By that time, my stomach was upset and I wasn't feeling well.  I laid down for about an hour, then got myself up to get my workout done.  WOW What a workout!!  Today's Insanity was both Pure Cardio and Cardio Abs.  This was the first time I had seen the ab routine.  I definitely need to either work on my form or make some slight adjustments.  In the past, I've had lower back issues, but I know that it will help me if I strengthen my core (that, plus I wanna look really good for myself and for my wifey!).  I knocked both workouts out back-to-back.  Now I'm really exhausted and all of the muscles in my stomach are twitching.  I'm proud to say that right now, being that I finished my 13th day and tomorrow is my off-day, that I've completed the first 2 weeks!! Small victories- halfway done the first month!!  Tomorrow is photo day and measurements... looking forward to my next Fit Test in two days!!

Cardio Power and Fitness Day 12

I didn't sleep well last night for whatever reason.  Probably because I'm planning on taking my final for Calculus class today.  My alarm woke me up at 5 and I REALLY didn't want to get out of bed.  I knew I had to so that I could get up and moving and knock out my 12th day.  I feel really good.  I feel that my cardio is really coming up a lot.  Although I've really given it all that I could, I'm not feeling like I did back on day1 where I felt completely like death.  I'm looking forward to tomorrow, kind of - it's both Pure Cardio and Cardio Abs.  It will be the first day that the Cardio Abs program has been added in.  I really don't know what to expect!  Til tomorrow...

Day 11 - Cardio Recovery

Today was back to the Cardio Recovery dvd.  Although it's "recovery", yeah you definitely work up a sweat...and a few of the exercises, I'll agree with my wife when she says they they're sadistic.  I feel like I'm gaining at least a little more flexibility... maybe not much, but a little bit.  I also think that my cardio and fitness level are starting to come up some because this time I didn't feel like I suffered as much as I did the last time.  I was also able to push through for more reps on a few things than what I did last week.  I still feel focused and motivated because if nothing else, I can feel some results even just with doing stuff like climbing a few flights of stairs, my breathing isn't as heavy now.  It's a bit hard for me to believe that with 2 more days of exercises, I'll have then completed half of the first month.  (Baby steps!!)

Day 10

It's Saturday!! But not exactly a rest day for me.  At least not from doing my workouts.  I'm really trying to stay on a schedule getting up early and getting it done.  I did, admittedly, let myself sleep in a bit this morning.  Instead of hitting Insanity at 5 am, I set my alarm for 6:30.  When I got up, my back was still a bit tight, but definitely better than it has been for the last few days.  The stretching portion of the dvds, I think, has really helped out a lot.  Today again was the Plyometric Cardio Circuit.  I still am having issues with all of the stuff from the "plank" (push up position)- that position continues to be one of my weakest areas.  I definitely feel my cardio coming up, so I've started to push that much harder too.  I swear- the amount of sweat that I put out today!! HOLY COW!!  I definitely exhausted myself and did the most and the best that I could do.  I'm really looking forward to re-taking the fit test next week.  I KNOW I can feel a difference and I KNOW that my numbers are going to be improved.

Supplements

Yesterday I had made a Facebook status about how huge and nasty the supplement pills that I'm supposed to take are.  They're like the freaking size of horse pills and there's a bunch that I'm supposed to take multiple times per day.  I was then asked what all I was taking (and yes these were all prescribed by my doctor/certified nutritionist).  So here it goes:

2 pills 3 times per day (pictured- and no I can't tell you off-hand which is what)

Adaptocrine (K2) - for adrenal support
Glysen (K1) - for sugar metabolism support
Opticrene (K3)- for endocrine support
Osteo-Mins PM w/ D - for bone health

A baggie of what I have at my desk- I have to take all of these 3 times per day... I look like a damn junkie or something!

2 pills per week

Vitamin D 25,000


1 scoop once per day in 6 to 8 oz of water

Evac - it's a fiber supplement (and it's disgusting!!)

Okay so that's everything that I'm taking...or at least supposed to take each day (or like the Vitamin D, per week).  Admittedly I haven't taken them as much or as frequently as I'm supposed to.  I still need to work on that.  At the same time, looking at the quantities of each in the bottle, I honestly can't afford to spend an extra $150+ per month/month and a half on supplements.  To be real- that's just not feasible for me.

Day 9 - hmmmm

This was the second morning that I woke up with my lower back being stiff.  In all fairness, I couldn't get it loosened up yesterday at all.  When I got out of bed, I was honestly thinking about taking the day off of Insanity and trying to loosen up my back.  With my plan and focus, though, I knew I couldn't take the day off, so again I was hoping that the stretching portion would help loosen me up.  Today was "Pure Cardio" day.  Starting off with the slow job, I started to regret getting started.  However, after getting through the first round of warm-ups the ache started to subside, so I pushed myself a bit harder.  The stretching did help and got me through the rest of the workout.  I still feel a little tight as I write this, but I feel better than what I did yesterday.  I really sweated my ass off this morning and pushed myself hard and really tried to give extra effort.

Now, here's my puzzlement.  I know my doctor is really focused on me losing weight (hence the pretty damn strict diet).  It was also mentioned about me losing fat %, which is something that I had already known that I needed to work on.  My wife and I were talking about this last night.  At some point, there's going to be that plateau of where I'm not losing weight.  There's also that point of which I'm building muscle.  So with both the weight and the fat percentage being areas of focus (and him mentioning that I really cant come off the diet til I get down to 175 - on his scale, which is about 170 on mine at home.... keep in mind, I weigh in late afternoon and fully clothed at his office), what happens if my weight isn't/doesn't drop but I burn off most of the fat?  Anyone that is really into nutrition, etc, please help me out here and explain.

Insanity Day 8 - Beginning of Week 2

WOW this was a rough morning!  I think I slept too long in the same position last night, because when I got up, my back was really tight (it still is, as a matter of fact).  I honestly had to pry myself out of bed to get up and do my workout- that day off really didn't do me any favors as I just really wanted to sleep this morning instead.  Day 8 went back to Cardio Power and Resistance.  I really had to dig deep this morning and push through the workout.  I really didn't feel like I had the energy or strength to get through it.  My main motivation this morning really was just thinking about if I didn't do it and didn't give it my best, that I'd never get the results that I want.  I needed to get off to a good start for week 2.  I'm not going to say that it was my absolute best workout, but I feel like I gave it all that I had this morning plus some.  I do know that I really gave all of the energy that I had and really wiped myself out.  Now I have a full day of work...I'd rather go home and sleep today honestly.  I'm sure that tomorrow's workout is going to  be better.  That day off really threw me off.  I know I'm supposed to take that day and rest my body and let it recover some, but man, that was tough getting back into it the following day.  ... 'til tomorrow!

Insanity Day 7 - The Day Off

Admittedly, it feels a bit weird not getting right up and doing my Insanity workout.  I know I know- today is the day to rest and recover and get ready for week 2.  I'm looking forward to getting started on the 2nd week.  Honestly that surprises me just a little bit that I'm THAT much into a workout DVD.  Right now, it's just proving that as amped up as I have been seeing the infomercial time and time again, that it's the one for me.  I figured that aside from just mentioning that this morning, I'd put up my week 1 photo along with the original to see the progression.  I'm not seeing a difference yet as far as the photos go, nor did I expect to. 

Stats:
Chest: 39" (down 1/2")
Stomach: 38 1/2" (down 1/2")
Weight: 191 lbs (up 1 lb- although I believe there are other contributing factors involved...unofficially 190 yesterday)

After 1 week of Insanity

Day 1

Insanity Day 6 - Back to Plyometrics

Got up early again this morning to knock out my workout before work.  So far that timing has worked out pretty good on a couple of levels.  First, I've felt a bit more awake when I've actually gotten to work.  I haven't felt like crashing during the day either.  Secondly, I've pretty much been ready to drop around 10 or 10:30 at night and have been sleeping at least until 3:30 or 4 am...or on the lucky days, until my alarm actually goes off at 5.  That's a WHOLE LOT more sleep than I've been getting for a really long time now.  So, if nothing else, Insanity is getting me more rest- the rest that I actually need.

Okay, so onto the workout part.  I feel like my cardio is starting to come up some already, even though it's only been day 6.  I got through most of the Plyometric Cardio Circuit without taking as many breaks this time.  I'm still having a lot of trouble around the halfway point through the workout when it switches up to a lot of the exercises involving push-ups and moves from the high-plank position.  I've never been one that's really been great like that with push ups, so it's giving me a lot of difficulty- especially at the timing of that in the workout.  I'm really sore and really feeling it today.  I'll go with saying that it's a good thing and that it means that something is working.  I'm digging deep and pushing hard.  I want results.  One thing I am glad of right now, is that tomorrow is the "off day" even though part of me feels as though I should be doing something.  I know not to over train and to give my muscles some rest, so I wont push and do stuff tomorrow.  I plan on taking a picture tomorrow morning and posting that to be my week 1 photo.  I'm not expecting much in the line of visual differences, as it's only been a week.  I think it'll be fun/cool to compare, however, as time goes on.  So, I'll say this now, being that there's no workout tomorrow- one week of Insanity complete!!

Day 5 of Insanity - Pure Cardio

I think this morning, Sean T summed it up absolutely right when he said "this shit is bananas" while he's laying on the floor.  I feel like I did pretty well keeping up this time.  I can definitely feel my cardio starting to come up.  Some of my toughest areas in general are still some of the stretches.  I'm looking forward to strengthening my muscles and gaining flexibility.  I was a little surprised with the pure cardio that although the exercises were intense, it was one circuit through.  With the other days, it's been the same exercise and multiple times through.  It's almost the end of week 1 and although it's been tough, I'm still really enjoying it.  Out of the workout videos that I've seen of have attempted to do, this one has really kept my attention and I'm really liking how each day is different.  Tomorrow's video is back to the one from  day 2- plyometrics.  I'm looking forward to doing that one again....and then having my day off on day 7. :-)

Sunday- Insanity Day 4

Today was "Cardio Recovery" day.  Being that this is Insanity, I was ready for "recovery" to not be a recovery day at all.  I was pleasantly surprised.  The cardio recovery is actually a lot of stretching and yoga for about 35 minutes.  Yes, I still sweated.  The only thing that I found a bit tough for today is the fact that I'm not really flexible (doing Insanity, I'm sure I'll get more flexible than I am)... oh and I need a little more work on finding my center of balance.  I feel good so far- 2 more days and it's an "off day".  I still feel really motivated.  This is good- I'm really liking the Insanity program so far.  To be honest, it really is the only workout dvd that I've tried and although it's tough, I'm really enjoying it.

Insanity Day 3

My body, as it has been lately, woke me up around 3:30 this morning.  Usually I lay there and toss and turn and have random sporatic thoughts going through my head.  This morning was different.  The only thing going on in my head was "alarm is set for 5:00... can't wait to do Insanity".  I was able to get myself to drift off for about another hour and woke up again at 4:30.  Figuring "okay close enough to 5", I started thinking "lets do this", so I got my ass out of bed, got ready and headed out into the living room.

Today was Cardio Power & Resistance.  The good news was that I felt better during the warm ups- so yes, on day 3 I'm already feeling a little bit of an improvement.  The workout itself is intense just like the plyometrics, but of course there are different exercises.  This week has been interesting so far discovering each morning what is on each dvd.  The push-ups are still killing me- I've never been that great with them, but I can see where hopefully I'll be building up over time and hopefully keep pace in the next couple of weeks.  As it has been the last couple of days, the infomercial is right about being soaked in sweat.  Due to my sweatiness, my wife and I bought some exercise mats to put down over the carpet.  I'm sore and I'm tired, but I'm feeling good.  I'm looking forward to day 4.

...and in a big surprise, last night, wifey did the Day 1 Fit Test and is starting to plan to do Insanity Day 2 today...

Insanity Day 2- Plyometric Cardio aka Sports Focused

It's really not called sports-focused, but I found that it was.  There were basketball moves, suicide drills, and football practice moves.  I'm sore.  I pushed myself hard, but in the back of my mind, I feel like I half-assed it only because I was going at a slower pace sometimes.  I'm completely worn out from this morning's plyometrics though.  I've had to remind myself that this is only Day 2 and that I'll get better and work up to being at a faster pace and get through all of the drills and exercises better over time.  I really found that I liked this one though and I can see where it's going to help me out a lot in the near future- flag football season is coming up and I'm in need of improving my speed!

To be completely honest, when my alarm went off at 5 am (before starting Insanity I was getting up at 6:15, but want to knock this out in the morning), I was considering turning it off and staying in bed.  Then I thought, "what are you doing? Its only day 2 and youre thinking that? Get your ass out of bed!! Sean T is waiting for you!".  Yep, I got up, put on my workout clothes and went into the living room to git-r-dun.  I feel really good and awake now too.  I think with getting in shape and committing to doing the work-outs, it's really less about it being physical and SOOO much more about it being mental.

Now looking forward to Day 3 tomorrow morning.  I might actually let myself sleep a little bit and get up at 7 for my workout.  We'll see...maybe I should just stick to the same 5 am schedule....

My Journey Through Insanity

Okay, really, it's not what you think!  No, I'm not going nuts, though maybe just a little bit.  I decided to order the workout DVD set - "Insanity".  I figure that I need to get in better shape and so far with seeing the infomercials and watching other videos here and there on "on demand", Insanity is the only one that really caught my attention. I also figured that now is a good time to start working out hard, as I'm on a diet that's been prescribed by my doctor.

Over the years, I've had sleeping issues and they really kicked in worse at the beginning of 2011.  There was about a 6 week period that I didn't sleep, aside from a random 20 minutes here or there.  My doctor, after lots of tests over the past few months, found that it's an adrenal issue, so he prescribed a diet (and also wanted me to lose some weight).  At this point, I've now been on the diet for about 3 weeks.  I've lost almost 12 lbs, 3 inches from my abdomen, and about 1/2 inch from my chest.  The diet sucks, though.  No gluten, no dairy, no shell fisth, no sugar or artificial sweeteners.  I mean, really, is there anything that I CAN have?

So then moving on.  I ordered the Insanity DVDs from Beachbody on July 22 and received them on July 27.  That shipping was REALLY fast and I'm impressed.  The first step in the process is on day 1 do the "fit test".  This gives you a baseline as to where you are fitness-wise.  It's about 30 minutes of different exercises that will be used throughout the 63-day workout period.  Yes- it's a 63-day commitment.  Right now I am planning on doing it for the 63 days.  This morning, I got up early, with the thought of "how hard can the fit test be".  Yeah, I found out rather quickly.  It's a killer, as shown by the fact that afterwards, I laid on the floor for about 10 minutes or so trying to compose myself.  My stomach felt queezy and I was soaked in sweat and gasping for air.  That's okay, though.  The point of Insanity is to push yourself to the limit, so you gain your best results.  I'm sitting here typing this and I'm sore and tired and feel kind of dazed, yet there's this sadistic part of me that can't wait for tomorrow's workout- "Plyometric Cardio Circuit".  I'm going to post pictures of my progression (probably about once a week).  I want to see/keep track for myself how hopefully my body is changing as I go through the circuits.  If it serves as an inspiration to anyone else, that's great too.

Day 1

Stats (I'm 5'10")
Weight: 190lbs
Stomach: 39"
Chest: 39 1/2"

What Makes Penn State Different Than Ohio State

For those that don't know me, just know this- I do not like the Ohio State Buckeyes.  I never have and I never will.  No offense to my friends that went to/have connections to OSU, but for real- shady-ass athletic department.  Jim Tressel was NOT a saint no matter how the university tries to twist it around.  Guess what: he got busted for the same thing he did at Youngstown State!!  Was anyone REALLY supposed to be surprised to hear that he lied about not knowing that his players were getting other benefits?  I wasn't.  Terrell Pryor did what he had to do...I mean after all, you really do believe you should get whatever you want, especially when your mentor is LeBron James (who got busted for "benefits" in high school).  Anyway, we know all of the stuff that has been in the news that the NCAA is investigating Ohio State for.  I won't go all into that, but I will say that if there's a school that would deserve the "death penalty" well, OSU would be it.

On the flipside, Penn State is a school that has never been in trouble with the NCAA for any of their sports.  PSU does actually take NCAA rules seriously and the Compliance Department actually does their job.  According to an article on rivals.com, Joe Pa admitted to breaking what would be a minor rules infraction.  On one of his walks through campus, he saw some of the football team having an informal practice.  He stopped and looked and didn't speak a word to anyone.  Eventually he mentioned to one of his assistants that one of the players looked good.  Technically that was an infraction.  To keep in good moral standing, it was then reported to the Compliance Dept. and in turn to the NCAA.  This SHOULD end up with a slap on the wrist and a "don't do it again".  Why even bring this up?  Because it's the right thing to do.

So, Ohio State, maybe in the future, you should pay just a bit more attention to how Penn State operates and maybe people outside of Ohio will actually not mind you so much.  Oh wait, you do bring in a lot of $$$ for the NCAA, so you'll probably just get a slap on the wrist for all of your million major violations anyway.  Nevermind.

NBA Draft Lottery 2011

With the Dallas Mavericks becoming the 2010/2011 NBA Champs, we've moved into the off-season and the draft is upon us.  First, I'll start by saying a big "THANK GOODNESS" that Miami did not win the title.  I used to be a LeBron fan when he was in Cleveland.  It's not so much that he left the Cavs, but HOW he did it and how the "big 3" acted when they signed their contracts.  In my opinion, all the extra hype came off as being pretty douchey.  Now then, let's get to the matter at hand- the draft.

How ironic is it that the Cavaliers have the 1st and 4th pick for the first draft right after Bron Bron's departure?  Yes, I know- "the first pick really belonged to the Clippers, but it's Cleveland's because of a trade".  Yeah, nice cover, NBA brass.  Fix the lottery to help them out, but try to make it look like it's not fixed.  We know the deal and the NBA is probably the shadiest professional league there is in the US.  I'm not going to hate on the Cavs getting some help though. (insert anti-LeBron message here).  Here's my take on the draft- WEAK.

The GMs across the league swear that this draft class is deep.  I'm not buying it.  Did the actually watch the NCAAs this year?  It was apparent to me, with the exception of Derrick Williams from University of Arizona, that it's a very heavy guard draft.  Granted, I'll admit that I don't know much, if anything at all about the international players.  Sorry- I work a lot and am not a scout, so I don't travel oversees to give my opinion to any NBA teams (I would accept a job doing that, however).

From what all the drafts are saying, Kyrie Irving (Duke) is going as the #1 pick and is the "sure-fire standout".  I'm not sold on him honestly.  In fact, I'm generally not sold on Duke players making the jump to the NBA.  While there have been some very solid players over the NBA's history, there's just really been no absolute superstar.  Duke is a very system-based organization.  That's nothing against Coach K, but it's just the way it is.  I feel the same way about Indiana University.  For me, I'm just not sold.

The mock drafts then have Derrick Williams going to Minnesota at #2.  While not a bad choice, is it really what the T-Wolves need?  Not really.  In my opinion, they need a whole new front office, a new owner, and they need to move somewhere else so people can forget the debacle of a franchise they've been.  There are rumors about that they're going to trade Kevin Love.  Seriously?  That's the only thing they have going for them, although Rick Rubio finally decided to come over to the US after his stats have dropped in the Euro league over the last 2 seasons.

The only people that jump out to me are Kemba Walker (UConn) and Jimmer Fredette (BYU).  Kemba has this "it" factor about him that he just doesn't want to lose.  If he drops to #6, the Wizards (my fave team, but PLEASE go back to being the Bullets) need to go on and pick him up even though they really don't need another guard.  Right now, supposedly they're taking Jan Vessely, a big boy from the Czech Republic.  Yeah they need size, but from what I hear, Mr. Vessely is missing a lot in his game.  I don't see Jimmer as being the next superstar.  He's a pure shooter, but I'm getting Adam Morrison feelings with that.  However, if he's available at #6, I can see Washington picking him up just in an attempt to continue to clean up their image.  Thanks, Gilbert Arenas- Mr. Agent 0.  Yeah you had talent, just nothing between the ears.  Whatever.  We've moved on.  I think John Wall and Kemba Walker could be an exciting, albeit small, backcourt.

That's about as deep as I see the draft going as far as stand-out potential.  I'm guessing I'll be wrong.  In fact, I'm hoping for the NBA's sake that I am.  It's gotten so watered-down it's ridiculous.  With that said, I'll sign off for now, but with one parting sentiment:

Congrats to Rory McIlroy for his win at Congressional.  Keep being you.  That's why everyone likes you- you're not arrogant like a certain other golfer that used to be at the top.

Back To Blogging

I've created a blog here or there in the past and have stopped for one reason or the other.  Well, it's about time that I hop back into it.  I'm not going to get into discussions based on politics or religion.  It's just really not my thing- or at least not to the point to get argumentative about it.  What I am going to do is just talk about things on my mind, sports, and other misc. things.  So, hopefully some people will start reading this and see what's going on in my mind.  If you are reading this, you may agree with me on some things and disagree on others.  I always value opinions and constructive criticism.