Thursday 17 October 2013

Day 1 - Preparing and the Fit Test!

Today I started on a new exercise journey. It’s a journey that I am viewing with both excitement and apprehension in the same measures. I have read up on the programme, read various other blogs on the subject and have a friend in America who often posts about it on Facebook. The programme is apparently the best-selling home workout programme in America! Its described as ‘not for the faint hearted’ but for those ‘that will put extreme effort in to every session to get the results that they desire’. I therefore think that the programme, which is called ‘Insanity’ is appropriately named! 

The programme is a 60 day intensive workout where you work on various exercises using only your own body weight (no other equipment required) and you commit to doing the scheduled routines 6 days a week. At the start of the programme (Day 1) you have to undertake a ‘Fit Test’ and then retake this test every two weeks to see what progress you are making. The main theme running through the introductory materials that I have read/viewed is that if you work hard (to your max) and put the effort in doing more than you possibly thought you could then you will be guaranteed to see results within 60 days….so with this in mind, and all the other research I have done, my appetite has been whetted enough to take this challenge on! I am someone who likes intensive training, I get a buzz from it so I am hoping that my personality will suit the programme; time will tell!

Last night I got myself prepared, I made a note of my starting weight and measurements and then took my ‘before photos’ – I hasten to add these photos will never be seen by anyone else other me, however they have given me even more determination to get myself in shape and get really, really fit again. 

So, today is day one, so I got up at 6:30am this morning, and embarked on the first session: The Fit Test!

The fit test comprises of a series of exercises (8 in total), and you are given 1 minute to do each exercise and during these time your aim is to do as many as you can. Making sure that you are always aware of form and stopping and restarting as many times as you need to. When the minute is up you jot down how many you did and then its on to the next one....

Anyway, I was OK this morning – I would be lying if I said it was easy, it was far from easy and I certainly had to dig deep on occasions to keep going. I did stop every now and then but that is OK and at least now I have a starting point on which to work from. The results of my first fit test are as follows: 

No.
Exercise
Total completed in 1 minute
1
Switch kicks
70
2
Power jacks
36
3
Power knees
60
4
Power jumps
30
5
Globe jumps
5
6
Suicide jumps
7
7
Push-up jacks
8
8
Low plank oblique
32

I consider myself relatively ‘cardio’ fit with the other exercise I do each week (namely running, walking and cardio work in the gym) but for me today this was a completely new way of exercising and it was incredibly hard and I know that it is going to be a challenge to complete the full 60 days but I am going to give it all I have.

Here are my sessions for the whole of week one:

Thursday (17/10/13): Fit Test 1 - COMPLETE
Friday (18/10/13): Plyometric Cardio Circuit
Saturday (19/10/13): Cardio Power & Resistance
Sunday (20/10/13): Cardio Recovery
Monday (21/10/13): Pure Cardio
Tuesday (22/10/13): Plyometric Cardio Circuit
Wednesday 23/10/13): Rest day 

Looking forward to Week 1, Session 2 tomorrow: Plyometric Cardio Circuits!

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