I completed the full 9 week Insanity workout program this past Sunday, can you believe it?!

When I started this at the end of June, I really thought I would give up by week 3 but as gyms remained closed with no date or hint of reopening, I continued with it and tried hard to stay on track. Motivation is a hard thing to come by and maintain so you really have to practice your discipline here. There were so many days I just didn’t feel like doing it, so many times I wanted to skip the workout, quit, just lay in bed all day and be lazy. But I pushed through it, forced myself to not accept no for an answer, make the time and get it done. No joke, it’s nerve wracking as hell to work out live for the whole world to see, but it actually helps a lot. In the past years when I did the program, I would pause the videos for breaks, and took a lot more breaks and the workout took longer because of it. But because I’m live and don’t want to skip a beat, I continued straight through till it finished. I forced myself to push and get back to it even when I took a second for a breather. I also was able to check my form better, recording it live. There’s something about doing it live that makes you hold yourself more accountable. You just want to give it your best.

My fit test results improved since the last update too. I really didn’t think they would, even though I say this every time, but every time you do it, it feels like you’ve maxed out because you’re pushing so hard and trying to give it your all. I really do love that they do a fit test in this program because it’s a great way to measure your progress. Especially when the scales don’t move and the photos show only slight changes. My cardio has definitely improved; my stamina, my breathing, and my endurance. I’m very happy with my results, both in photos- even though the changes were small towards the end- and through the fit test, and I’m proud that I was able to finish this program straight through with no shortcuts.

Would I do this program again? It’s a hard answer because it was definitely difficult and I still hate doing it every day but if I ever get bored of my routine, it’s a great way to shake things up. It’s also a great way to sweat and burn calories fast when you have only a limited amount of time to work out. That’s the one thing I love about this program compared to lifting in the gym for 2-3 hours. You’re done with it quick. I might incorporate the Core Cardio & Balance workout into my regular routine for days I need a break from lifting. But in the end, I still enjoy lifting more than cardio. And by the second week in the max workouts, I felt myself plateauing. I could feel it in the reps completed in each circuit as it leveled off. I got all I was going to get out of Insanity but wanted to finish the program in it's entirety. It’s been a week now since the gyms have reopened and let me tell you, it feels AMAZING to be back. Lifting just hits all the spots and muscles that cardio and home workouts just can’t reach. Everything was reactivated and the soreness came flooding back but I welcomed it this time. It felt SO good. To me, it’s a sign you had an amazing and effective workout. Or that I’m just a masochist, hahaha.

Would I recommend this program? Absolutely. It’s definitely a challenging one but if you have the dedication, can fight through the hard days, it’ll be absolutely worth it in the end. For me, I had a virtual workout buddy on Instagram that helped keep me going. We held each other accountable and were each other’s cheerleaders. If she logged a workout, I felt I had no excuse to not get it done. Especially since she’s a mom of two young babies, doing both work from home for her company and taking care of her little tykes! I really had no excuse so I pushed through it. On days where I didn’t think I could fit a workout in due to planned activities, commitments, outings, etc, I made sure I got the workout done the night before. I would double up on workouts in a day if I had to, to stay on track. The dedication to my fitness, my health and my overall wellness paid off. I feel amazing and it became a great baseline for me to start with as gyms opened up and I got back to my regular routine.

I’ll be honest, this quarantine was HARD for me. I had a lot of roller coaster depression days where I really felt discouraged, that all hope was lost, that the gradual weight gain would start to eat away at my mentality. But looking back now, I’m so glad I still kept up with my active lifestyle and worked out pretty much every day. It just made me feel better after a hard workout. It helps sets the day and leaves you feeling accomplished. Just spending 30 minutes working on you makes a big difference. I started this quarantine at 110 lbs if I’m being honest. I was 108-109 around the time of the Princess races in February. I indulged as a reward for completing the races when I got home and then two weeks later, the quarantine started. Last week before I went back to the gym, I was 122 lbs. Although I’m not entirely mad. That day 63 pic of me is at 122 lbs. But my 122 lbs back in 2018 when I first started trying to lose weight, does NOT look like that. So I know it’s definitely a different body composition and a lot more definition now. It’s 122, yes, but a good amount of it is lean muscle mass this go around. I’m excited to start lifting heavy again and shred back down from this new baseline. And I’m proud of working at it EVERY SINGLE DAY during quarantine. I’d probably be a lot sadder and wallowing in more self pity had I cracked and given in, and let myself go.

I also had a few people ask me about returning to the gyms. Honestly, as long as you wipe down before and after you use everything, shower when you get home, etc. you’ll be fine. Just use common sense, common courtesy and be mindful of other people’s space. And regarding the mask issue. A few people keep asking me how I can work out in a mask. Cardio aside, because yes, cardio is definitely hard inside a gym, but I have always preferred running outside anyway, lifting and using the other non-cardio machines is not a problem in a mask. Just take the break when you need it to catch your breath and then get back to your workout and complete it as soon as you can and move on to the next thing. I find the mask to not eve be an issue because I’d rather be able to work out than not. It’s all about perspective. It’s not an issue if you don’t make it an issue. If you want to do something, you will not allow the minor things to get you down or get in the way. You will work hard and overcome the obstacles. And that’s what the mask is. It’s absolutely nothing. Besides, if working out in a mask really does bother you or infringe on your ‘rights,’ honestly, you need to grow a set. You’re not as tough as you claim to be if you’re letting a piece of cloth stop you from your goals.

Anyways, we leave for Disney in the next 8 weeks so you know what that means! I’m using the next 8 weeks to work hard, lift while continuing my marathon training schedule, get back on my clean diet and get my act together so I can go back down to 110 lbs hopefully so I can eat all the Mickey waffles, ice cream bars, pretzels and dole whips I want back in the Magic Kingdom! The things I do just to destroy my body for vacation, haha! It’s a vicious cycle but one day I’ll learn to balance it better. Until then, remember to dig deeper and don’t have your legs too wide, Josh.