Today my alarm didn’t go off so I didn’t have time to do the almost hour workout this morning.  My workout partner is going at it tonight (which I can’t make it), so I decided to go back to Gillian Michaels “30 Day Shred.”  This is only a 20 minute workout, so I could fit in before work.

I wondered if it would be any easier than it was when we first played the DVD in November.  I decided that I would stick with Level 1, although I’m sure after a month of Insanity I could have jumped right to Level 3!  Really, I wanted to see the difference.  Would I feel the same about the video or would I find it easier.

The verdict:  EASY!

It was a really good workout, but definitely not as hard as the first time around.  I could actually do some  push ups (although still only bend my elbows half way).  When I started I couldn’t do any pushups.  I also was faster at the cardio section and found myself making them a bit harder by combining them with what Shaun T does.  It was also nice doing regular crunches instead of the V ab ones that Shuan T makes us do!  Those are killers.

There is one weight exercise that I could not do well when I had weights in my hands, and I found that it I had more balance to do them properly this time around.  The move is anterior hand raises (hold the waits in front of you and lift up to eye level – image to the right) and side lunges.  It must be all of those squats and lunges that we do too many times with Insanity.

This is what I am thinking.  I want to keep up with Insanity, but sometimes I have energy later in the day if we do it in the morning or if we are going to do it at night, I would still like to wake up early in the morning.  I’m thinking that on those days I feel like I can do a little extra, I might pop in Gillian’s DVD and do it up.  It’s only 20 minutes.  I’m sure that by the time I’m done Insanity, 30 Day Shred will be a wonderful treat of a workout!

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Month 1 is over!  I am now in the recovery week of the 2 month program.  It is a chance to recover the muscles, but I think it is getting us prepared for the much harder month that is ahead of us … on Monday to be exact. 

You might think, “Oh recovery week, must be easy!”   I find it just as hard as the other work out DVDs.  It is not as intense in the sense that it is fast and lots of exercises, it is the fact that the moves are slower and more concentrated and you hold moves for longer and working on core balance.  I still am sweating by the end and I have found it harder on my knees and legs, so I need to be careful.  I’m not sure if it is because we are doing some exercises that didn’t really work certain leg muscles before or if it is because we are holding the moves longer or maybe it is because there isn’t as much stretching.  I’m just not sure on that one. 

One more day left, then a day off, then back to it on Monday.  We go from our shortest work out of 36 min and the longest of 45 minutes to the shortest being 40 min and the longest being 65 minutes!  And on Fit Test days, we have an extra workout making it 86 min long!  WHAT!?  Maybe we will split that day up.  The Fit Test is such a work out in itself! 

I need to continue to work on getting to bed early so I can get up early enough to be awake for the workout and have a little bite to eat so I have energy to workout!  Definitely that was my problem this morning!

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