Julie:

On my results

“You never wore a sports bra before Insanity, huh?” Rachel didn’t and neither did I Shaun T. After 63 Insanity workouts I do now (caveat: only in the privacy of my own home).

I’m excited to share my results today. I wanted to lose 10 pounds and fit into all of my jeans. I’m happy to report I fit into every last pair of my jeans and I’ve lost 9 pounds. I’m also very proud of how much my fitness has improved.  Check out my Fit Test results below.

Insanity words of wisdom

People will tell you Insanity is impossible and you can’t do it. YOU CAN! The key is going at your own pace and always maintaining good form so you don’t get injured.

If you want to see the results you have to commit to the 6 days a week. Month one it’s manageable and then there is a bit of a burnout month two. You need a support system to keep you motivated.

Final Thoughts

I finished Insanity on March 28. I overdid my final Fit Test and hurt my knees. My husband banned me from doing Insanity until it was better. After feeling super fit and seeing great results it was so disappointing not rebooting the Insanity challenge as planned.

I re-started Insanity Tuesday from the beginning. Day one was really hard after those two weeks off. When I finished my face was beet red and I was sweating and talking spit. I loved it!

Over the last few months I’ve become an Insaniac! After an Insanity workout you feel a tremendous sense of accomplishment and positivity-like you can take on the world.

I’m going to keep pushing play and keep trying for those elusive abs.

TOTAL BODY RESULTS

FIT TEST RESULTS

Courtney:

On my results:

Am I happy with my results? Hell ya! I think even the slightest improvement warrants excitement. I feel stronger, leaner and way more energized. I wouldn’t say I have the Beachbody I’ve always wanted but I would say I’m way closer to my goal and definitely motivated to keep going!

Insanity Words of Wisdom

1. Don’t stop. Like I’ve said before Shaun T has no sympathy for slackers. Taking a few days off will only make the pain of the game that much worse. If you feel like you can’t commit to 6 days a week try 4-5 and stick to that schedule. There is nothing worse than wasting your progress.

2. Get on the healthy eating train. Just because your body is enduring this INSANE business doesn’t mean you can eat whatever you want. I learned this the hard way. You’re results will come a lot faster if you maintain a healthy eating regimen and keep your junk food intake to a minimum.

Final thoughts

Bring on round 2!

TOTAL BODY RESULTS

FIT TEST RESULTS

Cassandra:

On my results

Overall I’d say I’m happy with my results. My body is leaner, tighter and I’ve noticeably gained muscle.

But to be honest, what I’m most happy about isn’t my new beach body, it’s how I feel. While doing Insanity I noticed that I have more energy and I can focus for longer periods of time. I also have new found sense of confidence. They call this program Insanity for a reason – it’s INSANE and I did it! Only the very dedicated can say that. Sure I had my moments where I wanted to quit, but I didn’t. I persevered and that in itself is an accomplishment.

There were also some unexpected benefits: my skin felt great because I was sweating out all the impurities and my posture improved thanks to Shaun T. telling me to focus on my form.

Insanity words of wisdom

Insanity isn’t for the faint of heart. It really is a commitment, both physically and mentally. There are two things I can recommend to get you through the program:

1. Have a schedule – carve out a set time when you’re going to do your workouts. Doing it consistently at the same time will help you develop a routine so you’re not scrambling to fit in a workout.

2. Have a support system – what kept me going during the trying times was the fact that I had a group of people doing it along with me. With them I could discuss my feelings and progress and they held me accountable if I started to slip.

Final thoughts

While I’m happy with the results I got, I’m also happy the insanity is over. That being said I’m not giving it up cold turkey. I like how I feel after working out so I plan to incorporate the month 1 workouts into my exercise routine as a sort of maintenance program. I’ve come too far to go back now!

TOTAL BODY RESULTS

FIT TEST RESULTS

Julie:

I made it! I completed 60 workouts and surprisingly crushed my final fit test. And now for the big speech:

I’d like to thank my husband and daughter Reese who cheered me on from the couch (almost every workout) and tolerated my incessant Insanity talk – at home, at parties, with strangers. My four month old daughter was actually mesmerized by Shaun T and seemed to be watching each workout.

I have great results to share, but I have been so busy planning Shaun T’s visit to Toronto next week that I haven’t taken my after photo (and can’t find my before- eek) – so I’ll be sharing next Thursday.

I can share that last April I was 24.5% body fat (I should admit I was 2 ½ months pregnant), but as of yesterday I’m 21.4% body fat. I’m certain Insanity helped lower my body fat.

My body is stronger, tighter and fitter than before and I feel very confident. The remarkable thing is Insanity has made me love exercise. When I don’t work out I feel guilty and actually miss it. I injured my knee during the final workout trying to show off my diamond jumps (never sacrifice form people) and now I’m dying to work out again.

I still think I have one more round of Insanity in me (at least month two Max Interval), even though my husband says he can’t handle the 6 days a week. Maybe I’ll try a more civilized 4 days a week.

Stay tuned for the results next week.

Keep pushing play my friends!

Courtney:

I am happy to report since my last check-in that not only did my bridesmaids dress fit but I was able to showcase my best moves on the dance floor. Victory!

Unfortunately, due to a family emergency, the two weeks following the wedding I was out of town and didn’t push play once. Something my brain and body regret big time! Here’s why:

1. Exercising makes a BIG difference to your stress level and even though it can’t solve your problems it will definitely give you temporary relief from anxiety.

2. Without my early morning dose of Insanity I started to feel very lethargic – there was a drastic decrease in my energy levels.

3. Every pair of jeans I had felt uncomfortable thus I had to resort to tights and sweat pants. (This might also be from all the emotional eating)

4. Shaun T has no sympathy for slackers and my return to Insanity was just as difficult as my first day on the program – I almost passed out on the kitchen floor…again.

Thankfully I am still fully motivated to finish INSANITY however my body needs a slight readjustment to the time off. I’ve decided to redo Month 1 Week 1. I will be back into the INSANITY that is Month 2 next week and can hopefully report some amazing final results in the weeks to come.

Cassandra:

I’ll admit it. I was bad. I slacked and feel pretty behind on my workouts. The good news is that I’m back and dedicated to finishing! While it is true I toyed with the idea of giving up, a pep talk with Julie convinced me to push through and finish. After all I’ve come this far and if I don’t finish, then what was this all for?

It’s amazing how after taking only a few days off I can notice my body regressing back to its former state; mainly I don’t have as much energy.

While Insanity is hard, I’ve found my biggest hurdle to overcome is convincing myself not only to do it, but that I can do it. In doing Insanity I’ve fully realized how inactive I was previously. I never considered myself out of shape, but in the past few days, feeling the way I do, I’ve come to terms with how much I need to step up my game.

Now I’m back on the wagon ready to do diamond jumps and all. Any good thoughts, vibes and words of encouragement are appreciated as I dig deeper and reach the finish line.

Read our previous Insanity blogs here.

Today is my 32nd birthday and I’m proud of myself. I feel stronger than ever and confident that I can take on new challenges. When I woke up at 3 am this morning to feed my daughter I thought: what do I want for my birthday? And my first thought was do Insanity before work and go buy a workout top at Lululemon-a bra top to boot. That’s certainly a big shift for me.

Doing Insanity over the past seven weeks has made me feel insanely proud of myself. My body is the strongest and fittest it has probably ever been (and four months after having a baby) and I feel more confident and capable of taking on new challenges.

Last night I did Max interval circuit, which in my opinion is the hardest and most sweat inducing of all the ’Max’ workouts. For the whole 59 minute workout a voice in my head kept repeating: “You can’t do this. You won’t do this.” I pushed through and I did it! Even after two months of Insanity that voice is still trying to trick me into thinking I can’t.

There’s a quote that has been pushing me to ‘push play’ lately: Time will pass even if you don’t reach your goals. Changing your body in two months takes a ton of dedication and mental toughness, but it’s worth it.

For my birthday and everyday forward I want to remember that I’m stronger than I think and that there is no complacent ‘best I’ll ever be’ for me. I’m a work in progress. That’s what Insanity taught me.

One more week to go until I earn my Insanity shirt! You know I’m going to post pics of that.

Julie

P.S. I wrote this post at 4:00 am and it’s a little Jerry Maguire in its optimism I admit, but I did ‘push play’ this morning!

P.P.S. Courtney and Cassandra are still plugging away.

Julie:

When it comes to Power Jumps I’m as graceful as the bird they call the elephant (that gem of a simile is courtesy of my Grandma Lorna). That was true until this Tuesday, when suddenly during Max Plyo I got my Power Jump groove on and my legs were flying up and I was landing softly-for the first time. Normally I crash down into the ground like a herd of elephants.

So chuffed was I with my sudden Power Jump prowess that I shouted with childlike enthusiasm: “Look I’m doing it. I’m really doing it.” Thankfully my husband and daughter were in the room to bear witness, otherwise it would have been like hitting a hole-in-one when no one is around. Did it really happen?

I went a little crazy during that first interval and by the 2^nd and third interval my Power Jumps got lower and lower and my feet got their ‘herd’ back. But it made me feel like a million bucks that I did it. I have 12 more days left and I will master the Power Jump.

P.S. I found this someecard on #Pinterest. It’s funny cause it’s true.

Courtney:

This week I’ve been extraordinarily busy and thus finding time for those MAX workouts has been a little tricky. Now normally I would use that as an excuse to miss a few but I kept my eye on the prize and just substituted in some workouts from the first month. Let me just say that compared to MAX Interval Circuit, Plyometric Cardio Circuit is a walk in the park (well maybe not a walk but a jog). Maybe Shaun T. is trying to kill me this month or maybe my fitness has improved. I’ll take the latter! It felt amazing to get through the entire Plyo workout without stopping or wanting to pass out on the kitchen floor. Thanks Shaun T.

In other news I have recently become very competitive with Tanya and Chris from the fit test video. While they may kick my butt when it comes to push up jacks I actually wiped the floor with them at a few different exercises (slight exaggeration). So take THAT six pack Tanya!

The ultimate fit test is on Saturday when I have to fit into my bridesmaids dress. As long as I can do the running man I don’t care.

Cassandra:

This week was supposed to be my last week of Insanity, but since I’ve slacked a bit in the past few weeks I have a little bit longer to go.

Although I’m behind, I can see the light at the end of the tunnel. It’s calling to me and I suspect once I cross the threshold there will be a fluffy, warm bed welcoming me to take a well deserved nap.

Now begins the countdown of my remaining workouts until my Beach Body is ready to be revealed!

Read our previous Insanity blogs here.

Julie:

I wish I had something truly inspiring to share. The truth is I went to a party last weekend and a bunch of people told me that I looked really in shape and it went straight to my head. Suddenly I felt like I didn’t need to work out. That coupled with the jump from 40 minute to 60 minute workouts has put me in an Insanity slump. And in the words of Dr. Seuss “unslumping yourself is not easily done.”

But on I will go….I have 17 more workouts to go. I can see the finish line and waiting for me front and centre is my long lost pair of Citizens of Humanity jeans. We embrace and they fit.

Courtney:

Something I recently read really made me laugh, “obsessed is a word the lazy use to describe the dedicated.” Truth. I often dismiss the dedication of workout-aholics. It takes discipline, motivation and a hell of a lot of energy. So I bow down to you and your six pack and admit that I am indeed the lazy one, or at least I used to be.

You would not believe the amount of energy that Insanity has given me. I actually crave working out; it’s a bizarre high that I need to complete my day. In the last couple weeks I have felt stronger and more energetic than ever.  Some people (generally those who have witnessed my dance routines) might argue that I don’t need more energy. But guess what? It takes a lot more than enthusiasm to win a dance off.

On a side note, I am happy to report that my bridesmaids dress fits a little better than it did last week. Hooray! I might actually be able to breath at this wedding.

Oh and get ready ya’ll my Diamond Jumps are starting to rock!

Cassandra:

I thought last week’s public humiliation punishment would be the kick in the ass I needed to get back in gear and give it my all during the last few weeks of Insanity.

Wrong. For me the novelty is completely gone. At first I was completely into it having drunk the kool-aid but it has since been sweated out of my body due to the grueling schedule that is Insanity.

It’s time to admit and recognize my true self: I am not an active person and I don’t like exercise. So I’m left with a conundrum. What do I do if I like the results I’m seeing, but don’t want to do the process? Unfortunately there is only one answer, suck it up, dig deeper and continue pushing. I’ve made a commitment and I’m this close to seeing it through, but just the thought of having to do even one more workout is making me exhausted.

Read our previous Insanity blogs here.

Julie:

This morning at 5:45 am I was seriously grumbling about doing Insanity. I stalled and checked my phone for messages and then I saw this post from fitness blogger Health Habits:

• We’re all busy
• We’re all tired
• We all hate getting up early in the morning
• We all hate going to the gym straight from work
• We all hate that our friends are at the bar RIGHT NOW!!!
• We all hate broccoli I LOVE BROCCOLI. THIS PART ISN’T TRUE
• We all hate putting flax seeds in our smoothies
• We all hate that guy who never wipes his sweat off of the equipment
• We all hate eating steamed veg instead of pizza