Hi everyone! I created this blog to keep me accountable to my fitness goals over the next two months on the Insanity program. I am starting out today with my review of Insanity Day 1 and I plan to update this blog as often as possible going forward (minimum once per week) with reflections on what I have accomplished to date. In this way, not only am I held accountable but I also hope to create a very extensive resource for anyone else that is curious about the Insanity DVD workout program in the process. If you haven’t already checked it out, you can find out more about me and this site on my ‘about me’ page.
Today marks the first day of 63 total with the program and, after completing the fit test, I am already excited for the results I know are coming! As I mentioned, I have never been a very active person so I am a little nervous about an extremely fast paced (insane??) workout 6 days a week. Most seem to recommend that I should get into a little better shape before even attempting this program. But I am confident that I can do it.
A little bit more about me: 6 months ago I weighed 225 pounds. With a slight change in diet and a whole lot of walking I have managed to drop 35 pounds. This is incredibly exciting for me because this is the first time I have been under 200 pounds since the early 2000’s (maybe 2003??). Even so, at 26 years old, 6 feet tall and 190 pounds, the Center for Disease Control (CDC) says that my Body Mass Index (BMI) is 25.8 which puts me just over the line into the overweight category. If you are curious about your own BMI, you can calculate it at the CDC website here or using the following simple formula:
BMI = (weight in pounds / (height in inches)^2) x 703
But I think that’s enough about me! If you are reading this, chances are you came here to find out how a beginner coming from a very sedentary lifestyle was able to do on the Insanity fit test. So without further delay, here on my thoughts and results from day one.
Insanity Day 1 #
Insanity day 1 starts with a short intro (Dig Deeper) which I highly recommend you watch before starting. It only takes about five minutes of your time and is very motivating and informative. Shaun T tells you how he is ‘going to motivate you so hard, that you’re not going to have a choice but to get the best body that you’ve ever had!’
This intro is followed with the fit test. The fit test takes about 25 minutes and is there to track your progress over the 63 day program. You complete this test at the beginning, end, and every second week in between (as you can see on the Insanity Schedule). The test consists of a short warm-up (this alone kicked my butt!) followed by a bit of stretching to help prevent injury. The actual test is a mix of the following exercises: switch kicks, power jacks, power knees, power jumps, globe jumps, suicide jumps, push-up jacks and low plank obliques. Finally, the fit test ends with some cool down stretches.
For a more thorough explanation of everything that is included in this first DVD, check out its page in the ‘Insanity Workouts’ section.
My Fit Test Results #
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And now, the numbers that you have been waiting for! I also took some body measurements this morning before starting so I will share all of that as well. I plan to retake all of these measurements every fit test day in the morning before completing the actual fit test. I have created a page to track my progress here. In addition, I will include some before pictures for your viewing pleasure.
At this point, I should probably tell you that the fit test kicked my butt! I can already tell that I am going to be sore tomorrow. And to be honest, I think I held back a little bit. I am already excited for the second fit test on day 15 so I can prove how much more I have in me. This brings us to the actual results:
- Switch kicks – 78 (alternating between left and right leg, counting each individual kick as one)
- Power jacks – 45
- Power knees – 70
- Power jumps – 20
- Globe jumps – 7
- Suicide jumps – 8
- Push-up jacks – 18
- Low plank obliques – 24 (alternating between left and right leg, counting each as one)
My (Before) Body Measurements And Pictures #
- Weight – ~189 pounds (my scale only measure kilograms and is showing 85.7kg)
- Chest – 38.25 inches
- Left bicep – 12.5 inches
- Right bicep – 12.625 inches
- Waist – 34.75 inches
- Hips – 37.125 inches
- Left thigh – 24 inches
- Right thigh – 24.125 inches
- Resting heart rate – 70 bpm
 
And that sums up day one of the Insanity program. Sorry it turned into such a long writeup about Insanity day 1. But if you made it through the whole thing, that tells me you are just as motivated as me to get started with Insanity. My recommendation? Quit thinking about it and just get started already!
Conclusions #
Overall I am very excited for this program. I can tell it is going to be hard work but the idea of getting into better shape is enough to keep me motivated (for now). I guess technically I don’t really start the program until tomorrow so I will save my true first impressions until my next blog post. Which brings me to my update schedule… I haven’t decided yet if I am going to update every day this week after each workout or wait until the end of the week for one giant update, so all I can say is check back soon.
Hopefully you are as enthusiastic about this as I am and my blog serves as a very informational resource for those getting ready to start the program and a motivational resource for those who have already started.
As a final thought, I have been thinking about further ways to motivate myself to stick with the program and I think the answer is you (yes, you). Please leave a comment below with a little about yourself and your fit test results and hopefully over time we can use this blog as a platform to get to know each other and hold each other accountable. And as always, feel free to contact me with any questions or comments on my contact page.
Until next time!
