Insanity Max:30

One of the most influential men in my life is back at it! Sure, I get excited when new programs are released, but when it comes to Shaun T, it gets brought to a whole new level. I started my fitness journey in the summer of 2013 with Insanity, then moved on to Focus 25. Insanity taught me that I could do things I never thought possible. It pushed me past my limits and allowed me to see that even an overweight, miserable girl could achieve amazing results. It's that exact reason why I feel like a little kid at Christmas for his new program.

Enter Insanity Max:30

Shaun T's newest addition will take you out of your comfort zone like it did with Insanity, but instead of sweating your eyes out for 40-60 minutes, he's packed all of that intensity into 30 minutes. As a new mom, finding time to work out isn't easy, but I make the time. So the notion of being able to complete a high intensity workout in only 30 minutes in music to my ears! Another fabulous thing about this program is that it requires NOTHING. That's right, your body is all you need to achieve maximum results. No weights. No pull up bar. Nada!

Now that I've sparked your attention, let's discuss the nitty gritty.

Insanity Max:30 is a 60 day program. It's broken down into two phases, month one and month two. In typical Shaun T workouts, he wants you to keep up momentum and don't stop. For anyone that's completed T25, there are no breaks. The same would be true for this short workout, too. Right? Nope! Shaun T's goal is to get you to MAX OUT! The idea is to go as hard as you can for as long as you can, then, when you need to take a quick break, that's your MAX OUT point. You are encouraged to write down your MAX OUT times and try to beat them as the weeks progress. Even Shaun T said he can't go the entire workout without MAXING OUT. How cool is that?! What a great way to push our endurance and ability to the limits. LOVE!!

While it is a crazy program, it can be done by almost anyone thanks to the modifier. Unlike the modifier in T25, this one can be seen 100% of the time. There is an option to split the screen so you can always have the modifier up. How cool is that?! So even if you haven't exercised since high school, if you are mentally ready for the insanity... it's ready and waiting for you!

On to the fun stuff...what are the workouts like?

Cardio Challenge: crazy cardio with 4.5 minute intervals and 30 seconds to rest

Tabata Power: strength training Tabata-style "20 seconds on, 10 seconds off"

Sweat Intervals: even more ridiculous cardio

Tabata Strength: Tabata-style strength workout with no rest

Friday Right: Round 1: pure craziness. No really... INSANE

Max Out Cardio: gotta love more cardio in month 2! This time with 5.5 minute intervals

Max Out Power: Tabata-style intervals "45 seconds on, 15 seconds off" with lots of plyo

Max Out Sweat: twice the sweat in half the time

Max Out Strength: arms, shoulders, chest, and core "45 seconds on, 15 seconds off"

Friday Fight: Round 2: even harder than Round 1

Pulse: low impact combo of stretching and small "pulsing" movements for active recovery

Ab Attack:10: 10 minute routine

Max Out:15: 15 minutes of insane cardio

Max Out Abs: alternate between seated and standing for 15 minutes of core work

360 Abs: 360-degree attack on the abs and core... on the floor, in plank, and more!

The program is to be completed 5 days a week. No double days, either! So when we say 30 minutes, it's really just 30 minutes!

Pulse is meant to be used as an optional Saturday workout for that active recovery.

There's also a COACH EXCLUSIVE dvd called "Sweat Fest." You can only get this if you order through a coach. It's a fun, sweaty workout if you're looking to mix things up!

Now it's time to talk food!

Shaun T is really encouraging portion control when completing Max30. He discusses how planning your meals will allow you to eat healthy foods more often. Tracking what you consume will help you know what to eat and when, decreasing the chance of giving in to temptations because you're not prepared. Color-coded, portion controlled containers are available in the deluxe kit. These containers will help you reach your goals even faster!

What options are available?

There are a few different ways to get your hands on this new gem.

*Challenge Pack* 

This includes the base kit + 30 days of Shakeology.

*Base Kit*

12 workouts on 10 DVDS (Cardio Challenge, Tabata Power, Sweat Intervals, Tabata Strength, Friday Fight: Rounds 1+2), Max Out Cardio, Max Out Power, Max Out Sweat, Max Out Strength, Pulse, Ab Attack:10)

Sweat Fest (if purchased from a coach)

Nutrition Guide

Wall Calendar

Cooking Guide

*Deluxe Kit*

everything included in Base Kit

3 deluxe workouts (Max Out:15, Max Out Abs, 360 Abs)

Core Comfort Mat

Portion Controlled Food Containers

Shakeology Shaker Cup

Body Fat Calipers

Sounds great, but what's the cost?

Super stoked at how available they made this program!! The challenge pack will typically be $205, however they are reducing it to $180 as an introductory price for the month of December. The Base Kit is $119.85, and the Deluxe Kit is $239.70.

That means, if you purchase the challenge pack, you are getting 30 days worth of meals and a 60 day program for only $180! A month of Shakeology is typically $129, so by purchasing them together you are saving $69!!! 

If it still seems like a lot, let's break it down. Say we keep Shakeology at it's regular price and just consider Max30 is on sale. That means you will get 30 nutrient-dense meals for about $4.30 per meal. I don't know about you, but I sure can't make a meal as healthy as Shakeology for that cheap from home! So that leaves us with the new program for about $51. That's 60 days worth of hardcore training by one of the BEST personal trainers in the world for about $0.85 PER DAY! Is your gym membership going to be that inexpensive? Plus, you don't even have to leave your house, fight traffic, hassle with parking... you know the drill!

I WANT IT! Now what?

Fabulous! You can do this program right along with me, and we can keep one another accountable! How would we go about doing this? By joining in one of my amazingly awesome accountability groups! The groups are all done through closed Facebook groups, so only those participating can see what's going on. It's a safe place to share your struggles, fears, triumphs, and goals. No judgment and negative thinking allowed! Each day I will give you tips and tricks with ways to stay on track. Plus, there's lots of motivation to keep pushing yourself to be the healthiest you yet!

So if you're ready to join my accountability group, here is the direct link to purchase the Insanity Max:30 challenge pack.

http://teambeachbody.com/shop/-/shopping/BCPIM205?referringRepId=291007

If you're not ready for the accountability group, let me know, and we can discuss how to keep you on track without the group. My goal as your coach is to provide you with a support system that works best for YOU! If that means joining a group, fabulous! If you're the type that would rather me just check in with you periodically to make sure you're keeping your focus, I'm ok with that, too!

For those of you that aren't quite ready for Max30 but are interested in learning more about Beachbody programs and would like for me to be your coach, please sign up for a free account by clicking this link! 

https://www.teambeachbody.com/signup/-/signup/free?referringRepId=291007

Pregnancy Thus Far (14 weeks)

Many of you reading this may already know that my husband and I are expecting a new addition to our family in early August 2014. This will be our first two-legged child! So now I'm going to go in to how pregnancy has been treating me...

I found this shirt, which is very similar to to the Insanity shirt I earned upon completing that program, to announce our new addition. This was a perfect way considering how invested I have become with Beachbody and my job as a coach!

Unfortunately, I have to give myself twice daily heparin injections. This is a blood thinner that I have been placed on due to my stroke history. I bruise very easily the way it is, but putting me on a blood thinner makes it worse! Luckily, the bruising is minimal, but still… this ain't pretty! Along with this, I am unable to drink my Shakeology, as the vitamin K content is too high for my doctor's liking. As much as I would like to go against doctor's orders (I miss my Shakeo!!!), I realized I can't put my wants first anymore. Along with this, you'll notice my fabulous blanket. We have become best friends, as I nap SO much! Partially blaming pregnancy, the other is due to the heparin.

 Nausea hit me VERY hard around 7-8 weeks along. I had to take generic Zofran every 4 hours just to be able to function. I was fortunate in that I never physically got sick, but sometimes I wish I would have! I am very lucky in that one of my coworkers makes phenomenal ginger snap cookies, of which I purchased a package to use for medicinal purposes :)

I have been having some pretty strange cravings since day 1. Unfortunately, my tiny human isn't a huge fan of the food I typically ate pre-pregnancy. By that, I mean it hates vegetables and chicken… which is what I LIVED off of! Since eating vegetables wasn't an option, I drank a lot of V8 Fusion fruit/vegetable juice to get my daily intake. I have slowly been able to start adding vegetables in my diet (baby carrots are a great snack right now), however unless it is covered in bbq or hot sauces, I still can't do chicken! Some of the things I have been craving include: chips and queso, Fruity Pebbles (or any cereal really), Skittles, milk, root beer, oranges and orange juice, and pizza. Now I am to the point where nothing sounds good until I start eating it. The husband really hates that… makes prepping for dinner VERY difficult!

My skin has become super sensitive, more specifically the tops of my hands. I wash my hands too many times a day to count, and the soap at work did this to me. It turns very red and raw, followed by dry and cracking/bleeding. I had to purchase a calming soap to take to work, which has helped a little. Before bed, I coat the tops of my hands and fingers with triple antibiotic ointment, which has been a miracle! Luckily, the rest of my skin (minus a few facial outbreaks) has tolerated pregnancy pretty well!

A friend of mine allowed me to borrow a bunch of her maternity clothes. She is much smaller than me naturally, however she was nearing the end of her pregnancy in the summer/fall last year, making the clothes perfect for me right now. Mike and I are going south Florida in a few weeks for a friend's wedding, so I need warm weather clothes! These are some maternity capris that are BEYOND comfortable! However, as I was trying on the clothes, I had a moment of panic. I have always carried my extra weight around my midsection - this is what I worked so hard to lose (most of anyway) prior to the tiny human. Upon trying on these pants, it was a mental tug-of-war between knowing that my tummy is suppose to be getting bigger vs. my normal mentality of keeping that area hidden. Mike came in the room, saw me like this, and stated with a smile on his face, "Look at the belly!" I instantly started crying so hard that I hyperventilated. Luckily, he was sweet and talked me off the ledge, but it's a mental hurdle that will take me a while to overcome. My hopes are that when I start to look pregnant to people who don't already know I'm pregnant, I'll be ok. It is so hard being at that point where it could go either way between extra fluff and pregnancy. One friend told me if I felt self conscious, keep my hand on my belly, as that's a sure sign that you're making a tiny human. Note taken!!