Real Life Fitness – Getting Fit With Brent

It has been a LONG time since I’ve blogged about my nutrition, exercise, etc, so I thought I would catch everyone up on what is going on.

First, I’m on my last week of Insanity.  I’m glad, too!  I love the workout, but month 2 really starts to get to me after a while.  I think what I’ve learned about month 2 is what it really takes, nutritionally, to survive.  Remember, I’ve been eating Paleo, which is a higher fat, lower carb style of eating if you eat traditional Paleo.

The problem I’ve hit is in month 2 the carb cravings have been intense!  Even with taking the Results and Recovery formula (not Paleo, but I needed a recovery drink in a desperate way) and Shakeology, I still found that 100g of carbs and 80-100g of fat did not give me the energy I needed to strive in the days.  I found myself with INTENSE cravings at night.  And I cheated some because of it.

What I think I’ve discovered is that you really need carbs.  Mark Sisson talks about “chronic cardio” and its affect on the carb cravings in the body, and I believe it now.  While Insanity is more than just cardio, it still pushes your heart rate up in a high zone and pushes your body through your anabolic threshold as well as you aerobic thresholds.

My thought is if I ever do Insanity + Paleo again, month 1 I will not change, but month 2 I will need to carb cycle or simply go to a “zone” style 40/30/30 plan.

I’ve also learned that with Paleo, it is really hard for me to eat enough.  I needed to be getting 2100-2400 calories/day in, and I simply could not hit near that most days.  Another reason for intense carb cravings (when I get depleted, my body craves sugars as a quick and easy energy source)

With this knowledge, and the fact that month 2 was starting to beat on me, I had to make a decision:  To continue, or do something else.

I’ve decided that I’m going to move on to P90X2 (finally) instead of repeating Insanity.

And what that means is a transition off of Paleo/Primal eating….somewhat.

P90X2 does include a “grain free” option meant to help the caveman eaters, but it is not the high fat, low carb plan (just simply grain free).  Since this is my first time through the program, I plan on following the nutrition plan as it is laid out.  I think this is important for my Beachbody business as well as seeing how I feel and learning a bit more about my body.

June 3rd (Sunday) will be my official start date.  After I finish this round of Insanity, I am taking a week off to do nothing but stretch and recovery and get ready to push hard with X2.

And, of course, I’ll be forming a P90X/X2 Challenge Group.

Brent insanity, Nutrition And Diet, P90X2, Primal/Paleo Eating insanity, P90X, p90x2, paleo, primal, results and recovery, Shakeology

I’m 12 days into my Insanity + Shakeology + Paleo Diet challenge and I’ve got to share a bit of my results and tell you why this happened:

In my first 10 days, I dropped just under 10 pounds.  That’s right, an average of one pound a day.

Even better than the weight loss is the changing of my body.  Things are fitting a lot looser now than what they did just 2 weeks ago.  Needless to say, I’m thrilled.

But, while Insanity is my chosen path for exercise, it’s not really Insanity that I believe is making the difference, but rather the consistent focus I am putting on my nutrition.  I am not cheating.  I’m eating strict paleo, which also means no butter or cheese (two things that I would incorporate into my more Primal Blueprint style diet).

In my opinion, Insanity is just the catalyst for my nutrition.  I could be doing anything with a level of intensity, be it P90X, X2, Crossfit, whatever, and probably get the same results.  The reason why is this:  You can exercise all you want, but if you do not keep aware of what you put into your mouth, you may be defeating the purpose of exercise.

Just from my personal experience, and maybe you can relate:  When I exercise, especially lifting heavy weights, I get a lot hungrier over the day.  It’s easy to go into the panty and find junk and put it into your body just to satisfy the hunger.  But what did you just do?  Most likely, you took in empty calories.  You just put something into your body that will provide no real nutritional benefit.

Change that around to having things planned and knowing exactly what you’ll eat:  If you have a nutrient rich snack on hand, such as almonds, you know what you are eating.  You know the calories.  You know the nutritional detail.  You know whether that fits into your plan or not.

The great thing about the paleo/primal way of eating is knowing what you put into your body.  Instead of purchasing products that have a lot of additives, chemicals, preservatives, etc, you eat something that is usually a single ingredient or just a few.  But you know they are whole food sources, good for you, nutrient rich for the calories, and will keep you on track with your goals.

Now you could any reasonable whole food diet and produce results.  Maybe you cannot break free of starches, so you decide to do a lower fat, higher carb diet.  If you are focusing on good carb sources, you could get results.  Any diet that provides single ingredient, non-processed foods or foods that are good for you will produce results.

Now, I can already hear people saying:  “But Brent, Shakeology is NOT a single ingredient food!”

You’re right, and the strict paleo’s would denounce me as not eating true paleo for drinking it.  And that’s fine.  So be it.  I’m pseudo-paleo, and fine with that.

But this is (as I’ve mentioned before) a situation of not throwing the baby out with the bathwater.  Shakeology is a collection of whole food ingredients.  Similar to making a big salad with lots of little things, Shakeology is the same.  It is good for me, and that’s why I drink it.

But it fits into my overall diet.  It is my main carb source when mixed the way I like.

It’s part of my focused nutrition plan.

So let’s do this:  What are you currently eating?  Tell me:  Does it fit into your plan, or does it detract from it?  Use the comments section below to answer.

Brent insanity, Nutrition And Diet insanity, P90X, p90x2, paleo, primal, Shakeology

Let’s face it:  We all need to exercise.  My dad and I were talking the other day about a new “study” that came out that linked NOT exercising to an increase risk of cancer.  While I never really buy into these studies, it does bring up a great question:

What can I expect from eating clean and regular exercise?

Let’s take weight loss/fat loss out of the equation.  We all know these are the biggest reasons why people start a diet and begin to exercise.  I don’t want to discount weight/fat loss (everyone who reads this blog knows my story or can read more about it), but there are more benefits to it than just getting skinny.

I’m going to outline benefits I’ve noticed as well as others I’ve read about:

1.  More Energy

This one is the most obvious to me.  I work an office job.  I sit in front of a computer every day.  It is easy to want to eat junk, but when I did, I felt tired, lethargic, not as sharp, etc.  But when I’m really focused on nutrition and regular exercise (like my Insanity + Shakeology routine I’m on now), I feel steady energy all day.  I never feel like I’m crashing.  I can focus better.

Outside of work, I have more energy to play with my kids and do things with them.  I can exercise more than once a day a few extra times a week, burn some more calories, and not feel out of it.

2.  Better Sleep

True story:  During the fall, I get on a sugar kick.  Usually the sugar kick starts around 8:30-9pm at night and last until I go to bed.  When I do this, my stomach does not feel as good and I do not sleep as well.  During this past fall, due to the shoulder issue being a bit of a bummer, I quit exercising outside of physical therapy.  And I didn’t rest as well, had a hard time wanting to wake up each morning, etc.

Just a few days into what I’m doing now and I’m resting better than ever before.  I’m going to sleep faster, waking up refreshed, even if I only get 6-7 hours of sleep.  And getting better sleep leads back to my first point:  More energy!

3.  Improved Self-Confidence and Image

I’m proving to myself that I CAN do something with I eat clean and exercise daily.  I show myself that I can focus, be consistent, and accomplish goals.  Combining that with the fat loss (that yes, after one week, I can notice a bit of), makes me feel better about myself.

4.  Less Irritable

I’m a lot nicer person to be around after an Insanity workout.  Just ask my wife.

5.  Increased Libido

I’m neither going to confirm/deny this (I don’t “kiss and tell”), but I get emails from Men’s Health magazine and have read some various diet books that boast this.  And it make sense.  For a male, eating certain foods and exercising seems to give a boost in natural testosterone.  And it produces sweat, which they say is a pheromone.  And pheromones seems to turn women on.  Or something like that…

For women, there’s actually been ladies reporting climaxing while exercising!  If that isn’t libido increasing I do not know what is!  Along with that, though, having better self image (#3) and a less irritable husband (#4) seem to help this happen a lot…umm…..easier (that’s a good word for it).

Don’t believe me?  Google it.

6.  Stronger Bones

I’ll admit I don’t know the science behind this, but it has been reported that strength and resistance works actually helps with bone density.  My mom is living proof of this:  Combined with some calcium treatments, she has moved her bone density away from a dangerously low level by lifting weights.

7.  Better Health/Quality of Life

This is probably the most important, although many people simply overlook it.

Sure, do all of the above, but the best thing is what happens on the inside.  The better you eat, and the more you keep toxic foods and fat off and out of your body, the better your health is.  Eating foods that prevent chronic inflammation and producing mild exercise-induced inflammation is good for you.  People can move away from being diabetic by doing these things.  They can reduce their chances of stroke and heart attack.  They can reduce their cancer risks and other things simply by eating clean and working out.

So from these reasons, which ones do you want to have happen to you?  To your spouse?  Let’s discuss this in the comments section!

Brent Fitness Tips, Nutrition And Diet diet, exercise, health, insanity, libido, nutrition, Shakeology, sleep

Ever start something and then could not continue (for a reason you may or may not control), and feel bad and wish you could just start over?  I’m sure you have, and I know I have…many, many times!

And that’s exactly what I’m doing!

I wrote last week about starting Insanity while doing Primal eating.  Things were going great, I was digging being back into Insanity, and then IT hit:  Sinus infection!  Not just the runny nose type, the “my head is going to explode when I bend over” type.  I made it to the recovery day workout, got to the first point to when you bend to flat back and BOOM!….major throbbing pains.

Not pleasant.  I knew I was not feeling well that week and did not think anything of it until that day.  So, I immediately stopped.  I mean, half the workout involves my head being below my chest, and that simply would not work.

It actually worked out to my advantage.  I started off the week eating like complete glutton.  Processed foods, corn products, all things not paleo/primal.  And I was feeling it:  Sluggish, bloated, and blah!

Plus, a friend of mine is a Crossfit instructor and their box is starting an 8 week paleo challenge.  I thought, “Hey, great timimg…think I’ll follow along.”  So that is exactly what I’m doing.  Today was day 1 of Insanity + Paleo, but I did not retake the fit test.  Instead, I’ll pick up on day 2 tomorrow, get my sweat on, etc.  I already have lunch prepared for tomorrow (spaghetti squash + sauce, a salad, a sweet potato wedge) and a snack of almonds ready to go.

So if I can hit reset, so can you!  It is okay to just stop, realize that something is not right, or your not following your guidelines/diet well enough, and simply restart.  Sure, it may suck losing that amount of time/energy you’ve spent on whatever so far, but it is best to do things the right way to get results.

After, results ARE what we are seeking, correct?

Speaking of results, one thing I am aiming for is more sleep, so it is time to retire for the night!  I promise to post more, and hopefully will produce more videos soon.

Brent insanity, Primal/Paleo Eating insanity, paleo, primal, restarting insanity

Day 6 of Insanity was Plyo Cardio Circuit.  I could tell I was a bit more tired today for some reason.  I struggled a lot through this routine.  But the important thing is to always show up, press play, and do what you can.  At least, that is the philosophy I take with each one of my routines.

One week of Insanity is complete!  8 more weeks, time to get a bit more serious and start pushing a bit harder.

Brent Fitness VIdeos insanity, insanity plyo cardio circuit

Ok, realize these are not Beachbody’s official F.A.Q.’s on P90X2, nor are they meant to be.  And I could be 100% wrong on some of these, but based on what I’ve read, what I have heard from Tony Horton, Steve Edwards, etc, these are some high level questions and answers to P90X2 based on some things I have had asked of me.

1.  Who is p90X2 geared for?  Who should buy it?

P90X2 is geared towards improving athletic performance, overall fitness, stability in trouble spots, improving strength, coordination, etc.  In other words, it is for anyone who wants to simply improve.  The caveat to that is this:  Unlike P90X, this is not recommended to do without some type of fitness base.

I suggest you already be in pretty good shape or have had completed at least one round of P90X, Insanity, Asylum, or Turbo Fire.

2.  What is the difference between P90X2 and P90X?

P90X was based on muscle confusion…in other words, it was based on the variety of the workouts to help your muscles continue to grow and be challenged.

P90X2 is not much different from that, but it is not based on the same principles.  Where P90X2 differs is that it focuses on building fundamentals, then strength, then performance.  In phase 1 of X2, you will focus on the foundation:  Working in improving on weak spots by using motions geared towards improving performance and stability of your joints as well as large muscle groups (where phase 1 of P90X was just one set of workouts focused on overall fitness, X2 is working towards making improvements to how your body performs).

3.  What equipment do I need for P90X2?

P90X2 is a lot like P90X:  The main thing needed that you cannot find around your house is a set of resistance bands, some way to make these mimick pull-ups, and some time.

Optionally, a pull-up bar, a pull-up assist if needed, a foam roller, medicine balls, a stability ball, push-up stands, yoga mat, yoga blocks, etc, could all be useful.  The P90X2 Ultimate Kit has most of this included.

4.  Will I lose weight on P90X2 like I did P90X?

Weight loss has less to do with exercise than it does good nutrition.  If you have great discipline with your nutrition, you’ll lose weight on P90X2.  However, it should be noted again that your goal with P90X2 is not to lose 50+ pounds.

5.  What is the difference between P90X2 and Asylum, if both are based on athletic performance?

Having done Asylum (minus the last few days due to my shoulders), I can tell you that nothing compares with the difficulty of Asylum.  That program is meant to challenge you to exhaustion and push beyond limitations.  It’s focus is on agility and strength combined in a high paced workout.

P90X2 is geared towards improving the motions of your body in general.

I like how Steve Edwards put it:  If P90X2 is the practice for the game, Asylum is the game.  Both are great to prepare you for any athletic event or just improving performance.

6.  I have a bad back/shoulders/hips/knees.  Is P90X2 right for me?

I had an old high school football coach that said this:  You can play through pain, don’t play through an injury though.  What does this mean?  It means if you are really injured, go see a doctor.  In fact, if you even think you may have a lingering injury, go see a doctor before doing P90X2.

But, if it is a matter of a weakness and not an injury, P90X2 can help you improve that weakness or instability.

If you want to see the official P90X2 F.A.Q.’s from Beachbody, check out http://P90X2.GetFitWithBrent.com.  You can still pre-order P90X2 from the same link.

Brent P90X2 asylum, insanity, P90X, p90x2, Turbo Fire

Guess what:  It’s December 27th.  Christmas is over.  We’re all stuffed on all the holidays foods we can stand.  Personally, I’m about sugared out (yes, I’m the first to admit I’ve had WAY too much sugar over the last….month).  But in just 5 days, it is 2012, and everyone is doing the same thing:

New Years Resolutions!

I saw a stat that other day, and I don’t know its validity, but it sounds about right:  65% of Americans make a resolution to lose weight in the new year.  If that stat is true, I’d like to know how many of them stick with it beyond 90 days!  We do know that a majority of people who join a gym for the resolution QUIT during the first 90 days.  That’s a fairly widely known fact.

But 65% start, and many of them are near doomed before they lift the first dumbbell or eat their first thing of yogurt (which if you eat Yoplait yogurt is loaded with High Fructose Corn Syrup, which is NOT healthy).  Sounds harsh, but is true.  Why?

-  Most people do not know where to start.
-  Most people do not know what to do.
-  Most people do not know what to eat.
-  Most people do not have the support needed to last 90 days or beyond.

It’s sad.  I’m faced with it too.  There are plenty of people that do not understand why I eat the way I do, why I love to exercise 5-6 days a week, why I subject myself to “painful” or “difficult” programs like P90X (which is neither painful or difficult, but that’s another post for another day).  Fortunately I have a wife who is also a Beachbody Coach with me, just one who is much more slender, prettier, and doesn’t have to fight as hard to lose weight….well, fortunate for her that is!

So how do we structure things to help you succeed?

Enter The Beachbody Challenge…

Now this sounds daunting.  If you are severely overweight, the thought of a “Beachbody” may be a far fetched idea.  Ignore that.  Beachbody is just a company name.

Let’s call this the YOUR body challenge.

What do you want your body to look like?  Realistically, look in the mirror, and decide what you’d want to be shaped different.  Slimmer waist?  Trim upper body (for the guys)?  Sleek curves?  Muscle tone?

You can do all of that.  I’m not promising it happens overnight, but you can do it.  And that is where the Beachbody (i.e. Your) Body Challenge can help.

Here are the basics:

1.  You are going to commit do doing something.  30 days, 60 days, 90 days, whatever, you’re going to commit to a fitness program, good nutrition, etc.

2.  You’re going to be placed into a support group.  5 people max, plus me.  These are your virtual gym buddies.  These are the people that we are all going to lean on, rely on for motivation, celebrate successes with, etc.  You may never meet these people in person, but these people will be there for you.  Remember, they are doing the same thing you are.

3.  You’re going to have all the tools at your disposal:  A fitness program, an eating guide, the highest quality nutritional supplement and meal replacement shake, and support.  Everything you need to meet your goal will be available.

4.  You’re going to promise yourself to not give up.  Don’t make the promise to me.  You don’t know me.  It’s easy for you to give up on a commitment to me.  But, look in the mirror, look at yourself in the mirror, and decide that this is what you want for your life:  A healthier, leaner, happier you.

And this is how you get started:

Visit my Beachbody Challenge Group Pages.  These are all the challenge groups I can possibly run starting January 1st (or slightly there after, giving shipping times).

Find which group you’d like to join.

Order the appropriate pack (if one is required), or if you already have what you need, let me know you want to join.

And then get ready for it!

On a more serious note, I take what I do as an “Independent Team Beachbody Coach” very seriously (and yes, I had to use quotes in that).  As someone who has lost a lot of weight, struggles around Christmas, and then always loses it quickly again, I know the hardest step is sometimes just getting started.  That is what I’m here to help you do:  Get started.

And beyond getting started, its keeping you in the game.  It’s keeping you engaged, excited, motivated through life’s stress and the stuff that gets in the way, and helping you realize that you CAN do this, and that you are 100% WORTH IT!

Now…let’s get started.  Together.

Brent Fitness Tips, Nutrition And Diet beachbody, Beachbody challenge, beachbody challenge group, Brazil Butt Lift, fat loss, insanity, lose weight, new year's resolutions, P90X, rev abs, shaun t, tony horton, Turbo Fire, weight loss

It’s the holidays, which means Christmas is soon coming (as of today, 25 days away!).  So while figuring out presents to get your loved ones, don’t forget about your (or their) fitness needs and things that can give them that extra something they want out of life:  Health, fitness, happiness, etc.

So let’s start with some of my top picks from Beachbody:

1.  P90X2 

The newest workout from Tony Horton.  Pre-Order ends tomorrow (November 30th), and with that you get free shipping.  Even if you cannot order by November 30th, it would still be a great to get your loved one, especially if they are a P90X graduate or just want to improve their athletic performance.

P90X2 will help them feel younger, run faster, jump higher, be more athletic, and “kick the panties off of anyone who tries to get on the court or field” with them (ok, so I shamelessly stole that line from the original P90X Plyo workout, but hey….it will apply here).

P90X2 Base kit is only $119.95.

2.  Beachbody Challenge Packs

This package is a bit more all-inclusive for those who need it all:  A great fitness routine, added nutritional benefit of Shakeology, and support/meal planner through the Team Beachbody Club membership.  To order a package it is real simple:  Go to my Beachbody Challenge site, register for the challenge, and then purchase the package that you want.

Need some suggestions on what to order?  Here’s my opinion (take it or leave it).

If you are a male, I suggest P90X if you like to lift weights, Insanity if you like more cardio based workouts.

If you are a female, I suggest starting with Turbo Fire, unless you like to lift weights and hate the entire peppy cardio scene.  If you like weight lifting, go P90X.  If you rather do cardio but want something grueling, definitely choose Insanity.

If these are a bit “steep” and looking for something, but just something that cost a bit less, there are packages for cheaper.  The Ten Minute Trainer is a great option for those that are always in a hurry.

For the ladies, and I highly recommend this:  If you’re already fairly thin, just want to shed a bit of fat, and really want to work on your booty (think lifted, better shape, much sexier and looks killer in both jeans and a bikini), I cannot more highly suggest the Brazil Butt Lift challenge pack.

What are the advantages to getting a package?

For starters, free shipping.  Put it this way:  If you were to order P90X, shipping is around $13.  Shakelology is another $13.  So there is $26 off there.  The cost of things is also greatly reduced.  Instead of $240 for P90X and Shakology, as an example, it is only $205 + tax (no shipping, remember).  Plus you’ll get the tools you need:  Shakeology on Home Direct, the fitness routine, and 30 days membership to the Beachbody Club.

Plus, you’ll get a chance to win $500 a day just for logging your workouts.

I’ll be starting some focused Challenge groups on January 1-2 range, so be looking for more info there.

3.  Beachbody Gift Cards

Yes, it’s the old cop-out gift.  But what better way to give a gift card than to give one that allows your loved ones, or yourself, to chose what they (you) want to do?  If you are not a mind reader, this is a great option.  You can get them a gift card as low as $25 and all the way up to $500.

To order a git card, you must be at least a free member of Team Beachbody.  Then simply go to order a Gift Card by clicking here or through the Team Beachbody website.

Other Non-Beachbody Gifts

Of course, there are many other gifts you can get them that are non-Beachbody but still contribute to their fitness, or your fitness, depending on who you are buying for, of course.

1.  Primal Blueprint

Hey, I could always use some of my readers going primal with me.  This is a serious great read and will make you question a lot of what people have said is the “right” way to eat to lose weight?  Sound a little out there?  Check out these success stories.

2.  Vibram 5 Fingers

They are trendy, and they are primal-ish.

3.  A good heart rate monitor

Always useful for runners, light cardio junkes, etc.

4.  A Crossfit Membership

Check out Crossfit and find them a box in your area to join.

And, of course, I’m sure there are many, many other things you could get them.  Like a yoga mat.  Or some Select Techs.  Or a massage.  Heck, get yourself a massage and give them a yoga mat!

Enjoy the Christmas gift buying experience, and be safe this holiday season!

Brent Fitness Tips beachbody, Brazil Butt Lift, insanity, P90X, p90x2, primal eating, Turbo Fire

Wow, last week got INCREDIBLY busy and I simply did not get a chance to post.  So here are my thoughts and highlights:

First, Asylum Game Day…rough.  Very rough.  A very long 60 minutes.

The rest of the routines went as planned.  This morning was rough coming off of a holiday weekend.  So my calorie burn today was quite a bit less (but I’m okay with that).  Tomorrow is a new day and a new chance to push hard.  Verticle Plyo is still one of the hardest routines in the set, and that is what I do tomorrow.

I hope to get back into posting.  I will say this:

Between doing Insanity, and then Asylum, I miss P90x.  Granted P90X is “extreme” it’s a pace I enjoy a lot more.  I like to lift.  I like challenging my body through weights.  I like a pace where I can focus on form and not feel rushed because there is a very small time limit and a rush to the next activity.  So I will be starting a new round of P90X after I get back from the beach.

My nutrition?  Well, hasn’t been good.  Going to be cleaning it up over the next few days and get back into a routine of small deficit eating of clean foods and pushing hard.  I moved away from the Asylum diet but the holiday weekend threw me off track a bit.  Nothing to be concerned with, just need to clean it back up.

Brent Insanity Asylum insanity, insanity asylum

O.M.G.  Hardest 40 minutes ever.  In fact, hardest WARM-UP ever!  Shaun T says something early on about lactic acid build-up and he was not joking.  Within the first few minutes my legs were on fire.  I have so much room for improvement with these routines its unreal.

That being said, this is my first time through all of them and I expect an improvement in performance each time I do them.  And I will improve.  It is a bit frustrating to me that I had this much trouble with them, both cardio wise and just learning what I’m doing.  But, the first 4 days are down and now it is time to pick up the pace.

One interesting note:  I did have to pause the video at one point.  I had to go get another resistance band (the heavy red band).   I put on my HRM at that point and started tracking.  In the last 19 mintues (including the over 3 minute cool-down) the calorie burn was over 250.  My heart rate was constantly in the 166-172 range, which isn’t bad for me.  I think next week I’ll wear it throughout all the routines and start tracking progress through how much it says I’m burning.

The nutrition is tougher than what it looks.  I’m having 1 starch a day most days, with 2 being the max.  My shake has banana in it, but other than that my fruit count is low.  1800-1900 calories on this plan is working, but is tougher than it may look or appear.

I’m holding my own with it.  I’m dedicated to getting my results, and if it means sticking out a plan like this over a period of time, so be it.

Tomorrow, thankfully, is a rest day.  My legs are sore.  I hope they can recover some before Sunday starts it again with Speed and Agility.

Brent Insanity Asylum insanity, insanity asylum, insanity asylum review