The Asylum, Insanity Hybrid

Welcome to Try-Athlete, the blog where I try all the latest fintess and diet trends so you don't have to. Last week I started a new workout routine. I have done the Insanity workouts for the past 3 years and Asylum workouts for 10 months but I have never done them together. 

Each workout program comes with a calendar which tells you what day to do what workout. On the Asylum calendar it has a Asylum/Insanity Hybrid and a P90X/ Asylum Hybrid as well. I have never attempted the Asylum/Insanity Hybrid before and I thought why not. I'm ready for the challenge and since I just finished the entire Asylum program for the second time I thought I'm in good enough shape to try it.

The first day was Strength from Asylum paired with Pure Cardio from Insanity. Basically weight training and cardio paired together lasting for about an hour and a half. I powered through it pretty well, I was excited I was doing so well. After I finished Strength I immediately started Pure Cardio and I could tell I was tired from the other workout but I told myself I would finish it so that's what I did. The next day my shoulders and inner thighs were really sore. 

I have to admit the next day the weather was so ideal for a run I couldn't resist deviating from the workout calendar and going for a run. We aren't talking about a easy run around the block I pushed myself on this run. I usual run 3 miles but instead I pushed myself to run 4. I was really tired at around 2.6 miles but I told myself I could do it and I think that is the only reason I finished cause I was running on empty.

The next day I went back to the calendar and the next workout was Max Interval Plyo which is an hour of cardio circuit training. My knees were sore from my run the day before so it was tough at first but when I loosened up I felt better. This workout is one of the harder ones but I tried to pace myself. The rest of the week was pretty much like this I was sore every morning but I knew that was because I was working my muscles harder than they were used to.

The Good:

I knew I was getting in even better shape because I was doing double workouts on some days. I've done 2 a days in the past but it was nice having a set schedule so I always knew what I had to do. 

The Bad: 

I was literally sore this whole week! 

The Unexpected:

I was actually surprised by how well I did this first week. I know I am strong and fit but I really hung in there. I was strong mentally and that's really what I was excited about. 

Recommendations: 

I would only recommend this workout to people who are in very good shape. People who like to push themselves and do hard works like Cross-fit on a regular basis. This workout isn't difficult to learn but you need stamina and endurance to get through all the workouts. So until next week stay strong and stay fit!

Detox your Life

Welcome to Try-Athlete the blog where I try all the latest fitness and diet trends so you don't have to. This week was about detoxing. 

I recently watched the documentary called Food Matters and the film highlighted how important it is to eat organic. It also touched on how you have to get all the bad toxins out of your body first before the good stuff comes in. 

This gave we an idea, I've been wanting to detox for awhile but not just what I eat but what I use in my home to clean and what I use on my body to clean myself too. 

I started this journey because I had chronic stomach aches and everything I ate upset my stomach. Now that I'm eating predominately fruits and vegetables I don't have the stomach aches I used to. I wonder how my body would react with getting rid of all the old toxins into body...probably wonderfully. 

I started transitioning to all natural products, new dishwasher soap is Eco, the laundry detergent is unscented Arm & Hammer baking soda detergent. I just got a new body wash from Trader Joe's it's a organic tea tree body wash. 

I have only been buying organic fruits and vegetables. Ralph's and Trader Joe's are the grocery stores I frequent and they both have good organic selections. Recently our organic produce section grew at Ralph's and I can usually find everything I need there. I started drinking this Peach Detox tea nightly, it supports healthy liver and kidney functions. 

I feel as though with this new detox lifestyle I am being more socially and environmentally responsible, I am only putting toxin free things back into the earth and I feel refreshed and better than I have in a long time.

 

I understand detoxing isn't for everyone but if you can start to transition to natural products you will feel good and you will be helping the environment too. I will continue to detox and cut things out of my life I don't need or are toxic. 

Pound

Welcome to Try-Athlete, the blog where I try all the latest fitness and diet trends so you don't have. Last week a friend asked me if I had ever tried the workout "Pound," I hadn't so I was instantly intrigued.

What is Pound? Well she explained it to me, you use drumsticks and drum to the beat of the music. You are in different positions for each song, sometimes in a standing squat and drumming the ground in front of you and to the side as well. Pound is a full-body workout working abs, arms, legs and butt. Some songs you are in a seated position pounding the ground to the sides of you and working your core. 

I googled "the Pound workout" and watched a couple videos and I had to try it. I love any workout that involves rhythm and music and sweat dripping down your face. I found a class at a gym in Santa Monica, and since I go to Los Angeles every week for a on-camera hosting class, I decided to sign up for my very first Pound class. 

The Good:

This class was really fun! It was completely different from any workout I had ever done. Using drumsticks or as they are called in class "ripstix" was truly an art form. I could feel my muscles working and using muscles differently than they were used too. The music totally pumps you up, it's loud and the beat is easy to follow. The music kept me going even when I was really tired. 

The Bad:

Since it was my first time trying this workout some of the moves I would mess-up on. I got off the beat a bit sometimes when it was a new move. I was right in the front row too so I wanted to make sure I was doing everything correctly for others watching. I could feel my leg muscles cramping up halfway through the workout, we didn't stretch at all before the workout. Next time I would stretch out before the class so my muscles don't cramp up. 

The Unexpected: 

I've been doing the Asylum workout for the last four weeks and feel really strong so you can imagine how surprised I was when I was sore right after this class. My legs and lower back were so sore I could barely move let alone drive home after class. I thought I was in great shape so it was exciting to see I can step it up another notch. 

Recommendations:  

I would recommend this workout to anyone who wants to have fun while they workout. It's a tough workout but you're having fun while doing it so your mind doesn't dwell on the pain. Pound does take coordination and rhythm, but with practice I think anyone would be able to stay on the beat and follow the instructor. I'm already signed up for another Pound class I liked it so much, so until next time stay fit.

Asylum Strikes Back

Welcome to Try-Athlete the blog where I try all the latest fitness and diet trends so you don't have to. After doing a few weeks of T25 the new workout from famed trainer ShaunT and BeachBody I felt I needed to step my game up. Some people only have 25 minutes to spare to workout but I make working out a priority and put aside an hour to improve myself daily. No judgement to anyone who likes T25 or only has a short period of time to workout, that's just not me. I love to workout and when I'm dripping sweat that's when I know I'm working my hardest. 

Earlier this year I completed Asylum and loved it, because its all about bringing out your inner athlete. I wanted to get back into the shape I was in when I did it before so I decided to do Asylum again.

The Good:

I got into great shape fast, I was sore every day for the first couple days. I like when I'm sore because then I know I'm working my muscles differently than before. Since I have done this series of workouts before I knew what I was doing so I excelled at moves that had been hard for me in the past. 

The Bad:

One of the workouts I literally hate the warm-up and I had to face that workout. It's not that the warm-up is really tough it's just annoying and repetitive and for some reason I just don't like it. Since only one of the workouts has that warm-up I just decided to do it. And once I had, it actually wasn't as bad as I had built it up in my mind.

The Unexpected: 

I was surprised how fast I was able to see changes in my body. My abs started to get more chiseled within a week and so did my shoulders, thighs and butt. I was also surprised that I remembered everything from when I did it before and it all came back just like riding a bike as they say. 

Recommendations:

I would recommend this workout to advanced fitness people. Beginners shouldn't start with this workout as it is very intense. This workout is an excellent way to get your cardio in and enjoy doing it. I feel like an athlete when I do these workouts and everyone has an athlete waiting to come out. 

So until next time stay strong and stay fit. 

Juicing Part II

Welcome to Try-Athlete, the blog where I try all the latest fitness and diet trends so you don't have to. This week was dedicated to juicing. One of the companies I work for just opened a juice bar. I had the pleasure of helping out for the week and by doing so I got free juice for breakfast and lunch. 

I have done a juice cleanse before but that was when I wasn't eating as clean so I was interested to see how it would effect me since I've been eating clean.

Juicing is such an amazing way to get the nutrients you need and get them fast. Since juice absorbs into your system quickly you feel the benefits of the juice and you feel energized. 

The first day I started I got to try a taste of all the juices on the menu. Nine recipes total, they each were interesting and tantalizing combinations. My taste buds were one the ride of a lifetime with every sip of apple, kale, mint and orange, lemon, ginger and cayenne pepper. The combinations or the juices complimented each other so well and was making juicing fresh and new for me. 

The next couple days I supplemented breakfast and lunch with juice. I still worked out and made myself a healthy vegan dinner of mostly grilled veggies. I realized the 3rd night that all I had eaten for three days was fruits and veggies. I felt good, I felt refreshed and energized and decided to keep it up. 

The Good:

I felt amazing, just juicing and only eating fruits and vegetables really gives you the nutrients you need. It's also nice having someone else juice for you, I try to drink my juice within 15 minutes of it being made. When I make my own juice I am usually cleaning my juicer while drinking my juice instead of just enjoying my juice. 

The Bad: 

When you eventually eat something that isn't juice or fruits and vegetables your stomach tells you so. I had organic blue corn tortillas chips on my last night and my stomach rejected them. I had a horrible stomach ache which I never got when drinking juice.

The Unexpected:

I've juiced before but it's been awhile since I drank a lot of juice and I was very surprised about how much energy I had just drinking juice. I also craved carbs this week which was weird because I don't consume much carbs. I didn't have any but I noticed at lunch time I was craving bread.

Recommendations:

I would recommend juicing to anyone and everyone. It is a great way to get all the vitamins, minerals and nutrients that we need on a daily basis. For someone just starting on the path to health I would recommend supplementing one meal for juice. It might take a few days to get used to but eventually you will feel the benefits. Until next time stay strong and stay fit! Connect with me @genevievemelzer. 

Two A-Days

Welcome to Try-Athlete the blog where I try all the latest fitness and diet trends so you don't have to. Do you remember when you where a kid and you attended all day sports camp? Well I do I went to soccer camp every year. I also had a week of conditioning before school started for soccer. That week was brutal running suicides as they call them and seeing how fast you could run a mile. I run a mile a lot faster now than I did back then.
I was thinking about those camps this past week and I thought about how football players and other athletes workout 2 times a day. They call them 2 a days and it gives them a break to eat or refuel and then workout again. I used to run around all day at those soccer camps so I decided to workout twice a day this week. Here's how it went...
The first day I started with a T25 workout since I'm still doing that workout I incorporated it into my 2 a day schedule. I did the T25 video "Cardio" and then I did a video from the BeachBody series Asylum called "Strength." This was a great way to start out my two a day week. Talk about working hard first I did Cardio so I got my sweat on and then I did Strength 50 minutes of weights working back, arms, chest and abs. I felt like a muscle machine after doing both of these workouts. For the rest of the week I did similar workouts trying to combine different muscle groups.

The Good:
I was able to do it. I'm in good enough shape that I was able to do 2 workouts and not pass out or throw up. I was working multiple muscle groups daily. I could tell I was getting stronger because I didn't need to take breaks I powered through my workouts. I definitely got my sweat on, when I would first start to sweat it would be the end of my first workout and so when I started my second workout I would be dripping with sweat the whole time.

The Bad:
Two a days take more of your time. Instead of just working out 30 minutes to an hour I now found that I was working out up to 2 hours. While that isn't really that long of a time if your busy with work, family or other obligations 2 hours is a long time.
I also noticed the days I didn't eat enough. I felt sluggish and even nauseous at times. It is so important to fuel your body for a workout especially 2 workouts. By the end if the week I would make sure to fuel up before each and every workout.

The Unexpected:
I was a little surprised at what I was capable of doing. I totally believe in myself don't get me wrong but I was doing 2 very challenging workouts and I was able to complete them. I guess I'm in better shape than I thought which is pretty exciting. Since I need to built up my endurance because eventually it's one of my dreams to run a marathon I feel these 2 a days are helping with my endurance and my confidence.

Recommendations:
I would recommend starting 2 a days to someone that is already in great shape and is training for a fitness event. I think it is always important to know your limits and know when to stop, but also know when to push yourself because that is the only way you will improve. So until next time stay strong and stay fit!

Hiking Runyon Canyon

Welcome to Try-Athlete the blog where I try all the latest fitness and diet trends so you don't have to. This week I hiked, I'm still doing the workout T25 but I switched my day off so I could hike Runyon Canyon.
Runyon Canyon is a State park in Los Angeles, CA located right in Hollywood. It has amazing views and hiking trails. If you're ever in the area you must hike it.

The Good:
This hike has amazing views and vista points you can see the whole city of Los Angeles and it is truly breathe taking. I usually workout alone or with a group of people in a class but no one is taking. I went on this hike with my sister and we had a great time catching up and chatting about everything and anything. It was nice to have her with me and we were outside in the middle of a city working out.

The Bad:
This hike is very popular which isn't necessarily a bad thing but we did have to stop a few times to let people by and that was kind of annoying because I wanted to get my sweat on. As soon as we got to the higher part of the trail there wasn't as many people and that was more peaceful and I enjoyed that.

The Unexpected:
I was surprised when climbing the steepest part of the trail I was out of breathe, unable to talk and had to stop. I consider myself to be in great shape so I'm always shocked when something is working me to the point I need a moment to catch my breath and this was just a hike! But elevation and incline can really do that to anyone.

Recommendation:
I would recommend this hike to anyone! It is a great way to break up your workout week by adding something different and getting a break from your usual gym routine. You are outside and soaking up nature and getting a workout. For a challenge I would run it next time. This hike was definitely a different kind of workout than what I'm used to but I enjoyed the change of pace, so until next time stay fit!