I was so excited that my Insanity Asylum arrived – and what beautiful packaging, at that, but I was torn if I should start it with the borage of other Team Beachbody friends, or wait out my husband’s Achilles injury and hope he can pick Insanity back up with me.

So, with little to no improvement and the copious amounts of Insanity Asylum reviews being posted, photographed, video taped, etc., I was feeling left out.

Took the plunge, asked my  hubby to film my doing the Insanity Asylum Athletic Performance Assessment (aka Fit Test), to not only assure my form was on point, but to document this BEAST of a workout.  And this was just the Fit Test!  Holy heck…hang on.

Last week I shared what this freakish 30-day program was all about (click here to read Insanity: The Asylum is Here!), but to now have it in my hands and taunting me to no end…that’s a whole new animal!

So, I previewed the Athletic Performance Assessment the day prior, so I was mentally prepared, so I thought.  The day of, a whole new story.  With a 3 year old up, before he usually is in the morning, and trying to work through that perfect camera angle, I was already frustrated (sorry hun!).

Now, add the agility ladder and rapid rounds of rotations (1 minute per move), one is guaranteed to be defeated.

But I stuck it through and here’s how it went:

Oh, but WARNING – you may throw up in your mouth!

I say I faired pretty well…although this is just the beginning!   Stay tuned as I embark on the next 30 days of this BEAST of a challenge!  Insanity Asylum…where’s my straight jacket?

Your partner in health & fitness.

Well, it’s available through your favorite Team Beachbody Coach.  Oh wait, that’s me, right??

Not a Team Beachbody member yet?  Not to worry, we can settle that quickly.  Go HERE and create your FREE account, so we can get you Insanity’s Asylum.

Maximize your Sports Performance in as little as 30 days!  Want to see what you are up again if you order Insanity The Asylum?

Ok,  now onto the good stuff.  Watch this clip and LET’S GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! (You Insanity nuts, will know what this is all about).

You see why they dub it: “Train like a pro. Play like a star in 30 days.”?

This is sports conditioning at it’s finest.  Former track-and-field star Shaun T will challenge you to Dig Deeper^® than ever with sports-specific training and drills inspired by pro athletes.

This 30-day program, he’ll push you to build your speed, coordination, agility, strength, and power.

Want to know what you get?  This is what comes with INSANITY: THE ASYLUM:

6 Intense Workouts:

• Speed & Agility: Get quick on your feet—fast, with this intense cardio workout. (45 minutes)
• Vertical Plyo: Jump higher than ever with this lower-body training routine. (40 minutes)
• Relief: Stretch out to build long, lean muscle and increase your flexibility. (25 minutes)
• Strength: Increase your strength and power by cross-training with weights and resistance. (50 minutes)
• Back to Core: Build the rock-solid core, glutes, and hamstrings for the explosive power you’ll need to play and dominate at an elite level. (45 minutes)
• Game Day: Put your new sports skills to the test with this cross-training workout. (60 minutes)

Plus, sports-inspired training tools:

• Agility Ladder: Build strength and agility by using this portable ladder to sharpen your focus and your form.
• Speed Rope: Improve your foot speed and endurance with this ultimate training secret.
• ASYLUM Workout Calendar: Check it each day to cross-train like a professional athlete.
• Guide Playbook: Map out your 30-day transformation with this smart step-by-step guide.
• Eat to Win Nutrition Plan: Follow meals and tips used by Shaun T and you’ll be ready for game day—every day.

And receive 2 FREE bonus workouts:

• Sports Performance Assessment: Discover the improvements you’ve made in your fitness and skills with this performance measurement tool. (25 minutes)
• Overtime: Add this 15-minute monster to any Asylum workout to see if you’ve still got game.

So who’s ready to take on a new challenge?  Pick me! Pick me!!  Get yours TODAY: http://bit.ly/AsylumAtHome

Your partner in health & fitness.

As a P90X and Insanity grad, my husband and I were looking for an extra challenge.  Lucky for us, we have an incredible library of Beachbody programs to work with.

Since we both saw great results with both P90X and Insanity, we wanted to marry the two and decided to commit to a 90 Day hybrid of them both.  That 90 days has come and gone and we were both thrilled with the outcome.

I am down about 5% in body fat and my husband lost close to 25lbs, in the 90 day period!  Pretty sweet.

So what did the P90X & Insanity Hybrid look like?  Here is what our general calendar consisted of:

As a 6x grad of P90X, variety is one of the most important aspects of fitness. As that continues to follow the famed path of MUSCLE CONFUSION.  What I’ve come to learn, is that no matter how complex or challenging your respective workout program is, if you don’t switch it up, your body will stop responding to it. And that’s what led me to P90X in the first place, as I was running circles at the gym and seeing ZERO results.  WTF??

Fortunately for us, having the library that we do, we’ve got the great opportunity of combining various trainers’ fitness workout programs.  Thus, creating an intricate web of muscle-confusing possibilities and make it virtually impossible for your training program to go stale.

So what’s next?  I’m thinking a ChaLEAN Extreme & Insanity Hybrid, until Insanity Asylum comes out!  Oh, and to make you jealous, mine gets shipped NEXT WEEK!!  WOOOHOO.  Want your own copy?  Send me a message!

If you have a similar library of workout programs and need a little guidance on how to create your OWN hybrid, hit me up!  Happy to offer some suggestions.

Your partner in health & fitness.

We are all looking for short cuts or “quick references” on the foods we SHOULD eat and the ones we should STAY AWAY from, right?

Well, here’s a great quick reference, dubbed Michi’s Ladder, on what foods will aid in weight loss (Tiers 1 & 2) and which ones will work against it (Tiers 4 & 5).

Of course, having a diet rich in whole foods, meaning those that aren’t processed, laden with MSG and other “non-foods”, the better off your body will be.   So reach for the foods that are on the outer skirts of your favorite grocery store.  The ones that are in the center aisles, are generally loaded with fillers and MSG to maintain their shelf life, hence why they are on the SHELF!!  Right??

If in doubt, GO RAW!  Eating raw, whole foods will re-energize and get your metabolism back in check and to be a more efficient fat burning machine.  Check out renowned author and respected fitness trainer, Alissa Cohen, and her articles on how LIVE FOODS are where it’s at!

Go back to the basics and fuel your body with what we were intended to eat – colorful fruits & vegetables, lean proteins, complex carbohydrates (great sources CAN be found in the produce section – think sweet potato, squash, etc).  Trust me, your body and health, will THANK YOU!

Your partner in health & fitness.

* Please note – I am not a nutritionist or registered Dietician, so the information posted above is just MY recommendation based on what has worked for ME to get back into better health.  I have more energy and a faster metabolism, that allows me to perform and sustain better at my workouts.  In regards to Michi’s Ladder above, this is a quick reference as recommended by the Team Beachbody nutritional specialists/staff.  To access your own meal plans and recipes, active a Club Membership (and save 10% on your favorite at home workouts and/or Shakeology).  Everybody needs to start somewhere, and hopefully these suggestions will open the doors to YOUR health’s future.

As a follow up to a previous blog post, What Workout Program is Best for YOU?, I wanted to share this great interactive Beachbody Program Comparison Chart.

This chart will allow you to sort through the variety of fitness programs that Beachbody has to offer, and effectively select one based on YOUR fitness objectives and goals.

So, go ahead, get ready to create your next fitness transformation or further challenge yourself.  Click on the image to use the interactive program comparison.

As always, I’m available to help you select a program suited for your goals.  Please reach out to me, as you need.

Your partner in health & fitness!

I get this question asked to me A LOT!  So, in the effort to hopefully help others that have this very same question and are looking for something that is suited to their own fitness style and ability, I thought I’d break it down a bit:

Let’s start with the basics:

1.            What’s your current level of fitness activity?

A.  Very limited, maybe a short walk here and there. (May also have some health issues that inhibit workout activity – high blood pressure, pre-diabetic, Type 2 Diabetes, heart condition, etc).

B.  My activity is sporadic, some weeks are better than others.

C.  I’m fairly active and hit the gym as much as 3 x’s a week, but not seeing results.

D.  I’m VERY active and strong. (i.e.: I run quite a bit, do cross training, boot camps).

2.            What are your fitness goals?

A.   To find a program with a consistent level of lower impact activity.

B.   To find a program that will keep me active and is active.

C.   I want to see results, but I’m not a beginner and I’m not advanced

D.  I want something higher impact and that incorporates weight training & cardio.

3.          What is your time commitment to reaching your goals?

A.  I can commit to about 45-60 minutes, 2-3 days a week.

B.  I can commit to about 30-60 minutes, 3-4 days a week.

C.  I can commit to about 45-60 minutes, 4-5 days a week.

D.  I can commit to about 45-75 minutes, 5-6 days a week.

Ok, so these are just 3 top questions that I generally ask anyone interested in getting started with a workout program, but not really knowing what is the best one for them.

Often times, people want to immediately start with P90X, when they are NO condition to begin with a program that is so advanced.  The beauty of the selection of Beachbody programs, is that there is something for EVERYONE, and not every program will be suited for all…but definitely challenges to work towards.

So here’s a breakdown of what workout program would work best based off these category of questions (scroll down to bottom of the page to review the short video clip showcasing each product and its brief description):

If you answered mostly A’s:

A few recommended programs would be: Slim in 6® Rapid Results, Kathy Smith’s Project: You! Type 2®, Total Body Solution™ or Tony and the Folks® (for active adults 55+)

If you answered mostly B’s:

A few recommended programs would be: Slim in 6® Rapid Results, 10-Minute Trainer®, Power 90® or Yoga Booty Ballet®

If you answered mostly C’s:

A few recommended programs would be: Turbo Jams®, Hip Hop Abs®, Rockin’ Body®, 10-Minute Trainer® or Power 90®.

If you answered mostly D’s:

A few recommended programs would be: P90X®, Tony Horton’s One-on One Series, ChaLEAN Extreme® or Insanity®

Here are the descriptions of each suggested program above:

SLIM IN 6® Rapid Results, by Debbie Siebers

The original 6-week miracle makeover combines daily cardio with light resistance to burn fat fast. Fitness expert Debbie Siebers developed Slim in 6® through a combination of low impact cardiovascular and weight-bearing exercises collectively called Slim Training®. This three-phase, 6-week slimming program helps shed pounds quickly in a healthy manner, while jump-starting the body onto the path of long-term health and fitness.

Kathy Smith’s Project: YOU! Type 2™, by Kathy Smith

Kathy Smith’s Project: YOU! Type 2™ is a step-by-step guide to creating a healthy lifestyle for people with type 2 diabetes and anyone who wants to reduce his or her chance of getting diabetes. Developed in conjunction with doctors, certified diabetes educators, and the American Diabetes Association, this is a comprehensive program to take control of your health and your life!  This 12-week workout system comes with a cookbook, fitness & food journal, workout calendar, workout guide and a wallet to house the 8 workouts.  For more detailed information, click here to review the product page.

Total Body Solution™, by Debbie Siebers & Chad Waterbury

If minor or major post-exercise soreness has sidetracked your workout program, this program will help you get back on track. Created by Debbie Siebers and neurophysiologist Chad Waterbury, Total Body Solution™ is an incredible preventative and rehabilitative series of drills to help you recover without pain pills or chiropractic visits. Even if you’re not suffering from pain, you can use Total Body Solution as part of your warm-up to help prevent muscle strains and pains before they happen. Take control of joint and muscle health today so you can maintain your workout routine—and be comfortable doing it.

Tony and the Folks! by Tony Horton

It’s never too late to get fit!  Now there’s a great way for anyone age 55 and up, with the help of Tony Horton himself!  A fun half hour of fitness for anyone who wants to ease into a new exercise program and get results. You’ll get the heart pumping and blood flowing with each low-impact exercise presented in this program.  In just over 30 minutes, Tony & the Folks! will help you: increase energy, reduce joint stiffness, improve flexibility, strength & balance.  All the moves in this program offer alternate positions to increase or decrease the intensity. It’s truly one of the most entertaining ways to achieve and sustain a healthy lifestyle for someone new to fitness.

10-Minute Trainer®, by Tony Horton

No matter how busy you are, you can always find the time to squeeze in a 10-minute workouts.  With these breakthrough workouts and his easy-to-follow eating plan, you’ll lose weight, get toned, and have plenty of time left over!  Tony’s breakthrough Super Stacking Technique™ using resistance bands, combines the most effective moves I know into each 10-minute workout. Instead of starting with cardio, then working different body parts one at a time, he stacks them to work everything at the same time—in just 10 minutes! It’s multitasking for your muscles!

Power 90®, by Tony Horton

Total body transformation in just 90 days!!  Fat burning and total-body sculpting focused on abs, thighs, and upper body.   This in-home boot camp for dramatic body transformation uses Tony’s Sectional Progression™ technique, which gives you an effective workout in as little as 30 minutes each day.  The program comes with 4 workouts that are progressive to maximize your results and keep you active.  Plus, get a program guide, food plan and a few other special gifts thrown in for fun.  If that’s not enough, with Tony’s Fat Burning Express plan, you can lose up to 10 lbs. and 10 inches in your first 6 days!

Yoga Booty Ballet®, by Gillian Marloth & Teigh McDonough

Hollywood’s fun fitness secret combines yoga, dance, and body sculpting to blast calories and target your abs, thighs, and booty. Yoga Booty Ballet® is a dynamic fusion of yoga, booty sculpting, and dance that will make you feel strong, confident, and beautiful! You could see a dramatic difference in your body after just 2 weeks.

Turbo Jams®, by Chalene Johnson

Kickboxing and body-sculpting workouts set to the hottest dance music.  Get ready to rock your workout!  Chalene packs each workout with calorie-blasting kickboxing, body sculpting, and the hottest dance music. The “Elite 11″ signature moves are proven to burn fat and give you a sleek, sexy body and ripped, rock-hard abs.

Hip Hop Abs®, by Shaun T

Dance your way to hot, sexy abs and burn the fat off your entire body with Shaun T’s fun, exciting dance program! Using Shaun’s revolutionary Absolute Engagement™ technique, you’ll “Tilt, Tuck, & Tighten” your way to 6-pack abs without doing a single sit-up or crunch.

Rockin’ Body®, by Shaun T

Get a hot new Rockin’ Body with Shaun T’s high-octane dance party that will have you sweating off the pounds to all your favorite dance-floor hits!

P90X® Extreme Training System, by Tony Horton

P90X is not for beginners.  Designed by celebrity fitness trainer Tony Horton, P90X gets you absolutely ripped in 90 days. Through 12 sweat-inducing, muscle-pumping workouts, a comprehensive 3-phase nutrition plan, a detailed fitness guide and a calendar to track your progress, the P90X program will define muscles you’ve got and develop muscles you never knew you had. In just an hour a day, it will physically and mentally transform people from being in good shape to being outstanding athletes.  By way of Tony’s advanced training method, dubbed “Muscle Confusion”, your body or your mind, won’t get tired of the workouts, as they switch every 30 days.

Tony Horton’s One-on-One Series

Have you hit a muscle building plateau? Break through the plateau with celebrity trainer Tony Horton’s workout series Tony One-On-One. Designed to compliment or coordinate with his P90X® series, Tony’s constantly introducing new workouts will keep your muscles “confused.”  With this workout series your muscles are forced to adapt to new moves all the time, so they keep growing. Tony’s vastly successful concept of muscle confusion will get you the results you are looking for. Work out with Tony in his own gym, mano a mano. You will love to see Tony sweat and suffer, just like you. It’s like working out with a buddy!

ChaLEAN Extreme®, by Chalene Johnson

Get ready to burn fat and get lean with ChaLEAN Extreme™!  It’s a fact – the more lean muscle you have, the more fat you burn. You can burn up to 60% of your body fat in just 3 months and see visible results every 30 days—GUARANTEED!  MUSCLE BURNS FAT™! This proven circuit training technique shifts your fat-burning focus from cardio to resistance training. You’ll be lifting heavy weights in 3 phases to ignite your metabolism and burn fat long after your workout—even while you sleep!  Click here for the product sheet.

Insanity™ 60-Day Total Body Conditioning System, by Shaun T

Transform your body in 60 days with the most intense workout program ever put on DVD. Shaun T will push you past your limits to get the hardest body you’ve ever had.  The secret to these mind-blowing results: MAX Interval Training. Shaun T took traditional interval training and flipped it on its head—you perform long bursts of maximum-intensity exercises with short periods of rest. Each workout keeps you constantly challenged as you alternate between aerobic and anaerobic intervals performed at your MAX. The results: burn up to 1,000 calories an hour and get the most insane body in only 60 days.

You can view all these products and many more of the Beachbody workout systems at my Team Beachbody Store.  There is something for everyone and maybe a program that I have one that’s NOT listed here, that’s just right for you.  Go ahead, ask me to help you get started with your next fitness challenge.  And why not?  I’ll do a FREE fitness and nutrition analysis.  Who doesn’t like free?