Father's Day Festivities and T25 Challenge Group

We celebrated Father's Day last Sunday with my wonderful husband. At our house, special occasions generally translate to some sort of delicious food. We kicked things off right with some Special Occasion Cinnamon Rolls.

The kids and I baked them on Saturday while Jeff was at work. The cinnamon rolls reheat beautifully, so we had them ready to eat in just a few seconds. The eldest made chocolate milk to go with the cinnamon rolls. Because if there's anything a boatload of sugar needs, it's more sugar. Then, we delivered breakfast in bed!

The kids made Jeff several cards, and we presented him with our gift.

The gift came with an obligation on Jeff's part to take an online chainsaw safety course. Because we've got 4 kids. And I need him to stick around. With all his limbs intact. He can come cut your tree down as soon as he finishes that course.

After breakfast we headed to church. I took pictures of all my sweet Sunday school babies to make a present for their daddies. Here is baby girl's photo.

We headed home and feasted on Jeff's favorite: spaghetti. My guy is pretty easy to please.

After lunch, we enjoyed a Sunday afternoon nap. Then we made our poor man's water slide in the front yard. One tarp + a little baby shampoo = TONS of fun!!! The kids had a blast.

I will refrain from posting my pictures on the slide. Some beauty should only be imagined and not displayed on the Internet for all the world to see.

On a side note, I am super excited about the new Beachbody workout that is coming out this Monday!!! It is from the Insanity creator, Shaun T, and the workouts are all only 25 minutes!!! It's called Focus T25, and it is for everyone from beginners on up. If you're interested in this program, I am starting an accountability group on July 8th. We will divide into teams and post about our workouts for points. The winning team will receive a prize! You can join the group here. And you can learn more about Focus T25 in the video below.



Have a blessed day!

Asylum Volumes 1 & 2 Review

When I discovered last year that fitness expert Shaun T had created a sequel to Insanity, I knew I had to try it! Insanity the Asylum Volume 1 is a 30-day program designed to train you like a professional athlete. A few months later, Asylum Volume 2 was released, taking the workouts to a whole new level. What I love most about these programs is that they work your mind as well as your body. Focus is key!

The Workouts

Most of the workouts in both volumes of Asylum are between 40 - 60 minutes. Unlike their predecessor, Insanity, Asylum has more focus on resistance training in addition to cardio. It also requires more coordination since many of the exercises are performed using an agility ladder.

Volume 1 introduces you to the agility ladder. You'll learn how to maneuver your feet through the ladder in a variety of drills, as well as doing a fair amount of jumping and some resistance training. You'll need dumbbells for the "Strength" workout, and you also have the option of using a pull-up bar for some of the exercises. Shaun T does provide alternative training for those that can't yet use a pull-up bar or don't have access to one. You can read more about the workouts in Asylum 1 here.

Volume 2 takes the agility ladder a step further with complex drills that will require every bit of your mental and physical focus. This volume incorporates a lot more resistance training than the first. Dumbbells are used in every workout. One of the DVDs also incorporates the pull-up bar. You can read more about the Asylum 2 workouts here.

Equipment

Volume 1 comes with an agility ladder, jump rope, and strength bands. You'll also want to have some dumbbells or a resistance band, and possibly a pull-up bar.

Volume 2 requires the same equipment as Volume 1, but since it's a sequel, it doesn't provide the ladder, rope or bands. Beachbody assumes you already have those at home.

Who Is This Workout For?

If you are an Insanity graduate looking for the next big challenge, this workout is definitely for you! If you're just in really good shape and want something new and fun to try, this one is for you. I would recommend completing Volume 1 before attempting Volume 2 simply because of the complexity of the agility ladder.

That being said, Asylum 2 isn't for everyone. If you have a history of back/neck or knee problems, this program probably not for you. This workout isn't for beginners either.

My Thoughts

I loved both volumes of Asylum! They were a really fun change of pace for me. Volume 2 definitely incorporates more strength training than Volume 1. That was right up my alley since I love P90X, but if you're not used to doing any strength workouts, those will be a big challenge.

In both programs, the last workout each week is a series of sports contests. Shaun T actually tells you to visualize the competition right on your heels, which really pushed me to work harder. You'll do a whole range of "sports" during these workouts including a 1-mile run, swimming, rock climbing, soccer, football and gymnastics just to name a few. I loved doing this! It made the time fly by and kept the workout fun and exciting.

Here I am doing speed skating!

If you have any questions about Asylum Volume 1 or 2, please feel free to leave them in the comments below or email me at corvincrew@gmail.com.

Weekend Recap

It's been a busy weekend! I've got to become one of those people who really embraces all the stuff their kids do for fun. It's just a little overwhelming times 4!

I started off the weekend with P90X's Core Synergistics. I love this workout! It has a lot of different exercises that really work my entire core. Afterwards, we hit the ground running. It was time to divide and conquer. Jeff headed with the boy to baseball, and I grabbed my Shakeology and went to the soccer fields.

I really do love watching this girl play soccer. 

When I said divide and conquer, that meant I got all the girls and Jeff had the boy. We really need to work on our math. We all met back up at home after the games for a quick lunch before heading out to the first Easter egg hunt of the season. 

It really was a beautiful day! I knew there were going to be cupcakes galore and candy at the egg hunt, so I came prepared!

Have you tried these new Fiber One protein bars? I got them on BOGO, and I had a coupon for another dollar off, so they were super cheap. I love a quick snack that packs a protein punch. These remind me of an Almond Joy. Really yummy!

After the egg hunt, we headed back to the baseball fields. Baseball games make me nervous. It's a lot of pressure for a kid. But how cute is this boy?!?

He's the best player on the field as far as I'm concerned!

While I was at the game, I got my 2nd workout of the day. Baby girl had a lot to drink between the egg hunt and the water I packed for her. Our field was approximately 4.5 miles from the restrooms. Okay, so it probably wasn't quite that far, but it was far! This is when I wish baby girl had some boy parts so I could take her over to the edge of the woods and let her take care of business. Instead, I got to run her back and forth. I tried to focus on the amazing calorie burn I was getting.

We stopped for some pizza on the way home. After dinner I got all buck wild and crazy and made my PB&J's for the week on Saturday instead of Sunday! I knew we had baseball Sunday afternoon and wanted to get ahead. Then we Jeff got everyone bathed and put to bed. I fell asleep on the couch about 6 seconds later.

When Sunday morning rolled around, I decided to get in a quick workout. Sunday is normally my rest day, but I'm coming off a recovery week so I wasn't sore and figured my body could handle it. After all, exercise is my drug of choice. I used the bonus workout I got with Asylum 2. It's called Pure Contact, and it's a quick 20-minute video where Shaun T gets you jumping around like crazy! I always get a good sweat in even though it's a short workout.

As I came up the stairs from my workout, the smell of fresh bread greeted me. I had 2 loaves of sourdough rising overnight and put them in the oven right before my workout. That's right, people! I was multitasking while I exercised! I think it goes without saying what I ate for breakfast this morning.

Since it's St. Patrick's day, the kids and I all dressed in green.

Jeff said he isn't Irish and refused to conform. He did find a four-leaf clover sticker on the ground that he applied to his shirt later.

After church, we hit the ballfields again, then came home for a Sunday afternoon nap. I try to get one of those in every Sunday. 

Even though it was crazy busy, it was a fun weekend! I am so thankful for 4 healthy kids who get to participate in all these activities!!!

Did you wear green for St. Patrick's day?