Journey Through Insanity

What to do now?

cochrank — Tue, 09 Oct 2012 17:25:41 +0000

A little continuation of a previous post of mine (Post-Insanity Depression)… After Insanity, it is very hard to find a work out that will keep you as in shape and Insanity did, while also still challenging yourself to get in better shape. A lot of new gym-goers, especially some women, tend to be scared to enter the sacred weight room, but that is exactly the trick. Cardio is key in burning fat and losing those lbs. but lifting weights will help expedite that process. My first trip to the Dixon recreation center‘s weight room was quite intimidating with all of the buff college guys strutting around with their muscle tees on. However, after I found my way around and got my footing, I can’t go to the gym without incorporating the weight room into my routine. And believe it or not, I am now one of those muscle-tee-wearing weight room users. In my experience, stepping outside of your box when it comes to fitness is needed in order to keep progressing toward your fitness goals.

One thing that I try to do every time I workout is to try a new machine or add an extra set or 10 minutes to one of my workouts. I do this so that I avoid hitting plateaus (which are the MOST FRUSTRATING aspects of working out).

Shifting the Spotlight

cochrank — Fri, 22 Jun 2012 06:21:47 +0000

For this post I decided to venture out into the blogosphere to see what other bloggers have to offer (comment name:Kbuck).

First I chose to visit another health and fitness blog called ShapeFit. I enjoyed this blog because it gave insight to a lot of weight loss and healthy fitness facts. Not only is it a great source of information but it also has a laid back feel to it and a game section to help you learn more about healthy weight loss and fitness. While visiting this site I came across a story about a woman named Yvonne and her inspiring weight loss journey. My comment has yet to be published but I this is what I said in a nutshell, “This was very inspiring. You often hear stories or see shows on how weight loss surgery and how it can be the only answer but its posts like this that show that surgery is not the only answer. Awesome achievement!”. Yvonne lost about 200 lbs. on her own by changing her eating and how she viewed food and implementing walking into her daily agenda.

The second blog I decided to feature is one that a friend of mine has put together. She is a young college student at Oregon State University who has created a tumblr account that has become a part of by weekly schedule. I make sure to drop in every once in awhile to check out her new posts that range from humorous to inspiring. This type of blogging is different because it is mostly pictures, quotes, sayings, but I still view it as a blog because it still conveys an idea and tells a story. Even though I cannot comment on the different posts, it is fun to look at and interpret how she might be feeling on any given day; almost like you are going through the day with her.

Another blog that I found interesting is a blog called Zachary Little.. His posts add a humorous spin to the popular novels and tv show Game Of Thrones. Personally, I do not follow the television show but I have a good amount of friends that do that truly enjoy it. This witty fellow has a very interesting sense of humor which is all my comment is about.

I love to travel and there are so many blogs our there that are all about travel. My best friend recently returned from her trip around the world on a Semester at Sea and she decided to blog about her journey. I enjoy her blog not only because she is one of my closest friends but because this was her first blog and I love the voice she has created. I love how creative her internet voice is and I feel like it can appeal to many people. I enjoyed commenting on her blog as well from a fellow bloggers point of view rather than just a best friend.

The last blog I chose to talk about is a humor based blog with multiple videos and pictures. I kept my last Comment short and sweet but this blog is a lot of fun.

Short Blog Analysis

cochrank — Fri, 22 Jun 2012 01:06:40 +0000

I found this type of blogging very interesting. The mixture of micro-blogging and analysis really caught my eye. I currently use Twitter once or twice a week and often find that I have more than 140 characters to share but due to that limit I must shorten my posts. The way that Mitchell used roughly the same length of post while also including opinion and analysis made his posts more interesting and fun to follow. I feel that more people might benefit from this type of blogging and might find it enjoyable as well. I believe that this is Journalism. He made a point to have each post have a meaning, while also keeping his posts short and intriguing. Mitchell uses a more information-backed style of writing. I enjoyed how he supported the majority of his posts with facts or quotes about OWS; it made his posts more reliable. This was compelling to read because you can see when each post was published and witness the development of ideas over time.

Repeating The Program

cochrank — Mon, 21 May 2012 00:46:41 +0000

As I am about to restart the program, I look back at what I could have done differently. I did not follow the provided meal plan, I simply ate in a way that I felt energized and not ashamed of what I was eating. I had several days where I felt I could have tried harder but I let other things cloud my mind and get in the way of my progress. Even though I completed the 60-day program, I had to miss about 8 days sporadically due to illness and I hope to fully complete all days during my second round. It is not unusual for participants to complete the program several times in order to get max results. Here is a link to a similar blog that has more logistical info and more awesome before and after pictures, some of which are of those who have repeated the program.

Other Options

cochrank — Sun, 20 May 2012 23:50:39 +0000

Shawn T. has several other fitness programs that he has created through the BeachBody brand. I have previewed several of them such has Insanity: The Asylum and Rockin’ Body and have seen potential in all of them. Shawn T. makes sure to give a broad array of workouts for all different body types in order to give the opportunity of results to all. My mother purchased one of the more dance oriented programs when I was in high school that was not as physically taxing. She decided to buy Hip Hop Abs in order to learn some new dance moves while attempting losing weight. Shawn T. makes sure there is an option for everyone.

Team BeachBody

cochrank — Sun, 20 May 2012 23:37:29 +0000

When trying to take on a new workout or fitness program, losing motivation can happen if immediate results do not occur. We often forget that these things take time, and this is where Team BeachBody comes in. When doing a BeachBody program, you can sign up for a FREE Team BeachBody membership where you get support from trainers and other BeachBody team members. This support system is awesome if you are doing the program alone. During my first round of Insanity I did it with two friends but plan on starting it again by myself and I plan on fully taking advantage of this support system.

Intrigue

cochrank — Sun, 20 May 2012 23:17:39 +0000

What really got me started on the program was seeing all of the success stories on the informercial and on other blogs. The drastic physical changes that I saw motivated me more than ever to try to become one of those successes. Seeing so many different people and body types complete the program and get results really helped me to see how possible Insanity is.

Carefully Crafted Meal Plan

cochrank — Sun, 20 May 2012 22:33:13 +0000

The creator of the program, Shawn T., developed a meal plan to adapt with your quickly changing body. The recipe guide provides several different options for each of the five different meals that you are expected to consume daily throughout the program. Throughout my journey I have stumbled upon several reviews and blogs about the program and about the meal plan itself. For never having committed to such a intense set of workouts before, I never imagined that eating this much is possible. Upon starting Insanity my constant hunger, the clear speeding of my metabolism, proved that it is quite possible to consume copious amounts of food.

Post Insanity Depression

cochrank — Sun, 20 May 2012 22:08:05 +0000

Now that I have completed the Insanity workout program my mind and body don’t really know what to do. I loved the program and cannot wait to begin it again but feel that it is time to give my body a slight break. The instructor, Shawn T., gives an inspirational jump start video to motivate new takers and re-motivate veterans.

Are bloggers journalists?

cochrank — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 04:48:24 +0000

Pre-research I feel that it all depends on how you view journalism. If you believe a journalist is someone who writes for a living then I’d say that some bloggers could be considered journalists. If you believe that a journalist is someone who notes their daily activities using a medium then yes bloggers are journalists. I feel that there are many different types of bloggers and that some are journalists and some are not. I differentiate the two by the content of the blog. Many bloggers post research and studies to share with fellow bloggers interested in the same things; I consider spreading valuable knowledge a skill of a journalist.

Post-research I feel that there is a definite difference between what a journalist is and what many bloggers out there do. According to an article in Forbes, written by David Coursey, the U.S. District judge classified being a journalist as having seven qualities or rules; ”education in journalism, credentials or proof of affiliation with a recognized news entity, proof of adherence to journalistic standards such as editing, fact-checking, or disclosures of conflicts of interest, keeping notes of conversations and interviews conducted, mutual understanding or agreement of confidentiality between the defendant and his/her sources, creation of an independent product rather than assembling writings and postings of others, contacting “the other side” to get both sides of a story”. With these classifications, a good amount of bloggers out there are not considered journalists. Opinion blogs, humorous blogs, and microblogging, to name a few are examples of what journalism is not. With the popularity of Twitter, microblogging has become larger than many could have imagined, and many, if not most twitterers do not provide well researched posts. Coursey also pointed out that if one followed these guidelines, they would be considered a news reporter and that only news reporting is considered journalism; a lot of bloggers are nothing like this. He also mentions that when it comes down to it, the main difference will be whether or not one is getting paid to write. I feel that when I hear the word journalist I hear a career. When Coursey mentioned this it made a lot of sense to me because I think of being a journalist as having it be ones occupation.

Overall I feel that there is a difference between being a journalist and being a blogger but it depends on the content that is produced.