Insanity Day 5: Pure Cardio (aka "Shaun, what is your freakin' problem!?")

What the heck was that!??


Katie and I just finished today's Insanity workout (had to postpone from this morning due to the week's school schedule)...and it was hard.  VERY hard.


The warm-up for Pure Cardio--about 11 minutes--was the exact same as for Plyometric Cardio Circuit, which as you recall was a killer: jog (aka sprint), jumping jacks, heisman, 123 heismans, butt kicks, and mummy kicks...repeat 3x, getting faster with each cycle.

The warm-up, as pretty much always, was followed by an 7-8 minute stretch sequence.  So, it was during the latter half of this portion of the video that I knew I was in trouble.  Right before the workout begins Shaun comments about he's "nervous" about starting Pure Cardio.  What!?  This is definitely the first time I've ever heard him say anything that showed weakness.  It's like he's deliberately taunting us.  What are we in for!?


Workout (15 min)
Brutal. Brutal. Brutal.  


Unlike previous workouts that involve cycles of different exercises for 30 second stints (with periodic breaks), Pure Cardio was 15 minutes of 100% intensity and NO BREAKS!!  Not a single one.  Background exercisers are dropping like flies in the background, while Katie and I are holding back the urge to vomit (not an exaggeration, and this is the first time we've felt this bad from one of these workouts).  


As a basic summary of the moves, there were a large handful of different jack variations (all of which consisted of some sort of low squat), frog jumps, ski jumps, suicide jumps and runs, as well as some brutal synergistic pushup moves.  Most of them we had seen before, but it did us no good in terms of keeping up.  As a matter of fact, this was probably the worst I've done in the actual workout  as far as taking extra breaks.  Brutal.


Thought for Today
Ok, this workout was a challenge, and I feel pretty accomplished having finished it.  However, when you're talking about what amounts to pretty much a 15 minute "sprint" workout, it's kind of defeating during the workout itself.  You almost want to walk away, and seeing all the folks in the background essentially passing out at varying intervals doesn't instill confidence.  I won't be looking forward to doing this one again!


As a side note, this was by far the best I've done on the actual warm-up so far.  No extra breaks!


Oh, and just FYI, there's one particular girl who's been in a few of the workouts so far who we actually seem to better than.  She looks like she's in great shape, but she is CONSTANTLY taking breaks.  Go us :)

Insanity Day 4: Cardio Recovery (thank the maker!)

Finally!  A break!  Well...kind of.


This morning, bright and early before my first day back at school, Katie and I got up to do Cardio Recovery, a 30 minute relief from the craziness of the first few days.  If you've done P90x or other similar workouts before, this is basically Insanity's version of Yoga X.

However, my enthusiasm for this workout has more to do with the fact that cardio was minimal (sort of automatically making this the easiest of the bunch so far), not because it made me feel like it was helping me actually recover.  As a matter of fact, this workout really did a number on the lower body, and Katie and I still couldn't finish a few of the movements.  Holding an isometric lunge or squat for minutes on end (or at least what seems like minutes) is brutal whether cardio is involved or not!


Also, the little amount of stretching that was done was disproportionately skewed towards the legs.  I'm not sure any upper body stretches were even performed despite the fact that the workout had enough plank position exercises to send your arms and shoulders into shock.


At this point, I have to say I enjoyed the workout, but Katie and I might end up swapping it out with another that would hopefully be a bit more comprehensive.


Latest Thoughts on the Program So Far:
If you aren't in pretty decent shape already, don't start with Insanity.  It's probably even a mistake for me to be doing it.  Also, if you do Insanity and don't end the 60 days in great shape, you must not have been doing it right!  That's pretty much the same assessment I gave for P90x the first time I did it, but at least with P90x I think there's a lot more flexibility in terms of what your starting fitness level should be.  Tony, unlike Shaun T, is constantly pointing out ways to modify exercises based on a) what equipment you have available, and b) what your fitness level is.


See you tomorrow!

Insanity Day 3: Power Cardio & Resistance (aka "death cheated once again")

Today Katie and I were at it again and once more survived the fitness madness that is Insanity...although perhaps not gracefully.  


A few things to note.  Things are still hard (VERY hard), but I think our bodies are at least starting to know what to expect.  And I dare say that today's workout, Power Cardio & Resistance, was even harder than yesterday's if that's even possible!  In all it was about 40+ min long with a bit more focus on resistance-based moves like pushups.


WARM-UP (~10 min)
This essentially was the same as yesterday (3 three-minute cycles of intervals followed by 30 second breaks), although some of the moves were a little different.  

• Jog (running/sprinting in place)
• Power Jacks (a plyo version of a jumping jack; you start off in a deep wide-legged squat before jumping your legs together)
• Log Jumps (these suckers are hard! Jump side to side extremely high like you're jumping over a log)
• 123s (basically, these are heismans with a little bit of pitter-patter footwork in between)
• Butt Kicks (running in place with knees down, kicking your heels to your butt)
• High Knees (running in place while making sure your knees raise up to your waist with each "stride")
• Vertical Jumps (from a moderate squat position, jump as high as you can as if you're shooting a basketball... kills the calves)

Again, at the end of the last cycle was a series of additional moves, that I can't quite remember.  But you finish up hard!

Stretch (10 min)

Today it occurred to me during the stretch sequence that these static stretches go against a lot of what I've heard elsewhere about warming up.  I had been under the impression that any "stretching" after a cardio warm-up should be ballistic stretching (vs static) to keep everything loose for the actual workout.  Especially when the workouts are as plyo crazy as these.  Save the static stuff for post-workout.

Oh well.  We haven't pulled anything yet, but we'll see.  I will say though that having the somewhat subdued stretch break provides a much needed breather!

Workout (~20 min)

• First Interval (3 rounds of following moves)
• Power Jumps (Hard!  Very deep squat into a high jump, tucking your knees in at the top)
• Belt Kicks (basically a squat, come up and kick your leg and then repeat on the other leg)
• Hit the Floor (Don't even know how to describe these, but they sort of resemble a blend between shuttle runs and jumping)
• V push-ups (have your feet up towards your hands as close as possible so that your butt sticks up in the air to make a "v"... have your fingers pointed towards each other, head down, and then perform the pushups so that your shoulders feel the burn!)

The only one of these that didn't seem to be that effective was the belt kicks.  You really need to tighten your core on these to feel them, but I found it too tempting to cheat. 

• Second Interval (3 rounds of the following moves)
• Hurdle Jumps (sprints in place, followed by a mock hurdle jump)
• Globe Jumps (squat jumps: forward, left, back, right..repeat)
• Moving Pushups (with moving push-ups you start in plank, move your right arm and right foot to the right, do a push-up, move to the right again and do another pushup.  Then it’s back to the left twice.  You go back and forth until your minute is up. )
• Floor Sprints (essentially mountain climbers)

Oh yeah, and at the end of this second interval you get to do one last exercise: 8 hop squats/8 pushups...and repeat till your muscles collapse!

Recap

All in all, this workout didn't seem all that different from yesterday, although it was certainly more resistance heavy with all the pushups.  

That said, I do have some early thoughts on the program, and not all of them are positive.  First, unlike P90x, it seems that Shaun T's repertoire of exercise moves is pretty limited.  These workouts are killer AND effective...but they all feel pretty similar, which could make this repetitive and maybe even boring pretty quickly.  Fortunately, Shaun T's a pretty good motivator.  

Second, it's somewhat DE-motivating to see background exercisers  pretty much drop out left and right because the workouts are so stinking hard.  I guess it's comforting to know that I'm not alone in my agony, but it also feels like the bar is almost too high... that this is simply a workout than can never be mastered.  That can be good or bad I suppose.

In any case, another solid/killer workout today.  It will be more of a challenge squeezing these into my schedule going forward since school is starting back up tomorrow, but Katie and are planning to make it happen!  And fortunately, so far, our diets are in tune with all the fitness craziness we're doing.

Shaun T.'s Insanity: Day 2 (Plyometric Cardio Circuit AKA "Kill me Now!")

Ladies and Gents,


Consider this a forewarning that I might not survive through all 60 days.  My trepidations following the beating I took in yesterday's Fit Test apparently had merit.  Day 2 of Insanity is quite possibly the hardest workout on DVD or otherwise that I have ever attempted...and I wouldn't even dare to suggest that Katie or I did a good job keeping up.  In terms of P90x comparisons, it's most akin to the Intervals Plus+, Plyo X, and Core Synergistics workouts. 


That said, we did what we could, which is really what counts in the end.  You have to remember the payoff you're looking for at the end of all this.  Fitness results don't come easy, but they're always well worth it.  And as I said yesterday... you can always push yourself harder than you think you can (that definitely goes for me: this workout, as hard as it was, is definitely the sort that's easy to cheat on).

www.beachbody.com

Cardio Warm-Up (10.5 minutes of intervals)
The warm-up consists of 3 cycles (no rest in between them) of a series of different exercise movements, which each movement lasting 30-60 seconds.  With each cycle, the pace gets faster, and believe me when I say you'll be longing for the workout to be finished by the time you complete the warm-up.  Comparing this warm-up to P90x's is somewhat of a joke (even though I think P90x warm-ups do a good job of accomplishing what they're supposed to).


Warm-Up Cycle Movements:

• Jog (basically running place; sounds easy enough, but Shaun pretty much has everyone sprinting by the third cycle)
• Jumping Jacks (Shaun makes you touch your hands together at the top, which actually isn't that easy for me these days due to flexibility issues)
• Heismans (Very quick heisman movements compared to those in P90x Plyo)
• 123s (basically, these are heismans with a little bit of pitter-patter footwork in between)
• Butt Kicks (running in place with knees down, kicking your heels to your butt)
• High Knees (running in place while making sure your knees raise up to your waist with each "stride")
• Mummy Kicks (bizarre move where you keep your arms and legs extended straight out, doing a sort of run while kicking your feet out in front of you, all while crossing your extended arms back and forth over each other in front of your chest.. you'd have to see it!)

For the last cycle, there were a bunch of added moves I can't remember... basically some crazy footwork drills. Not an easy way to finish!


Stretch (7 minutes)


This portion of the workout is more akin to the the P90x warm-up than the actual "warm-up" is.

The Workout (~20 minutes of crazy interval circuits)

First Circuit (3 cycles: each movement, again, lasts 30-60 seconds):

• Suicide Drills
• These are basically mini shuttle runs in the middle of your living room
• Power Squats
• Squat jumps... start from standing position, go down into a squat, jump as high as you can, repeat
• Mountain Climbers
• I have never seen mountain climbers like these... and they're hard!!  Standing up, you basically start running with high knees in place, while simultaneously reaching your arms up in turn like your trying to scale up a wall.
• Ski Downs
• Squat Jumps essentially, but you jump laterally from side to side like you're skiing

Second Circuit (3 cycles)

• Basketball Drills
• Pretty much squat jumps... you pretend to be shooting a basket during the jump
• Level One Drills
• These are hard!!!  From standing position drop down into plank for 4 pushups, then 4 "normal" mountain climbers in plank position, then stand up to repeat
• Ski Abs
• Even harder!  In plank position, jump your feet up in toward the right side of your rib cage, then back to plank, then to the left side, and repeat.
• In and Outs
• Yep, even harder.  From plank jump your feet right into/under your chest, then back out to plank.  Repeat.  Killer on your arms, abs, legs.

* In the third round, a few extra moves are added.

• Jabs (I found a lot of consolation seeing one of the background exercisers on this move barely able to move her arms... she had a huge smile on her face that pretty much said "are you kidding me, Shaun?")
• Cross jacks (a weird version of a jumping jack that involves criss-crossing your legs)
• Upper Cuts
• Attack (very similar to jabs)

Diagnosis
This is one hard workout, and I took LOTS of breaks.  I've taken breaks during P90x before, but usually that was more on days where I was feeling a little tired already.  In the case of Insanity, the breaks were more to keep me from having to go to the hospital.


To help with the recovery I'm using some Optimum Nutrition Oats & Whey, which was my recovering drink of the moment during my latter hardcore P90x days.  I think I'm going to need as much help as I can get.


REMEMBER:

1. Have water nearby
2. Take breaks as needed
3. Push harder than you think you can (don't take those breaks unless you NEED them)
4. Maintain good form!!!  Again, very easy to cheat on these sorts of exercises.  Do them in front of a mirror if you can, or with a friend who can keep you accountable.  

Good luck! To me since I have to work out gain tomorrow, and to you if you decide to join this fitness massacre :)

Welcome to Insanity: Shaun T.'s "Insanity" (Day 1)

My History with P90x and the Chance to Try Something New

Many of you already know me as a big advocate for Beachbody (I'm NOT one of their paid "Coaches"...just a fan), particularly Tony Horton and his P90x workouts.  At this point, I've completed 3 full cycles of the program since early 2009 along with some additional half-hearted attempts here and there sprinkled throughout.  I've also given a shot to Chalean Johnson's "Chalean Extreme," which I can say was not for me, as well as Tony Horton's "10 Minute Trainer" and "P90x Plus" workouts.

That said, up to this point I've been putting off trying the apparent madness of Shaun T.'s "Insanity."  The workout seems brutal in such a cardio-specific way that I haven't been sure that I can handle it.  P90x was no picnic, and I still consider it to have some of the toughest workouts put to DVD (got me in the best shape of my life 2 years ago), but there's something more appealing to me--and easier FOR me--about lifting weights in P90x versus the pure body-weight based training and cardio of Insanity.  When a workout has my lungs burning for oxygen from plyo jumps and running in place with high knees, I long for some methodical dumbbell curls instead to ease the pain.

About a month ago while we were still in AR for the summer, Katie bought me Insanity on Craigslist as an early birthday gift.  I had been doing a bit of P90x during most of July with my fellow MBA interns, but it finally felt like the time was right to give Shaun T. a chance.  However, the past 3 weeks or so have seen me do no P90x, no Insanity, or anything else for that matter, along with a bit of a lapsed diet.  And unfortunately for me, it doesn't take me long to get out of shape!

After many days of me casting fretful looks at the cardboard box housing the Insanity program guide and DVDs, Katie and I finally decided today to begin this adventure into assured cardio hell (but hopefully fitness heaven thereafter).

Insanity: What is It?

www.beachbody.com

Essentially, Insanity is a 60 day fitness onslaught using 10 crazy workouts interspersed throughout the 2 months.  For about 45 minutes/day (6 days/wk) you're expected to "dig deep" via MAX INTERVAL TRAINING (i.e. 3 minutes of hardcore, sprint-level activity followed by 30 second rests) as Shaun calls it so that you can come out the other side ripped and ready to rock.


I have to say that I haven't seen any Insanity before/after results that I find as compelling as what P90x has done for people, but the 60 days and shorter workout times is definitely a plus!  And, Shaun T. seems to be in some ways a better motivator than Tony Horton (although I certainly love Tony).  But perhaps most importantly, Katie hates Tony Horton, and she's said she's actually willing to give Insanity a go with me.


Day 1: The Fit Test


So today, which actually does indeed count as Day 1, was the Fit Test.  And let me tell you that Katie and I almost died just doing the workout that's supposed to see if you can actually do the program.  Not sure if that bodes well, but we both seemed to like it pretty well...despite some already rebelling body parts.


Here's the fit test breakdown (each exercise is max reps within 1 minute...which is a lot):

With hands tight in front of the chest (like a karate position), kick leg straight up and out and then hop onto the other foot, kicking that leg in turn.  These are hard!!

Basically these are squat jacks.  From a standing position, arms in the air, jump down so that your legs go into a squat position with arms down.  Repeat until legs no longer can hold you.

This one seemed perhaps fit test relevant, but you only were able to do the exercise on one side.  Essentially, stand in a sideways lunge, with your back straight (core tight) while at a diagonal.  Proceed to take your hands from up in the air down to meet your knee as you bend your leg up towards your torso. They go VERY fast on these.

Good 'ol plyo jumps.  Basic, but deadly.  Your legs won't thank you for the experience.  From a low squat jump as high as you can, landing back in the squat position...and repeat.

These are similar to the above power jumps, but this time you have to make some lateral and forward/backward jumps.  Basically, from a squat position you jump forward, then left, then back, then right, then forward again.  This isn't as easy as it sounds.  After the first thirty seconds. your lateral movements become less like jumps and more like little skips.

These are essentially burpees, if you ever did those back in the day.  P90x has plenty of these, so I'm used to them.  Doesn't mean they're easy though!  From a standing position, bend down to place hand on the floor and then jump your legs back into plank position.  Pretty much immediately jump your legs back into a crouch position and jump as high as you can.  Ouch!

These were new to me...and very hard!  From a plank position, drop down into a pushup while simultaneously jumping your legs into a spread eagle.  Almost like a jumping jack on the ground with a combined pushup.  These were easily one of the toughest!

Definitely have seen these before.  But I've never ever moved this fast with them!  From a low plank position, swing your knee at an outward angle around to meet the same plane as your elbow.  Put it back, and then repeat on the other leg.

Recap

So, this video was completed after about 30 minutes, and as I said, Katie and I felt wiped and were sweating all over the place.  Again, not sure this bodes well for tomorrow or other future workouts, but it's a nice change of pace from Tony's P90x world (although I'll probably get the new P90X-2 right when it comes out this fall!).  Plus it's nice to have a workout that Katie is willing to join in on!

P.S. - 

• Don't eat a bowl of cereal right before your workout!  I think I did that to use as a potential excuse for postponing the workout an additional day, but that didn't happen.
• Have water handy, and take breaks as needed.  BUT REMEMBER YOU CAN ALMOST ALWAYS GO HARDER THAN YOU THINK YOU CAN!
• Remember good form!  This applies to all workouts, but I can tell that Insanity is the sort of workout that, hard though it is, can be easy to cheat on.  Shaun T. has said as much, and it's part of the reason he changed up the exercises so much in his new Asylum program that just came out.
• Have a post-workout drink (typically 2:1, carbs:protein) handy at the end of the workout; from experience I can tell you it helps in the recovery process... if you don't want to get too crazy with this, chocolate milk is actually the choice of lots of folks out there.
• I haven't decided whether or not I'm going to post an Insanity "before" pic yet, but I definitely will have before and after photos at the end of the 60 days!

See you tomorrow?