If you're not familiar with Insanity, it's another program from the Beachbody people, the company that produced my beloved P90X. Insanity is a completely different type of hell than either P90X or marathon running. It's based on High Intensity Interval Training, which roughly translates to "Shaun T is going to make you work until you can't feel your legs and you melt, a whimpering heap, into the puddles of sweat that have collected on your basement floor."
These workout tapes are deceptive. The first month includes a set of workouts that are only about 40 minutes long. 40 minutes of cardio work? That's nothing. I can do that in my sleep. Yeaaaaaah, not so much.
The program started with a tape called Plyometric Cardio Circuit. Yes, PLYOMETRICS. The same type of exercise that caused me great embarrassment during P90X. We pushed play, and Shaun T started right in with the workout. We jogged in place, did a million jumping jacks, a million more heisman plyo moves, some heisman 123s, butt kicks, high knees, and mummy kicks. We finished the first circuit, which was about 3 minutes worth of ass-kicking, and then got a 30 second water break. Rinse and repeat, rinse and repeat. 10 minutes and two repetitions later, and I'm already soaking wet from head to toe and ready to die. And that was just the warm up. 30 minutes later, we were ending with Level 1 Drills - stand up, jump your feet back into plank, do 4 push-ups, 8 counts of plank run, jump your feet back in, jump up, and repeat until you puke.
Like this, but he's doing it very slowly for the purposes of demonstration.
We won't even talk about the Skis and In and Outs.
Wow. WOW. I thought I was in better shape than that.
Because I've been asked, I haven't decided if I'm going to blog about Insanity the way I did about P90X. I'm leaning more toward doing some kind of "Fitness Friday" theme, more generic posts about things I'm doing and things I like and articles that I've read about health and fitness. Maybe every other week. It's something that I find interesting, but not something that I'd want to dedicate an entire blog to. Besides, I'm not really all that hard-core. I still like to sit on my couch and watch TV and eat junk food. And drink beer. Can't forget about the beer.
Jeff, the BF, has started and stopped p90X numerous times, but he likes it. I have mixed feelings about it really. I can't do a lot of it b/c it is hell on my bad knee but if Insanity is even harder then OMG you are killer!!
ReplyDeleteGlad I read it to the end - Yes don't forget about the beer - ah beer.
ReplyDeleteI'm going to guess that this is not the type of workout I want to jump into as soon as I'm ready post-baby!
ReplyDeleteHave you been running since the marathon?
ReplyDeleteI wouldn't recommend it, no :)
ReplyDeleteMaybe after his 3 month check-up!
I have, but not a ton. I'm going to start ramping back up this week, as soon as I pick up the treadmill I scored from a friend. I'm too chicken to run outside in 90+ degree weather!
ReplyDeleteI loved P90X. I have knee issues, too - my patella tracks to the side. Squats will hurt until you build up that quad strength to keep it in line. Isn't that what running is for? ;)
ReplyDeleteI never forget about the beer. I'll have to do a blog post on the alcohol superstore we've got across the river. Grocery store full of every beer imaginable!
ReplyDelete