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| Planking |
Good afternoon, how have you guys been? I've been fine, a little tired and worn out from my crossfit workout, it was killer today, and I just had my roots done at the salon, so my patience's fuse is pretty short, but writing helps dissipate all this impatience and allows me to just babble along on topics that interest me, and that might just interest you (hopefully).
On my eternal Battle of the Darn Bulge, I have tried everything.
One of the craziest things I've tried is the Insanity workout.
Holy Moses, that sh** is tough, it pushes you to the next level, it is challenging...
This Shaun T dude does not play, nah ah.
He is one tough dude who gets you through an amazing workout.
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| His warm-up is a workout all by itself |
Check out the details here
http://www.beachbody.com/product/fitness_programs/insanity.do
This is a really hard workout that consists of 60 days
You
need less equipment in your home to do Insanity (no weights or bands).This is
huge if you're wanting a great workout but you don't have money to spend on
equipment.
Shaun T. uses MAX Interval training, which is going to get your heart rate up very quickly, and then you get an extremely, unfair short break. Drink that water, take those amino acids, breathe, because you are going to need it dude...
Shaun T's interval training defined:
"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."
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| The whole nine yards |
I can tell you something from the get go, from my experience, it is a hardcore workout, you need to be determined and motivated to be able to do this every day.
The good thing is you get a day off once a week, and after 30 days, you get a Recovery week, Core cardio and balance.
This alleged Recovery week is tough, no jumping...but it is a slow burning torture.
It's all about control, concentration and focusing.
You get to work that core really hard, and your balance.
OMG, the balance exercises are painful. But as they say " No pain, no gain"
It comes in a DVD case, ( sorry mine is all gross, but you sweat a lot)
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| My Insanity DVD case
*It comes with a calendar/schedule that details the workout for that day and you check the box when you're done.
There were days I had to complete one workout in two days. I'm not really good with my breathing skills, so suffocation was imminent and I just couldn't handle it, this happened around the first two weeks. It gets better, you just have to "Keep on digging"
You can do it, it's just a matter of days...
This is my grimy calendar...my joy and pride.
Every time I put a check on the workout, it felt like I had given birth to a kid or something...
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Sorry for the messy pics., but it's the best I could do with the nasty sheet of paper. And that comes from my hard earned sweat doing these difficult workouts, Da**!
As you can see, I firmly believed I could do a second round, that's why you can see those ugly 2's written on the first month, but forget it. Never quite finished Round 2. One Round is enough for the time being.
Shaun T's always motivating you and Screaming "Dig Deeper!!!" but man....
*Then you have the Fitness test, this is my card, sorry it's messy but you have to move quick to write those numbers and you are all shaky, trembly and sweaty from the excercises.
I got fed up and never completed it, whatever...
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| Fit Test |
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| Fit Test Cont. |
They include a series of complex exercises, and Shaun T times you so you can see how many you can do, and every two weeks you are supposed to see improvements.
I must have done the first Fit test wrong, the numbers are all mixed up...Your mind can get really foggy and you can even feel dumb with all these excruciating exercises, seriously.The good thing is Shaun T is always there for you...
*Now, for the bare necessities, if you don't have a shock absorbing floor, you will be needing the rubber mats, they come in a pile of 6, and they interlock like a puzzle, giving you a good area to jump and do all this madness.
Because there is a lot of jumping, high, very high, SKYROCKET HIGH, and you don't want to hurt your knees or back, I recommend these mats.
Those MAX PLYOS ara killers if not well absorbed. Plyometrics are exercises that consist on a series of jumps.
Aside from the fact that you can get dizzy, I highly recommend you do this with no sharp objects nearby, because you can even pass out if you are not properly nourished or hydrated, I am dead serious.
Believe me, It's better to pass out on a rubber floor than a concrete or marble floor.
Also you will need a basic exercise mat for some workouts.
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| Flooring and excercise mat
You can purchase these at any fitness store here, but it was easier for me to purchase through Amazon
This is the exact link for the panels
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Another very important element: sneakers
I used for most of the times: New Balance Women's WX871 Cross Trainer
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New Balance Women's WX871 Cross Trainer
If you notice on the heel of the sneakers, they are worn out, wow!
That is from all the jumping and the Max Plyo done in this workout, I just noticed myself.
You really need good shock absorbers, and these had an excellent review for Insanity, specifically.
I also used the Nike Free, but felt more secure with the New Balance, although these are a great option.
*A good tip for someone who is beginning Insanity is purchasing a Recovery Drink. They recommend the P90x Recovery drink formula, it is filled with amino acids, replenishes your nutrients and hydrates. I used it throughout my Insanity days.
The first week I was so sore on my calves and wrists, I could not move from my bed, I even thought of giving up, I needed something that helped.
Soooo... I did my research, found this and the soreness decreased immediately after I began taking it. I also take BCAA's, ( Amino acids), before, during and after Insanity and currently Crossfit. Very important in avoiding injuries, specially Glutamine. I will talk about those later on another post.
For the the scoop on P90X Recovery Formula Drink click here...
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To conclude with my Insanity review, I think this workout helped me break a plateau in exercising.
It helped me learn what my body is capable of doing, how strenuous a workout can be and still complete it, it made me realize that if you are determined, and you want a challenge, it is worth every effort and penny.
There are good days and bad days, you must pay attention and listen to him carefully, and if you need to pause the dvd, do it.
You must do this at your own pace. Obviously, trying always to feel challenged and that you are improving your workouts one day at a time.
If you need to watch a demonstration or listen to instructions again, rewind.
Always listen to your body, do not sacrifice form, there are alternatives for some exercises, and he is pretty flexible...of course he's not there...Bahahaha!
But don't cheat on yourself, that's not fair!
Basically, I highly recommend it.
I lost some weight, but more than that, gained strength in my core, and this was a good introduction for what I am actually doing now, crossfit.
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| Digging Deeper
Hope you enjoyed my scoop, recommendations and experiences on Shaun T's Insanity workout.
xo,
T.
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