I would like to thank God for bringing me through week one of Insanity. I'm starting my second week of the Insanity work out program. It's challenging to say the least. The method to the madness that is Insanity is that you perform at higher intervals longer with short breaks in between. A lot of the work out is a combination of cardio and calisthenics (he throws some modified yoga moves in there as well). During the work out you are instructed to contract your core (abdominal area) and pull a lot of your strength from that area so in retrospect you are tightening your abs as you are working out.
I can say that I hesitate to get started every morning because it is that intense but I know I can do it, so I get up and do it. Now when you get to the intense portions of the work out or what he calls "suicide" you are instructed to do as much as you can and take breaks as needed, especially when you are not keeping good form. It is important to maintain good form to reduce injury and as someone who has injured themself from working out trust me take heed to it; do the warm up, do the stretching and check your form. If you have a heart rate monitor use it to check your heart rate. There are some apps on iPhone that use the phone's camera to read heart rate by placing your index finger over it. There is also another app that can read your heart rate just by reading you face through the camera.
Some other tips for getting through the Insanity work out...as always before starting this work out check with your doctor. I normally don't take heed to that but with this work out in particular because of the intensity and the fact that there is very little modification of the moves I would consult your doctor.
Once you get cleared or you feel healthy enough to jump right in I would suggest the following...oh and as always it is in no order of importance because it is all important :)...let's go!
1. Do the fit test. The fit test is a good way to track the progress of your endurance through out the program. It is supposed to be done every two weeks. During the fit test do what you can. I look at this work out like I look at other fitness activities; you have to build your endurance to get to that advanced state within that activity.
2. Try it before you give up. Some of the moves you will see will make you just stand there and be like I can't do that. Well you won't know if you can until you try and how are you going to build up to doing it if you don't try to do it?? Try it once and if there can be a modification to it then alternate between the way Shaun T does it and your modification. Try to increase how much you do it the proper way with out modification with each work out. (i.e. push up and some of the floor work can be modified everything else...nope.)
3. In conjunction with #2 do as much as you can. If you can only do 15 Power Jumps then rest and try to do more and the next time you do the work out try to increase the number of Power Jumps and decrease the amount of times you have to stop and rest. Yes it's intense shoot even his people fall out, walk off set and say they feel like "shit" on camera mind you so try to power through as much as you can but know it is ok to stop and rest.
4. Have plenty of water on hand. Plenty, plenty of water. I can easily go through two 32oz jugs of water doing one 44 minute work out, easily. Oh and you are going to want to have a small towel near by, seriously sweat is going to be dripping. I am about to stop wearing shirts during this work out. Since I'm in the house it will just be me, my work out leggings and my sports bra. I sweat to much to wear anything else.
5. Do the warm up, cool down and stretches. For starters it is all important once again you want to reduce your risk of injury. Also Shaun T is slick! LOL! He has made the warm up to be a part of the actual work out. The warm up is the work out routine and as you go through the work out you just increase your speed and intensity of what you did in the warm up. He will then stop in the middle for stretching and then your last work out will be something different. After that last work out you will go into a cool down and stretch. I kind of like that because he is making you warm up, stretch and cool down.
6. Not be repetitive but check your form. If you find you are losing your form, stop, rest and get back to it. Again, you don't want to injure yourself and be down for how ever long it will take for that injury to heal. Take heed so you can work out another day.
Though it is only been a week i'm beginning to see some transformation in my body, which I'm pleased with. I'm am going to push through the rest of the program (mind you I'm still running as well) so I will come back in with periodic updates; especially as I go into month two of the work out because those work outs last an hour and seem to be more intense.
Please leave comments below with your questions, tips and tricks for getting through the Insanity Work out program. Until next time be blessed!
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