This week began the final four weeks of Insanity, a phase called “Dig Deeper.” We just came off of a week of “recovery” (I didn’t have time to post a blog about Insanity’s recovery week which consists of just one workout that focuses on core moves and is less intense) as well as a 3 day vacation so I was ready to rock this second phase. The second phase introduces 4 new workouts which are longer and more intense – Max Interval Plyo, Max Cardio Conditioning, Max Interval Circuit and Max Recovery. The repeated use of “Max” in the title wasn’t random – although I have yet to try the Max Recovery workout, the other three each had me reach the point of nausea at times due to their intensity.
Rather than do a review of each workout, I’ll just summarize some of the key workouts and the difference between these workouts and the first phase. First, the warm-up is structured differently. The first two segments of the warm-up consist of 30 second intervals of various moves (mostly different from the first phase which I was thankful for since I was getting sick of the same moves) and the last warm-up segment consists of only 15 second moves that are supposed to be performed more intensely. The workouts are longer (55, 60 or 45 minutes each) yet they are more intense so it’s even harder to finish all the moves. Many of the moves are new and some are pretty complicated. Shaun T takes the time to explain each move beforehand however, which helps not only with form but gives you a few seconds to catch your breath. Most of the moves engaged the entire body and it has a very strong core emphasis.
The “Mother” of Insanity Workouts
I felt that Insanity Max Interval Plyo was the hardest of the three workouts. We did this one on Tuesday after 3 solid days of rest and it literally kicked my ass. My entire body was sore for DAYS. There was a strong emphasis on upper body although of course you can’t help but work your lower body with all the squats, lunges and jumps. My chest, butt, thighs, triceps and back were particularly sore after this workout. It felt like we were doing as many push-ups as we do in a session of P90X Chest and Back yet combined with all the moves in P90X Plyo and some P90X Core Synergistics thrown in. I told Mike after the workout that it may have been one of the hardest workouts of my life and I wasn’t kidding! To steal from Tony Horton, Insanity Max Interval Plyo is the “mother of all workouts.”
Results Thus Far
Since I’m trying to juggle Insanity with triathlon pre-season training and marathon training, I am focusing on getting at least the three main workouts in each week. This week we skipped the scheduled Fit Test because we weren’t home from our trip until past 7 on Monday when it was scheduled. I plan to take it again at the end of the program but probably not again.
As for physical results, I’m thrilled to say that I’ve lost 6 pounds on Insanity! I now officially weigh less than the day I recorded my final P90X results (and I never weighed that little before that day – I was 2 lbs heavier just a few days later due to our last day falling on Easter). I couldn’t be more surprised considering the three-day food fest I partook in during my trip to Austin (not to mention a Halloween dessert overload). I’m starting to think a few days rest and eating a little more food than usual was actually what my metabolism needed to kick into high gear.
The main reasons that Mike and I decided to try Insanity before we started Ironman training were to strengthen our cores, reduce our body fat percentages (lower is better to go faster at triathlon), and avoid boredom. All three of these goals have been accomplished already in just five and a half weeks of the program. I look forward to getting my butt kicked by Shaun T for the next three weeks before we officially start Ironman training!
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