Another fitness post!
Its kind of ironic that I have gone from being someone who worked at, and worked out in, gyms for hours a day, to someone who hates gyms and would much rather work out at home. Gone are the days I have much interest in teaching fitness classes (I still personal train out of our home), and long gone are the days I have any patience for having others around while I workout. But I do love doing fitness videos to mix things up. Though I can certainly put together a workout for myself, I like having someone else do the work and push me while my mind and body wake up at 5am. The only problem is I get bored quickly, and I also like to continuously stay challenged.
My boredom a few months ago led me to purchase Shaun T's Insanity Max 30 program. I got it for an insane deal from Amazon.ca for $49.99. This is pretty frickin' awesome because I got 12 DVDs plus a bonus Live Insanity Sweatfest DVD featuring the cast from the original Insanity program. As you know, I have Insanity and The Asylum, so I am obviously a Shaun T fan.
The workouts are all exactly 30 minutes long (duh!), plus 2 minute cool-down/stretch. The only exception is the 2 Max Out 15 workouts that also have 15 minute ab workouts (so total is 30 minutes). I LOVE that there are 3 ab workouts included (1 10 minute, and 2 15 minute) and all are killer!
They are even more intense than the original Insanity workouts, but similar in terms of the moves/exercises. There is more variety though, which I like. They are all easy to follow, with no complicated choreography. So think burpees, jumping jacks, lunges and push ups.
You also get a nutrition guide, calendar and program recommendations, but I always toss that stuff out. The workouts are divided into month 1 and month 2, but honestly I don't find month 2 workouts all that much harder than month 1 workouts. They are all hard though!!
The idea is that you go for as long as you can without having to take a break, and when you do, you mark down your time, and that's when you've "Maxed Out". The next time you do that workout, you try to go longer. I can make it to the end of all of them without taking a break (aside from the ones in the workout - there is always at least one short water break). But not everyone is a beast like I am 😝. Seriously though, the fact that the workouts are short really gives me the motivation to push hard. I love knowing I will be done in 30 (plus 10-15 min if I do abs).
Here is a list of the workouts:
Month 1:
1. Cardio Challenge: 30 minutes of the hardest cardio sequences you’ve ever tried. Welcome to INSANITY MAX:30.
2. Tabata Power: Your muscles will beg for mercy as your strength training starts with Tabata-style “20 seconds on, 10 seconds off” power moves.
3. Sweat Intervals: Get ready for 30 minutes of screaming, sweating, calorie-scorching madness.
4. Tabata Strength: Shaun T takes it up a notch in this NO REST, Tabata-style strength workout. You heard right...30 minutes, no rest.
5. Friday Fight, Round 1: It’s a battle between your body and your mind as you fight for time in this Max Out Challenge. And this is just Round 1.
Month 2:
6. Max Out Cardio: This may be the craziest cardio workout you ever tried. Just wait till you get to the first Power Move. What minute are you Maxing Out at now?
7. Max Out Power: The intervals are longer in this “45 seconds on, 15 seconds off” Tabata-style plyometric power madness.
8. Max Out Sweat: The more minutes you make it through, the more you sweat and the more calories you burn. Now you know the meaning of “twice the sweat in half the time.”
9. Max Out Strength: Your arms, shoulders, chest, and core will be toast after this upper-body-focused, “45 seconds on, 15 seconds off” Tabata-style routine.
10. Friday Fight, Round 2: The new “hardest workout ever.” Every move is a minute in this final fight between your body and your mind. Who’s going to win?
11. Pulse
Shaun’s version of a recovery workout, this is a low-impact combo of stretching and small “pulsing” movements that’ll definitely make you feel the burn.
12. Ab Attack:10
This 10-minute routine will feel like an attack on your abs, but you’ll love the rock-hard results.
Now, given the intensity of the program, you may think this is only for advanced folks, but actually, it is better for beginners than the original Insanity program. First off, there is a participant showing low impact/intensity modifications for every exercise, and, secondly, if you select the Modifier Track on each DVD, there is a split screen so you can see the modifier for the entire workout.
This program is very much cardio, though a few of the workouts have quite a lot of strength exercises. Nevertheless, I wouldn't forgo strength training even if you are doing this program as they recommend. Since it is all body weight strength work, it is primarily focused on chest, triceps and core. You don't really hit a lot of back, shoulders or biceps. But because no equipment is required, it does make it ideal for travel!
It is fast-paced and high impact (unless you are modifying), so I don't do these workouts more than 2x a week, but am really thrilled with the program. It took me several months to work my way through all the DVDs (I would try one new one each week, and do it 2x), so I am still not even close to being bored of it.
I definitely recommend this DVD set if you are looking for a fun, butt-kicking workout.
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