Welcome to the second in a series of individual INSANITY With Shaun T. workout reviews.
Cardio Power & Resistance starts off with the usual warm up routine, running through it three times, each time with higher intensity.
This workout could use greater focus on stretching at the beginning of the DVD. I actually strained my shoulder doing some of the push-ups, likely due to a lack of stretching before starting the workout. As with all extreme workouts, I strongly recommend taking the time to properly stretch the targeted body part before starting the routine.
Cardio Power & Resistance begins with a “touch the floor” exercise, where you step from side to side, touch the floor and rise up immediately, then repeat on the other side. This is followed by a series of kicks with your hands on your hips, squats, more kicks, then alternating and repeating. This quickly increases your heart rate, preparing you for the resistance training segment of the routine.
The resistance training works your shoulders, biceps, chest, back, and triceps. Shaun T will push you to do V-push-ups, where you’re on your tiptoes, with hands pointed inward. This is followed by tricep push-ups in a Yoga inspired “table” position, similar to a backwards push-up.
This cardio/push-up combination is done FAST, with Shaun T. providing his usual motivation to keep you going on the path toward getting in the best shape of your life.
- Click here to read our full INSANITY Review
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(Includes free access to online workout tools and community support)
INSANITY Workout DVD with Shaun T. | Beachbody 60-Day Exercise Program Review
The INSANITY workout program from Shaun T. and Beachbody is designed for the physically prepared and the mentally strong. When released, INSANITY was promoted as among the most difficult and effective workout programs ever created, surpassing even P90X in sheer intensity and effort required.
Now that my copy of INSANITY has arrived and I’ve started the workouts, I intend to write an article on each workout to give readers a feel for what’s involved with every step of the 60 day process.
Shaun T.’s “MAX Interval Training” takes you through extended bursts of high-intensity exercises with only short periods of rest, an interval approach that helps push past your previous barriers. It’s said that the program can burn up to 1,000 calories per workout…and I don’t doubt it. Follow my progress to see if I can really get a ripped, muscular physique in just 60 days — or click below to try it yourself.
- Get INSANITY from TeamBeachody.com (BEST PRICE)
(Includes free access to online workout tools and community support)
While both are extreme fitness programs, INSANITY differs from P90X in that it requires no resistance bands or exercise equipment of any kind. But can it really deliver life changing results in just 60 days, compared to the 90 day P90X program? For many, it already has. The workouts are specifically designed and sequenced to give users optimal results in the shortest possible time period.
Who is Shaun T.? With a background in sports science, dance and choreography, Shaun T. owes his celebrity and credibility in part to the success of Hip Hop Abs, also from Beachbody. INSANITY takes his enthusiasm and training approach to the next level.
Even the INSANITY packaging is more impressive than that of P90X. It’s a big, substantial book housing two DVD’s per page. The rear inside cover includes a sleeve which holds the Fitness Guide and Elite Nutrition Guide. It’s a visually appealing and convenient package that will be perfect for travel.
INSANITY includes plyometric routines and nonstop intervals of strength, power, resistance, and ab and core training on 10 DVDs.
- DVD 1. Dig Deeper & Fit Test: Shaun T. puts your body through an initial test to see what you’re made of
- DVD 2. Plyometric Cardio Circuit: Burn fat with intervals of intense lower-body plyo and sweat-inducing cardio
- DVD 3. Cardio Power & Resistance: Build lean muscle and upper-body definition with strength-training and Insanity workout power moves.
- DVD 4. Cardio Recovery: Shaun T goes easier on you once a week so you’re ready for the next Insanity workout round
- DVD 5. Pure Cardio & Abs: Skip the intervals…this nonstop cardio workout is all extreme
- DVD 6. Cardio Abs: Do explosive intervals of cardio and core moves for rock-hard abs
- DVD 7. Core Cardio & Balance: Take a break after month 1 of the Insanity program and gear up for month 2 with this workout
- DVD 8. Max Interval Circuit: The interval circuit that’s more intense than anything you’ve ever done before
- DVD 9. Max Interval Plyo: Push your legs until they beg for mercy with power and plyo, all at your MAX
- DVD 10. Max Cardio Conditioning & Abs: Get pushed to your limit with this extreme cardio workout
Pride in Exercising
There are millions of articles on the internet about the benefits of exercise, so I won’t attempt to add to those. This is more about the pride which comes with sticking to an exercise program.
You see, I am in my third round of P90X right now. I didn’t start with it though, as so many people attempt to do. I first conditioned my body a little and got it used to daily exercise using Tony Horton’s 10 Minute Trainer. I did two rounds of TMT, losing a total of 20 pounds. Then I moved on to P90X.
The first round was actually the easiest for me to stick with. I was extremely devoted and never missed a day, even when I was sick. The pride that comes when you start a program and finish it (especially if it is an extreme fitness program such as P90X or Insanity) is just indescribable.
A sense of pride is developed because of the devotion required to finish a program and overcome the mental and physical challenges involved. It’s also a proven fact that exercise boosts your self-esteem. No pill can do that! The infomercials you see on TV neglect to mention the mental changes which occur as you go through a program. To finish a program alone takes willpower, devotion, and strength. To go beyond that level and push yourself to new heights takes all of those factors to an extreme, and you end up with a sense of pride, accomplishment and confidence that nobody can tear down.
Get started today! Join Team Beachbody For free.
Exercising with Injuries
You’re well into your exercise program, exercising daily and eating a healthy diet. Then you get an injury.
What should you do?
Well, here’s what I did, which has worked extremely well in my particular situation.
I got a sprained ankle while running one evening. You see, because I completed a month’s worth of Insanity, I am able to run faster than ever before. How fast? Close to 15 miles per hour! And I can hold that pace for about a block!
As you may have guessed, running at that pace provides a great opportunity for one (or many) muscles to malfunction for just a short amount of time, which is precisely what happened. I was three weeks into my third round of P9oX. Not a very convenient time to get injured.
Here’s the steps I have followed:
- Take a break until the injury is healed. You’ll have to miss workouts, which is difficult to deal with mentally when you are used to exercising regularly. If possible, you can do other workouts which don’t use the injured part of your body. In my case, I could have done some upper body exercising.
- Once the injury is healed enough to where you don’t have pain just from your regular, everyday activity, stabilize the injured area. In my case, I have been wearing an Ace bandage around my ankle.
- Modify, modify, modify. Modify the routine you do to minimize use of the injured area. You may need to do a different workout all together. In my case, with the sprained ankle, instead of doing Plyometrics which would have placed a large amount of strain on the ankle, I did Kenpo X.
When you follow these steps, you may be able to resume exercising before your injury is 100% healed. In my case, it has been a great way to get back into my routine without losing too much time. I wouldn’t recommend this for everyone, but if you’re hardcore and don’t like downtime, it just may work for you!
Don’t have a regular exercise program going?
TRY TONY HORTON’S 10 MINUTE TRAINER TODAY!
You’ll get results in just 10 minutes a day!
Insanity: Cardio Recovery Review
Cardio Recovery
Welcome to the third Insanity workout review from Fit Help Now!
Shaun T’s Cardio Recovery is a nice change of pace! You do the usual warmup routine, but this time you take it a little easy afterward. It’s still a good workout, and you WILL sweat, but it’s a much lighter day in order to let your muscles recover.
Cardio Recovery has you do some light jogging and then is mostly Yoga. First, Shaun T gets your legs burning with a good combination of squats and “deep muscle” lunges. Then you finish up strong with some squat pulse exercises. In the Yoga routines, you do mostly balance postures and stretching.
Overall, this workout is challenging, yet definitely a good recovery. The majority of this workout will be very familiar to any P90X graduate who remembers X Stretch and Yoga X.
CHECK IT OUT FOR YOURSELF!
Insanity: Cardio Power & Resistance Review
Cardio Power & Resistance
Welcome to the second Insanity workout review from Fit Help Now!
Cardio Power & Resistance starts off with the usual warmup routine, running through it three times, each time with higher intensity.
This is one workout where I really think Shaun T falls short on stretching.
Today I actually hurt my shoulder doing some of the push-ups and I really think it was just due to not stretching my shoulders enough. So I strongly recommend taking the time before this workout to stretch your shoulders and rotator cuffs.
Ok, down to business. You start off by doing the “touch the floor” routine, where you step from side to side, touch the floor and rise up immediately, then repeat on the other side. Then you move into some kicks where you keep your hands on your hips, squat, then kick, then alternate and repeat. This gets your heart rate up quickly and gets you ready for some resistance training.
The resistance training in this routine works your shoulders, biceps, chest, back, and triceps. Shaun T will push YOU to do V-push-ups (where you’re on your tiptoes, hands pointed inward, and do a push-up). Then he’ll push you to do tricep push-ups, which is where you are in a “table” position, from Yoga, and pretty much do a backwards push-up.
The big thing to note about all this cardio/push-up combination is that you have to do it all FAST! Shaun T is an excellent motivator and he WILL push YOU to get in the best shape of your life!
Insanity: Plyometric Cardio Circuit Review
Plyometric Cardio Circuit
This review is the first in a series I plan to write, covering each of the Insanity workouts. Never fear, I plan to do the same at some point for the P90X workouts too.
We’ll start with the warmup. Wow! Just the warmup alone could be a complete exercise routine for most people! Shaun T starts you off with some jogging, running, jumping jacks, power jumps, and other moves to get your heart rate up.
You run through it three times, going faster each time! Then you do some light stretching. To be honest, for some of the workouts, I think Shaun T doesn’t have you stretch quite enough.
Please note that a HEART RATE MONITOR is ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY for ANY and ALL Insanity workouts!
This workout will have you burning calories like nobody’s business! Shaun T pushes you to new heights by having you run, jump, and dig deeper than you ever have in your life.
In Plyometric Cardio Circuit, you’ll reach a new level of fitness you never imagined by doing exercises like deep squat jumps, mountain climbers, and ski jumps. The mountain climbers are different than the ones in high school – with these, you’re standing up and alternating pulling your arms down while running, basically. In ski jumps, you mimic a downhill skiing motion while jumping from side to side.
The best part of all is that this program requires absolutely no equipment aside from a heart rate monitor!
YOU can be in better shape than people younger than you. Don’t believe it?
TRY INSANITY TODAY!
…and find out for yourself…
INSANITY With Shaun T. Preview
PREVIEW WEEK is drawing to an end at Fit Help Now, so we’re going to finish up strong.
Today we’re taking a look at Shaun T’s INSANITY. Have you been wondering just how tough this extreme fitness program is? Here’s the answer.
