Tuesday, January 10, 2012

Let's Get Crazy!

Workouts like this make me ask God why I wasn't born skinny.



This, ladies and gents, is a sample of Shaun T's Insanity workout. And when he says "insanity," he isn't kidding. I gotta tell ya, this sh*t be crazy!

The workout was introduced to me by a teammate who lost 15 pounds in three weeks (!). My relatives also did the workout with varying results--some didn't lose weight, but got toned (remember, muscle is heavier than fat!). My 22-year-old niece had abs after doing it!


Readers, meet my niece's abs. Photo reposted with permission!

Insanity was put together by Shaun T, better known as the Hiphop Abs guy. According to the pamphlet, Insanity is...

"...a 60-day cardio-based total-body conditioning program. We believe it's probably the most intense workout ever put on DVD. (The 30-Day Shred's got nothing on this, I attest.)

"
Insanity was created by fitness expert Shaun T, based largely on years of study plus his collegiate track and field training. Keep up, and you'll work past your max with explosive cardio and plyometric drills and nonstop intervals of strength, power, and resistance moves. Plus you'll do ab and core training techniques that will push your limits to produce amazing results in 60 days."

When I tell friends who want to change their bodies that it takes 60 days, they lose interest, because most people want a shortcut. Well, people, 60 days is a shortcut. You don't pack on the extra pounds overnight, so you're definitely not going to lose 'em overnight either!

The program uses nothing but your body weight--you just need a bit of space to do some of the drills (like suicides, globe jumps, and--gulp--moving pushups). It starts off with a fit test, which you're supposed to do every two weeks to track your progress. Then each day, you do something different--it could be plyometric cardio circuit, cardio power and resistance, pure cardio (with or without cardio abs), or cardio recovery (which is kind of yoga-ish, but still with pushups!).

The first day was agonizing. That fit test made me realize that my arse was in such a sorry state. I was sweating, grunting, and swearing through the whole thing, and you could hear the constant thump on our wooden floors as I did switch kicks, power jumps, and all the other exercises. (Which led to my husband suggesting that I work out on the first floor, because our neighbors might be getting weird ideas...)

The second day, plyo, I wanted to cry. It got kind of easier as the weeks progressed, mostly because I already knew what I was in for and was no longer caught by surprise ("Did he say 'moving pushups'?!"). But every workout was (and still is) a challenge. I don't think I've ever gotten through a workout without a bunch of colorful swear words.

I eventually reached max levels, which can only be described as lunacy. Alas, I got sick in the midst of all the late nights and stress that December brings, so I was unable to continue.:( But the five or so weeks I did Insanity did produce results:
  • I lost four pounds in the first two to three weeks--not an easy feat, considering my age and slow metabolism. It was hard enough for me to lose weight in my teens and 20s!
  • I lost a bit of my belly fat. Yay! I'd post a pic but it's not quite as impressive as my niece's. Haha.
  • I lost an inch from my hips. Considering my hips were over 36 inches (gasp) already, I guess it's a good thing!
  • I progressed to doing proper pushups, after years of doing girl pushups.
  • My tricep muscles, which had been buried under a layer of arm fat, were visible again.
  • I built up my endurance and felt stronger.
  • My sweat glands were jacked up to max levels--seriously, I have never sweat so much in my life.
So if you want to get rid of that holiday fat, I highly recommend Insanity. It's not for everyone though--you have to be truly committed. The workout itself isn't easy, but possibly a greater challenge is getting your butt moving at home, by yourself, with no one to encourage you. (It's the reason I'm thinking of setting up an Insanity Skype date with my family here and abroad.) And if you've been sedentary for a while, best to get an OK from your doctor first.

Now, off to do plyo!

10 comments:

  1. Oooh interesting!! I tried Shaun T's workouts before (hip hop abs) and this one looks a bit hard core..does this come out in DVD or something? here in PH?

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  2. This is on my list for 2012. I can do diz. Ahaha. Kailangan ko lang isipin venue. The apartment's too cramped. :P

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  3. KC, it's a set of videos (http://www.beachbody.com/product/fitness_programs/insanity.do). My friend (the one who lost 15 lbs) just gave it to me.:)

    Lei, do it! I dunno if you were around when Che and I led the warmups using the Insanity warmup. Pagod lahat. Some people just gave up. Haha. Warmup pa lang yon!

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  4. I hate the first few days of a serious workout program. Facing my endurance is down the first day and then waking up stiff the second. But it's worth it. You're doing great!

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  5. PS - If you have a paypal account, I need a favor! I owe Roma $50US, but she doesn't have paypal and I've had trouble with the LBC and Western union websites (they want more info than I have). If it wouldn't be too much of an imposition, I was hoping I could paypal the funds to you and you could forward them to her. But if not, that's no problem. I'll look for another avenue.

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  6. I heard Che wakes up early everyday to do the work-out. What's your strategy?
    -jc

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  7. Hi, Ric! Sorry, I don't have a paypal account.:s Actually, I did but that was ages ago and can't for the life of me remember how it works anymore. Haha

    JC, I think Che works out at night kasi inaantok sya sa trabaho pag umaga nya ginagawa. Haha. I normally do it in the morning. I skip it when there's disc. I'm not strict about it this time around. The first time I did it, nagi-Insanity pa rin ako before or after disc!

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  8. LOL, don't feel bad, I can't close my old MySpace account because I can;t remember the password. =)

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  9. Hi Tish, got my mp4s from a friend, haha!! I'm on my Day 4 now. I don't know if I'll last. Today's cardio recovery, buti na lang. My back and legs are still sore!! Hahaha!!

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  10. Ang saya di ba? At wag ka magpaloko sa "recovery" na yan, may degree of difficulty pa rin sya. Hehe

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Oh, so sweet of you to drop a line!:)