Insane? You Better Believe It
Just FYI, this page may contain affiliate links. Meaning, if you shop through my links, I may make a small commission at no added cost to you. Please know that if you do shop through any of my links, I am extremely grateful as it supports the blog (and buys dog treats for Jackie, Lola, and Lady). As of yesterday, I am now invincible. Okay, maybe not invincible. But definitely a little bit tougher. Because I completed Shaun T’s 60-day Insanity Max:30 program. I’ll be honest, I had been contemplating giving this program a shot for a few months. Last summer I did his original Insanity program and really liked it. It was challenging and sweat-inducing and I didn’t constantly want to punch Shaun T in the throat (the main reason I quit P90X). But I always read through a few reviews to get a general feel for a workout program before I take it on. And this one scared me. It’s a fast and furious version of Insanity that Shaun T designed to force you to max out. Meaning at some point in the program he pushes you so hard your body has to stop. If that doesn’t sound intense enough, some of the reviews I read talked about people maxing out in less than 5 minutes. Dude. That’s intense. After our move a few months ago and the subsequent challenge of readjusting and getting into a routine, I really needed a good challenge to get me back on the road to fitness. It was time. With a couple of deep breaths and slightly sweaty palms I finally hit play on that first round of Cardio Challenge. And at 7:55 seconds I hit my first Max Out. Needless to say, it was just as intense as I expected. And I freaking loved it. If you read my previous workout post (Let’s Talk About Sweat, Baby) then you might remember me saying that I really have to work up a good sweat to truly enjoy a workout. No problems here. At the end of every 30 minute, I was drenched in sweat. A five-mile run produced less perspiration than an Insanity Max:30 workout. If you take on this challenge, I highly advise having a really big bottle of water and a towel close by. You’re gonna need ‘em. Now let’s talk about the really important part…the results. I loved doing the program…but was it worth it? Abso-freaking-lutely. Now I can’t tell you how much weight I lost because I am not a fan of stepping on scales. In my opinion, scales can be your worst enemy on your fitness journey. There are so many little things that affect your bodyweight, not just on a daily basis, but even over stretches of time. Maybe your losing fat but gaining muscle, making that number a little higher. Maybe, if you’re a woman, it’s just that time of the month when things get a little screwed up. Maybe your scales just not calibrated correctly or you’re comparing results from two different scales. Scales are not your friend. Instead, I like to rely on how I feel. If I have more energy, feel less bloated or just feel skinnier, than I’m probably getting some results. My biggest indicator though is how my clothes fit. If I pull on pair of jeans that fit looser and feel better than they did the week before, than hot-damn, something’s working right. And that was totally true with this program. Prior to doing this program, my favorite pair of work pants were getting a little more snug than usual (which might have had something to do with finally feeling insane enough to do this program). 60 days later and instead of reminding myself not to breath too deeply when I wear them, I actually have a little room to spare. Win! One to the best performance indicators of this program’s success though was tracking my progress. When starting this program, you print out a calendar that tells you which workout to complete each day and has a space to write in the time you maxed out. That way, the next time you do that same workout, you know how much farther you need to push yourself to last longer. By the end of month one, I had pushed my Cardio Challenge time to 11:11. At the end of month two, Shaun has you perform the Cardio Challenge again (it’s not one of the month two workouts) as your final fit test. Yesterday I made it to 16:51. The longest I made it on any workout the first time through was 11:15 on Tabata Strength. On my last round of Tabata Strength I made it 21:14. Max Out Cardio was one of the most difficult workouts for me the first time around. Five minutes and 13 seconds in, I was dying and had to stop for a few beats to remember how to breathe. By the end of month two, I hit 17:08 before I maxed out. While it started out as the toughest workout for me, it was also where I saw my best improvement. In a nutshell, Insanity Max:30 is exactly what you expect from Shaun T. Intense, challenging and insane. But it works. Now it’s on to the next challenge…Insanity: The Asylum. I’m not afraid of you anymore Shaun T. Okay, well, maybe just a little.
