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| So far, so good! (Amazon link to the sign) |
I’m still alive, after a month of Insanity! Five weeks, actually, if I include the Recovery week. I was given the DVDs by my brother-in-law, who decided around this point that the program was too hard on his knees, and that he didn’t like all that emphasis on cardio anyway. I came into week 1 wondering if my own knees and endurance were ready for the challenge, being careful to follow the recommendations about soft landings and taking breaks as needed. Fast forward, and I feel pretty good about my pace after week 4. I’m not ready to be a cast member yet, but I can certainly make it through the end of the workouts.
Changes and improvements: I’ve lost 3 pounds since I started. This isn’t a drastic change, and I wasn’t expecting too much anyway since I am at my goal weight. I am surprised at some of the changes I have seen, though. I am pretty sure my forearms are getting bigger, from all the plank exercises and push ups. I’m getting better at burpees (jump squat thrusts). Also, as I learn to use my core for all these hopping and jumping exercises, maybe I will see that elusive six pack?
Recovery Week (between month 1 and 2) does allow for, um, recovery, but there isn’t much variety. For comparison, P90X has one workout specifically for recovery week (Core Synergistics) but the rest of the week includes familiar but less strenuous workouts (Yoga, Stretch, and Kenpo). Insanity includes one Recovery workout for month 1, but the recovery week is simply Core Cardio and Balance, for six days straight. The pace is about two-thirds of a normal workout, with some balance exercises in addition to the more familiar ones. By the end of the week, as my proficiency improved, I found myself working almost as hard at “recovery” as I was in previous weeks. I might have preferred more variety, but I guess the goal of recovery from month 1, and preparation for month 2, was achieved.
I have already started the month 2 “Max” workouts: Max Interval Plyo, Max Interval Circuit, Max Cardio Conditioning, and (of course!) Max Recovery. I was a little confused that the Fit Test is scheduled on the same day as the first Max Interval Circuit, for 90 minutes total exercise time? I just did the Fit Test that day, and tried the first part of the workout, for about an hour total. More about that in my next update.
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