Details after the jump…
Max Recovery consists of five workout segments sandwiched between a brief warm-up and a quick cool-down. The warm-up is nice and easy; Shaun T takes us through a bunch of “contract-and-relax” moves from a flat-back position, alternating side-lunge positions and hip-flexor positions. He wraps up the warm-up with yoga stretches that resemble Right Angle Pose and Twisting Right Angle Pose.
Workout 1
Workout 1 is by far the longest segment of the bunch. At first, Shaun T has us doing more “contract-and-relax” exercises from various positions, which lulled me into thinking that this workout would be cake.
Then, he has us stay in plank position and raise one knee towards the same-side shoulder, and alternate sides. We did three sets – the first one consisted of just 4 reps, but the second required 8 reps, and the third was a 16-rep set.
Next, we did Military Push-Ups. And we did them at an excruciatingly slow speed. We started with just two reps, but the second set required four reps, and the third required eight.
After a quick downward dog, we perform the following leg sequence twice (switching legs the second time this series is repeated):
- Hip Flexor Stretch & Hamstring Stretch
- Lunge / Butt Lift: Starting in a deep lunge position with both legs bent, straighten and lift your back leg up and to the back while raising your arms straight up up to ceiling.
- Right Angle Pose: From a deep lunge position, point your front toes out, drop both palms to the floor, and then reach up to the ceiling with one arm. This looks just like Yoga X’s Right Angle Pose, but minus the wrist-grab.
Then, repeat previous sequence using your other leg.
Workout 2
Push-ups are (usually) fun, so I didn’t mind the plank and push-up intensity of Workout 2. There are only two moves in Workout 2, but you end up doing a ton of reps:
- High Plank to One-Arm Balance to Push-Ups (not so bad)
- Alternating Oblique Knee-to-Shoulder Lifts from Low Plank Position (self-explanatory)
Workout 3
This 6-minute sequence – during which you remain in a deep plie position – makes me want to scream:
- Get into a plie squat position;
- Do 4 squat pulses;
- Slowly bend at the torso to the right side, placing your right palm on your floor and hold the position;
- Bend at the torso to the opposite side, placing your left palm on the floor;
- Slowly raise your torso up straight and hold.
Staying in deep plie squat, repeat the sequence, but do 8 squat pulses instead.
Then, do the sequence yet again, only with 16 squat pulses.
After that, repeat the series again, with your right heel lifted off the floor.
And then? Again – with your left heel off the floor.
Finally: Do it yet again, but with both heels off the floor.
This sequence fucking sucks.
Workout 4
This is a nice respite after the plie madness of Workout 3:
First, do a 4-rep set of High Planks to Low Planks, starting on the right side.
Do another set, this time with 8 reps.
And then another, with 16 reps.
Then, do the same thing again, only starting on the right side, and tapering down your reps from 16 to 8 to 4.
Workout 5
The last two exercises are super-easy:
- Standing Oblique Elbow-to-Knee Raises (self-explanatory)
- Hammers (starting in a standing position and with both arms reaching towards the ceiling, swing your arms down in front until they’re parallel with the floor, while simultaneously kicking a straight leg up until it’s also parallel with the floor; alternate legs and repeat)
No cardio today, and I stayed relatively sweat-free. But the push-ups and leg work made damn sure I couldn’t sleepwalk my way through Max Recovery.
