Round 3 / Day 87: 2K4 Turbulence Training Workout A + RKC Man Maker + Insanity Cardio Abs

When the alarm went off this morning, I turned it off and fell back asleep. An hour passed before I groggily peered at the clock again, it was 6:40 a.m. -- only twenty minutes before the kids would pop out of bed. No time to fit in my entire scheduled workout.

Still, Man Maker training takes only 12 (interminable-seeming) minutes, so I knew I could squeeze in some kettlebell swings.

I'm glad I did, because after dinner tonight, when I finished the rest of my workout, I could feel the fatigue setting in. I'm not sure I would have had the energy to heave a kettleball around after lifting weights and doing Insanity-style core work.

Plus, I still had to take out the garbage. Garbage night is the bane of my existence.

Round 3 / Day 80: 2K3 Turbulence Training Workout A + RKC Man Maker + Insanity Cardio Abs

I worked my ass off this morning, cranking out pull-ups and push-ups and dumbbell rows and kettlebell swings and tuck-knee jumps. I went all-out, and completely wiped myself out by the end of my hour-long workout.

Why?

Because I knew we had dinner reservations at a Brazilian churrascaria this evening, where we had a rodizio-style chowdown, cramming into our open maws as many different cuts of various meats as our distended stomachs would allow.

And even now, hours after my last slice of lamb off the server's big-ass skewer, I'm way too uncomfortably full to go to sleep. Which means I'm not going to get enough shut-eye before tomorrow morning's yoga.

Sad but true: Outside of family and work, my life revolves around eating, sleeping, and making time for exercise.

Round 3 / Day 59: 2K5 Turbulence Training Workout A + RKC Man Maker + Insanity Cardio Abs

At long last, I'm finally becoming proficient in swinging a kettlebell properly.

Yes, it's taken me two months.

And yes, I'm a slow learner.

Round 3 / Day 45: 2K3 Turbulence Training Workout A + RKC Man Maker + Insanity Cardio Abs

I (stupidly) stayed up past my bedtime last night to play with my new iPad (which, by the way, certainly doesn't replace my computer, but is a mind-blowingly awesome toy nonetheless -- especially for someone like me, who owns neither an iPhone nor an iPod Touch). So when I staggered into the garage this morning to start exercising, I already knew I wouldn't have time to get all three sections of my workout done before the kids popped out of bed.

The problem with rushing through a workout is that I tend to lose focus, and end up sacrificing form for speed. And both my Turbulence Training workout and my Man Maker kettlebell routine require careful attention to form -- the former because it involves heavy resistance, and the latter because it involves repeatedly heaving a large iron ball between your legs. Thankfully, I avoided any serious nutsack injuries this morning.

And don't worry: I finished Cardio Abs this evening. I am, after all, slavishly devoted to my workout routine.

Round 3 / Day 24: 2K5 Turbulence Training Workout B + RKC Man Maker + Insanity Cardio Abs

I was scheduled to do Workout A from the 2K5 version of Turbulence Training, but being the idiot that I am, I flipped to the wrong page of the manual and ended up doing Workout B instead.

Workout B starts with a quick warm-up sequence (done twice) of Prisoner Squats, Elevated Push-Ups, and Stability Ball Leg Curls. And then it's on to the main event:

Superset One:

• Pull-Ups (8 reps): No description needed.

• Dumbbell Floor Presses (8 reps): I did Dumbbell Bench Presses instead. (Our garage floor's a little dirty.)

Rest a minute, and then repeat the superset twice, for a total of three times.

Superset Two:

• Chin-Ups (8 reps): You know -- Chin-Ups.

• Dumbbell Incline Presses (8 reps): Nothing you haven't seen before.

Rest a minute, and then repeat the superset twice, for a total of three times.

Superset Three:

• Dumbbell Rear Deltoid Raises (15 reps): Holding a pair of dumbbells, stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and knees slightly bent. Lean your upper body forward so that it's parallel to the floor. Let your arms hang vertically. Laterally raise the dumbbells up and out to the sides. I did these a week ago, but today's workout requires upping my reps.

• Decline Push-Ups (20 reps): Nothing out of the ordinary for fans of P90X Chest & Back.

Rest a minute, and then repeat the superset twice, for a total of three times.

Workout B was pretty damn tough, but then I started my 12 minutes of Man Maker practice. Swinging a kettlebell puts things in perspective; there are few other exercises that kick my ass quite as much. I'm getting (slightly) better at it, but it's one heart-pounding, leg-burning interval workout that still intimidates the hell out of me.

As for Insanity Cardio Abs, I ran out of time this morning, and still haven't done it (yet). But mark my words: I will squeeze in a core workout before bed tonight.

Maybe.

Round 3 / Day 17: 2K4 Turbulence Training Workout A + RKC Man Maker + Insanity Cardio Abs

On the menu today:

2K4 Turbulence Training Workout A, which -- after a brief warm-up -- consists of three supersets that emphasize upper-body resistance moves (to the chagrin of my still-sore chest and back):

Superset One:

• Dumbbell Incline Presses (6 reps): Heavy dumbbell presses performed while lying on a slightly-inclined bench.

• Dumbbell Rear-Deltoid Raises (10 reps): Holding a pair of dumbbells, stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and knees slightly bent. Lean your upper body forward so that it's parallel to the floor. Let your arms hang vertically. Laterally raise the dumbbells up and out to the sides.

Rest for one minute, and then repeat the superset twice for a total of three times.

Superset Two:

• Dumbbell Rows (6 reps per side): Go heavy.

• Dumbbell Floor Presses (8 reps): Just like dumbbell presses from a bench, but on the floor instead. The hardest part for me was figuring out how to get the heavy dumbbells off the floor and up into the starting position while lying down.

Rest for one minute, and then repeat the superset twice for a total of three times.

Superset Three:

• Dumbbell Triceps Extensions (8 reps): Just like the ones in P90X Shoulders & Arms (but given that we're only going for 8 reps here, I upped the weight).

• Dumbbell Incline Curls (8 reps): These are the same as the ones from last Monday's workout -- but to increase the difficulty, I actually did Lean-Back Curls from P90X Upper Body Plus instead.

Rest for one minute, and then repeat the superset twice for a total of three times.

I don't know if it's just because I'm getting used to these types of sessions, but today's Turbulence Training workout felt easier than the previous versions of Workout A I've done in past weeks (Original and 2K3).

Next up: 12 minutes of RKC Man Maker practice. I'm getting better at swinging a kettlebell.

And for dessert: Insanity Cardio Abs.

Thank god for yoga tomorrow (assuming I wake up early enough to squeeze in all 90 minutes of Yoga X before the kids spring out of bed).

Round 3 / Day 10: 2K3 Turbulence Training Workout A + RKC Man Maker + Insanity Cardio Abs

For the sake of maximum variety, I've decided not to linger on any one particular version of Turbulence Training during Round 3; rather, I'm doing a different Turbulence Training workout each week for the first month (before doubling back in subsequent months).

Last week, I tried out the "Original" flavor of Turbulence Training. Today, I got a taste of Craig Ballantyne's "2K3" version. (By the way, "2K3" just means he developed it in 2003.)

Workout A starts with a quick warm-up sequence (repeated once), consisting of Reverse Lunges, Close-Grip Push-Ups (a.k.a., Military Push-Ups), and Stick-Ups.

Stick-Ups look super-easy: You basically flatten yourself against a wall, reach your arms straight up, and then move them down to a "stick-up" position -- keeping your arms, shoulders and back against the wall at all times. It's a super-low-impact move, but I was surprised to find that this was a challenge for me; my flexibility, mobility, and range of motion aren't as great as I thought.

After the warm-up, you move into the three supersets that form the core of this workout:

Superset 1:

• Chin-Ups (8 reps): No description needed, right?
• Dumbbell Chest Presses (8 reps): I'm pretty sure you know this one, too.

Repeat twice for a total of three times, resting for one minute between supersets.

Superset 2:

• Dumbbell Elbow-Out Rows (8 reps per side): Just like Elbows-Out Lawnmowers from P90X Back & Biceps, only done using a bench rather than from a low lunge position.
• Dumbbell Low-Incline Press (8 reps): Same as Dumbbell Chest Presses, but with the back of the weight bench angled up slightly to better hit your upper chest. 

Repeat twice for a total of three times, resting for one minute between supersets.

Superset 3:

• Decline Push-Ups (15 reps): Same as the ones from P90X Chest & Back.
• Dumbbell Incline Curls (8 reps per side): These are similar to the Lean-Back Curls from P90X+ Upper Body Plus, but with some back support. This is a great isolation move, and keeps you from cheating -- I definitely felt the burn in my arms.

Next, it was onto 12 minutes of Man Maker training with my kettlebell. It's tough as hell, but I'm slowly getting into the "swing" of things. (Ha! Get it? GET IT??? I fucking love puns.)

Last but not least, M joined me for a round of Insanity Cardio Abs. As I've said before, I prefer Ab Ripper X (Cardio Abs overemphasizes hip flexor movements, in my opinion), but it's nice to break up the monotony with some jumps and planks.

Tomorrow: Fountain of Youth yoga! (I'm genuinely looking forward to it. Fer real, yo.)

Round 3 / Day 3: Original Turbulence Training Workout A + RKC Man Maker + Insanity Cardio Abs

From my long-winded title for this workout, it sounds like something that's off-the-charts crazy and complicated. And I admit to being a little nervous about trying to cram so much into an hour.

But in the end, it worked out great. Workout A from the Original Turbulence Training routine took just 20 minutes to complete, and the Man Maker kettlebell routine is limited to 12 minutes. That left Cardio Abs, which clocks in at just over a quarter-hour. Add 'em all together and my entire workout this morning took about 50 minutes -- shorter than most of P90X workouts.

I loved mixing up three different programs in one session; as they say, variety's the spice of life. (That, and MSG.) And as an added bonus, I got a great full-body workout that incorporated intense resistance and interval training. This one's a keeper.

Round 2 / Day 84: Insanity Max Cardio Conditioning + Cardio Abs

During Right Kicks / Left Kicks, Shaun T walks over to Tania, who's flying through the moves. "If you can go as fast as Tania," he says to the camera, "keep up with her. If you can go faster, go faster."  I tried my damnedest, but in the end, I had to opt for Plan C: Going (much) slower than Tania.

One more week. Just one more week.

Round 2 / Day 77: Insanity Max Cardio Conditioning + Cardio Abs

Two reasons why I skipped X Stretch and dove right into Max Cardio Conditioning this morning;

• I already took a rest day earlier this week when I was down with a cold; and

• I knew I was going to indulge in some serious Super Bowl snacking (e.g., chicken wings, beef skewers, chips, salsa/guacamole, chocolate chip cookies) later in the day, and figured I'd better burn off some calories in advance.

By the way, I hope none of you Colts fans died from heart attacks during the fourth quarter of the game.

The risk is real, cardiologists say, because studies have shown that when a favorite team loses, angry fans can suffer so much stress that the result is sudden cardiac death.

"If you look at a lot of data from a lot of different sports, there is a spectator risk," said Dr. Stephen Siegel, a cardiologist at New York University Langone Medical Center.

The best way to avoid this unhappy consequence is, "don't take it so seriously. Don't get so excited about it," he said. "Enjoy the game, have fun with it, but don't spend your life savings on betting on it and don't have your life invested in the outcome."

Round 2 / Day 70: Insanity Max Cardio Conditioning + Cardio Abs

Less than five minutes into the core portion of the workout today, my quads felt like they'd been thoroughly pounded with a meat tenderizer.

When does Insanity get easier?

Round 2 / Day 63: Insanity Max Cardio Conditioning + Cardio Abs

Whoo-ee. Today's workout was a real test of endurance. I was ready to call it a day after Max Cardio Conditioning, but I'm glad I stuck around for Cardio Abs (which really isn't all that bad -- especially relative to the intensity of the previous hour).

One thing I really like about Insanity is that the trainers all keep going -- even if it means drowning themselves in rivers of sweat or taking a short pause to catch their breath. Some of them look like they're about to pass out, but they don't stop moving.

But my God -- that gym must stink.

Round 2 / Day 42: Insanity Pure Cardio + Cardio Abs

Holy hell. Diving headlong into Cardio Abs immediately after the craziness of Pure Cardio isn't the easiest way to start the day.

Afterwards, I wanted to eat everything in sight. I downed a banana, a few heaping spoonfuls of peanut butter and fistfuls of almonds -- and then I saw this on my laptop screen: An article in the L.A. Times discussing the tendency to overeat after intense exercise (a.k.a., "the post-workout binge").

While compensation can be triggered by particularly intense workouts, in most people it appears to be driven by a misunderstanding of how many calories a workout actually burns, [Louisiana State University professor Timothy] Church says. "People greatly overestimate how many calories they've burned," he says. "Forty-five minutes to an hour on a treadmill only burns 450 calories. You can neutralize it with one coffee and muffin at Starbucks or two glasses of wine that night." But the desire to compensate is also physiological, says Church. "No doubt the body wants to replenish," particularly after a grueling exercise routine.

The widespread availability of calorie-dense, carbohydrate-heavy foods complicates the problem, says Leslie Bonci, director of sports nutrition at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. Many people crave carbohydrates after a workout but, to a degree, that "taste" has been engineered by the marketing of energy bars and drinks packed with sugar, she says. "We've been conditioned, like Pavlov's dogs," says Bonci. "I don't know anyone who really craves a salad after working out."

And there's yet another complicating factor, says Brian Wansink, professor of consumer behavior and director of the Food and Brand Lab at Cornell University in Ithaca, N.Y. Many people will choose low-fat or low-sugar foods in order to adhere to an exercise or diet routine, but then allow themselves to eat more as a reward for choosing such foods, Wansink says.

What a fucking buzzkill.

Round 2 / Day 35: Insanity Pure Cardio + Cardio Abs

Over the course of one holiday weekend, I downed about ten cookies (this one's my favorite) and three slices of cake, not to mention pizza, dim sum (ugh), a huge helping of homemade mac & cheese, and a big-ass Christmas dinner.

And yet I feel like I almost -- almost -- redeemed myself with one hard session of Pure Cardio and Cardio Abs.

Unfortunately, the workout also made me hungry, and now I'm eying some leftovers in the fridge. (God, that flank steak looks good.)

Round 2 / Day 28: Insanity Pure Cardio + Cardio Abs (Repeat)

To get back into the swing of things after a week-long break from P90X and Insanity, I decided to repeat Day 28.

"Jump down into a deep squat, and do a suicide." So says Shaun T when describing Stance Jacks, but his statement is applicable to the entirety of this workout. Although I managed to complete all of Pure Cardio without any extra breaks (for the first time ever), I felt like I committing seppuku.

Round 2 / Day 28: Insanity Pure Cardio + Cardio Abs

What's up with the Pulse Tucks from high and low plank positions? I'm confused: Am I just supposed to be clenching and releasing my sphincter? Am I seducing and humping the floor? What the hell is going on here?

Round 2 / Day 21: Insanity Pure Cardio + Cardio Abs

I woke up late and feeling lazy. The kids spent the night at their grandparents' house, so I enjoyed the luxury of dawdling over my morning yogurt and flaxseed in front of the TV. It took forever to bring myself to get off the couch and into the garage to start Pure Cardio.

Shaun T doesn't exactly ease you into the workout, either. Right away, I was panting hard as I tried to keep up during the warm-up routine. By the time the stretching began, sweat was already pouring down my face. And just a few minutes into the actual workout, I felt obliterated. But I followed Shaun T's advice to "dig deeper" -- it's my second-favorite Beachbody mantra, right after Tony Horton's "don't just kind of do it" -- and pushed through the remainder of the session. (I still had to take my usual mid-set breaks during Frog Jumps and Push-Up Jacks, though I tried to keep them as short as possible.)

Cardio Abs was painful, too -- especially the Wide Tuck Jumps and isometric C-Sit Hold. Part of me wanted to just stop the video and substitute Ab Ripper X in its place, but I reminded myself that Ab Ripper X is already on the schedule for tomorrow. The fun never ends.

Round 2 / Day 14: Insanity Pure Cardio + Cardio Abs

There's nothing like Pure Cardio to remind you that you're not as fit as you think. After having finished a round of P90X, I thought I was in pretty good shape, but I'm certainly humbled every time I attempt to complete this workout.

Once again, I had to take breaks during Frog Jumps and Push-Up Jacks. On their own, neither of these moves is impossible, but performed in sequence with the other exercises (and without breaks), I find both to be painfully difficult to sustain for a full minute each.

After Pure Cardio was done, it was time for a new workout: Cardio Abs. Cardio Abs is to Insanity what Ab Ripper X is to P90X; it's a relatively short (16-17 minute) session that targets your abs with a series of exercises that blast your core and hip flexors.

It starts with a brief warm-up (unnecessary if you're still having a heart attack from Pure Cardio) that flows right into Twisting High Knees, Jump Ropes, Tuck Jumps (like P90X Plyo Jump Knee Tucks), and Wide Tuck Jumps (with knees out wide to the sides).

Cardio Abs then transitions into a series of ab moves performed from a "C-Sit" position (which resembles the starting position for In-N-Outs and Bicycles in Ab Ripper X):

• Twists (similar to Mason Twists, but slower and with your heels on the floor)
• Twists with Knee In/Outs & Up/Downs (same as before, but with alternating knee in/outs and raises)
• A-Frame Ab Twists (similar to Mason Twists, but with heels on the floor, hands together, arms straight -- your arms go vertical between each side twist)
• A-Frame Ab Twists with Knee In/Outs (same as before, but adding an alternating knee in/out with each rep)
• C-Sit Hold (hold in C-Sit position for what seems to be an eternity)
• Single Leg Raises (pull knee straight in, then extend leg out, then raise leg up, then bring it down -- repeat for 30 seconds, and then do the other side)
• Double Leg Raises (same as before, but using both legs at the same time)

Next up is the plank series:

• From a high plank (standard push-up) position, pull one knee up to the side and to your shoulder; alternate sides to work your obliques;
• Do the same thing again, but from a low plank position resting on your forearms;
• Alternate between high planks and low planks; while in each position, do 8 hip tucks, contracting your core while shifting your pelvis and hips toward the ground.

Although I had my doubts about an ab routine that doesn't include anything resembling a sit-up or a crunch, Cardio Abs doesn't disappoint. It's intense and challenging -- especially after you're already sweaty and exhausted from Pure Cardio. In my opinion, Ab Ripper X is still the superior workout, but Cardio Abs is a great way to break up the monotony of endless Fifer Scissors and Oblique V-Ups while still blasting your midsection.