Round 2 / Day 56: Insanity Max Cardio Conditioning

I remember thinking that the 15 consecutive minutes of super-high-intensity cardio in the Insanity Pure Cardio workout was through-the-roof crazy. Max Cardio Conditioning almost doubles the intensity by demanding almost a half-hour of uninterrupted hardcore moves.

Round 2 / Day 55: Insanity Max Recovery

Max Recovery was a nice break from the cardio craziness. Push-up haters might complain that there are more push-ups in this session than one might expect, but -- with the exception of one killer plie squat sequence in the middle of the workout – Max Recovery’s fairly low-key.

Details after the jump…

Round 2 / Day 53: Insanity Max Interval Plyo

Insanity bills itself as "the hardest workout ever put on DVD." While I can't verify the accuracy of this tagline, I can't imagine that it's far from the truth. Today's Max Interval Plyo session proved every bit as difficult as I anticipated, and maybe more.

Click below for the blow-by-blow.

Round 2 / Day 51: Insanity Max Interval Circuit

I have no idea how I managed to avoid going into cardiac arrest during Max Interval Circuit this morning.

Insanity is scheduled so that for the first four weeks (or, if you're doing my version of a P90X/Insanity hybrid, first six weeks) is spent getting your body used to daily hardcore cardio. Each session in the first half of Insanity runs about 30 to 40 minutes in length (which -- believe me -- is plenty).

After a recovery week, you put away all the DVDs that came before, and start sweating to the Insanity "Max" workouts, each of which are 50 to 60 minutes long, and kick up the intensity level several notches. I'm too scared and exhausted to peek at what's coming up, but if Max Interval Circuit is any indication, these last six weeks of Round 2 are going to be utter hell.

Details after the jump...

Round 2 / Day 43: Insanity Core Cardio & Balance

At long last, it's Recovery Week!

If I were following the actual Insanity schedule (as opposed to a P90X/Insanity hybrid), I'd be doing nothing but Core Cardio & Balance all week. And you know what? That wouldn't be the worst thing in the world.

My review of Core Cardio & Balance -- after the jump.

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.

Round 2 / Day 7: Insanity Pure Cardio

It'd be an understatement to call Pure Cardio a killer workout.

Pure Cardio begins with the same so-called "warm-up" as the one featured in Plyometric Cardio Circuit: three increasingly intense cycles of Jog, Jumping Jacks, Heismans, 1-2-3 Heismans, Butt Kicks, High Knees and Mummy Kicks -- with no breaks. By the end of this ten-minute, 21-exercise sequence, your body's feeling more than just warm.

After a few minutes of deep stretching, the actual workout begins -- but not before Shaun T lets slip that he's "worried" about having to do this workout. What the fuck? How am I supposed to be able to tackle this when Shaun T gets butterflies before attempting these exercises?

This main section of Pure Cardio is only 15 minutes in length, but it's long enough to make you want to puke. During this 15-minute period, you don't stop, and there are no breaks. You just keep busting your ass until you collapse.

There are 15 moves in this section, each of which is repeated for a full minute:

• Suicide Drills (run/jump from side to side, squatting down to touch the floor each time)
• Switch Kicks (alternating jump kicks -- sort of reminiscent of a Russian Cossack dance)
• Wide Football Sprints (sprint in place with your feet wide apart, rotating and moving from side to side and front to back, then crouching down into a scrimmage-line stance before popping up to sprint in place with high knees)
• Stance Jacks (modified jumping jacks -- you squat down and twist your core, touching one hand to the ground as you jump your feet wide apart)
• Pedals (lunge with one leg, then the other, then sprint in place)
• Hooks & Jump Rope (8 hook punches followed immediately by 4 high jumps)
• Power Jacks (modified jumping jacks -- go into a wide squat as you jump your feet wide apart)
• Level 2 Drills (starting in a standing position, drop down into plank position, do 8 push-ups and 8 run lunges, then jump up to a standing position)
• Frog Jumps (starting in a low squat with hands on the floor, jump straight up and back, with your hands up in the air -- then jump forward the same way)
• Power Knees (starting in a side lunge position and your arms over your head, bring your hands down as you perform a knee kick with your back leg -- switch sides after 30 seconds)
• Mountain Climbers (high knees performed with an upper-body climbing motion)
• Ski Down (side-to-side jumps)
• Scissor Runs (scissor your legs back and forth while swinging your arms)
• Suicide Jumps (just like burpees: from a standing position, squat down with your hands on the floor, jump back to plank, do a push up, jump your feet back to your hands, jump up again)
• Push-Up Jacks (start in a traditional push-up position, but when you transition to the down position, jump your feet wide)

At one point, Shaun T goes up to one of the trainers and asks her how she's feeling. Her response: "I wanna leave."

I wish I could say that I pushed through all 15 moves without taking a breather, but I had to sneak in a few breaks during Frog Jumps and Push-Up Jacks. Still, I wasn't alone: A bunch of the onscreen fitness models had to hit their personal "pause" buttons to catch their breath. Shaun T makes a point of walking around during some of the exercises, tapping folks and telling them to "go sit down" and rest. By the end of the workout, most of the group is on the floor, exhausted. Even Shaun T is on his back.

I'm a big fan of Pure Cardio. It's tough, and (as with the other Insanity videos) Shaun T doesn't waste time with a lot of detailed instruction or introduce any modifications. But by taking breaks and scaling down the intensity level when necessary, I'm confident anyone can get through this routine and still get an awesome cardio workout. (In fact, M is sick with a cold, and never tried any Insanity DVDs before tonight, but she managed to complete Pure Cardio about an hour ago. Have I mentioned before that my wife kicks ass?)

Round 2 / Day 6: Insanity Cardio Recovery

After yesterday's double-whammy of Legs & Back (and Ab Ripper X) and a ten-mile barefoot run, it was a relief to see that I had Cardio Recovery on the schedule for this morning. A more accurate title for this DVD might be "Recovery from Cardio," as it contains absolutely no heart-rate-boosting moves whatsoever. Plus, the session's only a half-hour long, which meant I could wake up almost an hour later than usual.

I knew I would like this DVD when I saw the intro screen -- instead of showing a psycho fitness model jumping or kicking with gusto, the featured shot is of a guy who's doubled over in pain. I can't tell, though, if he's: (1) catching his breath, (2) dry heaving, or (3) trying to recover after being kicked in the balls.

More after the jump...

Round 2 / Day 4: Insanity Cardio Power & Resistance

I was dumb to think that I'd have enough energy to give 100 percent to my Insanity workout this morning after a 40-minute barefoot run. (As one particularly nasty opposing counsel in one of my old cases once wrote in a letter: "You must have overdosed on your stupid pills this morning.") Although I'm running much more slowly and carefully than I typically do in big-ass running shoes, I did attempt to increase my turnover speed, which tired me out. Plus, it's (unsurprisingly) a lot more difficult to run in the dark, frigid cold of the San Francisco Bay Area than in the wet heat of Hawaii. When my calves began to ache, I packed it up and headed home.

When I headed into my garage to pop in the Insanity Cardio Power & Resistance DVD, I actually felt pretty decent: Not too tired, kind of exhilarated, a little nervous.

But then the workout started, and once again, it was a punch to the gut.

Details after the jump.

Round 2 / Day 2: Insanity Plyometric Cardio Circuit

Based on this morning's workout, I wouldn't be entirely surprised if I ended up hospitalized sometime during my attempt to complete Insanity.

Plyometric Cardio Circuit starts with a bang. You start with a quick series of brisk jogging in place, jumping jacks, Heisman plyo moves, then some Heisman 1-2-3s (similar to the P90X Plyo Heismans with high knees, but faster), butt kicks, high knees, and mummy kicks. The sequence is repeated three times, and Shaun T demands that you push harder and faster with each iteration. After 10 minutes of this, we get a 30-second water break. At this point, I felt pretty good, until I was reminded that this was only the warm-up.

More after the jump...