Round 3 / Day 89: Insanity Max Interval Circuit

I admit it: I cheated today during Max Interval Circuit. Instead of repeating the circuits three times each, I only did 'em twice.

And yet the workout was still crazy-hard.

(Thankfully, this was the last "Max" Insanity session of Round 3; I'm not sure I could have handled many more.)

Round 3 / Day 54: Insanity Max Interval Circuit

After being cooped up in the car for the long drive home from L.A., my five-year-old gamely kicked and punched his way through his martial arts class, and M dutifully attended her cardio kickboxing class.

Me? I popped in my Max Interval Circuit DVD and almost killed myself. I think I'm going to pass out. (Good thing it's bedtime.)

Round 3 / Day 19: Insanity Max Interval Circuit + RKC Get-Ups

I just ate like a big pig (one that enjoys ceviche, guacamole and steak), but at least I burned some calories earlier today by jumping up and down like a crazy person. And although I'm not scheduled to do Get-Ups until tomorrow, I knocked 'em out before I left home this morning, figuring that there aren't going to be kettlebells at the fitness center in my hotel.

Round 3 / Day 12: Insanity Max Interval Plyo

That was hard. Not a fan of Power Push-Ups or Level 3 Drills.

Round 2 / Day 86: Insanity Max Interval Circuit

I didn't think I'd ever be able to say this, but I'm starting to get the hang of this workout.

This doesn't mean I don't sweat buckets -- and I mean BUCKETS -- during Max Interval Circuit, but I'm proud to announce that I'm able to get through the hour of vein-popping cardio without taking any extra breaks or vomiting even a little bit. Success!

Round 2 / Day 79: Insanity Max Interval Circuit

I've discovered that it's kind of difficult to do Power Strikes when your five-year-old son decides to plop down directly underneath you. Also extra-challenging? Attempting Push-Up Jacks when your little boy decides to "help out" by shoving down on your butt.

Round 2 / Day 72: Insanity Max Interval Circuit

Well before I was done with my morning session of Max Interval Circuit, I set up for Full-Body Drills by getting down into a plank position, and a stream of sweat spilled onto the mat. It was like I had a spigot on my forehead, and someone turned it on full blast. It was at once awesome and super-disgusting.

Round 2 / Day 65: Insanity Max Interval Circuit

My lower back's felt a little stiff for a couple of days, which I've attributed to crazily jumping around barefoot on a concrete garage floor with minimal padding. Today, I finally heeded M's advice to pull out our super-thick, padded gymnastics mat to help cushion my landings during Max Interval Circuit. It certainly helped -- my back's a lot happier today, and I was able to get through the entire workout without taking any unscheduled breaks.

Still, I can't help but feel a little guilty for allowing myself that much extra support. Plus, my ankles are less likely to roll on a more stable surface. Today was a nice respite from the usual pounding, but I'll likely be mothballing the gymnastics mat again, and going back to my Manduka.

Round 2 / Day 60: Insanity Max Interval Plyo

Holy hell.

During the last twenty minutes or so of Max Interval Plyo, I seriously felt like keeling over. My last few sets of exercises were ugly.

Also, I'm an idiot for scheduling this for the day immediately following a P90X Chest, Shoulders & Triceps session. With Squat Push-Ups, One-Legged V Push-Ups, Power Push-Ups, Level 3 Drills, Side Push-Ups and Balance Push-Ups all crammed into today's workout, I'm surprised my chest didn't implode. Looks like I'm going to have to tweak my P90X/Insanity hybrid schedule (again).

Round 2 / Day 58: Insanity Max Interval Circuit

Yeesh. Shaun T's not messing around with the "Max" workout series. I'm sure I've lost several gallons of sweat this past week. Today, my goal was to try to complete the full hour of Max Interval Circuit without taking any unscheduled breaks, but I had to take a couple of breathers during my final set of Side Suicide Jumps, slumping/sloshing in a pool of perspiration. To quote Shaun T quoting Gwen Stefani, "this shit is bananas."

Still, I feel like I'm slowly but surely getting better at this. There's no way in hell I would have made it through this workout (alive) just a few months ago. Now, I'm able to do things I never could before. And there are a bunch of moves I'm genuinely enjoying: Pedal / Power Lunges, Floor Switch Kicks, Full Body Drills. Shaun T's still kicking my ass right now, but by the end of Round 2, I fully intend to kick some ass of my own.

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 49: Insanity Core Cardio & Balance (+ A Preview of Max Interval Circuit)

Last night, we had dinner at Contigo, and ordered everything on the menu. And by "everything," I really mean it -- we were told by the chef/owner (a friend of my sister-in-law's) that we were only the second party ever to order literally every single item on the menu in one sitting.

(My photo of the pollo frito -- olive oil fried chicken with cabbage, apple & walnut salad -- just one of about 25 dishes we ate, not counting dessert.)

Naturally, I had a little extra motivation to exercise this morning. After finishing my scheduled session of Core Cardio & Balance, I decided to try out the Insanity Max Interval Circuit DVD as well. I won't spoil the surprise -- my review of this mind- and body-numbing piece of hell will be posted later in the week -- but I worked my ass off. An hour and forty minutes after beginning my early morning workout, I was ready to go back to bed.

Still, I have no regrets about last night's bacchanalia. An occasional fantastic meal is worth the extra calories -- even if it means having to take extraordinary measures to torch those calories off. (It's Number 5 on my list of five food rules.)