"INSANITY"

So this is what we’ve come to in the fitness industry. A nicely presented, pretty packaged DVD set that promises you the most INSANE fitness results of a lifetime. All it takes is three easy payments of $39.95, plus $24.95 shipping and handling, and you have your own private personal trainer (and fitness posse) delivered right to your doorstep.

As I joined a fellow personal trainer and dear friend of mine for my first Insanity experience, I approached with a little hesitance. She popped the DVD in and the first thing I see is Shaun T. with his jaw-dropping 8-pack staring at me. My first thought is, “Well, they found the right spokesperson. Who wouldn’t want to look like this guy? And if the rest of America thinks that they can look like him after 60 days of Insanity…why not give it a try.”

And then Shaun T. mopped the floor with me. Being someone who is in pretty good physical condition, I was close to death. This 40-minute cardio power and resistance DVD was exactly what they call it, “INSANE.” My average heart rate stayed at about 185bpm and sometimes exceeded 200 (based off the readings of my handy dandy POLAR Heart Rate Monitor). Mind you, that’s a little dangerous for your average-joe. Not to mention the many moments where I just had to STOP, catch my breath, and let me heart rate decrease. Shaun T. was killing me… and my super-fit friend.

My trainer friend is on a mission to get in the best aerobically (and anaerobic) fit condition of her life and she continues to follow ‘INSANITY’ on a daily basis. I, on the other hand, had to take almost four days off due to the fact that I couldn’t move my legs….AT ALL. I had a flashback to my former volleyball days: I could relate the kind of pain and soreness I was feeling to my first time attending volleyball camp as a sixth grader. This was no bueno.

So here it is in a nutshell: I may complain that Shaun T. kicked my butt, BUT I have returned. The workouts are tough (and there are 10 of them) and they challenge me in a way anaerobically that I would never do alone. But let me remind you: I am someone who has been a gymnast, a collegiate athlete, and continues to train utilizing heavy weights and some form of metabolic conditioning (battling ropes, KB swings, etc.) WEEKLY.

These workouts are NOT for the faint-hearted and they are surely not meant for a novice. If you are someone who is new to training, someone who has suffered an injury and is returning to training and/or someone obese and de-conditioned, DO NOT START THIS PROGRAM. It is simply NOT made for you. You will notice that everyone participating in this video is in excellent shape and even they have a hard time completing a workout without taking additional rest.

If you are one of the three red flag populations that I named above, here is what I suggest: Take at least three to six months to work with a personal trainer to get you in decent shape to start your own program with Shaun T. You need some extra eyes to help guide you safely and soundly through the basic movement patterns (squatting, pushing and pulling) before you can assure that you are doing them correctly. Trust me, we all think we can squat, pushup, and row - until you’re told you’ve been doing it wrong your whole life… and I’ve come across this scenario too many times to mention.

With all the jumping, hopping, skipping and lateral shuffling going on in these workouts there is a great deal of risk for injury. Don’t be “that guy” who gets so excited to start working out, that you workout so hard you injure yourself and then you can no longer exercise. Commit to yourself: make the investment and work with a trainer before doing this program. We all have to learn how to crawl before we can learn how to walk.