Wednesday 31 October 2012

Surviving the Insanity Program


Well, my friends, it's been quite the ride.  As you may know, I jumped on the Insanity Train a few weeks ago.  Okay, more like crawled, simply because my jeans were so tight from all the chips and beer that I was pretty sure that if I swung my leg very high I would have ripped the ass out of those tight jeans! But, alas, I made friends with Shaun T and his infamous Insanity Program and I haven't looked back.

So, how has it been, you ask?

The word HELL comes to mind.

But I won't say that, I'm a coach.

Really though, it's tough, yes.  It's a real bugger at times, but nothing that has made me want to quit.  The thing is, I think that we as society have gotten used to the whole Quick Fix Life.  We watch tv and the character's problems are solved in 30 minutes or less.  We go to the movies and that unattainable love is found in under 2 hours, with a side of popcorn and a gallon of pop.  We can now buy roasts that cook in less than the time it takes to set the table, and it is a crime if we actually have to wait more than 30 seconds for our food to arrive at the table when we dine out.

So what?  You're telling me that if I want to get into the best shape of my life that A) I'm going to have to actually work for it, and B) It's going to take longer than 3 days?  I'm not sure I'm up for that!  And don't get me started on being sore!!

The thing is, getting fit and healthy takes work.  It takes commitment, and for those of us who are already down and out because our ass looks like a marshmallow on steroids, it can be hard to stay positive when you want to barf every time you hear the word "suicide drill."  Ski abs?  Are you kidding me?  I could hurl just at the thought of them.  It's easy to get so down about our current shape, that it becomes next to impossible to motivate ourselves to even try.  Maybe we've been trying for years, struggling and floundering, jumping on band wagon after band wagon, trying everything from pills to detox that the idea of trying one more thing is very hard to digest. So when we do finally start, and the workout feels like it was specifically designed to kill you (okay I'm exaggerating....a bit), it's hard to keep going, and push play the next day.  We convince ourselves that we'll never do it, this kind of workout is only for athletes, so why bother.

But, here's the deal.  I've learned a few things over the last few weeks.

1.  Yes, this workout is hard.  There is no getting around it.  But, it also produces amazing results if you stick with it, try your best, and do it on a very regular basis. It works.

2. NO ONE and I mean NO ONE actually does a great job at the workouts the first time they do it.  That's why it's a home workout program.  So others don't have to witness the grunting, the farting, the swearing--it's just not a pretty sight.  I'd be curious to know just how many times Shaun T has been told to F right off in the last few years.  I bet it's a pretty high number.  We all suck at the beginning. We all take breaks, we all struggle with the floor drills, and we all have trouble jumping like Tonya.  HOWEVER, if we stick with it, (and avoid getting hurt), over time we find that slowly but surely we get better.  We don't swear as much, we can work longer before we pretend to need a pee so we can take a break.  Our form is better, and we can actually jump higher than a can of soda.  We get stronger, and more confident.

So, do I recommend this program? Hell YES!  It's tough, but it works.  It will make you question yourself and want to cry.  But if you stick with it, you will see results, and there will be a sadistic part of you that gets hooked on it.

Trust me.

Images courtesy: Freedigitalphotos.net (David Castillo Dominici)

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