Insanity The Asylum: Shaun T’s New Program
If you are an extreme fitness fan, you might have already embarked on the 60 day Insanity workout that Beachbody and Shaun T released this last year. Insanity uses maximum interval training with very short rest periods. Shaun T created this program to use only your body weight. No equipment required except maybe a towl and mop to clean up all that sweat!
Although Insanity might be new to you, it’s been on the Beachbody work at home fitness dvd menu for quite some time now. It was released before Chalene Johnson’s Turbo Fire. Here’s a quick look at what Insanity is all about:
That makes me tired just watching that short clip! If you haven’t tried Insanity or if this is the first time you have heard of it, you can read more about this intense Beachbody workout on my Insanity page.
If you are an Insanity veteran, here’s the latest news. Beachbody and Shaun T are releasing the sequela to Insanity this winter. We’re not sure exactly when it willl be released but if you contact me and indicate your interest, I’ll be sure to let you know the day I get the release date.
The name of the new program is Insanity The Asylum, Volume I: Sports Performance. Here’s a clip from youtube of Shaun T announcing the new program.
Me and a few other coaches in our area are starting a Fit Club to workout together once per week. One of the cool things about the Fit Club is you’ll be able to try out workouts before you commit to a program. Although my coach has done Insanity and loves it, I haven’t tried Shaun T’s workouts, yet. I look forward to doing this in one of our Fit Club sessions.
Beachbody has some cool stuff lined up with the sequel to Insanity and the new P90X coming out next year, too. It’s going to be an amazing year! Are you a member of Beachbody, yet?
Roundhouse versus Side Push Kick in Turbo Workouts
aIs there a difference between the roundhouse and side push kicks in the kickboxing workouts trainer Chalene Johnson does in Turbo Jam, ChaLean Extreme, and Turbo Fire? Yes!
In the front push kick, your foot is flexed and your leg is pushing out in front of you as if you are pushing open a door. As you execute the kick, your belly is actually turned to a forty five degree angle. Your hips rotate while the kick is straight to the front.
According to Chalene, the biggest mistake people make with the front push kick is not rotating their hips. The abs and back are engaged with each kick when the kick is done with good form.
The side push kick is similar, but done to the side. You can imagine you are pushing someone away. The foot is still flexed, so if you made contact it would be with the bottom of your foot.
The roundhouse on the other hand, brings the foot around so the top of the foot slaps the object if contact is made. With the roundhouse, the toes are pointaed. With the push kick, the foot is flexed.
These tips come straight from Chalene Johnson in her Trainer Tips available only to Beachbody Club members. Traner Tips are usually videos. In this one, you can see Chalene performing these kicks and talking about the differences. The Beachbody Club membership allows exclusive access to Trainer Tips, nutrition planning and other cool benefits including a ten percent discount on all Beachbody products.
If you want to get a flavor of club membership, try out a free Beachbody account. You will not have full access to the members only areas but you can still use the online supergym to schedule your workouts and track your goals and progress.
TurboFire Day 41 Results and Review
Day 41. TurboFire still rocks! Weeks 5-8 have workout schedules that do not include high intensity interval (HIIT) workouts. I never thought I would say this, but I miss those crazy heart pounding workouts!
I did sneak in one HIIT 15 workout this week for a friend. I had talked to her about the HIIT workouts so much that she wanted to try one. It was kind of special because this friend has asthma.
She has trouble doing cardio workouts because of her physical condition. Let me paint you a better picture. This is a person who would live at the gym if she could. She is an avid weight lifter and makes sure she gets in some form of cardio a coiuple of times per week.
I remember going for a walk with my friend some ten odd years ago. She had trouble making it around a two mile track because of her asthma. Over the years, she has increased her cardio endurance and can now go about 30 minutes on a trail or teadmill.
I challenged her to try the HIIT 15 workout for two reasons. First, she has a little layer of belly fat that she cannot seem to lose. She works hard to get the muscles she has – stored fat just hides her hard work. It is a frustration felt by many gym rats who know how to pump iron but seem to struggle on the cardio side.
The second reason I wanted her to try it is the way HIIT workouts are designed. I told her that she would learn a sequence of drills like you would see on an athletic field or high school gym. The trainer, Chalene Johnson, would go through them slowly. Then, she would hear a siren and perform the sequence of exercises with as much intensity as she could push out.
The catch? The drills only last for about a minute. Then, she would get a one minute break. This pattern would continue until the cool down period. The whole workout is only 15 minutes.
It worked! Because of the short duration of the high intensity cardio, my friend was able to push herself and then, recovery in the minute that followed. HIIT workouts are supposed to burn up to 9X more fat than the traditional cardio she was trying to do despite her asthmatic condition. Maybe this is the answer to shredding out the belly fat for my friend? Maybe I can give you an update in the months to come. She is a new fan of Chalene Johnson’s TurboFire HIIT workouts.
I am sharing this experience because I am thrilled to see one of my friends benefiting from the Beachbody workouts I love so much. I must advise each and every reader to check with their doctor before starting this or any workout program. This article is not intended to suggest that if you have asthma or a similar condition that HIIT workouts are suitable for you.
TurboFire Day 2 Results and Review
I got up early today to do my Beachbody TurboFire workout. I knew that I had a full day planned because a close friend of mine was celebrating her birthday. I did not want to take the chance that I would buy into an excuse of “being too tired” to workout after a day of festivities. What I learned is the HIIT (high intensity interval training) workouts are awesome in the morning!
Day 2 of TurboFire has HIIT 15 and Stretch 10 on the workout schedule. I could hardly believe that the routine was going to be so short. Was I really going to get anything out of it?
Chalene shows you how to do a series of moves. Then, you go through them at a faster, higher intensity. Then, you rest. Repeat a couple of times and then, she moves on to the next series of moves. Poof! Before you know it, you are done. Cooling off. Stretching. Enjoying the rush.
I never cared for cardio classes at the gym. It seemed like I could never quite keep up. I wondered if people were staring at me. I felt a little slow when I did not quite get a move right or was a little behind. One of the key differences between a class at the gym and TurboFire classes? TurboFire allows you to be at your level and progress at your own pace. As I mentioned previously, I cannot jump like the participants on the dvd, but I sure do give it my all.
I am doing well with the nutrition plan. Yes, I did have some birthday cake and get a little off track because of the day’s festivities. Chalene would say to go ahead and enjoy a little decadence if you want, but make sure you adjust your caloric equation somewhere to account for it. I think I did ok. I am hoping I can still reach my one week goal of losing one pound.
Hey, I know one pound per week does not sound like a lot. I want to watch it go slowly and see it stay off. I want to say I lost twenty pounds with TurboFire and kept if off for a year…or ten. Keep pressing play, and thank you for joining me on my Turbo Fire journey.
TurboFire Fire 55 EZ Show Up for Class!
I think Chalene Johnson started off day one of the 5 Day Inferno Plan, a kick start plan for TurboFire, with a sense of humor and to weed out those who are not ready to commit by putting the Fire 55 EZ class as the first workout in the program.
Hey guys, think EZ means “easy”? Think again! I think it must mean somthing more like Everthing in Chalene’s arsenal including the ZigZag! You are going to get a full body workout folks, including your abs an core. As a matter of fact, I do get the “Fire” part of the title. My obliques and upper back muscles are on fire every time I do this routine. I am sure this is due to the cross punches, kicks, and other exercises designed to workout your upper and lower body at the same time while keeping your heart rate working like you are sweating on an elliptical.
I had to practice mental toughness to even push play on what was an intimidating title for me. I wondered how I would ever be able to make it for 55 minutes of Chalene’s cardio. Afterall, thirty minutes in ChaLean Extreme made me pretty happy. Ok, I got over the time issue and pressed play.
What was the hardest part? For me, the hardest part is the Jack and Jump combo. This will be my challenge for the duration of the program I am sure. I never did quite get comfortable getting airborne with Jump Tucks in P90X. Alas, I wasn’t born a frog. My jumping isn’t pretty but I do my best.
I was surprised by the Fire Drills that were thrown in to the routine. I was not expecting that. I guess this is kind of an introduction to the HIIT workouts. It amazes me how fast the Fire Drills go and how hard I am breathing when they are done. Chalene is good at keeping you focused and pushing if you are there to win.
The easiest part of Fire 55 EZ was I was familar with most of Chalene’s training moves. She has definitely taken her training to new heights. I was also surprised that the last twenty five minutes of this fitness routine is less agressive. You will be tired, so you still have to push yourself and practice mental toughness, but because it slows down a little…you keep going because you know you can make it through to the end.
My advice for this workout? Just show up for class! If you come to class, you will make it through and benefit from energy of your workout partners. Yes, you will start looking for your friends in class. You will get to know them and maybe even try to keep up with one or two of them. Challenge yourself. Keep pressing play!
