That should be Insanity's new slogan.
After failing miserably at my mid-years resolution to wake up at 5:45 every morning to hit the gym before going to work--if you remember my extremely long list of obstacles I would have had to overcome in order to be successful, I overcame a total of zero--I had to take another approach: working out after work (in the evening, when God intended) but before getting home. I found that once I was home, there wasn't any way I was going to leave again now that it's getting cold and dark at approximately 5:23.
Maybe my solution was a bit presumptuous, and I really think I have gone quite insane, but it's working.
For those of you who live under a rock and haven't yet heard of Shaun T's complete body fitness program, fittingly dubbed "Insanity", I invite you to Google it... and be amazed.
Who in their right mind would do such a thing?
Me. At least I was in my right mind when I resolved to give it a try.
Through the grapevine at work I heard that a few girls were getting together after work to give it a whirl, and after struggling to get myself to the gym even one day a week, I thought this would be the perfect solution: I workout before even leaving work. Genius!
Admittedly, I don't think I gave the program the respect it deserved. I thought, "heck! I work out, or at least I did. I'll be fine and this way I'll get back into my routine."
Ignorant (maybe this should be, arrogant) assumption No. 1: I work out.
Making it down to the gym one day a week when the weather is warm and sunny, running only 25 minutes before stretching, doing 10 repetitions with some dumbbells, then opting instead to return for dinner, doesn't constitute working out. That has been my routine for about 3 months now.
Ignorant assumption No. 2: I'll be fine.
No joke: I came as close to collapsing as ever in my life after just the warm up. And then, it got harder. By the time I left on that first day, my legs were shaking so badly I had to wait a minute before I could drive. Surprisingly though, after that first day I could still walk and my muscles weren't as sore as I had expected them to be... and then the cockiness set back in.
On day two we did the plyometrics circuit. By that afternoon my muscles were feeling much more fatigued and in hindsight I probably should have opted out of the workout, gone home, taken some glutamine and rested, which is exactly what I didn't do. Picture this: a not-all-that athletic white girl with fatigued muscles trying to squat, jump and basically just move in any way. By the time I made it home, I knew there was no hope of me walking the next day. As much as I tried to stretch that evening, I wanted nothing more than to sit and not move, which is exactly what I did do.
The following morning, it took me three tries to get out of bed. I couldn't stand the pain of making my muscles stretch to a standing point. How I made it to work, and through work, is beyond me. I chickened out of Insanity for the next two days and the weekend (maybe chickened out isn't the correct description here, I literally could not move), but come Monday I was ready and raring to go. And from there it has gradually gotten easier. In only two weeks I have seen my stamina increase, I've already lost an inch in my hips, and I only want to collapse half-way through the warm-up instead of a minute into it.
This workout is truly the most insane thing I've done in terms of fitness, but I am thoroughly enjoying it. While the other girls one do it twice a week, I'm there every day it is offered. I even did it at home alone one evening (but won't be trying that again).
Insanity is definitely something to add to your bucket list, but trust me on this one: do it with friends. Otherwise there is no hope of keeping yourself motivated for the insanity that will, without doubt, ensue.
