Insanity: Max 30 Journey Day 46 - Max Out Strength

During the course of two months, I'd like to take you into my journey as I strive to retain a healthy lifestyle through a healthy balanced nutrition program and Beachbody trainer extraordinaire -- and Men's Health cover man -- Shaun T's brand new workout regimen Insanity Max 30.

Day 46: Max Out Strength

After a day of late-night fury and anger in the form of Max Out Sweat, I decided, "Why not do my strength workout first thing in the morning?"

I love to challenge myself in whichever way possible, and, even though it wasn't a sound decision, I went with it. Frankly, every time the alarm goes off is its own experience in itself. Will I get up? Will I hit snooze? All I know is when my body says, "Do it!" I jump up and do it. Today, my body was all for it.

If Max 30 is all about just making the slightest of improvements, this was the one time where I literally made the most minimal of improvements. Well, I did spare myself a second, but it was the worst improvement in my second month. My Max Out Time today was at 13:25, two seconds better than a week ago.

If Shaun T says he is just looking for at least a one-second improvement from workout to workout, I'll take it. Being so early in the morning, I'm stiff, it takes a little longer to warm up, so I don't know how it would have been had I waited to workout later in the day. All I know is I got through the workout and I don't look back.

My biggest issue with this workout has always been the pushups. It's literally five pushup moves in a row. I'm going to max out no matter how you look at it -- whether I crash to the floor or I just take a nano-second break. Forty-five seconds of pushups is not easy to do just on its on accord. Compound that with 45 seconds on, 15 seconds off and times that by five. How do you do?

I'm not making excuses. I'm frustrated with my inability to get through that second sequence and I want -- nay, need -- to get past it to make me feel like I achieved something with this routine. I have one more shot at it. If I don't succeed, hopefully I improve. Then I'll keep doing the workout until I do get through. At that point, I'll check in with you all and let you know how I did it and how many times it took me to succeed. (That should be a fun challenge.)

Meanwhile, I got through the workout without hitting a Weep Time, unless you consider my Max Out Time and Weep Time simultaneous, which today, it felt like. I'll give myself the benefit of the doubt on this one. I got one more HUGE challenge left in the week before transitioning to the fourth and final week of Month 2 -- and the last week of the Max 30 journey. Next up: Friday Fight: Round 2

Recap

Workout:               Max Out Strength

Max Out Time:     13:26
Weep Time:           30:00 (Can't get any better than that)

Weekly Weigh-in:   Stay tuned for Day 50 of the journey

Monthly Photo:       Stay tuned for Day 60 of the journey