Insanity: Max 30 Journey Day 53 - 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 53: Max Out Strength

It's been hot all week, so the short-term goal I had remained to workout in the early morning hours because it's too unbearable with the heat to workout in the late afternoon.

That didn't happen today.

No fret, I just shifted my day a little bit; got everything done I was scheduled to do; and scheduled the workout for around 8:30 p.m. when all my to-do list items were wrapped up. Nearing the end of the day can get a little dicey, so I took some Energy and Endurance formula about 30 to 45 minutes beforehand to get me going.

If you don't remember, my secondary short-term goal this final week of Insanity: Max 30 was to get a Max Out Time that exceeded my best time from the prior weeks. For Max Out Strength, that time was 14:25, completed in Day 46.

As always, the warmup and first sequence for the Power and Strength routines have become no sweat. (I don't want you to think they are easy to me; they are not. But my ticker isn't shooting all the way into the red zone; it's more in the yellow-orange area.)

Things got extra challenging in the second sequence, which was all upper body. Much like my challenges that I had to overcome to best my previous Max Out Time in Max Out Power, the same could be said for this workout. I was having the toughest time getting through the pushup round.

Today, with heat still emanating from the sun into the house, I was dripping with sweat pretty bad. All I had in my head was, "Get past that 14:25!"

And, what has come to work for me for many years that I recommend if you don't do it already, is pacing, breathing and form. I concentrate on all three, tightening up my core; breathe in when my muscles are not in use; exhale when they are being used; and slow down. It works. It's not easier, it's just my mind-over-body technique.

I got past the pushups and into the third sequence, which is where I hit a wall. My Max Out Time surpassed last week's by more than seven minutes though. I dropped to a knee at 21 minutes, 50 seconds. And, as I continue to get stronger, my Weep Time has gone away.

The final eight minutes or so were a relative breeze after the fact. I pushed it to the limit and took mini breaks to maximize the efficiency of each move. It was another successful, goal-achieving day. Next up: Friday Fight: Round 2 (The Final Workout)

Recap

Workout:               Max Out Strength

Max Out Time:     21:50
Weep Time:           30:00 (Can't get any better than that)

Weekly Weigh-in:   Stay tuned for Day 60 of the journey

Monthly Photo:       Stay tuned for Day 60 of the journey

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

Insanity: Max 30 Journey Day 39 - 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 39: Max Out Strength

I know I say it all the time, but why? Why in god's name do you, Shaun T, have to sequence so many pushup moves in a row? For that matter, why are all the sequences (of high-intensity moves, no less) focusing on the same muscle regions?

This was my dilemma during my early-morning Max Out Strength workout.

I definitely had more energy than I have had in the past few days,  but that doesn't mean my ability to avoid maxing out was any easier. Warm up for four and a half minutes then go right into the first sequence of nothing but squat and lunge hop moves. Shaun T was courteous enough to provide a water break (which we had to run to our water) around the 11-minute mark.

Then, the dreaded pushup sequence. OK. Thanks. I'm decent at pushups if I go pushups-pullup-pushup or even pushup-squat-pushup. However, to do pushup-pushup-pushup-pushup-pushup water break ... my body just doesn't care too much for that. Please, tell me how your body reacts to that.

Of course, in the midst of all those pushups, my body hit the floor with a Max Out Time of 13:23 -- a slight improvement from last week's Max Out Strength.

To compound my shoulders and triceps burning from all the pushups, after the break, we focused on the core, which the first three 45-second moves were in a crab position (as if we were ready to do tricep dips). First were switch-kicks, then leg raise toe taps, then knee up knee taps. My arms had about enough of that!

We wrapped up with a combination of moves and thankfully it came to an end.

Wow. This stuff really works. The only way you can say you mastered this workout is if you go through the whole thing, at 100 percent, and never max out. I can't imagine being able to do that. So there's always room to push a little harder, for that extra second, extra minute. What a beautiful thing -- that I hate so much. Speaking of hating so much, next up: Friday Fight: Round 2

Recap

Workout:               Max Out Strength

Max Out Time:    13:23
Weep Time:           30:00 (I actually made it through in utter silence)

Weekly Weigh-in:   Stay tuned for Day 43 of the journey

Monthly Photo:       Stay tuned for Day 60 of the journey

Insanity: Max 30 Journey Day 32 - 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 32: Max Out Strength

A lot of times people may wonder why we all want to be healthy -- exercise, eat right, take care of ourselves in general -- and every story is different. For me, I just want to  be able to kick a soccer ball around, or toss a baseball/softball, with my daughter and not feel like I need a break after each kick or throw.

I'd like to be healthy enough to stay alive and take care of my family and watch her grow up and become an adult and start her own family and the only way that's going to happen is if I take care of myself now.

So as I embarked on Max Out Strength, I was hoping to continue my pursuit of my goal all the while improving from Max Out Sweat, which was a beast I dare not think of until next Wednesday. I did OK, overall. Nothing spectacular, but I got through the 30 minutes. My Max Out Time was a hair over 12 minutes, clocking in at 12:06 to be exact.

It's not that this was as challenging as yesterday's workout but the sequence in which the moves are done is what gets me every time. How I am supposed to go through that sequence of pushup moves -- 45 seconds on; 15 seconds off -- is beyond me. Hopefully by Week 8 I'm going through them with ease!

After maxing out, and getting through the upper body/pushup sequence, there was a variety sequence of core, plyo, etc. That's when my mini trainer came in and introduced me to some toys that may help me do an ab move ... 

While that really didn't help me get through the move, it certainly took some of the pain away. She really helped me avoid having that dreaded Weep Time I aspire to avoid. Thanks!

And, while I'm working out and helping myself, the little one is getting some good nuggets of knowledge from me:
Papa: Where are you putting your toy?
Penny: Eye!
Papa: And what color is the toy?
Penny: Ellow!

And I'd like to think that her watching me workout is subconsciously slipping into her brain that it's OK to live a healthy lifestyle and be happy while doing it too.
 
I am pretty sure her curiosity got the best of her as she watched me dig deep and get through the workout. At the end, she decided to join me ...

I had a little stretch partner as I cooled down from the heat I worked up during the strength workout. And to cap off the workout, my little trainer was proud of me.

Even through I was dripping in goop, she decided to come in an give me a high five -- which if you're keeping count at home, and of course, I am, is four times now. Makes me happy every time.



 


All in all it was a great day on the workout front -- both physically and emotionally. I got through another day of my journey and I got some powerful encouragement along the way. I will use that as I attempt to wrap up Week 5 (the first of Month 2). Next Up: Friday Fight: Round 2.

Recap

Workout:               Max Out Strength

Max Out Time:      12:06
Weep Time:           30:00

Weekly Weigh-in:   Stay tuned for Day 36 of the journey

Monthly Photo:       Stay tuned for Day 60 of the journey