Insanity Question: Pure Cardio

[Afreet]

Hi all y'all Insanity People:

I have Insanity, and I've done the first three workouts. Today's workout is "Pure Cardio". I haven't had time to preview it, so I'm doing it as soon as I get home today! I've heard that it's the toughest workout on the first month's rotation - anyone done it?

How'd it go? What was it like?

 

[fit44]

I've done it. It's a string of exercises that you do for a full minute, moving on to the next without any recovery breaks. Boy, you'll learn to appreciate the 30 second breaks in the other workouts. They seem like a vacation after Pure Cardio....but don't let me scare you or anything

I will say that some of the one minute exercises are toned down so your heart rate can come down a beat or two. I thought that was mighty nice of Mr.Shaun T.

I wanted to add.....the good news is that it's the shortest workout in the first month. I think there is a max version of this one. I don't want to look at it!!!!

 

[fitme40]

I just did this one this morning. It was a great sweatfest but believe it or not...I wish it would have been longer!! The true workout, after the warm up and stretches is only about 18 minutes if I'm remembering correctly. As Fit44 said there are some less intense moves which definitely helps. In all of the Insanity workouts I've done so far I'm good at the standing moves but when I have to get down on the floor I really have to "dig deeper". I was pleased that I was able to get through all of it with no breaks. So far the Insanity workouts have made me feel really good about my fitness level

 

[Afreet]

No breaks?? Sheesh!

I'm excited to try it, though. The short duration of these workouts REALLY helps to eliminate the dread factor. Those fit-looking people dropping to their knees in a puddle of sweat are NOT faking it - this series is brutal!

 

[Afreet]

I just did this one this morning. It was a great sweatfest but believe it or not...I wish it would have been longer!! The true workout, after the warm up and stretches is only about 18 minutes if I'm remembering correctly. As Fit44 said there are some less intense moves which definitely helps. In all of the Insanity workouts I've done so far I'm good at the standing moves but when I have to get down on the floor I really have to "dig deeper". I was pleased that I was able to get through all of it with no breaks. So far the Insanity workouts have made me feel really good about my fitness level

I've noticed the same thing - that the warm-up and stretch take about half of the actual workout. I suppose this is "true" HIIT (or HITT, or whatever) - the workout that is supposed to be so difficult you can't do more than about 20 minutes or so.

I've been tacking on a little steady-state cardio or kettlebells to each workout.

 

[fit44]

So far the Insanity workouts have made me feel really good about my fitness level

Same here! I mean they are really hard and I'm red in the face-drenched when I'm done, but I feel super charged like I accomplished something.
Your post reminded me that Pure Cardio has the push-up jacks on the end

 

[fit44]

The short duration of these workouts REALLY helps to eliminate the dread factor. Those fit-looking people dropping to their knees in a puddle of sweat are NOT faking it - this series is brutal!

ITA!!
I need the first month of shorter workouts just to build up to the 50 minute workouts in the 2nd phase Right now the 40 minute workouts are kicking my butt!

 

[Afreet]

ITA!!
I need the first month of shorter workouts just to build up to the 50 minute workouts in the 2nd phase Right now the 40 minute workouts are kicking my butt!

First of all: Thanks to you two for answering my question!

I agree with your posts above- I really DO feel energized for the rest of my day, instead of depleted and achy. I expected things to be much worse, as I collapsed in an exhausted heap after the first workout - but I recovered after a few minutes and felt great for the rest of the day. I also REALLY push myself, since I know I don't have to keep it up for very long. I will be interested to see if I'm really prepared for those 50-minute workouts next month .

At least they're not boring!

 

[fitme40]

Today I added on CLX Burn Intervals(doing some Insanity drills during the weight segments) after the Pure Cardio since I felt like I needed to do more. Those push up jacks are no fun. Just curious, when he starts to go faster do you stick with full pushups or just the little up,down up, down faster pushups? Today I did a combo of both.

 

[fitme40]

Oops... those aren't the push up jacks. What is it when you do the 4 push ups then jump up? The burpees I guess. That is the one I'm curios about.

 

[fit44]

Just curious, when he starts to go faster do you stick with full pushups or just the little up,down up, down faster pushups? Today I did a combo of both.

When the speed picks up, I do partial push-ups. I'm usually tired by that time so half push-ups are all I can muster out. Kudos to you for doing both. Slowing down to do full range takes a lot of energy!

 

[atiman]

What audience is BB trying to target? This sounds like you must be extremely fit to pick up this program. I wonder how many beginners or intermediate exercisers purchase this and realise this it too much for them.
I haven't seen the commercial for this product. How fit do you need to be?

 

[fit44]

I've been tacking on a little steady-state cardio or kettlebells to each workout.

I'm really glad to read this. I've been tacking on Cathe's 4DS before my Insanity workouts and a few people on the VF are calling me an amazon warrior. I feel weird because I do not have a problem adding on. I think the 4DS is just the right amount of weight training. I'm not exhausted after my workouts. My body is not in pain and sometimes later in the day my energy is so ramped up I feel like I could jump on my elliptical!

 

[Afreet]

I'm really glad to read this. I've been tacking on Cathe's 4DS before my Insanity workouts and a few people on the VF are calling me an amazon warrior. I feel weird because I do not have a problem adding on. I think the 4DS is just the right amount of weight training. I'm not exhausted after my workouts. My body is not in pain and sometimes later in the day my energy is so ramped up I feel like I could jump on my elliptical!

I admit, when I first read that you planned to combine either 4DS or Meso 3 with Insanity, I thought that sounded a leetle bit crazy. But now that I've done a few of the workouts, I totally get it.

The workouts are ultra-intense, but once you're through them, adding on is really not that hard.

I really like kettlebells as an add-on. I've been thinking that Lauren Brooks' 12-minute routine would be great to add once before and once after!

I think the 4DS weight work in advance sounds good - my lower body is getting thrashed by Shaun T, but my upper body feels a little neglected. And I always liked the 4DS workouts...hmmm...

Then again, I don't think there's anything wrong with being an Amazon warrior!

 

[sancho]

Today I added on CLX Burn Intervals(doing some Insanity drills during the weight segments) after the Pure Cardio since I felt like I needed to do more. Those push up jacks are no fun. Just curious, when he starts to go faster do you stick with full pushups or just the little up,down up, down faster pushups? Today I did a combo of both.

I stick with full pushups, but I don't get them all in. I probably do about half of them when we get to the 3rd round. No particular reason, just my preference in the moment.

 

[HaveFun]

I really like kettlebells as an add-on. I've been thinking that Lauren Brooks' 12-minute routine would be great to add once before and once after!

That sounds like a good option, also - love Lauren Brooks kbs. I just did the Fit Test this morning, while my #s were not spectacular I'm looking forward to my cardio improvement. DH has decided to do the program and actually did the FT at 4:30am with me. My #s were better than his, but in his defense he is not used to working out in the wee hours It was also a little distracting having DH putter out before me. However, I don't think that the people in the video collapsing will affect me since I will probably already be on the floor especially with no breaks in Pure Cardio - LOL

 

[fit44]

I think the 4DS weight work in advance sounds good - my lower body is getting thrashed by Shaun T, but my upper body feels a little neglected. And I always liked the 4DS workouts...hmmm...

Then again, I don't think there's anything wrong with being an Amazon warrior!

I must admit, I've reconsidered meso 3 -at least with the recommended insanity rotation. 4DS is just the right amount of weight training for me now.
I'm thinking I'll switch to Cross train express for weeks 3&4. I'm thinking I'll switch to morning Insanity- evening weights in the 2nd phase. I may change my mind.
If I use insanity with Meso 3 it will be on my off weight days. I plan to do the 60 day recommended rotation once a year for summer leaning out.

 

[pugw]

What audience is BB trying to target? This sounds like you must be extremely fit to pick up this program. I wonder how many beginners or intermediate exercisers purchase this and realise this it too much for them.
I haven't seen the commercial for this product. How fit do you need to be?

The advertisement for these w/os makes it clear that these are difficult and even states that they're probably the hardest w/os put on DVD. I think anyone purchasing them should know this going in.

I have them. I'm 50, carrying about 15 lbs more than I desire and would never be called a cardio queen. But I can get through them. I can't go as fast as most of the young people in these go. And my w/u usually speeds up very little but I still get a great w/o. They are definitely doable and I think there's always a way to modify if you want to.

Sometimes I find that having to modify too much increases the dread factor of the w/o though. I feel like I might not be getting the intended benefits. Anyway, I've done the first week of the rotation and the Max Circuit disc from the second month so far and have liked each of them. I'm not finding that I have to modify so much that it changes the entire w/o. I think they will be great for increasing my cardio capacity. I don't think I'll do the rotation as they suggested. It is a lot of high impact and I'm not so sure how my old knees would like this. But I'm not sorry I purchased them and will incorporate them into my cardio days. They're fun actually. And I really like Shaun T.