Mix It Up Video: PLYO Plie with a Bicep Curl

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Trainer Momma Video: Lower Body, Weightless Workout

Find the "Print It, Use It" that corresponds to this workout here.

Yum.  You are going to love this one :)

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Mix It Up Video: Frog Jumps

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Mix It Up Video: Fast Drop Squats

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Insanity: I Met My Match

The Trainer Momma 

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Back to business:

In an attempt to support the Doc in his weight loss endeavors (40 lbs and counting!) and to be utterly romantic, I purchased the home workout program "Insanity" from www.beachbody.com (the same company that gave us P90X). 






Insanity boasts to be the hardest workout on DVD.  I knew Insanity would be challenging, and would give it the high five it deserves for definitely being the toughest workout out on DVD that I've personally done.

Here's my run down of the strengths and weaknesses of Insanity:

Strengths:

-  Plyometrics galore.

-  Interval training galore.

-  Sent my heart rate racing -- nothing is better.

-  It is like the hardest stinkin' class you've ever been to at the gym.  Times 10.

-  The entire workout does engage the core BIG TIME.

-  I loved all the stretching.

 -  Loved the nutrition info it sent as well as the booklet of simple recipes all around 300 calories.  I wished there were even more recipe ideas.

-  You are put through a Fit Test at the beginning, middle, and end to mark your progress.  Great idea.

Weaknesses:

-  LACK OF VARIETY. The. Same. Every. Day.
-  Not well balanced.  The program boasted that weights aren't needed, using your body weights does the trick.  Insanity has a bajillion push ups and does touch on the shoulders -- but the poor back, triceps and biceps are completely neglected. 

-  No weight training.  This was a huge leap for me to set my weights aside for 9 weeks.  However, full disclosure here:  I did lift once a week to work on my totally neglected biceps, triceps, and back. 

Results:

-  I have dropped 6 lbs while using Insanity.  However, I've watched my nutrition like a hawk, so don't really feel Insanity is the reason for the weight loss, but it definitely did support my efforts.

-  My body fat % stayed the same.  This was a relief since there were no weights lifted regularly for 2 months.  

-  I can do push ups in my sleep thanks to the never ending sets of them day after day.

-  I feel like my cardiovascular endurance has improved.  That is exciting.

-  I went back to the gym today and all the weights I lifted had to be increased.  I was surprised -- yippee!

-  I feel like my core and abs were noticeably strengthened.

This is insane me at the conclusion of one of my Insanity workouts, insanely exhausted.

So, in the end I was glad to see this program end.  I determined that the name "Insanity" is not really from the crazy hard workouts (although they are that) but from doing the same freakin' workout day after day for 9 long weeks.  The Doc would ask me, "What DVD do we have today?" to which I'd respond, "Does it matter?"  Yes, it does come with 10 different CD's, but they truly are all pretty much the same.  Tons of jumping and tons of pushups.  And Shaun T and the rest of his Insanites showing us their abs at every opportunity.

I would suggest Insanity to the intermediate or advanced athlete; this is NOT for beginners.  Also, commit to doing the program one time through, it's worth it.  However, don't throw it in the fireplace afterward (I nearly did), but hang onto it.  This is a fantastic resource for home.  It would be a great workout to throw in once or twice a week for your cardio.   However, it is definitely not a long term workout solution.  It is very hard on the body and terribly monotonous.

I drove to back to the gym to resume my normal workouts this morning.  I must say, despite it being 5:30 AM, it felt fantastic to be home :) Thanks, Insanity and Shaun T -- I'll see you around every now and then, but for now I'm glad to be back to my beloved weights and plethora of cardio choices.  YUM.

Again, I am in no way being compensated for writing this post for Insanity or www.beachbody.com. I just write about my experiences what I believe works and what doesn't.

Hey, Fit Mommas!  Have any of you out there done or thought of doing Insanity?  What are your thoughts about this?

Trainer Momma Tutorial: Jump Squats

Plyometrics -- HUH?!?

I've been posting some workouts lately and you will notice that I throw in a little bit of crazy here and there. The technical term for that hard, jumping stuff is called plyometrics. This is a word that is becoming more and more familiar to those of us working out. You are going to see it regularly here at Trainer Momma™, so I'd better explain a few things.

I apologize for the blinding, white legs. They are hopeless.

What is plyometrics?

When I see plyo moves, I see explosive power. BAM! Plyometrics is also termed as jump training, and is used to improve your overall fitness performance. It links strength with speed. The point is to produce the greatest amount of force in the shortest amount of time. Can I say the word POWER once again? If plyo is used correctly in your fitness routine, it can help you run faster, jump higher, run farther, spin faster, swim better -- basically bring you to new levels of fitness.

The bonus benefits from using plyometrics are:

1. Your heart rate will skyrocket. You will be able to burn some additional calories while strength training.
2. Built some serious strength.
3. Get the same benefits of an interval workout.

Who should use plyo?

YOU! Even if you aren't some super-de-duper athlete, plyo is still for you. Yes, this type of exercise has traditionally been used for athletes to help them improve in their specific sport, but certainly the benefits can be shared. It's time to bring what athletes have been doing for decades into our weekly workouts. Share the pain love!

If you are in the Bad Knees Club, then start will modified moves. Instead of a jump squat, change it to a stand to squat. Modifications are totally appropriate and open the plyometric door to all of us.

How do I use plyo moves in my workout?

Throw plyo moves into your strength training routines. When you do the Trainer Momma workouts, you'll see I typically throw in 2 or 3 plyometric moves into each workout. Just like we try to progress with our strength training (going up in weights), plyo can and should be built upon as well. If you can do, let's say, 15 jump squats and are feeling fine, then it's time to up it to 20. Moving onward and upward, right?

Also, to mix things up occasionally, sometimes I will do an entire workout consisting of only plyo moves. It is a killer, but challenging every time.

What are some examples of plyometric moves?

On Trainer Momma, I will start posting more tutorial videos and demos of plyo moves. Just like the weights, form is muy importante. Some have self-explanatory names, others are not so lucid (thus the upcoming demo videos). But, if you want to start throwing them in your workouts today -- here's a few off the top of my head:

jump squats
frog jumps
mountain climbers
fast step-ups
burpees
high knee runs
plyo pushups
tuck jumps
split squat jumps
box jumps
lateral box jumps
pogo stick
up and over's on a bench
air jumping jacks
bounding
hurdle jumps
lateral hurdle jumps
donkey kicks
The list is endless...

Check out this link for a cute, little animated man doing some plyo.

Trainer Momma tips:

• Have good shoes. There is jumping involved. Throw away the shoes from the college days, it's time to get a little support down there.

• Do plyo on an even surface. No jump squats on the side of a mountain with sliding rocks under you, OK :)

• Land light! You are a ballerina here. Pull in your abs and try to make your landings silent.

• Land on the balls of your feet.

• As Tony Horton would say, "THINK LIKE A CAT!"

Full Body Workout -- Print It, Use It!

Want a personal trainer? Well, you've got one!

Another round of requests have lovingly come from many you wanting more workouts. Like real workouts. An actual program to take with you to the gym. So, I thought I'd throw one at you occasionally.

The trick/frustration is that I can't be there to demonstrate everything or explain my lingo. As you know, I am a stickler for form -- thus the tutorials that I post (see here). My clients can attest that some of the most effective moves I give are a little -- um -- unconventional (sometimes a bit embarrassing... I have no shame). Yes, you will look ridiculous doing many of these things. Put your vanity on the shelf for a while, because we are going for results.

Please, just shoot your questions and needs for clarifications my way. This is still in the rough stages, but I will work over time to make these programs user-friendly.

Nothing ever stays the same with me, so I'll just start with a basic full body workout. Do this once a week, and supplement twice more with your own lifting routines and cardio (of course!). Do this for 4-6 weeks, then its time to put it away, save it, and start something new.

**Important note: The weights listed on the workout are just a suggested starting point (or maybe something to work up to). This is the average of where most of my female clients lie -- but definitely NOT the ceiling.

Also, this program is designed for a gym setting. For those of you Fit Mommas pumping iron at home, don't be afraid to modify as necessary. I'll try to cater to both groups as time goes on.

Instructions:
Print the document by clicking on "Print" in the upper bar.
To see a visual example on most (not all) of the exercises, click on the name of the move and it will link you.
I have scoured the internet to find what I'm looking for -- these are the closest I can find.
Keep them in a notebook.... There are more to come!
Track your progress.
Shelf them for a while, come back to them.

Trainer Momma Full Body Workout Jan.4, 2010 Images

Set your goals.
Reach your goals.
Surpass you goals.