endurance

This post is a review of the fitness video Insanity Fast and Furious.

Insanity Fast and Furious

Insanity Fast and Furious is a standalone workout video that is not a part of the normal Insanity box set. This is used sometimes as a precursor for someone who is interested in the whole series and shows them what they can expect from the box set. The workout is only about 20 minutes long; however, the whole purpose of this DVD is fast! Or speed, speed, speed. Not endurance. Which will leave you kind of disappointed if you are used to the pace and intensity of the regular Insanity workouts.

The way the video is arranged is just like the normal Insanity workouts, but only condensed into a 20 something minute workout. The format of this video is the same as the other Insanity DVD’s: Warm-up, Stretch, Workout, Cool Down, Finish.

Warm-up:

Jog – No real reason to kill yourself here as you are only jogging in place, which is usually the toughest thing for people just starting out since they are so full of energy. Do not go crazy just yet; there will be plenty of time to kill yourself later in the workout.

Jumping Jacks – Good old school yard P.E. jumping jacks. No this is not a fancy wacky jacks, or cross jacks, just your basic plain Jane jumping jacks. Be sure your hands touch on the top every time.

123 Heisman – This exercise is infamous in the normal Insanity box set. Just like you are holding a football Heisman trophy style, 123 Heisman, takes 3 steps side to side while you alternate holding your imaginary football from side to side. If you need further clarification just search my website for “Heisman” over in the navigation bar.

Jump Rope / High Knees – Just like you are jumping rope, the only variation is you are adding in high knees, from being in TONS of classes, what I mean by high knees is HIGH KNEES, meaning  your knees should be coming waist height.

Fall Squats – (I think Frog Squats would be a more appropriate name) I don’t think that this exercise was done in other Insanity videos. A fall squat is like doing jumping jacks, but instead of using your hands to touch over your head, you take both of your hands (together) and touch the ground in front of you when your legs are in the outward position. Since this is a squat, be sure to get your butt back, and keep your back straight.

Plank Squats – This is a plyometric move. A plank squat is exactly like what it sounds like. You come out of plank position (the “up” in a push-up position, legs at shoulder width apart) to jumping yourself into a low squat all in one fluid motion.

Repeat warm-up sequence – This round you are going faster.

• Jog
• Jumping Jacks
• 123 Heisman
• Jump Rope / High Knees
• Fall Squats
• Plank Squats – Don’t sag your butt!

Water Break

Stretch – In my reviews, I don’t talk about what stretches are given because, if you are serious about getting in shape and are truly interested in getting in shape and not just *information* on getting in shape, or talking about getting in shape, then go buy the workout, it’s totally worth it.

Workout:

Remember this video is entitled Fast and Furious, so you are looking for both speed and form. I am a big believer of form over the number of reps, or the amount of weight you can do, form trumps everything.

Sprints – High, Low, Floor / Moving Push-Ups – This is a full body workout. So stay focused on your form and go as fast as you possibly can.

• Sprint – High – These are full sprints coupled with a high knee.
• Sprint – Low – These are still a full sprint only no high knees, and you are in a flat back bent over position.
• Sprint – Floor – Here you will be in a plank position and still in full, in place sprint.
• Moving Push-Ups – You are doing just that, moving side to side as you do push-ups, as you are going to your down position you place one arm in the direction you want to go, then go to your down position, when you are going to your up position use the opposite arm to go in that same direction. This is one rep
• This is one set
• Repeat Sprints – High, Low, Floor / Moving Push-ups sequence
• Repeat Sprints – High, Low, Floor/  Moving Push-ups sequence

Power Knees / Diamond Jumps

• Power Knees (coconut crushers)- In Power knees, all you are doing is while in a slightly squatting position you bring your knee (right or left) to the opposite side of your body to your hands like you are crushing a coconut you have in your hands with your knee. I call this move coconut crushers they call them power knees. Alternate sides for each set
• Diamond Jumps – Jump straight up and form a diamond with both your hands (over your head) and legs (meaning they have to tuck underneath your butt)
• This is one set.
• Repeat Power Knees / Diamond Jumps.
• Repeat Power Knees / Diamond Jumps.
• Repeat Power Knees / Diamond Jumps.
• Repeat Power Knees / Diamond Jumps.
• Repeat Power Knees / Diamond Jumps.

Ski Abs / In & Out / Oblique Push-ups

• Ski Abs  – Done from a plank position, imagine if you are skiing and your legs have to move (together) from left to middle to right. The same thing is being done here, using your abdominal muscles to control your legs, hop your legs from inner right, to plank position (middle) to inner left. When I say “inner” I mean that you are crunched inwards to your right or left side.
• In & Out – These are like the plank squats you just did in the warm-up however you do not come up to a squat position you are only using your abs to bring your feet close to your hands (together) then again using your abs hop back out again to a plank position.
• Oblique Push-ups – Just like normal pushups only on your down position use your legs to bring one knee to its respective shoulder. Alternate sides.
• This is one set
• Repeat  Ski Abs  / In & Out / Oblique Push-ups – Remember form over everything, take a break when you need to, then get back into the game!
• Repeat Ski Abs / In & Out / Oblique Push-ups
• Repeat Ski Abs / In & Out / Oblique Push-ups
• Repeat Ski Abs / In & Out / Oblique Push-ups

High Knee Oblique Twist

• You know high knees, the only twist is you are using your arms (both) to engage your oblique’s (the muscles on the side of your abs) every time one of your knees come up to your waist position as you twist your body toward that raised knee. Repeat for the allotted time period.

Burpee Push-up Jacks

• Start out in a standing position, then jump down into a plank position, knock out 2 push-up jacks, they are exactly what they sound like, after your second push-up jack jump back into a squatting position, lastly jump into the air. This is one set. Repeat this sequence for the allotted time period.

Power Jumps

• Jump straight up in the air, then using your legs to bring your knees up to waist height (yes in the air, use your core to help you accomplish this) use your hands to touch your knees. Repeat this sequence for the allotted time period.

Football Rolls / Plank Holds

• Sprint in place with your hands at shoulder height, slightly bent over, this is a football roll, then on queue jump back into a low (tricep) plank (arms glued to your sides in the lower position of a push-up, with wide feet). Then again on queue get back into position one. Repeat this sequence for the allotted time period.

Plank Punches

• Holding yourself in a plank position, alternate arms to punch directly in front of your head. You are not in wide feet for this exercise. Repeat this sequence for the allotted time period.

100 Meter Dash

• Imagine yourself as an Olympic sprinter preparing for the 100 meter race. There are three positions a sprinter is in. On your mark: You are in the down position, Get set: Both legs are up in the sprinters pose, Go: then you are sprinting (pump your arms and get your knees up) you will be running as fast as you possibly can, until queue. You will be repeating this for the allotted time period.

Water Break

Cool Down Stretch

Finished.

Insanity Fast and Furious

Unlike the other videos which were shot in a gymnasium, this video looks like it was shot in a converted New York City apartment, in which they brought in a bunch of gym stuff to give it the feel of a workout studio, about ¼ the size of the P90X studio that Tony Horton was in during his videos.

Conclusion

I will admit that I had to stop a few times during the workout to catch my breath, because I am used to doing at least an hour workout when I do a workout. So there is a level of pacing that I am used to. The flip side to that is at the end of the workout, even though I was tired, I was only that tired for a few minutes, and during the cool down stretch, I felt like I could have hit the menu button, flipped back to the beginning of the dvd and done the workout again, no problem. That may have been an issue of my own that I didn’t push myself hard enough, but what I consider a good workout is when I feel like I pushed myself to the absolute end of physical abilities and I am hanging off a 2000 foot drop cliff and I am only hanging on by my dirty fingernails, and trying to claw myself back to safety. This video does that *during* the workout. But it fades quickly, mainly due to MY ratio of fast twitch to slow twitch muscle fibers.

Overall I give this a 4 out of 5 Charles Faces.

 

• If you are interested in the Insanity series but are still on the fence about dropping the coin to get the whole thing, get this one and test it out yourself.
• If you question your fitness level and want a good, quick, and high intensity workout GET THIS ONE.

Since you are interested you may as well get a 25% discount with your order by becoming a coach! Just click on the seal!

This concludes my review of the video Insanity Fast and Furious.