Exercise

This post is a review of Insanity Max Interval Sports Training.

So I am on the last two DVD’s of the Insanity series: this workout (Max Interval Sports Training) and the for the last one, which strays completely away from the plyometric routine, we are in the weight room.

Insanity Max Interval Sports Training

This workout is quite peculiar in that it is completely different from all of the other Insanity workouts – it is one of the longer Insanity workouts at about 55 minutes, and just as the title says, it’s for Sports Training: football, basketball, baseball, etc. What I do like about this workout is it’s in the top five of the hardest workouts in the whole series. What I didn’t like about it was that it concentrates everything into one DVD. Football and basketball players do NOT do the same workouts; that said it is a good All-In-One workout for some of the major global sports. If you are looking for something concentrated like a track and Field workout, look elsewhere.

So, like almost all of the Insanity videos, Max Interval Sports Training format is like the rest. Warm-up, Stretch, Workout, Stretch, and then Finish.

I’m not going to spend too much time explaining the warm-up exercises as most of them have been covered in my other Insanity reviews. If you are looking for them go to my Google search box in my navigation panel and just type in “Insanity” without the quotation marks.

Warm-Up

Jump Rope

Switch Heels – While you are still in your jump rope maneuver start to switch your heels kicking out.

Switch Heels Higher – Same exercise just kick the heels higher (yes you are still moving your arms as if you are jump roping).

Jump Rope Side – Side – immediately from your higher switch heels, get your feet together and jump side to side (Be sure to keep your heels together and land softly).

Cross Jacks – Another favorite of mine that has been done extensively in other Insanity warm-ups. Just as a quick explanation, Cross Jacks are sort of like regular jumping jacks but instead of just going directly in-out, your feet cross and only one arm goes up at a time (again land softly to avoid jackin’ up your knees).

• Quick 10 second break.

Knee Pulls – This exercise was also done in an earlier Insanity DVD, I called them coconut crushers. So imagine you are standing next to a coconut tree and a coconut is within both of your arms reach. So grab the coconut with both hands and crush it with your left knee all in one motion, then do it again, and again, and again…Since these are pretty easy go at a good fast pace.

Knee Pulls Low- These are the same thing, but not. The coconut is out in front of you and you have to reach to grab the coconut.

Knee Pulls – Hand on the floor – Ok for this one just make sure you keep one hand on the floor and continue with your Knee Pulls Low. Your left hand will be touching the floor.

No Break

Now we are going to repeat the sequence

• Jump Rope
• Switch Heels
• Switch Heels Higher
• Jump Rope S-S
• Cross Jacks – This round jump higher
• Knee Pulls – High – This round with your right leg
• Knee Pulls – Low – With your right leg
• Knee Pulls – Hand on the Floor – Also with your right leg but left hand on the floor

Water Break

Sport Number One: Boxing

Jab Across – A jab is a punch with your non power hand, but for this exercise we are going to forget that. Jab Across is simply punching “across” your body from right to left. So in this case your right hand punches left, and your left hand punches right….straight across (at shoulder height) (Note:  Don’t just punch the air, actually look where you are punching as if you are training for a fight.)

Jab Across 2 & 2 – Same exercise as above but instead of just punching once you are punching twice then switching.

Jab Across 4 & 4 – Same exercise as above but instead of punching twice you are punching 4 times then switching.

Jab Across 8 & 8 – Same exercise as above but instead of punching 4 you are punching 8 times then switching.

Uppercuts – For the sake of this dvd, uppercuts are the same as jabs, but instead of just punching straight across as you just did, uppercuts are hitting your opponent underneath their jaw. Make sure you are bending your knees when you are “uppercutting”.

Uppercuts 2 & 2

Uppercuts 4 & 4

Uppercuts 8 & 8

Water Break

8 Jabs / 8 Power Jumps – “These are a bitch when you are trying to work out and are already tired” C. Lloyd. Ok for your jabs you are punching straight ahead; however, unlike real boxing, you are standing neutral (meaning instead of standing at a boxers pose, one leg in front of the other, your legs are standing shoulder width apart like you are about to do some jumping jacks). After your 8 standing alternating jabs, go directly into 8 Power Jumps. If you are not familiar, Power Jumps are simply jumping up into the air and touching your knees with your hands (while they are at waist height…yes in the air). Using your abs HELPS!

Water Break

Sport Number Two: (American) Football

Football Drills – These were hard in the other workout we did and they are still hard today. The only time these get easy is when you are not doing them ;P. A Football drill is doing “Fast Feet” – Legs at shoulder width apart, knees bent, hands at shoulder height and in a pseudo sprint, meaning your legs are moving quick in place. When the signal is given, you immediately drop into plank position with your elbows at your side, and move to your left or right (alternate ways) for an eight count (while in plank). Then at the signal get back up into position one – this is where you NEED a strong core.

Rest

Triceps Pulses – Starting from a plank position with your feet at about shoulder width apart and your elbows glued to your sides, you will be doing push-ups but only one inch push-ups

Rest

Tackle – Starting in a low squat, you will be pretending to hug a tree while you are hopping 4x to the right, then 4x to the left.

Offensive Line Elbow – Just like the Tackle exercise you just did, this time you are going to be throwing some short elbows to your opponents’ face – when you are hopping to the left, use your left elbow, when you are hopping to the right, use your right elbow.

Water Break

Sport Number Three: Basketball

3-point Shot – Run – So just like you are shooting a 3 pointer, throw up 8 three pointers, you really have to jump, because you are 5’5 and your guard is 7’2 and you gotta get over them (Shoot with the same hand, as the leg that you have in front of you, i.e. shoot with your left if your left leg is in front of you, then alternate after the Run). Then imagine you have an imaginary three point line and you have to “fast feet” all the way to the other side, then start shooting your threes with your other hand and other leg in front of you. *Land softly* so you don’t mess up your back and knees.

Rest

Guard Drills – Start out in a low squat again. However this time hold your arms straight out to the side like you are guarding someone in basketball. Then while still in that low squat, use those quads and glutes (butt muscles) to hop back 3 times, then on the 4^th time do a complete 180 degree turn and start the drill again. Be sure to get into your low squat with your butt back to get the full effect of this exercise. **Watch your hop** Again, you don’t want to jack up you back. And DO NOT arch your back.

Rest

Suicide Drills – We have enough suicide drills in Insanity to compensate for your whole family and then some. But we are doing them again. If this is your first time to my site I will go over them briefly. Suicide drills are simply running side to side and touching the ground after 5 shuffles with same hand as the outside leg. For me the hardest part at this point was keeping up the intensity, at this time I was REALLY tired.

Rest

Basketball Dribble – These are much like the infamous Alternating Jump Lunges; however, the only difference is your arms which move like you are dribbling the ball between your legs when they are in the air. (What are Alternating Jump Lunges? Jump Lunges are like jumping from the bottom end of a runners lunge and switching your legs while you are in the air and landing in a low lunge).

Water Break

Sport Number Four: Gymnastics

Pike Jump – Starting out in a Pike Position, this time you  *can* put your butt as high in the air as you possibly can, then using your legs do a small jump and land softly with your knees bent. Be sure to keep your Shoulders-Elbows-Wrist aligned.

Rest

Pendulum – I LOVE these and they are a kick ass oblique exercise to boot. Starting out in the same Pike position you just did, this time with your legs at about shoulder width apart use your legs to “pendulum” from side to side, meaning start out standing on one leg, then as your other leg starts to come in to be the standing leg, your opposite leg will kick out. As your legs / foot comes down be sure to keep the knee bent to avoid injury.  You should only have one foot on the ground at a time.

Rest

The next set of excercises I covered in my last Insanity Review, so I will only be going over them very quickly.

6 Inches – My very last post and DVD I just covered was on doing 6 inch leg raises, so very quickly, start out in a C-Sit, then while on your butt hold your legs 6 inches off the ground for the allotted time period.

5 Second Break

Flutter Kicks – Just like 6 inches, except you are just “flutter” kicking (legs up and down) the air with your legs out straight 6 inches

5 Second Break

Scissor Kicks – Just like the 6 inches we just did, scissors are where your legs are still 6 inches off the floor and are “scissoring” (side to side) across each other.

Repeat the 3 exercise set again – Take the quick break in between each set if needed. And before I forget **ALWAYS REMEMBER, PROPER FORM IS BETTER THAN ANYTHING**

• 6 Inches
• Flutter Kicks
• Scissor Kicks

Rest

Insanity Max Interval Sports Training

V-Push Up – Again start out in a Pike position, this time “V” your hands (meaning if your fingers were a “v” and your thumb was the second side) inwards so that the base of the “V” is pointing outwards like this < >, Now using your arms lower your head into that “V” go down as far as you can go, the farther you can get your head to the floor the better. Believe me at this point I was in the hurt locker.

Rest

Bronco Jumps – LOL, the first time I did these that’s what I did, because I was so dang tired that is all I could do when I saw him explain it. I was at the point that being that much more tired won’t really make much of a difference.  When I did it again, this exercise and the Pendulum were my probably my two favorite exercises of the WHOLE Insanity set. Bronco Jumps start out in a squat position (knees over the ankles) then using your arms to break your fall, fall to the floor and kick your legs out, when your legs come back to the ground do 3 hops. Rinse and repeat. Did I say I love this exercise?

Water Break

Sport Number Five: Track & Field

Ladders – 15 – Ladders are simply *high* knees. No need to complicate these – yes the 15 means, seconds. Be sure to pump your arms

Rest

Ladders – 30

Rest

Ladders – 45

Rest

Ladders – 60- Make sure to pace yourself and hold out your sprint till the last 15.

Rest

Ladders – 45

Rest

Ladders – 30 – Sprint…Really!

Rest

Ladders – 15 – Sprint again.

Rest

Long Jump – Just as if you were doing the long jump at the Olympics, start out in a simple jog, then progress that into a sprint getting your knees up, when the signal is given, get down into a low-ish squat then power up in a jump and land in a plié. Rinse and repeat. Do 5 with your right leg leading, then 5 with your left leg leading.

Cool Down Stretch – Do these, DO NOT SKIP THESE, it is how you prevent injury.

 

Usually here I would give you my take on the video but honestly there is nothing else I can say. Smashing good workout, this receives the coveted 5 out of 5 Charles Faces!

 

 

 

 

This concludes my post on Insanity Max Interval Sports Training.