Insanity (DVD Workout)

Today I decided to start the Insanity DVD workout program and follow the schedule. During the last two weeks I have done the Insanity Plyometric Cardio Circuit, starting with just the warm-up (about ten minutes) and eventually completing twenty-seven minutes of the video each day. I have done this about four times a week for two weeks.

I suggest a pre-conditioning program before starting the Insanity DVD program, because they are brutal. The farthest I have gone is about forty days of the sixty day program. I made mistakes, the most serious being a poor decision to push through various feet injuries.

Some were unrelated to Insanity. For instance I fell down the stairs while carrying my son (9 months old at the time) and sacrificed my body to protect him. A life time of martial arts training and other experience with falling down saved both of us from serious harm. My son was unscathed, though startled. I twisted an ankle, bruised this and that, and jammed my big toe (of all things). When I say I jammed my toe, I mean that I jammed it all the way to my hip. Summary; I frequently injure my feet, I rarely quit exercising on my feet when pain and injury warrant it, and I am often on my feet for long hours. Many people warned me that this program was hard on your body, and I wanted to clarify that safety and common sense are important.

Before trying the Insanity program, see a doctor and work with a qualified trainer if possible.

If you suffer or begin to suffer from plantar fasciitis and arch problems, listen to your body and get healthy.

I tried all kinds of shoes with varying results. Shape-ups helped some problems but aggravated others. I tried the workout version as well. One of my coworkers is a proponent of barefoot running and running in toe shoes. I bought a pair of Vibram toe shoes and they're great. They have their limitations, but I will save further feet and shoe discussions for another blog.

After about two years of mediocre workouts and injury delays, I believe I have finally found a solution that works for me. I purchased Zebra grappling mats and started doing the Insanity workout barefoot. Do I recommend this? No, I am just saying it is working for me so far.