Insanity - Double-Double

Towards the end of week 7, I checked the Insanity calendar for the day's workout and when I see what I'm in for my heart sinks. It's been a stressful week at work, I've been struggling through my workouts, and today looks to be the most brutal workout of the week. Two workouts. Max Cardio Conditioning followed by Insane Abs. Two workouts...ahhh hell. Refill my water bottle and get to it.

Max Cardio Conditioning is almost an hour long. That includes a warmup, stretching, the workout itself, followed by stretching. About an hour total time. The workout is non-stop exercises for over half an hour. Unlike most of the other Insanity workouts, the cardio conditioning workouts do not have breaks. Do as much as you can, as best you can, take a quick breather when you gas out, and get back in it. Repeat over and over.

I was soaked in sweat when it ended. And I still had the ab workout next. I went right into it. It's about 35 minutes and I was already dead. Good stuff, let's get to it.

This was my first time doing the the Insane Abs workout. Not a single crunch, but a whole lot of planks. Some of my favorite exercises are the ones that transition from high plank to low plank. High plank is a standard push-up position. Low plank is the same thing but on your forearms. It's a rough one after a few reps.

It was a struggle, to say the least, to make it through both workouts. It was the first time I've ever collapsed and face-planted out of exhaustion. I even whimpered a little. Two deep breaths, maybe three, and get back into it. So How y'all doin? Fricken horrible!!

However, I did notice my mindset shifted since last month. Sometimes when in the middle of a workout I'd be counting down until it's over. Exhaustion takes hold, my form breaks down, and I need to take a rest. Then I'd be a little bummed that I needed to stop. Not too bad, just a minor disappointment before I get back to the workout. But today I noticed I didn't count down and when I rested I was thinking about how next time when I do this workout I'll be better at it. A slight shift in mentality but a positive one. At the end of the workouts I actually felt pretty good – exhausted as all hell – but pretty good.

The ab workout would leave me soaked in sweat on its own but since I began it already soaked from the first workout I was double-drenched. It was pretty gross. I have to let my place air out and spray Febreeze all over. And not just the regular Febreeze but the anti-microbial high-powered sport version Febreeze. Oh yeah! When tomorrow comes I'll be sore all over (especially in the core) but at least my place will be sanitized and freshly scented.