Tuesday, December 16, 2014

Insanity Max:30 Review: Sweat Intervals

The third workout on the Insanity Max:30 calendar is another cardio-focused workout called Sweat Intervals. The Beachbody guide says, "Just in case you didn't think Cardio Challenge was hard enough, you'll have Sweat Intervals to tackle as well. 30 minutes of screaming, sweating, calorie-scorching madness."


 As with Cardio Challenge, Sweat Intervals has a warm-up and five rounds. The warm-up is the exact same one that you see in Cardio Challenge. Throughout the rounds, you do each move for about thirty seconds before moving on to the next. Moves get repeated throughout the round. Each round is five minutes, after which you get a thirty second water break.

Warm-up
Chest Open Jack: Jack the feet and do chest openers with the arms
Jack Uppercut: Jack the feet and do alternating left and right uppercuts
1-2-3 Knee: Side to side three times. Have arms at chest level and open to the sides. Bring up your knee and touch it with the same arm.
Cross Jack: Cross jack the feet. One arm at a time above the head.
High Knee Jab: Front jabs along with high knees.

(Repeat all moves again to complete the warm-up.)

Round 1

High Jump Cross - R: Jump off the floor extending your legs straight below you and bringing your arms over head. When you come down, do a cross punch to the right.
Squat Lunge - L: Squat, then jump your right leg back and left leg forward into a lunge. Jump back into a squat. Repeat on the same side.
Push-Up Punch: In plank, do a push-up. As you push your body away from the floor, lift one arm and punch it directly in front of you. Go back down into the push-up and then come up and punch with the other arm. Repeat.
High Jump Cross - L: Jump off the floor extending your legs straight below you and bringing your arms over head. When you come down, do a cross punch to the left.
Squat Lunge - R: Squat, then jump your left leg back and right leg forward into a lunge. Jump back into a squat. Repeat.
Push-Up Punch
Moving Jump Cross: Jump laterally to the side, then do a cross punch. Now jump to the other side and do a cross punch to that side. Repeat moving side to side and punching with alternate arms.
Squat Lunge - Alt: Squat and then jump your right left back and left leg forward into a lunge. Jump back into the squat and now jump your left leg back and right leg forward into a lunge. Repeat alternating lunging legs.
Push-Up Punch

Round 2

Moving Squat Jab: From a squat, jump laterally to the side. Punch left, right. Then jump back to the other side and do two punches again. Repeat moving side to side and punching.
Wide Pike-Ups: With feet wide and body in plank, do a pike up (raising your hips in the air so you are jumping into an upside down v-shape). Jump back into plank. Repeat.
Hurdle Drill: Go down into a runners lunge. On Shaun T's cue, pop-up and jump laterally, bringing legs up as if you're jumping over a hurdle. Go back down into runner's lunge. Repeat side to side on cue.
Moving Squat Jab
Wide Pike-Ups
Hurdle Drill
Moving Squat Jab
Wide Pike-Ups
Fast Hurdle Drill: For the last round of hurdles, you are continually jumping side to side with hurdle jumps -- no cuing; no going down into runner's lunge.

Round 3

Hop Hop Runner: Hop twice laterally and then curl the inside leg up and back into a dramatic running motion. Hop and run to the other side. Repeat side to side.
Power Jump - Squat Push: Do a power jump (where you jump from a squat into the air bringing your knees in towards your chest). When you land in a squat, lean forward, keeping legs in squat-position, and do a push-up. Come back up into squat position and ready for the next power jump.
Switch Kick Punch: As you punch your arms, kick your legs left and right as fast as you can and as high as you can.
Hop Hop Runner
Power Jump - Squat Push
Switch Kick Punch
Hop Hop Runner
Power Jump - Squat Push
Switch Kick Punch

Round 4

Free Runner - R: Jump up and kick the right leg front and left leg back. Repeat.
Ski Ab Power Knee - R: In plank, bring the right leg forward toward the elbow with the foot on the floor. Then bring the left leg in towards the chest, twisting towards the right side.
Squat Oblique Knee: Start in a squat position. Jump up and bring the right knee up, twisting the left arm towards the knee to engage the obliques. Go back into a squat and then jump up engaging the left side. Alternate side to side.
Free Runner - L: Jump up and kick the left leg front and the right leg back. Repeat.
Ski Ab Power Knee - L: In plank, bring the left leg forward toward the elbow with the foot on the floor. Then bring the right leg in towards the chest, twisting towards the left side.
Squat Oblique Knee
Free Runner - R
Free Runner - L
Ski Abs: In plank, jump both feet together to the left, bringing the knees sideways and towards the chest. Jump back into plank. Jump the knees to the right. Go back into plank. Go back and forth, side to side.
Squat Oblique Knee

Round 5

Burpee Lunge - R: Squat, put the hands to the floor and then jump back into plank (to perform a burpee without a push-up). Jump back into a squat and then jump the right leg forward and left leg back into a lunge. Repeat.
Hit The Floor: Move laterally side to side quickly and tap the floor with one hand and then the other. Keep in somewhat a low stance.
Cross Jack Jab: Do a cross jack with your feet, then jab forward.
Burped Lunge - L: Squat, put the hands to the floor and then jump back into plank (to perform a burpee without a push-up). Jump back into a squat and then jump the left leg forward and right leg back into a lunge. Repeat.
Hit The Floor
Cross Jack Jab
Hit The Floor
Burpee Lunge - Alt: Squat, put the hands to the floor and then jump back into plank (to perform a burpee without a push-up). Jump back into a squat and then jump the left leg forward and right leg back into a lunge. Repeat, this time doing a lunge with the opposite leg. Repeat, switching lunges from leg to leg.
Cross Jack Jab

The workout then finishes with a two minute cool down with dynamic stretch. 


I really pushed myself hard throughout this workout and was very much in the game mentally. I definitely felt that this workout was a bit more difficult than Cardio Challenge. As with all of the Max:30 workouts, the goal is to push your self as much as possible, which means that mental engagement is key. Throughout the workout, it's important to focus on form and going as hard as you can -- whether that means jumping higher, moving farther laterally, or going faster. That's the key to Max:30, and it definitely takes determination. Insanity made you think about going as hard as you could too, but that mentality is focused on more in Max:30. The fact that the workout is "only" 30 minutes helps with that too.

I ended up maxing out at 26:20 on the first set of Cross Jack Jab. I was spent and had given it my all. The next three and a half minutes were a bit ugly. In a way though, that's the point. I felt like I had done the workout right and went all out. It's fun getting to do that; it's great knowing the discomfort will only last for thirty minutes.

As I have mentioned before, high intensity max cardio training is my favorite type of exercise. It's not for everyone and it's not for all the time, but I always find it to be a blast to push myself. For anyone who likes this type of exercise, Max:30 is a must do. The motivating charisma of Shaun T, combined with interesting and dynamic moves makes this a program worth having.

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