P90X/Insanity Pace

I have been hearing a lot of people who are concerned about either not keeping up with the folks in the P90X/Insanity videos, or they feel that the pace set by Tony Horton himself is not intense enough. It doesnt matter which camp you are coming from, but what does matter is that you DO YOUR BEST AND FORGET THE REST. People discount many of Tony Hortons tips because he is a funny guy, but when you look at the philosophy behind some of the things that he says, you will see some real wisdom behind his corky personality.

For the people who cant keep up with the pace or intensity set by the P90X/Insanity cast members, you need to ask yourself a few questions:

  1. Did I do my best?
  2. Could I have done better?
  3. What was the most difficult part?
  4. How will I do better next time?

Did I do my best or was I so focused on the fact that I wasnt keeping up, that I decided to just give up? This can be a real stumbling block for many who are just starting their P90X or Insanity journey. One thing that you need to keep in mind though is that the cast of P90X has been through the program. They have gone through 90 days of blood, sweat, and tears and have transformed their own lives to the point where they are able to keep up with Tony Horton and set a grueling pace! Could I have done better even though I wasnt keeping up with the pack? Even though you havent developed the endurance to keep up with a graduate, there is always room for improvement. If you had to modify a move like squat reach jump, and you could only touch your knees, maybe you look back and say, “ah, I could have gone down to my shins or ankles.” Progress is key! Asking yourself what was the most difficult part is important as well so that you know your weak areas. You want to focus and drive harder in your weak areas. That is when you will start seeing gains and results! And lastly, you need to ask yourself how you will do better next time so that you have a clear objective going into your workout. Planning and goal setting are crucial to your success. Not just your overall success, but your day to day workout success as well.

On the opposite side of the tracks we have people who need more of a challenge, and the pace in the videos just isnt enough. There are lots of ways increase the intensity of your workouts. Lets take a look at a few ways to make P90X and Insanity a little more challenging:

  1. Do your workouts with a weighted vest
  2. Increase your weights and decrease your reps
  3. Pick up the pace! Jump higher, farther, and faster!

Doing your workout with a weighted vest is a sure fire way to add some serious intensity to your routines. And if you dont have or cant afford a weighted vest, I have just recently started adding a back pack with a 20lb plate in it for intensity during push-ups and pull-ups. Its hard to imagine that I was carrying 50lbs of extra weight all the time! It will also surprise you when you see how sore you will be when you up your weights and lower your max rep count for your resistance routines. Its all about muscle confusion, and when you up the weight and drop into that 6-8 rep range, your muscles will be taxed! And last but not least; you dont have to go just as fast as the video…you can pick up the pace by jumping higher, farther, and going faster! Double time your cardio moves, and power out of your jump moves!!! You can absolutely go beyond the pace set in the workouts. That is part of doing your best and forgetting the rest!

So it doesnt matter if you cant keep up or if the workouts arent intense enough. MODIFY, MODIFY, MODIFY the moves so that you are doing your best and nothing less. You cant expect to see results by quitting every time you get discouraged. You cant expect to progress if you dont push yourself to the maximum level of your capabilities. You need to be confident that you are pushing yourself and know that eventually, through perseverence, you will be able to reach your full athletic potential! So are you BRINGIN IT?

 

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