I love P90X. If you really want to get lean and strong, it’s a great program. The downside is that you need to devote a lot of time to do the program right–at least an hour a day, up to an hour and a half, EVERY DAY.
Insanity (the exercise program, not my mental state) was a better program for me because the workouts only took 45 minutes, most of the time. My downfall was that it’s another video workout whose success depends entirely on my ability to self motivate.
I respond better to peer pressure. Nothing keeps me consistent more than a workout partner. If you’ve embarked on the endeavor of finding a good workout partner, you know how hard this can be.
Inevitably, you have to make sacrifices. I’m a cardio girl, but the only other masochist I could find who is willing to get up at 5 am every day to workout before the kids get up (and whose company I actually enjoy–a MUST when you are greeting each other pre-coffee) is a weight-lifting maniac. Finding a fast full body workout that we were both willing to do was a challenge.
Fortunately, we figured out several workouts that both strengthen our muscles and get our hearts racing (no, not sucking in our stomachs while we ogle hot guys at the gym!). Added bonus, they take under half an hour to complete. Here are some of our favorites.
Workout 1
Perform each of the following exercises for 60 seconds. Rest no longer than 30 seconds in between exercises. Repeat entire set 3 times.
- Jump Rope
- Burpees
- Mountain Climber
- Kettlebell Swing
- High Knees
- Russian Twists
Workout 2
Do the following exercises in order with no rest in between exercises. At the end of the set, take a 60 second rest. Repeat entire set 3 times.
- 10 Box Jumps
- 10 Bosu Ball Push Ups
- 25 Bosu Ball Squats
- 15 Hanging Leg Raises
Workout 3
Do the following exercises in order with no rest in between exercises. At the end of the set, take a 60 second rest. Repeat entire set 3 times.
- 20 Step Ups
- 10 Diamond Pushups (Make a diamond with your pointer fingers and thumbs)
- 50 Bicycles
- 60-second Wall Sit
Workout 4
20 walking lunges (10/leg), 10 push ups, 10 v-ups
Repeat 5 times