On the Mat Day 393: BJJ Insanity

I've just completed the first week of Insanity from Beachbody and I feel so beaten up. It is one of the hardest cardio intensive programs I have ever done. I cannot keep up with it because my heart is pounding too fast and my legs are trembling. I've done two nights of BJJ this week in addition to the Insanity workouts in the morning and it has taken its toll on me. I need to sleep more but the hot weather wakes me up. I've been eating better. Lots of tuna egg salads and fruit so I feel quite good at BJJ.

Last night was a little cooler than normal and I was the first one at the dojo. A few guys came later so I had enough sparring partners. I am much more energetic from doing Insanity. There is one guy I train with who caught me in a kneebar last lesson (he's a white belt) and he often hits me in the face with his hands and such. A little spazzy but quite strong and competent for the time he has been training with us. I usually work turtle sweeps or let him have his way but last night I decided to put the hurt on because I'm sick of getting smacked in the face or choked across my cheekbone. I immediately arm dragged, hip-lock takedown, and into bow-arrow choke and tapped him out in about 20 seconds. The puzzled look on his face was priceless. We set up again and after attempting a flying triangle we ended up in my closed guard, I swept with a flower sweep, took mount, moved to high mount, into armbar position across his arms, he tried to hide his arm on the side I was on, I switched my hips and moved to armbar. I expected him to tap right there - I would have. But no, he muscles through it and comes up so I rotate and go belly up, he tries to twist his arm so the armbar won't work so I adjust and force it the other way and he taps. I see him later holding his elbow, ask him if he is ok and does he need some ice. Apparently, it's an injury he's had since last week or something so why the hell didn't he tap when I got the armbar position. I like his spirit but he needed to learn a lesson. I feel a little dochey right now writing this but I am sick of being nice when rolling with people only to have them crush my face, knee me in the head or crash down on my spine.

At the end of class I did about 30 minutes extra with Yanai who is interested in Legplata as they call it here. I also went through some thoughts on what to do in spider lasso when either the opponent crushes my legs to the floor or sits with his knee to remove my hook. Interesting night with me surprisingly full of energy. I am going to sleep a lot this weekend.

Insanity: Pure Cardio

This is one of those workout where if you knew how hard it was before you started, you wouldn't start it. The warm up is well...not a warm up really because my pulse was racing at about 150 bpm. I felt great after it and no doubt it will get anyone in top shape. There are no clear breaks in the video so you break when you decide. During the last 10 minutes I had to grab my knees or drop out for 30 seconds or so to recover. Can't say I like those mummy moves, it feels weird moving like that. No doubt Shaun T is hardcore about fitness but I can't help wonder why he would make the workouts so hard. The market for this kind of series is drastically reduced to elite fitness types. I will definately keep doing these workouts between my jits.

I've dropped over a kilo during my 3 weeks of concentrating on what I eat. Mostly I've dropped carbohydrates at night and stopped buying bread during the day to eat at work, added a little more protein and Bob's yer uncle, I feel much better and tighter around the middle.

Stats for workout:

Time: 38 min
Calories: 415
Average HR: 141
Max HR: 173
Time in zone: 17 min 48 sec

A workout that gives good results but you have to work hard for it.



A drink popular in Japan made from extracted sweat of people who do Beachbody workouts.

Insanity: Core Cardio and Balance

I believe that jiu-jitsu makes a person good at weathering through pain and discomfort. When I think back over the past months being smothered or pressed into the floor by 80 kg, then I do this workout, nothing compares. I felt this most at the end when you do the arm workout for the shoulders. All the guys on the video gave up and dropped their arms. I thought about it but didn't. I realize that my training in BJJ has given me some backbone to push out a little bit more-I'm glad I started training in it. It's the best decision I've made in a long time.

Stats for this workout are:

total time; 37 mins
Avg HR: 128
Max HR:196
calories: 368
in zone: 21 mins

A good workout, actually, very good for BJJ because it mimics some of the feeling when rolling i.e. interval rhythm, dropping to push up position, push ups moving side to side. I expected to burn more calories though but it's up there with Tony's medicine ball workout. The only gripe I have is that he does not have enough water breaks.