Day 4 – Asylum Hybrid – Speed and Agility
This is my favorite workout from all of Asylum. Mostly because it focuses on my weakness, my core. I like the in&out progressions, mountain climbers and bear crawls along with the pushup and plank agility. Looking forward to tomorrow’s stretch but I’ve been itching to go on a trail run. Hard part of the workout week is done. More time to focus on diet and mobility.
Day 1 – Asylum Hybrid – Fit Test and Relief
Looks like I’m back and committed to the Asylum and will be doing workouts from both Volumes 1and 2, at least for the first 30 days. I’m currently at 170 pounds and want to drop down to 160 in 30 days. I know it’s going to be tough and I’m going to sacrifice a lot. I may have to add an extra run here and there to reach a caloric deficit but it’s not impossible. I already know how to eat clean and I’m disciplined to commit to a workout program until completion.
This time around I will be doing pull ups instead of bent over rows or lat push ups. I’ve bought and built a pull up station and parked it in the garage aka Pure Savagery. I’ve cleaned up the garage but it’s still has a low light, concrete, no frills eastern communistic vibe.
Here’s my numbers for the fit test. Looking to double my pull ups an the end of 30 days.
Agility Heisman: 13
In&Out Abs Progression: 25
Pull Ups: [b]10[/b]
Mountain Climber Switch Kicks: 90
Agility Shoulder Taps: 4.5
X Jumps: 30
Moving Push Ups: 3.5
Agility Lateral Shuffle: 13.5
Agility Bear Crawls: 8
Let’s crush em!
I made it to the end of the week on my juice fast with a couple more days to go. I might have to make a stop this weekend to pick up more produce. That’s the only downside of juicing, is the huge amount of vegetables and fruits you go through for juice. That’s my main reason to start a garden this year. I ordered some organic non-GMO heirloom seeds of 15 different vegetables and fruit. I’m going to donate half my seeds to the local Ashram as they are starting their own garden this year too.
Asylum 2 – Day 25 – Back & 6-Pack + Pure Contact
Back & 6-Pack is a welcome workout to break up the first 3 workouts of the week. Shaun T always amazes me with all his different ways he attacks the core without sit up or crunches. I did Pure Contact right after and it’s a perfect disc to throw in when you’re short on time but you need to get your sweat in. Pure Contact compliments Back & 6-Pack with additional upper back and core work.
I’m glad I took advantage of the rest day yesterday and was able to progress with X Trainer today. I finally was able to get a jumping push up, even though it was to the next square instead of 2 over. I also did the majority of the push ups and hold sequence but pretty much burned out towards the last sets of the strength pyramids.
As a finisher, I did a couple of super sets of double kettlebell clean and presses and front squats for 5 reps with a pair of 16kg bells. I wanted to do 10 sets but remembered to never do strength training after cardio. I’m glad I stopped because my upper glutes were started to crap up and I wanted to leave something in the tank for tomorrow’s upper strength workout, which to me is the hardest workout of the series.
The time is flying by. Hard to believe I’m half way through Asylum 2. I took a peak into next week’s schedule and it looks like some days get doubled up with an extra workout. I was able to get through 7 rounds of the Fit Test Sudden Death. I’m going for 8 next time.
I was thinking about doing a week of just Game Day, Championship with Overtime after each of those workouts. Is that Asylum 3?
I replaced Off-Day Stretch workout with a regular yoga class to mix it up. I was able to build up a good sweat so I may do this from now on. An extra day of not hearing how Shaun T is crazy can be a good thing.
The weight that I have lost while doing Asylum has help me bind some of the asanas. I was even surprised that I was able to straighten out both my legs while using the wall to assisted my inversion during Pincha Mayurasana even if for only several breaths. I startled myself that I had to come back down and I believe I would have held the posture longer. For a split second, I felt it come easy and effortless.
Small victories are always welcome.
There’s a lot of rest between exercises and times like this where I wish I had a pull up bar because I would not be taking these rest breaks for granted. I always flare up my hip flexors when doing the c sit ups in any Insanity series and there’s several rounds of 5 second abs. Debating on whether to replace tomorrow’s Off-Day Stretch with a regular yoga class.
It’s pretty much downhill for this week as I really only have 1 more workout (Championship and Fit Test) to complete week 2. The hardest part is getting through the first three workout of the week. Hard to believe I’m reaching the half way point for Asylum 2 and I’m starting to think about what I want to do next.
I’ve always read about how cardio is a waste of time but it’s the only thing that helped me lose weight. I’ve lost minimal weight training on the TRX suspension trainer and swinging kettlebells. I need to create a hybrid workout plan that incorporates cardio, kettlebells, TRX and yoga while eating clean like I’m doing now. I did think about doing a hybrid of both Asylum 1 and 2 workout while the movements are fresh in my mind. I’m not bored of Asylum but I’ll make a decision during my last week.
With my second go around of Power Legs, I believe Vertical Plyo from Asylum 1 is more challenging. The last 5 minutes of Power Legs with the burn out segment is tough where you pulse out with a dumbbell. It brought me flashbacks to Insanity’s Core Power and Resistance hold and pulsating it out.
I had some chicken lasagna with cheesecake at Olive Garden yesterday for lunch. I’ve been good at sticking to an 80% paleo diet but figured with my cardio workouts, it would be OK to eat some pasta and cake for carbs to refuel. For the rest of the day, I just juiced and ate a couple spoonfuls of cashew butter when I got hungry. I didn’t spike up my weight up much this morning and I’m back to my pre Olive Garden weight after today’s workout. I’m going to juice it out for the rest of the day and hoping to shed another pound by next morning.
My calves were sore and my thighs filled with lactic acid from yesterday’s duathlon so I did my Sunday morning ritual of riding out to the local ashram and attending a yoga session. Felt sluggish all day and was able to pump myself up for the last workout of the week late into the night. Championship is a fun workout where you’re able to go all out. You get enough rest breaks which I used to stretch my calves.
Beach volleyball, football, and Olympic weightlifting are the new sports added with the last 3 minutes reserved for Sudden Death OT which is a fit test that includes Agility: The Audition (agility footwork drills), 4 power jumps, and 2 half burpees into an X jump equals one round. I was able to get 6.5 rounds. I blotched the order of The Audition so I can definitely get 7 next time.
I’m glad to have successfully finished my first week of Asylum 2 with a much need rest day tomorrow.
Was anxious to start Asylum 2 yesterday but held off to give myself a full week of rest. During this 30 day program, my goal is to lose 10 pounds and finish at 170 pounds. I feel I got a good handle on my diet and said no to a lot of fast food over the weekend. I grilled out over the weekend so I have steak, chicken and sausages for the week to mix with vegetables.
New moves, new sequences, same pain. Shaun T breaks down the new 8 agility sequences with an Agility Tutorial. Just like in volume 1 where the jump roping drills tripped a lot of people up, you’re going to want to spend extra time getting familiar with the agility sequences. Spending a couples before or after a workout will get you up to speed.
If Speed & Agility and Strength had a love child, X Trainer would be it. Shaun T sneaks in a strength pyramid with dumbbells and mainly uses the new agility sequences as active rest. I haven’t looked at the other DvDs yet, but I’m already looking forward to what lies ahead.
Pure Savagery 