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Week 7 sees you in the heart of the second month, getting ever closer to the very end of the program! You’re so close you can see the finish line, but watch out, these three challenges might trip you yet.

  • Pushing too Hard: Your body has been taking a pounding like nothing else. The amount of plyometrics, sports drills, calisthenics and more that you’ve done these past six to seven weeks has probably been like nothing your body has ever seen, even when you were back in high school or college.
  • Over Confidence can Lead you Astray: For some crazy reason, I always stop working out when I’m on top of my game. Just when things are lining up perfectly, when I’m hitting my stride and really developing a rhythm, I let things go and ruin it all. Why? Because I become over confident. When you feel like you own the workout, you don’t feel that challenge, that need to prove yourself, to test your limits. You feel like you can let yourself slide a little, because you’re doing so well. You take a break, you have fun for a weekend, and before you know it your overconfidence has ruined your effort.
  • Feeling that You Already Made It: You’re so close you can feel it. Your body has never looked this good, you’ve never had this much energy before. So what might you think? That you don’t need to finish the last week or two. That you’re already there. That you’ve put in your time, and now you’re going to live it up with this fabulous new body of yours. So rather than last out the final part of the program, you quit, thinking that you have won. News flash, amigo: the last two weeks are the icing on the cake, the part that tips you over the edge. Quit now at your own peril.

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So those are the challenges, what are the solutions? How can you make sure you don’t crash and burn and quit like most people do during this toughest of weeks? Check out our tips below for advice:

  • Watch Your Joints: Say you’ve been noticing a pain in your knees these last few weeks, and month two has only intensified that pain. Say you’re starting to flinch every time you do jumps, or go down deep into squats. Six or seven weeks worth of intense exercise can wear out your joints, especially if you’re not a conditioned athlete, and about now is when that wear and tear can kick in. You need to start making sure that you are being careful with those joints, softening your landings, maybe wrapping them in tape, warming them before the workout’s warm-up and then taking your time to stretch them out. Be sure to look after yourself, or you may find yourself unable to finish the program.
  • Stay Humble. Stay in the Game: If you’re tempted to quit early, don’t! You need to realize that two more weeks of this level of intensity can really deliver stunning results. As good as you may look now, as fine as you may feel, there is more coming, and by stopping early you will be short changing yourself. Also, take a closer look at your motivation. Sometimes we lie to ourselves and say that we’re stopping because we’ve already won, when the reality is we can’t take it any longer. Be honest with yourself, hang in there, and remember: there’s always somebody tougher, faster, stronger and in better shape than you out there. So don’t stop, stay in the competition.
  • Every Workout Counts: Don’t start thinking that now that you’re so close to the end you can go ahead and start taking breaks. Like a marathon runner that’s half a mile ahead of the others, you may be tempted to take it easy on yourself, to rest a little, to take a day off. You’ve come so far, you’ve changed so much, surely you deserve a break? No! You need to keep your head in the game, you need to make every workout count, because your attitude now will carry over to the weeks and months after the Insanity Workout is over. If you feel like taking it easy now, you can bet your lack of discipline will see you undoing your victories as soon as you’ve officially finished the program. So don’t stop, make working out a habit, and go for the final week!

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