Dig Deeper: My Adventures with Shaun T.

When I moved to Kansas I started to do Insanity. My dad had bought the videos forever ago so I figured that I could use them to help me get back into shape after my shoulder surgery. Little did I know how much I would get into Insanity and how much it would help my shoulder, plus I get to hang out with Shaun T. and posse 6 days a week.  

I have about a week and a half left until the sixty days of Insanity is up and I’m pretty sad. I even Googled “what to do when insanity is over” the other day… it didn’t really help me out much.

In order to express my love for Insanity, I wrote a list of the top 10 things I like about the workout program because Insanity is not just a workout program; it has drama, action, comedy, and even romance.

The Top 10 Reasons Why Shae Loves Insanity

                                                  (Contents are in no particular order)

1. Ariel (pronounced R-E-L) – the girl is a beast. She never takes a break and I pace myself off of her. So what if she is making questionable life choices by having a belly button piercing. And, I don't care if she is unable to breathe anytime Shaun T. asks her a question…Ariel is always on top of her Insanity game.

Ariel doin' work.
You can even engage your abs if you have a belly button piercing

2. Shaun T. and Tanya’s hidden but not so hidden romance. Every good TV program needs romance and drama, and Insanity is no exception. It’s so obvious how Shaun T. always goes to Tanya just so he can touch her stomach to “make sure her core is engaged.” We all see you’re tactics Shaun T. Plus, Tanya is the only girl in the video stupid enough to wear her hair down every workout, and she’s obviously not trying to impress Chris or Josh or Darren…poor Darren. 

Shaun T. and Tanya - ski jumping to the alter

**If you watch the Max Recovery video, Tanya has on a big ‘ole ring, I bet it’s from Shaun T.**

3. Jimmy – Best attitude, best squat, great faces, & makes me giggle.

How can you not love, Jimmy?! Even his squat is great!

4. I can do a push-up now!!! I never thought I would be able to this soon after my surgery, because lets face it I was never able to do a push-up before my surgery. Sure they are half push-ups, and it takes me about the same amount of time to do a half push-up compared to the Insanity posse’s 2 push-ups but progress is progress, suckas!

5. This picture of Shaun T.

Shaun T. - Digging deeper.
Do you think he knows that he didn't button his pants?

6. Anna – chick is built like a pit bull and she can work! She’s also positive which is nice, plus she can kick Shaun T.’s butt when he tries to challenge her.

Anna experiencing pure Insanity

7. Shaun T.’s eerie sixth sense that I am not doing something right. There is a huge change in his demeanor between month one and two. Month one, Shaun T. is your homeboy, he’s always rooting for you and saying that if you need a break…take it, no problem! Month two, Shaun T. is your drill instructor, he starts yelling at you (and Akeel) and you better not take an extra second on your water break! Once, during the workout I took a break and glanced up at the TV to watch for a sec and Shaun T. screamed, “You better not be looking at the screen right now! You need to be doing this!” and I got right back to work…I like that about him, the boy’s always got my back.

8. Akeel (Akil, Aquiel?!) I don’t know how to spell the dude’s name. Anyways, why I like Akeel is that he does not make me feel bad about the fact that I do not have a six-pack yet. First of all, Akeel is the LAZIEST Insanity member, he sits out of every drill about six times and Shaun T. always has to pick on him and yell at him. Second of all, so what if his body is ripped…he’s lazy so it goes to show that even though you have a six-pack, it doesn’t mean that you work harder than me. In the words of Shaun T., “Just because you can’t see [your six pack], doesn’t mean that it isn’t there!” Thanks Shaun T., love ya. 

Akeel and his lazy abs. 

9. Mandy, the transvestite of the bunch. Her facial expressions are too much for me to handle. Sorry Mandy, but I don’t want to see you’re huge ass smile while I am getting my butt handed to me on some power jumps.

Nice bicep tat, Mandy!

10. Working out in the privacy of my own room. I can die in peace, no one has to be aware of the fact that by the end of the video I can only get about a millimeter off of the floor or that I probably look like I need to be rushed to the hospital during the Max Interval Circuit. Shaun T. is the only one who can judge me.

I realize that some of these references will be lost upon those who have not done Insanity, but I really do enjoy it. It has kept me active at a time when I wasn’t allowed to do much, and it brought back a lot of range of motion in my shoulder! I’ve noticed that my legs have slimmed down quite a bit. I mean, my legs weren’t ever huge, but now they are a slimmer and stronger.

Side note, I have yet to have a Diet Coke today. That’s a record in recent months. I don’t think there is any correlation between Insanity and my Diet Coke intake at all, if anything I have upped consumption due to the anxiety that I have received from the month two workouts. I wonder if Shaun T. drinks Diet Coke or if he only drinks the magic recovery formula he shamelessly promotes? I’ll go with Diet Coke.