So I need to workout my upper body more, approaching 50 and the cycling is keeping my legs strong but I’m beginning to look like a barrel on 2 skinny legs. The only gym near me is a bit dire, expensive, poor facilities and crowded at peak times.

So I’m wondering if any of the Insanity/T25 things might work, looking to loose a bit of weight and tone up the upper body. I realise that I’ll need to watch my diet more too. But, wondering if others have tried this and found it difficult to stick to it losing interest or did it give you more motivation and found it successful.

It’s certainly possible, but workouts in your house are the easiest ones to skip!
Also, you need a decent amount of space to throw yourself around.

Have you looked for local crossfit classes nearby? Normally they use an industrial unit rather than a gym. Also, yoga can have most of the strength and conditioning effects without the profuse sweating of insanity.

I can’t imagine being able to do anything like that myself, with those bloody annoying “motivating” Americans screaming and sweating all over the telly!
Would rather just go for a run, swim, bike ride outside. If you can’t be motivated to do that yourself, how will you motivate yourself to turn the tv on and press play?
I’m sure (like any workout regime) they do you good if you keep at it.

they do you good if you keep at it.

This is the key point to having success at just about most workouts.

Insanity is just an active 25mins of various movements all of which you could do with a few of your favourite club tracks and a skipping rope or a few light weights as you get stronger.

Diet adjustment and/or cardio will get rid of most fat. Calisthenics or weights to develop a bit of muscle to show off once the fat slips away.

Do you want to look good or get real strength in the upper body…?

I use t25 from oct – december and it keeps control of the winter spread :). Not much space required as long as you have space for plank / push ups. Its amaing how fast 25minutes go. The exercises are different and so dont feel too monotonous. They have alpha / beta and gamma routines

Its amazing how fast 25minutes go

You’re one of those guys from that ad I can’t avoid when the insomnia is kicking in, aintcha…

😉

+1 yoga, much more civilised. And very progressive.

There’s loads of really good free resources online (Abi’s videos on Pinkbike are good for a start and aimed at MTBers), all you need is a mat, and there’s no idiot shouty Americans.

I think the yoga world has come round to the idea that there are lots of people who’d like to use it as a physical training tool but ditch much of the meditative side of it. So there’s a ton of good stuff out there.

Used Insanity max 30 last winter and felt the fittest i have done in a long time after completing it. Still do a couple of the workouts a week to keep on top of it.
Found them quite motivating to be honest and feel wrecked at the end of a workout.

Max 30 is way better than anything else out there. T25, original insanity, asylum, P90…tried all of them.

I finished the tow months of Max 30 a few weeks ago, and have kept it up. 30 minutes of HIT every morning (not HIIT…there is no interval!) is brilliant.

Results wise, lost fat, built muscle. Six pack for the first time in my life aged 43.

Nutrition has a massive part to play, but I find that by starting my day off with Max 30 keeps me away from things I shouldn’t be eating.

The format is:

Mon – Mad hard Cardio
Tue – Tabata style strength
Wed – Mad haed Cardio
Thur – Tababat style strength
Fri – Mad, Mad, Mad hard Cardio
Sat – Stretch

This is great for the programme, but I now just do one the cardios every morning, and weights 4 times a week.

Never had so much energy, had to put new holes in belts, feel brilliant.

Go for it. There is a free trial on the beachbody app, although Max 30 isn’t on there, by doing a few it will let you know whether the type of workout/discipline is for you.

I’d imagine that if you’re into “streaming”, most of the videos are available on there by now.

Sort your diet out and lift heavy weights, it’s tried and tested and doesn’t involve making some snake oil seller rich.

@sc_xc do you think it would be possible to do Max 30 at the same time as another gym based programme?

I usually do 3 sessions a week in the gym over the off season which is great for strength but I’m looking for a little extra cardio fitness this winter.

I imagine the diet makes the difference.. I just did the workout.. worked my nuts off. Toned up .. beginnings of a 3 pack and carried on as normal.

@sc-xc what’s your impressions of Max-30 compared to T25 for knee wise injuries? I’ve done both T25 and Insanity and had really slow it down after around 4-6 weeks due to some serious knee pains. A mate at work has max-30 so I can get hold of it but don’t want to bother if the same results happen!

Differing opinions then. During the summer riding is ok, might do the odd swim and walk but really need something for the winter months, just looking to lose a bit of weight, tone up and get a bit of core/upper body strength. I already do a bit of yoga but feel I need something to make me sweat a bit more.

I googled crossfit classes locally and nearest is about 30min drive away and quite expensive, £65 month for unlimited workouts. I think I’ll find it harder to get out in the car and drive 30mins to have a workout once I’ve got in from work. The T25 workout is currently about £60 so might just give it a go, or at least try that app first.

Jolmes…when I first started I struggled to do the 5 core Max 30 workouts as well as weights, so just did an upper/lower body split Saturday/Sunday.

Now my fitness is much better, I do Max 30 in the morning (5.30) and a four day split with weights in the evenings. Also two nights of kickboxing.

The only thing to watch is not going too heavy on leg day…Max 30 is all squats/lunges/plyo moves…so you’ll fatigue quickly if you go heavy on squats.

I found T25 too easy compared with Max 30. I read somewhere that Shaun T wouldn’t put the insanity name to T25 as it wasn’t challenging enough.

My knees are in bad shape as well, but I have found that a good pair of trainers and listening to my body have got me through.

Seriously never felt so motivated or fit…just having some porridge then into the gym for shoulders 🙂

Look up Gillian Michaels on YouTube, the wife does those, half hour a day. They don’t look look it, but they are tough, great for core, and will have the sweat pouring off you.