The Fitness Ninja

P90x / Insanity Hybrid Schedule

Format Explanation

So here’s my P90x / Insanity Hybrid calendar.  I’ve basically set it up in a similar format as the classic P90x schedule.  That is, most weeks have:

-3 weight training days.  These days are also paired up with 15 min. of abdominal work in the form of either Ab Ripper X (ARX) or Cardio Abs.  I alternate these two core routines so you are constantly changing up from week to week.

-2 cardio days (1 of which is a strenuous Max workout while the other is a regular Insanity routine.  This was intentional as classic P90x paired the much harder Plyo X with the wimpy Kenpo X every week [although, in actuality, a regular Insanity workout is much tougher than Kenpo X hands down]).

-1 day of low-impact muscle / stretch work (a la Yoga X)

-1 rest day (this is not listed on the calendar as it is a given).

-my one exception is running… during the week, if I feel like it on either a stretch or light cardio day I might swap out for an 8k run home instead.  I don’t want to stop running altogether especially with the weather getting nicer.

The final week of each month is a recovery period where you do low impact routines in order to help your muscles “recover” from the wear and tear of the previous weeks.  I’ve used a mix of all the low-impact stuff from both programs so that there is no repetition during this period.

MONTH ONE

Day 1	Day 2	Day 3	Day 4	Day 5	Day 6
Chest & Back +ARX	Max Interval Circuit	Shoulders & Arms +Cardio Abs	Modified Yoga X	Modified Angie +ARX	Pure Cardio
Chest & Back +Cardio Abs	Max Plyo Intervals	Shoulders & Arms +ARX	Core Cardio & Balance	Modified Angie +Cardio Abs	Cardio Power & Resistance
Chest & Back +ARX	Max Cardio Conditioning	Shoulders & Arms +Cardio Abs	Max Recovery	Modified Angie +ARX	Plyometric Cardio Circuit
Cardio Recovery	Core Synergistics	Max Recovery	Cardio X	Core Cardio & Balance	Modified Yoga X

MONTH TWO

Day 1	Day 2	Day 3	Day 4	Day 5	Day 6
Chest, Shoulders & Triceps +Cardio Abs	Max Interval Circuit	Back & Bicep +ARX	Modified Yoga X	Modified Angie +Cardio Abs	Pure Cardio
Chest, Shoulders & Triceps +ARX	Max Plyo Intervals	Back & Bicep +Cardio Abs	Core Cardio & Balance	Modified Angie +ARX	Cardio Power & Resistance
Chest, Shoulders & Triceps +Cardio Abs	Max Cardio Conditioning	Back & Bicep +ARX	Max Recovery	Modified Angie +Cardio Abs	Plyometric Cardio Circuit
Cardio Recovery	Core Synergistics	Max Recovery	Cardio X	Core Cardio & Balance	Modified Yoga X

MONTH THREE

Day 1	Day 2	Day 3	Day 4	Day 5	Day 6
Chest & Back +ARX	Max Interval Circuit	Shoulders & Arms +Cardio Abs	Modified Yoga X	Modified Angie +ARX	Pure Cardio
Chest, Shoulders & Triceps +Cardio Abs	Max Plyo Intervals	Back & Bicep +ARX	Core Cardio & Balance	Modified Angie +Cardio Abs	Cardio Power & Resistance
Chest & Back	Max Cardio Conditioning	Shoulders & Arms +Cardio Abs	Max Recovery	Modified Angie +ARX	Plyometric Cardio Circuit
Chest, Shoulders & Triceps +Cardio Abs	Max Interval Circuit	Back & Bicep +ARX	Modified Yoga X	Modified Angie +Cardio Abs	Pure Cardio
Cardio Recovery	Core Synergistics	Max Recovery	Cardio X	Core Cardio & Balance	Modified Yoga X

A Few Ground Rules

-What I really want to stress with this hybrid is the use of heavy weights.  Thus, whenever given the option, I will opt to do 8 reps max with as heavy a weight as I can bear rather than going for 10 or 12 reps.  Some of the exercises where Tony mandates 16 reps, I might just cut down myself to 8 reps and use heavy weights to make up for the new low count.

-Really focus on form.

-Not worry too much about writing down the reps as all I want to do is make it to 8 on each exercise.

-I will boil down the bar work to simple chin ups, pull ups and military grip chin ups. No more of this towel or corn cob stuff.  Also, I will only aim for 10 reps per session on the pull up bar but I will always use a 20 pound dip belt.  I’ll allow myself to take 10-15 second breaks between every 5 reps to shake out the old arms just to help keep them “fresh”.

-Start taking protein powder or EAS supplements again after each weight training session.  I kinda slacked on this during Insanity, only taking them after max workouts.

-Here’s the biggest change: I’m not going to do any of the warm ups or cool down sessions.  Taking these out of a P90x routine lets you add the 15 min. of abdominal work and still leave the exercise room in under an hour.  I’ll use a Men’s Health stretch / warm up routine that only takes 2 minutes prior to working out.  Check it out here.

One key modification I will make while doing this warm-up is, whenever possible, to do some static and ballistic stretching with the arms.  For instance, while doing high knee runs, as your arms are basically free to do whatever, I would do ‘pterodactyl’ straight arm rotations a la P90x.  (“Caw,caw, CAW!!”).

Special Workout Explanations

2 routines which may look puzzling to anyone who has done both Beachbody programs is the Modified Yoga X & Modified Angie.

-Basically, for Modified Yoga X, all I am going to do is the first 45 min. of Yoga X (the moving Ashtangas) then the Yoga Belly 7 at the end of the DVD.  These two portions cut the routine down from 90 min. to about 50.  Much, much more digestible!

-The Modified Angie is taken not from P90x or Insanity but from Crossfit.  An Angie, as I understand it, is a simple routine where you try to complete the following as quickly as possible: 100 chin ups / 100 sit ups / 100 push ups / 100 squats.  However, where I modify it is, rather than do all the chin ups in one sitting, I break them up into 10 circuits of 40 reps a piece (doing 10 reps per exercise).  As well, each circuit will do different variations on the exercises (ex. 1 circuit may ask for decline push ups while another has you doing pike presses and still another asks for one arm).  Most of the bar work for this modified Angie will use a dip belt of 20 or 10 lbs.  I’ll post a chart later on breaking down the exercises I’ll use for each circuit.

-The moves on the chart are generally self-explanatory.  However, instead of sit-ups I’ve opted to do weighted and serratus crunches.  Both are explained more clearly part way down this page (long story short: weighted crunches lay the dumbbell close to the chest while serratus crunches have you holding the dumbbell with straight arms above your chest).  Medicine ball pushups are diamond push-ups done while balancing on a (you guessed it) medicine ball.  You can use a soccer or basketball if a medicine ball isn’t handy. Similarly, 1-arm medicine ball push-ups have you doing push-ups with one hand on a medicine ball (you can think of it as an assisted 1-handed push-up).

-With regards to the squats / lunges, these exercises are done with a dumbell in each hand of the listed weight.  Meaning that first circuit has you doing squats with a 50 lb. dumbell in each hand (so total 100 lbs. for the entire lift).

Here’s a video example of the Angie:

Modified Angie

Circuit	Bar Work	Abs  – 1 dumbell in 2 hands	Push Up	Squats / Lunges w/ 2 dumbells
1	Pull up – 20 lbs	Serratus Crunch (50 lbs)	Standard	50 lbs Squats
2	Chin up – 20 lbs	Weighted (50 lbs)	Decline	50 lbs Lunges
3	Mil. Chin up – 20 lbs	Serratus Crunch (40 lbs)	Pike Presses	40 lbs Squats
4	Pull up – 10 lbs	Weighted (40 lbs)	Dive-bombers	40 lbs Lunges
5	Chin up – 10 lbs	Serratus Crunch (30 lbs)	1-arm 10 per hand side	30 lbs Squats
6	Mil. Chin up – 10 lbs	Weighted (30 lbs)	Medicine ball	30 lbs Lunges
7	Pull up with 0 lbs	Serratus Crunch (20 lbs)	Military	20 lbs Squats
8	Chin up with 0 lbs	Weighted (20 lbs)	Diamond	20 lbs Lunges
9	Mil. Chin up with 0 lbs	Serratus Crunch (10 lbs)	1-arm med. ball, 10 per side	10 lbs Squats
10	Chin up with knee lifts	Weighted (10 lbs)	Standard to failure (1 min.)	10 lbs Lunges

Here’s a JPEG version of the calendar and Angie chart:

This entry was posted on Friday, March 19th, 2010 at 8:23 pm and is filed under Insanity, P90x, P90x / Insanity Hybrid. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.