Having washboard abs isn’t something most of us are blessed with, and while we would all love to get them, they’re quite the hassle to get. The diet is okay if you know how to (to a degree…), but the workout program isn’t as easy.
You see, with numerous influencers online trying to sell you ‘the next best thing,’ you might feel confused and end up spending time and money that you don’t have.
But Shaun T over at Beachbody On Demand is eager to break the mold. Known for other Insanity workouts, this ab workout claims to be the only thing between you and an eight-pack.
Let’s see what’s what.
About the Creator – Shaun T
Shaun T might not be your average influencer. After being an exemplary track star athlete in high school, Shaun, unfortunately, fell victim to weight gain. According to him, he gained a whopping 50 pounds in the first year of college!
A few months later, Shaun started feeling unhealthy, unhappy, and like a change was needed. Even though he was studying sports sciences, the weight had him feeling lethargic and ill.
The change was set in motion when he was asked to host a Hip-Hop Dance Class, and (almost) everything else is history. This sparked a love for hip-hop fitness and high-intensity cardio within Shaun T, and he wanted to share it with the world.
It wasn’t long before he was approached to be a coach at Beachbody, where he was at the core of several popular programs:
Today, he also has his own website where he offers advice in the form of blogs and podcasts as well as his own coaching program. He’s an author and widely respected as one of the best ‘cardio power’ coaches around.
But there’s more to creating a good program than just namesake and being widely respected. The workout claims to be both insane and excellent for abs and cardio.
Cardio Abs Overview
Fitness level: Advanced Duration: 2 months Workouts per week: 5 workouts per week Average workout duration: 20 minutes Equipment needed: Minimal equipment Goal: Lose weight
Before we get into things, please note that the Insanity Cardio Abs workout is a single workout that’s part of the Insanity workout program. Thus, the information given above is a reflection of the entire program.
The Insanity workout program is designed to help people lose weight, but this comes with a massive caveat. This program is certainly not for those who are dysfunctional in one way or another. If you have stiff joints or if you have the inability to do jumping movements, this might not be the best workout program for you.
As the name suggests, the workout (this one) is focused on cardio to help develop abs. Just keep in mind that without a good diet and lifestyle, this won’t do much. But there’s more to a core workout than traditional sit-ups and a high plank position.
Insanity Cardio Abs Workout Details
We’ll be looking at the specific workout. Again, the workout forms part of a massive program that will definitely influence the results. You won’t get all of the results by doing only part of the program.
What’s Really In The Workout?
Like all his videos, Shaun T starts the workout with intensity, energy, and a can-do attitude. For those who are inexperienced or only getting into fitness, this is exactly what’s needed to get them going — nice touch.
#1: Jogging
We start the session by jogging in place for quite some time. Shaun will have us change ‘position’ every now and then by having us raise our arms as well. It’s a great warm-up to get the heart pumping and the muscles activated.
Since this is a short but high-intensity workout, it’ll be far more precise and extreme than other workouts you may have done in the past. Just make sure you’re physically capable of keeping up.
#1.5: Jogging High Knees
The natural successor to jogging in place is simply jogging in place while also lifting the knees nice and high. This could help raise the heart rate slightly more but would also allow for the abs, thighs, glutes, and hip flexors to prepare for the workout to come.
We (myself included) often forget just how important the warm-up is, so it’s nice to see Shaun taking the time.
#2: Jump Rope (Without the Rope!)
Who needs ropes anyway? This plan was definitely designed to make it as easy and simple as possible, and this means you don’t have a lot of equipment. Shaun doesn’t want you to waste time or energy getting a rope out or even run the risk of injury by using one.
Simply jumping in place will do the trick! Yes, that’s it. Feel your calves cry in agony, but rejoice in the fact that you’ll never be able to pull off skinny jeans ever again.
#3: Tuck Jumps
Good ‘ol jumping! In case you didn’t know, plyometric training is a phenomenal way to build strength, speed, and power. It’s also the best way to find out if you either have crappy shoes or crappy knees.
Jumps are great, sure, and while most of us who would attempt 20 minutes of ‘Insanity pure cardio’ would be fine doing this, some of us might not. It would’ve been nice to see some wall sits or something as an alternative to the ‘main workout.’
That said, if you aren’t capable of doing these, it might be a wake-up call and a sign you needed that things really need to change.
#4: Water Break
As you were. Shaun does advise you not to stop moving, so you’ll kinda hop around while waiting.
#5: Wide Tuck Jumps
Just when you thought we were done jumping, Shaun doubles down and has you jump with your legs all wide and open! This won’t necessarily cause you to burn more calories or build greater abs. However, it will shift the load slightly.
When you jump normally, you use the quads as the main muscle to move. By opening the legs like in a wide tuck jump position, you’re engaging more of the glutes — the booty.
Again, no alternative is given, and if you’re someone who has even remotely iffy joints or knees, this is a red flag exercise.
#5: C-Sit Position Hold
Moving from plyometrics over to static holds. Static holds, as the name suggests, are simply movements where you’ll stay static. In this case, you assume the position of a sit-up (around 45 degrees), and you hold that position.
This will train the abdominal muscles in a way similar to a plank position hold, but it also does provide a change of scenery. And by holding on to your thighs, it does make it easier for those of us who need it!
A workout consists of various movements, but one with different levels of hardness for said movements is a great workout.
#6: C-Sit Position Twists (Russian Twists)
Another great exercise, but this time, the load is focused on the obliques. The ‘V-line,’ as many know it, is a muscle that takes a lot of effort to show, and twisting movements are the best way to train them.
#7: C-Sit Position Twists with Knee
This is actually some kind of pseudo-tuck-sit-up thing? It’s really hard to find an accurate name. But by using alt knees to bend and crunch across to the opposite arm, you wouldn’t only train the obliques but also the entire core.
Keep in mind this is probably the hardest movement in this workout and might be too much for most. Pity there isn’t an easy alternative given.
#8: A-Frame Ab Twists
You’re still maintaining that C-sit position, but now your arms extend up and over your head, creating an A. From there, you’ll raise the knee up and across the body towards the other shoulder while bringing the A of your arms down towards the said knee.
Again, by using the opposite knee and a single-leg approach, you have exceptional oblique activity. It’s nice to see Shaun designing an abs workout that trains all parts.
#9: C-Sit Position Hold (Repeat)
#10: Water Break
#11: Single Leg Raises
As opposed to the lying down version, you’ll do these while still maintaining that sit-up position you’ve been in for some while now. You’ll alternate between bending the knee towards your chest before raising your leg straight up. Both are exemplary for training the core and especially the lower belly.
#11: Water Break
#12: Double Leg Raise
Same as before, but now just with both legs instead of one. Exciting stuff.
#13: High Plank Position
This is essentially just a push-up position hold. While it won’t seem like much at this point, not only are your lungs already crashing, but your core is totaled as well! This might make the movement a lot harder.
This is also the first exercise that’ll target upper body muscles like the chest and shoulders. He doesn’t mention it, but an ‘on the knees’ option is perfectly fine for beginners.
#14: High Plank Position Alt Knees
You’ll maintain the push-up position but simply pull your knee up and out to the side towards the shoulders like a lizard does when walking. This will put even more strain on the core, chest, and shoulders.
#15: Low Plank Position
The classic plank. This is another isometric movement that’ll help build core strength and increase the amount of muscles you have around your abdomen.
#16: Low Plank Position Alt Knees
Same as #14, but now in a regular plank position.
#17: Child’s Pose
An interesting addition to the workout is this yoga pose. This is toward the end of the workout and is surely meant to be some kind of stretching method. It won’t really do anything for muscle growth, fat loss, or cardiovascular fitness, though.
#18: Ending
You’ll end the workout with a long alternating hold between ‘low’ and ‘high’ planking positions. Perhaps not the best method to cool down, and the addition of a low-intensity cardio circuit would’ve been great… a ‘cardio recovery’ if you will.
Overall, this is slightly more intense than other Insanity workouts I’ve seen. It’s not a pure cardio workout, nor just an ab workout, but it really is the best of both worlds. For some, this would limit it, while others will jump for joy.
2 Insanity Cardio Abs Pros
1. Cardio with Abs
The combination of abs and cardio is a regular sight in the fitness world. We sometimes think the former will always lead to the latter, but that isn’t the case. That said, hitting both birds with one stone is pretty nifty.
Plus, because the cardio is HIIT, you don’t spend a lot of time on it. Abs don’t take a lot of time, either. Combining the two makes a decent workout, which will help keep you sane on rest days.
2. Shaun T Energy
Shaun might not be the guy you want to take you through a heavy-weight workout, but he’s definitely the guy you want in your corner when doing a pure cardio workout.
2 Insanity Cardio Abs Cons
1. Limited Cardio
While you’ll be doing a ton of cardio, you’ll only be doing HIIT cardio. This means you’re lacking some LISS (low-intensity) cardio.
This type of cardio is extremely beneficial, seeing as it’ll allow for heart health and the burning of calories without causing a lot of myological damage (muscle pain). LISS is amazing and should be used.
2. Limited Alternatives
There are no alternatives to the movements in the workout. This limits the number of people who can follow and benefit from the workouts. Again, this is something that should’ve been addressed from the beginning.
Insanity Cardio Abs – Final Thoughts
Insanity Cardio Abs is better than some of the other Insanity workouts I’ve come across. It’s actually hard when it’s supposed to be hard, and it feels like someone spent time designing the plan rather than just having an AI pushing out sets and reps.
Overall, it’s just fine, however. There’s nothing that makes me go, ‘oh’ or ‘ah,’ but there’s just enough to make me go, ‘yeah, that’ll do.’
For most, this is more than enough, and 80% of folks would benefit greatly from this workout. However, if you classify it as part of the 20%, this simply won’t cut it.
Rating: 3.0 out of 5
