Gym teacher makes 9th Graders do Insanity Workout
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It is insane to push "Insanity" on a school gym class.
I also think it is insane to give kids a letter grade for gym class rather than pass/fail. Gym teachers have an innate dislike for the smart kids and bias toward the jocks they coach. My daughter was fortunate enough to have a gym teacher who was an exception to this rule. My son was not.
When my daughter was in required gym class she was recovering from a second knee surgery. Her gym teacher accommodated her condition without humiliating her. There is no way she could have done something like insanity.
Personally, I hated gym because the teacher was a big a bully as the jocks and took glee in humiliating us non-jocks.
BTW, I was surprised to find out the NC State actually requires students to waste one class each semester in phys. ed. for all 4 years. That is insane. These are young adults now. They are responsible to taking care of their own fitness. It is not the school's job to force them to.
"Smart kids" can also be athletic, and "jocks" aren't all a bunch of idiots.
I was an honor's/AP student and did well in all my classes, including PE. I wasn't the only kid who did well in difficult courses AND PE, either. Of course, I didn't have parents who would write me notes excusing me from stuff I didn't want to do.0 -
THIS. IS. CRAZY!!! Kids muscles aren't developed enough to do intense workouts like this. I hear this can cause serious permanent damage. My teen sister is my best workout partner. We do Zumba, SHORT sessions of Insanity, and Rockin' Body but this is one or two times/wk, not every day and we switch up the workouts. I would never make her do a full Insanity session as I can't do it myself, yet. Being required to do this without the parent's consent is WRONG. When I was in high school, we did Sweatin To The Oldies. I think that, or Tae Bo, maybe a good option, but Insanity is WAY TOO MUCH. Also, what is the gym teacher doing while the kids are watching a video. How lazy is that?!0
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I don't think Insanity is all that much crazier than what kind of workouts I did in PE. We did rope climbing (SO HARD!!!), running laps, mountain climbers and other floor exercises like push-ups, pull-ups, etc. I think Insanity is pretty comparable to that.0
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My kid is on the volleyball team and just did 15 pullups in her PE test.
She also did 25 regular pushups. Fitness is not an issue for her.
Unfortunately most kids are not in good shape but its the parents responsibility to get their child in shape.
Uh huh & that happens right? Yeah cause the parents of these kids care so much that the kids are fat in the 1st place. I guess it's up to the parents to teach the kids everything....including schooling all the way till they hit working age.....
Ok off you go, your kid wants to be a Dr...start teaching.
Edited to state I'm going to start shaking my head about now. :noway: at some of the responses. On one hand you are against the kids doing exercise in the form of insanity..... yet ok with them doing anything OTHER than that? :ohwell:0 -
I wish I had been exposed to different things like this in gym class. I was pretty uncoordinated and did not do well with the traditional volleyball, basketball and soccer. I was always one of those to be picked last for teams. I hated gym. This may have been fun. If I had more of a variety of physical activities to choose from when I was a kid maybe I wouldn't be on MFP now.
I would ask how hard is the teacher being on the kids? Are they expected to work up to an unreasonable expectation or are they being asked to give a good try?
Unless the teacher is being a drill sargent I don't see a problem and would have been please if my kids had to do this. It beats cup stacking.0 -
I'm 35 and doing Insanity. Although the name is scary, it's really not THAT hard of a workout unless you're really really out of shape. I'd imagine 9th graters are in better shape and have more energy than me so they can handle it. My 3 boys (12, 6, and 4) do the workout with me sometimes. (Obviously the little ones are just bouncing around and running in place a lot) We each do it at our own pace which I'm sure the kids at school do too.0
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I have completed Insanity and currently doing P90X.
I do not think either are approaprioate programmes for growing teens. It is too extreme. This stinks of lazy educators doing lessons from a box, rather than thinking what is effective and appropriate for the class they are teaching.
Just my personal opinion, but that was what was asked for.0 -
Kids are much hardier than we give them credit for. Well unless they're lazy. My hometown had 3K races for 6-7 year olds. Oh the abuse! Lol0
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To the person who said that the kids got fat by playing volleyball...
They didn't get fat playing sports. I hope you are kidding. People, children included, become fat when their hormones get out of wack, when their body's fat cells start grabbing too many fatty acids from the bloodstream, etc. Did the normal weighted children of 50 years ago do insanity or p90x? Maybe JUST maybe it is the low quality of our standard diet that's causing the weight gain....granted we aren't as active as 50 years ago, that can't be denied, but there are better solutions than making kids do p90x. It could be an option for the really athletic ones, but I think the point of gym class is to introduce children to lifelong habits, activities that they can enjoy doing regularly.0 -
Insanity is NOT that intense. Why, you ask? Because it's a go-at-your-own-pace type of workout. When you tire, you rest. When the kids tire, they will rest.
C'mon people...get real!0 -
With the obesity epidemic among young people we have in this country I feel this is a good start. Congratulation to that school and teacher for caring enough about their students to do something about it! You won't achieve anything in life without a little hard work. This could be very motivational for them.0
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Yeah.....sounds like the gym teacher is being lazy by popping in a DVD rather than instructing the kids on something him/herself.0
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My son's jr. high football coach alternated between Insanity and P90X for the teams summer workout because it was too hot for them to workout outside and he didn't want them to only do weight lifting. It didn't kill any of them.0
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All the kids got fat doing it...Geez, whatever happened to teaching kids how to play basketball, floor hockey, soccer, volleyball, etc.?
Really?!?!?!
Kids do NOT get fat from playing basketball, floor hockey, soccer, volleyball, etc. Kids get fat from overeating, unhealthy eating and LACK of exercise. My son plays basketball, hockey and baseball and my daughter plays volleyball and neither are fat by any stretch of the imagination. (*says the wife of a PE teacher)
Teaching these kids how to play sports is a great way to help them find an exercise that they want to continue outside of school gain coordination and work in a team environment.
:grumble:
<<<--- steps off of soap box.0 -
Yeah.....sounds like the gym teacher is being lazy by popping in a DVD rather than instructing the kids on something him/herself.
I agree. Football, for example, was created by someone else and so he can't introduce that sport. Basketball, by James Naismith, so he can't introduce that sport either.
Baseball? Softball? Hockey? Volleyball? Wait, what about Karate? Ooops....NOPE! He can't introduce those games either.
What do you suggest the teacher "CREATE" that he should do in PE? If you mention anything, then he didn't create it.
This is the dumbest thread on the board right now....WOWWW!0 -
THIS. IS. CRAZY!!! Kids muscles aren't developed enough to do intense workouts like this. I hear this can cause serious permanent damage. My teen sister is my best workout partner. We do Zumba, SHORT sessions of Insanity, and Rockin' Body but this is one or two times/wk, not every day and we switch up the workouts. I would never make her do a full Insanity session as I can't do it myself, yet. Being required to do this without the parent's consent is WRONG. When I was in high school, we did Sweatin To The Oldies. I think that, or Tae Bo, maybe a good option, but Insanity is WAY TOO MUCH. Also, what is the gym teacher doing while the kids are watching a video. How lazy is that?!
Are you kidding me? This is the perfect time to get them started on programs such as this, when their muscles are developing. Why? Because exercising causes blood to be pumped to that part of the body which means more nutrients and oxygen to build stronger better bodies. You yourself said your sister is DOING Insanity. And notice the OP did not say the teacher had them doing it EVERY DAY. Also, just because YOU can't do the full DVD that doesn't mean your sister isn't capable of it. Never judge your capabilities to that of others.
Besides, the PARENTS DO GIVE CONCENT. They do it when for one they have to sign wavers (permission slips) at the begining of the year, and two when the child is sent home with the next year's schedule of classes and you have to approve of it before you turn it in. What part of physical education do you think wouldn't be physical? What? You think they would stand around twiddling their thumbs the whole class period?
Finally, Insanity is a DVD program that you go at YOUR pace. Same as Zumba, same as Sweating to the Oldies. You go at YOUR pace. So it doesn't matter if the teacher put the DVD in, if the kids only put forth a 25% effort they won't hardly be getting any of the intensity anway.0 -
"Smart kids" can also be athletic, and "jocks" aren't all a bunch of idiots.
I was an honor's/AP student and did well in all my classes, including PE. I wasn't the only kid who did well in difficult courses AND PE, either. Of course, I didn't have parents who would write me notes excusing me from stuff I didn't want to do.
Should have chosen my words more clearly. One of my brothers was a multi-letter athlete and valedictorian.
Maybe things have changed since the stone ages when I was in school. But back then, the gym teachers and teachers that were also coaches were bullies in the classroom too.
I never got any "notes" excusing me from anything. My father was a jock and a brain and was humiliated by my mere existence. He expected all his kids to be jocks and geniuses. I was neither back then. It would have done no good complaining about the way the gym teacher treated me and other non-jocks in gym class.
Today I know a little different. 2 degree black belt, a few degrees under my belt and a few patents as well. Late bloomer.
But I can admit that my own experience clouds my judgement on this issue.0 -
They have probably banned team sports in most schools because its not fair for the kids that aren't good at them (stupid rules of parents who's kids are nonathletic) ... So they are forced to try to do something new, and because some states have banned physical fitness testing because its not fair, and running because some kids cant and its not fair, i think this teacher is taking a chance on doing something good for these kids, and soon that will get banned to and PE will turn into social hour with one flat dodge ball that isn't allowed to be thrown because some kid might by chance get hit and think they are being targeted by a bully and the school will have to close down. END RANT sorry I am not a parent yet so I cant fully understand the whole making sure everything is fair for your kid, but I think its also important that kids learn lift isn't fair, and just because one kid isn't good at something doesn't mean every other kid has to miss out on it.
I agree with everything in this! I AM a parent. Everything is being taught now to be "fair" to the weakest student. I don't agree with no child left behind AT ALL. I praise the PE teacher for teaching Insanity because at least he is getting the kids moving. It is a workout that is possible for ALL fitness levels. You work at your own level. And the weaker kids won't be holding back the stronger kids. I am all for this. PE should be hard. PE should teach fitness. PE should NOT be simplified because society has become obese. It is the parent's responsibility to teach the child? Unfortunately, many parents feel it is the school's responsibility. Parents as a whole are not teaching proper eating and fitness. Someone has to teach the fat kids how to not be fat. Their fat parents certainly aren't doing it.
One of our local schools allows students to take fitness classes for PE credit. The high schoolers come into the Y and take spin classes, P90x classes, lift weights, etc. So why is teaching Insanity wrong? I think your idea that is wrong exemplifies what is wrong with this country. No child left behind is a joke.0 -
THIS. IS. CRAZY!!! Kids muscles aren't developed enough to do intense workouts like this. I hear this can cause serious permanent damage. My teen sister is my best workout partner. We do Zumba, SHORT sessions of Insanity, and Rockin' Body but this is one or two times/wk, not every day and we switch up the workouts. I would never make her do a full Insanity session as I can't do it myself, yet. Being required to do this without the parent's consent is WRONG. When I was in high school, we did Sweatin To The Oldies. I think that, or Tae Bo, maybe a good option, but Insanity is WAY TOO MUCH. Also, what is the gym teacher doing while the kids are watching a video. How lazy is that?!
Why do you believe their muscles aren't developed enough? Do you have kids? Children are pretty sturdy, active, agile beings! Have you never seen kids participating in competitive sports? What a bizarre response....:huh:0 -
To the person who said that the kids got fat by playing volleyball...
They didn't get fat playing sports. I hope you are kidding. People, children included, become fat when their hormones get out of wack, when their body's fat cells start grabbing too many fatty acids from the bloodstream, etc. Did the normal weighted children of 50 years ago do insanity or p90x? Maybe JUST maybe it is the low quality of our standard diet that's causing the weight gain....granted we aren't as active as 50 years ago, that can't be denied, but there are better solutions than making kids do p90x. It could be an option for the really athletic ones, but I think the point of gym class is to introduce children to lifelong habits, activities that they can enjoy doing regularly.
Also I've never done insanity or p90x, just going by what it looks like in the infomercials. Not saying its bad for teens, just questioning its sustainability. Basketball is a great workout, plus it's social. Tennis is great for those who don't care for team sports. I'm just saying, there are more sustainable options, options that are more likely to bring about lifelong change. Dancing, for instance, would be better for some kids, but unfortunately most schools can't afford such options and neither can many parents.
Instead of trying to come up with new solutions, new workouts, what if we focused on what used to work.0
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