Gym teacher makes 9th Graders do Insanity Workout

Woomytron

I don't see why its that big of a deal. We use to do workout dvds in our gym class. Those are the days I really did something instead of standing around let all the "jocks" do all the work while playing basketball or hockey or ect.

As long as they are having fun with it and as long as the teacher is watching them to make sure they don't hurt themselves then no biggie.

mjterp

yup, my freshman in HS (9th grade) is doing P90X. He is the only one that can sort of keep up...My frustration is more that it is the start of his day and they don't leave enough time for EVERYONE to get showered and dressed in time for class. Yeah...nice to be known as the stinky kid your freshman year! (not my son, thank goodness, but several other kids.) From what I understand . the girls don't even try.

Dragonwolf

Sports are one thing, but extreme training is another. I do know that my nephew, who plays football at 12 years old is too young to lift weights. This is where I get the information from. Insanity is a combination of strength training and cardio but the strength part may be too much for a younger age.

Strength training and weight lifting aren't necessarily the same thing.

And yeah, like the others, I fail to see how Insanity is so "dangerous" and "extreme" for kids. I played basketball from 7-10 grades, and part of the conditioning not only included endless laps, but also tiger touches/suicides (sprint from the baseline to the foul line and back, then to half court, opposite foul line, opposite baseline). We also did countless drills with a 10lb medicine ball (most of which involved throwing it).

Football isn't much different, though with more strength training. Martial arts kicks the crap out of Insanity any day of the week, especially once you get into sparring.

When I was in school, we still had the fitness tests, which involved certain sprints, a mile run, and *gasp* pull ups (and pushups and full situps). I'd like to see most adults do pull ups (in other words, just because an adult can't do something, it doesn't mean a kid can't).

Oh, and how are the activities in Insanity fundamentally any different than my three year old running around, climbing on anything he can climb on, and jumping off of anything that isn't taller than he is for every waking moment of every day? Or any different than the fundamentals taught in any reasonably challenging activity?

EmilyOfTheSun

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!

Thanks for putting words in my mouth dude. I never ONCE said that the gym teacher needs to "create" a sport or game to show the kids. Insanity is not a game....the kids are never going to become professional "Insanity Players." If you could sit on your *kitten* and put in a DVD everyday for class and still call yourself a "teacher"...I'm sure that's a lot easier than actually teaching something. I'm not hating on Insanity...I've done it several times. If you have too, then you know that it is pretty intense, and that there are certain moves that can be pretty stressful on the body, and if not done properly, could cause serious injury. AND that is says you should consult your physician before participating in any of the workouts. And as the OP said....the parents of these kids were not asked permission, therefore, it's safe to assume that their physicians weren't consulted first. So either way you look at it, the gym teacher fu(ked up.

Do I think there's anything wrong with a high schooler attempting Insanity? Not necessarily, under the right circumstances, it could be beneficial. I think it's a case-by-case basis and not something that should be thrown at a random group of kids.

meadow_sage

My 15 year old daughter and niece walked in the JDRF walk with me Saturday. My daughter weighs about 135 lbs and my niece weighs about 10 lbs. less. I am 39 and weigh 358 lbs. It was a three mile walk and they were wanting to break when I was marching on. Something is wrong with THAT picture. This two kids get more exercise than the average kid because I get them to do stuff. I agree with those that say they are not getting enough exercise, but I do know that you need to start light and work your way up to more intense workouts. I'm signing these two up for a teen strenth training classes at the Y next week. I take them swimming and walking but they need to kick things up a notch.

3foldchord

What part of the program do you disagree with?

I agree kids need a workout program but Insanity is for adults.

The school should have informed the parents about the program and requested permission to participate.

It is good the school is doing something actually real and beneficial and physically active with the kids.
I agree that parents should have been notified. But I think schools keep the parents in the dark about too many things that affect their kids. My kids belong to me, not the school,or government.
How do they expect parents to be involved when they keep them in the dark about things?

(This is just based on my observation and conversations with my friends who have kids in public schools, we homeschool now)

taunto

I, like you, appreciate workouts and fitness for kids and having done wee bit of insanity myself, its a good program.

However, at this age "workouts" won't get their attention much. Competition will. Team work will. They learn a lot via contact sports etc. Boxing, football etc would be much better suited imo.

rduhlir

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!

Thanks for putting words in my mouth dude. I never ONCE said that the gym teacher needs to "create" a sport or game to show the kids. Insanity is not a game....the kids are never going to become professional "Insanity Players." If you could sit on your *kitten* and put in a DVD everyday for class and still call yourself a "teacher"...I'm sure that's a lot easier than actually teaching something. I'm not hating on Insanity...I've done it several times. If you have too, then you know that it is pretty intense, and that there are certain moves that can be pretty stressful on the body, and if not done properly, could cause serious injury. AND that is says you should consult your physician before participating in any of the workouts. And as the OP said....the parents of these kids were not asked permission, therefore, it's safe to assume that their physicians weren't consulted first. So either way you look at it, the gym teacher ****** up.

Do I think there's anything wrong with a high schooler attempting Insanity? Not necessarily, under the right circumstances, it could be beneficial. I think it's a case-by-case basis and not something that should be thrown at a random group of kids.

So then, when ever they do something physical they need to get a complete physical? So that first week when they lift weights they need to consult a doctor? When they do the kick ball game they need to talk to a doctor? Then when they do something that is self paced they need to talk to a doctor? I doubt that, seriously. The teacher did nothing wrong. The PARENTS GIVE PERMISSION WHEN THEY SEE THE SCHEDULE AND WHEN THEY SIGN THE PERMISSION SLIP GRANTING THEM PERMISSION TO BE IN THE PE CLASS. Because the teacher decides to show a broad spectrum of fitness options available you fire at them? Really?

**Edited because of the quoted foul language.

angelamcmillan2008

theres nothing wrong with that work out for kids.they have more energy than you do and its just a bunch of jumping around anyways.i would say as long as they are above 4th grade it is fine.this is the time kids are most active for sports so it helps out,and for those kids that were a little chubby for sports are now proud to be lean.leave them poor kids alone.oh and as 9th graders those are young adults,this is the age when they start getting into trouble ,come up pregnant,school starts boring them so they quit.no these kids need this to be more productive in life.excuse me these young adults. heck i am a little jealous they didnt have it in school when i was a teen.what about you?you a little jealous too?then get off your bump and go help out with them.cheers

3foldchord

proffesional Golder in the masters = 14
proffesional Footballers, (uk) =16
olympic gymnasts =12

kids can cope in the adult world of proffesional sport.... your body has a natural mechanism for coping when your exerting to much .. i think they will be ok

bearing in mind im 23 and played sport at a national level at 16... didnt kill me..

Those kids had been working out most their lives and worked up to that level. Most 9th graders are probably not ready to jump feet first into something that intense.

It would make a great elective course, though! For kids who want more that the one size fits all PE classes.

My0WNinspiration

I wish my PE did workouts like ths. Gym class at my high school was like study hall.

jcjsjones

My son's PE teacher makes them do Cup Stacking. I would much rather him do Insanity than CUP STACKING!

Cup Stacking? wasn't aware that was a sport lol

Apparently, it's pretty competitive! My cousin's daughter was on a team. Pretty interesting to watch, but no, no physical activity involved..lol!

rduhlir

proffesional Golder in the masters = 14
proffesional Footballers, (uk) =16
olympic gymnasts =12

kids can cope in the adult world of proffesional sport.... your body has a natural mechanism for coping when your exerting to much .. i think they will be ok

bearing in mind im 23 and played sport at a national level at 16... didnt kill me..

Those kids had been working out most their lives and worked up to that level. Most 9th graders are probably not ready to jump feet first into something that intense.

I seriously doubt that. If the children have been allowed to run and play then they should be well beyond able to start something such as Insanity.

Espressocycle

Adults seem to really like it, so maybe the teacher thought the kids would enjoy it more than something more traditional. Most 14 year olds will probably never be healthier than they are right now, so why not?

Phrakman

brb body weight circuit training is to intense for kids. And hell very few kids will actually push themselves to the point of injury. Most will just give up and sit down, or ask to go to the library to and work on a fitness related case study or something.

relentless_hope

My daughter's 9th class has phys ed every other week. That's the crazy part. Why not every week?
I wish I had been pushed and encouraged to do more physical activity as a teenager. Challenge yourself. Believing you can is half the battle with being fit.
Their class has done the insanity videos. Her teacher encourages them to try each exercise and do as many reps as possible. Everyone has a different personal best and so I don't feel it's too much for her. He also mixes it up. Some days they are playing volleyball or soccer or kickball. Other days they with Zumba videos. It's a mix.
I'm more outaged by the lack of healthy choices in her cafeteria. She packs her lunch each day because we eat healthier at home. But what about the kids who only get to eat a meal at school? Why is pizza and burgers a daily thing?

Unknown

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PBsMommy

I personally think this is a little over-reacting. It is PE, which is PHYSICAL education. Most of all those moves in Insanity, I did sometime in PE throughout school. If the child had a condition such as asthma or another medical condition that would be affected by a workout, then I see a cause for concern.

When I went to school, we had to do mile runs ALL the time. I sucked at running. I hated running. I complained because I was a teenager and like to complain. My parents told me to suck it up and to stop whining. They didn't march up to the school and make a big deal about me whining about being physical in physical education class. The poor PE teachers are going to run out of options to teach the kids, because there are to many whiners out there.

The conditioning they put you through when trying out for a sport, is way worse than Insanity, in my opinion.

Bxrlvr73

My daughter's softball team did Insanity workouts as conditioning, she fell in love with the program and is saving her money to buy it for herself. She was amazed that the scale didn't move, but her jeans now fall off, so she is not concerned anymore with the number on the scale, which is such a good thing for a 15 y/o girl, IMO.

MindyBlack

I, like you, appreciate workouts and fitness for kids and having done wee bit of insanity myself, its a good program.

However, at this age "workouts" won't get their attention much. Competition will. Team work will. They learn a lot via contact sports etc. Boxing, football etc would be much better suited imo.

Everyone learns and is motivated differently. I know many people who are certainly not interested in contact sports and would shy away from it. That's why being exposed to a variety of things is best. Each person can choose what works for them.

BioMechHeretic

Considering that only 100 years ago or so and all of human civilization before that kids were fighting in wars and running around the battlefield by the time they hit double digits at 10 I think the coddled kids of today can handle some fast standing up and squatting down for 40 minutes a day.

EmilyOfTheSun

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!

Thanks for putting words in my mouth dude. I never ONCE said that the gym teacher needs to "create" a sport or game to show the kids. Insanity is not a game....the kids are never going to become professional "Insanity Players." If you could sit on your *kitten* and put in a DVD everyday for class and still call yourself a "teacher"...I'm sure that's a lot easier than actually teaching something. I'm not hating on Insanity...I've done it several times. If you have too, then you know that it is pretty intense, and that there are certain moves that can be pretty stressful on the body, and if not done properly, could cause serious injury. AND that is says you should consult your physician before participating in any of the workouts. And as the OP said....the parents of these kids were not asked permission, therefore, it's safe to assume that their physicians weren't consulted first. So either way you look at it, the gym teacher ****** up.

Do I think there's anything wrong with a high schooler attempting Insanity? Not necessarily, under the right circumstances, it could be beneficial. I think it's a case-by-case basis and not something that should be thrown at a random group of kids.

So then, when ever they do something physical they need to get a complete physical? So that first week when they lift weights they need to consult a doctor? When they do the kick ball game they need to talk to a doctor? Then when they do something that is self paced they need to talk to a doctor? I doubt that, seriously. The teacher did nothing wrong. The PARENTS GIVE PERMISSION WHEN THEY SEE THE SCHEDULE AND WHEN THEY SIGN THE PERMISSION SLIP GRANTING THEM PERMISSION TO BE IN THE PE CLASS. Because the teacher decides to show a broad spectrum of fitness options available you fire at them? Really?

**Edited because of the quoted foul language.

Once again, putting words in my mouth.
No, they do not need to get a physical before every single thing they do in gym class.

I'm sure that when they're weight lifting, or playing an actual sport, they are being INSTRUCTED, by their gym teacher, about proper form and safety.

Have you ever done an Insanity workout? They're SUPER fast paced, when I've done them in the past, I barely have any time to look at the screen in between moves.

Maybe a better approach would be for the gym teacher to take certain exercises from Insanity, and teach them to the kids, taking the time to show proper form and safety. Rather than popping in a DVD which is pretty much nonstop movement, with not a lot of emphasis on safe form. Hopefully this is the route the teacher went, but if he/she simply turned on the TV and played the DVD....that is both lazy and dangerous.

fbmandy55

proffesional Golder in the masters = 14
proffesional Footballers, (uk) =16
olympic gymnasts =12

kids can cope in the adult world of proffesional sport.... your body has a natural mechanism for coping when your exerting to much .. i think they will be ok

bearing in mind im 23 and played sport at a national level at 16... didnt kill me..

Those kids had been working out most their lives and worked up to that level. Most 9th graders are probably not ready to jump feet first into something that intense.

I seriously doubt that. If the children have been allowed to run and play then they should be well beyond able to start something such as Insanity.

Did you just compare the physical ability of Olympic athletes to average kids who run and play?

ScarlettVamp

Personally, I think that asking teenagers to do Insanity is a bit much. Yes, kids need physical activity/physical education, but just as most adults couldn't jump in and complete an Insanity workout without having some physical conditioning first, most teenagers probably couldn't either. It's just my opinion, but I honestly believe putting in a video and saying "this is what we're doing today" is a cop out on the teacher's part. If you want teenagers to become interested in physical fitness, I definitely think team sports or even making it a "game" is much more likely to peak their interest.

raisingemilyjune

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.

My fiance was in the enhanced learning program, graduated with honours and was an active and talented basketball player for his school. He went on to get a degree in Engineering and become an Aerospace Engineer and cycles competitively. I agree with you entirely, Smart kids can be athletic and jocks aren't all idiots.

Lulzaroonie

If my child was being made to do Insanity or similar in PE, I'd hit the f*cking roof.
These are programs designed for adults, and the documentation states you should get clearance from a doctor before up-taking any physical exercise regime. I know no-one really does unless they do already have existing medical issues, but a PE teacher is not a trained physician. Yeah they have the lower impact option but that doesn't decrease the intensity.
If my son had an asthma attack because of the rigorous exercise but because of the pressure he would be under to take part, you can bet I'd be up the school with bells on and wringing that PE teachers neck.

ItsCasey

I get where the OP is coming from. Insanity is a workout designed specifically for adults, not children. Whether or not children are capable of doing the workout isn't the issue. I do think parents have the right to at least be informed that their child is going to be asked to complete an intense, adult workout at school. The parent may be aware of certain health-related issues the child has that the school isn't aware of, or the parent may simply object to the child being required to complete a high-intensity workout that was not designed with children in mind. I don't think this is any different than a school teaching kids about the birds and bees in graphic detail without informing the parents in advance. A child's education is ultimately still the parents' responsibility. I do not believe in this new idea that once a parent drops a kid off at school, the parent no longer has the right to be involved in what the kid is learning or doing at school.

With that said, if I had a child, I would not personally have a problem with the PE teacher doing Insanity. I agree with what some of the others have said about teenagers actively looking for things to complain about and not wanting to push themselves out of their comfort zones. Not only could something like Insanity help get or keep them in shape, it could also help them develop better self-esteem. I just think parents have the right to know ahead of time and the right to have their concerns addressed.

rduhlir

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!

Thanks for putting words in my mouth dude. I never ONCE said that the gym teacher needs to "create" a sport or game to show the kids. Insanity is not a game....the kids are never going to become professional "Insanity Players." If you could sit on your *kitten* and put in a DVD everyday for class and still call yourself a "teacher"...I'm sure that's a lot easier than actually teaching something. I'm not hating on Insanity...I've done it several times. If you have too, then you know that it is pretty intense, and that there are certain moves that can be pretty stressful on the body, and if not done properly, could cause serious injury. AND that is says you should consult your physician before participating in any of the workouts. And as the OP said....the parents of these kids were not asked permission, therefore, it's safe to assume that their physicians weren't consulted first. So either way you look at it, the gym teacher ****** up.

Do I think there's anything wrong with a high schooler attempting Insanity? Not necessarily, under the right circumstances, it could be beneficial. I think it's a case-by-case basis and not something that should be thrown at a random group of kids.

So then, when ever they do something physical they need to get a complete physical? So that first week when they lift weights they need to consult a doctor? When they do the kick ball game they need to talk to a doctor? Then when they do something that is self paced they need to talk to a doctor? I doubt that, seriously. The teacher did nothing wrong. The PARENTS GIVE PERMISSION WHEN THEY SEE THE SCHEDULE AND WHEN THEY SIGN THE PERMISSION SLIP GRANTING THEM PERMISSION TO BE IN THE PE CLASS. Because the teacher decides to show a broad spectrum of fitness options available you fire at them? Really?

**Edited because of the quoted foul language.

Once again, putting words in my mouth.
No, they do not need to get a physical before every single thing they do in gym class.

I'm sure that when they're weight lifting, or playing an actual sport, they are being INSTRUCTED, by their gym teacher, about proper form and safety.

Have you ever done an Insanity workout? They're SUPER fast paced, when I've done them in the past, I barely have any time to look at the screen in between moves.

Maybe a better approach would be for the gym teacher to take certain exercises from Insanity, and teach them to the kids, taking the time to show proper form and safety. Rather than popping in a DVD which is pretty much nonstop movement, with not a lot of emphasis on safe form. Hopefully this is the route the teacher went, but if he/she simply turned on the TV and played the DVD....that is both lazy and dangerous.

I took that because of this:

And as the OP said....the parents of these kids were not asked permission, therefore, it's safe to assume that their physicians weren't consulted first.

And yes I have done Insanity, and IT IS SELF PACED. If you pushed yourself to the wall then that is you. But, it is a SELF PACED DVD set. Also, what makes you ASSUME that the teacher is not watching over the kids as they are doing the workout? As another poster has posted, everything in Insanity you have done in one form or another by grade 9. In 3rd grade I was learning push ups, pull ups, sit ups, etc... In 8th grade the boys who wanted to try out for football that summer were learning about burpees and plyo moves.

rduhlir

If my child was being made to do Insanity or similar in PE, I'd hit the f*cking roof.
These are programs designed for adults, and the documentation states you should get clearance from a doctor before up-taking any physical exercise regime. I know no-one really does unless they do already have existing medical issues, but a PE teacher is not a trained physician. Yeah they have the lower impact option but that doesn't decrease the intensity.
If my son had an asthma attack because of the rigorous exercise but because of the pressure he would be under to take part, you can bet I'd be up the school with bells on and wringing that PE teachers neck.

For one, you are supposed to get clearance from a doctor for ANYTHING physical. Lifting weights, changing your diet, running, hopping, skipping rope. You are supposed to. If your child is signed up for PE, and you would know about it because what kid if parents isn't involved in the classes they take, and you fail to have your child checked by a doctor for a physical that year that is on YOU, not the school. You should have done that during the summer leading into that year, and then again if they happened to get injured doing something (for example, in a sport). If you failed to do that, then that is on you not the school.

Also, it is DIRECTED at adults. Everything in Insanity you have done a modified version of at one point in school. The push ups, sit ups, pull ups, etc.. you did when you did the presidental fitness test. Jumping you did when jumping or skipping rope. Kicks you did playing kick ball.

drefaw

This thread is ...just... WOW...... I mean REALLY.... Are you people for real. Do those of you posting that this is SOOOO wrong, and that this age of children just can't possibly do this, and that it is BAD for them, know anything about the human body? Or muscle physiology?? I raced MX from the age of 10, BMX from the age of 12, Skated from I do not remember how young. do you have any idea how physically demanding these sports are?? I was skating or riding MILES a day by the time I was 10 yrs old. As were all the kids I hang out with. By the time I was 14 I was working out with a few of my friends 3 days a week. @ 15 yrs old it was up to 5 days a week. And all it ever did was help me in life. I never got/get sick, didn't get all the nasty little "injuries" everyone around me was getting. I was strong. By the time me and my group of friends graduated HS we were all in excellent physical condition. Better than most of the "jocks" actually. Our gym teachers and PT's were great at teaching us the CORRECT FORM and way to exercise. I credit them for my base of knowledge and many issue free years of strength training.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with these kids doing "Insanity", as all it is, is all the old school calisthenics with some newer stuff thrown in. It is really not that hard of a workout. This is the stuff we did at my HS for gym classes. No big deal.

Quit your whining, and make your kids do something. Start to finish, no excuses .... No one stepped on your "parental rights" , as you should expect physical exercise would be happening when you saw "gym" class on your child's schedule. If you don't, then you are an ignorant.

OP - you and all the other indignant, whiney azz, offended people are a major problem with schools and this country in general ..... Suck it up, Man up, and quit whining ...