Gym teacher makes 9th Graders do Insanity Workout

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  • Woomytron
    Woomytron Posts: 253 Member
    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. :smile:
  • mjterp
    mjterp Posts: 655 Member
    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
    Dragonwolf Posts: 5,600 Member
    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
    EmilyOfTheSun Posts: 1,548 Member
    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
    meadow_sage Posts: 308 Member
    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
    3foldchord Posts: 2,918 Member
    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
    taunto Posts: 6,420 Member
    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
    rduhlir Posts: 3,550 Member
    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
    angelamcmillan2008 Posts: 11
    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
    3foldchord Posts: 2,918 Member
    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
    My0WNinspiration Posts: 1,146 Member
    I wish my PE did workouts like ths. Gym class at my high school was like study hall.
  • jcjsjones
    jcjsjones Posts: 571 Member
    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
    rduhlir Posts: 3,550 Member
    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
    Espressocycle Posts: 2,245 Member
    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
    Phrakman Posts: 113
    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
    relentless_hope Posts: 15 Member
    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?
  • PBsMommy
    PBsMommy Posts: 1,166 Member
    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
    Bxrlvr73 Posts: 82 Member
    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
    MindyBlack Posts: 954 Member
    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.

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