Insanity Review

After trying P90x for a bit, I decided to look into the Beachbody website for another workout program. I opted to give Insanity a go. I have to admit that I struggled with P90x, but Insanity was a step above even that; the two workout programs are designed very differently. While I enjoyed working out with Tony Horton and P90x, I really enjoyed the new style and energy that Shaun T brings with Insanity.

Insanity is categorized as a High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT). They call it Max Interval Training. The main idea behind this program is to push the body as hard as you can for 2 minutes and then take a short, 30 second, break before jumping back in. You repeat this cycle over and over until you've reached the end of the workout. The DVD involves great warm up and cool down instructions as well, although, the warm up workout is very much a workout in itself. It is ten minutes long and is nonstop!

The videos typically consist of several circuits. The circuits involve four different moves, each 30 seconds long, totaling 2 minutes. Then you get a 30 second break. Afterwards, you move on to a new circuit, with four new moves. Occasionally, there is a bonus move or two in between circuits.

There are a few videos that break this routine and instead consist of the warm up, followed by about 16 minutes of pure cardio moves, each 1 minute long, and then the cool down. These DVDs are a bit shorter at about 40 minutes long, but really pack a punch.

This DVD program comes with 10 DVDs:

1: Dig Deeper
& Fit Test
2: Plyometric Cardio Circuit
3: Cardio Power & Resistance
4: Cardio Recovery
5: Pure Cardio & Cardio Abs 
6: Core Cardio & Balance
7: Max Interval Circuit & Fit Test
8: Max Interval Plyo 
9: Max Cardio Conditioning & Cardio Abs
10: Max Recovery

Along with the 10 DVDs, you get:

• Elite Nutrition Plan

• Fitness Guide

• INSANITY Workout Calendar

• FREE Online Support Tools

 

Pros to Insanity:

Shaun T is a fun, high energy trainer
DVDs get to the point, no wasted time at all
Workout program lasts 60 days instead of 90
Workouts are shorter than P90x
Guaranteed to bring results

Cons to Insanity:

May be too extreme for many fitness levels
Some workouts are still a bit long
A little expensive at $120 but you can find it cheaper on other websites
Not recommended for people who have bad knees, as it involves a lot of jump training

This workout is definitely a great workout if you are already at a high level of fitness or athletic ability, but I wouldn't suggest it for a beginner. It's a very high intensity workout, so it may become easy to get burnt out. I always recommend trying everything once (within reason) though, so I would give it a shot. I typically use it now mixed in with a variety of other workout DVDs when I want a high calorie burn workout. So give it a shot!