Hello my name is Monica, I’m starting my day 3 workout today, and I’m extremely sore. Is it normal to feel this sore, and what should I do to get ready for today?
Hey Monica,
Oh, how I HEAR you! Yes, this is absolutely ‘normal’. I was quite active for a full six months BEFORE doing Insanity and I STILL was intensely sore… here’s the bad news; brace yourself… for the ENTIRE 63 DAYS and at least another 45 AFTER that! I thought I would NEVER feel normal again.
A couple of questions first: What is your age and your conditioning/ experience BEFORE your started Insanity.
I was 57 when I did this 2 years ago. I already knew and expected that I was going to take longer to recover because I’m older. That’s just a given. So if you’re 40+, EXPECT TO BE SORE THROUGHOUT!
As I mentioned, I worked out diligently a good six months BEFORE tackling Insanity. I thought I was ready, but as you already have discovered, Insanity IS TOUGH! They aren’t kidding when they brag, “It’s one of the HARDEST WORKOUTS EVER RECORDED ON DVD!” Believe it! So if you didn’t prepare yourself with a good preparatory program BEFORE Insanity, your body WILL BE SHOCKED!
Here’s the scoop, straight from Beachbody titled, “Be Safe and Avoid Injury”
“WARM UP: So your body feels sufficiently limber and you’re sweating lightly. If you need more warm-up time, hit pause and warm up some more.
STAY IN CONTROL: Maintain proper form. If your muscles really start to shake or you’re too tired to do a move correctly, back off.
PUSH YOURSELF: But don’t cross the threshold where you could become injured. You have a limit! Respect it.
LISTEN TO YOUR BODY: If a move doesn’t feel right for you, modify it for your body. If you’re feeling overtrained, this isn’t a race, it’s your health – take the day off.
IF YOU FEEL… pain or discomfort, STOP. Assess the situation and decide whether it’s a physical problem or you’re just having an “off” day.”
END OF BEACHBODY QUOTE
In addition, the are WARNINGS all over every DVD and paper that comes with your Insanity package. Take them VERY SERIOUSLY!
How did I survive all 63-days when I was in such discomfort? I’m a STUBBORN OL’ FOOL!
Seriously though, I have worked out before and as I mentioned, I was prepared for the pain and discomfort… I EXPECTED it.
So for me, there are two words that helped me survive:
STRETCHING
WATER
LOTS OF BOTH!
Plus, I put my videos out there on YouTube. By exposing myself that way, I KNEW I would be too damned embarrassed to give up. But that’s just me; that tactic won’t work for everyone.
What MIGHT help you is to be a part of a support group, especially one where they are either doing Insanity – have done it before – or are doing something equally intense so they can relate to what you are going through. The challenges are VERY REAL and you want to be able to communicate with someone who understands EXACTLY what you’re going through.
Hint: Someone who merely walks a couple minutes a day, from the couch to the fridge and back… those folks can NOT relate to YOU! LOL
I’ll be starting such a support group on April 22. It won’t matter if you’ve already started Insanity – you’re more than welcome to join. I’ll have more details available by Monday (April 8). Let me know if you’re interested and I’ll make sure you get the info.
In the meantime, I’m always here for my subscribers, commentators and visitors. Anytime you have a question, give me a shout and I promise to give you straightforward answers.
Hi, my name is Tenesa. I now started my insanity workout and i only made it past the first 3 exercises in the fitness test. I got light headed and blurred vision, so i stopped. Do i continue onto the next day workout, or do i do the test over again?
Hey Tenesa; CAUTION! Your body is having a VERY SERIOUS CONVERSATION with you and you need to listen. It’s trying to tell you 1) You are pushing yourself TOO HARD and you need to pace yourself. 2) You are NOT ready for Insanity; instead, try a more basic program and eventually build yourself UP to the required level of fitness.
The health warnings are clearly presented all over the Insanity DVD’s and packaging. I hope you now understand based on your experience that they are NO JOKE! Light headed and blurry vision are early symptoms of MAJOR HEART PROBLEMS! Before you go any further, I would HIGHLY RECOMMEND you get a full physical check up and clearance from your doctor to do this level of intense exercise. Be sure to discuss this particular program in complete detail so your doctor knows EXACTLY what is involved so you can get PROPER GUIDANCE and ADVICE on what is best for you.
Tenesa – and anyone else reading this thread – if you get ANY SYMPTOMS such as feeling light-headed and/or blurry vision… STOP IMMEDIATELY! Again, do NOT got any further until you get a full check-up and clearance from your health care professional. This is DEADLY SERIOUS STUFF!
I hope you are OK now and that this experience concerned you enough – yes, even SCARED YOU ENOUGH – to re-evaluate your exercise choices and plans. There are much easier programs that you can do that will get you GREAT RESULTS while keeping you healthy and ALIVE!
One that I can highly recommend as an EXCELLENT BEGINNER CHOICE is right here: http://beachbodycoach.com/esuite/home/russhamel?bctid=1513855864001 My wife has health issues that don’t allow her to do the same level of intensity that I do. We are doing this Tai Cheng program together and it is PERFECT for her!
I hope this helps. Wishing you all the best in health and fitness,
Russ
I’m currently on day 12, and tomorrow I see I do both Pure Cardio and Cardio Abs. My question is did you do them together, one right after another or do you recommend splitting them up, one earlier in the day on later?
Hey Rachel,
One right after the other – it’s doable.
The only thing I did NOT do was on the day of Fit Test #2, 3, and 4, the program calls for another workout that same day. That’s where I drew the line. I put EVERYTHING I had into those fit tests and there was nothing left for another workout within that same day.
But yeah, Pure Cardio and Cardio Abs is definitely doable.
Hey Ashley, thanks for stopping by and for taking the time to ask your question. As far as I know, the Calendar and the Disc 3 Title are the same – Cardio Power and Resistance. Let me know if I can be further assistance.
Russ
Hey Tonya, there’s a couple of ways I would handle this. Typically you have 1 day off out of six so if you missed only one day you can use that day off as your catch-up day.
So you can either carry on with the regular schedule and use the normal day off for the workout you missed, or you can do your missed workout and be one day behind for the rest of the week until you finally catch up on the ‘day off’.
I hope I wasn’t too confusing. There are other options: skip that one workout altogether and carry on from there. OR… go all the way back to the beginning and start all over again, making a new commitment to follow the schedule.
In the end, it’s really all up to you and what’s important.
I am on week two of the program. I have enjoyed working out so much that I kept going and didn’t take any days to rest. Is it ok to continue doing that or should I take a day off?
Hey Fanny, send me some of your amazing energy!
If you’re not feeling any ill-effects then I don’t see any problem.
However, you won’t make any better or faster progress by skipping days off. Eventually it is a good idea to take a break, both physically and mentally. In Steven Covey’s book, “The Seven Habits” he tells a story about two wood choppers comparing who was able to chop the most wood. One guy kept going and going and going and going all day long, never stopping once. The other guy stopped every half hour for about 10 minutes, claiming he needed to sharpen his blade.
At the end of the day, guess who chopped the most wood? The one who stopped because he took the time to sharpen his blade.
The Moral of the Story: Resting is important to your mind and body because it makes you sharper. In the long run, you will accomplish more. Hope this helps.
Insanity is a great program I did it with a group of guys this past spring….lost some weight and gained muscle and started to get “soft” again. We started going again a week ago and enjoying it immensely.
Thanks for sharing. Yeah, you’re so right – you can’t do this and then sit back for the rest of your life. You need to go on some kind of maintenance routine to keep that hard-earned body. If you’re young enough, you may want to revisit Insanity once a year just for the challenge. But if you’re getting long in the tooth as they say (like me), then you’ll want something a little less taxing on your joints.
These days I’m more into lifting weights (currently doing the Adonis Index) and I’m really liking it. Insanity is awesome if you’re looking to raise your energy and endurance. However, if you want the ‘look’ of a perfect body, you might want to get into weight programs such as P90X or Adonis Index.
Yeah we’re doing a modified version of it actually – 5 days a week. I’m lifting 2 days a week pretty heavily. I’ve actually dialed back my effort on the insanity a bit using my heart rate monitor to stay with in my optimal cardio/fat burning zone which seems to be helping.
And you are right about joints….I won’t do power jumps due to the impact on my knees but just run fast through the short segments and pick up the next one. We enjoy it tough.
Hey Russ jst ran across this page looking for the Insanity calendar. I will be startng this wrkout tmrw hoping to stick with it and Im hoping to c great results. Gng to the beach this summer and looking to tone up. Any advice??
Hey Eddi, if I had to do this program over again, I would be much more vigilant on the diet. Fat will only come off the body with this combination – increase your energy output (AKA exercise) and decrease your calorie input (AKA carefully monitor what you eat). Either one by itself is insufficient – you MUST do both in tandem.
Take this program seriously; invest your full effort and commitment into it, and you will get all the stares you want at the beach this summer!
Hey Sam,
Adapt the program to suit your needs. If you can only do two days a week, then do only what you can. I would suggest that you still follow the planned schedule as follows: Let’s say you can only workout on Monday and Thursday (just an example) – you would do Day 1 on Monday and Day 2 on Thursday; you would then continue on to day 3 on the following Monday and Day 4 on the next Thursday; etc.
The program is 63 days in length – just over two months at the regular 6-day per week schedule. However, if you are only doing 2 workouts per week, that same 63 days will take you 32 weeks which is equal to 8 months.
Because of the inconsistency of your workouts, most likely you won’t get the same conditioning effect because your workouts are too spread out. However, it’s better than nothing!
Again, do what you can. Later, if your schedule allows, you can make the necessary adjustments in order to do the program as intended in order for you to get the full benefits. I hope this helps.
Since there are no weights involved, the only question would be current physical conditioning or any other health challenges. The warnings pasted all over the DVD are to be taken VERY SERIOUSLY – this workout, when done to the required intensity, is EXTREMELY STRENUOUS and should not be attempted by anyone who is not already in decent shape. If necessary, start with a lighter preliminary program to get yourself up to speed.
Anyone at any age should get medical clearance from their doctor before attempting exercise at this level. It really is that intense. Once you are ready, give it all you’ve got – including following the suggested nutrition advice as best as you can, for the best results.
I have a really important (at least to me) question to ask.. January 8th I go the Insanity dvd in the mail.That day I started it, and loved it I did it religiously since I got it. Up until the 18th only because I got walking pnemonia, the Dr. said I should not exercise for a bout a week until my breathing gets better. I am looking to start this up again, as I am for the most part feeling better. But my question is where do I start. Should I start at the point I left off, or should I just start from the begining? Your guidance would be greatly appreciated thanks.
If it were me, I’d again right from the beginning, assuming you’ve been off since the 18th up until now – that’s almost 2 weeks. And if you went from Jan 8-18, that’s only 10 days in. You’ve been off longer than you’ve been on. Yeah, I’d start fresh.
The thing is, if you had a serious illness like pneumonia, you probably want to make sure your breathing is all the way back up to speed as Insanity is ALL about cardio. Even when you’re in the best of health, Insanity will literally take your breath away if you push yourself to your max.
Keep in mind, your life isn’t a race. It isn’t a bad thing to have to start all over again; it isn’t like staying back in school or anything like that. So take your time; get well first because you’re going to need to be in top shape!
Great question! If you need to modify this program for any reason – change the schedule; do the workouts slower; take longer breaks; WHATEVER… by all means, feel free to tweak and adjust to suit your needs. “DO WHAT YOU CAN!” That should be stamped on every DVD!
Now having said that, if you DO modify the program, you cannot expect to get the exact results they claim on the advertisements. That’s only for people who follow the program TO THE LETTER for both the exercise AND the nutrition components.
You will get out of this program only what you put into it, so any modification will change your expected results. The more you modify, the less results you can expect. I hope this helps answer your question.
Thank you so much. I used to weigh around 260 pounds, I am 5′ 8” and I was severly overweight. I have done the full 63 day insanity challenge and I have lost 62 pounds. It conisisted of a very good diet, plenty of sleep, water, and doing the workout. I am now going to do the same routine twice a day. I want to get some serious abs and train for a marathon. Thanks for the calendar, I could not find mine after I completed my workouts, I may have thrown it away…
Hey Mike, without being sarcastic or facetious, the cardio recovery is in the program for a reason. If you want the results the program promises to deliver, then you need to follow the program as closely as you can.
Now having said that, if you have your own reasons for modifying the program – time, health, capability, etc. – then simply do what you can. Just know that your results will vary according the the amount of modifications you make.
Otherwise, do you best to follow the program ‘As Is’, even if it means you’ll have to “DIG DEEPER”!
Hey Maria,
According to the calendar schedule, the answer to your question is YES!
Now, between you and me (and now everyone else reading this post… LOL) I simply did NOT have the energy and will power to do this. It’s the ONLY part of the exercise regimen that I did NOT do – I felt it was just too much for me.
If you DO have the energy and will power as well as the time, then by all means give it a shot. You might even want to divide this into two parts – do your Fit Test in the morning and come back later to knock off the scheduled routine for the day. It’s totally up to you and what you feel you can and want to do.
Trust me, if you put everything you’ve got into your Fit Test, you’ll have done enough for that day. And if you REALLY put everything you’ve got into your Fit Test, you’ll more than likely see improved results over the last Fit Test which will make you extremely happy! In that case, take the rest of the day off and CELEBRATE!
Russ, Thank you for the well wishes. I attempted to start again this week and it was a huge fail i couldn’t breathe. I though I was feeling better but wasn’t so now I am going to try for next week. Thanks for encouraging me and letting me know that I am not failing even when I feel horrible for not doing it!
Hey Lechele, listen to your body. It will tell you when you are ready. (as if you have a choice… LOL)
I know this all too well. The mind can play tricks on us sometimes, letting us think we can do so many wonderful things. The body is the boss as you’re finding out. It will quickly step in and tell you in no uncertain terms what you can and cannot do.
Body knows best! Get healthy first, then everything else will fall into place.
Im 14 and a half. Can I do this? I really want to! I want to get a nice body. But how do I do it if I don’t have time. I have to get up at 6 to get to the bus stop. This ks what? And hour? So five. But I gotta shower after. So 4:30? Isnt that to early? Or should I do it after school? And weekends. Should I do it at the same time I get out of school? And what of I miss a day?
Hey Adam,
Thanks for stopping by. Great question BTW. At 14 and a half, I’m guessing you’re in your first year of high school. At that age, you should already have a fairly active lifestyle or at least have many more opportunities to be more active built right into your school day. At bare minimum, you should have some type of physical education class a couple times per week. My step-daughter’s grade 10 gym class actually did a modified version of Insanity as one of their units.
Then there might be a variety of sports activities that you could try out for.
Of course, depending on your academic load and study requirements, as well as other extra-curricular activities such as outside lessons and/or tutoring, etc. can eat up your time pretty quickly. Again, at your age, there shouldn’t be a HUGE ‘need’ to get on the Insanity program.
I’ll tell you what though; if you DO figure out how to manage this program along with all the other things you have to do, you WILL come out STRONGER in every area of your life. Insanity will DEMAND that you DIG DEEP to discover the best in yourself. And when you improve yourself in one area, all other areas tend to improve, too.
These are questions only you can answer Adam. Discuss it with your folks. I’m sure they will guide you in determining what you can handle and how you can manage more responsibility. If you talk with your parents from the approach, “This will make me more responsible”, they will be more open and receptive. Give it a shot and let me know how things work out.
I was wondering if I can do the 63 insanity program right after lifting weights. I just want to shed some unwanted fat to finish shredding/sculpting my body. Is this too much on the body. By the way, I’m taking protein so I won’t lose too much muscle. Any advice would help. Thanks.
Hey Derrick, in my experience I have found that cardio alone does NOTHING for getting rid of my fat. The process of building muscle (AKA lifting progressively heavier weights over time) is proven to be far more effective at shaping and toning your body. In fact, some will argue that it’s the ONLY way. That would include me, because it’s the ONLY WAY (so far) that has gotten rid of my body fat.
The only thing a heavy cardio program (like Insanity) will do for you is improve your conditioning! PERIOD! If you notice any weight/fat loss at all, it will be more likely to do with your combined effort at eating less which you should be doing anyway, regardless of if you are lifting weights or doing a cardio based program.
If you’re interested in going for a ‘Perfect Body’ look, you might want to check out what I’m doing these days. (It has been almost 2 years since I did Insanity… there are BETTER ways to a better looking body!)
Derrick, I’m just one month into this program. I’ll be posting before and after pics tomorrow on this blog as well as my other site tomorrow (Friday, February 15, 2013).
Of course, my one-month results are not quite as dramatic as some of the guys you see on the site – but I’m well on my way! So far, I’ve lost 5 lbs, an inch and a half OFF my waistline while putting ON a half-inch of muscle on my shoulders.
Because of my age (59), it will take me longer to achieve my goals. But I’m aiming for the Golden Adonis Index with 47″ shoulders and a 29″ waistline. At the pace I’m going, it will take me pretty much to the end of this summer to achieve those figures! But at least I’ll be looking pretty decent for beach season!
In case you’re interested, there is a woman’s version available, too. It’s called the Venus Index. It’s based on the same principles of body proportions – just as they apply to women. My wife isn’t into heavy weight lifting so I’m looking into this alternative for her.
Hi Mike. Congratulations for sticking with the program. The length of the core cardio and balance routine should be listed on the video. My sister-in-law has my set, so I can’t look it up right now although I believe if you search on the official Beach Body Insanity Site you’ll find the times for each workout.
As for your question, “How HARD is it”… that one is totally up to you. If you are putting YOUR maximum effort into it, every one of these Insanity Workouts will be ‘Hard’. The old saying is true, you get out of something only what you put into it.
Now will your BEST effort equal MY BEST effort! YES, because we’re both maxing ourselves out. Will your BEST RESULT equal MY BEST RESULT? Of course not and THAT’S the critical difference. You can NOT measure yourself against someone else’s results. The ONLY one you ever measure against is what YOU were yesterday. YOU are the ONLY one who matters in your results.
Again, congrats for hanging in there and sticking with this very tough routine. Give it your BEST shot and you WILL see some great results.
So I was drinking my wine and cleaning up my kids toys and the infomercial came on and I almost started to cry because I USED TO DO THIS! I’m about 30 pounds over weight now and definitely heavier than I was when I was doing it. Should I wait to start this until I lose weight?
Hey Bree,
Those infomercials sure are compelling, aren’t they? I still watch them from time to time and they always RESELL me on the program, even though I already have it. LOL
It’s amazing how kids and a very hectic lifestyle can creep up on you. As you mentioned, 30 lbs later you wonder, “What the heck happened here?”
To be totally honest with you, these days my wife and I are totally LOVING the 7-Minute Workout. We find that they are actually FAR MORE EFFECTIVE than Insanity while being FAR EASIER on your joints and even EASIER THAN THAT on your time. Can you believe it… only 7 minutes a day every other day!
If you have a busy family lifestyle like we do (and it looks like you do) then the 7 Minute Workout is definitely something you should take a serious look at!
All the best from Toronto,
Russ
Hi Michelle,
Thanks for your question. The beauty of a ‘home-workout-program’ is that YOU get to decide when, where, how… all that good stuff. There is no right or wrong way to do this. As long as you are putting in YOUR best effort, you WILL get something out of it. Enjoy your Insanity journey!
All the best from Toronto,
Russ
Hey Lucia,
My first advice would be to check with your doctor and discuss your intention to do this level of exercise first. Of course, I’m just repeating the advice plastered all over the Insanity DVDs anyway. The fact that you are asking for advice tells me you have some concerns. Best to direct those kinds of questions to the people who can help you directly – aka your personal physician.
Thanks for taking the time to write and best wishes to you for a safe and healthy exercise experience.
Russ
I guess my question to you would be, “What are you wanting to accomplish?” If you want superior conditioning and endurance, Insanity is the program. If you want to shed fat while putting on some muscle, P90X would be the better program.
Honestly, having done both, P90X will give you the more visually pleasing results. PLUS, you will FEEL stronger at the same time.
However, if you run track or participate in any athletics which require you to be in top condition for endurance, then maybe Insanity would be your best choice.
Either way, I would CHOOSE ONE for now and put 1001% of your energy and effort into THAT program. If you have energy left to do the other, it only means you did NOT give 1001% to the first. Leave it ‘ALL on the floor’ as they say. You’ll only get out of the program what YOU put into it.
Absolutely Bryan! I think you should do any program ‘as is’ first to develop a level of discipline and mastery, much like learning to paint or play a musical instrument. Once you have a good feel for the skills involved, then you can – and should – develop a program tailored to suit your own needs. That’s pretty much what I do!
Great suggestion! Thanks for stopping by and taking the time to write!
Great point Bryan. It’s up to each individual to determine 1) What they WANT to do and 2) What they CAN do. Many people (dare I say MOST people) will need to do some kind of modification, especially if they have not been exercising for a while.
Keep in mind the main difference between these two programs:
Insanity is for CONDITIONING and ENDURANCE
P90X is for TRIMMING, TONING and STRENGTH
Again, know what you WANT to do. Once you have that, then you have to go at your own pace to determine what you CAN do for now. It may take time for you to build yourself up to the point where you CAN do the entire routine at the same pace (or BEYOND) the DVD’s. But if you can’t do that in the beginning, IT’S OK! Start where you are and always do what YOU can!
The ONLY person you ever need to measure yourself against is who you are today vs. who you were yesterday. If you can say you are a better person today, CONGRATULATIONS! You are on the right track. Keep going!
I was wondering I have been doing insanity for two weeks now and loving it and am coming up on next weeks fitness test but I feel like I could still workout more . Should I go ahead and do some solo cardio workouts or is there something that the program has to do after the 2nd fitness test. Also while working out I have no problem with any soreness other than an intense burning in my knees any advice ? And also when Shaun t says to keep your core tight does that mean basically sucking in your stomach or what ? And after some days when i rest for about 20 mins i feel good enough to go workout again , am i not applying myself correctly or just have alot of energy ? Im 21 5’8 183 and losin pounds by tha day !!! It would be very helpful to have all these questions answered thank you
By the way I LOVE THE INSANITY it’s helping me get ready for basic training in May for the ARMY and will only spur me off to greater things .
Hey Jonathan,
Great questions. Hope my answers can match up.
If you have that much energy left over, it tells me you are not leaving EVERYTHING out there on the floor. Of course, your energy level is naturally going to be WAY BEYOND mine – there’s no comparing a 21 to a 59 year old. However, you should be just as tired as me if you put in YOUR 101% effort… you know what I’m saying?
Yup, it’s what YOU can do; YOUR personal effort that determines what you get out of it. If the fitness models on the DVD are doing 40 reps before they pass out, but it takes you 80 reps to get that same drop-dead ‘FAIL’ point, then you need to bust your chops and do those 80 reps, if that is YOUR 101%.
Again, the measuring stick is simple… if you feel you can do another round of Insanity within the same day, YOU NEED TO BE CRANKING UP THE INTENSITY OF YOUR FIRST WORKOUT! You should work yourself SO HARD that you absolutely WON’T want to workout again that day. That’s the level I pushed myself to each day – right up to my drop-dead ‘FAIL’ point.
5’8″ and 183 lbs. sounds a bit heavy. I’m 5’6″ and 140 with a waist @ 31.25″ and I’m still working off another inch or so of belly fat. As for keeping your core tight, yeah you could say that it’s as simple as pulling in your gut! And do that throughout the entire day. It does make a HUGE difference!
As for the burning in your knees or any other ache and pain in your body, LISTEN TO YOUR BODY! Pain is an indication that something needs attention. Any pain that lasts beyond the normal recovery period should be checked out by your doctor. I can’t give you any advice beyond that as I’m not qualified to offer medical information.
I hope this answers your questions. Be grateful and enjoy your incredible energy while you have it.
Hey Scarlette,
Thanks for taking the time to write. Let’s put it this way – you can eat whatever you want; it’s the AMOUNT you eat that is the critical factor. The good thing about following any program is that they’ve usually done all the calculating for you. If you want to use your own food and create your own meal plans, know that you’ll most likely want to get a scale to measure your amounts along with a good calorie tracking program which also helps you properly balance your nutrients between carbs, protein, fat and fiber.
It’s a lot more work to use your own plan, but with care and attention, it CAN be done. It’s what I do. Keep your meals simple with lean meats, fish and lots of fresh fruits and veggies; add in some nuts, beans and legumes. I also find that low-fat cottage cheese is a great way to get your protein and it makes a great salad dressing.
Nutrition is equally important as the exercise. You have to do both parts correctly to get the most out of any fitness/ body transformation program.
I am doing the insanity workout and I need to do pure cardio today. I don’t see this particular DVD. But I do see insane abs and cardio abs. Can these be switched out for the pure cardio or am I just missing a DVD?
Hey RJ,
If you bought your DVDs directly from Beachbody, contact them immediately and let them know about your incomplete set.
However, if you borrowed your set from the library or from someone else you know (friend, neighbor, relative), then ask that person to see if they may still have it – sometimes I leave mine in my DVD player; forget to put it away!)
Because of the nature of Insanity, pretty much ANY one of the workouts – as long as you are pushing yourself as close to 100% of YOUR max as possible – will deliver the same effects of the ‘Pure Cardio’ DVD. That’s the secret to the workouts – you will get out of it only what YOU put into it!
Hey RJ, I answered you in another thread. In case you missed it, here it is again…
“If you bought your DVDs directly from Beachbody, contact them immediately and let them know about your incomplete set.
However, if you borrowed your set from the library or from someone else you know (friend, neighbor, relative), then ask that person to see if they may still have it – sometimes I leave mine in my DVD player; forget to put it away!)
Because of the nature of Insanity, pretty much ANY one of the workouts – as long as you are pushing yourself as close to 100% of YOUR max as possible – will deliver the same effects of the ‘Pure Cardio’ DVD. That’s the secret to the workouts – you will get out of it only what YOU put into it!
AWESOME Juletta!
Your body is telling you that you are pushing yourself to your MAX! And the fact that you are replacing soda with water is an EXCELLENT choice since water will help flush out the lactic acid and other toxins built up from intense exercise. The lactic acid is what breaks your muscles down and the soreness you feel is your body repairing itself – what is known as ‘Growing Pains’!
Continue to listen to your body and remember to that it’s OK to SLOW DOWN and/or STOP for an extra day or so if your body is SCREAMING at you (as mine sometimes does! LOL) Yes, sometimes we can push ourselves TOO hard and risk injury. The trick is learning to listen to your body and know the difference between being physically/mentally lazy and REALLY needing a break! With time and experience, you’ll learn this difference.
Hey Noel,
For losing weight and toning I would suggest P90X. I’ve done both Insanity and P90X and BY FAR the best results for those goals is P90X!
BY FAR!
Insanity will give you conditioning and endurance, but it will NOT change the way you look as quickly and dramatically as P90X. WHY? Because MUSCLE (not aerobics) BURN FAT!
MUSCLE BURNS FAT!
PERIOD.
I used to run long distance. Then I switched to running stairs in my 22-story condo building. Then I did Insanity. I had the energy to go ALL DAY… but still, when I looked in the mirror, I wasn’t satisfied with my visual results.
Switched to P90X! BAMMMM! Got my wife pawing at my abs now… oooohhhh, what a turn-on!
P90X WILL transform your looks, NO QUESTION! It did for me, and I’m 59 years old! Like they say, if *I* can do it…
All the best from Toronto,
Russ
P.S. Here’s what I look like after my latest 90-day fitness challenge from January 21, 2013 to April 14, 2013:
Just started Insanity Monday (3/18/2013). I am looking forward to doing Day 4 today!
I bought my DVD’s used, so, all I have is the DVD’s. I came here for the schedule and also found the Fit Test tracker. I dont have any diet informtion, I am just using common sense and watching my portion size. My goal is to shed a little extra weight and increase my endurance and stamina so I can run like I didwhen i was back in high school (LOL!) I am looking forward to finally using the program and finishing it out!
Hey Adam,
If conditioning and endurance is your goal, then you picked the right program – INSANITY WILL DO THE JOB!
Now I can’t promise that you’ll run like you did back in your high school days. If you’re getting more ‘mature’ like me – my high school days are like 40+ years ago – then I’ve got some ‘sad’ news for you… LOL
But I’ll tell you what; here is what you want to compare yourself to that will make ANY of your goals more realistic and attainable – compare yourself to what you were just YESTERDAY. When you improve yourself in small increments, getting just a little bit better every single day than you were just the day before, you will ALWAYS be pleased with yourself.
This is something YOU and ANYONE can do. Keep in touch and let me know how things are working out for you!
Hey James,
Thanks for your question… not a very common one in these days of ever-increasing obesity, but still one that SOME folks have.
Weight – whether it’s gaining or losing is most simply a knife, fork and spoon situation.
You want to gain: EAT MORE
You want to lose: EAT LESS
That’s the simple solution.
Of course, if you want to ACCELERATE the power of that over-simplified formula, you need to add these
EAT MORE SPECIFIC TYPES OF FOOD
DO MORE SPECIFIC MUSCLE BUILDING EXERCISES
You are embarking on a lifelong journey or KNOWING YOURSELF and what is best for YOU. This kind of knowledge is best gained through EXPERIENCE. Certainly, you will need to research and study. However, once you learn about something which resonates with you (and you will KNOW by how you FEEL about it), then you must APPLY this to yourself and track the results.
Keep in touch and let me know how things are going for you. If you need more assistance, I’m just an email away!
I am a 55 year old male, teach spinning classes about 4 times a month at a gym on my job and I do some weightlifting so I think I am in reasonaly good shape. I started Insanity about 6 weeks ago and just completed week 4…that’s because of my schedule, I only do it about 3-5 times a week but have still seem pretty good results (lost about 10 lbs).
I have had to modify many of the moves and not go as intense due to knee pain I have been experiencing. It’s tough because my body (except for my knees) wants to go all out but I’m afriaid that if I do, I won’t be able to walk. Do you recommend me continuing or should I look for a less intense program?
I do plan to repeat the first 4 weeks before I go to the “max” videos, I really love Insanity and don’t want to stop, I’m just afraid that it may be too much on my knees.
I have been taking some over the counter joint medicine (Move Free) but I don’t know if it’s helping. If I go to the doctor, I think she will tell me to stop but, as I stated previously, I love Insanity and don’t want to quit. What would you do?
I just replied to another very similar question so I’ll give you the same answer.
Yeh, at our age, workouts like Insanity tend to be rather unkind to our no-longer supple joints. When I did this program back in 2011 (has it been two years already), I pushed myself to the max and attempted all the routines with very little modification other than the fact I couldn’t do it AS FAST as the young fitness models on the DVD. However, I PAID THE PRICE by being stiff and sore for ALL 63 DAYS AND THEN ANOTHER 45 DAYS AFTER THAT!
Man, I thought I would NEVER recover!
These days I’m really enjoying the lifting programs like P90X. PLUS… I’m getting FAR BETTER visual results than I got when I did Insanity back in 2011!
I’m starting a new Fitness Challenge Group very soon. Personally I will be using P90X but you can participate with your own favorite workout. The main idea of this group is to help each other stay on track with our own goals. Would you like to join us?
All the best from Toronto,
Russ
P.S. Soon it will be great outdoor weather again. Are you in shape and ready for a fun, active summer? Join us in April and you CAN be ready by June!
Great question – easy answer: ABSOLUTELY, P90X is gonna be your best bet. Quick rule of thumb: Insanity is awesome for CONDITIONING and ENDURANCE… period! No matter what you’ve read or heard, there’s no amount of cardio that will tone and shape your body and build muscle.
As for Insanity helping you to lose weight… guess again. In my experience, the amount of INTENSE CARDIO I did with Insanity made me RAVENOUS! I actually ate a LOT and wanted to eat a whole LOT MORE! So unless you have great genetics and/or extraordinary will power, you most likely will NOT lose weight with Insanity.
I’ve been doing a lot of free weight lifting over the past 12 weeks and I am extremely pleased with my physical results, both in the way I look and feel. In fact, I’m starting a new Fitness Challenge Group very soon (projected April 22). Personally I will be using P90X but you can participate with your own favorite workout. The main idea of this group is to help each other stay on track with our own goals. Would you like to join us?
All the best from Toronto,
Russ
P.S. Soon it will be great outdoor weather again. Are you in shape and ready for a fun, active summer? Join us in April and you CAN be ready by June!
Hey Russ! I just placed my order for insanity and it will be here in a few days, is there anything that I should be doing to prepare for the program? I am a two mile a day jogger and two more miles on an elliptical kind of girl, in the past year I have lost 45 pounds but looking to change it up even more. I can’t wait for it to get here!
Samantha, that is AWESOME! Congratulations on raising your personal bar and going for it.
For most people – myself included – there’s nothing that will ever completely prepare you for a program like Insanity. I ran stairs in my 22-stairs in my condo building, 5 circuits at a time for six months, plus some other strength training with my Bodylastics resistance bands. I thought I had my preparation covered.
HA HA HA…
So you’ve heard that Insanity is tough; that it will be the TEST OF YOUR LIFE. How hard is hard? You’ll have to experience it for yourself.
A couple of things: Take all the warnings and advice on the packages and DVDs you get from Beachbody VERY SERIOUSLY. This program is INSANELY INTENSE! Now having said all that, the second thing is to heed the Beachbody mantra, “Do your best and forget the rest.”
In other words, always do what YOU can. Forget about trying to keep up with the 20-something fitness models on the DVD. If you need to modify a move to suit your body, DO IT!
And if you simply can NOT do Insanity at this time, Beachbody has MANY OTHER PROGRAMS that will build you up and get you ready for Insanity if that’s what you choose to do. For example, my wife has some issues with her back and isn’t able to go at the intensity level (for now) that I am able to go. So for her, we are doing the Tai Cheng program which involves more stretching and deep breathing. I’m doing it along with her because we enjoy working out together AND it’s an AWESOME RECOVERY PROGRAM for workouts like Insanity and my current workout, P90X!
One more thing: I’m starting a workout support group on April 22; it’s open to ANYONE (yes, including YOU) who is actively seeking a healthier lifestyle. Let me know if you are interested and I’ll send you the details.
Once again, congratulations. Get ready for the TIME OF YOUR LIFE!
hey! I love your blog. I have a bunch of questions. I just recently go the DVD and since am a really lazy person, hate working out and have very little self-control am trying to ease into the Insanity plan before I can actually start it. I tried to do the fit test and was so drained by it. I have not yet been able to complete it. Any tips you have for me would be appreciated.
You know what… you ask GREAT questions! In fact, I wish EVERYONE would ask these kinds of questions BEFORE getting Insanity. I’ve heard about SO MANY people getting Insanity or P90X only to find out that it’s not right for them. And then they totally give up on ALL exercise, because they couldn’t do THESE programs.
Fortunately, there is something for EVERYONE! Yup, including people with your kind of challenges.
A good example would be my wife. She has mild arthritis in her back and simply can NOT do intense routines. So instead, she and I are doing Beachbody’s “Tai Cheng” program together. It’s something she CAN and WANTS to do… PLUS, it is STILL helping her reach her fitness goals without having to kill herself.
The beauty of Tai Cheng is that it serves as an AWESOME RECOVERY PROGRAM for guys like me who can do Insanity, P90X and all those other crazy-challenging programs! And the fact that we can do Tai Cheng together makes it even better – because my wife NEEDS support and encouragement to work out.
You can check out all the different workouts here: http://beachbodycoach.com/russhamel There’s bound to be something you like and CAN do. And if you simply aren’t ready for ANY organized program just yet, you may be interested in my fitness support group, “90 Days to WOW”. This group is open to EVERYONE; doesn’t matter if you do a formal program or if you just walk 5 minutes a day! You can find out more about that group here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/553361388019793/
Hope this helps you to get started towards reaching your health and fitness goals.
Hey Irv,
I’m setting the group up on FaceBook and you’ll need to be logged into your FB account in order to see this. Here is the link: https://www.facebook.com/groups/553361388019793/ which will give you all the details. It’s the first time I set up my own group so let me know if you have any problems getting in.
See you on the inside!
Russ
Got the following message when I tried the link:
“The page you requested cannot be displayed right now. It may be temporarily unavailable, the link you clicked on may have expired, or you may not have permission to view this page. ”
Please let me know if I am doing something wrong. Thanks.
Hey Irv,
Thanks for letting me know. Again I apologize as this is the first FB group I organize so I’m still learning.
For anyone else reading this thread that would like to join my fitness support group, ‘LIKE’ this page: https://www.facebook.com/90DaysToWow Once you do that, I can add you to the ‘private’ group.
Week two ,day 3 . Cardio circuit and plyometric cardio circuit , is that the same dvd? Listed different on calendar, but only have plyometric cardio dvd. thanks bob
Bob, as far as I can see, there is only Plyometric Cardio Circuit in the DVD set. Cardio Circuit may very well be the same thing – just a typo or something. Whatever they call it though… IT’S KILLER!
My sister let me borough her insanity she said its too strong for her. Im giving it a try and feel beat. I have a problem my sister only gave me the cds and lost the instruction, i found this work schedule and dont know if its okay or i need the whole program. Im trying to do it and do my own diet pliz help!!
Hey Sania,
The workout schedule posted on this site matches the one that comes in the box so you should be good to go. Insanity is ONE TOUGH PROGRAM and most people need all the help they can get to work their way through.
Quick questions: do you have your heart set on doing Insanity? WHY? Is your body and especially your mind ready for this kind of intensity? Let me know because I can probably suggest a program that is more suitable for you while you build yourself up to Insanity level.
You may want to get in on my support group, too. It’s all about supporting YOU and YOUR goals. Simply go to this page and ‘Like’ it. From there I’ll add you into our support group. https://www.facebook.com/90DaysToWow
hi i have only 3 days until i finish insanity month 1 and i lost about 7 pounds and my clothes are becoming fitter my fit tests results got alot better specially on day 15 iam not overweight iam 56 and now i weight 150 pounds i dont follow nutrition guide but eat fruits and veggies does this mean that iam on the right track? will i see greater results in month 2? iam putting all the effort i can in insanity but taking few breaks iam 20 years old thanks ane one problem until now iam still feeling that my legs are still tired and my back too is it normal?
You state that Insanity is better for conditioning and P90x is the one for trimming and muscle definition.
Would you not agree that the fact you did insanity gave you the base to move on? so that’s why you have made such good progress. What I am saying is that if you had started P90x first instead of Insanity you may still have been at the same position after 60 days.
Wow, great questions David. Let’s see what comes out here.
First of all, you should know I’m blatantly honest! I’m not going to sugar-coat anything here: Insanity is THE TOUGHEST workout I’ve ever done. I will NOT do it again myself; nor would I recommend it to anyone over 40 UNLESS they are already quite athletic, flexible AND very knowledgeable about their own bodies.
Insanity is not something you just do on a lark, “Oh, I think I’ll TRY this”. If you do anything LESS than your BEST EFFORT, you will NOT benefit from Insanity. It’s a fact, MOST FOLKS walk away from Insanity sore in both body and mind, because they didn’t really know what they wanted AND what they could reasonably do in order to get their desired results.
Then there are those who say they ‘Did’ Insanity when in fact they had to modify and water it down so much that it ended up being more on the SANE side.
So having gotten that out of the way, I would say now that I’m more experienced and KNOW a little bit better about what I want and what I can do to get it, I would say P90X ALL THE WAY. And I’m going to guess that MOST people would benefit far more from P90X because of the BODY TRANSFORMATION that you will get ONLY from a strength building program like P90X.
Insanity is icing on the cake… it’s a FINAL CHALLENGE once you are already in shape. I would NEVER recommend it as a program to GET in shape; certainly NOT if you’re 40+ with existing health issues!
That’s the honest truth! Hope that helps anyone reading this to clarify their choices.
Hi Russ
YOU’RE INTERNATIONAL; I am emailing from the UK!
You are right to raise the warning signs that insanity is the hardest workout and it may not be for everyone. However, I am 45 and if it hadn’t been advertised as the hardest workout, I wouldn’t have done it.! ………‘I challenge you’ questions Shaun T……… that was it, I’m in.
Also, Russ if you hadn’t completed it, I would have packed it in after the first month.
‘It has made you a leader of men!’
So anyone thinking about doing it, I would suggest if you have health issues don’t so it or get advice. Personally, I bought a mat to do my jumping on as well as some knee tubes to support my joints; you can’t get fit if you are injured! I also paced myself until I was ready to blast it and I included additional rest days early on when needed.
My misses has seen my results and as a consequence is now doing the programme which is great great news. To be honest, I wish I had taken up this workout ages ago. I have even cancelled my gym membership because really it has not been value for money; I have seen more results in 7 weeks than 7 years and it has cost me a fortune.
My advice is, do it, but take precautions.
So two weeks to go and I’ll be tempted to do the Asylum next. I like the thought Asylum is the sort of routine that will take one to athlete status. Then I’ll do an Insanity/P90x hybrid after as I’ll need to build some muscle.
What a club to be in; I can’t wait to wear my T shirt on ‘dress down day’ in work
Kind regards
David
You’re a CHALLENGE MONSTER David… just like me! I love it! LOL
Seriously, thanks for sharing your input because many others are reading this blog now and seeing a variety of responses from different folks with different experiences makes this resource all the more valuable.
As you may know, there are MANY other programs that can help folks with issues to still be able to achieve their personal fitness goals as the STEP THEIR WAY UP to workouts like Insanity and P90X. For example, my wife just got ‘Tai Cheng’ because she has mild arthritis in her lower back and if she pushes herself too much, it’s a MAJOR OUCH! I’m also excited about Tai Cheng because it makes an AWESOME RECOVERY PROGRAM for Insanity and P90X. I’ll be doing this with my wife every evening and I’ll be including our reports in my fitness support group. CLICK HERE to check out the Tai Cheng program.
David, I’d LOVE to have you and your wife join my wife and I (and a whole bunch of other GREAT folks) in my fitness support group, 90 Days to WOW!. Simply ‘LIKE’ the page and I’ll make sure you get added to the group.
All the best from your fitness friend from across the pond,
Russ
Hi!
I’m 18 and was thinking about doing this. The only thing is that i’m trying to go to college and in Brasil, where I live the way to it is a big exam. I go to school, come back home and have to study between 6h to 8h a day. I do have time to do insanity my only concern is about being really tired. After the work out do you feel tired throughout the day? If i do it right before going to sleep, having a 6 hour sleep, will be enough? Thanks!!
I just came across this post and it has been super informative. I am 25 year old female, 5’8, and about 153 lbs. I am fairly active, I typically run about 10-13 miles a week or do some sort of physical activity. I just started insanity last week and to my astonishment, I have put on about 5 lbs. Is this normal? Has anyone else experienced weight gain during the first few weeks of the program?
Hi there!
I really want to try out Insanity so my husband and I were going to start it together. We looked at P90X but the only problem I saw with that is all of the equiptment. Do you really need an entire rack of weights? We have 5′s, 10′s and 35′s here. I know the pull up bar is important too. Does anyone have suggestions for that? I also saw that you can use the resistance bands. I wasn’t sure if that would be better than the weights. Any help would be appreciated. My husband and I have worked out for years so we are familiar with weight training. I know that gets better results than just cardio. Thanks for your ideas!!
You seem to know intuitively that P90X will deliver the real results you want. For most folks, it’s body transformation – shaping and toning. No amount of cardio – even CRAZY stuff like Insanity – will deliver the kind of results a weight training program like P90X can and will deliver when you do it properly.
And YES… the answer to your equipment dilemma – both for the weights AND the chin-up bar – is resistance bands. And for your money, THESE ARE THE ABSOLUTE BEST RESISTANCE BANDS. They are FAR SUPERIOR to the ones you can get as an option with P90X and certainly FAR SUPERIOR to the ones you’ll find down at Walmart.
I just finished a 12-week intensive weight lifting program. My results were STELLAR… but at the cost of my elbows. I can’t even think of a chin-up bar or curling heavy weights right now without wincing. Bodylastics Resistance Bands to the rescue. In the P90X program, Tony shows you how to use resistance bands to PROPERLY stimulate the correct muscles used in chin-ups. So for myself, I will get the FULL BENEFIT of the proper muscle stimulation WITHOUT having to lift my entire 140 lbs until my elbows are fully rehabbed and ready.
With a basic set of bands AND the Ultra Anchor, you’ll replace ALL THE DUMBBELLS and BARBELLS at a FRACTION of the cost in terms of dollars spent and space used in your house. And there are safety issues as well… oh, how I could go on all night about resistance bands vs. free weights – especially Bodylastics! My wife and I absolutely LOVE them!
Let me know if you need any further pictures and/or video demos regarding modifying P90X using resistance bands. Whatever you need to do with free weights in P90X, you can do with resistance bands! You’ll be hooked within a week!
Hope that helps. Let me know if you have any more questions.
Hi Russ. Walking back from high shool, i was thinking to myself how to make my 2 months of insanity shorter. I was thinking if its okay to do 2 sessions a day so i cn finish insanity in a month
Hey Russ, I was wondering if it was okay for me to be doing this workout. I’m 15 and I am on week 3 and I decided to start over because I didn’t right down my fitness results and really want to know what I get. The main reason I want to do insanity is because my friend did it and he really pushes me to do it. I just wanted to know if it would be healthy for me to do it since I am only 15. I play football and have been working out for about 10 months and I think I’m ready for it. The reason I’m asking you now is because I got a little “trigger happy” if you know what I mean. As I said I really want to do it so if you have any tips that would be fantastic.
Thanks
I can’t say for sure, not knowing you and your personal situation and circumstances. It helps me to know that you have athletic experience with football and have been actively working out for a while.
You are right – tracking your results will help you get the MOST benefit out of this or any other program. If you have your own package of Insanity, you should have all the tracking tools available. You’ll want to take all your ‘Before’ measurements and be sure to do the Fit Test, again tracking your initial results so you have a point of reference for future comparison. Otherwise, how will you know if/how you are improving?
Let’s start with that. If you have any other questions, I’ll be here to get answers for you. I don’t know EVERYTHING myself, but I do have access directly to Beachbody’s tremendous resources so I feel confident that I can get you answers to whatever you need.
My recommendation for most people – do Insanity to the BEST of YOUR ability and you’ll probably find that you don’t have much energy left over for anything else. In fact, if you are doing Insanity correctly, your body should be in CONSTANT repair mode (aka stiff and sore because you are PUSHING yourself to YOUR limits).
If you have the energy to do Insanity AND run (or any other form of exercises or activity) my guess is that you could/should INCREASE the amount of intensity that you are putting into your Insanity workout. “Dig Deeper” as Shaun T says. “Leave it ALL out there on the floor” as they say in the NBA.
Keep in mind, YOUR BEST might not be able to keep up with the fitness models on the DVD. OR… maybe you can do better! Either way, it’s NOT a competition. The ONLY person you want to compare yourself to is the person you were yesterday. If you can say that you were a bit better today than you were yesterday, that should be ALL that matters.
Good luck on your Insanity adventure. Keep in touch and let me know how things are going for you. If you’d like more support, I invite you to join my 90 Days to WOW! fitness support group. You can find it here: https://www.facebook.com/90DaysToWow
Hi Russ. Walking back from high shool, i was thinking to do 2 hours of insanity a day so i can finish insanity in a month. And the 2 hours of workouts are spaced during the day i was thinking of doing multigym so do you think i can do this. THANKS!!!
Oh, to be young again and have that boundless energy again Nasir! LOL
Let’s see if this analogy applies. You’ve got 63 days worth of groceries… would it be OK if you eat them all in 30 days?
hhhmmm…
Yes, you MIGHT be able to fast-track a study course. But I would caution you; there’s a HUGE DIFFERENCE between knowing ABOUT something and KNOWING something. The DIFFERENCE is EXPERIENCE which ONLY comes from DOING!
In order to BENEFIT from 63 DAYS… you have to DO 63 DAYS! There is NO fast-tracking the calendar.
Does this make sense to you Nasir?
Here’s what I’m going to suggest. If you find you are able to do TWO sessions per day, I’m going to GUESS that you might not be going at it to 100% of YOUR capacity. I would first increase my INTENSITY on just ONE round of Insanity… leave it ALL ON THE FLOOR as they say in the NBA! Heck, even I could probably do 2-3 rounds of Insanity per day if I was only going 25-50% and I’m 59 years young! LOL
Yeah – you’re a YOUNG ENERGETIC DUDE! You’ve got the rest of your life ahead of you… plenty of time! What’s the rush? Actually now that I think of it, part of the Insanity training is the MENTAL DISCIPLINE of doing a LONG PROGRAM spread out over 60-90 days. Go FULL OUT for the duration and I’ll bet you’ll make far better results than if you did the ‘flash-in-the-pan’ approach.
You asked… that’s my answer! Maybe not what you want to hear but that’s my perspective. Now you have a choice. You can take my advice; or you can do it YOUR way (which MAY ultimately be the BEST way for YOU), OR you can seek OTHER opinions. I’ll be the first to admit, I do NOT have ALL the answers… LOL
Thanks Nasir. All the best with your amazing Insanity experience.
Smashed it today, especially the switch kicks and power jumps and the form was a lot better too!
Boing, boing, boing, boing where did this idiot come from; springs in my legs I didn’t know I had! However, I do need to get off the sauce as I know I would have lost a lot more fat if I had, but I feel great.
Yes I’ll join your group sounds good.
Keep it up everyone get that T shirt !!!!!
David, this is BEYOND AWESOME! You should apply to be in the next Insanity taping – seriously, Beachbody upgrades their products every couple of years based on customer feedback and their own research. The DVD’s I have from a couple of years ago are quite different than the ones coming out today.
Last weekend I had the honor of meeting one of the Canadian ‘cast’ from the Turbo Jam video series. Just a regular guy, no different than you and I. He started out in piss-poor shape about 8 years ago but made it his dream to get to meet his then ‘new heroes’. Well, not only did he meet them, he got to WORK WITH THEM! He is now one of the first Canadian Ambassadors for Beachbody! Quite a story.
Beachbody now seems to be leaning AWAY FROM hiring 20-something fitness models and going towards more ‘REGULAR’ folks. In fact, the latest P90X DVD’s features a gentleman with a prosthetic leg… demonstrating the PLYOMETRICS with Tony Horton! Talk about taking away excuses!
With results like the ones you are showing, you could be the UK Ambassador for Beachbody! Heck, WHY NOT YOU? Wouldn’t THAT be a hoot?
Congratulations on your AWESOME and INSPIRING work and results! You need to share your experience with the world! This is a GREAT place to start. This site is now getting over 80,000 views per month and growing!
I’m just coming to the end of Month 2, week 2 and so far, have thoroughly enjoyed Insanity – even if finding the motivation to complete it some evening was a struggle!! I am proud to say though that I haven’t missed a day and always give it my all.
My question is though, I still find days where my quads literally BURN and I really struggle with the particular element I’m supposed to be doing. Normally simply shaking it out, a quick stern talking to & a scream at Shaun T sorts it out & I crack back on but, what I’m wondering is, am I doing something wrong, in terms of the type of food I’m eating and when?
I have a good diet although in all honesty I don’t follow the nutrition plan. I eat a good lunch (i eat around 1pm, work out at 5pm) and ‘try’ to ensure I’m getting enough energy in preparation but I still struggle on occasion. In terms of capacity, I’m working between 80-90 of my HRMax (187 bpm) and I don’t feel like I’m pushing myself BEYOND my physical capabilities, I’m just wondering whether there’s a better time to be eating to help my dig even deeper than I do now.
Thanks in anticipation, and to all those reading this who are considering starting Insanity – take it from someone who used to be lazy so and so… Give it your all & this will be the BEST thing you EVER do for your body.
First off, CONGRATULATIONS on making it this far. You are ahead of 99% of the folks who “try” Insanity only to find out it’s TOUGH! Yeah, I know, it’s all over the infomercial, “This is the HARDEST workout ever put on DVD.” I guess most people must be thinking, “How HARD is HARD?”
A confession: I didn’t follow the nutrition plan either when I did Insanity two years ago. I KNOW I could have gotten much better results had I disciplined myself to stick to better eating habits. I was JUST RAVENOUS all the time with this level of intense workouts – that was my MAIN reason for not sticking to a good nutrition program.
As for the pain – I was constantly stiff and sore for the entire 63 days and at least another 45 days AFTER completing Insanity. For a while, I thought I would NEVER recover. I swore I would NEVER do Insanity again. Fortunately, time heals! Now I’m modifying my statement, “If I ever do Insanity again, I will STAY WITHIN MY LIMITS”
I’ll be starting P90X this coming Monday. I’ve previewed a couple of the DVD’s and from what I can see, it is TAME compared to Insanity. Also, I’m MUCH BETTER PREPARED both physically and mentally to handle the workouts AND the nutrition part. The difference is this time I’m using Shakeology. Whatever they are putting in that stuff… WOW! I’ve ALWAYS been very skeptical about supplements before. My previous experience was the only difference I ever noticed was in my BANK ACCOUNT!
Like I said, this Shakeology stuff is DIFFERENT! I feel BETTER! I hope you’ve read enough of my other replies to know that I don’t B.S. or sugar-coat stuff. I’m giving you the straight scoop here. Shakeology IS MAKING A NOTICEABLE DIFFERENCE in the way I feel and perform.
So good, in fact that when I start P90X I’ll also be using the Results and Recovery Formula which is supposed to help your body recover faster and feel better sooner after intense workouts. You can find out more about those two products (Shakeology, Results and Recovery Formula) by clicking here: http://www.beachbodycoach.com/RUSSHAMEL
I’m also starting a fitness support group this coming Monday, April 22. You are most welcome to join, even though you are well into Insanity. There are already a couple other folks in the group who are at different stages of Insanity and your valuable input would be a very welcome addition. You can find out more about 90 Days to WOW by clicking here: https://www.facebook.com/90DaysToWow
Great questions and equally great results Steve. When you finish all 63 days, expect to take a couple more weeks to get your body back to normal. It’s the INSANE level of intensity; as long as you’re eating sensibly, your body WILL recover in time.
Keep in touch and let me know how things are going for you. And definitely consider joining us at 90 Days to WOW!
Thanks for the quick reply. To be totally honest, I’m not sure i believe all the ‘hype’ regarding recovery shakes and all that. I started using a supplement when I first started Insanity but after a few days I got fed up with it (it tasted like under cooked cold brownie mix, with too much egg), and haven’t really bothered with it since.
Whilst I’m here, and I think about it, what are your thoughts on the Recovery day? Personally, I’m not a fan. I could deal with it during Month 1 with the shorter work outs but not now, pushing it for an hour. Therefore, yesterday, instead of Recovery, I reverted back to Plyo Cardio Circuit. Not because I wanted life to be easier, but as I eluded to in my initial email I just really wanted to give my quads a small rest in terms of squats. Is this an acceptable thing to be doing or should I really be pushing through the ‘recovery’ days?
One thing I am looking forward to though, is getting the next 2 weeks out the way as I’m quite interested to try tackling Focus T25! Should be good fun!
Admittedly Steve, my legs are my strength so I actually looked forward to those long stretch ‘Recovery’ days. Yeah, I know which routine you’re talking about – seems like you’re holding that one position FOREVER!
As for modifications and/or switching out days – Beachbody suggests that you, “Do you best and forget the rest.” In other words, feel free to make any changes in the program to suit YOUR needs. If something is difficult or unpleasant, you won’t be in the right mind set to make the kind of body improvements you’re striving to make. Make no mistake; the Mind-Muscle Connection is HUGE… some resources will even suggest that it is EVERYTHING! It’s based on the Law of Give BEFORE You Receive… in this case, LOVE WHAT YOU ARE DOING TO GET THE RESULTS YOU WILL LOVE!
Give that last bit a LOT of thought. I’ve found this to be true in EVERY area of my life. LOVE WHAT YOU DO and everything will be added unto you!
As for the supplements, I’m a HUGE CHIP and M&M’s fan. In fact, a bag of chips, a bag of M’s and a medium black coffee would be my version of a “Happy Meal”. So I figured, for just ONE month, let me trade those chips and M’s for Shakeology and see what happens. BAMM! I felt physically AND MENTALLY better within a week.
So if you don’t have any bad food choices or addictions to give up, then supplementation might not make sense for you. I know I didn’t buy into the concept for the longest time. But this time around with Shakeology, I’m actually FEELING A DIFFERENCE. So I don’t mind to share my experience.
Yeah, feel free to modify and switch up the routines to suit YOUR needs. And remember to LOVE WHAT YOU DO! It will make all the difference in your workout results!
With respect to your quads, you may need an extra rest day or some extra stretch work. If you are missing the recovery day then that won’t help because its supposed to help with the aches and pains. In the early weeks my lower calves and ankles use to ache like hell, so stopping and shaking them out did help.
Shakes – interesting subject. There was a programme on it in the UK, in short the conclusions were quite negative. A former Olympic cyclist has jam and peanut butter sandwiches before he goes training. The energy drinks are just full of sugar and caffeine, so you can make those yourself however some were useful if one was doing a marathon or similar i.e. it wasn’t until a good hour plus of training the receipeint would reap the benefits. The programme also had a very senior coach/doctor who simply asked where’s the evidence that after shakes work.
I did read that a University had completed studies with the army and found shakes were comparable to skimmed choclate milk; so that’s what I have: a bite of real chocolate and a glass of milk.
A bit more on shakes; surely the body is used to digesting and absorbing real food not manufactured powder.
Anyway perhaps one I’ll try the shakeology and see if I feel any different.
I am looking at preworkout drinks because I do need something to get me enthused and I fancy switching my training to the morning because I think I burn more fat. So I am going to try 3 bags of green tea, orange juice and honey on Monday and see if it can kick me out of bed to do the workout.
I’ll add this here if I didn’t mention it before. My wife ordered the Tai Cheng program – it’s based on Tai Chi with some variations and a specific teaching style developed by Dr. Cheng – thus Tai Cheng. I’m REALLY EXCITED about starting that program with my wife this coming Monday in addition to doing my own P90X workout because of the stretching/ recovery benefits.
One of the things that comes in the package is a stiff foam roller. I was using it last night to give myself a neck and back massage and let me tell you… WOW! It was worth getting the program just for that little foam roller! Now the Tai Cheng program is supposed to help release all the kinks and tight spots in your muscles and joints… I’M THERE!
The first three weeks concentrates on your calves; the next three weeks works on the quads which would interest Steve; from there you continue to work up the body finishing in 12 weeks with a new, loose and limber, totally recovered, refurbished and refreshed body. Combine that with my P90X looks and strength and you’ll be looking at the next “bionic man”. LOL
So What is Insanity? Or should it be called ‘Shrink’
Tap tap tap tap tap tap tap tap tap tap tap tap,
Boing boing boing boing boing boing boing boing boing
Shuffle shuffle shuffle shuffle shuffle shuffle shuffle
Huh huh huh huh huh huh huh huh huh huh
Nnn…..nnn…nnnn…nnnnn……..nnnn….nnnnn
Eeek…….eeek…….eeek ……eeek ……eeeek
Drip drip drip drip drip drip drip drip drip drip
Glug glug glug glug glug glug glug glug glug
David, you’ve been listening to my fit test video again! One guy actually told me that all my grunting and groaning reminded him of a PORN video! HILARIOUS!
Have looked through your vids recently (on Insanity) and you seemed quite happy with the workout until the last few days when you seem to change your view i.e. I won’t be doing it again (not even month 1). Why was that?
After a great few days my knees have started to ache.Hopefully after MR tomorrow it will sort it, but I am wondering if going up to Asylum is a good idea at the moment.
Great question! At the time I was REALLY WEARY! I put absolutely everything I had into those 63 days and my body was feeling AWFUL, especially towards the end. After 63 days of joint pounding and heart stopping exercise, I had pretty much had it.
Two years later, I’m modifying my statement. Rather than saying, “I’ll NEVER do Insanity EVER AGAIN” now I’ll offer, “The next time I do Insanity, I will STAY WITHIN MYSELF”.
For sure, I will push myself hard… I don’t know any other way. BUT – I will NOT max myself out every single day as I did two years ago.
I will also do a LOT BETTER with the nutrition side of the equation. I will drink EVEN MORE WATER and do a LOT MORE STRETCHING, too. Insanity is BY FAR the hardest workout I have ever done in all my 59 years. I will respect this fact; and even more, I’ll RESPECT MYSELF and MY BODY a lot more the next time around.
Tomorrow is the start of my 90 Days to WOW! You can check it out here. Simply “LIKE” the page and let me know you want to join the private group.
Here in Ontario, Canada the Lottery Corporation has a slogan which fits very nicely with our workouts, “Know your limit and stay within it.” I’m making that my new mantra as I approach my fabulous 60′s and beyond.
P90x, is that you’re second round now? Great effort and great abs well done.
Going back to your point, you did incredibly well to do what you did with Insanity. The standard is exceptionally high, not just with the exercises, but with the dieting. Let’s be honest, we would rather train than diet, we are human not robots or driven lunatics; we have a life to lead and do what we can!
Finished ‘max recovery’ today. Although, I am not keen on Yoga it has sorted my aching knees and back; you can’t skip it, really,
So that’s 10 days to go! Back to sanity.
David, having done Insanity myself, I have INCREDIBLE RESPECT for you! And I really think only people like ourselves can truly appreciate the extreme effort and commitment it takes to constantly push yourself not only to work out, but to learn and adopt better eating habits.
I’m finding that it’s like a rubber band – once you stretch it, it can NOT go back to the EXACT same way it was before. For sure we won’t be robotically perfect, staying right out there on that challenge edge for the rest of our lives. But we WILL BE BETTER! And that’s the goal, isn’t it… to be just a bit better today than we were yesterday.
Oh… P90X – this is my FIRST round with this program. From January 21 to April 15 I did a program called The Adonis Index. It was all about lifting heavy weights and extreme deficit eating (1,000 cals OR LESS) per day. Thus the toned abs.
TOTALLY UNSUSTAINABLE!!!
That’s why I’m LOVING the Beachbody programs like Insanity and P90X. Yes, they are hard… but they are also VERY WELL RESEARCHED AND THOUGHT OUT. And best of all, they’re SAFE as long as your body is properly prepared to handle this kind of work load.
Once again, CONGRATULATIONS David. You have earned my deepest respect and admiration.
I’ve been doing insanity for a little while now, after each workout i get extreme soreness in my legs, but i don’t feel like im targetting my abs enough. Should i be doing abs as a side workout should i be getting a good ab workout from the insanity workouts?
Hey Tyler, thanks for your question. That’s the area we ALL want to improve it seems, isn’t it? I know it is for me. My step-daughters used to poke me in the stomach pretending I was the Pillsbury Dough Boy. I was NOT laughing!
There is a routine on one of the DVDs where Shaun T focuses on the Abs. You might want to do what the P90X program suggests (that’s the program I’m currently working on). On Monday, Wednesday and Friday, after each regular routine, we add the Ab Ripper X – 16 minutes of the craziest Ab exercises I’ve ever done.
Tony Horton WARNS NOT to do these every single day. If you add them onto your regular routine M-W-F, this should give you the BOOST in the Abs area that you need.
As for the extreme soreness… yup, I hear you. I did a LOT of running and stair climbing (I live in a 22 story condo building), so I thought my legs were my strongest body part. Insanity STILL stiffened me right up. That’s how incredibly INTENSE and POWERFUL these Plyometric exercises are. They will take your conditioning to a whole new stratosphere.
So anyone else reading these threads… you have been warned. Insanity and P90X are NOT for the faint of heart. They are TRULY the HARDEST workouts you’ll find on DVD!
Hope that helps Tyler. I would like to invite you to my special support group. Like this page and I’ll add you. https://www.facebook.com/90DaysToWow
Hi Russ! My brother and I are starting Insanity tomorrow, but I got it second hand and it didn’t come with a calendar. I came across this site looking for one! Your site has awesome information and I added this page to my favorites! Thanks for taking the time to answer so many questions I know I will have soon! Great job!!!!
Chastity, that is AWESOME! Good luck to you and your brave brother! You’ll see exactly what I mean soon enough. LOL
Please take me up on my invitation to join my support group. Some are doing Insanity so you’ll have lots to share and discuss. I’m doing P90X this time around. What we do is share our workouts and eating notes for each day. It REALLY HELPS to get you through the inevitable tough spots.
Thanks for the calendar! I thought I’d do insanity a while ago but I got distracted and now that I’m reinterested, had no idea where my calendar went (at least I didn’t lose the DVDs). Since you seem to be giving out advice on these comments, I was wounding if you had any about continuing another type of workout while doing Insanity. I’d like to start up Insanity in the mornings but can’t give up my evening yoga (used to hate yoga, now I can’t sleep without it lol). Would that complement Insanity nicely? Or would it be detrimental to continue with both?
Hey Daisy,
Thanks for your comments and questions! Yoga = PERFECT COMPLIMENT to Insanity. Good for you!
Here’s why I say that. Two years ago when I first did Insanity I was EXTREMELY STIFF AND SORE for the entire duration of the program. The only other thing my wife and I did (or felt we were able to do) at the time was go out for walks after dinner. So that little extra movement helped relieve SOME of the pain and stiffness, at least temporarily.
Currently, I’m doing P90X (my first time doing this program) PLUS my wife and I are adding Beachbody’s newest program, Tai Cheng which has many elements of Tai Chi and Yoga. I do my P90X at 11:00 AM (I work from home, so scheduling my workouts during the day is not an issue for me). Then Maggie and I do Tai Cheng together at 7:30 PM. It is an AWESOME way to wind down the day!
Here’s what I’m noticing so far. The pain and stiffness is MINIMAL! I’m even going to go as far to say that I can’t even call it pain… just some mild stiffness which is normal because I DO put a great degree of effort into my workouts.
So if you are doing some form of Yoga, I already KNOW this will be MOST BENEFICIAL for you as it will help RELIEVE the stiffness and soreness from the intense workouts like Insanity, P90X, etc. KEEP DOING THAT YOGA!
In fact, I am now HIGHLY RECOMMENDING the Tai Cheng program to everyone, especially those doing intense workouts. It’s THAT important! Yes, it’s an extra 30-60 minute time commitment. But look at it this way; I can SLEEP at night… I can MOVE during the day! I could NOT do those two things WITHOUT this additional work!
Is it worth it to me to do Tai Cheng IN ADDITION TO P90X? HELL, YEAH!
Daisy, I’d LOVE to have you join us in our 90 Days to WOW support group where we share our workout and eating experiences. It REALLY HELPS to be able to discuss with others going through the same challenges. Simply LIKE this page and I’ll add you to the group. https://www.facebook.com/90DaysToWow
Hi, my name is Kyshana and i have been doing insanity for a week. Lol I am EXTREMELY SORE! I am an all around athlete in highschool right now, and insanity kicked my butt!.but i do not understand the “results and recovery formula”…. Can some one explain that to me please?
Hey Kyshana,
Well it’s kind of comforting to know that even young, athletic types such as yourself also feel the pain and wrath of Insanity… it’s not just old geysers like me! LOL
As for the ‘Results and Recovery Formula’ – the short answer is it’s a drink that you take immediately following your workout. It quickly replaces the fluids and nutrients expended, allowing your body to recover much more quickly. Results – less pain and stiffness; better performance!
Here is a longer answer, taken directly from the product brochure:
What is it?
P90X
®
Results and Recovery Formula
®
is an easy-to-mix drink that gives
you the vital nutrients you need to bounce back after extreme Beachbody
®
workouts, like P90X
®
, INSANITY
®
, or TurboFire
®
. It’s specially designed to
help you refuel, reenergize, and reduce the muscle soreness that can follow
intense exercise.* A 30-day supply is available in a tub or convenient single-
serving packets for on-the-go use.
When you exercise, your muscles expend energy and undergo microscopic
tearing. Afterward, they rebuild and heal, becoming stronger and more
efficient. P90X Results and Recovery Formula supports this process, helping
you to recover more quickly so you can Bring It!
®
hard again the next time.
And because you can get right back to the gym, you’ll get better and faster
results from your workout program.*
Why is it so effective?
Proper post-workout nutrition is a crucial element in how quickly and
completely your body recovers, benefits from, and adapts to exercise.
Studies show that if you recharge your body the right way during the first
hour after exercise, you can increase your ability to recover by more than
100 percent.
1,2
P90X Results and Recovery Formula combines the exact nutrients you need,
in a ratio of four parts carbs to one part protein, to ensure speedy muscle
repair after challenging workouts.*
Hope that helps! If you have ANY other questions, please ask and I’ll do my best to get you straight answers.
All the best from Toronto,
Russ
P.S. If you’d like some extra support during your Insanity Workout experience, you might consider joining my group where we discuss and share notes about Insanity, P90X as well as our eating and nutrition plans. It’s REALLY HELPFUL to be able to ask questions of others who are also DOING IT! https://www.facebook.com/90DaysToWow
Thanks i needed this calendar i let this and a disc at a friend house and it got stolen so i am still trying to figure out how i can still do that workout since i don’t have the disk anymore…I am on week 4
Hey Jacqueline, glad I could help you with the calendar. As for the DVD disk, have you tried your local library? Also, check around your family, friends, neighbors… Insanity is SO POPULAR these days, more than likely someone you know already has it!
This page has been very helpful. Your responses seem to come from a good plae. I read about the group you are going to (or may have already) start. How can i get involved in that? Im looking to tone and sculpt so i more than likely will be using P90x. Is there any good way to incorporate Insanity with P90x?
Thank you so much for stopping by and taking the time to comment. When I first researched Insanity a couple of years ago, this is EXACTLY what I was looking for; REAL PEOPLE doing REAL EXERCISE, getting REAL RESULTS. I glad you perceive me as coming across this way, too. That is my intention.
I understand there IS a P90X/ Insanity HYBRID routine that you can do. I haven’t done it myself… yet! But there are folks in my group who have done this and would certainly be able to share their experience with you.
To get in, simply visit this page and LIKE it. Once I see this, I’ll send you a ‘FRIEND’ request and once we make THAT connection, I’ll be able to add you to the private group. We just started this week, so you haven’t missed a thing. Actually, if you have any other workout buddies you want to share this with, invite them along, too. The more, the merrier. LIKE THIS PAGE.
Hi Russ,
I thought INSANITY was a 90 day challenge? Am I confusing this with another similar workout? My sister, husband, and I are starting this together. Thanks for providing this calendar
Rodreen
It’s only a 63 Day program from start to finish. THANKFULLY! After you’ve gone through all 63 days, you too will be SO GRATEFUL it isn’t any longer than that! LOL
Some of the confusion might be in a lot of the groups you see springing up around Beachbody programs (mine included – I have a 90 Days to WOW group which you are most welcome to join!) We’re taking a 90 Day approach because SOME of us are doing 90 Day programs like P90X and Tai Cheng. I believe the 10 Minute Trainer is also a 90 Day program.
The thing is, once you get into a group and start sharing your experiences including all the PAIN as well as your great results, you tend to want to stick around because these people become your SOUL MATES! We’re only 10 days into my current group and already some of these people are right up there in “Best Friend” status! It’s an AWESOME way to workout and share.
As for getting replacement discs, if you bought directly from Beachbody, they would be the go-to place as they stand firmly behind their products. If you borrowed it from someone else, and you are missing ‘parts’ like DVDs and/or all the printed materials with the all-important nutrition program… (brace yourself for this)… I would HIGHLY encourage you to consider getting your own COMPLETE program.
When I did Insanity 2 years ago, I did NOT follow the program exactly as written… and I SUFFERED BIG TIME. I was RAVENOUSLY HUNGRY and in CRIPPLING PAIN for ALL 63 days… and then some.
I’m currently doing P90X and following the program TO THE LETTER… including drinking the Results and Recovery Formula as well as Shakeology! Now I’m one of those guys who used to think, “I can’t AFFORD this stuff!”
But let me tell you this; having done these programs both the WRONG WAY and the RIGHT WAY, the RIGHT WAY is SO MUCH BETTER! No more crippling pain; no more ravenous hunger; I look and feel AWESOME, just as the program promises!
Here’s what I did to be able to ‘afford it’. I cut out all the junk I LOVED to eat – chips, M&M’s, donuts were my favorites – EASILY adding up to $100 per month!
You don’t have junk food addictions like I used to? Another GREAT place to look for ‘leaking money’ is in your phone and cable plans. My wife and I decided we didn’t need all the bells and whistles on either one for now. Do you realize HOW MUCH MONEY YOU CAN SAVE EVERY MONTH with just those two areas? It’s STAGGERING!
So now the question becomes one of priorities! What is MOST IMPORTANT to YOU?
The great news is, Beachbody now has what is called ‘Challenge Packs’ where you can get your workout program, Nutrition supplement AND ‘Coaching’ program all for one HUGELY DISCOUNTED price – often saving HUNDREDS of dollars if you were to purchase each component separately. Check it out by clicking on this link!
Me again! Not the best 7 days, knees have been aching, domestic interferences. But back on it for the final 4 days of the programme, I decided today I would stop the jumping and skip instead. I’m now starting to understand your turn around when you got into the final week and concluded ‘Never again!’ I felt a little like this on the 4th week. So I am wondering if bringing the Recovery Week forward next time might be a better idea.
Yes I’ve decided to do round 2 of Insanity instead of moving to Asylum, I think I had my beer goggles on when I wrote last time. Looking at Shaun T jumping a metre off the ground like a kangaroo has sent fear right to my knees.
Unfortunately, I don’t do face book (big brother and all that) but I hope the P90x is going well.
Thanks for answering my question, “Is this guy HUMAN or is he just INSANE?” Yeah, Insanity WILL does pound you senseless, won’t it? I’ve got a couple people in my 90 Days to WOW group doing Insanity – one of them right at the ‘Recovery Week’. I put the BIG SCARE into him this morning about the next 4 weeks coming up!
Am I exaggerating? As you and everyone else who has ever done Insanity FULL OUT has discovered, the last 4 weeks are really about self-preservation. They don’t call it Insanity for nuthin’!
As for joining the FB group, I totally understand. My wife also has a ‘real job’ going to an office every day where they actually put ‘blocks’ on certain Internet traffic. I don’t mind meeting up and chatting like this if you don’t.
Remember the Key Word: SELF PRESERVATION! Keep it safe!
BTW – having a good mat beneath your feet makes a HUGE difference. Two years ago I did Insanity on our living room hardwood floor. This time around, I’m doing P90X in our carpeted bedroom with a good foam mat for doing the Plyo moves.
I’m also drinking the Results and Recovery Formula as well as Shakeology. In other words, I’m doing EVERYTHING by the book this time around. No more crippling pain; no more ravenous hunger as I had two years ago. Cue the James Brown music please, “I FEEL GOOD”!
Yes I have been using rugs mats foam knee socks- the lot from Day 2 ! but they still ache; never mind it’s still a great programme. However, I agree more effort on cutting down the ‘sauce’ (slang for beer), I think I can improve .
Hey David, those mats make a HUGE difference. When I was doing Insanity two years ago, my attitude was “Yeah, yeah… a little piece of rubber under my feat is going to help? Right! Now tell me who’s insane!”
I went from doing Insanity on the hardwood floor in my living room with no extra mat or padding – you can’t count that old rag you see on the floor in some of my vids! You’ve heard my complaints… I was in CRIPPLING PAIN throughout!
Now I’m doing P90X in my already well carpeted bedroom WITH the extra thick workout mat. No pain, soreness or stiffness AT ALL! So when I read or hear about folks still hurting, I HIGHLY RECOMMEND to get something – ANYTHING – cushy and spongy UNDER YOUR FEET and practice landing softly! That’s probably a good 90% of the cure right there.
The other part would be the nutrition. Now I realized way back in my 20′s that I tend towards addictive behavior. If I buy a bottle of beer, it HAS TO BE GONE that day! “Well, what’s the problem with that Russy, you silly old fool. Of course it should be consumed in one day!”
Well, if I bought a case (24 bottles), I’d apply the SAME mentality – it HAS TO BE GONE that day! Or at least I’d have a great time trying!
So these day, my ‘sauce’ is limited to holidays and special occasions – what they call a polite social drinker.
But you’ve heard about my ‘Happy Meals’. Hey, I’m no saint – I STILL have my vices. Chips, M&M’s and a medium black coffee – OK, throw in an occasional pizza – and I’ll eat that all day long!
So what I did for one month – because I figured I wouldn’t last even THAT long – is I traded my ‘Happy Meal’ for Shakeology and the P90X Results and Recovery Formula. I didn’t have anything to lose because BOTH come with a 30-Day Money Back Guarantee.
Well, that was just over two months ago now. Like the extra padding beneath my feet, I can’t tell you HOW MUCH BETTER I FEEL. In fact, I’ll go as far as to suggest that Shakeology and the R&R Formula make up the other 10% of why I feel absolutely FABULOUS today, even after a pounding P90X workout.
Don’t get me wrong… I ‘BRING IT’ as Tony Horton says. I put EVERYTHING I’ve got into my workouts and when I’m done, I’m pretty wiped out tired. BUT… BUT I’m NOT sore. I’m NOT in crippling pain any more. And I’m NOT even stiff. And aren’t I supposed to be at least a little bit stiff at age 59, even WITHOUT all this heavy-duty exercise? LOL
So here’s my suggestion. Do a one-month trade like I did. Exchange your ‘sauce’ for Shakeology and R&R Formula. If it doesn’t work for YOU (and it may not; “results may vary” as they say… then you get your money BACK! Can’t beat THAT!
Hey Felisha,
You should be able to download and/or print it right off this page. If you can’t do that, simply bookmark this page and refer to it each time you work out. As a final suggestion, you might have to copy this page out by hand. Whatever works best for you.
Hope that helps,
Russ
I am getting ready to start the Insanity workout program and I was wondering if I need to also do weight training or if doing Insanity is enough to gain muscle and become toned?
Hey Marti Jo, thanks for your question. It’s one that comes up a lot.
If your desire is for muscle building, toning and body sculpting, then you want P90X. (this is the program I am currently doing, so I KNOW from real-life experience).
If you want kick-ass conditioning – to be able to move faster, longer and jump higher, then Insanity is exactly what you are looking for.
P90X – mostly for the LOOKS you want.
Insanity – mostly for the CONDITIONING you want.
That’s the very simplified version. In my humble opinion, Insanity is for SERIOUSLY CRAZY PEOPLE. This is ONE TOUGH MOTHER PROGRAM! Again, if conditioning is YOUR thing, then do Insanity.
However, most people I talk to really want the LOOK (and of course, they want to feel strong and flexible, too) and if you want a good enough challenge to get THOSE results WITHOUT KILLING YOURSELF, then do P90X.
AND… if you want super-support in WHATEVER program you choose, I run the 90 Days to WOW fitness support group. Learn all about that HERE! ALL are welcome to join!
Thanks this all I needed. I’m ready to go back to work.
You’re more than welcome Seneca!
Hello my name is Monica, I’m starting my day 3 workout today, and I’m extremely sore. Is it normal to feel this sore, and what should I do to get ready for today?
Hey Monica,
Oh, how I HEAR you! Yes, this is absolutely ‘normal’. I was quite active for a full six months BEFORE doing Insanity and I STILL was intensely sore… here’s the bad news; brace yourself… for the ENTIRE 63 DAYS and at least another 45 AFTER that! I thought I would NEVER feel normal again.
A couple of questions first: What is your age and your conditioning/ experience BEFORE your started Insanity.
I was 57 when I did this 2 years ago. I already knew and expected that I was going to take longer to recover because I’m older. That’s just a given. So if you’re 40+, EXPECT TO BE SORE THROUGHOUT!
As I mentioned, I worked out diligently a good six months BEFORE tackling Insanity. I thought I was ready, but as you already have discovered, Insanity IS TOUGH! They aren’t kidding when they brag, “It’s one of the HARDEST WORKOUTS EVER RECORDED ON DVD!” Believe it! So if you didn’t prepare yourself with a good preparatory program BEFORE Insanity, your body WILL BE SHOCKED!
Here’s the scoop, straight from Beachbody titled, “Be Safe and Avoid Injury”
“WARM UP: So your body feels sufficiently limber and you’re sweating lightly. If you need more warm-up time, hit pause and warm up some more.
STAY IN CONTROL: Maintain proper form. If your muscles really start to shake or you’re too tired to do a move correctly, back off.
PUSH YOURSELF: But don’t cross the threshold where you could become injured. You have a limit! Respect it.
LISTEN TO YOUR BODY: If a move doesn’t feel right for you, modify it for your body. If you’re feeling overtrained, this isn’t a race, it’s your health – take the day off.
IF YOU FEEL… pain or discomfort, STOP. Assess the situation and decide whether it’s a physical problem or you’re just having an “off” day.”
END OF BEACHBODY QUOTE
In addition, the are WARNINGS all over every DVD and paper that comes with your Insanity package. Take them VERY SERIOUSLY!
How did I survive all 63-days when I was in such discomfort? I’m a STUBBORN OL’ FOOL!
Seriously though, I have worked out before and as I mentioned, I was prepared for the pain and discomfort… I EXPECTED it.
So for me, there are two words that helped me survive:
STRETCHING
WATER
LOTS OF BOTH!
Plus, I put my videos out there on YouTube. By exposing myself that way, I KNEW I would be too damned embarrassed to give up. But that’s just me; that tactic won’t work for everyone.
What MIGHT help you is to be a part of a support group, especially one where they are either doing Insanity – have done it before – or are doing something equally intense so they can relate to what you are going through. The challenges are VERY REAL and you want to be able to communicate with someone who understands EXACTLY what you’re going through.
Hint: Someone who merely walks a couple minutes a day, from the couch to the fridge and back… those folks can NOT relate to YOU! LOL
I’ll be starting such a support group on April 22. It won’t matter if you’ve already started Insanity – you’re more than welcome to join. I’ll have more details available by Monday (April 8). Let me know if you’re interested and I’ll make sure you get the info.
In the meantime, I’m always here for my subscribers, commentators and visitors. Anytime you have a question, give me a shout and I promise to give you straightforward answers.
All the best from Toronto,
Russ
I will be new at doing insanity, just recovering from knee injuries. Do you have any suggestions?
Hi, my name is Tenesa. I now started my insanity workout and i only made it past the first 3 exercises in the fitness test. I got light headed and blurred vision, so i stopped. Do i continue onto the next day workout, or do i do the test over again?
Hey Tenesa; CAUTION! Your body is having a VERY SERIOUS CONVERSATION with you and you need to listen. It’s trying to tell you 1) You are pushing yourself TOO HARD and you need to pace yourself. 2) You are NOT ready for Insanity; instead, try a more basic program and eventually build yourself UP to the required level of fitness.
The health warnings are clearly presented all over the Insanity DVD’s and packaging. I hope you now understand based on your experience that they are NO JOKE! Light headed and blurry vision are early symptoms of MAJOR HEART PROBLEMS! Before you go any further, I would HIGHLY RECOMMEND you get a full physical check up and clearance from your doctor to do this level of intense exercise. Be sure to discuss this particular program in complete detail so your doctor knows EXACTLY what is involved so you can get PROPER GUIDANCE and ADVICE on what is best for you.
Tenesa – and anyone else reading this thread – if you get ANY SYMPTOMS such as feeling light-headed and/or blurry vision… STOP IMMEDIATELY! Again, do NOT got any further until you get a full check-up and clearance from your health care professional. This is DEADLY SERIOUS STUFF!
I hope you are OK now and that this experience concerned you enough – yes, even SCARED YOU ENOUGH – to re-evaluate your exercise choices and plans. There are much easier programs that you can do that will get you GREAT RESULTS while keeping you healthy and ALIVE!
One that I can highly recommend as an EXCELLENT BEGINNER CHOICE is right here: http://beachbodycoach.com/esuite/home/russhamel?bctid=1513855864001 My wife has health issues that don’t allow her to do the same level of intensity that I do. We are doing this Tai Cheng program together and it is PERFECT for her!
I hope this helps. Wishing you all the best in health and fitness,
Russ
Greatly appreciated. Muchas Gracias
You got it Fern! Thanks for stopping by.
I’m currently on day 12, and tomorrow I see I do both Pure Cardio and Cardio Abs. My question is did you do them together, one right after another or do you recommend splitting them up, one earlier in the day on later?
Hey Rachel,
One right after the other – it’s doable.
The only thing I did NOT do was on the day of Fit Test #2, 3, and 4, the program calls for another workout that same day. That’s where I drew the line. I put EVERYTHING I had into those fit tests and there was nothing left for another workout within that same day.
But yeah, Pure Cardio and Cardio Abs is definitely doable.
Russ
Thanks Russ, misplaced my calendar during my move
No problem Darius. Glad I could help.
How come i’m not find my day 3 workout table? Does it say some different on the disk???:-(
Hey Ashley, thanks for stopping by and for taking the time to ask your question. As far as I know, the Calendar and the Disc 3 Title are the same – Cardio Power and Resistance. Let me know if I can be further assistance.
Russ
I missed a workout…. Do I skip it and pick up on schedule or do I continue on the “next” workout?
Thank you.
Hey Tonya, there’s a couple of ways I would handle this. Typically you have 1 day off out of six so if you missed only one day you can use that day off as your catch-up day.
So you can either carry on with the regular schedule and use the normal day off for the workout you missed, or you can do your missed workout and be one day behind for the rest of the week until you finally catch up on the ‘day off’.
I hope I wasn’t too confusing. There are other options: skip that one workout altogether and carry on from there. OR… go all the way back to the beginning and start all over again, making a new commitment to follow the schedule.
In the end, it’s really all up to you and what’s important.
I am on week two of the program. I have enjoyed working out so much that I kept going and didn’t take any days to rest. Is it ok to continue doing that or should I take a day off?
Hey Fanny, send me some of your amazing energy!
If you’re not feeling any ill-effects then I don’t see any problem.
However, you won’t make any better or faster progress by skipping days off. Eventually it is a good idea to take a break, both physically and mentally. In Steven Covey’s book, “The Seven Habits” he tells a story about two wood choppers comparing who was able to chop the most wood. One guy kept going and going and going and going all day long, never stopping once. The other guy stopped every half hour for about 10 minutes, claiming he needed to sharpen his blade.
At the end of the day, guess who chopped the most wood? The one who stopped because he took the time to sharpen his blade.
The Moral of the Story: Resting is important to your mind and body because it makes you sharper. In the long run, you will accomplish more. Hope this helps.
All the best from Toronto,
Russ
Hey all,
Insanity is a great program I did it with a group of guys this past spring….lost some weight and gained muscle and started to get “soft” again. We started going again a week ago and enjoying it immensely.
Frank
Anchorage , Alaska
Hey Frank,
Thanks for sharing. Yeah, you’re so right – you can’t do this and then sit back for the rest of your life. You need to go on some kind of maintenance routine to keep that hard-earned body. If you’re young enough, you may want to revisit Insanity once a year just for the challenge. But if you’re getting long in the tooth as they say (like me), then you’ll want something a little less taxing on your joints.
These days I’m more into lifting weights (currently doing the Adonis Index) and I’m really liking it. Insanity is awesome if you’re looking to raise your energy and endurance. However, if you want the ‘look’ of a perfect body, you might want to get into weight programs such as P90X or Adonis Index.
All the best from Toronto,
Russ
Hey Russ,
Yeah we’re doing a modified version of it actually – 5 days a week. I’m lifting 2 days a week pretty heavily. I’ve actually dialed back my effort on the insanity a bit using my heart rate monitor to stay with in my optimal cardio/fat burning zone which seems to be helping.
And you are right about joints….I won’t do power jumps due to the impact on my knees but just run fast through the short segments and pick up the next one. We enjoy it tough.
Best regards to ya ,
Frank
Thank you so much! this has been on my favorites tab for a month now(yes about to start month 2!) just wanted to thank you for putting this up!
You’re welcome Stephen! Enjoy your workouts – you’re gonna LOVE that 2nd month!
Hey Russ jst ran across this page looking for the Insanity calendar. I will be startng this wrkout tmrw hoping to stick with it and Im hoping to c great results. Gng to the beach this summer and looking to tone up. Any advice??
Hey Eddi, if I had to do this program over again, I would be much more vigilant on the diet. Fat will only come off the body with this combination – increase your energy output (AKA exercise) and decrease your calorie input (AKA carefully monitor what you eat). Either one by itself is insufficient – you MUST do both in tandem.
Take this program seriously; invest your full effort and commitment into it, and you will get all the stares you want at the beach this summer!
All the best from Toronto,
Russ
Today was my first training day.
I can only do it twice a week.
Any suggestion on how should I
organize these sessions?
Hey Sam,
Adapt the program to suit your needs. If you can only do two days a week, then do only what you can. I would suggest that you still follow the planned schedule as follows: Let’s say you can only workout on Monday and Thursday (just an example) – you would do Day 1 on Monday and Day 2 on Thursday; you would then continue on to day 3 on the following Monday and Day 4 on the next Thursday; etc.
The program is 63 days in length – just over two months at the regular 6-day per week schedule. However, if you are only doing 2 workouts per week, that same 63 days will take you 32 weeks which is equal to 8 months.
Because of the inconsistency of your workouts, most likely you won’t get the same conditioning effect because your workouts are too spread out. However, it’s better than nothing!
Again, do what you can. Later, if your schedule allows, you can make the necessary adjustments in order to do the program as intended in order for you to get the full benefits. I hope this helps.
All the best from Toronto,
Russ
Hello Russ,
Can you tell me how old you need to be to do this? My son really wants to do it but he’s only 16.
Thanks in advance
Hey Vicky,
Since there are no weights involved, the only question would be current physical conditioning or any other health challenges. The warnings pasted all over the DVD are to be taken VERY SERIOUSLY – this workout, when done to the required intensity, is EXTREMELY STRENUOUS and should not be attempted by anyone who is not already in decent shape. If necessary, start with a lighter preliminary program to get yourself up to speed.
Anyone at any age should get medical clearance from their doctor before attempting exercise at this level. It really is that intense. Once you are ready, give it all you’ve got – including following the suggested nutrition advice as best as you can, for the best results.
All the best from Toronto,
Russ
I have a really important (at least to me) question to ask.. January 8th I go the Insanity dvd in the mail.That day I started it, and loved it I did it religiously since I got it. Up until the 18th only because I got walking pnemonia, the Dr. said I should not exercise for a bout a week until my breathing gets better. I am looking to start this up again, as I am for the most part feeling better. But my question is where do I start. Should I start at the point I left off, or should I just start from the begining? Your guidance would be greatly appreciated thanks.
Hey Lechele,
If it were me, I’d again right from the beginning, assuming you’ve been off since the 18th up until now – that’s almost 2 weeks. And if you went from Jan 8-18, that’s only 10 days in. You’ve been off longer than you’ve been on. Yeah, I’d start fresh.
The thing is, if you had a serious illness like pneumonia, you probably want to make sure your breathing is all the way back up to speed as Insanity is ALL about cardio. Even when you’re in the best of health, Insanity will literally take your breath away if you push yourself to your max.
Keep in mind, your life isn’t a race. It isn’t a bad thing to have to start all over again; it isn’t like staying back in school or anything like that. So take your time; get well first because you’re going to need to be in top shape!
All the best from Toronto,
Russ
Can u take more than one day off
Hey Mike,
Great question! If you need to modify this program for any reason – change the schedule; do the workouts slower; take longer breaks; WHATEVER… by all means, feel free to tweak and adjust to suit your needs. “DO WHAT YOU CAN!” That should be stamped on every DVD!
Now having said that, if you DO modify the program, you cannot expect to get the exact results they claim on the advertisements. That’s only for people who follow the program TO THE LETTER for both the exercise AND the nutrition components.
You will get out of this program only what you put into it, so any modification will change your expected results. The more you modify, the less results you can expect. I hope this helps answer your question.
All the best from Toronto,
Russ
Thank you so much. I used to weigh around 260 pounds, I am 5′ 8” and I was severly overweight. I have done the full 63 day insanity challenge and I have lost 62 pounds. It conisisted of a very good diet, plenty of sleep, water, and doing the workout. I am now going to do the same routine twice a day. I want to get some serious abs and train for a marathon. Thanks for the calendar, I could not find mine after I completed my workouts, I may have thrown it away…
Awesome Mark! Thanks for sharing your amazing story and results. Congratulations!
Do you have to do the cardio recovery?
Hey Mike, without being sarcastic or facetious, the cardio recovery is in the program for a reason. If you want the results the program promises to deliver, then you need to follow the program as closely as you can.
Now having said that, if you have your own reasons for modifying the program – time, health, capability, etc. – then simply do what you can. Just know that your results will vary according the the amount of modifications you make.
Otherwise, do you best to follow the program ‘As Is’, even if it means you’ll have to “DIG DEEPER”!
Thanks for your question.
All the best from Toronto,
Russ
On the Fit Test days (including day one) are we supposed to be doing the Fit Test and Dig Deeper??
Hey Maria,
According to the calendar schedule, the answer to your question is YES!
Now, between you and me (and now everyone else reading this post… LOL) I simply did NOT have the energy and will power to do this. It’s the ONLY part of the exercise regimen that I did NOT do – I felt it was just too much for me.
If you DO have the energy and will power as well as the time, then by all means give it a shot. You might even want to divide this into two parts – do your Fit Test in the morning and come back later to knock off the scheduled routine for the day. It’s totally up to you and what you feel you can and want to do.
Trust me, if you put everything you’ve got into your Fit Test, you’ll have done enough for that day. And if you REALLY put everything you’ve got into your Fit Test, you’ll more than likely see improved results over the last Fit Test which will make you extremely happy! In that case, take the rest of the day off and CELEBRATE!
All the best from Toronto,
Russ
Russ, Thank you for the well wishes. I attempted to start again this week and it was a huge fail i couldn’t breathe. I though I was feeling better but wasn’t so now I am going to try for next week. Thanks for encouraging me and letting me know that I am not failing even when I feel horrible for not doing it!
Hey Lechele, listen to your body. It will tell you when you are ready. (as if you have a choice… LOL)
I know this all too well. The mind can play tricks on us sometimes, letting us think we can do so many wonderful things. The body is the boss as you’re finding out. It will quickly step in and tell you in no uncertain terms what you can and cannot do.
Body knows best! Get healthy first, then everything else will fall into place.
Russ
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Gracias por vincular a mi sitio!
Todo lo mejor de Toronto,
Russ
Im 14 and a half. Can I do this? I really want to! I want to get a nice body. But how do I do it if I don’t have time. I have to get up at 6 to get to the bus stop. This ks what? And hour? So five. But I gotta shower after. So 4:30? Isnt that to early? Or should I do it after school? And weekends. Should I do it at the same time I get out of school? And what of I miss a day?
Hey Adam,
Thanks for stopping by. Great question BTW. At 14 and a half, I’m guessing you’re in your first year of high school. At that age, you should already have a fairly active lifestyle or at least have many more opportunities to be more active built right into your school day. At bare minimum, you should have some type of physical education class a couple times per week. My step-daughter’s grade 10 gym class actually did a modified version of Insanity as one of their units.
Then there might be a variety of sports activities that you could try out for.
Of course, depending on your academic load and study requirements, as well as other extra-curricular activities such as outside lessons and/or tutoring, etc. can eat up your time pretty quickly. Again, at your age, there shouldn’t be a HUGE ‘need’ to get on the Insanity program.
I’ll tell you what though; if you DO figure out how to manage this program along with all the other things you have to do, you WILL come out STRONGER in every area of your life. Insanity will DEMAND that you DIG DEEP to discover the best in yourself. And when you improve yourself in one area, all other areas tend to improve, too.
These are questions only you can answer Adam. Discuss it with your folks. I’m sure they will guide you in determining what you can handle and how you can manage more responsibility. If you talk with your parents from the approach, “This will make me more responsible”, they will be more open and receptive. Give it a shot and let me know how things work out.
All the best from Toronto,
Russ
I was wondering if I can do the 63 insanity program right after lifting weights. I just want to shed some unwanted fat to finish shredding/sculpting my body. Is this too much on the body. By the way, I’m taking protein so I won’t lose too much muscle. Any advice would help. Thanks.
Hey Derrick, in my experience I have found that cardio alone does NOTHING for getting rid of my fat. The process of building muscle (AKA lifting progressively heavier weights over time) is proven to be far more effective at shaping and toning your body. In fact, some will argue that it’s the ONLY way. That would include me, because it’s the ONLY WAY (so far) that has gotten rid of my body fat.
The only thing a heavy cardio program (like Insanity) will do for you is improve your conditioning! PERIOD! If you notice any weight/fat loss at all, it will be more likely to do with your combined effort at eating less which you should be doing anyway, regardless of if you are lifting weights or doing a cardio based program.
Remember: Cardio = Conditioning. Progressively Increasing Weight Lifting = Toning and Sculpting
And either way, EAT LESS!
If you’re interested in going for a ‘Perfect Body’ look, you might want to check out what I’m doing these days. (It has been almost 2 years since I did Insanity… there are BETTER ways to a better looking body!)
All the best from Toronto,
Russ
Wow!! That’s some information. Do you have any before and after pics? How long have you been doin this?
Derrick, I’m just one month into this program. I’ll be posting before and after pics tomorrow on this blog as well as my other site tomorrow (Friday, February 15, 2013).
Of course, my one-month results are not quite as dramatic as some of the guys you see on the site – but I’m well on my way!
So far, I’ve lost 5 lbs, an inch and a half OFF my waistline while putting ON a half-inch of muscle on my shoulders.
Because of my age (59), it will take me longer to achieve my goals. But I’m aiming for the Golden Adonis Index with 47″ shoulders and a 29″ waistline. At the pace I’m going, it will take me pretty much to the end of this summer to achieve those figures! But at least I’ll be looking pretty decent for beach season!
In case you’re interested, there is a woman’s version available, too. It’s called the Venus Index. It’s based on the same principles of body proportions – just as they apply to women. My wife isn’t into heavy weight lifting so I’m looking into this alternative for her.
Look for those B&A pics tomorrow!
All the best from Toronto,
Russ
Today i start the core cardio and balance. It is hard and how long is it.
Hi Mike. Congratulations for sticking with the program. The length of the core cardio and balance routine should be listed on the video. My sister-in-law has my set, so I can’t look it up right now although I believe if you search on the official Beach Body Insanity Site you’ll find the times for each workout.
As for your question, “How HARD is it”… that one is totally up to you. If you are putting YOUR maximum effort into it, every one of these Insanity Workouts will be ‘Hard’. The old saying is true, you get out of something only what you put into it.
Now will your BEST effort equal MY BEST effort! YES, because we’re both maxing ourselves out. Will your BEST RESULT equal MY BEST RESULT? Of course not and THAT’S the critical difference. You can NOT measure yourself against someone else’s results. The ONLY one you ever measure against is what YOU were yesterday. YOU are the ONLY one who matters in your results.
Again, congrats for hanging in there and sticking with this very tough routine. Give it your BEST shot and you WILL see some great results.
All the best from Toronto,
Russ
So I was drinking my wine and cleaning up my kids toys and the infomercial came on and I almost started to cry because I USED TO DO THIS! I’m about 30 pounds over weight now and definitely heavier than I was when I was doing it. Should I wait to start this until I lose weight?
Hey Bree,
Those infomercials sure are compelling, aren’t they? I still watch them from time to time and they always RESELL me on the program, even though I already have it. LOL
It’s amazing how kids and a very hectic lifestyle can creep up on you. As you mentioned, 30 lbs later you wonder, “What the heck happened here?”
To be totally honest with you, these days my wife and I are totally LOVING the 7-Minute Workout. We find that they are actually FAR MORE EFFECTIVE than Insanity while being FAR EASIER on your joints and even EASIER THAN THAT on your time. Can you believe it… only 7 minutes a day every other day!
If you have a busy family lifestyle like we do (and it looks like you do) then the 7 Minute Workout is definitely something you should take a serious look at!
All the best from Toronto,
Russ
Do I start at the beginning of a month or can I start anytime and just go by 1,2,3… Etc on the calender
Hi Michelle,
Thanks for your question. The beauty of a ‘home-workout-program’ is that YOU get to decide when, where, how… all that good stuff. There is no right or wrong way to do this. As long as you are putting in YOUR best effort, you WILL get something out of it. Enjoy your Insanity journey!
All the best from Toronto,
Russ
Hey, im 23 Hearst old and i have overweight (205pounds) do you recomend me to do this to loose weight. Im also in a diet
Hey Lucia,
My first advice would be to check with your doctor and discuss your intention to do this level of exercise first. Of course, I’m just repeating the advice plastered all over the Insanity DVDs anyway. The fact that you are asking for advice tells me you have some concerns. Best to direct those kinds of questions to the people who can help you directly – aka your personal physician.
Thanks for taking the time to write and best wishes to you for a safe and healthy exercise experience.
Russ
I have p90x & insanity & i was wondering if its ok to both. 1 week insanity, then 1 week p90x.
OK Clinton, you have my permission.
I guess my question to you would be, “What are you wanting to accomplish?” If you want superior conditioning and endurance, Insanity is the program. If you want to shed fat while putting on some muscle, P90X would be the better program.
Honestly, having done both, P90X will give you the more visually pleasing results. PLUS, you will FEEL stronger at the same time.
However, if you run track or participate in any athletics which require you to be in top condition for endurance, then maybe Insanity would be your best choice.
Either way, I would CHOOSE ONE for now and put 1001% of your energy and effort into THAT program. If you have energy left to do the other, it only means you did NOT give 1001% to the first. Leave it ‘ALL on the floor’ as they say. You’ll only get out of the program what YOU put into it.
Hope that answers your question a bit better!
All the best from Toronto,
Russ
There are actually hybrids you can do, where the cardio portions of P90X are replaced with insanity. Good way to go if you do that.
Absolutely Bryan! I think you should do any program ‘as is’ first to develop a level of discipline and mastery, much like learning to paint or play a musical instrument. Once you have a good feel for the skills involved, then you can – and should – develop a program tailored to suit your own needs. That’s pretty much what I do!
Great suggestion! Thanks for stopping by and taking the time to write!
Russ
http://www.beachbody.com/category/p90x-online/worksheets.do if you are interested in the hybrids. After doing insanity in replacement of P90X cardio workouts I can say the P90X ones are way less intense.
Great point Bryan. It’s up to each individual to determine 1) What they WANT to do and 2) What they CAN do. Many people (dare I say MOST people) will need to do some kind of modification, especially if they have not been exercising for a while.
Keep in mind the main difference between these two programs:
Insanity is for CONDITIONING and ENDURANCE
P90X is for TRIMMING, TONING and STRENGTH
Again, know what you WANT to do. Once you have that, then you have to go at your own pace to determine what you CAN do for now. It may take time for you to build yourself up to the point where you CAN do the entire routine at the same pace (or BEYOND) the DVD’s. But if you can’t do that in the beginning, IT’S OK! Start where you are and always do what YOU can!
The ONLY person you ever need to measure yourself against is who you are today vs. who you were yesterday. If you can say you are a better person today, CONGRATULATIONS! You are on the right track. Keep going!
All the best from Toronto,
Russ
I love insanity
Gotta be INSANE Devin!
I was wondering I have been doing insanity for two weeks now and loving it and am coming up on next weeks fitness test but I feel like I could still workout more . Should I go ahead and do some solo cardio workouts or is there something that the program has to do after the 2nd fitness test. Also while working out I have no problem with any soreness other than an intense burning in my knees any advice ? And also when Shaun t says to keep your core tight does that mean basically sucking in your stomach or what ? And after some days when i rest for about 20 mins i feel good enough to go workout again , am i not applying myself correctly or just have alot of energy ? Im 21 5’8 183 and losin pounds by tha day !!! It would be very helpful to have all these questions answered thank you
By the way I LOVE THE INSANITY it’s helping me get ready for basic training in May for the ARMY and will only spur me off to greater things .
Hey Jonathan,
Great questions. Hope my answers can match up.
If you have that much energy left over, it tells me you are not leaving EVERYTHING out there on the floor. Of course, your energy level is naturally going to be WAY BEYOND mine – there’s no comparing a 21 to a 59 year old. However, you should be just as tired as me if you put in YOUR 101% effort… you know what I’m saying?
Yup, it’s what YOU can do; YOUR personal effort that determines what you get out of it. If the fitness models on the DVD are doing 40 reps before they pass out, but it takes you 80 reps to get that same drop-dead ‘FAIL’ point, then you need to bust your chops and do those 80 reps, if that is YOUR 101%.
Again, the measuring stick is simple… if you feel you can do another round of Insanity within the same day, YOU NEED TO BE CRANKING UP THE INTENSITY OF YOUR FIRST WORKOUT! You should work yourself SO HARD that you absolutely WON’T want to workout again that day. That’s the level I pushed myself to each day – right up to my drop-dead ‘FAIL’ point.
5’8″ and 183 lbs. sounds a bit heavy. I’m 5’6″ and 140 with a waist @ 31.25″ and I’m still working off another inch or so of belly fat. As for keeping your core tight, yeah you could say that it’s as simple as pulling in your gut! And do that throughout the entire day. It does make a HUGE difference!
As for the burning in your knees or any other ache and pain in your body, LISTEN TO YOUR BODY! Pain is an indication that something needs attention. Any pain that lasts beyond the normal recovery period should be checked out by your doctor. I can’t give you any advice beyond that as I’m not qualified to offer medical information.
I hope this answers your questions. Be grateful and enjoy your incredible energy while you have it.
All the best from Toronto,
Russ
Hey, do we have to eat everything I’m the book… Or can we eat what we wasn’t, and still do everything in the work out, and get the same results?
Hey Scarlette,
Thanks for taking the time to write. Let’s put it this way – you can eat whatever you want; it’s the AMOUNT you eat that is the critical factor. The good thing about following any program is that they’ve usually done all the calculating for you. If you want to use your own food and create your own meal plans, know that you’ll most likely want to get a scale to measure your amounts along with a good calorie tracking program which also helps you properly balance your nutrients between carbs, protein, fat and fiber.
It’s a lot more work to use your own plan, but with care and attention, it CAN be done. It’s what I do. Keep your meals simple with lean meats, fish and lots of fresh fruits and veggies; add in some nuts, beans and legumes. I also find that low-fat cottage cheese is a great way to get your protein and it makes a great salad dressing.
Nutrition is equally important as the exercise. You have to do both parts correctly to get the most out of any fitness/ body transformation program.
All the best from Toronto,
Russ
I am doing the insanity workout and I need to do pure cardio today. I don’t see this particular DVD. But I do see insane abs and cardio abs. Can these be switched out for the pure cardio or am I just missing a DVD?
Hey RJ,
If you bought your DVDs directly from Beachbody, contact them immediately and let them know about your incomplete set.
However, if you borrowed your set from the library or from someone else you know (friend, neighbor, relative), then ask that person to see if they may still have it – sometimes I leave mine in my DVD player; forget to put it away!)
Because of the nature of Insanity, pretty much ANY one of the workouts – as long as you are pushing yourself as close to 100% of YOUR max as possible – will deliver the same effects of the ‘Pure Cardio’ DVD. That’s the secret to the workouts – you will get out of it only what YOU put into it!
All the best from Toronto,
Russ
Hey, I would like to tone only, I do not need to lose weight, can I still do the insanity?
Thank you
Hey Marlen,
Thanks for your question – one that is often asked, so the answer is easy:
Keep in mind the main difference between these two programs:
Insanity is for CONDITIONING and ENDURANCE
P90X is for TRIMMING, TONING and STRENGTH
Hope that helps,
Russ
I am going the workout and I don’t have the pure cardio dvd. Can it be switched out for the insane abs or cardio abs?
Hey RJ, I answered you in another thread. In case you missed it, here it is again…
“If you bought your DVDs directly from Beachbody, contact them immediately and let them know about your incomplete set.
However, if you borrowed your set from the library or from someone else you know (friend, neighbor, relative), then ask that person to see if they may still have it – sometimes I leave mine in my DVD player; forget to put it away!)
Because of the nature of Insanity, pretty much ANY one of the workouts – as long as you are pushing yourself as close to 100% of YOUR max as possible – will deliver the same effects of the ‘Pure Cardio’ DVD. That’s the secret to the workouts – you will get out of it only what YOU put into it!
All the best from Toronto,
Russ
tonight is day 4 my calves are hurting omgsh lol!!! but i feel good!! i stopped drinking sodas and stepped up my water.
AWESOME Juletta!
Your body is telling you that you are pushing yourself to your MAX! And the fact that you are replacing soda with water is an EXCELLENT choice since water will help flush out the lactic acid and other toxins built up from intense exercise. The lactic acid is what breaks your muscles down and the soreness you feel is your body repairing itself – what is known as ‘Growing Pains’!
Continue to listen to your body and remember to that it’s OK to SLOW DOWN and/or STOP for an extra day or so if your body is SCREAMING at you (as mine sometimes does! LOL) Yes, sometimes we can push ourselves TOO hard and risk injury. The trick is learning to listen to your body and know the difference between being physically/mentally lazy and REALLY needing a break! With time and experience, you’ll learn this difference.
All the best from Toronto,
Russ
I want to lose weight and be more toned which one should I use insanity or P90x ? Also reset you rest day
Hey Noel,
For losing weight and toning I would suggest P90X. I’ve done both Insanity and P90X and BY FAR the best results for those goals is P90X!
BY FAR!
Insanity will give you conditioning and endurance, but it will NOT change the way you look as quickly and dramatically as P90X. WHY? Because MUSCLE (not aerobics) BURN FAT!
MUSCLE BURNS FAT!
PERIOD.
I used to run long distance. Then I switched to running stairs in my 22-story condo building. Then I did Insanity. I had the energy to go ALL DAY… but still, when I looked in the mirror, I wasn’t satisfied with my visual results.
Switched to P90X! BAMMMM! Got my wife pawing at my abs now… oooohhhh, what a turn-on!
P90X WILL transform your looks, NO QUESTION! It did for me, and I’m 59 years old! Like they say, if *I* can do it…
All the best from Toronto,
Russ
P.S. Here’s what I look like after my latest 90-day fitness challenge from January 21, 2013 to April 14, 2013:
Just started Insanity Monday (3/18/2013). I am looking forward to doing Day 4 today!
I bought my DVD’s used, so, all I have is the DVD’s. I came here for the schedule and also found the Fit Test tracker. I dont have any diet informtion, I am just using common sense and watching my portion size. My goal is to shed a little extra weight and increase my endurance and stamina so I can run like I didwhen i was back in high school (LOL!) I am looking forward to finally using the program and finishing it out!
Hey Adam,
If conditioning and endurance is your goal, then you picked the right program – INSANITY WILL DO THE JOB!
Now I can’t promise that you’ll run like you did back in your high school days. If you’re getting more ‘mature’ like me – my high school days are like 40+ years ago – then I’ve got some ‘sad’ news for you… LOL
But I’ll tell you what; here is what you want to compare yourself to that will make ANY of your goals more realistic and attainable – compare yourself to what you were just YESTERDAY. When you improve yourself in small increments, getting just a little bit better every single day than you were just the day before, you will ALWAYS be pleased with yourself.
This is something YOU and ANYONE can do. Keep in touch and let me know how things are working out for you!
All the best from Toronto,
Russ
Im looking into gain weight, Is this going to help me or make it worse? thanks!
Hey James,
Thanks for your question… not a very common one in these days of ever-increasing obesity, but still one that SOME folks have.
Weight – whether it’s gaining or losing is most simply a knife, fork and spoon situation.
You want to gain: EAT MORE
You want to lose: EAT LESS
That’s the simple solution.
Of course, if you want to ACCELERATE the power of that over-simplified formula, you need to add these
EAT MORE SPECIFIC TYPES OF FOOD
DO MORE SPECIFIC MUSCLE BUILDING EXERCISES
You are embarking on a lifelong journey or KNOWING YOURSELF and what is best for YOU. This kind of knowledge is best gained through EXPERIENCE. Certainly, you will need to research and study. However, once you learn about something which resonates with you (and you will KNOW by how you FEEL about it), then you must APPLY this to yourself and track the results.
Keep in touch and let me know how things are going for you. If you need more assistance, I’m just an email away!
All the best from Toronto,
Russ
Hi Russ,
I am a 55 year old male, teach spinning classes about 4 times a month at a gym on my job and I do some weightlifting so I think I am in reasonaly good shape. I started Insanity about 6 weeks ago and just completed week 4…that’s because of my schedule, I only do it about 3-5 times a week but have still seem pretty good results (lost about 10 lbs).
I have had to modify many of the moves and not go as intense due to knee pain I have been experiencing. It’s tough because my body (except for my knees) wants to go all out but I’m afriaid that if I do, I won’t be able to walk. Do you recommend me continuing or should I look for a less intense program?
I do plan to repeat the first 4 weeks before I go to the “max” videos, I really love Insanity and don’t want to stop, I’m just afraid that it may be too much on my knees.
I have been taking some over the counter joint medicine (Move Free) but I don’t know if it’s helping. If I go to the doctor, I think she will tell me to stop but, as I stated previously, I love Insanity and don’t want to quit. What would you do?
Hey Irvin,
I just replied to another very similar question so I’ll give you the same answer.
Yeh, at our age, workouts like Insanity tend to be rather unkind to our no-longer supple joints. When I did this program back in 2011 (has it been two years already), I pushed myself to the max and attempted all the routines with very little modification other than the fact I couldn’t do it AS FAST as the young fitness models on the DVD. However, I PAID THE PRICE by being stiff and sore for ALL 63 DAYS AND THEN ANOTHER 45 DAYS AFTER THAT!
Man, I thought I would NEVER recover!
These days I’m really enjoying the lifting programs like P90X. PLUS… I’m getting FAR BETTER visual results than I got when I did Insanity back in 2011!
I’m starting a new Fitness Challenge Group very soon. Personally I will be using P90X but you can participate with your own favorite workout. The main idea of this group is to help each other stay on track with our own goals. Would you like to join us?
All the best from Toronto,
Russ
P.S. Soon it will be great outdoor weather again. Are you in shape and ready for a fun, active summer? Join us in April and you CAN be ready by June!
Thanks Russ. I would love to particiapte. Please send me the details.
If I am just trying to look (and become) more muscular, mostly in the abs / upper chest area, would I use P90X or Insanity?
Hey Ben,
Great question – easy answer: ABSOLUTELY, P90X is gonna be your best bet. Quick rule of thumb: Insanity is awesome for CONDITIONING and ENDURANCE… period! No matter what you’ve read or heard, there’s no amount of cardio that will tone and shape your body and build muscle.
As for Insanity helping you to lose weight… guess again. In my experience, the amount of INTENSE CARDIO I did with Insanity made me RAVENOUS! I actually ate a LOT and wanted to eat a whole LOT MORE! So unless you have great genetics and/or extraordinary will power, you most likely will NOT lose weight with Insanity.
I’ve been doing a lot of free weight lifting over the past 12 weeks and I am extremely pleased with my physical results, both in the way I look and feel. In fact, I’m starting a new Fitness Challenge Group very soon (projected April 22). Personally I will be using P90X but you can participate with your own favorite workout. The main idea of this group is to help each other stay on track with our own goals. Would you like to join us?
All the best from Toronto,
Russ
P.S. Soon it will be great outdoor weather again. Are you in shape and ready for a fun, active summer? Join us in April and you CAN be ready by June!
Thank you for the info. That definitely clears it up.
Can you tell me more about your group?
Hey Russ! I just placed my order for insanity and it will be here in a few days, is there anything that I should be doing to prepare for the program? I am a two mile a day jogger and two more miles on an elliptical kind of girl, in the past year I have lost 45 pounds but looking to change it up even more. I can’t wait for it to get here!
Samantha, that is AWESOME! Congratulations on raising your personal bar and going for it.
For most people – myself included – there’s nothing that will ever completely prepare you for a program like Insanity. I ran stairs in my 22-stairs in my condo building, 5 circuits at a time for six months, plus some other strength training with my Bodylastics resistance bands. I thought I had my preparation covered.
HA HA HA…
So you’ve heard that Insanity is tough; that it will be the TEST OF YOUR LIFE. How hard is hard? You’ll have to experience it for yourself.
A couple of things: Take all the warnings and advice on the packages and DVDs you get from Beachbody VERY SERIOUSLY. This program is INSANELY INTENSE! Now having said all that, the second thing is to heed the Beachbody mantra, “Do your best and forget the rest.”
In other words, always do what YOU can. Forget about trying to keep up with the 20-something fitness models on the DVD. If you need to modify a move to suit your body, DO IT!
And if you simply can NOT do Insanity at this time, Beachbody has MANY OTHER PROGRAMS that will build you up and get you ready for Insanity if that’s what you choose to do. For example, my wife has some issues with her back and isn’t able to go at the intensity level (for now) that I am able to go. So for her, we are doing the Tai Cheng program which involves more stretching and deep breathing. I’m doing it along with her because we enjoy working out together AND it’s an AWESOME RECOVERY PROGRAM for workouts like Insanity and my current workout, P90X!
One more thing: I’m starting a workout support group on April 22; it’s open to ANYONE (yes, including YOU) who is actively seeking a healthier lifestyle. Let me know if you are interested and I’ll send you the details.
Once again, congratulations. Get ready for the TIME OF YOUR LIFE!
All the best from Toronto,
Russ
Thanks so much Russ. I would love to join, please send me the information!
hey! I love your blog. I have a bunch of questions. I just recently go the DVD and since am a really lazy person, hate working out and have very little self-control am trying to ease into the Insanity plan before I can actually start it. I tried to do the fit test and was so drained by it. I have not yet been able to complete it. Any tips you have for me would be appreciated.
Hey Tasha,
You know what… you ask GREAT questions! In fact, I wish EVERYONE would ask these kinds of questions BEFORE getting Insanity. I’ve heard about SO MANY people getting Insanity or P90X only to find out that it’s not right for them. And then they totally give up on ALL exercise, because they couldn’t do THESE programs.
Fortunately, there is something for EVERYONE! Yup, including people with your kind of challenges.
A good example would be my wife. She has mild arthritis in her back and simply can NOT do intense routines. So instead, she and I are doing Beachbody’s “Tai Cheng” program together. It’s something she CAN and WANTS to do… PLUS, it is STILL helping her reach her fitness goals without having to kill herself.
The beauty of Tai Cheng is that it serves as an AWESOME RECOVERY PROGRAM for guys like me who can do Insanity, P90X and all those other crazy-challenging programs! And the fact that we can do Tai Cheng together makes it even better – because my wife NEEDS support and encouragement to work out.
You can check out all the different workouts here: http://beachbodycoach.com/russhamel There’s bound to be something you like and CAN do. And if you simply aren’t ready for ANY organized program just yet, you may be interested in my fitness support group, “90 Days to WOW”. This group is open to EVERYONE; doesn’t matter if you do a formal program or if you just walk 5 minutes a day! You can find out more about that group here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/553361388019793/
Hope this helps you to get started towards reaching your health and fitness goals.
All the best from Toronto,
Russ
Hi Russ,
Anything on the support group starting April 22nd? How can we participate? Thanks.
Hey Irv,
I’m setting the group up on FaceBook and you’ll need to be logged into your FB account in order to see this. Here is the link: https://www.facebook.com/groups/553361388019793/ which will give you all the details. It’s the first time I set up my own group so let me know if you have any problems getting in.
See you on the inside!
Russ
Russ,
Got the following message when I tried the link:
“The page you requested cannot be displayed right now. It may be temporarily unavailable, the link you clicked on may have expired, or you may not have permission to view this page. ”
Please let me know if I am doing something wrong. Thanks.
Hey Irv,
Thanks for letting me know. Again I apologize as this is the first FB group I organize so I’m still learning.
For anyone else reading this thread that would like to join my fitness support group, ‘LIKE’ this page: https://www.facebook.com/90DaysToWow Once you do that, I can add you to the ‘private’ group.
Hopefully it will work this time.
Russ
Hi Russ,
Week two ,day 3 . Cardio circuit and plyometric cardio circuit , is that the same dvd? Listed different on calendar, but only have plyometric cardio dvd. thanks bob
Bob, as far as I can see, there is only Plyometric Cardio Circuit in the DVD set. Cardio Circuit may very well be the same thing – just a typo or something. Whatever they call it though… IT’S KILLER!
My sister let me borough her insanity she said its too strong for her. Im giving it a try and feel beat. I have a problem my sister only gave me the cds and lost the instruction, i found this work schedule and dont know if its okay or i need the whole program. Im trying to do it and do my own diet pliz help!!
Hey Sania,
The workout schedule posted on this site matches the one that comes in the box so you should be good to go. Insanity is ONE TOUGH PROGRAM and most people need all the help they can get to work their way through.
Quick questions: do you have your heart set on doing Insanity? WHY? Is your body and especially your mind ready for this kind of intensity? Let me know because I can probably suggest a program that is more suitable for you while you build yourself up to Insanity level.
You may want to get in on my support group, too. It’s all about supporting YOU and YOUR goals. Simply go to this page and ‘Like’ it. From there I’ll add you into our support group.
https://www.facebook.com/90DaysToWow
All the best from Toronto,
Russ
hi i have only 3 days until i finish insanity month 1 and i lost about 7 pounds and my clothes are becoming fitter my fit tests results got alot better specially on day 15 iam not overweight iam 56 and now i weight 150 pounds i dont follow nutrition guide but eat fruits and veggies does this mean that iam on the right track? will i see greater results in month 2? iam putting all the effort i can in insanity but taking few breaks iam 20 years old thanks ane one problem until now iam still feeling that my legs are still tired and my back too is it normal?
Hello Russ
You state that Insanity is better for conditioning and P90x is the one for trimming and muscle definition.
Would you not agree that the fact you did insanity gave you the base to move on? so that’s why you have made such good progress. What I am saying is that if you had started P90x first instead of Insanity you may still have been at the same position after 60 days.
Wow, great questions David. Let’s see what comes out here.
First of all, you should know I’m blatantly honest! I’m not going to sugar-coat anything here: Insanity is THE TOUGHEST workout I’ve ever done. I will NOT do it again myself; nor would I recommend it to anyone over 40 UNLESS they are already quite athletic, flexible AND very knowledgeable about their own bodies.
Insanity is not something you just do on a lark, “Oh, I think I’ll TRY this”. If you do anything LESS than your BEST EFFORT, you will NOT benefit from Insanity. It’s a fact, MOST FOLKS walk away from Insanity sore in both body and mind, because they didn’t really know what they wanted AND what they could reasonably do in order to get their desired results.
Then there are those who say they ‘Did’ Insanity when in fact they had to modify and water it down so much that it ended up being more on the SANE side.
So having gotten that out of the way, I would say now that I’m more experienced and KNOW a little bit better about what I want and what I can do to get it, I would say P90X ALL THE WAY. And I’m going to guess that MOST people would benefit far more from P90X because of the BODY TRANSFORMATION that you will get ONLY from a strength building program like P90X.
Insanity is icing on the cake… it’s a FINAL CHALLENGE once you are already in shape. I would NEVER recommend it as a program to GET in shape; certainly NOT if you’re 40+ with existing health issues!
That’s the honest truth! Hope that helps anyone reading this to clarify their choices.
All the best from Toronto,
Russ
Hi Russ
YOU’RE INTERNATIONAL; I am emailing from the UK!
You are right to raise the warning signs that insanity is the hardest workout and it may not be for everyone. However, I am 45 and if it hadn’t been advertised as the hardest workout, I wouldn’t have done it.! ………‘I challenge you’ questions Shaun T……… that was it, I’m in.
Also, Russ if you hadn’t completed it, I would have packed it in after the first month.
‘It has made you a leader of men!’
So anyone thinking about doing it, I would suggest if you have health issues don’t so it or get advice. Personally, I bought a mat to do my jumping on as well as some knee tubes to support my joints; you can’t get fit if you are injured! I also paced myself until I was ready to blast it and I included additional rest days early on when needed.
My misses has seen my results and as a consequence is now doing the programme which is great great news. To be honest, I wish I had taken up this workout ages ago. I have even cancelled my gym membership because really it has not been value for money; I have seen more results in 7 weeks than 7 years and it has cost me a fortune.
My advice is, do it, but take precautions.
So two weeks to go and I’ll be tempted to do the Asylum next. I like the thought Asylum is the sort of routine that will take one to athlete status. Then I’ll do an Insanity/P90x hybrid after as I’ll need to build some muscle.
What a club to be in; I can’t wait to wear my T shirt on ‘dress down day’ in work
Kind regards
David
You’re a CHALLENGE MONSTER David… just like me! I love it! LOL
Seriously, thanks for sharing your input because many others are reading this blog now and seeing a variety of responses from different folks with different experiences makes this resource all the more valuable.
As you may know, there are MANY other programs that can help folks with issues to still be able to achieve their personal fitness goals as the STEP THEIR WAY UP to workouts like Insanity and P90X. For example, my wife just got ‘Tai Cheng’ because she has mild arthritis in her lower back and if she pushes herself too much, it’s a MAJOR OUCH! I’m also excited about Tai Cheng because it makes an AWESOME RECOVERY PROGRAM for Insanity and P90X. I’ll be doing this with my wife every evening and I’ll be including our reports in my fitness support group. CLICK HERE to check out the Tai Cheng program.
David, I’d LOVE to have you and your wife join my wife and I (and a whole bunch of other GREAT folks) in my fitness support group, 90 Days to WOW!. Simply ‘LIKE’ the page and I’ll make sure you get added to the group.
All the best from your fitness friend from across the pond,
Russ
Hi!
I’m 18 and was thinking about doing this. The only thing is that i’m trying to go to college and in Brasil, where I live the way to it is a big exam. I go to school, come back home and have to study between 6h to 8h a day. I do have time to do insanity my only concern is about being really tired. After the work out do you feel tired throughout the day? If i do it right before going to sleep, having a 6 hour sleep, will be enough? Thanks!!
HI!!
I just came across this post and it has been super informative. I am 25 year old female, 5’8, and about 153 lbs. I am fairly active, I typically run about 10-13 miles a week or do some sort of physical activity. I just started insanity last week and to my astonishment, I have put on about 5 lbs. Is this normal? Has anyone else experienced weight gain during the first few weeks of the program?
Please let me know,
Allene
Hi there!
I really want to try out Insanity so my husband and I were going to start it together. We looked at P90X but the only problem I saw with that is all of the equiptment. Do you really need an entire rack of weights? We have 5′s, 10′s and 35′s here. I know the pull up bar is important too. Does anyone have suggestions for that? I also saw that you can use the resistance bands. I wasn’t sure if that would be better than the weights. Any help would be appreciated. My husband and I have worked out for years so we are familiar with weight training. I know that gets better results than just cardio. Thanks for your ideas!!
Hey Lisa,
You seem to know intuitively that P90X will deliver the real results you want. For most folks, it’s body transformation – shaping and toning. No amount of cardio – even CRAZY stuff like Insanity – will deliver the kind of results a weight training program like P90X can and will deliver when you do it properly.
And YES… the answer to your equipment dilemma – both for the weights AND the chin-up bar – is resistance bands. And for your money, THESE ARE THE ABSOLUTE BEST RESISTANCE BANDS. They are FAR SUPERIOR to the ones you can get as an option with P90X and certainly FAR SUPERIOR to the ones you’ll find down at Walmart.
My wife and I also use the Ultra Anchor (a MUST HAVE for your Bodylastics gym). Here is how it looks in our bedroom: http://community.adonisindex.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=3821&d=1359999074
I just finished a 12-week intensive weight lifting program. My results were STELLAR… but at the cost of my elbows. I can’t even think of a chin-up bar or curling heavy weights right now without wincing. Bodylastics Resistance Bands to the rescue. In the P90X program, Tony shows you how to use resistance bands to PROPERLY stimulate the correct muscles used in chin-ups. So for myself, I will get the FULL BENEFIT of the proper muscle stimulation WITHOUT having to lift my entire 140 lbs until my elbows are fully rehabbed and ready.
With a basic set of bands AND the Ultra Anchor, you’ll replace ALL THE DUMBBELLS and BARBELLS at a FRACTION of the cost in terms of dollars spent and space used in your house. And there are safety issues as well… oh, how I could go on all night about resistance bands vs. free weights – especially Bodylastics! My wife and I absolutely LOVE them!
Let me know if you need any further pictures and/or video demos regarding modifying P90X using resistance bands. Whatever you need to do with free weights in P90X, you can do with resistance bands! You’ll be hooked within a week!
Hope that helps. Let me know if you have any more questions.
All the best from Toronto,
Russ
Hi Russ. Walking back from high shool, i was thinking to myself how to make my 2 months of insanity shorter. I was thinking if its okay to do 2 sessions a day so i cn finish insanity in a month
Oh and is it okay to do 2 hours of insanity a day along with multigym but the workouts are spaced during the day thnx!
Hey Russ, I was wondering if it was okay for me to be doing this workout. I’m 15 and I am on week 3 and I decided to start over because I didn’t right down my fitness results and really want to know what I get. The main reason I want to do insanity is because my friend did it and he really pushes me to do it. I just wanted to know if it would be healthy for me to do it since I am only 15. I play football and have been working out for about 10 months and I think I’m ready for it. The reason I’m asking you now is because I got a little “trigger happy” if you know what I mean. As I said I really want to do it so if you have any tips that would be fantastic.
Thanks
Hey Dylan,
I can’t say for sure, not knowing you and your personal situation and circumstances. It helps me to know that you have athletic experience with football and have been actively working out for a while.
You are right – tracking your results will help you get the MOST benefit out of this or any other program. If you have your own package of Insanity, you should have all the tracking tools available. You’ll want to take all your ‘Before’ measurements and be sure to do the Fit Test, again tracking your initial results so you have a point of reference for future comparison. Otherwise, how will you know if/how you are improving?
Let’s start with that. If you have any other questions, I’ll be here to get answers for you. I don’t know EVERYTHING myself, but I do have access directly to Beachbody’s tremendous resources so I feel confident that I can get you answers to whatever you need.
All the best from Toronto,
Russ
Can I run and do insanity at the sameday ? Will my weight be a factor also when do insanity? I weight over 272 pounds but came jog 5 miles?
Hey Ponch,
My recommendation for most people – do Insanity to the BEST of YOUR ability and you’ll probably find that you don’t have much energy left over for anything else. In fact, if you are doing Insanity correctly, your body should be in CONSTANT repair mode (aka stiff and sore because you are PUSHING yourself to YOUR limits).
If you have the energy to do Insanity AND run (or any other form of exercises or activity) my guess is that you could/should INCREASE the amount of intensity that you are putting into your Insanity workout. “Dig Deeper” as Shaun T says. “Leave it ALL out there on the floor” as they say in the NBA.
Keep in mind, YOUR BEST might not be able to keep up with the fitness models on the DVD. OR… maybe you can do better! Either way, it’s NOT a competition. The ONLY person you want to compare yourself to is the person you were yesterday. If you can say that you were a bit better today than you were yesterday, that should be ALL that matters.
Good luck on your Insanity adventure. Keep in touch and let me know how things are going for you. If you’d like more support, I invite you to join my 90 Days to WOW! fitness support group. You can find it here: https://www.facebook.com/90DaysToWow
All the best from Toronto,
Russ
Hi Russ. Walking back from high shool, i was thinking to do 2 hours of insanity a day so i can finish insanity in a month. And the 2 hours of workouts are spaced during the day i was thinking of doing multigym so do you think i can do this. THANKS!!!
Oh, to be young again and have that boundless energy again Nasir! LOL
Let’s see if this analogy applies. You’ve got 63 days worth of groceries… would it be OK if you eat them all in 30 days?
hhhmmm…
Yes, you MIGHT be able to fast-track a study course. But I would caution you; there’s a HUGE DIFFERENCE between knowing ABOUT something and KNOWING something. The DIFFERENCE is EXPERIENCE which ONLY comes from DOING!
In order to BENEFIT from 63 DAYS… you have to DO 63 DAYS! There is NO fast-tracking the calendar.
Does this make sense to you Nasir?
Here’s what I’m going to suggest. If you find you are able to do TWO sessions per day, I’m going to GUESS that you might not be going at it to 100% of YOUR capacity. I would first increase my INTENSITY on just ONE round of Insanity… leave it ALL ON THE FLOOR as they say in the NBA! Heck, even I could probably do 2-3 rounds of Insanity per day if I was only going 25-50% and I’m 59 years young! LOL
Yeah – you’re a YOUNG ENERGETIC DUDE! You’ve got the rest of your life ahead of you… plenty of time! What’s the rush? Actually now that I think of it, part of the Insanity training is the MENTAL DISCIPLINE of doing a LONG PROGRAM spread out over 60-90 days. Go FULL OUT for the duration and I’ll bet you’ll make far better results than if you did the ‘flash-in-the-pan’ approach.
You asked… that’s my answer! Maybe not what you want to hear but that’s my perspective. Now you have a choice. You can take my advice; or you can do it YOUR way (which MAY ultimately be the BEST way for YOU), OR you can seek OTHER opinions. I’ll be the first to admit, I do NOT have ALL the answers… LOL
Thanks Nasir. All the best with your amazing Insanity experience.
Russ
Fitness Test 04-Feb 24-Feb 28-Mar 18-Apr
Switch kick 122 123 129 142
Power Jacks 40 49 56 58
Power knees 68 93 99 106
Power jumps 29 44 60 69
Glout Jumps 8 8 9 9
Burpees 17 19 20 23
P/up jacks 15 24 27 34
Low plank oblique 38 36 49 59
Hello Russ
Smashed it today, especially the switch kicks and power jumps and the form was a lot better too!
Boing, boing, boing, boing where did this idiot come from; springs in my legs I didn’t know I had! However, I do need to get off the sauce as I know I would have lost a lot more fat if I had, but I feel great.
Yes I’ll join your group sounds good.
Keep it up everyone get that T shirt !!!!!
Quitters only lose!
Regards
David
David, this is BEYOND AWESOME! You should apply to be in the next Insanity taping – seriously, Beachbody upgrades their products every couple of years based on customer feedback and their own research. The DVD’s I have from a couple of years ago are quite different than the ones coming out today.
Last weekend I had the honor of meeting one of the Canadian ‘cast’ from the Turbo Jam video series. Just a regular guy, no different than you and I. He started out in piss-poor shape about 8 years ago but made it his dream to get to meet his then ‘new heroes’. Well, not only did he meet them, he got to WORK WITH THEM! He is now one of the first Canadian Ambassadors for Beachbody! Quite a story.
Beachbody now seems to be leaning AWAY FROM hiring 20-something fitness models and going towards more ‘REGULAR’ folks. In fact, the latest P90X DVD’s features a gentleman with a prosthetic leg… demonstrating the PLYOMETRICS with Tony Horton! Talk about taking away excuses!
With results like the ones you are showing, you could be the UK Ambassador for Beachbody! Heck, WHY NOT YOU? Wouldn’t THAT be a hoot?
Congratulations on your AWESOME and INSPIRING work and results! You need to share your experience with the world! This is a GREAT place to start. This site is now getting over 80,000 views per month and growing!
All the best from Toronto,
Russ
THANKS Russ, cheque is in the post!
I’ll only do the DVD if I can stand at the back and Saun T leaves me alone i.e. not having to take part in any demonstration of any of the moves.
Hi Russ
I’m just coming to the end of Month 2, week 2 and so far, have thoroughly enjoyed Insanity – even if finding the motivation to complete it some evening was a struggle!! I am proud to say though that I haven’t missed a day and always give it my all.
My question is though, I still find days where my quads literally BURN and I really struggle with the particular element I’m supposed to be doing. Normally simply shaking it out, a quick stern talking to & a scream at Shaun T sorts it out & I crack back on but, what I’m wondering is, am I doing something wrong, in terms of the type of food I’m eating and when?
I have a good diet although in all honesty I don’t follow the nutrition plan. I eat a good lunch (i eat around 1pm, work out at 5pm) and ‘try’ to ensure I’m getting enough energy in preparation but I still struggle on occasion. In terms of capacity, I’m working between 80-90 of my HRMax (187 bpm) and I don’t feel like I’m pushing myself BEYOND my physical capabilities, I’m just wondering whether there’s a better time to be eating to help my dig even deeper than I do now.
Thanks in anticipation, and to all those reading this who are considering starting Insanity – take it from someone who used to be lazy so and so… Give it your all & this will be the BEST thing you EVER do for your body.
Cheers
Steve
Hey Steve,
First off, CONGRATULATIONS on making it this far. You are ahead of 99% of the folks who “try” Insanity only to find out it’s TOUGH! Yeah, I know, it’s all over the infomercial, “This is the HARDEST workout ever put on DVD.” I guess most people must be thinking, “How HARD is HARD?”
A confession: I didn’t follow the nutrition plan either when I did Insanity two years ago. I KNOW I could have gotten much better results had I disciplined myself to stick to better eating habits. I was JUST RAVENOUS all the time with this level of intense workouts – that was my MAIN reason for not sticking to a good nutrition program.
As for the pain – I was constantly stiff and sore for the entire 63 days and at least another 45 days AFTER completing Insanity. For a while, I thought I would NEVER recover. I swore I would NEVER do Insanity again. Fortunately, time heals! Now I’m modifying my statement, “If I ever do Insanity again, I will STAY WITHIN MY LIMITS”
I’ll be starting P90X this coming Monday. I’ve previewed a couple of the DVD’s and from what I can see, it is TAME compared to Insanity. Also, I’m MUCH BETTER PREPARED both physically and mentally to handle the workouts AND the nutrition part. The difference is this time I’m using Shakeology. Whatever they are putting in that stuff… WOW! I’ve ALWAYS been very skeptical about supplements before. My previous experience was the only difference I ever noticed was in my BANK ACCOUNT!
Like I said, this Shakeology stuff is DIFFERENT! I feel BETTER! I hope you’ve read enough of my other replies to know that I don’t B.S. or sugar-coat stuff. I’m giving you the straight scoop here. Shakeology IS MAKING A NOTICEABLE DIFFERENCE in the way I feel and perform.
So good, in fact that when I start P90X I’ll also be using the Results and Recovery Formula which is supposed to help your body recover faster and feel better sooner after intense workouts. You can find out more about those two products (Shakeology, Results and Recovery Formula) by clicking here: http://www.beachbodycoach.com/RUSSHAMEL
I’m also starting a fitness support group this coming Monday, April 22. You are most welcome to join, even though you are well into Insanity. There are already a couple other folks in the group who are at different stages of Insanity and your valuable input would be a very welcome addition. You can find out more about 90 Days to WOW by clicking here: https://www.facebook.com/90DaysToWow
Great questions and equally great results Steve. When you finish all 63 days, expect to take a couple more weeks to get your body back to normal. It’s the INSANE level of intensity; as long as you’re eating sensibly, your body WILL recover in time.
Keep in touch and let me know how things are going for you. And definitely consider joining us at 90 Days to WOW!
All the best from Toronto,
Russ
Russ,
Thanks for the quick reply. To be totally honest, I’m not sure i believe all the ‘hype’ regarding recovery shakes and all that. I started using a supplement when I first started Insanity but after a few days I got fed up with it (it tasted like under cooked cold brownie mix, with too much egg), and haven’t really bothered with it since.
Whilst I’m here, and I think about it, what are your thoughts on the Recovery day? Personally, I’m not a fan. I could deal with it during Month 1 with the shorter work outs but not now, pushing it for an hour. Therefore, yesterday, instead of Recovery, I reverted back to Plyo Cardio Circuit. Not because I wanted life to be easier, but as I eluded to in my initial email I just really wanted to give my quads a small rest in terms of squats. Is this an acceptable thing to be doing or should I really be pushing through the ‘recovery’ days?
One thing I am looking forward to though, is getting the next 2 weeks out the way as I’m quite interested to try tackling Focus T25! Should be good fun!
Cheers
Steve
Admittedly Steve, my legs are my strength so I actually looked forward to those long stretch ‘Recovery’ days. Yeah, I know which routine you’re talking about – seems like you’re holding that one position FOREVER!
As for modifications and/or switching out days – Beachbody suggests that you, “Do you best and forget the rest.” In other words, feel free to make any changes in the program to suit YOUR needs. If something is difficult or unpleasant, you won’t be in the right mind set to make the kind of body improvements you’re striving to make. Make no mistake; the Mind-Muscle Connection is HUGE… some resources will even suggest that it is EVERYTHING! It’s based on the Law of Give BEFORE You Receive… in this case, LOVE WHAT YOU ARE DOING TO GET THE RESULTS YOU WILL LOVE!
Give that last bit a LOT of thought. I’ve found this to be true in EVERY area of my life. LOVE WHAT YOU DO and everything will be added unto you!
As for the supplements, I’m a HUGE CHIP and M&M’s fan. In fact, a bag of chips, a bag of M’s and a medium black coffee would be my version of a “Happy Meal”. So I figured, for just ONE month, let me trade those chips and M’s for Shakeology and see what happens. BAMM! I felt physically AND MENTALLY better within a week.
So if you don’t have any bad food choices or addictions to give up, then supplementation might not make sense for you. I know I didn’t buy into the concept for the longest time. But this time around with Shakeology, I’m actually FEELING A DIFFERENCE. So I don’t mind to share my experience.
Yeah, feel free to modify and switch up the routines to suit YOUR needs. And remember to LOVE WHAT YOU DO! It will make all the difference in your workout results!
All the best from Toronto,
Russ
WELL DONE Steve, no breaks too!
With respect to your quads, you may need an extra rest day or some extra stretch work. If you are missing the recovery day then that won’t help because its supposed to help with the aches and pains. In the early weeks my lower calves and ankles use to ache like hell, so stopping and shaking them out did help.
Shakes – interesting subject. There was a programme on it in the UK, in short the conclusions were quite negative. A former Olympic cyclist has jam and peanut butter sandwiches before he goes training. The energy drinks are just full of sugar and caffeine, so you can make those yourself however some were useful if one was doing a marathon or similar i.e. it wasn’t until a good hour plus of training the receipeint would reap the benefits. The programme also had a very senior coach/doctor who simply asked where’s the evidence that after shakes work.
I did read that a University had completed studies with the army and found shakes were comparable to skimmed choclate milk; so that’s what I have: a bite of real chocolate and a glass of milk.
A bit more on shakes; surely the body is used to digesting and absorbing real food not manufactured powder.
Anyway perhaps one I’ll try the shakeology and see if I feel any different.
I am looking at preworkout drinks because I do need something to get me enthused and I fancy switching my training to the morning because I think I burn more fat. So I am going to try 3 bags of green tea, orange juice and honey on Monday and see if it can kick me out of bed to do the workout.
Hey guys,
I’ll add this here if I didn’t mention it before. My wife ordered the Tai Cheng program – it’s based on Tai Chi with some variations and a specific teaching style developed by Dr. Cheng – thus Tai Cheng. I’m REALLY EXCITED about starting that program with my wife this coming Monday in addition to doing my own P90X workout because of the stretching/ recovery benefits.
One of the things that comes in the package is a stiff foam roller. I was using it last night to give myself a neck and back massage and let me tell you… WOW! It was worth getting the program just for that little foam roller! Now the Tai Cheng program is supposed to help release all the kinks and tight spots in your muscles and joints… I’M THERE!
The first three weeks concentrates on your calves; the next three weeks works on the quads which would interest Steve; from there you continue to work up the body finishing in 12 weeks with a new, loose and limber, totally recovered, refurbished and refreshed body. Combine that with my P90X looks and strength and you’ll be looking at the next “bionic man”. LOL
For anyone interested, get more Tai Cheng details by clicking here
All the best from Toronto,
Russ
So What is Insanity? Or should it be called ‘Shrink’
Tap tap tap tap tap tap tap tap tap tap tap tap,
Boing boing boing boing boing boing boing boing boing
Shuffle shuffle shuffle shuffle shuffle shuffle shuffle
Huh huh huh huh huh huh huh huh huh huh
Nnn…..nnn…nnnn…nnnnn……..nnnn….nnnnn
Eeek…….eeek…….eeek ……eeek ……eeeek
Drip drip drip drip drip drip drip drip drip drip
Glug glug glug glug glug glug glug glug glug
OMG Was that just the warm up!
David, you’ve been listening to my fit test video again! One guy actually told me that all my grunting and groaning reminded him of a PORN video! HILARIOUS!
Hi Russ
Have looked through your vids recently (on Insanity) and you seemed quite happy with the workout until the last few days when you seem to change your view i.e. I won’t be doing it again (not even month 1). Why was that?
After a great few days my knees have started to ache.Hopefully after MR tomorrow it will sort it, but I am wondering if going up to Asylum is a good idea at the moment.
Thoughts ?
KR
David
Hey David,
Great question! At the time I was REALLY WEARY! I put absolutely everything I had into those 63 days and my body was feeling AWFUL, especially towards the end. After 63 days of joint pounding and heart stopping exercise, I had pretty much had it.
Two years later, I’m modifying my statement. Rather than saying, “I’ll NEVER do Insanity EVER AGAIN” now I’ll offer, “The next time I do Insanity, I will STAY WITHIN MYSELF”.
For sure, I will push myself hard… I don’t know any other way. BUT – I will NOT max myself out every single day as I did two years ago.
I will also do a LOT BETTER with the nutrition side of the equation. I will drink EVEN MORE WATER and do a LOT MORE STRETCHING, too. Insanity is BY FAR the hardest workout I have ever done in all my 59 years. I will respect this fact; and even more, I’ll RESPECT MYSELF and MY BODY a lot more the next time around.
Tomorrow is the start of my 90 Days to WOW! You can check it out here. Simply “LIKE” the page and let me know you want to join the private group.
Here in Ontario, Canada the Lottery Corporation has a slogan which fits very nicely with our workouts, “Know your limit and stay within it.” I’m making that my new mantra as I approach my fabulous 60′s and beyond.
All the best from Toronto,
Russ
P90x, is that you’re second round now? Great effort and great abs well done.
Going back to your point, you did incredibly well to do what you did with Insanity. The standard is exceptionally high, not just with the exercises, but with the dieting. Let’s be honest, we would rather train than diet, we are human not robots or driven lunatics; we have a life to lead and do what we can!
Finished ‘max recovery’ today. Although, I am not keen on Yoga it has sorted my aching knees and back; you can’t skip it, really,
So that’s 10 days to go! Back to sanity.
David, having done Insanity myself, I have INCREDIBLE RESPECT for you! And I really think only people like ourselves can truly appreciate the extreme effort and commitment it takes to constantly push yourself not only to work out, but to learn and adopt better eating habits.
I’m finding that it’s like a rubber band – once you stretch it, it can NOT go back to the EXACT same way it was before. For sure we won’t be robotically perfect, staying right out there on that challenge edge for the rest of our lives. But we WILL BE BETTER! And that’s the goal, isn’t it… to be just a bit better today than we were yesterday.
Oh… P90X – this is my FIRST round with this program. From January 21 to April 15 I did a program called The Adonis Index. It was all about lifting heavy weights and extreme deficit eating (1,000 cals OR LESS) per day. Thus the toned abs.
TOTALLY UNSUSTAINABLE!!!
That’s why I’m LOVING the Beachbody programs like Insanity and P90X. Yes, they are hard… but they are also VERY WELL RESEARCHED AND THOUGHT OUT. And best of all, they’re SAFE as long as your body is properly prepared to handle this kind of work load.
Once again, CONGRATULATIONS David. You have earned my deepest respect and admiration.
All the best from Toronto,
Russ
P.S. Here’s that link once again for our support group. Love to see you there: https://www.facebook.com/90DaysToWow
Hey Russ,
I’ve been doing insanity for a little while now, after each workout i get extreme soreness in my legs, but i don’t feel like im targetting my abs enough. Should i be doing abs as a side workout should i be getting a good ab workout from the insanity workouts?
Hey Tyler, thanks for your question. That’s the area we ALL want to improve it seems, isn’t it? I know it is for me. My step-daughters used to poke me in the stomach pretending I was the Pillsbury Dough Boy. I was NOT laughing!
There is a routine on one of the DVDs where Shaun T focuses on the Abs. You might want to do what the P90X program suggests (that’s the program I’m currently working on). On Monday, Wednesday and Friday, after each regular routine, we add the Ab Ripper X – 16 minutes of the craziest Ab exercises I’ve ever done.
Tony Horton WARNS NOT to do these every single day. If you add them onto your regular routine M-W-F, this should give you the BOOST in the Abs area that you need.
As for the extreme soreness… yup, I hear you. I did a LOT of running and stair climbing (I live in a 22 story condo building), so I thought my legs were my strongest body part. Insanity STILL stiffened me right up. That’s how incredibly INTENSE and POWERFUL these Plyometric exercises are. They will take your conditioning to a whole new stratosphere.
So anyone else reading these threads… you have been warned. Insanity and P90X are NOT for the faint of heart. They are TRULY the HARDEST workouts you’ll find on DVD!
Hope that helps Tyler. I would like to invite you to my special support group. Like this page and I’ll add you. https://www.facebook.com/90DaysToWow
All the best from Toronto,
Russ
Hi Russ! My brother and I are starting Insanity tomorrow, but I got it second hand and it didn’t come with a calendar. I came across this site looking for one! Your site has awesome information and I added this page to my favorites! Thanks for taking the time to answer so many questions I know I will have soon! Great job!!!!
Chastity, that is AWESOME! Good luck to you and your brave brother! You’ll see exactly what I mean soon enough. LOL
Please take me up on my invitation to join my support group. Some are doing Insanity so you’ll have lots to share and discuss. I’m doing P90X this time around. What we do is share our workouts and eating notes for each day. It REALLY HELPS to get you through the inevitable tough spots.
To get in, simply LIKE this page and I’ll add you AND your brother to the group. WELCOME! https://www.facebook.com/90DaysToWow
All the best from Toronto,
Russ
Thanks for the calendar! I thought I’d do insanity a while ago but I got distracted and now that I’m reinterested, had no idea where my calendar went (at least I didn’t lose the DVDs). Since you seem to be giving out advice on these comments, I was wounding if you had any about continuing another type of workout while doing Insanity. I’d like to start up Insanity in the mornings but can’t give up my evening yoga (used to hate yoga, now I can’t sleep without it lol). Would that complement Insanity nicely? Or would it be detrimental to continue with both?
Hey Daisy,
Thanks for your comments and questions! Yoga = PERFECT COMPLIMENT to Insanity. Good for you!
Here’s why I say that. Two years ago when I first did Insanity I was EXTREMELY STIFF AND SORE for the entire duration of the program. The only other thing my wife and I did (or felt we were able to do) at the time was go out for walks after dinner. So that little extra movement helped relieve SOME of the pain and stiffness, at least temporarily.
Currently, I’m doing P90X (my first time doing this program) PLUS my wife and I are adding Beachbody’s newest program, Tai Cheng which has many elements of Tai Chi and Yoga. I do my P90X at 11:00 AM (I work from home, so scheduling my workouts during the day is not an issue for me). Then Maggie and I do Tai Cheng together at 7:30 PM. It is an AWESOME way to wind down the day!
Here’s what I’m noticing so far. The pain and stiffness is MINIMAL! I’m even going to go as far to say that I can’t even call it pain… just some mild stiffness which is normal because I DO put a great degree of effort into my workouts.
So if you are doing some form of Yoga, I already KNOW this will be MOST BENEFICIAL for you as it will help RELIEVE the stiffness and soreness from the intense workouts like Insanity, P90X, etc. KEEP DOING THAT YOGA!
In fact, I am now HIGHLY RECOMMENDING the Tai Cheng program to everyone, especially those doing intense workouts. It’s THAT important! Yes, it’s an extra 30-60 minute time commitment. But look at it this way; I can SLEEP at night… I can MOVE during the day! I could NOT do those two things WITHOUT this additional work!
Is it worth it to me to do Tai Cheng IN ADDITION TO P90X? HELL, YEAH!
Daisy, I’d LOVE to have you join us in our 90 Days to WOW support group where we share our workout and eating experiences. It REALLY HELPS to be able to discuss with others going through the same challenges. Simply LIKE this page and I’ll add you to the group. https://www.facebook.com/90DaysToWow
All the best from Toronto,
Russ
P.S. Anyone else reading this thread – YOU ARE INVITED TO JOIN, TOO! https://www.facebook.com/90DaysToWow
Hi, my name is Kyshana and i have been doing insanity for a week. Lol I am EXTREMELY SORE! I am an all around athlete in highschool right now, and insanity kicked my butt!.but i do not understand the “results and recovery formula”…. Can some one explain that to me please?
Hey Kyshana,
Well it’s kind of comforting to know that even young, athletic types such as yourself also feel the pain and wrath of Insanity… it’s not just old geysers like me! LOL
As for the ‘Results and Recovery Formula’ – the short answer is it’s a drink that you take immediately following your workout. It quickly replaces the fluids and nutrients expended, allowing your body to recover much more quickly. Results – less pain and stiffness; better performance!
Here is a longer answer, taken directly from the product brochure:
What is it?
P90X
®
Results and Recovery Formula
®
is an easy-to-mix drink that gives
you the vital nutrients you need to bounce back after extreme Beachbody
®
workouts, like P90X
®
, INSANITY
®
, or TurboFire
®
. It’s specially designed to
help you refuel, reenergize, and reduce the muscle soreness that can follow
intense exercise.* A 30-day supply is available in a tub or convenient single-
serving packets for on-the-go use.
When you exercise, your muscles expend energy and undergo microscopic
tearing. Afterward, they rebuild and heal, becoming stronger and more
efficient. P90X Results and Recovery Formula supports this process, helping
you to recover more quickly so you can Bring It!
®
hard again the next time.
And because you can get right back to the gym, you’ll get better and faster
results from your workout program.*
Why is it so effective?
Proper post-workout nutrition is a crucial element in how quickly and
completely your body recovers, benefits from, and adapts to exercise.
Studies show that if you recharge your body the right way during the first
hour after exercise, you can increase your ability to recover by more than
100 percent.
1,2
P90X Results and Recovery Formula combines the exact nutrients you need,
in a ratio of four parts carbs to one part protein, to ensure speedy muscle
repair after challenging workouts.*
CLICK HERE if you are interested in learning more about Results and Recovery Formula and other great programs and supplements!
Hope that helps! If you have ANY other questions, please ask and I’ll do my best to get you straight answers.
All the best from Toronto,
Russ
P.S. If you’d like some extra support during your Insanity Workout experience, you might consider joining my group where we discuss and share notes about Insanity, P90X as well as our eating and nutrition plans. It’s REALLY HELPFUL to be able to ask questions of others who are also DOING IT! https://www.facebook.com/90DaysToWow
Thanks i needed this calendar i let this and a disc at a friend house and it got stolen
so i am still trying to figure out how i can still do that workout since i don’t have the disk anymore…I am on week 4
Hey Jacqueline, glad I could help you with the calendar. As for the DVD disk, have you tried your local library? Also, check around your family, friends, neighbors… Insanity is SO POPULAR these days, more than likely someone you know already has it!
I’ll ask around in my group to see if there are any other suggestions. In the meantime, I want to invite you to check out our private support group 90 Days to WOW! We’d love to help you reach your goals!
Simply click on that link and LIKE the page. I’ll then send you a FRIEND request; once you accept, I’ll add you to the private group.
All the best from Toronto,
Russ
Russ,
This page has been very helpful. Your responses seem to come from a good plae. I read about the group you are going to (or may have already) start. How can i get involved in that? Im looking to tone and sculpt so i more than likely will be using P90x. Is there any good way to incorporate Insanity with P90x?
Hey Marlon,
Thank you so much for stopping by and taking the time to comment. When I first researched Insanity a couple of years ago, this is EXACTLY what I was looking for; REAL PEOPLE doing REAL EXERCISE, getting REAL RESULTS. I glad you perceive me as coming across this way, too. That is my intention.
I understand there IS a P90X/ Insanity HYBRID routine that you can do. I haven’t done it myself… yet! But there are folks in my group who have done this and would certainly be able to share their experience with you.
To get in, simply visit this page and LIKE it. Once I see this, I’ll send you a ‘FRIEND’ request and once we make THAT connection, I’ll be able to add you to the private group. We just started this week, so you haven’t missed a thing. Actually, if you have any other workout buddies you want to share this with, invite them along, too. The more, the merrier. LIKE THIS PAGE.
Looking forward to having you join us.
All the best from Toronto,
Russ
P.S. Anyone else reading this thread – follow the same process to join our private group 90 Days to WOW!
Hi Russ,
I thought INSANITY was a 90 day challenge? Am I confusing this with another similar workout? My sister, husband, and I are starting this together. Thanks for providing this calendar
Rodreen
Sorry I wanted to also ask…we’re missing disc 8…any suggestions as to what we should substitute that week?
Hey Rodreen, I covered this in my previous reply.
Hey Rodreen,
It’s only a 63 Day program from start to finish. THANKFULLY! After you’ve gone through all 63 days, you too will be SO GRATEFUL it isn’t any longer than that! LOL
Some of the confusion might be in a lot of the groups you see springing up around Beachbody programs (mine included – I have a 90 Days to WOW group which you are most welcome to join!) We’re taking a 90 Day approach because SOME of us are doing 90 Day programs like P90X and Tai Cheng. I believe the 10 Minute Trainer is also a 90 Day program.
The thing is, once you get into a group and start sharing your experiences including all the PAIN as well as your great results, you tend to want to stick around because these people become your SOUL MATES! We’re only 10 days into my current group and already some of these people are right up there in “Best Friend” status! It’s an AWESOME way to workout and share.
As for getting replacement discs, if you bought directly from Beachbody, they would be the go-to place as they stand firmly behind their products. If you borrowed it from someone else, and you are missing ‘parts’ like DVDs and/or all the printed materials with the all-important nutrition program… (brace yourself for this)… I would HIGHLY encourage you to consider getting your own COMPLETE program.
When I did Insanity 2 years ago, I did NOT follow the program exactly as written… and I SUFFERED BIG TIME. I was RAVENOUSLY HUNGRY and in CRIPPLING PAIN for ALL 63 days… and then some.
I’m currently doing P90X and following the program TO THE LETTER… including drinking the Results and Recovery Formula as well as Shakeology! Now I’m one of those guys who used to think, “I can’t AFFORD this stuff!”
But let me tell you this; having done these programs both the WRONG WAY and the RIGHT WAY, the RIGHT WAY is SO MUCH BETTER! No more crippling pain; no more ravenous hunger; I look and feel AWESOME, just as the program promises!
Here’s what I did to be able to ‘afford it’. I cut out all the junk I LOVED to eat – chips, M&M’s, donuts were my favorites – EASILY adding up to $100 per month!
You don’t have junk food addictions like I used to? Another GREAT place to look for ‘leaking money’ is in your phone and cable plans. My wife and I decided we didn’t need all the bells and whistles on either one for now. Do you realize HOW MUCH MONEY YOU CAN SAVE EVERY MONTH with just those two areas? It’s STAGGERING!
So now the question becomes one of priorities! What is MOST IMPORTANT to YOU?
The great news is, Beachbody now has what is called ‘Challenge Packs’ where you can get your workout program, Nutrition supplement AND ‘Coaching’ program all for one HUGELY DISCOUNTED price – often saving HUNDREDS of dollars if you were to purchase each component separately. Check it out by clicking on this link!
And if you want to join my amazing ’90 Days to WOW’ Private Workout Group, CLICK HERE! Because it’s a FaceBook page, you’ll have to ‘Friend’ me first so I can add you into the group.
Hope this helps,
Russ
Anyone else reading this thread… all of the above applies to you as well! EVERYONE IS WELCOME
Hi Russ
Me again! Not the best 7 days, knees have been aching, domestic interferences. But back on it for the final 4 days of the programme, I decided today I would stop the jumping and skip instead. I’m now starting to understand your turn around when you got into the final week and concluded ‘Never again!’ I felt a little like this on the 4th week. So I am wondering if bringing the Recovery Week forward next time might be a better idea.
Yes I’ve decided to do round 2 of Insanity instead of moving to Asylum, I think I had my beer goggles on when I wrote last time. Looking at Shaun T jumping a metre off the ground like a kangaroo has sent fear right to my knees.
Unfortunately, I don’t do face book (big brother and all that) but I hope the P90x is going well.
KR
David
Hey David,
Thanks for answering my question, “Is this guy HUMAN or is he just INSANE?” Yeah, Insanity WILL does pound you senseless, won’t it? I’ve got a couple people in my 90 Days to WOW group doing Insanity – one of them right at the ‘Recovery Week’. I put the BIG SCARE into him this morning about the next 4 weeks coming up!
Am I exaggerating? As you and everyone else who has ever done Insanity FULL OUT has discovered, the last 4 weeks are really about self-preservation. They don’t call it Insanity for nuthin’!
As for joining the FB group, I totally understand. My wife also has a ‘real job’ going to an office every day where they actually put ‘blocks’ on certain Internet traffic. I don’t mind meeting up and chatting like this if you don’t.
Remember the Key Word: SELF PRESERVATION! Keep it safe!
BTW – having a good mat beneath your feet makes a HUGE difference. Two years ago I did Insanity on our living room hardwood floor. This time around, I’m doing P90X in our carpeted bedroom with a good foam mat for doing the Plyo moves.
I’m also drinking the Results and Recovery Formula as well as Shakeology. In other words, I’m doing EVERYTHING by the book this time around. No more crippling pain; no more ravenous hunger as I had two years ago. Cue the James Brown music please, “I FEEL GOOD”!
All the best from Toronto
Russ
Russ
Yes I have been using rugs mats foam knee socks- the lot from Day 2 ! but they still ache; never mind it’s still a great programme. However, I agree more effort on cutting down the ‘sauce’ (slang for beer), I think I can improve .
KR
David
Hey David, those mats make a HUGE difference. When I was doing Insanity two years ago, my attitude was “Yeah, yeah… a little piece of rubber under my feat is going to help? Right! Now tell me who’s insane!”
I went from doing Insanity on the hardwood floor in my living room with no extra mat or padding – you can’t count that old rag you see on the floor in some of my vids! You’ve heard my complaints… I was in CRIPPLING PAIN throughout!
Now I’m doing P90X in my already well carpeted bedroom WITH the extra thick workout mat. No pain, soreness or stiffness AT ALL! So when I read or hear about folks still hurting, I HIGHLY RECOMMEND to get something – ANYTHING – cushy and spongy UNDER YOUR FEET and practice landing softly! That’s probably a good 90% of the cure right there.
The other part would be the nutrition. Now I realized way back in my 20′s that I tend towards addictive behavior. If I buy a bottle of beer, it HAS TO BE GONE that day! “Well, what’s the problem with that Russy, you silly old fool. Of course it should be consumed in one day!”
Well, if I bought a case (24 bottles), I’d apply the SAME mentality – it HAS TO BE GONE that day! Or at least I’d have a great time trying!
So these day, my ‘sauce’ is limited to holidays and special occasions – what they call a polite social drinker.
But you’ve heard about my ‘Happy Meals’. Hey, I’m no saint – I STILL have my vices. Chips, M&M’s and a medium black coffee – OK, throw in an occasional pizza – and I’ll eat that all day long!
So what I did for one month – because I figured I wouldn’t last even THAT long – is I traded my ‘Happy Meal’ for Shakeology and the P90X Results and Recovery Formula. I didn’t have anything to lose because BOTH come with a 30-Day Money Back Guarantee.
Well, that was just over two months ago now. Like the extra padding beneath my feet, I can’t tell you HOW MUCH BETTER I FEEL. In fact, I’ll go as far as to suggest that Shakeology and the R&R Formula make up the other 10% of why I feel absolutely FABULOUS today, even after a pounding P90X workout.
Don’t get me wrong… I ‘BRING IT’ as Tony Horton says. I put EVERYTHING I’ve got into my workouts and when I’m done, I’m pretty wiped out tired. BUT… BUT I’m NOT sore. I’m NOT in crippling pain any more. And I’m NOT even stiff. And aren’t I supposed to be at least a little bit stiff at age 59, even WITHOUT all this heavy-duty exercise? LOL
So here’s my suggestion. Do a one-month trade like I did. Exchange your ‘sauce’ for Shakeology and R&R Formula. If it doesn’t work for YOU (and it may not; “results may vary” as they say… then you get your money BACK! Can’t beat THAT!
LEARN EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT SHAKEOLOGY BY CLICKING HERE!
I hope these suggestions help you as much as they’ve helped me. I wish everyone could look and feel as great as I do, no matter what age they are!
All the best from Toronto,
Russ
hi. can u send me a copy of the calendar. I misplaced mines.
thanks
Hey Felisha,
You should be able to download and/or print it right off this page. If you can’t do that, simply bookmark this page and refer to it each time you work out. As a final suggestion, you might have to copy this page out by hand. Whatever works best for you.
Hope that helps,
Russ
I am getting ready to start the Insanity workout program and I was wondering if I need to also do weight training or if doing Insanity is enough to gain muscle and become toned?
Hey Marti Jo, thanks for your question. It’s one that comes up a lot.
If your desire is for muscle building, toning and body sculpting, then you want P90X. (this is the program I am currently doing, so I KNOW from real-life experience).
If you want kick-ass conditioning – to be able to move faster, longer and jump higher, then Insanity is exactly what you are looking for.
P90X – mostly for the LOOKS you want.
Insanity – mostly for the CONDITIONING you want.
That’s the very simplified version. In my humble opinion, Insanity is for SERIOUSLY CRAZY PEOPLE. This is ONE TOUGH MOTHER PROGRAM! Again, if conditioning is YOUR thing, then do Insanity.
However, most people I talk to really want the LOOK (and of course, they want to feel strong and flexible, too) and if you want a good enough challenge to get THOSE results WITHOUT KILLING YOURSELF, then do P90X.
AND… if you want super-support in WHATEVER program you choose, I run the 90 Days to WOW fitness support group. Learn all about that HERE! ALL are welcome to join!
All the best from Toronto,
Russ