Yet Another Insanity Thread

E

elsie3

Cathlete
I am still on the fence about "Insanity". But every time it is mentioned in this forum, I am sorely tempted.:eek: I just wonder if it is worth the investment for me.

Part of me is going crazy knowing there is a challenge out there that I haven't tried, and I'm wondering if "Insanity" would be the ticket to FINALLY get my mid-section as lean as I want it to be. But I don't want to purchase something just because it is effective--I should also want to go back to it again and again.

Here are my concerns:
1. I am not a huge fan of Beachbody. I mean no disrespect to the coaches who are members of this forum, nor to all of the wonderful Cathletes who love their programs. I have purchased and completed P90X and ChaLean Extreme. I thought the programs were sound and effective. But I sold them because I could NOT force myself to do them after I had completed the programs--I just couldn't go back to them. The style of instruction bothered and annoyed me. I had to force myself to complete the programs because I got very bored. I also was so tired of the constant "advertising" of their products. It all seemed so "plastic" and mass-market to me. I also like the instructor to DO the workout--not demonstrate. Conversely, I have done 3 rounds of STS, and could go back at any time.
2. I greatly prefer Cathe's style of challenging but motivating instruction (fun, personable, knowledgeable, supportive, but not annoying). I think she is a real "class act". And I can go back to any Cathe workout and feel like "oh, I forgot how much I love this workout--this is so fun." I just don't "click" with most instructors.
3. Yes, I'm almost 46--and while my body is in it's best shape yet, it does take more to recover. I wonder if I want to put my body through that type of stress. I like a challenge, but do I really want to kill myself? I prefer workouts like Intensity, Tabatacise, and 40/20 that are challenging but you are still having fun. I don't know if I want to "dread" working out. Is "Insanity" like that, or am I just afraid to push myself to a new level?
 
Hi,

Insanity is...kind of insane. The warm up alone is a little psycho. But it's amazing because Shaun T. Is really quite fun to work out with. I remember thinking..." Hip Hop Abs guy? Really?" But he is awesome in this series. I only actually bought his Insanity and Asylum 1 and 2 as original sets.

That being said, I would recommend Asylum 1 and 2 over Insanity. They say you should use Insanity first ... No you don't. Intact the Asylums make more sense. Ironic huh?

Plus they are much more fun.
 
Hi Elsie,

I tried doing Insanity and lasted 4 weeks. Here's the pros:

1. I like Shaun T. I didn't find him annoying - he does yell a little, but generally he's a good motivator. He does most of the program, but does stop occasionally to point out form and encourage the people in the class.
2. You start off with a fitness test, and as you progress through the program you re-do it. Its fun and encouraging to see how much progress you've made.
3. Not part of the regular rotation, but included in the disks that you get is a strength training program that incorporates cardio abs. I really, really love this workout and I keep doing it even though I don't do the other Insanity workouts.
4. The ab training is really good and I continue to do those.
5. The workouts during the first phase are intense but short.

Here's the cons (for me personally):

1. I got bored with doing the same workouts all the time and missed my Cathe workouts with her awesome music.
2. My foot got really sore which is one of the main reasons why I stopped after 4 weeks. I've previously battled plantar fasciitis, and this workout really aggravated it.
3. Some of the participants are annoying (although honestly you don't look at them that much cause you're so focused on just doing your own thing).

Do you have a friend that has the set? You may ask to borrow it so you can check it out before making your purchase. That's what I did.

Hope this helps you make your decision!
 
Elsie, I totally know what you mean. Every time I see a thread on the forums or read a blog about Insanity I wonder why the heck I haven't tried it. Even though I haven't done Insanity myself, maybe I can help by explaining my own rambling thought process about the program. :D

I'm not so concerned about Shaun T's personality. He seems very likeable and by all accounts not Tony-Horton-style annoying at all (no offense). I do wonder whether I would want to do the program more than once, though--not because of Shaun, but because it just looks brutal. And that's my biggest worry--injury. I have read SO many accounts of people getting injured on the program, and a good friend of mine got hurt on it. Obviously, not everyone does and many people can go through the program with great success. I'm glad that there are people who do it and love it. BUT, I am injury-prone in my feet and calf areas, and I've decided that the potential risk is not worth it for me personally.

So, have you heard of Focus T25? It's not released yet, but I was really excited to see a post on the forums a few weeks ago about Shaun T's new program, Focus T25. The workouts are shorter (25mins as opposed to 40-60mins for Insanity, IIRC) and it *looks* like there is more variety in the program, with workouts that include weights or resistance bands (it looks more like metabolic weight training, but still...I don't remember seeing weights used in Insanity). I'm going to give this one a try. It seems like a better fit for me than Insanity.

Oh, one last thing. Mary (or someone) @ TotalfitnessDVDs dot net is a Beach Body coach. We purchased Body Beast there and it was a pleasant experience.

Good luck with your decision! Let us know what you end up doing.
 
I bought Insanity 2 or more years ago and only made it through one week. I felt it was very repetitive. I could not tell a difference between any of the workouts. It was just constant all out effort with high impact. I also find Shawn T. annoying, I don't need him to lift his shirt up every 5 minutes to remind me to work my abs. This system just didn't gel with me. I have foot and low back issues so I don't know what I was thinking when I spent $200 on it! I must have just gone mad for a minute and got caught up in the hype. I have many of Bb's other programs Tf, P90X, Chalean Extreme, Brazil butt lift, Body Beast etc.. Once I found Cathe, 2 years ago, I have a hard time doing non Cathe workouts! I just love her music, choreography and personality.
 
I bought insanity and lasted 2-3 weeks, it is very repetitive and very high impact. The warm up is too intense to be a warm up, an injury just waiting to happen in my opinion. I was in great shape when I started this and ended up gaining weight during these weeks. My body seems to do better with a combo of cardio and wts. I am 50 now and dealing with knee arthritis so my recommendation is to stay clear of w/o that are this high impact, just too hard on your joints to do daily.
 
I've done bits and pieces of it here and there, but I sold it. It's too high impact for me to do as a 60 program. And I'm at a point in my life where my body needs a proper warm-up. I really like the warm-up Cathe does in Tabatacised. When it's done I feel like I'm ready to go full steam ahead. The warm-up in Insanity is full out right away :mad: My foot would cramp up within the first five minutes because it wasn't ready for the jumping straight out.

I also DREADED these workouts. I just couldn't see the point in dreading my workout. Especially when I get my most significant weight loss goals accomplished by a clean diet. Once I get my diet in order, I don't need to kill myself to see results.

In terms of challenging myself, there are so many things I can do to accomplish that. I just started spinning. Holy heck is that challenging for me!! Is it Insanity...hecky no, but I still feel accomplished with each ride I do.
 
I did Insanity 2 years ago, had to stop after 3-4 weeks. The high impact was to much. I have back problems and plantar fasciitis. Last year I had PF and a heal spur, it got so bad I couldn't do any high impact workouts for 10 month. I couldn't walk for months:(. I was in so much pain. In Jan I finally got the cortisone shot. I am finally getting better, I still avoid high impact workouts. I realized am 50 not 25 anymore:confused: There are other workouts you can do without the all that high impact. I love Cathe's workouts but can't do her high impact workouts anymore:( I also love Beachbody. :D Since Jan I been doing Turbo Jam workouts, now I am doing a mix of TJ and Brazil butt lift, I lost close to 20 pounds without all that high impact:D
 
I completed Insanity last year and haven't done one of the workouts since. They are very repetitive and boring, the music is awful, and my results were just so-so. I really need to sell the set because I can't see myself ever subjecting myself to this type of torture again.
 
Thank you, everyone, for your replies. They helped a LOT. I did have plantar fasciitis last year and it's doing fine now, so that does give me pause.

Thanks again for taking the time to give me your opinions and experiences.
 
I am 100% with you Melanie! As some of you know, I am into my 2nd month of Insanity- being OCD and not one to step down once I've committed to a challenge, I will complete this or do my best. I have found that I have missed Cathe workouts sooo much. In fact, I stopped half-way through one of Shauny's DVD's to get a dose of Cathe.

I giggled through the workout- in fact, my DS said, "Mommy, I haven't heard you laugh and have fun with your workouts for a long time". :eek: "You've missed Cathe- haven't you??" Of course, I said - "YES! More than I knew"!!

ITA with your Pro's and Cons. In all honesty, I would not do another BB challenge (don't tell my BB "Coach"- I'll break that to her somewhat gently). Frankly, I can't afford Shakeology and don't the like the flavor - so the marketing aspect is really irritating to me. Thankfully my coach hasn't pushed it.

I'm going back to Cathe- she is MUCH more who I am and what I love in a workout!! You should look forward to your workouts and not dread them- which I've begun to do with Insanity. The workouts aren't fun to me - they are a chore- total deal breaker. Geeze, maybe I won't finish the "challenge".

I will actually committ to STS and have fun with Cathe's workouts again- I have been able to stick with her workouts with no problem what so ever for about 5 years. PLUS, I don't end up hurting in a bad way in the morning.

The first 4 weeks of Insanity was fine, but honestly, I'm not enjoying month 2.

I hope it helps you! p.s. I'm 47 so I get the recovery thing!!

Pam


MelanieC said:
Hi Elsie,

I tried doing Insanity and lasted 4 weeks. Here's the pros:

1. I like Shaun T. I didn't find him annoying - he does yell a little, but generally he's a good motivator. He does most of the program, but does stop occasionally to point out form and encourage the people in the class.
2. You start off with a fitness test, and as you progress through the program you re-do it. Its fun and encouraging to see how much progress you've made.
3. Not part of the regular rotation, but included in the disks that you get is a strength training program that incorporates cardio abs. I really, really love this workout and I keep doing it even though I don't do the other Insanity workouts.
4. The ab training is really good and I continue to do those.
5. The workouts during the first phase are intense but short.

Here's the cons (for me personally):

1. I got bored with doing the same workouts all the time and missed my Cathe workouts with her awesome music.
2. My foot got really sore which is one of the main reasons why I stopped after 4 weeks. I've previously battled plantar fasciitis, and this workout really aggravated it.
3. Some of the participants are annoying (although honestly you don't look at them that much cause you're so focused on just doing your own thing).

Do you have a friend that has the set? You may ask to borrow it so you can check it out before making your purchase. That's what I did.

Hope this helps you make your decision!
Click to expand...
 
The insanity workouts are good cardio, but they are all quite similar. The dread factor comes from doing the same thing day after day for 2 months. So if you got them, I'd say don't follow the insanity schedule. You might actually like them, and return to them, if they are mixed in with your STS or other strength split for your cardio days. Cathe also has some plyo cardio things, that if done all out, i think are just as intense, but she has much more variety in her workouts - thus less dread factor. If you do get the insanity, the warm up is abrupt as others have stated. I use another warm-up before hand and it helps wake my body up (P90X2 Warm-Up- Love what Tony did with that).
 
Thanks, everyone! I truly appreciate your honest opinions.

I'm FINALLY making some significant progress after a plateau. so I think I'll 'go with my gut' and take a pass on Insanity. Cathe and running make me happy. At this point in my life, I just don't want to dread working out or take the risk of injury.
 
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