Shaun T was on the Tyra show yesterday showing off how intense the Insanity workout is. He showed off just a couple of the crazy moves involved with the workout. Good job Tyra on your moving push ups.

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Shaun T doing Insanity on the Tyra Show

Many people have been asking me which is better P90X or Insanity. Since I have completed both of them individually and a P90X / Insanity hybrid workout I decided to spend a couple minutes to give as best of a evaluation of both that I could. So here we go.  

Build Muscle - P90X -You are using weights in 5 of the workouts including the pull up bar. There are no weights used with Insanity at all besides your body weight.    

Intense Cardio - Insanity- Hands down winner here. All of the Insanity workouts involve cardio training while just half of the P90X workouts do.

Strength Training - P90X- This was a close one but I chose P90X because of the weight training along with the cardio. Workouts like P90X Legs & Back, P90X Chest & Back are similar to some of the Insanity workouts but the addition of weights help build more strength.

Flexibility - P90X - Yoga X, X Stretch, and the almost 10 minutes of stretching for each workout top the basic stretching with Insanity.

Abs - Insanity- It seems like almost 80% of each movement is geared toward the core area in the normal workouts not including the Cardio Ab workout. P90X has the killer Ab Ripper X workout but Insanity has more plank work and ab focused moves.  

Weight Loss - Push - Both P90X and Insanity will help you lose weight if you really get at it.

Toning - Insanity - Very close here again as both workouts will tone you up but using your body weight for resistance will tone up any bulk that you have.

Cost - Insanity- If price is a issue then Insanity is the way to go as you only need the DVDs which are $119. For P90X you need dumbbells or resistance bands and a pull up bar. If you have those then you only need the P90X DVDs which are $119 also but you can get the P90X Deluxe set for $239 which includes bands, pull up bar, P90X, and the recovery drink. Of course you can get a 25% discount if you sign up to be a Beachbody Coach or a 10% discount with a Beachbody Club membership too.

Time - Insanity - Most of the workouts with Insanity are under 50 minutes long while P90X is about an hour plus Ab Ripper X three times a week. If time is an issue then go with Insanity.

Beginner - P90X - Tony Horton has three people in the background showing you how to modify each move from a beginner to advanced. The goal is to build up your strength to keep up with the person doing the advanced move.

Advanced - Insanity - Don't start Insanity unless you are already in some kind of shape. I think of Insanity as two a day football practices wrapped up into 45 minutes. You're basically trying to keep up with Shaun T, who is a college track star, doing power jumps, squats, and push ups at a ridiculous pace.

Variety - P90X- Yoga, Kenpo, and using a pull up bar are things not done in Insanity.

Value - P90X- Since it comes with 12 workouts to Insanity's 9, you can switch them up to your liking after the 90 days. This means you can make the investment of the DVDs go a lot farther then the 90 days. Heck, I did P90X 3 times straight before doing Insanity. Try to spend $119 for a 9 month gym membership.

Overall - P90X - The strength training, variety, and ability for people of any fitness level to be able to jump in and get great results over a 90 day period put it just a tad farther than Insanity

It was a close one: P90X 7 Insanity 6.

All of these are my opinions from doing P90X 3 times, Insanity 1 time, and a P90X / Insanity hybrid workout. I've had great results with both of them individually and together. If you are confused on what one to do right now I usually tell people to pick one based on cost and time. If you don't have the extra money to buy the dumbbells or pull up bar then go with Insanity and if you do have those then do P90X. If time is your issue then the 45 minute workouts with Insanity will be better for you instead of the 55 to 70 minute workouts with P90X. Either way you go each will help you reach your fitness goals because when your done with one just go and get the other one. If you are ready to start Insanity or P90X you can get them at the Beachbody Store. Check out the Beachbody Coach program to get discounts on them.

Post from: P90X Workout

P90X vs Insanity

I recently finished a P90X & Insanity hybrid workout that I put together. My goal was to combine the hardest workouts of both and really challenge myself. What I did was the normal P90X workouts and switched in the cardio days with Insanity and only did Yoga X once a month instead of every week.

The reason why I made this workout was I enjoyed the P90X results I had by gaining 10 pounds of muscle along with my Insanity results where I toned it up and gained a lot of cardio strength. After finishing Insanity I felt like I lost a little bit of strength because you don't use any weights besides your body weight. The pull up bar was missing with Insanity as P90X got me addicted to it.

When I started the P90X / Insanity hybrid workout my pull ups and chin ups dropped to 48 reps in the P90X Legs and Back workout from my high of 82. This means I lost almost half of my pull up strength during the couple of months of Insanity. At the end of the hybrid workout I was able to get back up to 64. This is pretty good seeing that I was not doing P90X Legs and back every week.

Push up totals went up by 12% as compared to my time with P90X. You do so many push ups with Insanity and P90X that its like you do them everyday with the hybrid workout. With all of these push ups I put .5 inch on my chest.

My arms look bigger in the side photo and I've had people tell me it looks like I've put some muscle on again. I do see a 4 pack in my ab area but no 6 pack and my obliques are not as defined. I was doing the workout over the holidays and ate a ton of food and drank a lot of beer. Neither of which help show off the abs. To me, the biggest gain came in the definition of my back muscles. I can clearly see a lot more bumps and lines in my back, shoulders, and lats.

My weight was at 175 when I started and is now at 180 pounds. I'm guessing its a combo of muscle and weight gain from all the shit I ate and drank over November and December. Plus, I've been drinking one Whey Protein shake almost every day which is adding to my size.

So after starting P90X almost two years ago and signing up to be a Beachbody Coach I have put on almost 15 pounds of muscle. Body fat percentage hovers in the 8.5% - 9.5% range. It would probably be lower if I could cut back on how much I eat at meals. I eat very well but portion control is a problem of mine. Then there's that partying thing. I don't rage out of control during the week but on the weekend anything is game.

If you've been thinking about doing P90X or Insanity and live your life the way I do already then these are results you can assume to get (assuming your a guy). I followed the Insanity Elite Nutrition Plan about 50% and use most of the P90X Supplements along with some of the nutrition products. If you can do better than me in regards to the eating portion you can expect 6 pack abs and more definition. Both P90X and Insanity work its just how hard do you want to make it work. I would grade my effort with the workouts at 100% and eating at 75%, so a 87.5% grade or B+.

I'm not sure what I'm going to do next but I'm think about getting P90X Plus and the Insanity Deluxe workouts and doing them over the next 60 days. In the mean time I think I've got about just all I've could out of P90X and Insanity for at least the next year.

Post from: P90X Workout

My P90X / Insanity Hybrid Workout Results

I just completed my second Insanity Fit Test and I am very pleased. Here is a comparison of my first Insanity Fit Test results with this time.

                                       Fit Test # 1                  Fit Test # 2                   Fit Test Goals

Switch Kicks                        125                               134                                     150

Power Jacks                         45                                  53                                      54

Power Knees                        84                                  95                                      100

Power Jumps                      31                                   38                                      37

Globe Jumps                        8                                   10                                       10

Suicide Jumps                   13                                   16                                        16

Push-Up Jacks                   25                                  32                                       30

Low Plank Oblique              50                                 64                                        60

There are two very positive things that have happened here. I did not get worse at any of them for one. The other is that I already hit my goals for 5 out of the 8 exercises. Did I set them too low? Is Insanity such a awesome workout program that the results came quicker? We will find out in the next 30 days when I take my last fit test. I was so close to hitting the goals for the other ones.

I have been putting in the effort with Insanity. Not only am I doing the workouts, I am also following the Insanity Elite Nutrition Plan. Doing these two has helped my drop my body fat percentage from 10% to 8% in only 30 days. That is pretty crazy. For the first time ever I can see my oblique muscles. Who knows, maybe I'll have ripped 6 pack abs in 30 days. I took a video of myself doing the Insanity Fit Test again.

Insanity Fit Test # 2

Insanity Fit Test # 1

(Yes, the room was painted to a ligher color in the last 30 days)

Post from: P90X Workout

My INSANITY Workout Fit Test Results #2

I have been doing pretty well over the past two weeks with the Insanity workout. I just feel better through out my body. I did make a couple big changes in my approach to the workout. My girlfriend and I have been following the Insanity Elite Nutrition Plan to a T and I cut back on the beer. The combination of eating better, laying off the beer, and following the Insanity workout plan has helped me drop almost 2% body fat. I started at 10% and am now at 8%.

My Insanity Workout Day 30 Photos Are On Top And Insanity Day 1 Photos Are On  Bottom

I can tell from the pictures that I am starting to tone up quite a bit, especially in the side photo. My Insanity workout before photos are not that bad (in my opinion). I was in pretty good shape before doing the Insanity workout routine as I did P90X 3 times. With the change in my eating and drinking habits for the past two weeks I am seeing big changes. Who would have thought that eating right could result in such big changes. Fortunately, there is a three week break between the first and second season of softball that I am on right now and that means no chances to have a couple beers with the guys after during the week.

Even though I did not take a photo from this pose on Day 1, I think it really does some justice as to how well Insanity is working for me. I can see the definition in my arms, chest, shoulders, and my abs for the first time ever. The last 30 days of Insanity are going to be tough as I am going on a house boat trip with some friends in Kentucky next week and I know its going to be crazy. They are my friends from college and when ever we get together it just gets rowdy. We had a guys only weekend where we went tubing and camping a couple weeks ago and it took me a couple days to recover. The girlfriends will be there this time so it should be a little bit more tamed. Following the diet is not going to be that hard but laying off the beer is going to be impossible. Have to live a little. Luckily, its on my rest week with Insanity. 

Post from: P90X Workout

My Insanity Workout Day 30 Photos

Day 1 of the Insanity workout has come and gone. The Plyometric Cardio Circuit was tough. Shaun T is crazy. Insanity works like this. You do 4 or 5 exercises at a decent pace during a 3 minute span doing as many of them as you can. Then you get a 30 second break. Then you repeat those same 4 or 5 exercises at a faster pace doing as many as you can followed by the 30 second break. To end it you do those same 4 0r 5 exercises as fast as you can in 3 minutes. You do this 3 separate times through out the workout with a 3 minute stretch after the first round and a 5 minute cool down stretch at the end.

I am in pretty good shape but had to take breaks during it. Its really tough. Beachbody was not kidding when they said "you will be working out in a pool of your own sweat."

Look at how red my face is. I don't think my face got that red when I did the Detroit Marathon a couple years ago. My girlfriend said it looks like I took a bath in K-Y Jelly. Gross.

Sweat was flying every where. While doing a punching motion some of it flung off my arm and hit Shaun T on the TV. I was slipping on the wood floors because of the sweat. I almost pulled a groin.

Oh well, this is what I signed up for. I'll probably have to mop every day for the next 60 days.

Post from: P90X Workout

INSANITY Workout – Day 1 – Plyometric Cardio Circuit

I started Insanity the other day. The first step was to take the Insanity Fit Test. This was my first time taking a fit test with a Beachbody program. I did not take the P90X Fit Test when I bought it and instead went right into the workouts. After reading through the Insanity workout program and the calendar I noticed how you keep track of your results. It's a little different than P90X as you are not using weights or a pull up bar with Insanity. With it being a intense cardio workout you track your progress by taking the fit test 5 times during the 60 days. Seems simple enough.

How the Fit Test works is you do 8 different exercises for a minute each doing as many reps as you can. Here are my first results with the Insanity Fit Test:

Switch Kicks                125

Power Jacks                  45

Power Knees                 84

Globe Jumps                   8

Suicide Jumps              13

Push Up Jacks              25

Low Plank Oblique     50

Here is the video I took of myself doing the Insanity Fit Test. I was jumping so hard at one time that a pan fell in the kitchen. You can probably hear it along with how squeaky my wood floors are.

This was a lot tougher than what I expected. I was dripping sweat after doing the warm ups. I had to stop a couple times with each workout. After taking a look at my results I have decided that I want to increase each number by 20%. This is what I am pushing for.

My Insanity Workout Goals Are:

Switch Kicks                    150

Power Jacks                      54

Power Knees                  100

Power Jumps                  37

Globe Jumps                   10

Suicide Jumps                16

Push Up Jacks                30

Low Plank Oblique       60

The Insanity workout is looking like it is going to be a very challenging workout for the next 60 days. Hopefully all the P90X I have been doing over the past year will help me power through it.

Check out my Insanity Fit Test Results # 2 and Insanity Day 30 Results.

Post from: P90X Workout

My INSANITY Workout Fit Test Results

At this point I had done P90X 3 times along with some running, mountain biking, and the occasional swim. I put on 10 pounds of muscle when doing P90X and have been able to keep my P90X results for the most part. I was still able to max out on all of the reps I did with all of the workouts. In the two weeks before these photos I was able to do 15 chin ups and 12 wide grip pull ups. Both were my max numbers during the P90X Legs and Back routine and P90X Chest and Back. 

I am looking forward to doing the Insanity workout because it looks like it will help me with my cardio. P90X was a lot of resistance training and Insanity should compliment it well.

Committing to being a Beachbody Coach in Dec 2008 has been a great decision. It forces me to stay in shape and all I am doing is letting Beachbody tell me what to do. I am not an expert in fitness or nutrition but I know I have learned a lot.

I will post my Insanity results 60 days from now. Hopefully I do not puke.

Post from: P90X Workout

My INSANITY Workout Before Photos

So there is a warning label that comes with the packaging. In case you can't read the fine print.

"We don't just call it INSANITY because these workouts are intense. We call it INSANITY because in 60 days, you're going to get results that are simply crazy. But don't open this box thinking you can pretend your way through this. We need you to be prepared to DIG DEEPER than ever before. Get ready for a transformation unlike anything you've ever experienced. This is INSANITY."

Translation: You might puke.

I really like the art work that Beachbody has put into the Insanity cover.

What really impresses me the most with all of the packaging the comes with Insanity is that it is a hard cover book. It gives it a real professional look and feel to it. It has that "new book smell." I have a feeling that Beachbody put in the extra work to help limit the amount of frauds that can be produced. I can't see somebody putting the time and effort into trying to copy a hard cover book like this. If somebody is trying to sell you Insanity Workout DVDs that do not come in a hard cover book then you're scam alert should be going off. Nice work Beachbody. Very impressive.

The Insanity Workout Calendar is simple and well put together. Very easy to follow.

The Insanity Elite Nutrition Plan is very informative. After I read through it I think I am going to be able to give it a better shot than the P90X 3 Phase Nutrition Plan. That guide seemed to have too many ingredients. The Insanity Nutrition Plan looks easy to follow and the meal plans are similar to what I already eat.

I'll be doing the Insanity Workout Fit Test tomorrow. It looks pretty tough. I'll let you know if I puke.

Post from: P90X Workout

My INSANITY Workout DVDs Have Arrived

Beachbody has just released their newest at home workout program called Insanity. It is a 60 day total body conditioning program. I am very excited about this program as I have been doing the P90X and Power 90 workouts for over a year now and am ready for a new challenge. As soon as Insanity gets delivered to my house I will take my before photos, measurements, etc. and post them up here. I will be putting this workout through the same test as I did with P90X.

Post from: P90X Workout

INSANITY