Insanity Workout: A Review

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Have you ever seen the infomercials for the INSANITY: 60-Day Total Body Conditioning Workout DVD Program?  Intense, extreme exercises that look, well, insane?  Have you ever wondered if it really works or if you could ever complete one of the workouts once you purchased it?  I’m here to give you a full review of the Insanity program, making sure you know exactly what it entails, and if it makes sense for you to purchase this workout package.

The Insanity program is based on max interval training, where you exercise hard for an extended period of time (around 4 minutes) and then take a short rest (usually 30-45 seconds), repeating that circuit three times.  The circuits involve a large amount of jumping and squatting at a fast pace to combine strength training and cardio.  Several kinds of push-ups make up the majority of arm exercises.  While you can modify each exercise to your own personal skill level, the interval training paired with short breaks makes for an extremely intense workout that is not for the faint-hearted.  This workout is not advised for beginner fitness levels or those who suffer from any knee or joint problems (due to the excessive jumping and squatting).

In order to see results and have Insanity work for you, I have some key guidelines that helped me along my 60 day Insanity journey.  First, find a partner to do the DVD’s with you.  It’s easy to skip a day and not pop the DVD in, but a buddy will keep you accountable and motivated.  Second, don’t stress out over the nutrition guide.  The recipes and instructions for a healthy diet are merely suggestions.  Following a healthy eating plan with plenty of lean protein, fruits, and vegetables will work just as well as the meals in the Insanity nutrition book, and will help save time and effort when trying to make the difficult and sometimes unsatisfying recipes offered by the program.  Finally, make sure you find an area to do Insanity workouts which is flat and spacious.  Some exercises require pivoting or cutting, so a garage or gym floor are ideal spaces.  Carpeted surfaces are not as stable, and could lead to injury.

All in all, Insanity is a program for those who are serious about getting into shape, and are self-motivated to put the DVD in every day for 60 days.  Here is my own personal before and after results below:

Photo Credit: Cara Canington

Photo Credit: Cara Canington

INSANITY: 60-Day Total Body Conditioning Workout DVD Program really helped me slim down my belly fat while getting into great cardiovascular shape.  One of my favorite parts was sending in the before and after pictures, and receiving the Insanity t-shirt to confirm all my hard work had paid off.