Back in 2009 at the age of 29 I finished and wrote this review about my first round of the Insanity workout. Its 2018 and everything written below is still true.
Before starting my first round of Insanity I was in very good shape from finishing three consecutive rounds of P90X.
I haven’t done another full round of Insanity since then. Mostly because I don’t particularly like month two. But I have used Insanity frequently over the years when I need a little more cardio or just want to get my butt kicked.
You probably know by now that Insanity is a 60 day workout created by Shaun T with 10 workouts designed with plyometric drills on top of nonstop intervals of strength, power, resistance, and ab/core training moves. All while using your body as the only resistance.
I did not know what to expect as P90X challenged me in every aspect of fitness. My only guess from watching the previews was a sweaty mess.
I prefer to post my before and after photos at the top with my thoughts about Insanity below.
The changes are subtle. I look leaner with more definition in my arms and back.
Probably the best photo I took of my results was one I took from the side where it shows more muscle definition in my arms, chest, shoulders, and abs.
My girlfriend and I have been following the Insanity Elite Nutrition Plan to a T. Eating better, laying off the beer, and following the Insanity workout plan has helped me drop almost 2% body fat from 10% to 8%.
I was in pretty good shape before starting Insanity as I did three rounds of P90X. Two weeks prior to starting Insanity I was able to do 15 chin ups and 12 wide grip pull ups.
It took me 70 days to finish Insanity. It was summer when I started Insanity and I play double-header softball games twice a week along with other outside activities like golfing. You only get so many nice days in Michigan so I’d take a day off to rest for softball or ride my bike.
I used the P90X Recovery Drink after every workout and typically had a P90X Protein Bar everyday too. Both were sent to my house on auto-ship every month and I’m guessing they helped out.
You burn so many calories doing Insanity. Sweat is flying everywhere and your heart rate stays elevated for a good 30 minutes after each workout. It almost didn’t matter what I ate as I burnt through the calories so fast.
I was surprised how much muscle I put on even though Insanity is 100% body weight training. Speed, agility, and flexibility noticeably improved which says something as I was in very good shape from P90X.
My biggest takeaway from doing Insanity after P90X is it filled in the gaps that P90X could not hit. Theres not much more to say about the Insanity workout besides it being awesome.
Like Most About The Insanity Workout?
Insanity is actually a very simple workout. It’s all about giving everything you’ve got with what you’ve got. Try and keep up with Shaun T and everything else will take care of itself.
I also like how there wasn’t that much to track. Outside of the Fit Tests there wasn’t that much to write down because you’re not keeping track of how much weight and how many reps you do.
Like Least About The Insanity Workout?
Month two of Insanity is very tough. Rarely did I make it through an entire workout in month one without taking a break. All of month two’s workouts are 10 to 15 minutes longer than month one. Every workout in month two starts with the word “Max” so you know what Shaun T is asking for.
Who Should Do Insanity?
If you play sports then you should do Insanity. Every sport demands endurance and strength and that is what Insanity targets. I noticed a bit more pep in my step playing softball and so did my teammates.
Even though you are only using your body weight for resistance does not mean you will not get stronger. I felt stronger everywhere. Push ups and squats are your new best friend.
Who Should Not Do Insanity?
People who are really overweight, those who have knee issues, or both might want to look somewhere else (like T25). There is a lot of jumping which may put stress on the knees. Overweight people can have success with Insanity but it may take longer. A common thing I heard was it was too much too soon and its best to start elsewhere unless you have an athletic background.
Summary
The Insanity workout is no joke. Its the sort of workout you do when you need to work on your overall cardio, strength, and in some cases when you need an attitude adjustment. Insanity challenged me in ways that I can only compare to when I was playing sports in my teens and would have 90 minute practices where all we did was run and play.
We were playing so it was fun but we were getting in shape. Thats how I feel about Insanity. Insanity brings it all together and doesn’t let you favor a particular body part. Everything gets challenged.
Since 2009 I have not done another round of Insanity. Mostly because I do not like month two. But from time to time I will do the first 30 days or pick specific Insanity workouts to mix in with a hybrid workout.
I could go on and on about the Insanity workout but I’ll end here with letting you know that I liked it…a lot. Its still in my top three workout programs of all time.
If you have questions about Insanity feel free to leave one below.
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