Insanity - Loss of Energy
Angel_Cake25
Posts: 48 Member
So this is my first week of Insanity. I am feeling EXHAUSTED. I am guessing it is from the hard work insanity puts one through... but I am wondering if I should get some type of shake such as Whey to help boost my energy. Will I start getting my energy back next week? Help! 
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I am doing Insanity on month 2. I do drink a shake and it helps. Visit your calorie intake, make sure you are eating enough? You also should be getting a ton of veg and fruit. Are you following the diet plan that came with it? Working out this hard you needs fuel.
L's. It does get better :-)0 -
I am using a friend's set. I do not have the diet plan thingy. I am eating lots of vegetables and fruit, but wondering if I should up my caloric intake from 1,540 to 1,700.I am doing Insanity on month 2. I do drink a shake and it helps. Visit your calorie intake, make sure you are eating enough? You also should be getting a ton of veg and fruit. Are you following the diet plan that came with it? Working out this hard you needs fuel.
L's. It does get better :-)0 -
protein shake will help recover your muscles but it's not the root cause here. Make sure you're eating enough!!0
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Do you know how much a woman should eat when doing insanity?0
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I have not done Insanity. But judging from the ads and other people's comments, I think it is too insane for my fitness needs.
Personally, I think it would make a lot more sense for Insanity to start people out slower, and not tell them to do a crazy fitness test workout that from all I've heard leaves people very sore for days. Most exercise programs encourage people to increase their fitness level gradually and don't see how close they can come to killing them during the first workout! But like they say, it's insane. And sometimes I wonder if they make it so insane so people will think they need to buy the expensive shakes they sell to complete it.
There are other fitness programs on DVD that aren't so extreme. So if Insanity is wearing you out, why not send it back, get a refund, and try something else?
BTW, I am reasonably fit. I go to a boot camp class 2 or 3 times a week, do a group strength training class, a spin class, run, and some other things.0 -
Do you know how much a woman should eat when doing insanity?
Any particular woman? Because people of different weights and activity levels have different needs. If you're exhausted all the time you should probably up your carb levels for a bit while your body adjusts to the rigors of Insanity.
*looks up and waves"
HI JANE!!!!!0 -
I'll echo what a few others have said.......make sure you're eating enough.
If you are doing an exercise program like Insanity, or anything of that intensity, don't kid yourself and think you can stick to some 1200 calorie plan (if that's what you're doing).
Look into what your BMR and TDEE are (Google these if you don't know what they are), and plan on eating up to these calorie amounts.0 -
I'm eating 1,540 right now... but I went out to dinner and had some more food. I instantly felt more energized, so I will probably up my calorie intake. Thanks everyone!0
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I know some people report having more energy after doing difficult workouts such as Insanity...but I know I am totally wiped out after doing a workout. I do drink protein shakes but I'm not sure how much they help with my energy level post workout. Usually I have some caffeine and that helps. (probably not the best solution...)0
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Also make sure you're eating often. At least every 5 times a day. You also need healthy carbs. I weigh 138 and eat about 1500 Cal's. If that helps. Though I don't eat bread or sugar.0
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I have not done Insanity. But judging from the ads and other people's comments, I think it is too insane for my fitness needs.
Personally, I think it would make a lot more sense for Insanity to start people out slower, and not tell them to do a crazy fitness test workout that from all I've heard leaves people very sore for days. Most exercise programs encourage people to increase their fitness level gradually and don't see how close they can come to killing them during the first workout! But like they say, it's insane. And sometimes I wonder if they make it so insane so people will think they need to buy the expensive shakes they sell to complete it.
There are other fitness programs on DVD that aren't so extreme. So if Insanity is wearing you out, why not send it back, get a refund, and try something else?
BTW, I am reasonably fit. I go to a boot camp class 2 or 3 times a week, do a group strength training class, a spin class, run, and some other things.
First of all im sure your opinion is much appreciated but dont tell someone to lower their fitness goal, that is bad parenting! You deserve a spanking!
To the OP, you are capable of working out hard everyone is unless of course they are medically ill. THAT being said! The first week will wear you out, its designed to push your limits, if your incredibly exhausted you should also make sure your sleeping right and eating right. A women who is doing Insanity should at least be consuming 1800 calories a day, Insanity is HIIT that means your working out hard six days a week if you want an accurate measurment of calorie in take I recommend googleing TDEE calculater.
A good one will tell you not only your TDEE but you BMR as well keep pushing YOU CAN DO THIS! 0 -
So this is my first week of Insanity. I am feeling EXHAUSTED. I am guessing it is from the hard work insanity puts one through... but I am wondering if I should get some type of shake such as Whey to help boost my energy. Will I start getting my energy back next week? Help!
you probably aren't eating enough to fuel the workouts, they are VERY intense. I just finished a round. 0 -
Go to the beachbody website and find the calculator for your body. Or if you want to use a different one - use freedieting.com. Just make sure and put in your workouts for Insanity when you have it calculate for your - I do Insanity and I run about 5 days a week so I put in my calculations as working out 5 days a week but when I do Insanity (because I've not been doing it every day) I add the calories I burn to my goals (I have a HRM) and I eat most of those back if not all. To simplify it - just put the setting at 7 days a week of exercise, and follow that goal.
Insanity is what you make it - if your not at a top level of fitness (and most people startin it are not) then you do what you can for your fitness level - modifying it and taking breaks when you need to. Its a great program even for beginners because it gives you goals to reach for. I personally get bored easily with a lot of workout dvds and Insanity keeps me interested because it keeps me working for a goal.0 -
First of all im sure your opinion is much appreciated but dont tell someone to lower their fitness goal, that is bad parenting! You deserve a spanking!
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A good one will tell you not only your TDEE but you BMR as well keep pushing YOU CAN DO THIS!
It is not "bad parenting" to suggest that people set fitness goals that are reachable. It is much better to suggest that someone temporarily lower their fitness goal to something that is attainable that to advise them to push though a workout that is obviously beyond their fitness level at this time.
Workouts like Insanity will always be there later when you are ready for them. Just because you started the program doesn't mean you have to finish it right now if you find it makes you too tired and sore to function in your daily life.0 -
I was EXHAUSTED during the first week or so of Insanity, and I was super stiff. I was also sleeping a bit more than usual. But it gets so much easier as your body adjusts! After the second week you will feel fitter and your body will have adjusted. A decent amount of sleep helps your muscles repair and recover.0
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I was EXHAUSTED during the first week or so of Insanity, and I was super stiff. I was also sleeping a bit more than usual. But it gets so much easier as your body adjusts! After the second week you will feel fitter and your body will have adjusted. A decent amount of sleep helps your muscles repair and recover.
Being exhausted and super stiff for days doesn't work for most people. They have things to do with their energy besides Insanity!
The guy that created that program should have set it up where it isn't intense for the first week and then build up the intensity gradually so people won't think they have to suffer through such torture to get fit!0 -
Insanity requires you to ensure you fuel properly with enough calories or you'll just wind up tired all the time and your workouts will suffer. You can use this calculator ( http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/ ) to figure out your needs if you don't have the diet plan that comes with Insanity. I also encourage you to adjust your macros to 40 protein/40 carbs/20 fats if you are watching your macros. I find the extra protein is really needed and I believe that is the approximate macros the Insanity diet plan follows.
Personally I started month 1 eating 1800 - 1900 cals per day and I have bumped it up to 1900 - 2000 cals per day in month 2 because I was feeling tired (the workouts are harder and longer...you need the extra cals). The inches are coming down faster than the weight, but both are coming off.0 -
I am finishing up recovery week & to start month 2 of Insanity this coming week. The 1st week was tough. In order to have enough energy to power through my calories had to go up. I was eating according to my TDEE - 20% which was 1700 and did very well. I was never hungry. Since starting insanity I am consuming 1800 - 2000 depending on how famished I am. I am losing inches & .5lbs in the 1st month. I am pretty much at goal for weight loss. Doing Insanity for better body composition & definition.0
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I am finishing up recovery week & to start month 2 of Insanity this coming week. The 1st week was tough. In order to have enough energy to power through my calories had to go up. I was eating according to my TDEE - 20% which was 1700 and did very well. I was never hungry. Since starting insanity I am consuming 1800 - 2000 depending on how famished I am. I am losing inches & .5lbs in the 1st month. I am pretty much at goal for weight loss. Doing Insanity for better body composition & definition.
But wouldn't it make a lot more sense for Insanity to design a workout that GRADUALLY increases the insane nature of the workout instead of almost killing people the first week???????????0 -
I was EXHAUSTED during the first week or so of Insanity, and I was super stiff. I was also sleeping a bit more than usual. But it gets so much easier as your body adjusts! After the second week you will feel fitter and your body will have adjusted. A decent amount of sleep helps your muscles repair and recover.
Being exhausted and super stiff for days doesn't work for most people. They have things to do with their energy besides Insanity!
The guy that created that program should have set it up where it isn't intense for the first week and then build up the intensity gradually so people won't think they have to suffer through such torture to get fit!
Jane, no offense but you seem to go into a lot of Insanity threads and discourage people from doing the program. Is this something personal you have against Insanity?
By your own admission you have never done the routines, but you seem to have made it a mission to disparage them. I've seen in more than one thread you jumping in to tell people to send the videos back and get something else.
Insanity is just another tool people can use to reach their fitness goals. It is clearly advertised as a challenging program. No one who buys a program called "Insanity" should think that it's going to be easy, and I doubt if anyone is so disillusioned into thinking it's the only workout that will have an effect.
Insanity is not for everyone. But everyone who completes it will have smashed both physical and mental barriers and deserves respect. Whether you can match the posse's intensity is not the point. It's the effort and improvement that counts.
People are sore after doing this workout because it pushes your boundaries. You use more muscles in any crossfit-type program than most people are used to, hence you will be stiff and sore after doing them the first few times. This does not imply injury or threat of injury, merely evidence that you are challenging your body. Exercise is not meant to be comfortable. If you aren't out of breath, if you don't have to talk to yourself and dig a little deeper, and if you aren't occasionally sore, you won't push your fitness boundaries. That doesn't mean reading a magazine while comfortably pedaling on a stationary bike doesn't burn calories, it just means real improvement comes from pushing the envelope, challenging your mind to keep going when you want to quit, and having the wisdom to know the difference between being tired and flirting with injury.
Insanity is scalable. You can start slow if that's all you can do. You can rest as much as you need. You can take every other day off instead of training "on program". There's no need for the designer to start you off slow, because you choose your own pace. It's just another tool. Done properly it's perfectly safe and will catapult your progress forwards. When people do Insanity and talk about "torture" and "feeling like they are dying" they don't mean it literally. Would anyone "torture" themselves every day? It's just a way of conveying to those who have never done it (and who have no idea) how challenging the program is. Because it IS hard. THAT"S THE POINT!
BTW, ANY new fitness regimen will leave someone stiff and sore for a few days. Even after training for months, if you select a new sport, chances are the first few times you are gonna hurt! That doesn't make it bad. It's proof that you're improving yourself.
Train smart, people. Use the correct form before speed. Listen to your body and avoid injury. Consistent or sharp PAIN means STOP. You won't get fit recovering from injury. But the road to fitness is not without challenge. If you don't have to push through once in a while, you won't attain true fitness. And if pushing through barriers isn't for you, consider another program. Because pushing through barriers is what Insanity is all about.
But just because it's not for you, doesn't mean it's not a good fit for someone else.
Jane, I think everyone knows there are other choices for those who want them.
For those that take on the Insanity challenge, kudos to you. For those that have completed it, you have my respect. You are all champions.
One last thing: The Insanity shirt may be a thin mediocre garment, but it's one of my most prized possessions. It's a symbol of accomplishment. It's a reminder that I've put work in before, and I shouldn't back off now and let that work go to waste. And there's an instant bond when you encounter someone else wearing one. It's a badge of honor. You don't get badges for what Martin Berkhan calls "F%@^arounditis".0 -
Lots of good advice here.
Apart from eating properly I'd also encourage you to make sure you get enough sleep. My form is much poorer if I don't.0 -
For the OP:
Make sure you get plenty of good quality sleep and a balanced diet with enough calories to fuel your workout. Insanity can be used for weight loss but is primarily intended as a cardio conditioning program. To that end the best results are had during a caloric surplus or a conservative deficit. Don't go low calorie on this one. And don't go low carb, either, you will need your glycogen for all the explosive movements.
A pre-workout protein shake (not too big) 15 min before training has been shown to increase workout intensity.
A pre-workout supplement like NOExplode, etc, does wonders for me, if you can tolerate them. Use them in moderation and NOT every time you workout. A CEA stack (google) also works well, again, in moderation. And L-Tyrosine is a non-stimulant that really helps you buckle down and focus.
Within an hour after training, a good meal with lots of protein and complex carbs will help recovery. If you want, immediately after the workout a whey shake with simple carbs will kickstart the process. Wait an hour then have your main meal. This meal should probably be 25% of your daily calories.
And yes, by the second week you will notice huge improvements in your energy levels, both during the workout and during the day.0 -
good job. you chose a good excersise, I currenly use it.
Always drink protein shake after any vigorous work out0 -
Jane, no offense but you seem to go into a lot of Insanity threads and discourage people from doing the program. Is this something personal you have against Insanity?
No, it's not just Insanity. I recommend that unless someone is already already in great shape, they avoid ANY overly extreme exercise program, including Insanity and Crossfit.
The OP was EXHAUSTED. A fitness program that's a good fit for your fitness level does NOT leave you exhausted all day after you do it!
Smart fitness coaches don't expect a person that hasn't been exercising much to do something as crazy as the Insanity fitness test the first time they come in. They ramp up the intensity of the exercise program gradually instead of hitting a new gym goer in the face with an extreme routine to show them how out of shape they are the moment they walk in the door!0 -
No one said that Insanity is INTENDED for beginners. It is a higher-intensity workout than most people are accustomed to.
It can work for anyone INCLUDING beginners because it's inherently scalable.
The Fit Test is not crazy, either. It's 25 minutes, of which 3 minutes is warmup/stretches and 4 minutes are cooldowns/stretches. The remaining 18 minutes are intervals. It gives you a benchmark of your fitness level. The last thing it's intended to do is hit the gym goer in the face with a dose of discouragement, rather it fuels encouragement in the future when you take the test again. Every Fit Test with the exception of the first one is therefore a NSV.
My point is that everyone already knows there are many ways to tackle fitness. You don't have to go into every Insanity or Crossfit thread is derail the OP's questions with encouragement to quit and do something else. It's unnecessary, distracting, annoying, doesn't address the OP's concerns, and until you've done the program yourself or seen more than the light-night TV spot you really aren't qualified to criticize. Everyone who selects Insanity does it with their eyes wide open. Every single video starts with a blurb on warming up, stretching, monitoring your hearth rate, maintaining correct form, and avoiding injury, as well as encouraging people to always reevaluate whether it's for them or not.
Interval training is a powerful tool. Let those who have selected it enjoy the journey and talk amongst themselves, encourage each other, seek advice, etc. If it's not for you, just don't do it. But no one needs anyone else's permission to try it, stay on it, OR to select something else.0 -
The Fit Test is not crazy, either. It's 25 minutes, of which 3 minutes is warmup/stretches and 4 minutes are cooldowns/stretches. The remaining 18 minutes are intervals. It gives you a benchmark of your fitness level. The last thing it's intended to do is hit the gym goer in the face with a dose of discouragement, rather it fuels encouragement in the future when you take the test again. Every Fit Test with the exception of the first one is therefore a NSV.
Do you make money from selling Insanity? The way you are promoting it, it almost sounds like you do.
I've read where plenty of people have felt discouraged about their fitness level after doing the first fitness test. And I've read where many people were extremely sore for days after doing it. They really could have started the program with a fitness test that wasn't that over-the-top insane and given people a starting point that did not feel so painful and discouraging.
BTW, the only people on the message boards I suggested not do Insanity are people that are exhausted and/or overly sore from trying to keep up with a program that is obviously designed for people with a higher fitness level.
I have nothing against interval training. But it needs to be done in such a way that people aren't feeling too exhausted to function after their workout!0 -
I tend to agree with u Jane. but I think this was created for people that were already in pretty good shape. You have to be crazy to just 'jump' in to this0
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The Fit Test is not crazy, either. It's 25 minutes, of which 3 minutes is warmup/stretches and 4 minutes are cooldowns/stretches. The remaining 18 minutes are intervals. It gives you a benchmark of your fitness level. The last thing it's intended to do is hit the gym goer in the face with a dose of discouragement, rather it fuels encouragement in the future when you take the test again. Every Fit Test with the exception of the first one is therefore a NSV.
Do you make money from selling Insanity? The way you are promoting it, it almost sounds like you do.
BTW, I've read where plenty of people have felt discouraged about their fitness level after doing the first fitness test. And I've read where many people were extremely sore for days after doing it. They really could have started the program with a fitness test that wasn't that over-the-top insane and given people a starting point that did not feel so discouraging.
This is one of the few times I literally LOL'd.
No, I don't make money in any way shape or form. And promotion sounds like I'm going into Zumba threads saying "quit that Zumba, it's not doing anything for you, you must use Insanity!" I don't.
The Fit Test or for that matter any experience in life can either encourage or discourage someone. Yes, if you are out of shape the Fit Test will paint that picture in black and white. But it's not intended to discourage you at all. They even make reference in the Fit Test itself to the improvement you can expect next time. That's why you record it! Should someone be discouraged by weighing themselves? Or measuring their waistline? Or taking photos? No....it's just data. The numbers don't lie. It's a benchmark. Everyone starts somewhere. It's not where you start your journey, it's where you end up. And when you improve, those numbers don't lie either. Do you have any clue the sense of accomplishment you get from doubling your Fit Test scores in 4 weeks? Or the first time you can do the entire video without taking a break? It's EMPOWERING, not discouraging. Not every victory occurs on the scale.
You'll never expand your boundaries by training within them. That's why weight lifters say "No pain, no pain". There's little point in pumping someone up over their lackluster performance by giving them an easy test, because it just reinforces the acceptance of mediocrity. People need to be challenged. They need to look at their bellies and say "It's time for a change". And they need to look at their test scores and say "I can do better. Watch me."
One of the NSV of programs like Insanity is that you realize very quickly that you are mentally much stronger than you thought. If you think you can't do something, you never will. But when you try it, when you really reach deep down inside and focus and discover you CAN it's a powerful reinforcement. Just as your muscles grow from subjecting them to overload, so does the human spirit. You CAN do it. You just THOUGHT you couldn't.
In ANY endeavor what you get out of it is proportional to what you put into it. Insanity is an example of putting a lot into something, and getting a lot out of it in return. If you or anyone else wants to take the conservative path, that's fine. If someone wants to embrace the experience and reap the mental rewards of accomplishment and commitment for a hard job well done, more power to them. That's true whether it's Crossfit, HIIT, weight training, etc. Insanity was as hard for me on my first day as anyone, harder than most, I'd wager, at my sheer size. My Day 1 Fit Test was no prize winner. But for all that, my 15 day photo's were SHOCKING.
MFP is about encouragement, as well as an exchange of information about what has worked for others. If someone is sabotaging their results unintentionally, it's appropriate to tell them and not necessarily to coddle them. Insanity and the like does not fit that description. Therefore it's not your duty or anyone else's to talk them out of it. And I still suspect there's more behind your vehemence than you've let on in the many threads you've participated in in this manner.
Next time you find someone who's discouraged by their Day 1 Fit Test results, send them to me. I'll give help them put the Fit Test into the perspective they need.
I'll say it again: Insanity is not for everyone. It's an intense cardio-conditioning program. It's a workout for your will power and determination as well as your body. If it was easy everyone would do it.
And not all the results can be seen in the mirror hanging on your wall. Some of them show up in the mirror into your soul instead.0 -
I don't see how a protein shake is going to give you any more energy than other calorie... carbs would be a more efficient energy source.0
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Sorry, one last point, as if I hadn't been clear on this already:
I am not a "Ramming Speed!" advocate.
Be safe, monitor your heart rate, warm up first, use correct form, and eat right.
Listen to your body. If you are in PAIN, STOP. If you are SORE, push through. Know the difference!
If you are EXHAUSTED, REST. A day, a week, it doesn't matter. Listen to your body. But being tired after an intense workout is not the same thing.
Know the difference between pushing boundaries and doing damage. No program of any type is a good program if you get hurt.0
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