Insanity - Loss of Energy

DavPul

Do you make money from selling Insanity? The way you are promoting it, it almost sounds like you do.

Jane, do you make money slamming Insanity? If so, I hope you get promoted soon, because you deserve it. You be workin overtime to slam Insanity and Crossfit. Puttin in dem long hours of negativity. I hope the company appreciated what a dediciated worker then have in you.

carriespence1

What the 2 above me said. I am proud of my hard work doing Insanity. Doesn't feel good when someone belittles it.

zenchild

I've done Insanity twice. The first week is definitely the hardest. Make sure you're getting enough to eat. Protein to help repair muscles, good fat to keep you full. And drink! I always felt better when I was drinking enough. I was doing it after work so I made sure I had at least 6 cups by that point in the day. I'd have 2 more during the workout and then a protein shake, a cup of water with dinner and 2 cups of tea before bed. Also make sure you're getting enough sleep. You're pushing yourself hard during the workouts, you need your sleep.
As far as stiffness goes, I always kept moving and stretching until my heartrate was under 100 and stayed there for a few minutes. The few minutes of stretching on the videos wasn't enough for me. I stretched again before bed and stretched during the day. It helped with the sore muscles.

bawalker11

Make sure you eat enough and take your time, you don't have to be where Sean T is, I take 100 breaks, am still sore and getting great results. It will push you, but it is the best feeling at the end of each week to have another week down! Good luck!!

zachherda

Jane your weight loss advice of "sending it back" and "insanity is too hard" shows a defeatist attitude and one the OP is not looking for. I would hate to be coached by you because you would not ever get anyone to hit their goals, if they complained of soreness, which like magic disappears in a few days with proper nutrition you would just have them quit. Like another mentioned, you go into insanity threads and try to get people to stop and send them back. This site is to help people and ANSWER their questions, not tear down people's workouts that THEY choose. 99% of the people in this world could complete insanity. If you think it is too hard, great stop telling people that tho.

zachherda

Do you make money from selling Insanity? The way you are promoting it, it almost sounds like you do.

Jane, do you make money slamming Insanity? If so, I hope you get promoted soon, because you deserve it. You be workin overtime to slam Insanity and Crossfit. Puttin in dem long hours of negativity. I hope the company appreciated what a dediciated worker then have in you.

Amen.

igypsy

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!

It was really only about 2 or 3 days of bad stiffness, and feeling a little bit more sleepy than usual. I definitely have more to do with my energy than just Insanity!! Now I am hardly ever stiff even though the workouts are far harder at the point I am at now, and I am feeling far more energised than ever before. It is TOTALLY worth a few days of allowing my body to adjust.

I agree with what others have said, the dvd's are meant to be challenging. It does say that a reasonable level of fitness is needed, it is suggested to use lower impact versions of some of the moves if you need to and you are always reminded to go at your own pace. In the first few workouts I could hardly get through the 30 second intervals, sitting out a few of them altogether. Now I can make it all the way through and it feels amazing!

This program is for people who want a challenge.

janebshaw

Jane your weight loss advice of "sending it back" and "insanity is too hard" shows a defeatist attitude and one the OP is not looking for. I would hate to be coached by you because you would not ever get anyone to hit their goals, if they complained of soreness, which like magic disappears in a few days with proper nutrition you would just have them quit. Like another mentioned, you go into insanity threads and try to get people to stop and send them back. This site is to help people and ANSWER their questions, not tear down people's workouts that THEY choose. 99% of the people in this world could complete insanity. If you think it is too hard, great stop telling people that tho.

If someone ordered Insanity that did not have the physical endurance to do the workouts, they would be better off sending it back for a refund and buying a different set of DVDs instead of forcing their body to do something that was obviously too much for them. If they want Insanity later, it will always be available.

That is not being defeatist, it is being realistic. I WAS answering the OP's question. If they were that exhausted, the workout was obviously beyond their endurance level at this time.

NoelleS85

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???????????

No. Insanity is not a program for beginners, simple as that. They start at a certain level because it is Insanity and it was developed for people that already are at a certain fitness level. I think that if the OP is exhausted all the time, that maybe he isn't ready for Insanity. There are serious disclaimers on this program and I don't think people take it seriously.

meagank28

I am a beginner. I have been sick for a few years. I just started insanity. I am doing good, not too exhausted, and losing inches. The key to insanity is to push YOUR limits. Don't try to kill yourself, just challenge yourself. :flowerforyou:

janebshaw

Good for you!

But unfortunately, when many people that are new to exercising see a bunch of people exercising super hard on a DVD or in a live class, they feel like they have to try and keep up with them.

Maybe the company that makes Insanity DVDs should come out with a Level 1 intro for people that have not been exercising a lot that emphasizes the proper form for doing the moves, and then do them at a slower pace than the regular Insanity DVDs.

MarioLozano16

Eat more

pcdoctor01

Maybe the company that makes Insanity DVDs should come out with a Level 1 intro for people that have not been exercising a lot that emphasizes the proper form for doing the moves, and then do them at a slower pace than the regular Insanity DVDs.

I agree. BB might sell more "Insanity" DVDs if they had modified versions of their "Insanity" workouts for beginners.

jendevore25

Shaun T says in his work out to keep moving, don't sacrifice form. If you can't keep up to his pace, it is not a problem. I have the done the Inasnity pylometrics DVD, it is intense, but man, I feel like I can do anything after. I am currently training for a half marathon and struggle with my caloric intake, Seeing a dietician this week.

jendevore25

I totally agree. Push yourself!

DanIsACyclingFool

Jane, you may be trying to justify your comments with good intentions, but the fact remains if you go to MFP's search function and type in "Insanity", you are in every single thread saying the same thing. Heck, you were 3 or 4 Insanity threads yesterday alone. In fact, many of your responses are cut and paste copies from other threads. Shortly after I chastised you yesterday, you went into someone's "Insanity results with pics" thread and tried to derail that one with more dire warnings. That is truly ignorant. :mad:

Since you don't do the workout yourself, you clearly have a personal agenda in actively seeking Insanity and Crossfit threads and who-knows-what-else-I-don't-know-about and expressing your disapproval. I agree that everyone needs a hobby, but c'mon on...

Honestly, it contributes nothing to these threads. Everyone already knows if something is too much there are alternatives. They know you can get hurt if you go too far. The videos say that too. You don't have to keep hinting that everyone can send the videos back. Your comments are redundant and frankly inappropriate.

There is no need for a beginners video. There are thousands of beginner workout DVDs. Beachbody themselves sells dozens of them. A beginner Insanity series wouldn't be Insanity. And FYI, the same DVD as the Fit Test includes a slow-motion tutorial showing the correct forms.

Insanity is an advanced cardio conditioning program and is clearly marked as such. Beginners can do it if they commit to the effort and slow the pace. Period. Depending on your goals it may be the most appropriate program for you, because this journey is as much about reinventing the person's mental self as it is about getting in shape physically.

You are also making the bold assumption that every single OP in every single thread is new to fitness and selects Insanity on their very first day...this may not be true.

Jane, if you are a Zumba live-class advocate you should stick to Zumba live-class threads where you can offer genuine contributions to the subject. If the time comes that you are ready for an intense physical and mental challenge, we will still be here. Meanwhile, please consider a new hobby.

Dan

zachherda

Jane your weight loss advice of "sending it back" and "insanity is too hard" shows a defeatist attitude and one the OP is not looking for. I would hate to be coached by you because you would not ever get anyone to hit their goals, if they complained of soreness, which like magic disappears in a few days with proper nutrition you would just have them quit. Like another mentioned, you go into insanity threads and try to get people to stop and send them back. This site is to help people and ANSWER their questions, not tear down people's workouts that THEY choose. 99% of the people in this world could complete insanity. If you think it is too hard, great stop telling people that tho.

If someone ordered Insanity that did not have the physical endurance to do the workouts, they would be better off sending it back for a refund and buying a different set of DVDs instead of forcing their body to do something that was obviously too much for them. If they want Insanity later, it will always be available.

That is not being defeatist, it is being realistic. I WAS answering the OP's question. If they were that exhausted, the workout was obviously beyond their endurance level at this time.

It is my belief that 99% of the people in this world can do almost anything, in this case complete Insanity. It is SO much more a mental thing than a physical thing. Why can I see a video of a 380 lb man complete Insanity and be total fine? Because it is doable by anyone who really is mental tough enough to endure. Exercising is not easy, if it was this site wouldn't exist, your negative attitude towards a product wouldn't exist, and America and other countries wouldn't have a weight epidemic. Why is it that in Navy Seal training they have a 90% failure rate? Especially when you talk to the instructors who say time and time again EVERYONE of these guys is physical capable of doing this, it is all MENTAL. That is an extreme example
But the fact remains that you can push your body much farther than you are probably aware of and be just fine, you just aren't at that mental readiness. Insanity is hard, but I am able to do if despite having an ACL reconstruction 7 months ago and being 50-60 lbs overweight? How is that possible, if this program is for a high level of fitness Jane how can I do it? Please tell me. Anyone out there considering Insanity, do it push your body to YOUR max, not Shaun t's max and you will do
Amazing!

wishfulcharms

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.

jchrisman717

I am almost 50, a little overweight and and definitely not in the best shape of my life. I love Insanity. You can modify and move at your own pace. You are not expected to jump in the fit test and do really good at it. It is only meant as a measure of your improvement. All through the program he tells you to go at your own pace, to slow down and do the exercise properly not just fast. The way he has built the program with the different workouts, he gives you a variety of different workouts in one week. Yes, he has it on a 60 day program, but if you need to skip and day and continue the next day - trust me you will still get results if you do. Shaun T himself recently did a 60 day challenge and had to skip a few days and he stressed that listening to your body and being safe is more important than just barreling through the workout.

If you are doing excercises at home on a dvd without any supervision, then you should know your body, wear a HRM so you can monitor your heart rate and be safe - whether it be Insanity, Jillian Michaels or Jane Fonda (see I told you I was old)!

lalonmeg000

it get's better. Insanity is really intense and I remember sleeping much better and more when I did it! Sleep of course is always a good idea lol but I needed a solid 8 to keep up (usually sleep more like 5-6). I just did the fit test again friday, and I slept so hard that night lol

Also protein shakes are a good idea, I use whey. Likewise I used advocare's spark, it's essentially an electrolyte powder. I would add it to my water and drink it during the workout and I didn't get the shakes or dizzy after.