Turbo Fire vs. Insanity

Amandac6772

Ok I have Turbo Fire and really love it and I'm just wondering about buying Insanity. Would there be that much difference in the two programs to spend the money? Who has done both?

murf19

Hi,

Insanity is a high octain cardio workout. It is difficult but it works as does Turbo Fire. I would consider Insanity a step up or more from Turbo Fire. If you've done Turbo Fire and are looking for someithing more intense, Do it. P90X has the high intensity cardio but also has the weight lifting.

nursevee

They all have their individual benefits. If working out at home works for you then definately invest... Hip Hops Abs is way fun too!

murf19

I also posted this recently to someone else who asked about starting turbo again
Hey,

If you haven't done Turbo Jam in a while, I'd go in order. You can learn the 11 exercises etc. If you know the DVDs and feel you can handle the workouts, do any one you want.
learn and do the 11video, 20 min workout, the weight one which is fast paced, 45 min cardio and an abs one. I honestly don't think they need to be done in any order.

How do you feel today , abs, weight training, dance, cardio.... You re in charge. Dust them off and press play!

HollyMac20

I have done Turbo Fire, Insanity and P90X. Insanity is hard, really hard, but he gives you breaks for 30-60sec. There are no breaks in Turbo Fire. From a cardio stand point, I thought Turbo Fire was just as hard if not more so. Muscle wise, Insanity is much harder. There are a lot of push ups, squats and jumps. If you go with Insanity, but ready for a lot of up and down and jumping. P90X is a great program for strength training, but if you have been doing Turbo Fire, the cardio is a cake walk.

After re-reading your original post, Turbo Fire and Insanity are very different programs. They are similar enough that they transition well, but you will not feel like you are doing the same work out. No dancing or rhythme in Insanity. It is like the worst (or best, depending on your sick idea of fitness torture fun) sports training workouts. There is some punching when he does boxing drills, but it is a lot of running in place, high knees, jumping jacks, tuck jumps, push ups, mountain climbers and squats.

I enjoy doing a P90X/Turbo Fire hybrid. That is my favorite.

Let me know if you have more questions!

ErinMarie25

imo, Insanity is a lot harder than TF. I have done TF since it came out. I started Insanity since TF has no affect on me anymore and all I can say is, it's a lot harder than it looks!

glfprncs2

I've done both (Insanity after 3 rounds of P90X and Turbo Fire after 3 rounds of P90X, a round of Insanity and a round of ChaLean Extreme).

I like Insanity because I truly was in the best cardiovascular shape of my life. My recovery rates were outstanding, and the program was a true challenge to me. That said, my knees were a wreck afterwards, I ended up with a torn intercostal ligament on my right side/lower ribcage that took 8 weeks to heal, and I just felt that the pounding on my body wasn't worth it. I also found it quite boring. HATED the warm-up every single day.

I like Turbo Fire because I, again, am in great cardiovascular shape, it doesn't make my knees or hips hurt (even during the HIIT weeks), and my recovery rates are still very good. In addition, I truly love the variety and the music. I can honestly say that there isn't anything I dislike about the program except that some of the moves in a few of the workouts are just awkward when they're strung together...they just don't flow. Also, the choreography is daunting for some people, however, over time you learn the cuing and it is easy to keep up. Finally, I burn more calories doing Turbo Fire (according to both my HRM and my Bodybugg) workouts that are the same time length than Insanity. Probably because of the total body moves that incorporate both upper, lower and jumping drills.

One thing that both programs truly lack, though, (and something I definitely noticed during Insanity) is a lack of strength training. While TF has the Tone30 and Sculpt 30 workouts, and Insanity has the Power & Resistance workout, neither are true resistance workouts that are going to increase lean muscle mass, something that I believe emphatically about women needing. Both would make a good hybrid with another strength based program such as CLX or P90X.

Anyhow, that's my 2 cents. Others on here love, love, love Insanity. It just wasn't my thing. I appreciate the program for what it is...a hard core cardio program, but it's not for everyone.