Will Insanity make me lose the muscle/strength I've built?

chlowheee

So I'm almost done with T25 Gamma. I've gone through Alpha, Beta, and Gamma...I was 147 lbs before I started, and was 138 lbs by the time I finished Beta. The thing is my goal is to at least lose 15 more pounds, but since I started Gamma, the last phase, that doesn't look like it's gonna happen I'm gaining nice muscle and getting a lot stronger from the Gamma workouts, but I feel like my body fat is the same. After 4 weeks of Gamma, I feel tighter and can tell my muscles are bigger, but the fat is STILL covering everything I worked hard for... I lost no weight or even inches.

I'm thinking of just stopping it altogether 'cause I figured, what's the use of building muscle when you can't even see it

So I opted to try insanity first, to get shredded and lose all the fat, then get back into Gamma to regain muscle mass. Cause I heard it's better to lose weight before lifting.

But will Insanity negate everything I did in T25 strength-training-wise? Will it just toss what I worked for in the trash? I understand that I may lose some mass (which is what I'm terrified of, there's nothing sadder than losing what you worked so hard for), but will the strength I built up go back down, as well, since insanity has no weights, whatsoever?

Please help I'm so worried...I hate having to sacrifice all the muscle I worked hard to build, but at the same time, I guess a sacrifice needs to be made to lose fat.

fe_nyx

I've just finished Insanity, and did it straight after finished T25 (right through to Gamma). I know everyone will be different, but for me, Insanity actually improved my muscle definition, as well as my strength. Yes there is a lot of cardio in Insanity, but also a bit of strength work (on the floor plank styles) using your own body weight. I found it really good

chlowheee

I've just finished Insanity, and did it straight after finished T25 (right through to Gamma). I know everyone will be different, but for me, Insanity actually improved my muscle definition, as well as my strength. Yes there is a lot of cardio in Insanity, but also a bit of strength work (on the floor plank styles) using your own body weight. I found it really good

Thank you sooo much!!! It was helpful hearing from someone who finished Gamma and went into T25!! I feel better now about getting into it. Thanks!

catsmeat

Why not finish Gamma, but lower your calorie intake? If you aren't losing fat, but want to, I mean, it seems like the logical step. Then you should keep your gains, but get the definition you want.

You probably don't need as many calories doing T25 as you might think. I know I don't.

GrumpyAG

Hey

I gained 2kg of muscle and dropped 6% fat when I did insanity last year I've just started again so hoping for great results again.

fe_nyx

I've just finished Insanity, and did it straight after finished T25 (right through to Gamma). I know everyone will be different, but for me, Insanity actually improved my muscle definition, as well as my strength. Yes there is a lot of cardio in Insanity, but also a bit of strength work (on the floor plank styles) using your own body weight. I found it really good

Thank you sooo much!!! It was helpful hearing from someone who finished Gamma and went into T25!! I feel better now about getting into it. Thanks!

You're welcome Good luck with Insanity. I thought I was pretty fit and strong already, but it still kicked my butt (in a good way of course - a love/hate thing)

fe_nyx

Hey

I gained 2kg of muscle and dropped 6% fat when I did insanity last year I've just started again so hoping for great results again.

Yep ^ I also gained weight with Insanity, but dropped inches

RGv2

Hey

I gained 2kg of muscle and dropped 6% fat when I did insanity last year I've just started again so hoping for great results again.

impressive to gain 4lbs of muscle, in a deficit...losing 6%BF..... as it's virtually impossible.

PAtinCO

Just don't follow the calorie guidelines in the nutrition plan and try to eat enough to compensate for all the calories you'll burn in the workouts instead. For me, maintenance intake on Insanity would be about 2500 calories per day.

H_Factor

you don't really gain muscle with T25 gamma. you strengthen muscle fibers, but you're not gaining enough muscle to cause a scale gain. What you eat/drink is the biggest factor in whether you're going to burn fat. Most of the calories burned during any exercise...T25, Insanity, P90X, etc....is water weight. You burn fat in the kitchen. So, if you want to burn more fat, take a closer look at your nutrition. As for exercise, do whatever you enjoy doing.

contingencyplan

It depends on where you're coming from. People who transition to Insanity from primarily strength training based programs (such as P90X, Body Beast, or conventional gym based workout programs) do typically see decreases in measurable strength and lean mass when doing Insanity, though not THAT significant. However, coming off of T25 this doesn't apply to you.

No_Finish_Line

Neither one is designed to build mass so i wouldn't worry about it at all.

but to go a little further to answer your question, it is typical to lose some strength and/or mass when focusing on losing fat.

the good new is... that only REALLY matters if your training for a sport. If what you really want to do is look good, you wont notice the small amount of muscle you might lose, because everything is going to appear bigger/more muscular when you look in the mirror anyway.

vicdamone78

Neither of them are designed to build muscle. They are designed to shred the fat and maintain most of your muscle if done correctly. I finished T25 about a month ago. I lost 19 lbs., 5 inches from my waist and 6% body fat. From 165 - 146 lbs, 37 inch waist - 32 and from 24% body fat - 18%. Although I feel I did lose some lean mass along the way, it wasn't anything significant. I kept a clean healthy diet, lot's of protein and kept a 500 cal deficit daily. I am now doing Insanity along with some Hirt workouts(weights) and still keeping a clean diet but this time I'm eating closer to maintenance because I don't want to lose any muscle. I'm currently 142 lbs., 31 inch waist and 16% body fat. My goal is to lose a little more body fat before I start to bulk up again. And trust me the fat didn't come off because of T25. T25 was more of a tool that helped me see better results and get my body in better shape. MY DIET WAS THE KEY TO MY WEIGHT LOSS.

I hope this helps a little bit. Don't worry so much about losing some muscle if you're really trying to lose fat. Your diet should be your main focus.

chlowheee

Why not finish Gamma, but lower your calorie intake? If you aren't losing fat, but want to, I mean, it seems like the logical step. Then you should keep your gains, but get the definition you want.

You probably don't need as many calories doing T25 as you might think. I know I don't.

I've been eating only 1200 calories though, with lots of proteins, greens, healthy fats and no sweets or processed foods

chlowheee

you don't really gain muscle with T25 gamma. you strengthen muscle fibers, but you're not gaining enough muscle to cause a scale gain. What you eat/drink is the biggest factor in whether you're going to burn fat. Most of the calories burned during any exercise...T25, Insanity, P90X, etc....is water weight. You burn fat in the kitchen. So, if you want to burn more fat, take a closer look at your nutrition. As for exercise, do whatever you enjoy doing.

Oh okay thanks. Yeah I eat healthy, I'm taking in a lot of proteins, greens/veggies, fruits, more fiberful food, lots of water, and no sugary or processed foods

chlowheee

Neither one is designed to build mass so i wouldn't worry about it at all.

but to go a little further to answer your question, it is typical to lose some strength and/or mass when focusing on losing fat.

the good new is... that only REALLY matters if your training for a sport. If what you really want to do is look good, you wont notice the small amount of muscle you might lose, because everything is going to appear bigger/more muscular when you look in the mirror anyway.

Ohhh I'm confused, 'cause I have friends who did T25 who I can see have like really pronounced muscles or hard thighs, and they said they've only done t25 and nothing else, so i figured it built muscle.

I'm more concerned about the strength portion than how I look, 'cause since T25 I'm able to do pullups and pushups like never before, and I'm scared I may lose some of that ability once I start insanity

chlowheee

Thanks, I'm actually doing the same as you, lots of healthy food intake (rarely any processed foods/sugary sweets), like proteins, veggies/greens, fruit, lots of water, etc...but not really losing I think I'm holding onto water weight since I don't *excrete* as much as I used to...

contingencyplan

Neither one is designed to build mass so i wouldn't worry about it at all.

but to go a little further to answer your question, it is typical to lose some strength and/or mass when focusing on losing fat.

the good new is... that only REALLY matters if your training for a sport. If what you really want to do is look good, you wont notice the small amount of muscle you might lose, because everything is going to appear bigger/more muscular when you look in the mirror anyway.

Ohhh I'm confused, 'cause I have friends who did T25 who I can see have like really pronounced muscles or hard thighs, and they said they've only done t25 and nothing else, so i figured it built muscle.

I'm more concerned about the strength portion than how I look, 'cause since T25 I'm able to do pullups and pushups like never before, and I'm scared I may lose some of that ability once I start insanity

In those cases people lost fat, which just revealed the muscle they already have.

Also, you will lose pullup strength following any program that doesn't have you doing pullups. Insanity does not have you doing pullups.

No_Finish_Line

Neither one is designed to build mass so i wouldn't worry about it at all.

but to go a little further to answer your question, it is typical to lose some strength and/or mass when focusing on losing fat.

the good new is... that only REALLY matters if your training for a sport. If what you really want to do is look good, you wont notice the small amount of muscle you might lose, because everything is going to appear bigger/more muscular when you look in the mirror anyway.

Ohhh I'm confused, 'cause I have friends who did T25 who I can see have like really pronounced muscles or hard thighs, and they said they've only done t25 and nothing else, so i figured it built muscle.

I'm more concerned about the strength portion than how I look, 'cause since T25 I'm able to do pullups and pushups like never before, and I'm scared I may lose some of that ability once I start insanity

right, like the other guy said, the firmness, shape and definition enhancements they experienced were more due to fat loss revealing muscle that was already there. quite frankly, if most men could just magically drop the fat off thier body, they'd probably be suprised at how muscular they appear.

if your worried about pull ups, just do some pull ups 2-3 times a week.

if your strength goals really are that much more important to you then any other goal, you might want to consider a straight up weight lifting program (assuming you have access to equpiment). although insanity and anything BB gets two thumbs up from me.

contingencyplan

Neither one is designed to build mass so i wouldn't worry about it at all.

but to go a little further to answer your question, it is typical to lose some strength and/or mass when focusing on losing fat.

the good new is... that only REALLY matters if your training for a sport. If what you really want to do is look good, you wont notice the small amount of muscle you might lose, because everything is going to appear bigger/more muscular when you look in the mirror anyway.

Ohhh I'm confused, 'cause I have friends who did T25 who I can see have like really pronounced muscles or hard thighs, and they said they've only done t25 and nothing else, so i figured it built muscle.

I'm more concerned about the strength portion than how I look, 'cause since T25 I'm able to do pullups and pushups like never before, and I'm scared I may lose some of that ability once I start insanity

right, like the other guy said, the firmness, shape and definition enhancements they experienced were more due to fat loss revealing muscle that was already there. quite frankly, if most men could just magically drop the fat off thier body, they'd probably be suprised at how muscular they appear.

if your worried about pull ups, just do some pull ups 2-3 times a week.

if your strength goals really are that much more important to you then any other goal, you might want to consider a straight up weight lifting program (assuming you have access to equpiment). although insanity and anything BB gets two thumbs up from me.

Agreed. If strength increases are THAT important to you, a program like Insanity isn't going to cut the mustard. You need to be doing a program that emphasizes strength training above all else. bodybuilding.com has a bunch. For home use, ones like Athlean-X or P90X are not bad.