Is Insanity a "shortcut"?

formerlynobel

However, with regards to your friend, my instinct is that she is a fitness snob for whom running is the be-all, end-all. Let's face it, many people feel the need to criticize without much information. No form of exercise is a shortcut. It's all about getting moving and up off the couch. Whether it's cross-fit, Insanity or just going taking your dog for a walk. My recommendation is to ignore the nay-sayers, take a look at what works for you and just stick with it.

I can't say I disagree with this, only because I used to think like her, too. Running is NOT the end-all, be-all of fitness. And when you don't have a gym membership and don't want to run outside everyday, these DVDs are the only things that can keep motivation up to work out and get on with your day. But to each their own -- if she doesn't want to try Insanity, at least don't harp on it by calling it a "shortcut" and short-changing the effort that's involved. Not everyone drops a ton of weight doing it, just like with running.

clintbritt3

Your friend is wrong.... you don't lose weight quickly while doing Insanity. You actually lose inches and build serious strength and muscle. I can say this because I did it. I only lost around 12lbs. during the time I did it (around 6-7 weeks) but I lost inches like crazy! It is high impact on your knees, so if you have weaker joints (i do, because I'm seriously double jointed) it can be rough on your body. I loved the energy and strength it gave me. I highly recommend it.

clintbritt3

A shortcut to what? I did Insanity over Christmas/New Year's and didn't lose any weight but my stamina, muscle and general fitness increased massively (and I lost almost 30"). It is a brilliant programme if you want to get FIT. I've incorporated it into my regular routine now and do Insanity workouts mixed with other strength training and cardio throughout the week. They are tough, but the feeling you get when you complete it is definitely amazing.

Completely agree... the stamina you create is amazing... now I wanna go pop in a DVD!

jerbear1962

I think Insanity is like any exercise program you get out what you put in. If you feel pain in a joint...that isn't normal quit it and seek a doctors opinion. Just because Arnold could bench 300 pounds doesn't mean I could too...I have my limitations. My knees are wore out from being fat and working on my feet for 30+ years. Do what you can with what you have.

dtenzie

I have done Insanity in the past and just recently started another round. I also go to the gym and run here and there. Insanity is hard on the tendons and joints. Any fitness regimen increases your chance of injuries. I can't even count how many people get injured from weights and running. At the end of the day it's about knowing your limits and being safe. When doing Insanity I put about 2 inches of padding under the carpet to ease the impact. I know alot of runners (friends) who brag about their fitness. When I ask them to try Insanity for a week..Their eyes are open because they realize that is an area where improvement is needed.

No way in the world it is a short cut because it requires commitment and dedication to complete the 60 days :-).

The program is only 60 Days but it mixes well if you drop it to 2-3 days per week in addition to weight training.

JodaNord

Just a statistic about running, its one of only a few sports with an almost 100% injury rate... Meaning almost everyone that runs, will get injured due to running.

Not all fitness programs fit each person, but not many boast such a high injury rate either, and i am pretty confident that Insanitys not that high a rate, or anywhere near!

Anastasia0511

People are going to either hate it or love it and everyone will have an opinion about it, Insanity. I have done both of the Insanity programs 3 times each. I did not have any weight to lose when I started and basically tried it out because of some personal stuff I had going on at the time. I needed a way to get out of my head and heal. Insanity more than delivered. I liked it so much that after the first time I waited a week and did it all over again this time prepping for the Asylum which is hands down my favorite workout ever!

I am not a professional in the exercise industry, I'm not a trainer, I'm not a Beachbody coach, none of that, but I've been known to push Insanity off on anyone who is willing to give it a try, and always tell them to modify every move that you cannot do, wear the best shoes that you can find, use the power mat if you have a wood floor, eat right, grab a recovery drink of some kind and feed your muscles and just try it and see how you like it, because it not only trains your body it gets inside of your head and trains your mind, and I think that if you don't completely have your mind right you're bound to repeat the same mistakes over and over again no matter what they are, weight loss or not. When your mind is right and you're on track and focusing everything else changes and just seems to fall into place.

So far Insanity and the Asylum are the only two workouts that I've used that have gotten inside of my head and made me a better person at LIFE. Sometimes I think I used Shaun T as a counselor lol because I refused to go to a shrink. I wasn't crazy I just happened to lose someone in a motorcycle accident want to give it a shot and yeah it was hard as hell and I was in shape and still modified the power jumps and took a few little breaks here and there to catch my breath in the beginning, but the more you do it the better at it you get and your cardiovascular levels increase and it becomes easier each time. Unfortunately most people don't make it that far or give it a chance and then Insanity gets a bad rap because all these people are talking negatively about it. Not that you or your friend are doing that, I'm just saying in general.

Anastasia0511

Believe it or not there is a way to land softly when doing certain moves. I never believed that until one day I actually started doing it and my knees no longer hurt because I had somehow learned to do the power jumps correctly.
I know people who have done Insanity and have modified every single exercise in the entire program with no jumping jacks, no power jumps, no v pushups, no suicides or do them at a slower pace, and the other things that were too hard for them, just so that they could hang out with Shaun T every day and get that vibe the he sends out. He's a powerful guy and he's very motivating, very motivating.
BUT, as much as I fricking love Insanity and refuse to stop doing it lol, I am sure that further on down the line I may or may not, end up with stiff joints. I do not say this to be rude at all so I hope no one takes this the wrong way. I'm 5'8 and at the time I did Insanity I weighed around 140 pounds and I had to modify the Power jumps because why? They killed my fricking right knee which is bad already. So if someone was to use Insanity at a heavier weight, someone who is overweight I suppose I can totally see how it would mess their joints up even the ones in your wrists from putting a lot of weight on them doing push ups etc so maybe try Insanity after you've lost a little weight?...

goalpeace

IMO, this is the whole reason why EVERY single program says "Do not start any exercise program without consulting your Dr."

We are all different! Some may be at risk of joint pain, etc. but her opinion is just that!

Anastasia0511

Insanity, or any other high impact workout is not a short cut. Diet Pills, Meth, not eating, are examples of short cuts.

Lol, I love this

BeantownSooner

So running 5 miles a day on pavement 5-6 times a week is good for your joints? Hmmm who knew!!!

smccb

I imagine every workout is different for every person.

I run 5K here at home on a regular basis, but always get really sore hip, knee, and ankle joints afterwards.

I do Insanity in my carpeted basement and have yet to experience the same pain.

Insanity is for athletes, or for those who would like to become athletes. It reminds me of my track and field days and football practice. I can't see what the short cut would be. There are those of us who do it not to lose weight but to get fit and give the metabolism a healthy boost. Who doesn't love to be able to eat more? :-)

Anastasia0511

There are those of us who do it not to lose weight but to get fit and give the metabolism a healthy boost.

Exactly, I did it to clear my mind and gain strength. I have always felt like I was a weakling and that workout toughened me up and gave me stamina and power and the drive and motivation skills that I needed, and I have come a long way since then mentally and physically, and with all the programs that I have done since Insanity, my next big gig now is Krav Maga and that type of training ain't no joke. I kind of have Insanity to thank for giving me the mental attitude to get through all these crazy fitness programs. Insanity was a life changer for me.

mocoon

Yesssss!!

Emancipated_Tai

facepalm.

No, because she is afraid of joint damage with high-intensity day-after-day workouts.

Nobody here is silly. They just have opinions.

You can't say "it is designed for this and this person" because it is used as an infomercial-- all types buy it. The common friends that we know that have tried it are NOT gymrats, nor did they previously work out. And they haven't worked out since.

Not to beat a dead horse, but you just validated what I stated in the beginning. The MAJORITY of people are those who work out. Endurance training, like insanity, is designed to help you improve on physical activities as well as helping with weight loss. With that being said, if your building your endurance, I’m pretty sure the point is to continue to workout after. The infomercial even tells you the program isn’t for everyone, and the DVD has a clear disclaimer of the same effect; specifically stating to discontinue the program if it is not within your fitness level.

Anyone can buy a program, but that doesn’t mean they have the capacity to stick with it. Your friends that you mentioned did not work out prior to doing insanity, so it’s not hard to believe they haven’t worked out since.

I will say your right, the friends opinion isn’t silly. I just don’t understand why someone would make that statement and she hasn’t tried it. Being a personal trainer doesn’t mean you have the “know all” on how people should exercise or get healthy, it is only a baseline. The problem with that is not everyone will reap the same results following that baseline. Equally so, not everyone will reap the benefits of the insanity program.

Vansy

I don't see insanity as a short-cut to anything.

I've done insanity twice, and asylum once. and I plan to do the insanity/asylum hybrid program during September. It's not a short-cut to anything....I continue doing it because I love how powerful and strong I feel and it kicks my *kitten* (in the 45-60 minute videos) a lot more then I could kick my own *kitten* in the gym. Yeah, I could go lift weights and do cardio for 2-2.5 hours a day, but I would much rather get the same results from doing a 45-minute video at home and going for a quick run or hoping on the elliptical.
Especially for me because I would much rather spend those extra 2 hours at home with my dogs, then have to spend MORE time away from them (between full-time work, hour commute, etc.).

AppetiteForDestruction

I may be missing your friends point, but I started Insanity at 422.8 lbs.. I have completed it a few times and tomorrow will be the start of my 3rd go round. I have lost over 111 lbs through TWO sessions of Insanity and personally, I do not see where losing 111 lbs. was a short cut to anything. I get my *kitten* kicked every time I put the DVD in. If there is a short cut to this program, PLEASE FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, tell me where it is.

Like I said, I have lost over 100 lbs and the weight is not coming back, please tell your friend that she is mistaken for her thought that Insanity is a shortcut.

Azdak

I think the friend of the OP is mixing up her examples. I think she is confusing something like Insanity with crash dieting or some type of unrealistic workout routine like you would see on The Biggest Loser.

She might also be responding to the overhyped advertising which, like most weight loss testimonials, emphasizes quick and dramatic results. The concern about people engaging in "heroic" short-term diet and workout plans just to lose weight (and then go back to their "nomal" lifestyle afterward) is legitimate, but I see nothing inherent about Insanity that promotes that approach.

Insanity is just a higher-intensity workout program. There is nothing magic or horrible about it. It's a higher-intensity program that will appeal to some people and be contraindicated for others.

PRprincess

I'm currently doing the Insanity workout. I don't consider it a shortcut, I workout in the mornings and then do Insanity at night. If I can't get morning a workout in than I just do Insanity. It is hard on the knees, so I replace some of the jumping moves with the other exercises. The main thing is to move, doesn't matter what exercise your doing as long as your exercising.

ReyneDrop

I've done the first month of Insanity, but then I had to move for college and my apartment is much too small (plus the carpeting isn't ideal- rug burns HURT!). Honestly, Insanity, like any other DVD program, is only as intense as you make it. Some people use it unhealthily. They will be doing that and not keeping careful account of their HR, go far above their max, and push past physical injury, and then reduce calories a ton. However, the actual package comes with warnings and risks. I'm not in the best shape, but I was able to do most of the first month relatively easily- what I mean by that is I had ONE injury that month (a strained calf after the first day) and I could never keep up with the push-up type exercises (no upper body strength...). I'd get my HR into the high 170s/low 180s and make sure I was resting enough and getting that to drop back down during the rest periods- sometimes I'd have to take 5-10 seconds longer than what he gave us, but that really isn't the point.

HIIT is no worse on your joints than any other type of pylometric workout. HIIT simply refers to the fact that you're getting your HR up HIGH (like 85% of max HR) and then you rest so your HR goes down. The up and down stresses your heart more, which is why it is more effective. Is it any worse for your heart? Not really. People with heart conditions do need to be careful, but typically you will not see damage. It's when you get to maximal effort that you need to be careful. This is why Shaun T says you should check your HR frequently and why he lists minimum requirements. If you aren't going to check your HR and yet you try to follow him exactly, if you can't do the minimum requirements, you probably have not reached the amount of fitness required to keep your HR in a relatively safe level.

As far as being bad on the joints- like I said, any plyo is going to stress the joints. And truthfully, so is running. Running is TERRIBLE on the joints, actually. Many long-distance runners need hip and knee replacements before they turn 60. Tennis can be awful on the joints- think about the plyo involved there, or any sport, really. Basically, activity is going to be rough of the joints. There is no "perfect" activity that encompasses the greatest benefits in all areas without hurting you at all. Swimming might come close, though... If you want to look at Insanity as a "short cut," you need to look at any exercise as one, too. Running could be considered a "short cut."

I think the only problem with Insanity is that most people who do it have no idea what they are really burning and thus either over or under-compensate for the caloric burn. The problem isn't so much with the exercise, but that people use it to burn a lot of calories and then come across losing more than 1% of their body weight a week, which is where majority of weight-loss related problems start to kick in. But, that same negative effect can be achieved by, say, running 7 mi a day and not adjusting calories consumed.