P90X vs. Insanity

What are you looking to get out of it? P90X is more strength-based, Insanity more cardio. I liked both, but I got the best results out of P90X. It depends what you're looking for.

I started with turbofire, it's cardio base, with strength as a side extra.

I then went to insanity. I used it as a cross training tool while training for a half marathon. I also did it as it's body weight, until I could invest in heavier weights.

I've now finished insanity, and I'm onto week 2 of p90x. P90x is more strength based, and is very different to insanity.

I'm glad I did insanity 1st however, why? cause I'm so close to my ultimate goal weight, so now it's time for me to get toned.

I am doing p90x as a hybrid with running & turbofire. I'm also adding kettleworx core into it as well (instead of their abs workout).

Tony is a goof. I love chalene, I love how she teaches. You can tell that she and Shaun T have taught classes, cause when they say right you go right but she is going left which is our right, make sense (so she uses stage right, stage left), which Tony doesn't do. When he says right side, he is literally using his right side and not a mirror, I prefer the mirror training.

Insanity is almost exclusively cardio. P90X is more overall fitness with a mix of strength and cardio and the guide that comes with P90X lays out 3 different options for how to use it, one of which is called "lean". While Insanity doesn't require any more equipment than comfortable workout clothes, good shoes, and if you can afford it a heart rate monitor, the only thing you really need besides that for P90X would be some resistance bands that you can get at Target or Walmart at low cost and you can use those in place of the pull-up bar and the hand weights. As long as you get something that gives enough resistance there are band versions of all the weight/pull-up moves in P90X. All that said, if weight loss is your focus your diet has the most influence on that, so you have to get that right regardless of which program you choose. If your diet is crap (pardon my french), it really won't matter either way. Both are challenging. Both have their benefits. If you just want to do intense cardio then Insanity will give you that.

By the way, if money is tight, you can get a number of DVD's from Jillian Michaels and Bob Harper very cheaply and they are solid workouts as well. Those you can just go buy a new one each time your budget allows.

I'm doing Insanity right now and let me tell you, it's hard. Even if you take breaks without technically being 'allowed' to I'm still sweating up a storm and sore the next day. I haven't tried P90X mostly because I heard it requires equipment.

I have a friend that decided to start with P90X and I started with Insanity. We are both sore and both are working to our potential. For a bit over a year we have both been doing workouts from lifting, to running, etc. Then when we started DVD workouts, I went to Tae Bo and Bootcamps, she went to Power90...actually think I saw more results if you go by our before and after pics (that we took together, lol). I am loving Insanity and it's a total challenge, but she is challenged by P90X. I guess it's all what you are looking for. By the sounds of it though, you would probably get more from Insanity out of the 2. Feel free to add me if you want... as long as you reciprocate encouragement and don't mind honesty. I will be the first to admit I suck at hand-holding, but am great for a kick in the pants - which is something I sometimes need too LOL! Either way, good luck to you and no doubt you will rock either one!!

As a side note: for either program, plan on throwing out your scale once you do initial start-up numbers. Take measurements and scale reading to start, but on neither program will you see scale drop immediately due to working different muscles. You need to allow both programs the time to work and the scale will only discourage you. Hope that helps!