Crossfit vs Insanity

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onikonor
onikonor Posts: 473 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Opinions please.

I find both of them equally tough. But looking for feedback of pros and cons of one vs the other.

Replies

  • ilovedeadlifts
    ilovedeadlifts Posts: 2,923 Member
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    I don't know much about insanity. But I can assume the crossfit would involve heavier lifting.

    But it really depends on the facility, because I've seen some horror stories of awful crossfit gyms.
    The programming is random at best, and I see a lot of people sacrificing form for speed so they can finish in faster times.


    I'd reccommend joining a gym and lifting.
  • dr3wman
    dr3wman Posts: 205
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    They are both good cardio
  • onikonor
    onikonor Posts: 473 Member
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    I don't know much about insanity. But I can assume the crossfit would involve heavier lifting.

    But it really depends on the facility, because I've seen some horror stories of awful crossfit gyms.
    The programming is random at best, and I see a lot of people sacrificing form for speed so they can finish in faster times.


    I'd reccommend joining a gym and lifting.

    The gym I joined is actually very good. They specialize in heavy lifting and a lot of people there switched from gyms that sacrifice lifting due to class sizes being very big.

    From what I have been so far Insanity is mostly cardio while crossfit is half cardio half strength for the same 60 minutes. I'm not sure which is better.
  • kcargyle
    kcargyle Posts: 1
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    I have been doing Crossfit for 4 years now. I am a 54 year old woman and I just do what I can, I try and increase my time and weight. I love my box and my coach. It is always challenging, different and I love the fact that it incorporates both cardio and weights.
  • musicmanomar
    musicmanomar Posts: 47
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    I have finished Insanity a long time ago and felt like I needed a new challenge and that is when I joined a crossfit gym. Best decision ever. At crossfit you work on all levels of fitness such as speed, strength, agility, balance, etc. which you use in real life situations unlike going to the gym and doing curls... when do you ever really do that? Anyways If you are more of a cardio perrson then I would do Insanity but if you want to get better at everything, then I would do Crossfit. It is high intensity workouts so you really do get a good workout and see results, especially if you follow the lifestyle. I love it.

    Do remember to try out different crossfit gyms since you may like one more than another, i tried all 5 in my area before i decided which one was more suited for me. Best of luck. You can add me if you have any more questions!
  • garciaojeda
    garciaojeda Posts: 2
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    I have finished Insanity a long time ago and felt like I needed a new challenge and that is when I joined a crossfit gym. Best decision ever. At crossfit you work on all levels of fitness such as speed, strength, agility, balance, etc. which you use in real life situations unlike going to the gym and doing curls... when do you ever really do that? Anyways If you are more of a cardio perrson then I would do Insanity but if you want to get better at everything, then I would do Crossfit. It is high intensity workouts so you really do get a good workout and see results, especially if you follow the lifestyle. I love it.

    Do remember to try out different crossfit gyms since you may like one more than another, i tried all 5 in my area before i decided which one was more suited for me. Best of luck. You can add me if you have any more questions!

    I completely agree with you. Crossfit is a better overall workout. I joined my box in Feb 2012, and went from 191lbs to 175 lbs. Crossfit is also quantitative: they monitor and record your progress so you can see the your improvements. You can also do that through some cool apps (i use myWOD). The cool thing is that I'm getting stronger and more fit. Definitely try different gyms to find one that suits you. I'm very lucky that Crossfit Merced is an awesome place.
  • redhousecat
    redhousecat Posts: 584 Member
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    where I live, Insanity is a fraction of the cost of crossfit. Crossfit is cool, but crazy expensive.
  • grandpafunk
    grandpafunk Posts: 1
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    Here's the reality. Crossfit is insanely expensive (pun intended). Insanity is free if you can get someone to lend you DVD's.

    I currently go to a conventional gym for about $35/mo. The gym has some cardio classes which I go to, but I mostly lift weights and use the equipment. I have a set of Insanity DVD's from a friend who did the program, and I do those on the weekends. This way I try to do both strength training and get some cardio/balance/agility with Insanity. Yes, Crossfit will get you an overall more effective workout. But I've been to Crossfit classes to check them out, and I was more than able to keep up. I think if you're smart and do your homework you can get the same results without paying the $200/mo for a crossfit gym.

    However, I will say there is no shame in spending the money on a crossfit gym. People get really fit doing it.
  • JNick77
    JNick77 Posts: 3,783 Member
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    Opinions please.

    I find both of them equally tough. But looking for feedback of pros and cons of one vs the other.

    They're not all that different, they're both more cardio / endurance based than anything.
  • toholio
    toholio Posts: 46 Member
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    The programming is random at best

    That also depends on which Crossfit gym you go to. Good coaches will do sensible programming though unless you come consistently you might not benefit from it.
  • LiftSpark
    LiftSpark Posts: 1
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    Here's the reality. Crossfit is insanely expensive (pun intended). Insanity is free if you can get someone to lend you DVD's.

    I currently go to a conventional gym for about $35/mo. The gym has some cardio classes which I go to, but I mostly lift weights and use the equipment. I have a set of Insanity DVD's from a friend who did the program, and I do those on the weekends. This way I try to do both strength training and get some cardio/balance/agility with Insanity. Yes, Crossfit will get you an overall more effective workout. But I've been to Crossfit classes to check them out, and I was more than able to keep up. I think if you're smart and do your homework you can get the same results without paying the $200/mo for a crossfit gym.

    However, I will say there is no shame in spending the money on a crossfit gym. People get really fit doing it.

    If you've only been to a few "CrossFit" classes they were only introductory classes designed to provide people a taste of what its like. Intro classes are far from most of the general programming that goes on (That's for both good and mediocre boxes). And sure you can "keep up" with others in the class, that's just the competitive nature of it all. Now if you can "Fran" in sub 2:30, or even 5:00 then maybe yea, you may need different programming.

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