p90x or insanity?

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cailinlowe
cailinlowe Posts: 161 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Alright friends, here's the deal, there is 17 weeks and 3 days until my spring break (3/11/13). I will be finishing Jillian Michael's 30 Day Shred next Thursday (11/15/12) and trying to decide which workout program to do next that will get me close to where I want to be for spring break.

What is your recommendation? p90x or insanity, and WHY?

Also, with whatever program, should I start right away, or rest a week or so? (If I start right away, that's starting the week of Thanksgiving and I"m not sure I can handle that)

Thanks for all your opinions and answers. Feel free to add me on here for motivation and support :]

start weight: 186
current weight: 175.4
goal weight: 130-145
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Replies

  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,400 MFP Moderator
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    P90X... weights are better for fat loss and you will get much stronger from p90x than you would from insanity. And i would take a week off and eat at maintenance. This way your hormones are regulated before you start. Also, follow he Beachbody calorie plan, not MFP. You will need a ton of calories for both of these programs.

    Also, p90x2 is my favorite bb set right now. And i have done clx, insanity/p90x, and p90x2
  • cailinlowe
    cailinlowe Posts: 161 Member
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    Also, I'm not actually buying the programs. i already have the videos so im finding the calendars online and just going to follow them. I am not able to buy the programs or the foodstuffs that come with it because i'm a poor college kid. However, I am eating fairly healthy and drinking tons of water. I understand that I will not get the ultimate results if i dont do the exact program, but it'll still be awesome.
  • wrevhn
    wrevhn Posts: 864 Member
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    I have p90x, its good. The dvds are longer though, alot 45 min +. Insanity is shorter I think. Both are good.
  • cailinlowe
    cailinlowe Posts: 161 Member
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    bump
  • kelly_e_montana
    kelly_e_montana Posts: 1,999 Member
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    When I finish my 30 DS, I would like to do Chalean Extreme. P90X just looks like it would take so long each day that i might not do it. Do you like weights or cardio better? I have a friend who is doing Turbo Fire who really likes it, too.

    The other thing is that you will get results out of calorie deficit for weight loss no matter how you get that deficit, but if you build muscle, your metabolism will be higher overall all the time AND, for you, most importantly, you will look more toned in a bathing suit. I am a yo yo dieter unfortunately and have learned that people notice my weight loss as soon as I start adding heavier weights because I just seem more toned instead of getting skinny-fat.
  • mjterp
    mjterp Posts: 655 Member
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    bumping because I want to know too!
  • mjterp
    mjterp Posts: 655 Member
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    This is JUST gossip...I heard somewhere that P90X has better form and less risk for injury than Insanity (likely because of the higher impact factor?) But I also heard that using your own body weight for resistance (Insanity) shapes your body better.
    So in my mind, that put them both on equal footing again. I know someone at work that is doing Insanity. She has lost over 100 pounds and likes that it doesn't use weights. I think she is on her second or maybe it is her third time through. BUT one user does NOT a valid survey make. SO...again I leave to eagerly await the responses of those that are truly "in the know."
  • cailinlowe
    cailinlowe Posts: 161 Member
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    I've been looking around online, and i really can see the pros and cons of both. the reason i'm leaning more towards insanity, is the fact that the workouts are shorter, the whole program is shorter, and i need NO equipment. right now i really just need to lose a lot of fat. insanity is mostly cardio, which targets fat. and there will be some toning there. After i lose most of the fat is when i will start to be concerned with lifting weights and getting lots of muscle. I'll get some muscle and toning doing insanity, but right now i really need to get rid of fat. If i start the Sunday after thanksgiving (11/25), I would be done with insanity by January 23, which would leave me with 6.5 weeks to do weight and strength training before my spring break trip.
  • JenMcCrory
    JenMcCrory Posts: 105 Member
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    P90x is good and it works if you follow it BUT
    -It is long. Each workout is at least an hour.
    -It can get very repititive although you change the weight dvds each phase you don't change the cardio ones.
    -The only really good cardio dvd is Plyo. The yoga dvd is so long!!!!!
    -There are a lot of pull ups which I found hard even with a chair

    I have it and I have started it about 4 times never finished it because of reasons above. The furthest I got was 6 weeks and I had great results but I just couldn't keep it up.

    Never tried Insanity so can't comment. I'm doing Jillian Michaels Body Revolution at the moment and love it you could check that out. Good luck!!!
  • Blmarlborough
    Blmarlborough Posts: 28
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    I personally like to do a hybrid of the two. Use P90x whenever I want to shake up my usual workout schedule. And I typically do Insanity for a Cardio session.
  • charelg
    charelg Posts: 599 Member
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    I've done some of p90, but that was before I got into working out. So,I don't recommend if you haven't been working out much, that being said you need a pull up bar and weights. One of the DVDs is a lot of strength training, I got discouraged bc I couldn't do a pull up then. Soooooo, now I'm on week four of insanity, you also need to be in somewhat shape for it. It requires no equipment. Workouts are 30-60 minutes, mostly cardio, lots of hard cardio. Where as p90 does arms one day, ply one day, legs one day, back...etc..so far Insanity has been cardio. But I've never sweated that much doing a workout as insanity, I'm going to finish it so hopefully be wend if this yr my Gw will be achieved. Then on to p 90, which is 90 days Vs 60. I recommend insanity if you can handle cardio, I think you will lose weight and tone up faster, then move on to p 90...IMO. Feel free to add me or message me :)
  • charelg
    charelg Posts: 599 Member
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    I've done some of p90, but that was before I got into working out. So,I don't recommend if you haven't been working out much, that being said you need a pull up bar and weights. One of the DVDs is a lot of strength training, I got discouraged bc I couldn't do a pull up then. Soooooo, now I'm on week four of insanity, you also need to be in somewhat shape for it. It requires no equipment. Workouts are 30-60 minutes, mostly cardio, lots of hard cardio. Where as p90 does arms one day, ply one day, legs one day, back...etc..so far Insanity has been cardio. But I've never sweated that much doing a workout as insanity, I'm going to finish it so hopefully be wend if this yr my Gw will be achieved. Then on to p 90, which is 90 days Vs 60. I recommend insanity if you can handle cardio, I think you will lose weight and tone up faster, then move on to p 90...IMO. Feel free to add me or message me :)
  • JatieKo621
    JatieKo621 Posts: 425 Member
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    I LOVE INSANITY! I am actually working back into shape to do it again, but when I did it I was in the BEST shape of my life (and I am not a coach or a spokesperson lol) It really got my body to a place where it hadn't been, and what I liked the most was that I didn't need weights. I always find reasons not to go to the gym-so with Insanity I had no excuses. I did it everyday before work (usually gave myself an hour to do it/recover before showering) and I am always pressed for time.

    I have p90x but haven't done it yet-but I really loved Insanity. It burns fat and its also only 60 days instead of 90. I get discouraged easily but it kept me interested and since it wasn't 90 days, I felt like it was more "do-able" for me.


    Good luck on whatever you choose! If you want to add me for some support feel free- its a tough program but SO worth it!!
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,400 MFP Moderator
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    I've been looking around online, and i really can see the pros and cons of both. the reason i'm leaning more towards insanity, is the fact that the workouts are shorter, the whole program is shorter, and i need NO equipment. right now i really just need to lose a lot of fat. insanity is mostly cardio, which targets fat. and there will be some toning there. After i lose most of the fat is when i will start to be concerned with lifting weights and getting lots of muscle. I'll get some muscle and toning doing insanity, but right now i really need to get rid of fat. If i start the Sunday after thanksgiving (11/25), I would be done with insanity by January 23, which would leave me with 6.5 weeks to do weight and strength training before my spring break trip.

    Let me make some corrections. Cardio does NOT target fat. In fact, weight training is much more effective at cutting fat. Now where HIIT can help prevent lbm loss, you will still lose more muscle doing a program like insanity than you would would p90x. Also, even if you do P90X, it is extremely difficult to gain muscle. And the majority of people doing the program will NOT gain any lean muscle mass. The reason is people most people aren't eating a surplus of calories and if you aren't in a surplus, your body won't produce more muscle. Also, there really is no such thing as toning... toning actually is cutting body fat...
  • beccannes
    beccannes Posts: 88
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    I did Insanity in the past and lost about 25 lbs!
  • astheygrowup
    astheygrowup Posts: 188 Member
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    When I finish my 30 DS, I would like to do Chalean Extreme. P90X just looks like it would take so long each day that i might not do it. Do you like weights or cardio better? I have a friend who is doing Turbo Fire who really likes it, too.

    The other thing is that you will get results out of calorie deficit for weight loss no matter how you get that deficit, but if you build muscle, your metabolism will be higher overall all the time AND, for you, most importantly, you will look more toned in a bathing suit. I am a yo yo dieter unfortunately and have learned that people notice my weight loss as soon as I start adding heavier weights because I just seem more toned instead of getting skinny-fat.

    ChaLean Extreme is awesome. I have both P90X and ChaLean Extreme and have yet to be able to finish P90. The workouts are just so long. I just finished my first round of ChaLean.

    For the original poster what do you like best? Do you prefer weights or more cardio. That really is what it comes down to, or for me it does. You will get great results with P90..I have done it for a month just never been able to stick to it for the full length of the program. I prefer how I look and feel with more muscle and I will be honest here in that I can also eat more calories with more muscle. However if you prefer cardio I have seen amazing results with Insanity. I won't attempt that program because of all the jumping and I have bad knees.
  • KelliW_runner
    KelliW_runner Posts: 150 Member
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    I had great results using P90X (and I started it after 30DS). I also have the Insanity DVDs but I don't like the impact of that type of training so frequently. I do think Insanity cardio is very good - just not for 6 days/week.

    I would suggest starting P90X. If at any point you feel the Plyo or Kenpo workouts are not getting your heart rate up enough, sub in an Insanity workout.
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,400 MFP Moderator
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    I had great results using P90X (and I started it after 30DS). I also have the Insanity DVDs but I don't like the impact of that type of training so frequently. I do think Insanity cardio is very good - just not for 6 days/week.

    I would suggest starting P90X. If at any point you feel the Plyo or Kenpo workouts are not getting your heart rate up enough, sub in an Insanity workout.

    I will note I have done the p90x/insanity hybrid and it's pretty awesome.. It gives you the strength gains and still gives you the crazy cardio.
  • ashfuse
    ashfuse Posts: 224 Member
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    Ive done both and I'd go with P90X. I also LOVE ChaLean Extreme. I just wouldn't follow the low calorie guidelines she gives on the nutrition plan. You are lifting heavy weights--gotta eat.
  • amikad
    amikad Posts: 129 Member
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    I have done both programs. I started with insanity and loved it. I wouldnt say I lost a lot through that program though. But I wasn't following their diet plan or drinking their recovery drink. I am in the last two weeks of P90x and I must say that I am not for sure if it has done much. The DVDs are soooo long and in order to get half the sweat I was getting with insanity, I was trying to do two DVDs a day. Cardio with P90x began to get boring. So what I have done now is started insanity again while doing p90x. So now insanity will be my cardio and P90x will be my strength training. I dislike the yoga DVD just because it is slow and is a hour and a half. On those days I do Pilates instead.

    I feel smaller when I do insanity, but I was always soooo hungry, but according to my calorie burns, I wasn't burning more than 350 which I figured would be more with all the sweating I was doing.

    My opinion, I love insanity and only like P90x

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