Prerequisites for success on Insanity

I bought insanity and would like to start, but I want to be successful and not defeated. Is there a prerequisite level of fitness or suggestions from those of you that have done the program? Should I focus on interval training? Thanks for any advice!
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Replies

  • KarenJean91
    KarenJean91 Posts: 283 Member
    I'm doing the 30 Day Shred right now to get in better shape so i can start Insanity. Maybe try it out? :)
  • allysonvb
    allysonvb Posts: 236 Member
    Ok I will!
  • allysonvb
    allysonvb Posts: 236 Member
    Bump
    Anyone else with experience?
  • Lyadeia
    Lyadeia Posts: 4,603 Member
    Just do it!

    You can modify many of the moves. As long as you're moving and your heart is pumping, you are burning calories. Also, the super fit people in the videos all take a bunch of breaks throughout each workout.
  • Vansy
    Vansy Posts: 419 Member
    Don't concentrate on what the people on the videos are doing -- work at your own pace. Although if you pay attention A LOT of them take breaks throughout the videos.

    My vote is also to just do it. IT really is a work at your own pace sort of workout. I love them :)
  • techie30
    techie30 Posts: 82 Member
    I started it after being sedentary the first time I did it. Yes, I felt like puking and passing out, but you're supposed to feel that way regardless of your fitness level. Shaun T tells you to go at your own pace! "Dig Deep" and all, but if you need a break he tells you to take it. If your form isn't up to par, he tells you to slow down and do it right. I say go for it! I did it and loved it :)
  • weisegirl1119
    weisegirl1119 Posts: 122 Member
    bump
  • Just do it, Insanity is the first actual fitness program i've done, im attempting my second round and i can give you some Very helpful tips to make it stick. I was sedentary first time attempting and i decided i wasn't going to change my diet or do anything other than the work out ....DO NOT ATTEMPT THAT! This time around i've started eating healthier/cleaner (i hate hate hate dieting) and drinking whey protein powder after my workout and it is a million times easier. It helps me actually have energy for the work out. , Modify any moves you have problems with , as long as your moving and keeping your heart rate up you are good as gold. I promise it gets easier just don't think about it before you do it :-p
  • joankpoirier
    joankpoirier Posts: 281 Member
    have you done the fit test?
  • skykane
    skykane Posts: 1 Member
    I am on week two of the first month and it is awesome!! Don't worry about what level you are at because you can go at your own pace. Shawn T might be going a mile a minute but he tells you to focus on form rather than speed. When I started I was pretty sedentary and after the first few workouts I was wiped but it gets easier as you go! Don't feel intimidated it's a great workout you can do it!!
  • Greenrun99
    Greenrun99 Posts: 2,065 Member
    It definitely helps to be in a bit of shape.. but if you can't keep up, just keep going, don't stop, don't quit, modify, and keep at it for the whole program. Some days are gonna be worse than others, but if you are motivated you can do it.
  • wonderwoman1974
    wonderwoman1974 Posts: 66 Member
    I'm doing the 30 Day Shred right now to get in better shape so i can start Insanity. Maybe try it out? :)

    I am doing the same thing...do you think it will really get us ready??? Hoping!!
  • KarenJean91
    KarenJean91 Posts: 283 Member
    I'm doing the 30 Day Shred right now to get in better shape so i can start Insanity. Maybe try it out? :)

    I am doing the same thing...do you think it will really get us ready??? Hoping!!

    I sure hope so!!! Lol i'm almost done with week 1, and my endurance is much better....so... here's to hoping :) lol
  • allysonvb
    allysonvb Posts: 236 Member
    I'm doing the 30 Day Shred right now to get in better shape so i can start Insanity. Maybe try it out? :)

    I am doing the same thing...do you think it will really get us ready??? Hoping!!
    I'm really intimidated, so I hope so!
  • wonderwoman1974
    wonderwoman1974 Posts: 66 Member
    I'm doing the 30 Day Shred right now to get in better shape so i can start Insanity. Maybe try it out? :)

    I am doing the same thing...do you think it will really get us ready??? Hoping!!
    I'm really intimidated, so I hope so!

    Me too. I have watched a couple you tube videos and YIKES!!!! My plan is to start INSANITY 2/1 right after 30DS.
  • mturner4515
    mturner4515 Posts: 4 Member
    I am doing Insanity right now too and will start the second month next week. I did a couple of other beachbody programs first (turbofire and chalean extreme) and am honestly glad I prepared myself before starting Insanity. It really is a tough workout and I struggle most with all the plank/push up work as my upper body just isn't very strong. Even though you can modify moves to some degree and you can definitely go at your own speed, I personally feel I would have failed if I hadn't built up some strength and stamina before starting Insanity. If you want more information on the other programs, please contact me and I would be glad to share more. I have also known people who started Insanity with no fitness background and did great. Good luck! Stick with it and you will do great!
  • AmandaEstes6
    AmandaEstes6 Posts: 11 Member
    I also was one that was just going to do Insanity and eat whatever i wanted. Do not do that. I only started seeing results after I started dieting along with it. Eating healthy helps with having energy for the workouts. I also use a pre workout drink called C4 before each workout. Then i drink a silk amino acid called Blox directly after my workouts. I also add B complex vitamins to my C4 drink as well. You can get all of these products at GNC. My advice, just jump into it. If you keep thinking about how hard it is you will make it harder on yourself. If you cant do each move, just keep moving. At first if i couldnt do a move, i would do jumping jacks until the move was over with. Oh and drink so much water beforehand. I noticed the more water i drink before i workout the more energy i have and the more i sweat and the more calories i burn. I did month 1 at first and then quit, i now have gone back to it and im in week three. Im nervous about month 2 but i know i will get there and do it. Shawn T is a great motivator. He makes me laugh during the workouts. Good Luck
  • AmandaEstes6
    AmandaEstes6 Posts: 11 Member
    Oh and dont worry about the warm up wiping you out. It does it to us all. The warm up is done three times. And it gets intense. Just keep with it.
  • jnh17
    jnh17 Posts: 838 Member
    Insanity humbles even those that are in shape. I'm on my second round and will complete it this weekend and I STILL get worried/intimidated by the workouts...heck, I'm worried about the one today! The hardest part is doing it SIX DAYS a week. Just do what it takes to get through it. At the end of the day, that's just what I have to tell myself sometimes. Other people, obese people, out of shape people, etc., have finished this program so there's no reason why I can't.
  • I would recommend easing into INSANITY. I've tried this work out so many times before and I would always quit after a week or 2. Then after the New Year I was determined to get in shape. Sadly by then, I couldn't even make it through the warm up without taking a long pause.

    I decided to break up segments of the workout and try it twice a day. By the end the week I had the endurance to make it through a whole session.

    For example on the first day I tried to get through as much of the warm up as possible (before and after work). Then Tuesday I did the warm up, and as much of the next segment as possible, so by Friday I was prepared to tackle the full disc.

    It'll take a little longer to get results and it's less INSANE that way but you may be less likely to get intimidated or discouraged and quit. Before you know it you will be done the series and you may have the ability and desire to do it again at full throttle for to increase your fitness level. Look at it this way...a 2 month work out might take you 4 months this way. It's still better than a conventional work out. GOOD LUCK!!!!!
  • No_Finish_Line
    No_Finish_Line Posts: 3,661 Member
    I've done Insanity 3 times, Asylum twice, and insanity/aslyum hybrid (that was the worst lol) and i'm doing p90x now.

    I know at least one very out overweight guy that got through the whole program and did really well, but he wasn't new to exercise and had been doing something for over a year before hand.

    Its true that its a 'go at your own pace' kind of work out, as unlikely as that may seem in the advertizements. So because of that, any one could possibly do it.

    But as some people have said, its possible to do it and not lose weight. Thats because its really easy to eat back all those calories that you burn even when doing insanity. And for me, all that cardio gives me a huge appetite. for me, it was a lot easier eating around 1500 cals a day when i was fat and did nothing then it was to stop at 2,400 when i was thin and my metabolism was burning like a jet engine. in the end, its really all about eating less then you use so you burn fat (when it comes to losing weight, shaping your body is a different story).

    In that case, do you really need to work THAT hard? I guess it depends on where you are and where you want to be. If you are very obese and really the main goal is to drop fat... you might not really get that much more out of insanity then a resonable exercise program and soild calorie defecit. If your goals are more body shaping and your not so obese that you don't need to lose 50 lbs before you start to see the changes insanity makes then it might be a good idea.

    All that being said, there is no reason not to give it a try if you want. HOWEVER, i strongly recommend you have a back up plan, what are you going to do if you deside its not for you? as long as you have some other exercise plan to fall back on if things dont work out and you follow through with that then theres absolutely no harm at all.
  • No_Finish_Line
    No_Finish_Line Posts: 3,661 Member
    but to answer your question on how to prepare, how about

    do plyometric cardio circuit.
    get sore.
    take as long as you need until your not that soare.
    do plyometric cardio circut.
    get sore.
    recover
    repeat until your not that sore the next day.

    Then your in a good spot to do the program and at least not have to deal with the DOMS in the first week. don't have to keep doing the same work out above of course.
  • EmilyOfTheSun
    EmilyOfTheSun Posts: 1,548 Member
    The only thing to keep in mind is this, do NOT try to keep up with the people in the video, (unless you're able). Go at a pace that is challenging for you, but that you're able to maintain throughout the duration of the workout.

    Oh and, "eat back your exercise calories" so you can build those muscles! Get a heart rate monitor so you can figure out an accurate burn. I recommend the Polar FT7.
  • Bikini27
    Bikini27 Posts: 1,290 Member
    Pace yourself.
    Modify the moves until you're able to do them safely.
    Start out with the plan of doing it multiple rounds before you're kicking butt in time with the cast.

    And most importantly:
    HAVE FUN!!! I LOVE this program, second round with the first month after a few months being a fat kid.

    O, and best idea? Invest in a good HRM and muscle recovery formula. Only reason I can stick to the schedule is the muscle recovery formula I take. :drinker:
  • toque88
    toque88 Posts: 113 Member
    Get a good heart rate monitor so you can push yourself and have the confidence to know that you are working out safely.
  • julesxo
    julesxo Posts: 422 Member
    I am wondering the same myself.
    I have ordered the videos and waiting for them to arrive in the mail. The only videos I have done are 30 Day Shred and Ripped in 30 yet I am still really nervous about sticking with it!! But hey I'm going to give it my all and do what I can.
  • importdude
    importdude Posts: 15 Member
    For me, I never really exercise. Mostly just required p.e class from k-12. last year I did a lot of biking.
    I started doing insanity. First week my legs were so sore, I did not even want to get up to go pee.!!
    As days go on, I felt great and not sore. Now all I feel after a workout is great energy.
    This is my first workout program I did and I love it. Like others have said, modify some of the workouts, and go at your own pace.
  • No_Finish_Line
    No_Finish_Line Posts: 3,661 Member
    recommend you just follow the nutrition plan rather then whatever mfp tells you to eat.

    oh and a recovery drink is also a good idea. They can be expensive tho. I just copied the ingredients in the BeachBody drink and put them together in the propper proptions. Its just whey protien, dextrose and maltodextrin mainly. I bought a 50lbs bag each of malto and dextrose from a baking supply website. add that to the whey i already get. I save tons of money. its a pretty big hassle in the beginng though, transferring the sugar into usable containers is a *****, and you have to weight every thing (i eventually cut my whey scoops to get me the right amount of each substance).

    A good post exercise drink thats cheap is low fat chocolate milk. Its what they used in at least one study proving that at least a 3:1 carb to protien ratio is beneficial post exercise. Or you could make these 3 ingredient deliectious pancakes that also have a 3:1 carb to protein ratio:
    http://undressedskeleton.tumblr.com/post/38657925508
  • No_Finish_Line
    No_Finish_Line Posts: 3,661 Member
    personally i don't know how anyone who didn't play any organized sports where a coach is pushing you to do way more then you would otherwise do gets through these beach body programs lol

    but kuddos to all who do. I've seen a few threads where a bunch of people start then theres two people talking to each other in the end
  • Trueray
    Trueray Posts: 1,189 Member
    I would do p90x first before starting insanity it really helps.