Tapout XT vs Insanity vs ? for Women

jockey40
jockey40 Posts: 3
in Fitness and Exercise
Looking for advice on workout DVD's. I am a pretty fit 40 year female looking to shed 20 pounds to reach goal of 125. On days that I don't do a workout DVD I run 3 miles and swim a mile. I also ride horses 3-4 days per week with lots of trotting and cantering - not just walking on the trail. (The 125 is actually my horse's idea to make his job easier.)

I have the TapOut XT DVD's and really like some of them like Cardio, Plyo, and Muay Thai. SFU, CC, S&B, and B&G ok. Really dislike the others. Basically I hate pushups and am OK with the knowledge that I will never be able to do a push up with a spring to clap my hands in the middle of it... The DVD's with the upper body strength focus on pushups are actually so impossible for me that I don't get a good workout. I also have some low back issues that make me avoid the on the floor ab exercises.

How does Insanity compare? I want a workout that burns the max amount of calories in the least amount of time. I want to tone my core but have no plans to expose my midriff to the public. I prefer exercises done upright as opposed to on the ground. I plan to ultimately do three dvd's a week and three run/swim sessions a week. I am happy to mix and match DVD's without following a "program".

Any advice appreciated!

Replies

  • drlaurafsu
    drlaurafsu Posts: 45 Member
    Tapout looks tough but fun. I have done Insanity and I think you would be fine. There are some pushup type moves in several of the workouts but not tons of them (or some of the really challenging versions). I think the key is to modify...do what you can (either limited reps or another kind of pushup that you can do) and enjoy the workouts. You will still get the benefits of the workouts...intense cardio and a challenge.
  • jockey40
    jockey40 Posts: 3
    Thanks! I'll give it a try.
  • Cajunmalakai
    Cajunmalakai Posts: 59 Member
    Comparing Tapout and Insanity is like comparing apples and oranges. Insanity is a great program, but almost entirely cardio based. Even the push ups, etc really only serve a cardio function much more so than stength

    Tapout, on the other hand is an MMA inspired total body fitness routine. Its got a strong cardio component, but also a strong focus on building functional strength.

    As for pushups. Yeah, they can be tough, but I certainly recommend doing them. modify all day if you need to, but they really are one of the best upper body moves. When I first started doing Tapout, a couldn't do a push up to save my life. (still cant do the clap pushups) but making the effort and improving is the name of the game. For a long time, I didnt even do the variations, just regular pushups.

    If the upper body routines are really hard, you might be using to much resistance. Consider a lighter band, or stick to to the Ripped Condtioning. Its a great uuper body workout, but not quite as complicated.
    I'm with you on the floor work, however, its probably okay to take it easy on them. Using the bands gives you a killer core workout all by itself.

    It sounds like you do alot of cardio anyway, so Insanity might be a bit much. You could be risking over training and thus injury.
    My suggestion is to give Tapout another shot, just modify it so it works for you.
  • jfazio22
    jfazio22 Posts: 15
    You can start with standing push ups by leaning into a wall, increase intensity by increasing the angle. With a lower back problem you'll have to be careful with any extreme program but you may benefit from making it stronger, one of life's catch 22s. If you are going to be doing your own cardio 3 times a week then I would suggest skipping Cardio XT and using Plyo XT and Muay Thai (weighted gloves go great with Maui Thai). You could then rotate the remaining routines you are OK with (Strength & Force Upper, Competition Core, Sprawl & Brawl and Buns & Guns) to be the third.

    Today is day 52 of TapouT XT for my wife and I, we have really progressed a lot with the push-ups but the grinder still forces us to our knees. The overall progressive conditioning of TapouT XT is well thought out. It beat us down in the beginning and I was becoming frustrated but we just stuck with it. Looking back, I'm glad we did. There's a move or two in each routine where we still struggle but overall we're in much better shape than when we started. I think you could benefit from doing the entire schedule but if you are against it then just do the DVDs you're OK with. I agree that since you already own it you should use it as part of your fitness regimen.

    If you're interested, I have been blogging about TapouT XT. Nothing spectacular but we include a food log and calories burned at the end of each blog entry. My wife tends to do better with cardio too so we may be modifying the schedule for round 2.

    http://www.johnandmandi.com/pages/tapoutday1

    -John

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