Should I do Insanity

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maya166
maya166 Posts: 28 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
So I have insanity and I have been thinking about doing it. Here is why I have been hesitate on doing insanity at this point in my weight loss journey.

I am incredibly out of shape and I dont think Im ready to do something that intense.

I dont want all the fat I currently carry to turn into muscle. Id rather shed the extra weight and then work on muscle definition. I have been doing over routines such as Zumba and Tiffany Rother and I will start doing 30 minute jogs soon as well.

So my question is should I wait to do insanity after I shed some weight or start now.

Replies

  • norv87
    norv87 Posts: 6 Member
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    Hi Maya, I’ve just started the insanity workout (on day 3 at the moment) and thought I’d reply ;)

    Firstly, I have to say, it is a pretty intense workout, I have not dripped this much sweat in awhile. But the workout is as intense as you make it; and if you need to rest every 10 seconds, rest every 10 seconds, the best thing I can see with this program, is you can see your personal progress.

    Sadly fat can’t turn into muscle, so don’t worry if muscle gain isn’t your goal. If your in calorie deficient by 500 calories your body will struggle to build muscle regardless of exercise :)

    From the sounds of it, my goal is quite similar to yours, which is fat loss, no real focus on bigger muscles etc. If you want to wait till I’ve finished the workout, I can let you know my results (before/after pic).

    All I can say though, is the 30/40 min exercises I’ve done so far, are 5x more intense than my football training :P
  • RitaMarie88
    RitaMarie88 Posts: 43 Member
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    I wanted to try Insanity also. I thought the first few sessions were cardio which helps with losing fat. I am hesitant myself as well but it's a video, if you need a break you can take one and even pause the session. I think we can do this lol Good luck!
  • Roadie2000
    Roadie2000 Posts: 1,801 Member
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    They always recommend checking with your doctor before you start an intense workout like this. I use a heart rate monitor and pause the DVDs quite a bit. You can go at your own pace, but the harder you work the faster you'll get into shape.

    And your fat will not turn into muscle in you are on a calorie deficit. You may build a tiny bit of newbie muscle but you won't get bulky or anything.
  • maya166
    maya166 Posts: 28 Member
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    Thanks a lot. Do you think I have to do the diet plan too or can I stick to my own
  • norv87
    norv87 Posts: 6 Member
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    I've always been a fan of low carb diets but I thought I'd stick to the whole insanity 'experience' and do as they say. The foods they suggest are tips rather than musts. Important thing is to stick to the correct ratio 40/40/20 (20 being fat).

    I've just completed day 8 and sweating buckets, but do feel great at the moment. I'll keep posting in here if people want and answer any questions as I go along..

    Also never pause, don't be afraid if you need to stop for 10 seconds during a workout, the main thing is you feel each exercise in the right muscles. If you pause you might start to not push yourself to keep up (as you can just pause ;)). My aim by the end of this, is no breaks and too keep up with them, though even the PT's in the background break at times.

    All the best
  • marypatmccue
    marypatmccue Posts: 521 Member
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    Unless you plan to be able to STICK with a low carb "diet" for the rest of your life... I wouldn't go that way. Most people that go low-carb gain the weight back when they decide they want to live normally again... or they end up binging and sprialing out of control. I don't ever suggest going low-carb unless your doctor recommends it for medical reasons.

    Figure out your TDEE, BMR, and then give yourself a 10-15% deficit from your TDEE, not eating below BMR... NOT eating back your workout calories. Usually for a beginner, I recommend a 40/30/30 or a 40/40/20 (Carb/Protein/Fat) Macro nutrient ratio. I (along with a lot of people) believe in IIFYM, which means "If it fits your macros" you can eat it. NO off limits foods, just has to fit your ratios. Most of my friends list, including me, have fast food (daily or weekly), still eat ice cream, etc.

    That's the quick and dirty version. I can give you a link to great, better details if you're interested.
    :flowerforyou:
  • SeasideOasis
    SeasideOasis Posts: 1,057 Member
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    I just started, after being unable to last week (keep reading for why haha), Insanity full throttle this week.

    My recommendation is - Do some high cardio workouts the week beforehand. Last week on Tuesday, I did Insanity with my friend. I was SO sore trying to go from zero to hero that I had sore calves (as in, unable to walk) for DAYS. I pushed through with something less Plyo. After killing myself on the one day, I did P90X Stretch which was the only reason I think I was able to move around again. I did P90X Cardio X, Turbo Jam Cardio Dance Party, and P90X Kenpo before jumping back into Insanity this week.

    My Fit Test went pretty well yesterday. I was pleased.
    Day 2 was today - I made it mostly through, better than when I tried to start it cold turkey last week.

    Minor conditioning beforehand turned out to be my key to success this time around.

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