Insanity

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Insanity (Start Date: 4/28/14)

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RLS151
RLS151 Posts: 4
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Hi, everyone!! I'm officially starting Insanity tomorrow. I spent this past week trying out three of the DVDs (Plyo, Power & Res, and Recovery). I really, really like how challenging it is. I can do 2 pushups and 6 mountain climbers in the time it takes them to do 4 pushups and 8 mountain climbers, so I'm excited to see how I can progress.

I have a few questions for the veterans!

1. I just bought a pair of Nike Flex shoes - they are specifically cross trainers. Is this a good shoe? I did the first two DVDs with my running shoes and experienced the most awful calf pain, which is normal sorta from all that jumping. I do the workouts on my hardwood floors, so there is a lot of slapping. Should I buy a mat or something?

2. Is it okay to do light to medium total body lifting about two days a week? I've been weight lifting for a while, and I don't want to lose all of my muscle. I just want the stubborn fat to go away so I can actually SEE the muscle.

Any other suggestions would be helpful too!! I'm so excited. :)

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  • mayaysf
    mayaysf Posts: 70 Member
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    i finished my first round of insanity and im back on my 2nd round, it's insane. 2nd month was the hardest ive ever worked out. i didnt lose a lot of weight, merely 2lbs, but my body has changed as if i had lost 20lbs. my endurance and my fitness level are beyond believe now. im happy that more and more people try it.

    about your questions:
    1. after 2 weeks of insanity with my running shoes, awful knee and calves pain, i also got the nike flex, they worked perfectly. i also had to wear knee brace for a while and i bought a foam mat, super cheap, and it made the biggest difference. by the end of 2nd month, i didnt need my knee brace anymore.

    2. after insanity, more like the last few days of month 2, i also started lifting, and right now im mixing it up, some days lifting because i love it and i can see myself gaining strenght; some days i do insanity because i see faster/better results. that being said, i cant do both on the same day, and some times not even insanity after lifting or lifting after a really hard insanity video. im yet to make my own schedule but ive got to figure something out. so i guess you can go with how your body feels, i believe u can totally do it.
  • tmcoyle
    tmcoyle Posts: 168 Member
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    After I did the full 9 weeks of Insanity I mixed it up with P90X/Insanity Hybrid to gain muscle definition. Insanity definitely gave me my cardio burn and endurance, but I didn't have enough muscle definition that I wanted.

    I would invest in some exercise mats, I bought my at a local sporting goods store, they definitely help with leg strain. I too have cross trainers, which helped with calf and arch pain. Once you get through the first week your calves and arches will get used to the impact of all the moves.

    You can friend me here on MFP and ask more questions if you would like.
  • Krista6558
    Krista6558 Posts: 11
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    Today's the day!
    I started last Monday. Hard as heck but I can't wait to see results :D

    Have fun
  • heyitsadam
    heyitsadam Posts: 70 Member
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    Hi, everyone!! I'm officially starting Insanity tomorrow. I spent this past week trying out three of the DVDs (Plyo, Power & Res, and Recovery). I really, really like how challenging it is. I can do 2 pushups and 6 mountain climbers in the time it takes them to do 4 pushups and 8 mountain climbers, so I'm excited to see how I can progress.

    I have a few questions for the veterans!

    1. I just bought a pair of Nike Flex shoes - they are specifically cross trainers. Is this a good shoe? I did the first two DVDs with my running shoes and experienced the most awful calf pain, which is normal sorta from all that jumping. I do the workouts on my hardwood floors, so there is a lot of slapping. Should I buy a mat or something?

    2. Is it okay to do light to medium total body lifting about two days a week? I've been weight lifting for a while, and I don't want to lose all of my muscle. I just want the stubborn fat to go away so I can actually SEE the muscle.

    Any other suggestions would be helpful too!! I'm so excited. :)

    I'm on Week 6 of INSANITY and have been through the whole programs twice already. Here are a couple of tips:

    1. Shoes are a trial and error process. Running shoes didn't work for me. My NIKE SHOX worked pretty well. More important than shoes is make sure you have GOOD, THICK SOCKS. Don't be afraid to stop and change shoes mid-workout. I've done it a couple of times when my feet weren't feeling right.

    2. If you're going to do to the weight lifting in addition to the INSANITY workout, do it on the "Recovery" day and do it on the "Rest" day. You're going to be gassed for the first 2 weeks of the workout and you're going to look forward to the slow-moving Recovery and the Rest day.

    I'll tell you what I tell everyone: it takes about 10 -12 days before you'll start FEELING (I didn't say LOOKING, I said FEELING) like you're making improvements. Get to the second WEDNESDAY on the calendar without missing a day and you'll notice you're keeping up a little better. You'll notice your personal "breaks" are a little shorter. You'll notice your legs aren't quite as wobbly at the end of power jumps.

    I hope that helps.
  • jdhcm2006
    jdhcm2006 Posts: 2,254 Member
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    Thanks for the tips. I personally use Ryka Women's cross training shoes. They've gotten me through 10 weeks of T25 and I'm hopeful they will get me through Insanity.

    I'm on day 3 of Insanity and so far I love it. It's hard and grueling, but I know it's going to pay off.
  • susan10695
    susan10695 Posts: 5
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    Hey guys, I started on 4/28/14 also. This is my first time doing it. OMG this is killing me but I am now able to walk better and I am bound and determined to finish this program. I absolutely love it and I absolutely hate it. Biggest challenge of my life. AWESOME. We can do this.
  • angie2101
    angie2101 Posts: 2 Member
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    Hi guys,

    I'm also starting in two weeks with my fiancé. I've spent days collecting recipes as not keen on the ones in he Elite Guide so if anyone has any tasty ones let me know!!

    I've got running trainers, I massively over pronate on my feet so I need the support, anyone else who over pronates manage and if not what are you using?

    Also what protein shake brands are you using? Do I use diet whey or normal?

    Well done guys and keep up the hard work :)

    Ang x
  • RLS151
    RLS151 Posts: 4
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    Update: I've made it through Week 2 without missing ANY DAYS! I'm so proud of myself. I have great momentum!

    I can definitely tell a difference with the moves. I'm able to make it through a lot longer before tiring. I can do Level I drills almost the entire time. It's really the second round of the workouts where I'm tiring and I can do the first round of exercises all the way through. Excited about my Fit Test.

    After a few days of research (and only three days of doing Insanity with shoes and hating my calf pain), I've done the rest of the workouts on my carpet in my BARE FEET. I know that this is pretty popular, but at first I was thinking no way. I love it now. I feel like my balance is better. I land my accurately. I really feel more connected to the ground. I can do all of the moves and really power through my feet and land softly.

    I really love Insanity! I've only lifted weights once since I started. I'm planning on doing it two or three times this week. Thanks for the advice and support. Good luck everyone!
  • RLS151
    RLS151 Posts: 4
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    Oh, and I haven't been using any protein shakes this week. Was using Sunwarrior Protein. I really like that one. Plant Fusion is yucky stuff!! I just make sure to eat a snack with protein, fat, and carbs within 30 minutes of doing Insanity. And I eat 5 times a day.
  • jdhcm2006
    jdhcm2006 Posts: 2,254 Member
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    I will be finishing Month 1 this week and then I'm going on vacation. I'll be starting Month 2 the 3rd week of June.
  • twinksie
    twinksie Posts: 17 Member
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    I'm also doing it barefoot on a yoga mat. Much better for landing gracefully on those crazy jumps. I'm an overpronator too, but doing it barefoot is absolutely fine and I have no foot or knee problems.

    With shoes I always felt like I was landing so noisily and waking my boyfriend up (when working out early in the morning).

    It's worked wonders for the first 3 weeks of Insanity.

    I'm not doing any protein shakes, just eating other healthy snacks like avocado, nuts, etc. not usually a fan of the shakes. Maybe because I haven't found one I like?

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