Tips for Insanity and Fat Loss?

ekierston
ekierston Posts: 3
in Getting Started
I'm planning on starting the Insanity DVD tomorrow hoping to lose fat (in total, I want to lose about 80lbs). I started the 30 day shred Wednesday and although it makes me a little sore, I just don't find that I sweat that much and struggle too bad to do it. Since I'm doing all at home workouts for the next couple weeks (due to moving, etc) I was wanting something a little more challenging (unless you think I should stick with 30DS and then Insanity). But anyway, I'm also trying the Couch to 5K running system because I LOVE to run and want to get better since I haven't done it in so long. I was just wondering, should I alternate days with my DVD and running guide? Or should I do them both every day. I'm in college (nursing school) so I don't have a whole lot of time to work out for hours every day (maybe only like 2). Plus, I don't want to get hurt or overdo it. Any suggestions?

Replies

  • Missfit35
    Missfit35 Posts: 75
    Be careful not to injure yourself with insanity videos. I recommend couch to 5K I've had a few clients as well as friends whom have completed this and lost weight without injury.

    Good Luck with your progress you can do it!!
  • AshleyCraig54
    AshleyCraig54 Posts: 16 Member
    I am by no means an athlete so take what I say with a grain of salt! But I would be careful with Insanity. I have a lot of friends who have done it and injured themselves. And recovery from an injury can REALLY set you back.
    I did C25K and loved it. It's an excellent program.
    However, my first attempt at it I thought I could skip the first few weeks. Stupid mistake, seeing as I have a knee that bothers me and I ended up with an MCL injury that took 6 weeks to heal!!
    However, once I got back to it I started it properly and was fine. Did I lose weight on it? No. But my knees and legs got noticeably stronger and changed shape a little.
    I've also done 30DS, and agree it's not THAT hard. However, I stuck to Level 1 as I have a bad knee and found a lot of the exercises in Levels 2 and 3 aggravated that. I find a lot of her workouts are hard on the knees.
    If you are determined to do Insanity, I would maybe start by doing it a few times a week (which I know is not what the program suggests) but just to determine whether there might be potential issues, you will have rest days to see how your body feels.

    Good luck!
    PS- I would love to have 2 hours a day to exercise! ;-)
  • grimendale
    grimendale Posts: 2,153 Member
    If you're doing Insanity, I probably wouldn't tack anything else on. Insanity is intense (I'm working my way through it for a second round now) and if you don't nail the form, you can seriously injure yourself. The videos repeat it several times, but don't sacrifice form for reps. Listen to your body and take rests. The jump from 30DS to insanity is a big one. I did the Tough Mudder earlier this year, and Insanity still leaves me gasping on the floor at the end. Know your limits. If you want to try, go for it, but if it's too much, don't hesitate to stop. For what it's worth, I did the C25k program in its entirety, and and 5k to 10k program before attempting Insanity.
  • drazani
    drazani Posts: 98 Member
    Tbh insanity is tough, i would do the couch to 5k first and then attempt insanity, i completed a round last year and it is very tough, i have justcome back on after a 10month break and let myself slip back into my old ways but am not doing insanity yet until i have got my fitness up by doing you are your own gym (bodyweight excercises) before even attempting to go.for round 2, if however you are determined to do insanity straight away, i would say concentrate on form over reps and if you need to break before any excercises are finished do so, good luck on your journey, you can do it! ????
  • matthawthorneisamyth
    matthawthorneisamyth Posts: 196 Member
    Insanity is essentially an hour long HIIT session. That being said, know your limits and push yourself, but make sure you're doing the exercises to your ability. 80lbs overweight is a lot of extra and will be almost impossible to lose with exercise alone over two months. You shouldn't expect to look like one of those transformation photos once you're done.

    You're going to need to keep an eye on your diet. Weigh your food, track your food and space it out in a manner that is conducive to avoiding hunger. If your diet is not where it needs to be then you can kiss any progress goodbye.

    That being said, it's a tough program and if you can make it through without giving up then you'll be mentally stronger as well as physically stronger.
  • lexlowe
    lexlowe Posts: 908 Member
    I don't want to sound like a party-pooper, but if you cannot run 5K then you might want to reconsider doing insanity. Insanity pushes your body a heck of alot harder than a 5k jog does, unless you're running the 5K in 20 minutes.
    To put it another way: you don't do Insanity so you can get fit enough to run 5K, rather you train yourself to run 5K so you can get fit enough to do Insanity.
    If you're determined to do Insanity then just remember that when your form starts to go bad, or you're out of breath, stop and pause the DVD and take an extended break until you're ready to go back in. The people in the Insanity video look very fit and lean, yet many of them even have to stop and do a time-out to catch their breath.
  • ekierston
    ekierston Posts: 3
    thanks for the tip! oh, and I don't plan on losing 80lbs in 2 months lol. DEFINITELY not. I'm just looking for at home programs to get me started until I move and join a gym (there is none near my current location). but I really appreciate all the advice!

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