Insanity Workout Review

About this Insanity Workout Review

This Insanity workout review has been put together to tell you everything you need to know about the Insanity workout program. After reading this Insanity workout review, you will have answers to all the questions you’re probably asking yourself right now, such as:

• “How difficult are the workouts?”
• “Is the nutrition plan any good?”
• “Is it worth the money?”
• “How does it compare to other home workout programs?”

…and the most important question:

• “Will I get results?”

(I can answer that last question for you now: Yes!).

Read on to learn more about the Insanity workout program.

If you’re pressed for time and just looking for some quick answers then expand the below tab to reveal some frequently asked questions (FAQs) and answers.

Overview of Insanity

Insanity is the world-renowned home workout program developed by Shaun Thompson (AKA Shaun ‘T’) and is part of the BeachBody company portfolio of home workout DVDs. Insanity is widely recognized as the most intense and challenging home workout programs available today.

It is a 9-week program which can be conveniently completed in your own home, in your own time. It consists of four weeks of intense training, followed by a rest week (you still have Insanity workouts to complete during this week, they’re just not as insane!) and a final four weeks’ training in which the pace, workload and overall intensity is significantly increased.

The Insanity workout program promises insane results by the end which are realistic and achievable, thanks to the intensity of the program, providing you stick with it and follow a suitable nutrition plan.

A diet plan is included with the Insanity workout program: the meals prescribed are likely to be similar to those you’d be told to eat as part of any fitness program, but there are a lot of simple, creative and healthy dishes. One of my favorites is combining chopped apple, walnuts, natural yoghurt and honey and mixing it all up in a bowl.

My diced apple, walnut, honey and yoghurt bowl.

What’s in the Box?

• 8 x DVDs Each DVD contains one Insane workout. The first four are used during month one, the second four are used during month two.
• 60-Day Wall Calendar The wall calendar displays which workout you should do on which day. Cross off each workout as you complete it – it helps to keep track and provides motivation as you see yourself progressing through the program!
• Quick-Start Guide The quick-start guide gives you a quick tour of the Insanity material and briefly explains how the program will unfold. It is short but has some motivational and inspirational words so it’s worth a quick read.
• 60-Day Elite Nutrition Plan The nutrition plan contains dozens of healthy, delicious and energy-fuelled recipes to get you through the 9 week program. See my diced apple, walnut, honey and yoghurt bowl above for an example!

Checklist: What You’ll Need!

Throughout the Insanity program, you will need:

• A towel.
  Expect to sweat more than you’ve ever sweated before!

• Water for your workouts.
  Prepare your drink before beginning each workout as you won’t have time to get one once the workout has started. You only have a maximum of 30 seconds rest at any one time, and it feels like a lot less!

• A small range of supplements to help you reach your goals.
  Throughout this program your body will require a lot of nutrients that you either aren’t currently consuming or perhaps are currently consuming but will require more of as your body uses up these nutrients through exercise. For example, your body will require additional protein to repair the muscle fibers that are broken down during training.
  I’ve put together this list of products I strongly recommend you take alongside the insanity program.

• Space.
  A lot of the exercises are carried out ‘on-the-spot’, such as press-ups, mummy-kicks and which means loads of space isn’t a requirement. Only a few exercises will require moving ‘off the spot’, such as globe jumps (jumping forward, right, back and left in a square movement). Jumping jacks require you to touch your hands together above your head and basketball jumps simulate jumping and throwing a basketball (duh!), so it’s important to have space above you. As long as you have vertical space, you will be able to complete the Insanity program in a small living room, garage or even a bedroom.

• Dedication
  You must be dedicated from the start and retain that dedication throughout. You can only change your body through consistency. Therefore you must follow both the exercise regime and the nutrition plan.

• Motivation
  You will certainly be motivated by Shaun T and the other participants during each workout: seeing their toned bodies and impressive fitness levels as a result of completing the Insanity workout will make you green with envy, but envious in the good way – the way that motivates you!
  Unfortunately, Shaun T and the crew are not around once you’ve completed the workout and switched off the DVD. It is these remaining 23 hours in the day that you must be able to motivate yourself.There are a number of things you can do to stay motivated. The following work for me:

• Take pictures of yourself throughout the program. Seeing your physique in its current state will motivate you. Your motivation will increase as you gradually see the improvement in your body composition.
• If you’re brave (and even if you’re not), share those pictures with other people. They will complement you on the improvement, which provides further motivation.
• Do not jump on the scales to check your weight too often. It’s normal for your weight to fluctuate throughout the day. It can appear as if you’ve gained weight if you weigh yourself after a meal, for example, which can be demoralizing and sap your motivation, so pick a day and a time and weigh-in once a week only.
• Let your family, friends and work colleagues know you’re doing the Insanity program. Being upfront and honest about why you’re not drinking alcohol and eating greasy cheeseburgers makes social situations much easier – you will probably find your family, friends and colleagues encourage you to stick with the program (though they will probably apply a small amount of peer pressure at first, just to test your willpower!).

Who Should Do This?

In this part of the Insanity workout review you will learn who should and should not take part in the Insanity challenge. We’ll firstly identify those who should not take part.

With a name like Insanity, you’re probably thinking that the workouts are intense. They are. There’s no ‘building up to it’. It’s intense from day 1. With this in mind, you should not take part in the Insanity program if you meet any of the following criteria:

• You have never exercised or have done no exercise in the last few years;

• You experience serious pain or difficulty when breathing during exercise (known as dyspnoea);

• You have a heart-related medical condition or a history of heart problems.

If you have any of the above medical conditions, go see your doctor and follow their recommendations regarding exercise.

Insanity may not be for you if you’ve been a long-term couch potato.

If you are physically well but not used to intense exercise, click here to take a look at one of the less-intense home workout programs, such as P90.
P90 is the predecessor to P90X and is considered ‘less extreme’ than Insanity, P90X, etc. The workouts are significantly shorter (although just as effective!). Read my review on P90 here.

Now, you should attempt the Insanity workout program if:

• You have exercised in recent years or exercise regularly now (perhaps you go running or attend the gym) and are looking for something with more variety and intensity;

• You have previously completed another home workout program and now need a fresh challenge;

• You are of a reasonable fitness level and want to lose weight, gain muscle and/or increase your stamina in a short space of time.

• You want the Insanity “I earned it” t-shirt (obtained by letting BeachBody know you’ve completed the full Insanity workout program).

Additionally, you will benefit from the Insanity program if:

• You want to significantly boost your fitness levels;

• You want to increase your strength;

• You want to lose fat and/or gain muscle mass;

• You want to be able to justifiably boast to others about how much weight you’ve lost or how much stronger you are;

• You have a holiday or vacation coming up and want to look good for it;

• You want to live longer;

• You no longer want to feel sluggish caused by lack of exercise;

• You no longer want that bloated feeling caused by eating crap all day;

• You simply want to look good naked!

The Insanity Workouts

This section of the Insanity workout review is quite lengthy, so feel free to skip over it if you’re pressed for time. You can view the details of each workout by expanding the relevant modules further down in this section.
In this section you will learn about each of the Insanity workouts, their structure and which exercises make up the workouts. Some of the exercises below are self-explanatory given their name, but some may be unheard of, so I have added a description of each exercise in the workout section.

All Insanity workouts begin with a warm-up, followed by stretching. Next is the main part of the workout. Finally, there is a cool-down and more stretching.

The warm-ups typically consist of some combination of jogging on the spot, Heisman’s, butt-kicks, mummy-kicks, jumping-jacks, high-knees and a variety of on-the-spot jumps.

A full circuit of exercises takes approximately three minutes to complete, and for most workouts you are to complete 3 circuits – without resting! The first is carried out at a slow pace, the second is faster and the third is maximum effort.
Unless you’re already fit, the warm-up will be tough for the first week – at this point in the workout you will be shocked to discover you have only completed ten minutes of exercise and you still have the main part of the workout to do!

After the warm-up you are allowed a short rest period to catch your breath, then there are a range of stretching and breathing exercises to complete.

The main part of the Insanity workout is next. The length of this part ranges from 15 minutes to 40 minutes, depending on the Insanity workout (see individual workout information below for approximate times).

This part consists of a number of exercises which have been put together by Shaun T to make a circuit. There are typically 2-4 different circuits for each workout. Each circuit is performed 2-3 times with a short rest in between – typically 30 seconds – before a new circuit is explained and a new set of exercises are demonstrated.

Once the main part of the workout is complete, you are allowed an extended rest to catch your breath, followed by a period of stretching and breathing exercises similar to those performed in the warm-up.

Upon completion of each workout, you should:

• Congratulate yourself on completing the workout;
• Replenish your energy levels with post-workout supplement shake;
• Feel really good about yourself – you’re on your way to attaining your goals!

Don’t:

• Reward yourself with beer and cake!

Click to expand each of the Insanity workouts below to read more about them and their exercises.

The Insanity Workout Schedule

In this part of the Insanity workout review you will observe the full 9-week Insanity workout schedule. You will discover which workouts are to be completed on which days, when to rest and when you are to complete your fit test.

Click here for my printable Insanity workout schedule.

Results: What Can You Achieve?

This section of the Insanity workout review details what you can achieve from Insanity and provides real evidence and testimonials from other users who have been able to reach, or in some cases surpass, their goals.

As with any home workout program, your results are directly influenced by your level of commitment throughout. One example of absolute commitment which lead to astonishing results can be observed in a testimonial on BeachBody’s website from an Insanity user named Ashley. She was so committed to both the Insanity diet and the Insanity workout plan that, by the end of the program, she managed to lose…

…90lbs !!!

That’s ninety pounds. In 63 days. That’s equivalent to losing 1.4lbs per day.

It’s widely recognised that the average person looking to lose weight – that is, someone who is consuming a moderately healthy diet and attending the gym several times per week – will lose one to two pounds of fat per week, therefore, it makes it almost incomprehensible to think that, thanks to Insanity, it only took Ashley only one day to lose what it takes an average person to lose in one week!

If you’re motivated, dedicated and committed, you can achieve results like this!

Ashley’s amazing results. From BeachBody’s website.

Although you shouldn’t embark on the Insanity workout program expecting to lose no less than 90lbs, the above evidence does demonstrate that an extreme transformation is a realistic goal providing you can remain dedicated throughout.

Being honest, most of us do not enjoy dieting, particularly for long periods of time. Having to eat foods which may not satisfy our taste buds or appetite and being forced to exercise several times a week is a lot of people’s idea of hell.

For this reason, one of Insanity’s major features is it is a short program, thanks to its intensity. The Insanity workout program is not your typical slow-and-steady marathon. It is a sprint. It is only 9 weeks in length – a total of 63 days – and so to achieve great results in such a short period of time you must give maximum effort throughout.
If you were to follow a slow-and-steady, run-of-the-mill diet and exercise plan and lose an average of one pound per week it would take you almost two years to achieve what Ashley (above) achieved in 63 days! (It would take twenty-two and a half months, to be precise).

If you’re someone who doesn’t enjoy consuming foods that may not satisfy your taste buds or appetite or you don’t enjoy exercising regularly, then surely it’s better to bite the bullet and go all-out, be 100% dedicated and follow Insanity strictly for only 9 weeks rather than embark upon a diet and exercise plan that could take up to two years to achieve similar results.

You will get great results from the Insanity workout program if you:

• Give 100% effort during each workout;
• Do not miss a workout;
• Do not deviate from your diet.

Some of the typical improvements any user will see include:

• Decreased body fat;
• Increased muscle tone;
• Healthier heart;
• More stamina.

Is Insanity Good Value for Money?

This section of the Insanity workout review details exactly what you get when exchanging your hard-earned cash for the Insanity workout program. You will learn the value of what you actually receive for the $120 purchase price and you will also read a comparison of the Insanity workout program against the cost of a typical gym membership.

The Insanity workout program is world-renowned for delivering awe-inspiring results to its users, but you might be concerned that at $120 it isn’t one of the cheaper home workout programs, however the old adage certainly applies here: you get what you pay for. Sure, you can buy a $10 DVD of a home workout program lead by a nobody, or worse, a ‘celebrity’ who has no experience in the fitness industry but sells anything and everything under their own personal brand because of who they are. In my opinion, these cheaper home workout programs don’t offer anything new: the workouts are usually made up of boring, ineffective exercises; the programs aren’t designed by fitness professionals and they certainly don’t guarantee you results, nor do they offer a money-back guarantee. Basically, if you want a home workout designed by a pro that is going to get you results, you need to spend a bit more!

Purchasing Insanity (or indeed any home workout program) should be considered an investment, and a long-term investment at that. It’s a product that can be used again and again for years to come for a one-off fee. Let’s compare the financial aspects of investing in Insanity to paying every month for a gym membership. As an example, compare the $120 for Insanity to what you receive when paying for a standard gym membership. In exchange for your typical $50-per-month gym membership fee, all you receive is:

• Access to the gym;

In addition, you get:

• Covered in other people’s sweat when they fail to clean the equipment after they’ve finished;
• Frustrated at the time spent waiting around for the person to finish with the equipment you want;
• Extremely hungry if, like my old gym, your gym is next-door to a fast-food restaurant.

However when investing in Insanity, in exchange for your money you receive:

• Daily instruction from a recognised fitness expert who knows how to get you to your goals;
• Advice on what specifically to eat, and when to eat it, every day;
• Motivation, every day!

And, most importantly, you receive:

• Guaranteed results!

Wouldn’t you prefer to spend your money on something that is guaranteed to get you results?!

For me, I think the real value in the Insanity workout program is knowing that you will definitely achieve your results or you will get your money back.
The way I see it, I’m changing my body for $120. Guaranteed. It’s as simple as that. Imagine Merlin, Gandalf or some other powerful wizard was to appear out of no-where and offer to instantly transform your body in exchange for $120 there and then. It’s like that. I’m not sure why Merlin or Gandalf would need $120, but the deal is a no-brainer regardless, right?

Below, I’ve provided a brief table comparing the benefits of Insanity to a typical $50-a-month commercial gym membership.

Final Word

Below, I have summarised the entire Insanity workout review in a few short bullet points.

The Insanity workout program is:

• …not for the faint-hearted, those who don’t enjoy exercise or haven’t exercised in a long time;
• …perfect for someone who is willing to put in the effort in exchange for extreme results;
• …not cheap, but…
• …a worthwhile investment whose results far outweigh the purchase price.

Where to buy Insanity

Given the vast array of affiliates – or Coaches, as BeachBody calls them – there’s no shortage of people selling Insanity, however, this section of the Insanity workout review will briefly discuss two primary sources that everyone knows: BeachBody and Amazon.

Now, when the majority of people want something they go to Amazon, for the most part. I include myself in that majority. Why do we go to Amazon? Because we trust Amazon. They provide an excellent service and ninety-nine percent of the time they’re the cheapest! Well, this is that one-percent of the time, because:

• If you decide to purchase Insanity from Amazon you will pay $144.80

….but…

• If you purchase Insanity directly from BeachBody you will pay $119.85 (or £99), which BeachBody allow you to pay in instalments over three months – handy if you don’t have the cash up-front!

I’m not trying to sway you to buy from one supplier over the other – they both have their advantages: the first thing most people look at is the price (and rightly so!), and by purchasing directly from BeachBody you save $24.95, however, some people are very sceptical when it comes to purchasing items online and would prefer to buy from a trusted source, such as Amazon, even if it costs a little more. Fair enough!

Me? I purchased mine directly from BeachBody. I’ll leave it up to you to decide where to get yours.