7 Dimensions of Wellness

7 Dimensions of Wellness
7 Dimensions of Wellness

Friday, July 13, 2012

Insanity/P90X review




MY thoughts on Insanity (and P90X). 
P90X-finished May 2010
Insanity-Finished July 8, 2012



Day 2
Insanity is a 60 day (really 62 and a final fit test) which offers a very intense cardio workout but it did little for my upper body strength when compared to P90X. I have noticed an increase in my leg strength (especially when running up hills) due to the amount of plyometric exercises (exercises that produce fast and powerful movements) involved in the program. I love the fast pace of Insanity, this made the workouts go by so fast and I was always dripping wet. The program is divided into 2 months. During the first month the workouts last approximately 30 mins; during the 2nd month they last 1 hour. Please know that I did take rest breaks with every workout and did not feel bad because the folks in the dvd (who are way more fit that I am) had to take rest breaks…Shaun T included.

P90X is a 90 day program and it was not that exciting to me and I think that is because I don't enjoy resistance training as much as I enjoy the fast paced cardio that is Insanity;  NTM the workouts last 1 hour.  However, P90X is the workout I would choose for toning. P90X incorporates some cardio in addition to resistance/strength training. P90X also includes plyo but Tony Horton is good about demonstrating modifications for the moves. Another advantage of P90x is that it offers 3 different workout options: Classic, Lean, and Doubles. With classic you perform plyo, Lean no plyo, Doubles twice a day with plyo. 

How much did I lose?
As far as weight loss, I lost 8 lbs with Insanity; 20 with P90X. Again, I think the resistance training and cardio involved with P90X contributed to this. You may be thinking "you did all that with Insanity and only lost 8 lbs?" Yes, but I am not at all discouraged because I did lose inches with Insanity and my cardio vascular endurance and lower body strength has really improved. I also know that my body fat was replaced with muscle; a pound is a pound. I was so excited this past weekend because the dresses I wore were a size 14 (not a 14W but a regular 14; this is down from 16W). Currently I am dealing with a little bloating due to female issues, but once this subsides, I will take my final measurements.

So you want to try Insanity?
Insanity is NOT for anyone who has knee, ankle, neck, or back issues...I'm so serious. I don't have any of the above and as I progressed through the program I started to experience some aches in my knees. Modifying moves should be considered if the plyo movements are too much for your joints. For example, instead of performing the power jacks (jumping jacks into a squat position) simply do squats. Basically, any move that requires jumping…don't jump.
Day 30


What's next for me?
I have started preparing for my fall races so I am back to my run/walk intervals. I have also started P90X  which should really help me to gain more muscle definition in my upper and lower body due to the resistance training involved.

So where are the before and after pictures?
I'm transparent but not that transparent…lol  I only wore a sports bra and shorts when I took my photos and I'm not quite ready to share those yet…maybe one day. 

P90X or Insanity?
Now that I have completed both programs I have to say it really depends on what you want. If you are looking to improve your cardio endurance I say Insanity. If you want more resistance/strength training I say P90X. If you want both then consider the P90X/Insanity hybrid. Whatever you do, check with your doctor first because both programs are intense.


Day 62
Please let me know if you have any questions, I am happy to share MY experiences with both programs.