The Insanity workout created quite a buzz in the fitness world. No matter if you are looking for weight loss, or adding muscle mass or maybe just improving overall fitness, the Insanity workout claims to give the best results out there.
I was tempted by the promises, so I decided to try and finish the workout. Two months have passed, and here I am ready to lay things down for you in this insanity workout review.
If you are looking for all the details about the Insanity Workout, then you’ve came to the right place.
Reading this insanity workout review, you will notice that I don’t have a biased view over the Insanity workout program, but rather present it as it is.
Considering the money and the time and effort required to successfully transform your body with this Insanity workout program created by Shawn T, you must most definitely know all the pros and cons of this set of exercises along with the diet plan.
The Insanity workout review – The goal of the Insanity workout
As you probably already watched Shawn T. speaking about his program, you know by now that the goal of the Insanity workout is to get you in the best shape of your life, both looking and performing, meaning – by the end of this program you should have the looks you always dreamed off, and also increased overall fitness to the point where you can almost match professional athletes.
And all that in 60 days, without having to leave the comfort of your own home.
This had me hooked from the start. Such promises surely make the purchasing fee look silly now, don’t they?
So should you spend something above one hundred dollars in order to get this dvd workouts set?
Well, that depends on many things. I hope that you can form your opinion better after going through this insanity workout review.
The Insanity workout review – Quick glimpse over the results you were asking about:
The thing is that the Insanity workout will work as it claims only if you follow the diet plan explained bellow in this insanity workout review, or at least make your own choice of healthy foods and redefined eating schedule.
You will have to follow the exercises day by day and give your best while at it. Also forget about pushing the pause button while the exercise is running as some people I know.
- You must give in your best. That’s why Shawn T says in the first place that this is not for everyone.
- You must be committed and motivated.
- And if you are asking whether this will be easy – that’s a no.
Prepare for the hardest workout of your life ever. I still try to not reminisce that often about the actual Insanity workouts, since I remember rolling on the floor at times, short of breath, gasping for air, while feeling pain all over my body. You can say I was digging deep, as Shawn T loves to say.
The end results for most of you
1. Greatly decreased body fat percentage.
You will literally see your muscles shaping even before they grow bigger. The reason for this is that the fat will actually be melting from your body. You will sweat as you never sweated before – that’s a guarantee, they say; and they are right, believe me.
And since this insanity workout review is here to tell you the truth – you will spend so much energy in order to burn the fat that you will literally start to comprehend the meaning of the word Insanity in the title of the Insanity workout program. But it will pay off, as the Insanity workout can lower your body fat to as much as 7% or so. Professional athletes are somewhere around 8%, so you do the math.
If you are still thinking over whether or not this is possible, you will definitely be able to tell after the first day when you embark with the fit test – a routine made with the intention of checking your fitness and strength level, while also working your whole body so intensely, you will challenge people with: “I bet that you cannot even do the fit test”. Nine out of ten – you will win the bet.
2. Muscle definition over muscle mass
Now don’t get me wrong, the Insanity program will add you some muscle mass too, but if I have to say which one it does better, I will go for muscle definition.
Eating the 40% protein, 40% carbs and 20% fats combo, will make sure you gain muscle A LOT, but considering the time frame, as well as the main purpose which is more of losing weight, it is safe to say that you will not notice a huge muscle mass rapidly building. Instead you will define your muscles, and having lost the fat from your body they will appear sculpted so well, that you will have that athletic, ripped look.
If I must go with one muscle group that will be more noticeable in terms of getting bigger and tighter, I will have to say chest. You will also see a huge change in your thighs, as your quadriceps will grow as never before, draining all stubborn fat surrounding your thigh. This will make your legs look longer and leaner.
This however, comes at a price – in order for the insanity workout to strengthen you, it must first break you.
Why the Insanity workout at the first place?
Plain and simple – because it just works. That is if you want to see muscle definition as well as some muscle gain, and greatly decreased body fat percentage.
I also chose the Insanity workout for couple of other reasons too which I will try to explain in this insanity workout review.
- it takes like the least amount of time when compared to going to the gym, or some sport maybe. I’m not a gym rat, and honestly this came as the best solution. You work out from home, so it cannot get more convenient than that.
- It combines results both in looks and fitness and endurance. There will be times I guess, as it was for me, when you will forget about looks, and push yourself just to prove in your eyes that you can go the distance.
- You’ll compete against yourself. Half way through the workout the biggest reason I fought the urge to quit was because I wanted to beat my yesterday self, and prove that I can do it.
- The team behind the Insanity workout is just too good. You will love each and every one of them, as they will become your team. If you catch yourself answering to a question Shawn T asks, don’t get suspicious about losing it – it’s the chemistry they produce when making the videos.
- Because you will laugh when thinking about how you thought this was easy for you, and because you will finally face your biggest physical challenge. I don’t know about you, but as soon as I felt that this will test me to my limits even half way through, I started loving it.
(Update: A friend of mine tried ridiculing the Insanity workout and he suggested that it can be easily compared with ballet – Yoga poses, some aerobics, some Pilates… I challenged him, and he being a fitness rat thought that it would be an easy win. Boy oh boy was he wrong. This was the first time I got amazed by what kind of change happened inside my body)
As Shawn T. says, the Insanity workout is designed to bring your hearth rate at its max, keep it there for a while, and then slow it down by give it a 30 seconds rest. That’s why the exercises last so long and you get so short of a break.
You will love the break though. I know I did. Right before it, the seconds actually feel longer, and the 30 seconds break seems even shorter than it is. This alone lets you know the real intensity of the workouts.
The exercises are also created in order to strengthen your muscles by using your own body weight, and they are so versatile and diverse that you are working your body from head to toe.
Who can do the insanity workout?
Here is the truth moment in this insanity workout review – this is not for everybody.
- First of all you must have a healthy hearth.
They don’t usually say this, but it’s best if you can go and make a cardio test in order to be at ease when making the purchase. This is intense even for the ones that are healthy, yet alone if you have something that requires additional attention. - Make sure you can do some basic exercises.
You need to be able to at least make 10 pushups and crunches, as well as run at least a mile.
If you match the description of the common couch potato, then give yourself some time to get in shape before trying the Insanity exercise. A week or two may be just enough. - If you have some pain in the joints, then you are also not suited for this exercise yet.
In order to benefit from this exercise you must approach it while feeling healthy and well. I had some minor knee injury, and things got better when I strengthened the muscles on my legs. However, you may not have the same luck, so better check and see if you can endure this. - If your lifestyle doesn’t allow it, then this will be very hard for you. Staying awake till morning working on the screen, or going from one party to another will make sure that you quit the Insanity program after a while.
This is also hard if you are having many responsibilities with the kids, so first try and think about it. - This is just for the dedicated.
If you are looking for excuses all of the time, this is not for you. Save yourself the time and the money.
After reading all this, if you decide the Insanity workout is just not suitable for your fitness level right now, you can try out another workout from Beachbody which should be perfect for you, it’s called Insanity Max:30 workout, and requires only 30 minutes daily.
If that’s too intense for you, check out some of the other easier workout programs: Piyo review or Core de force review.
Or if you’re really into dance workouts, you can check out the Cize workout from Shaun T, you read more about Cize in our huge Cize review.
How quickly will the results come from the insanity workout?
Now this is the interesting part everyone wants to know in a insanity workout review. As we are all different in many ways, you cannot tell for sure. But usually you will start to see the results by the end of the first week.
Yes, that early.
Then maybe somewhere by the end of the first month you will think that there is no more improvement, but you will be wrong, as the results will come till the end, and even after finishing the Insanity workout.
There is rarely an insanity workout review out there that points that you will see results even after the 60 day period is over.
It’s simple science – the muscles are getting rested, therefore growing and giving you even better results.
As almost all of the Insanity exercises are compound in nature, you will first see the results in the form of tightening of the muscles all over your body. That’s the first week.
The abdomen will look flat, the biceps and shoulders already shaped.
You will also notice your thighs getting leaner, thus you will be able to fit in some old pants of yours pretty soon.
The nature of the insanity workout exercises
As you know by now, in the Insanity workout you will use only your own body weight when doing the exercises. Meaning, your body will supply the resistance and weight. No additional equipment is required (with the exception of a towel and something to cover the floor, since you will sweat a bucket of sweat).
The exercises are cardio centered in the beginning of the videos, and then gradually shift into more strength oriented. However, having yourself exhausted early on, makes sure that even the strength exercises cause your cardio rate to go way up.
There is like the least amount of exercises you must do while down on the ground, so it’s safe to say that you will be standing most of the time.
There will be a lot of jumping involved too, so you will feel a lot of pressure on your joints on the very beginning.
There is also some stretching and some yoga poses, that will make you more flexible than you anticipated. I cannot believe how stiff I was before doing these exercises. And I was looking to be in shape, so you do the math.
The Insanity exercises are almost all compound in nature. This means that they focus on two or more large muscle groups at one time. This ensures faster fat loss, as well as higher adrenaline levels.
It also means more muscle groups working at once; therefore more increase in testosterone levels while you exercise too. In a way this helps a lot when doing the Insanity workout, since otherwise you will feel exhausted earlier.
The nature of these compound exercises makes also sure that there is a lot of endorphin produced, that you will not feel so much pain during the workouts, and feel more relaxed after completing them.
Now here is the downer – unless you follow the diet plan or take a good care of yourself, you will be drained from energy most of the time.
However, if you do take a good care of yourself and try healthier lifestyle for a change, then you will have even energy to spare.
You will most definitely become more agile, tougher, and more determined too. Also another plus is that you will have a better posture, due to the yoga poses, and somewhat to the over increased self-confidence (as stupid as this sounds).
The thing I like the most I guess is being able to do any physical activity whatsoever with ease after completing the program.
What many insanity workout reviews out there fail to tell you
- Most insanity workout reviews usually forget to tell you that you will see results even after the 60 day period of the insanity program passes.
- Many insanity workout reviews forget to mention the importance of following the diet plan.
And also a thing that bugs me a lot is that many insanity workout reviews fail to tell you the Insanity program is an evolving thing, meaning that you will learn a different approach to it by the day, and by that achieve different results (take for example always making sure that you ventilated the area in which you are about to workout, in order not to pass out – lesson learned the hard way. I almost fainted once.)
Because of this, I will share some great tips on how to make the Insanity workout more pleasant further in this insanity workout review.
The Insanity workout schedule
You are probably wondering how is the insanity workout schedule created, and will you have days for rest or days when you will be taking it easy.
Well, here is the thing:
When the week starts you have fit test where you will see your initial fitness level, and see how much you are “ready” for the insanity workout. This test will break you to the point when you feel exhausted. The next time you will have to take the test is after two weeks. So you take this test every two weeks, on Mondays, in order to track your progress.
All the other days in the week except Sunday are workout days. And every day is harder than the one before. At least this is due to not having time to rest.
On Thursdays however, you have a cardio recovery day, where Shawn T is taking it easy on you. Then, instead of the usual cardio workouts, you are doing more stretches, and some balance exercises. The hard thing here is that you will also do some strength exercises, and you will do them so slowly that suddenly the only thing close to recovery will be the title of the workout.
The first month of the Insanity workout is easier though, if you ask me. The workouts don’t last so long, in fact they average somewhere around 35-40 minutes.
The tough insanity workout schedule is created so you can face the challenges the second month has to offer easily. The second month despite this is the one where you will feel like you can’t do it anymore. The exercises stretch to as long as an hour and they are getting more complex indeed. That’s why here it is recommended to eat even more than usual.
The hardest thing for me was when there were two sets of different workouts to do in one day. Especially in the second month where one workout was like one hour long. These days will most definitely top any day that you can remember where you thought you’ve done the most demanding physical activity.
Review of the diet plan – The science behind the diet plan from the Insanity workout
To make things clear I will advise you to follow the diet plan as much as you can. However, if you have trouble following it, then it is ok to make your own diet plan as long as it constitutes of the same basics, as the one from the insanity workout.
What does this mean?
In short, this means that you must follow the proteins-carbs-fats ratio, since it is specially designed for this type of activity, and tailored for the results you want to see in your body.
Therefore changing the diet plan from the insanity workout in order to make your own diet plan is really ok.
The diet plan is constructed in the way that you will consume many calories throughout the day, so there is no need to worry if you will feel hungry.
As long as you follow the right amount of protein, carbs, and fats.
The 40% protein in the diet is intended to fuel your muscles and help them in the repair process- something that will happen constantly over the 60 days.
The 40% carbs are on the other hand are intended to keep your energy levels high, as you will need great deal of energy and effort to finish the Insanity workout, and indeed go through the day.
The 20% fat is there to make sure you have extra energy, while keeping your body and all the processes inside it functional. However, we are talking about healthy fats most of the time, so even though you decide to change the diet plan and make your own, be sure to check and see what types of food are mentioned in the original diet plan.
Reading this you probably know by now that you must forget junk food, because it will only hold you back in seeing the progress by hindering muscle growth and fat loss.
Comparisons of the Insanity workout with its competitor the P90X
If you searched on the net even a little bit before you stumbled here, you will notice that many people out there compare the Insanity workout program with its competitor the P90X.
I say competitor only because they are products by the same company, and they both have similar goals.
The truth though is that they are so different that there is no point in comparing. I have some friends that tried the P90X, and by talking to them I see that the results these two programs produce are quite different.
The P90X goes for more muscle, since you also lift some weights and work with some equipment, and is more bulk oriented.
With the Insanity you will be far more fit, flexible, and you will see huge muscle definition, as well as some decent muscle growth. The most important thing though, is that with the Insanity workout you will lose more fat tissue that you ever thought possible.
I lost stubborn fat that was stored on my thighs – that never happens when I do other workouts.
Insanity workout vs p90x – Is Insanity workout harder than p90x?
People try to compare them in terms of which one is harder. And if someone tells you that the P90X is more demanding, just ask them and you will definitely see that they never done the Insanity.
You can try the P90X, finish it, and then still have a hard time dealing with the Insanity workout.
That’s how hard the Insanity workout is.
The Insanity workout is designed to test you by letting you decide how much you can take.
For example it gives you one minute to do as many sets of an exercise as you can. It’s up to you whether you will push yourself to the limit.
The Beachbody insanity Workout community
Once you start with this exercise you will feel like being in a community.
I always find that I have so much to talk about when I meet someone who is doing the Insanity workout, or someone who already, as Shawn T. likes to say, graduated the Insanity Workout.
I also find myself trying to convince other people to try this exercise or read this insanity workout review. I try helping them with tips and so on. The truth is that everyone who has tried the Insanity workout program will see you in a different light when you tell him that you are doing it too, or at least consider doing it.
It’s like a brotherhood of some kind – I know this sounds silly, but you will see for yourself.
Another interesting thing is that after finishing the Insanity workout program you can send the before and after pictures if you like, along with a picture of the set of exercises you received, and you will be sent a T-shirt with the Insanity workout logo on the front, and “I earned it” on the back.
This became sort of a badge in fitness. One that is very hard to get.
Also, as of recently, you can now stream Insanity with the new Beachbody On Demand streaming service, which allows for streaming of workouts anytime, anywhere. You can read more in this Beachbody on Demand review.
Tips for going through the insanity workout more easily (if possible at all)
As I promised earlier in this insanity workout review, here are some tips that I think will make your time the Insanity workout much easier.
- Start with some average intensity physical preparation before you start the Insanity workout. Also don’t forget to stretch, since you will be faced with many yoga poses, and it’s better to be a little flexible even before you start.
- Always make some minor preparations before you push the play button. These exercises tend to bring your cardio levels way up as early as in the first two or three minutes of the set.
- Wear sneakers. Don’t start the Insanity workout without them. You will feel more agile; have better protection on the joints.
- Have something to cover the floor with, since you will sweat as you never did before.
- Always remember to ventilate the area in which you are about to make your workout. Lack of fresh air or very hot temperature, may have serious consequences and make you feel like you are going to faint.
- Have a bottle or two filled with water near you, as you will need a lot of hydration as you go through the exercises. However, drink only a bit each break, so you can be able to perform the exercises.
- Always have a towel with you.
- Never, ever, eat immediately before you start with the Insanity workout. That can result in throwing up. This almost happened to me.
- Never push the pause button while you work out. It’s not intended that way. Take your rest when you must, but leave the video running.
- Watch on your hearth rate very carefully. When it goes way up, and you feel discomfort in your chest, stop immediately.
- Do not schedule anything half an hour after your workout, since your body will be so hot, you will find it hard to cool it down even with a shower. Make sure you rest your body at least half an hour before you go and do anything else.
- Follow you diet plan, and get enough sleep. You will need it.
Pushing through the last week of the insanity workout
Doing everything right, you will be able to push through the last week of the Insanity workout.
However here are some additional tips:
- Find someone who is also doing the Insanity workout, and try to motivate each other.
- Always remind yourself why you are doing this.
- Think about wearing the Insanity workout T-shirt – you are so close to that.
- It will be tempting in the last week to go and skip some of the exercises. Read this insanity workout review again and remind yourself what have you passed so far, and keep going.
Where to buy the Insanity workout?
There are two ways to get Insanity.
1. You can get it separately from the official Beachbody Insanity website.
2. Or you can get it via Beachbody On Demand. All Beachbody workouts, as of recently, are sold through their subscription model titled Beachbody on Demand. Therefore, you can also get Insanity through the official Beachbody On Demand website. Objectively, this is the better deal.
The cost is $99 for a yearly subscription, but get this – you will also have access to All of their latest programs, All of the popular programs (such as Insanity and P90X), and as if this wasn’t enough – All of Beachbody Future releases!
The subscription to Beachbody on Demand comes with a 30 day money back guarantee as well.
Final note of this Insanity workout review
By the end of this Insanity workout review I hope that you made your decision whether the Insanity workout is the right workout for you, and I also hope that this Insanity workout review helped you more than some of the others out there.
You should also try to read the comments below. There are a lot of them, but they can also help you decide whether the Insanity workout is for you.
I personally recommend the Insanity workout, because I know that it works, and because I had a lot of fun hours with it. I even think about doing it all over again.
And you don’t even have to listen to me, there are hundreds of comments just below this insanity workout review, read them and decide on your own.
After doing the Insanity workout there is only one thing that I can guarantee you, you will now be able to do any physical activity whatsoever with ease, and finally lose tremendous amount of body fat, while growing and shaping your muscles.
In the end of this insanity workout review, it’s up to you to try the Insanity workout for yourself, and see the picture in the mirror changing by the day while seeing your fitness level dramatically improving.
After reading this Insanity workout review, if you’re still looking for an answer on a certain specific question there is a smaller article consisting of 28 Frequently Asked Questions about The Insanity Workout that you may find useful.