WebMD Insanity Review

Michael Esco, PhD, CSCS of WebMD posted a review on Insanity. Here are some snippets or you can read the full article here.

The Insanity workouts are highly intense and designed for people who are already in good shape. It is not intended for special-need populations, such as cardiovascular, pulmonary, and metabolic disease patients, diabetics, or obese people, and people with orthopedic limitations. If you are extremely unfit and looking for an “easy fix”, then Insanity is not for you. The program will work best for people who already exercise on a regular basis and are willing to work hard.

The program takes a huge amount of self-discipline and dedication. As with any home-based exercise regimen, the various distractions that often occur can easily interfere with the workout program.

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Insanity...the name says it all. It is a maximum intensity workout program that will push you to your physical limits and will test your mental toughness. It’s great for cardiovascular fitness and achieving a lean body, but it is intended for people who are already at least fairly fit. The workouts are very challenging and require a great amount of dedication and willpower to complete.

Insanity in the News. Is it a "Deal or Dud?"

Check it out, a Fox News station in Dallas has a "Deal or Dud" Insanity clip.



Buy Insanity here.

Back to business

I am back to doing Insanity in the mornings. It simply amazes me at how quickly you can get out of shape. My wedding was one month ago and I stopped working out about 3 weeks prior to that. I started drinking energy shots to keep me awake and diet mountain dew. I would crash throughout the day and need another "fix". Before Insanity it was normal. Now, it's like a kick to the face. During Insanity I had energy during the day and never felt hunger with the meal plan. I am tired today, but not crashing.

I completed Cardio and Plyo with 837 calories burned. I pushed hard, but not to my max. I couldn't go to that threshold even if I tried. 7 weeks of sort-of-bad habits takes its toll.

Insanity Rachel B. Success Story

This is not my Rachel, but another that has had great success with Insanity. She was already fit before starting Insanity but now her size 6 jeans are falling off of her. Insanity is meant for those already in good physical condition and designed to make you dig deeper and push harder.

Insanity Fit Test Day 36 Results and Max Interval Circuit

My recovery week is over and it's time to start pushing again. My Fit Test was not as strong as I thought it would be. But, I was also surprised at what a week "off" can do. I forgot how hard you really have to push yourself in this workout! I also did Max Interval Circuit immediately following the Fit Test. As I had already "warmed up" from the Fit Test I skipped the warm-up for Max Interval Circuit.

You can see my Insanity Day 15 Fit Test results here.

Stats for Fit Test and Max Interval Circuit (minus circuit's warm-up/stretch). 75:07 minutes.

• Min Heart Rate: 152
• Average Heart Rate: 186
• Maximum Heart Rate: 76
• Calories Burned: 1428

My Fit Test Results

1. Switch Kicks: 52 (didn't push myself hard enough!)
2. Power Jacks: 62 (same)
3. Power Knees: 105 (up 5)
4. Power Jumps: 30 (down 4)
5. Globe Jumps: 11 (up 1)
6. Suicide Jumps: 12 (up 1)
7. Push-Up Jacks: 22 (down 2)
8. Low Plank Oblique:49 (down 2)

Weight: 176.4

Diet: I splurged on some orange and cherry sugary candy slices (first time in over a month). Otherwise, diet was very good.

Supplements with Insanity or P90x

I have posted the supplements that I am currently taking with Insanity and P90x.

Read more here.

Insanity Meal Plan

Looking for what to eat doing Beachbody's Insanity? See my daily insanity meal plan ( food plan ) below. Keep to the meal plan and make sure you get enough calories (see Insanity calories burned)! The supplements that I currently take can be found here.

Breakfast

Peanut Butter Toast

One slice of whole wheat (light) bread, natural chunky peanut butter, strawberry preserves (only a teaspoon), and a cup of fruit. Rather than cottage cheese, and being lactose intolerant, I have a glass of rice or almond milk usually with Shakeology. 

Mid-morning Snack

BLT with Turkey

Two slices of light whole wheat bread with turkey bacon (3 slices), lettuce, tomato, and sliced turkey breast, topped off with mustard. I also have a fresh pear with this snack.

Lunch

Chicken Salad

A bowl of salad with chopped pecans and diced chicken with salad dressing (maybe a tablespoon). I also have a green apple with this meal.

Mid-Afternoon Snack

Grown-up Lunchables

Sliced Turkey, Sliced Ham, Swiss Cheese, and Whole Wheat Crackers, and a cup of grapes make up this meal.

Dinner

Rice, Chicken, and Veggies

Whole grain rice, corn niblets, peas, and diced chicken. In order to get my calories up for the day and to satisfy my after-dinner munchies I eat 12 almonds.

Other Notes

Your diet is one of the most important aspects for any workout. You need the proper nutrition and calories to push through, have energy, and to maintain or lose weight.

You can get your nutrition custom tailored through IDLife that is designed around your lifestyle and diet. Take the free assessment here.

FREE Nutrition Assessment! 

For exact measurements and amounts for each meal above see the Insanity Nutrition Meal Plan. The above meal plan with my Beachbody P90x Recovery drink gives me approximately 2400 calories a day.


If you currently have Insanity and do not have a coach please sign up for a free Beachbody account and contact me here or use the online email form.

Insanity Reviews:

• Insanity Day 1 Dig Deeper and Fit Test
• Plyometric Cardio Circuit here - Day 2
• Insanity Cardio Power and Resistance Day 3
• Insanity Cardio Recovery Review - Day 4
• Insanity Pure Cardio Review - Day 5

Read more on Insanity!

If you are up to the challenge click the banner below! Risk free too!

Insanity Fit Test Day 15

For the Fit Test, Day 15, I saw some improvement! I feel like I pushed myself as hard as I could. I'll see what results I get on day 30. You can see my Insanity Day 1 Fit Test results here.

Stats

• Min Heart Rate: 63
• Average Heart Rate: 156
• Maximum Heart Rate: 191
• Calories Burned: 506

My Fit Test Results

1. Switch Kicks: 69
2. Power Jacks: 62
3. Power Knees: 100
4. Power Jumps: 34
5. Globe Jumps: 10
6. Suicide Jumps: 11
7. Push-Up Jacks: 24
8. Low Plank Oblique: 51

Insanity Day 11, 12, 13, and 14

Day 10 was Cardio Recovery and Day 11 Power and Resistance. Saturday (Day 13) was supposed to be Pure Cardio and Cardio Abs. Due to other prior engagements that morning I was only able to complete Pure Cardio and not at full intensity due to a headache. Day 14 was “Rest” but I ended up tilling my yard for a few hours.

I woke up that Saturday with a splitting headache, the kind that you feel throbbing in the front lobe on both sides of your skull. I had my fiancé do a quick search on headaches during my warm-up (which caused it to really throb). Headaches can be caused by dehydration and it’s recommended to not workout. You should wait until it goes away… oops on my part. I ended up drinking 20 oz of water mixed in with my P90x Recovery and a couple of Ibuprofen right before the warm-up. That took care of the headache in a short time and allowed me to continue with the workout (not as intense as you can by the numbers below) after the initial stretch and a few minutes of Pause.

Plyo Cardio Circuit - Insanity Day 10

See my mini-review about Plyometric Cardio Circuit here.

The warm-up is getting easier. Well, I guess that's not entirely accurate. It's hard, as you always push yourself to the max no matter what your current fitness level is, but I can get in a few extra reps on some of the moves.

I had to jog out half of the level 1 drills. I'm looking forward to pushing through these drills without having to stop or jog.

On another note, I did have some excitement yesterday(other than Insanity). Last night, after work, I did my usual routine of getting ready for the next day. As I was getting ready for calling it a night I took off my belt, took a few steps, and about fell flat on my face. My pants had dropped to my ankles. So be aware, you may lose some weight using the Beachbody workout programs... that's all I'm saying.

Avg. Heart Rate: 160
Max Heart Rate: 193
Min Heart Rate: 84
Cals Burned: 869

Pure Cardio - Insanity Day 9

Insanity Day 9 Pure Cardio has come and gone. I was expecting to do the same routine every day for the first month. It looks like they mix it up a bit. It was only 4 days ago that I did Pure Cardio for the first time (Read Day 5 Insanity Pure Cardio Review here).

The Suicide Jumps did me in this time. I had to switch to running in place as my heart rate was in the upper 180's.

My stats for today are very close to what I did the first time. However, it "felt" a little bit easier this time.

Avg. Heart Rate: 162
Max Heart Rate: 191
Min Heart Rate: 88
Calories Burned: 809

For tracking calories burned Beachbody has an excellent Bowflex Heart Rate Monitor with Chest Strap in their online shop. You can also search for Amazon.com Heart Rate Monitors for other varieties. Find one with a chest strap so you can track how many calories you burn and also to make sure you are in the "zone". See the Equipment section for more gadgets and exercise gear (also in the navigation section above).

Keep Pushing Play!

Insanity - Day 8

One week is complete! Yesterday was my rest day and for some reason I felt crummy all day. I'm not sure if my sleep was off or what, but I did not feel well at all.

Today, I feel great! The Insanity Cardio Power & Resistance (Day 3 mini review) went very well. I'm also at my lowest weight to date. 179.4 lbs. Once I get rid of the goo I'll have to concentrate on gaining muscle. By the time I get to 10% body fat I'll probably weigh 165 lbs which seems really skinny to me being 6 foot tall. I have posted my stats in the About Fit Corner page at the top. It's a linked google excel sheet that I keep updated almost daily with my workouts and some notes.

The hop squats and push-ups were hard today. My heart rate was in the upper 180's. I ended up doing push-ups for the remaining 30 seconds or so rather than jumping up to do hops and dropping to do push-ups.

Average Heart Rate: 169
Max Heart Rate: 194
Min. Heart Rate: 70
Calories Burned: 890

Insanity Plyo Cardio Circuit – Day 6

See my review about Plyometric Cardio Circuit here. Today is my rest day, but this posting is about my workout yesterday.

Yesterday went well. It’s still extremely difficult, especially on little sleep as I went to Notre Dame today and was up at 4:48 AM to workout. I pushed myself to keep my heart rate above 170 for the duration of the workout (except stretch and cool down).

Level 1 drills still kick my butt. I always feel like I’m going to upchuck (not pretty) when my heart rate reaches the 186 to 190 range. At that point I stop jumping up to my feet and instead do a steady continuous number of push-ups for the remainder of the set. I still want to keep my heart rate up, but not to the point of having to stop.

What I find extremely helpful, and what Shaun T. mentions in some workouts, is when you are panting and feel like you have to stop, take a deep breath and exhale sharply. This will get fresh oxygen in your system. Keep pushing through.

Your body is an amazing device and you can push yourself to limits you never knew. You will become stronger. I am simply surprised at what the body is capable of… I never knew I could push myself this hard and far until I started Insanity.

Avg. Heart Rate: 164
Max Heart Rate: 190
Min Heart Rate: 85
Cals Burned: 900

Insanity Pure Cardio Review - Day 5

Insanity Pure Cardio is 38 minutes, which doesn't sound like a lot of time, but you'll keep an eye on that clock waiting for it to tick down to zero.

To start, you'll have the usual heart-pounding "warm up" (it's really more of a workout) for 10 minutes. After which is a short break for some much needed water.

Next you have about 5 minutes of power stretching to get ready for the real workout. Shaun T. starts out by saying he is "nervous" about the workout. If you do not know anything about Shaun T., he is a ripped, in fantastic shape guy. So when you hear him saying he is "nervous" you're thinking "oh crap".

The real workout is 15 minutes long with 15 different exercises at 1 minute each. NO BREAKS! But when you are working out at max intensity for that long of a period it's almost impossible to not take a break.

• Suicides
• Switch kicks
• Football sprints
• Stance Jacks
• Pedal
• Hooks and Jump Rope
• Power jacks
• Level 2 Drills (these differ from level 1 by having an extra jump in them)
• Frog Jumps
• Power Knees
• Mountain Climbers
• Ski Down
• Scissor Runs
• Suicide Jumps
• Push up jacks

You'll get a full minute break after this nightmare. It's tough and very challenging. At the very end Shaun T. is on the floor sweating. You'll feel great!

There is a 4 minute cool down period where you'll be doing several stretches.

Here are my stats for this morning's workout:

Avg. Heart Rate: 161
Max Heart Rate: 193
Min. Heart Rate: 85
Cals. Burned: 801

Insanity Cardio Recovery Review - Day 4

Insanity's Cardio Recovery is an easier workout than the other routines. It consists mostly of stretching and yoga moves.

There are breathing and stretching exercises, plank work, deep muscle work (which will require some leg strength for holding deep squats), quad work, oblique work, hip flexor, and balance postures.

Overall, you'll sweat a little, but it's a relatively easy workout for a "rest" day (the real rest days are Sundays).

As my calves are still very sore today, this was a much needed routine. You'll be doing Cardio Recovery for the first month.

Avg. Heart Rate: 126
Max Heart Rate: 171
Min. Hear Rate: 87
Cals. Burned: 410

Insanity Cardio Power & Resistance - Day 3

My calves are killing me from the Plyometric Cardio Circuit yesterday. I was worried about this workout, but it doesn't hurt your calves too terribly. The initial warm-up does, and the hurdle jumps are not pleasant.

Be prepared to jump in this workout. I thought Plyo from P90x was crazy intense, and it is a heart pounding workout, but Insanity pushes me a lot harder. The first group of exercises are power jumps, belt kicks, hit the floor, and v push-ups (which are also similar to the one's in P90x). This lasts about 6 minutes.

The second group had me taking a lot of breaks. I didn't do as many floor sprints as I would like (they are near the end of each 'set'). You'll be doing Hurdle Jumps, Globe Jumps (remember the fit test?), Moving Push-ups, and floor sprints.

The hardest part of this workout are the hop squats and push-ups. You push through 8 hops and fall to the floor immediately to do 8 push-ups. Then you are back up doing hops again, then on the floor. After you get through this you'll be on the floor crawling. Well, maybe not THAT bad, but close to it if you are out of shape.

Good luck!

Workout Length: Aprox. 39 minutes
Avg. Heart Rate: 163
Max HR: 194
Min HR: 70
Cals Burned: 872

Plyometric Cardio Circuit Review – Day 2

I will not be posting every day, but Plyo Cardio Circuit was very intense and warrants a blog entry.

The workout is approximately 42 minutes long. During the first 10 minutes you warm up. The warm up is a workout unto itself! You start out with three different levels of intensity with each more difficult than the last. The exercises are the same for each level during the warm-up, but you push yourself harder for each one. You’ll be sweating by the time you reach the stretching routine.

The stretching period is about 7 minutes. It’s much less intense, but it does require some leg strength. There are some similar moves to P90x and Yoga. Once you are done stretching you are ready for Interval Training.

Interval Training is intense! This is about 20 to 22 minutes long. There are Power Squats, Cliff-climbers, and Level 1 Suicide Drills (I’m not looking forward to whatever “Level 2” will be). You will have to push yourself to new limits here to keep up with Shaun T. and his fitness cohorts. I had to stop multiple times to catch my breath. You’ll see several people stop and take breaks as well. By the time you reach the end of interval training you’ll find it hard to just speak (unless you are in great shape). If you can speak, you probably should try to push harder next time. I kept a trash can nearby just in case I couldn’t keep things down. I came close about 4 times, but took deep breaths and pushed on.

After the fit test yesterday I was concerned I would not burn as many calories as I do in P90x. However, you do burn a lot. In those 42 minutes, I burned 946 calories. Considering you only “workout” for about 30 minutes in the program and you burn nearly 1000 calories, this met my expectations.

• Avg. Heart Rate: 168
• Peak Heart Rate: 194
• Minimum Heart Rate: 80

A tip that Shaun T. mentions is to take a deep breath when you are really panting and feel like stopping. It’ll get fresh oxygen into your body and it does help. Then keep pushing!

Weight today is 183.6. It's up from yesterday due to the new diet and increased calories. I'll see how the diet goes this week and how my body adjusts before adjusting caloric intake.

Insanity Day 1 Dig Deeper and Fit Test

This morning I started Insanity. I weighed in at 182.8. I have not worked out for the past 5 days due to pulling a muscle in my shoulder (lifting computer equipment at work), so weight is up by 2.8 pounds. Today was the first day my shoulder did not hurt. It feels a little sore as I write this.

The fit test does not burn a lot of calories in its 30 minute block. However, it’s not meant to, it’s designed to test your fitness level. But, you still burn a comparable amount for that 30 minutes.

According to my HRM, in 26 minutes I burned 547 calories.

• Min Heart Rate: 71
• Average Heart Rate: 161
• Maximum Heart Rate: 189

When you begin day one watch or fast forward through the fit test before you begin. This will give you an idea of what the exercises are. You’ll have one minute per exercise with a minute break. You’ll need it too.

My Fit Test Results

1. Switch Kicks: 60
2. Power Jacks: 50
3. Power Knees: 74
4. Power Jumps: 25
5. Globe Jumps: 7
6. Suicide Jumps: 8
7. Push-Up Jacks: 20
8. Low Plank Oblique: 42

Meals

I stuck with the nutrition plan and had approximately 2470 calories. I now know I was not eating enough during P90x. I was full all day today eating this much. This is also with a 500 deficit in order to lose weight. I'll be eating the same meals all week, but will probably pick different meals for next week.

Beachbody Insanity Preparation

Spend half a day looking over the nutrition guide. You’ll need to take the time to plan accordingly for your diet. The Insanity Elite Nutrition is simple.

First you calculate your daily need for calories using the Harris Benedict Equation, your daily activity level, and if you want to lose, maintain, or gain weight.

Second, choose your meals for the week.

Before I started this diet I was on the Anabolic Diet, which is low carbs Monday through Friday. On the weekends the majority of your calories come from carbs. I used the Anabolic diet during my for Part of Phase I and all of Phase II of P90x. I lost 10 pounds from that diet but my weight loss has stalled.

Insanity is going to require you to have a very healthy diet with specific ratios. Everyone’s body is different and requires specific needs. But if you do not know what your body requires exactly follow the nutrition guide. It’s easy to follow. Choose your 5 meals for the day from each of the five categories and decide on how large that meal should be. If you need to add calories they have additional options for each meal. There is also a section in the back for small 100 calorie or 200 calorie blocks.

A tip that I found helpful was to photocopy pages out of the nutrition guide. Cut them to 4 x 6 (same size as a standard photo) and place them in a cheap photo book. Now you can reference your meals whenever you need without having to carry the book. Also, don’t forget the sections on substitutions. For example, I do not like cottage cheese, so I substitute it with rice milk. The measurements are listed in the Extras section in the book.