Anyone doing INSANITY workout?
 

I am currently in my 7th week today of this. I have not lost much weight but have definately lost some inches and can see abs I never saw before.

I'm just curious what diet you are following, I am not really doing the diet that came with it, close, but not exactly. Also, are you drinking the recovery formula and have you seen better results with it? I do drink a protein shake before or after that has a small amount of recovery in it like the L-glutamine and such.

My problem is that I want to lose 15-20lbs of fat, or more inches but I can't seem to lose that last little layer of fat (know what I mean?) My knees are starting to kill me and I'd rather not develop an ulcer from taking ibuprofen daily :)

Any help out there???

I thought I'd bump this up. I'm on my second week of insanity and it really does get you sweating! I haven't lost much weight/inches because my eating has been terrible. I'm back on the wagon now, however, and I certainly expect to see some changes soon!

I have been considering getting the insanity workout dvds, im currently doing p90x, i kind of restarted it, i was doing pretty good for a while then went on a few short vacations which got me totally off track. anyway im finding it pretty hard to do the 6 days a week working out, i usually make it to 4 or 5 which is still good but i havent seen any results. i push myself very hard during the workouts, and have been making changges to my diet as well, yet i feel im getting nowhere, im already in pretty good shape, i only want to lose about 7-8 lbs and mostly firm up but i havent lost any. ive been told to try to limit the carbs but im having a hard time finding dinners that are quick, easy and filling enough without any carbs. i thought maybe the insanity would be better for me to up the cardio...... any advice???

How far along are you since starting? If you're in the first couple weeks, and your muscles are sore- muscles often retain water to heal themselves which might show no weight loss on the scale. Keep tracking your calories and nutrient intake- diet is hugely important for losing weight.

I was really frustrated Monday when I did my two-week results and weigh-in for Insanity and I had gained a pound!!! I am losing inches however. Well, the next day I started my period and today that extra weight is gone and I am looking forward to hopping on the scale tomorrow and probably seeing another 1-2lbs of water weight gone.

You just have to keep with it. My point is, our bodies do all sorts of screwy things that we can't always predict. However, if you stick with it it, a calorie deficit is a calorie deficit and working our muscles is preventing a good deal of muscle loss during weight loss.

have you tried glucosamine?

I am having the same issue only I have lots to lose. I workout at the gym 5 days a week doing pump, step and spin all hard on knees. Now they are hurting just sitting at my desk. I am getting worried since I have lots more I want to lose.

Should I bother?
 

I did the P90X program with not as many results as I was hoping for. Plus the P90X program really isn't sustainable. There's no way I could work out an hour a day, 6 days a week for the rest of my life. A friend keeps telling me I should try Insanity but I really don't want to waste my time if it's not going to work. I've also heard that lifting weights are better than cardio for losing weight and I'm starting to believe it since I've always done cardio and have recently gained a little weight (trust me, it's not muscle). Has anyone done both that they can direct me or tell me if this whole weight lifting thing is true?

Hi Ruthie-

I know your original post was older but....

Do you have a good running shoe and insoles? I tore my ACL completely in June of last year and had it replaced September of last year. I'm only "allowed" to do the Insanity workout if I'm very careful and behave. That being said, I invested in a good pair of shoes with a HIGH IMPACT insole. I've also invested in a brand new knee brace. So far my knee (well, the bad one plus the good one) seems to be holding up pretty well. I also ice down for about 10 minutes after the workout and that seems to have stopped any swelling that may be occurring.

It's the common problem for many people to have too many expectations from P90X (especially looking at beachbody ad pics). To achieve that ripped/jacked results you should already be (fairly) lean, to say the least.

IMO comparing weight lifting to cardio is like comparing apples and oranges. Very simplified and considering both "classic" weight training and cardio, they pursue different (if not antagonistic) purposes. Weight training is meant to be anabolic (i.e. building new muscle tissue), cardio is catabolic (i.e. getting rid of excess tissue, i.e. fat).
Things are more complicated when losing fat is the main goal though.
"Lifting weights are better than cardio for losing weight" is kinda broscience. You lose weight because of calorie deficit, no magic bullet here. By utilizing weight training you keep your muscles from cannibalising by your own body, because in absence of exercise starving body (yes, starving, it makes no difference between dieting and starving) uses muscles prior to fat and that does slow down your metabolism.
The main goal of P90X is still fat loss. Strength workouts build (or keep) your muscle (and strength) and ramp up your metabolism, while cardio workouts actually burn fat.
You can use P90X for bulking, too, with some tweaks, but consider it just like Boot Camp at home.

Insanity is another thing, it's all about cardio/HIIT (high intensity interval training, google it). A word of warning, if you can't handle P90X Plyo, don't even bother about Insanity.
It's all about PUSHING to the limit. All workouts are very similiar, despite of whopping 12 (or 13?) DVDs. Jumping, squatting, running, everyting is targeted to shoot up your heart rate to burn max calories sparing the muscle and accelerate your metabolism (again, simplified, read about interval training on internets).

I've done both, starting with P90X makes sense. Tony (P90X) teaches you the basics of fitness/exercise, the proper moves, technique, stretches (yoga, anyone?), all-in-one, while Shaun (Insanity) expects you to learn on the spot, sort of "just push it and you'll be fine", which quickly becomes boring. BUT! It's all about intensity.

My personal preference is P90X weight workouts + Insanity in place of Cardio (Kenpo, Plyo), I just pick whatever I'm feeling to do.

Working out first thing in the morning can save a lot of time (and accelerate fat loss!, again, google is your friend), but you have to be careful here, be sure to be supplemented with BCAA pre/post workout. And personally I don't think that 6hrs/week (or even less!) is that much and hard to find, I hope you will get accustomed quite soon ;) Good luck!

One more thing
 

@sharone58
Don't expect INSTANT results from ANY fitness program and/or sports.
It really takes time and dedication, but the outcome surely worth it.

Don't focus on inches/lbs at the beginning, focus on your increasing strength, endurance, flexibility, well-being after all. Track your progress using workout sheets and fit tests, take photos, be prepared for plateaus. Never give up :D

I'm just starting insanity after two rounds of P90X. I'm only a few days into insanity, but am a lot less sore than I expected to be. I do have some thoughts/concerns with insanity though, namely:

-The workouts are so much shorter than the X workouts, I sometimes feel like they're over before I really get into it. I do obviously sweat a ton and am breathing rapidly most of the time, but I fear I'm so concentrated on just learning the moves and trying to keep my form that I don't constantly contract my core like he's always saying to. Sometimes I'm just breathing too hard to tighten my abs. Maybe I just need to give it time, get to know the moves better, and once I have some strength and endurance built up I can focus more on that ab constricting?

I was getting really great at the X plyo workout and love that I just had to add a few more reps, etc., to keep it a high intensity workout. I also liked that the actual workout out was a considerable amount of time. The insanity warm ups are intense, but manageable. But once the stretching is done, there's barely 20 minutes of actual workout time. Is that really enough?

I was doing the X doubles before, and I'm still supplementing some kickboxing in the AM, then insanity at night. I just feel like this round of insanity is about getting the hang of the program, and I might need to do a second round to really see any benefit. Or maybe a p90X-insanity hybrid would be great since I miss the weightlifting from the X.

Ok maybe I'm just rambling on...but those are my thoughts at the moment. I know, i know, dig deeper...bring it...so long as I keep my butt moving I can't really go wrong!

insanity
 

I just started insanity today so I dont know how well its going to work for me, my biggest issue is I cant find anyone in my situation. Im 5'10 120lbs so losing weight or inches off my waist would be pretty much deadly for me!! im already underweight and eat a ton. Im confused with how I should diet with this program and how to input it on this site correctly!! Im guessing I need to increase my protein and carbs with shakes etc?

If you're underweight you should talk to a nutritionist on how to gain weight safely.

I would suggest weight training with limited cardio exercises. I am assuming you would like to be more fit and defined. Cardio won't do it for you. Lift heavy (use enough weight to perform only 4-6 repetitions before you cannot perform the lift with good form). If you're not an experienced lifter get instruction. Increase your protein intake to the .5 to 1.0 grams per pound of lean body weight range. An increase in your total calories so you are in a calorie surplus is neccesary for weight gain but try to maintain your protein around 30% of your calories. Body builders call this bulking. Some increase in body fat is expected but if your metabolism is as you stated this should be easy for you to shed once you build some muscle.

I did the Insanity program. I really noticed the results in the second month and closer to the end of the program. It is hard but worth it. I did adjust my diet and started to mostly eat smaller more frequent meals that were more nutritious with some "bad" meals to remind myself I was still alive. I did not follow the program's diet though. I lost 4% body fat and went from 222 lbs to 204. I had lifted weights and mixed cardio in for several years. I am back to lifting again but with more of the HIIT mentality after I saw how it worked in Insanity. The hardest part of the program is the burnout near the end.