Insanity Review

Well, I have had a week of insanity! No, I'm not referring to my normal state of being - I'm referring to the Beachbody Workout series.  First things first: I think the name is ridiculous - clearly a marketing ploy to make us all think - "wow, this work out is gonna be INSANE and the biggest challenge of my life!". And it sort of reminds me of that song by Cypress Hill when I think about the work out - You know the one - Insane in the Membrane. yep. And I also wonder what the hell they would name the follow on..I can almost see the commercial now.... "Get your copy of the newly released follow on to the Insanity work out: Totally Bat Shit Crazy!! This work out will make you scream expletives and have a seizure. Warning: you may poop your pants."  Can't wait! and I only have to pay $250 bucks for that?! Like my dad says, might as well pay someone less to take me out back, kick me in the balls and call it day! (Love my dad!)

Uh, this move is not recommended for pregnant women. Shawn T is really really serious about being insane and if you didn't know that, just look at his face in this picture.

Okay, enough shenanigans (I heart shenanigans).. on to the review:

Pros - If you aren't fully conditioned - they give you a series of DVDs that you follow for the first month that are shorter/less intense so you can sort of build up to the maximum ultimate insanity later in the series.  Many of the workouts in both phases include plyometrics so if you aren't used to jumping drills, you will most likely find this the most challenging part (knee tucks, high knees, squat jumps,etc). It's mostly that and the body weight stuff, walking push-ups, plank jacks, etc. Most of the DVDs blend these types of body movements into shortish intervals - maybe like 4 minutes on and then 30 seconds break.  You will be fully winded for most of the workouts. He sort of repeats intervals going faster and faster each time - so, you can work out as hard or as easy as you need to. To get the full benefits you really have to push yourself, yourself. Shawn T is not going to come out of the screen and blow a whistle in your ear. Once you feel stronger and conditioned (or after 1 month) you move on to the like MAX series where you get an hour  instead of just 40 minutes for each workout. I like these much better. If you are going to put your tennis shoes on and do this thing - you might as well do it for an hour. There's a schedule you follow and I think it provides for one off day and one easier day of yoga type moves. For the most part, you do not need weights - just yourself and a towel (or a mop in my case). There is one or two dvds that use weights for an old fashion sculpting workout. Bottom line, you'll be doing a workout everyday so if you are also simultaneously watching what you eat, you will trim down. Working out is never a substitute for eating less - so you have to do both. If you are new to working out, it's probably a good idea to use a heart rate monitor. This workout is tough for even advanced home worker outers like myself.


Cons -  I dont understand the running timer on the screen - it's confusing. It seems to not correspond with what's going on. Shawn T is okay but I wish he would enunciate better.  The number one thing I do not like is they lead you through a 15-20 minute pretty strenuous warm up on each dvd and it is pretty much the SAME exact warm up on EACH work out. So, one third of the workout is the same every damn day.  That's the part i dont like the most.  And the moves are somewhat repetitive.  Oh and it's hard to do this workout and eat a burger at the same time - Too much jumping ;-) 

Okay that's it. I think if you can get it at a discount buy it. Otherwise, just do bodyrock.tv and pick maybe 3 of their workouts to do simultaneously for free. It's the same concept and much more variety.

Comments?? Agree?? Disagree?? Agree to Disagree??