Insanity Workout Update - Still Insane

So I’m seventeen days into the 60 day Insanity Workout. I’m very proud of myself for sticking it out this far. Honestly, I’m a little surprised. I don’t think I’ve ever stuck with a workout regimen this long. Seventeen days may not sound like much, but then you don’t know Insanity.

In the schedule, you take the fit test the first day, and then every two weeks to monitor your progress. I wasn’t 100% convinced I would still be doing it in two weeks, so I didn’t count the number of times I could do each exercise the first day. In fact, I was just glad I survived, so I can’t tell you how much I changed after the first two weeks. I can tell you it was a lot easier than the first day.

The Insanity Workout comes with a schedule for the 60 day commitment, telling you which videos to do on what days. You work out for six days and have one day of rest. During the first four weeks, you follow a particular schedule with a one week break (sort of, scaled down workout) before the second four weeks, which are supposed to be more challenging. Obviously, I’m not looking forward to that since I am barely hanging on now.

The positives:

1.   I really am seeing a change in my body. I wouldn’t have believed it, but I’m firming up a bit. My energy level has increased, and I am able to do more with each video. Last week, we went to the gym to work out with the personal trainer. Normally, I dread it. This last time, I barely broke a sweat.  

2.   Shaun T, the exercise guy who is the face of the videos, talks about himself in the third person. “Shaun T needs to take a break.” “Shaun T is tired.” I don’t know why I always find that entertaining, but I do. Also, Shaun T has the body of a Greek god. When Shaun T gets hot, he takes his shirt off. Michelle likes that.

3.   The Insanity Workout comes with a meal plan that has a lot of good tips on food and nutrition along with some recipes/meal ideas. They recommend eating 5 smaller meals which is great. There is also a section to increase your caloric intake based on your weight loss/gain to maximize muscle building and repair.

4.   They warm up and stretch before every workout and cool off and stretch again afterwards, so my flexibility has increased as well. Shaun T always reminds people to work at their own pace, take breaks if needed, and drink lots of water.

5.   They also have online help for people who want more support.

The negatives:

1.   Unless you are a freak who really enjoys pushing your body to the limit, this isn’t fun. I may be enjoying the outcome, but not the process. Sometimes, I put it off until the last minute and workout at 11:30pm because I dread it.

2.   I absolutely would not recommend this program if you have any knee, hip, ankle, or foot problems. They do a lot of squatting exercises and jumping – not something for people with any kind of leg issues. I have some problems with my arms and shoulders, and that is irritating for me at times.

3.   You need to know your own limits. Shaun T can remind you all he wants, but if you don’t know how to pace yourself, you can get hurt.

4.   They say this workout is for everyone, and I guess that could be true in theory, but I’m glad I’d been going to the gym 4-5 days a week for about six months prior to starting this program. I don’t think this is a great idea for people who are really overweight and have not exercised in some time or have serious medical problems. I suppose you could if you really worked at your own pace, but intensity is an important part of the plan. If you can’t push yourself to at least try to match their intensity, you should look into doing something more fun anyway.

As of today, I have lost 11 pounds. I was dieting before I started the Insanity Workout, but I was stuck at 8 pounds. In the last two weeks since starting Insanity, I have lost 3 more pounds, and I am feeling a lot stronger. I have 11 more days before I start the one week recovery before the second month. I will let you know how it goes.