Over the next couple minutes you will learn the comparisons and differences between these two rival "workout at home" exercise programs.
Two of the hottest DVD workout series around are P90X and Insanity. In fact, you probably can't go all the way through your cable or satellite channels without passing by at least one P90X infomercial and one Insanity infomercial.
If you are certain that you want to buy the Insanity Workout DVD, there are a couple of good ideas as to where you can find the DVD at the lowest possible cost. First of all, make sure that you are not copying the DVD from the internet for free or anything like that, because that is illegal and not necessary, since the weight loss DVD costs around 20 or 30 dollars.
The first place you can look for this DVD, if you happen to go there any time soon, is the local supermarket, on the DVD stand. They should have it there and for a reasonable price. If it costs anything more than 40 dollars, please avoid buying the Insanity Workout DVD.
If you can find it there, the next option should be the internet. You can actually order the DVD from the manufacturer and producer of the method directly, which also means that you will benefit from the lowest possible price. They usually have the DVD in stock and you can surely have it shipped in a couple of business days.
Remember, buy this DVD and make sure that it is the original copy as there have been some people and stores trying to sell a copy of the DVD and not the original. Also, as mentioned earlier, try to find the best price before purchasing the DVD. Do not, in any case, pay more than 40 dollars for it. Other than that, just enjoy this great slimming method.
The principle behind P90X is muscle confusion, which is essentially doing a wide variety of exercises rather than one activity (like running or swimming) all the time. This is reportedly a way to keep your muscles active and doing what they were designed to do. Insanity is based on MAX Interval Training. Interval Training has been around for many years, and is a burst of high impact exercise followed by a long rest and recovery period. Insanity is the inverse of this - a long burst of high intensity exercise followed by a short rest.
Both programs are enjoying uncharted levels of popularity and success, and sources say that Insanity may be the most intense and difficult workout ever recorded.
P90X is a 90 day program, and Insanity is a 60 day program, and both not only promise, but they also guarantee results!
There are claims that a workout can burn up to 1,000 calories in a sixty minute session, but is this really accurate?
I have been following the Insanity program for six weeks, and I'm currently in the MAX portion of the program, which is the true Max Interval Training section. I am a still overweight 37 year old male, and I have been using a heart rate monitor to track my heart rate and calories burned.
My results show that, while ambitious, a 1,000 calorie burn per 60 minute workout session may be a stretch, but not by much!
Some recent results to demonstrate this are:
- Max Interval Plyometrics - 60:05 elapsed workout time - 747 calories burned
- Max Interval Circuit - 49:08 elapsed workout time - 687 calories burned
- Max Interval Plyometrics - 55:14 elapsed workout time - 725 calories burned
- Max Interval Circuit plus running - 59:45 elapsed workout time - 849 calories burned
And, just as a baseline comparison, running
- Running average pace 12:00 mile - 52:34 elapsed workout time - 763 calories burned
So, you can see that although there may be some claims of very high calories burned during P90X and Insanity, it may not be as high as the estimates.
However, the true calorie burn does not end when the workout is over, and, just like running, the benefits of the workout extend far beyond the end of the session.
Overall, the benefits of P90X or Insanity are still very evident, and very real. The structured program, along with a reasonable diet, almost ensures weight loss or improved conditioning, and I am living proof!
The P90X workout program used to be the one exercise program that everyone knew thanks to early morning and late night infomercials. Recently Beachbody added a new program to the game that to some may be considered a rival, that program is Shaun T Insanity.
But which one is more intense?
Comparably they are both equal in their own rights but each workout program focuses on a different approach towards fitness.
I have personally used both programs and this gives me the rare opportunity to offer a first hand look at both the P90X workout program and Shaun T Insanity. After this article you will be fully equipped with the answers you are looking for.
Which works better? P90X or the Insanity workout?
Great questions, though it's hard to put both workout programs side by side as it's not a simple apples to apples comparison but more like apples to oranges. Both programs are capable of offering a huge physical challenge but each has it's own approach and it's own target results. I'll explain.
The P90X workout program is a 90 day system which could otherwise be considered an "at home boot camp". You will need a chin up bar, a chair, a set of dumbbells and/or bands, shoes, plus about 1 hour to 1 hour and a half 6 days a week. The 7th day is an optional stretch or complete rest day.
From first hand experience I like to look at P90X as a "all-in-one" program. It is not designed to just bulk you up, it's not going to just help you lose weight, it's not just balance, and it's not just cardio.
The P90X workout program just tosses a bit of everything into the equation. You lift heavy one day (or light if you want);, you're punching and kicking with Kenpo karate another day, and to top it off on other days you will be doing 1 and a half hours of Yoga for a complete mind/ body/ soul adventure.
You will go through three phases of 1 month each in P90X with each month switching it up. Most of the cardio, stretch, and balance routines stay the same. The difference in each phase is that you change out the resistance workouts so that your muscles are constantly challenged so they will always be receptive to the workout rather than plateauing.
Shaun T Insanity takes a completely different approach. The workout program is 60-days in length and is based solely on Plyometrics, Core, and Cardio training. You will not lift weights, you will not do chin ups, you don't need a chair, and the workouts range from 35-45 minutes the first phase to 1 hour and 15 minutes the second phase.
You will need very good shoes, preferably a mat to jump on, and near perfect form to avoid injury.
You can already see that Shaun T Insanity is different than P90X so how are the comparable?
The Insanity workout program, though shorter in length, is based on maximum effort Interval cardio. Meaning it's all about fast, powerful, and coordinated moves. You will still be doing push-ups just like in P90X but otherwise you only use your body, gravity, and will power to push through.
I am telling you from personally experience, with Insanity you literally drip buckets of sweat, seriously! Just because it's shorter than P90X doesn't mean it's not as intense.
You will not be running in one place for an hour, you are jumping around, squatting, balancing, and crunching your core. Shaun T Insanity is on the same level as P90X but the difference is you don't need extra equipment, you won't be lifting weights, and the workouts go by much faster.
Insanity is more for the leaner ripped look while P90X will allow for more muscle size and strength.
If you have already completed P90X then I will tell you this. Shaun T Insanity is like taking P90X Plyometrics, doubling the intensity, and doing it 6 days a week.
So which one is better, P90X or Shaun T Insanity?
I don't think you will find one "better than the other" but what you will find are two different approaches towards fitness.
P90X is a longer 90 day program that has longer workouts but incorporates a slower pace compared to Insanity offering more time to adapt and become stronger. Also you are lifting weights so there is more potential to gain size and muscle definition.
Shaun T Insanity is 60 days with much shorter and faster pace workouts, you won't be able to adapt as fast and you won't get great results by pausing through each workout. Insanity is a balls to the walls style workout, it's straight forward and fast but demands major motivation and energy.
Both workout programs have a "mix-it-up" style so each one changes things throughout the program so there is no monotony.
One final note, if you have knees or lower body joint issues, Insanity may not be for you. It is based on a lot of jumping and really can and will tax your knees and joints if not performed correctly. It is much higher impact compared to P90X. That is something to consider when looking at the two side by side.
Because of the approach Insanity takes I like to look at it this way. If you feel you are P90X capable and are in decent shape, if you can do push-ups, chin-ups, and if you can handle interval cardio, then either program is suitable.
If you cannot do some or all of the previously mentioned exercises then it's better to avoid Insanity until you can at least complete P90X. Insanity is not a beginner workout, so if you just stepping back into the physical fitness game, throw the ego out, start somewhere small and build up.
On one side you have Shaun T and his INSANITY crew, leaping and lunging and sweating and doing football drills non-stop in their basketball gym. On the other side you have Tony Horton and his test group, drilling each muscle group at a brutal rate, practicing kempo and yoga, lifting weights and doing pull ups. Both are billed as extreme, both are said to be the most intense work out ever put on DVD-but which is really the toughest? If you want the ultimate challenge, which should you do?
First let's try to define by what we mean when we say the 'toughest'. For the sake of this article, we're going to define it as requiring the most physical preparation beforehand, the most willpower and dedication to complete the entirety of the program, and the highest sustained intensity during the workout itself. Some disclaimers: different people might find each of these workouts easier or harder depending on their own strengths. So while INSANITY might be incredibly hard for a weight lifter, it will be easier for someone in track and field. Keep that in mind!
Let's take a look at each program. P90X is a three month program. It's designed to be implemented in three phases, with the end of each phase/month involving a cool down week during which your body is meant to recover from the 'muscle confusion' that the change in workouts is meant to deliver. There are 12 workouts, and they range from resistance workouts for the major muscle groups to cardio/plyometrics to kempo/yoga/stretching and core. It's a total body workout, and is meant to be practiced six days a week. The workouts can range from 45 minutes to an hour and a half, and require that you own weights, resistance bands and/or a pull up bar.
INSANITY is simpler. Designed to be accomplished in 60 days, it's broken into two main phases, with the second being the 'MAX' phase where the workouts become even more intense and an intermediary week in-between where you focus on Core Cardio and Balance for 6 days in a row, a period Shaun T calls 'Recovery Week'. The workouts are a combination of cardio, plyometrics, calisthenics and different sports drills. There are 10 workouts, and they range from about 45 minutes to over an hour. No equipment is needed, since you use your own body weight throughout.
Which requires the greater physical preparation going in? INSANITY. The INSANITY workouts start at an incredibly intense pace, and don't let up. Even the warm-ups are brutal, and if you don't have that base line conditioning you simply won't be able to keep up. Further, you need to ensure that your joints are resilient and flexible going in; if they're not, the constant pounding that six days/week of jumping, squatting, jogging on the spot and more will simply wear them out. P90X is also incredibly tough, but the bar to enter isn't as high; you can start in a lower state of preparation, and work your way up over the course of the three months.
Which requires the most will power to complete the entire program? P90X. Three months of sustained extreme effort is incredibly draining. Not only that, but most people find INSANITY to be more of a rush; Shaun T is incredibly motivating, and the sheer pace of the program keeps people going on overdrive. Tony Horton breaks up the P90X pace with such slower, more grueling workouts like the hour and a half yoga. The longer, slower pace of P90X requires more willpower to adhere to than INSANITY.
Finally, which has the most intense workouts? This one is a toss-up. Try getting through a Max Cardio session of INSANITY, or keeping up with Tony during the entirety of a Chest & Back workout. Both of these are brutal, and your level of dedication and how hard you push yourself will determine how intense your workout is.
So which is tougher? For my money, I'd say INSANITY. However, P90X is probably harder to complete, and both will kick your butt from here to Sunday if you do them right. In a way, this is like asking, which will kill you faster, a tiger or a lion? Determine what your goals are, and then pick the right program. For maximum cardio/calisthenics development, go for INSANITY. If you're looking to bulk up some as well as get in shape, go for P90X. Either way, good luck. You're going to need it.
Insanity Vs P90X - Which One is Tougher?People keep forgetting what they have to do to lose weight. I had a friend that was under the impression that to lose weight he had to go to the gym and lift immense weights twice or three times at most. I tried to explain that the sort of workout is used by people that are slim and want to build up muscles and you can actually lose weight like that, maybe gain some weight because you don't burn any fat, but get bigger and heavier muscles under the fat layer. You don't look better, you don't feel better, you are just bigger.
Insanity Workout is the type of workout used by people that understand what burning fat and losing weight means. It means that, even for a short period of time, you have to get your heart pumping and your metabolic rateincreased, because that is the way you can burn fat.
Of course, it also helps increase muscle mass, but not as much as the above mentioned type of workout does. Insanity Workout needs you to give 110 percent of all that you have in terms of power and speed for a short amount of time. When you finish, you only get to have a thirty second break or a minute tops, and then you start again. You have to keep this up for at least thirty minutes, but you will also get the results. Fat burning starts and even after 3 or 4 hours, the body is still burning fat.
Lose Weight Faster With Insanity Workout
