Exercise

[Lions]

So my wife arranged to have some friends take me skiing on Saturday for my birthday and it dawned on me that I haven't skied in years. So I thought I should get a little exercise since I spend all day in front of a computer. During the summer, I occasionally go jogging or run hill sprints, and every now and then I'll lift weights, but I've never subscribed to an actual exercise regimen or been particularly consistent. After seeing commercials for it on TV, I decided to spend a few days with YouTube trialing the Insanity workout program.

I'm in relatively good shape, but tend to work out sporadically. My BMI is under 20 and while I'm not a weakling, there's not a lot of definition to anything either. So I pulled up YouTube and despite the fact that I'm following someone following the actual program (it does make it a challenge when the person I'm watching gets worn out), I feel I'm doing alright through the first 3 days. I have to take breaks here and there and can't always keep up with Shaun T's counts, but by the end I'm feeling like I pushed myself in a good way and would not have been embarrassed in front of my peers. So far, each day's program is short enough that while I'm sore the next day, I have yet to feel like I'm dreading the next day's program.

So my question is, has anyone else tried this routine? I'm trying to decide if I want to actually spend $150 on it, as I know I can't continue to follow YouTube. I do really like that there's no equipment needed. I also don't know anything about the diet program, and how important it would be to stick to that if I already eat a well-balanced diet. Thoughts?

[John]

I don't have any experience with the Insanity Workout, so I can't speak directly to that. Generally speaking, any workout that is both challenging and motivates you to keep returning for more is a good workout, in my book.

I'm always more cautious regarding diet plans. Many diet plans are either too extreme or too permissive, and none can account for your specific needs. Honestly, I would probably suggest following the exercise regimen and independently pursuing your optimum diet plan.

[Zephyrs]

I have been doing the P90X routine for over a year now. I am told it is a scaled back version of "Insanity." I really found the P90X to be very helpfull in improving my athletic abilities.

[Paul Moots]

I have been doing the P90X routine for over a year now. I am told it is a scaled back version of "Insanity." I really found the P90X to be very helpfull in improving my athletic abilities.

Our daughter and son-in-law have also benefited greatly from the P90X and "graduated" to Insanity. They like it OK but will probably go back to P90X as their regular workout once they are done.

[Neil Thomas]

I had a coach who was really fat. He did Insanity for about a year, he lost what seemed over 100 pounds,

[Lions]

I had a coach who was really fat. He did Insanity for about a year, he lost what seemed over 100 pounds,

Uh oh... if I lost that much I'd be dead.

Seriously, though. Thanks for all the comments.

[Neil Thomas]

I had a coach who was really fat. He did Insanity for about a year, he lost what seemed over 100 pounds,

Uh oh... if I lost that much I'd be dead.

Seriously, though. Thanks for all the comments.

Haha, but, I think he did some serious dieting aswell. But, I have done some P90X and I can recommend P90X. I'll ask some guys I know.

[Lions]

This thread is rather old, but after breaking my foot last fall and going through PT, I finally got back into exercising. In early March, I finally purchased Insanity and started doing the routine regularly. I was in decent enough shape to not feel totally embarrassed and the good thing is that I've been very consistent in keeping up with the program. I missed a day in week 2 due to being physically sore, but just continued the next day. I missed a day in week 3 simply because I was too busy, but I made up for it by rearranging some days and counting that as my rest day. While we were on vacation, I was scheduled for my recovery week and got a few of the recovery workouts in, but not all of them. So I took the week back as a second recovery week before starting week 5/month 2 (not technically the 5th week, but that's how it's listed).

In month 2 the intensity is higher and the workouts are longer. It's almost literally kicking my arse. After the first two days my gluts were so sore I was uncomfortable sitting. I pushed through the next two days, am now on day 5, and the pain has resided. Tonight is Day 5 of Week 5 and I'm nervous but pumped after last night's "recovery" routine.

One of the things that Insanity offers is a free T-shirt to anyone who sends in a before/after photo combo. I didn't take any photos because I didn't like the way I looked and honestly, I've never stuck with a regular exercise program for more than 2 weeks let alone 2 months. That said, I'm kind of sad I didn't now. My wife, who is a great encourager and probably just making me feel good, has commented on my shoulders and abs. It's not like I have a visible 6 pack or anything like that but you can see some definition there now. I'm not yet where I want to be but I really feel like this routine works for me. It's super intense. It feels crazy at times. I laugh at some of the things I'm being asked to do because they're so ridiculous. And that makes it fun for me.

[Jason]

Awesome!! Great work!

I have religiously workout out since high school, whether it be in athletics or weight training. This past summer while I was on Cape Cod a month, I hired a trainer to work 1 on 1 with me to re-motivate me and push me harder than the solo workouts I do at the gym. We started doing modified cross fit workouts, weight training, and sport specific stuff. I liked it so much I hired a trainer at my home gym who is extremely knowledgable to keep it up!! I train with him 2-3 days a week and then on my own 3-4.

Nothing like banging out handstand wall push-ups for the first time or dead lifting new personal bests.

Congrats on your commitment!!

[Mike Dunn]

I had been really good about working out for the past two years or so -- three days a week running alternating with three days of lifting and aerobic stuff. But this past winter was so brutal around here that I couldn't motivate myself to run in the cold, and then I stopped lifting. That was probably in November, and now I've gained weight and need to get back. The weather is obviously better, so I have no excuse.

So I'm going to take a look at this insanity thing.

[Cole]

Nothing like banging out handstand wall push-ups for the first time or dead lifting new personal bests.

Funny how this thread has come up as I was actually thinking about starting a program to discuss people's exercise/training regimes.

I am a baseball player and in the past couple years a flag football player too, so I've always stayed pretty active and always done some sort of working out/offseason training for baseball.

But until a couple years ago I really didn't do the right things, or put the best effort into my offseason baseball training.

In the past year or so however I have come upon barbell strength training and have become hooked. I can honestly say I have been biten by the iron bug.

I started out on the Starting Strength program which is a basic linear progression program for beginners which focuses on the main compound lifts (squats, bench, deadlift, overhead press as well as power cleans).

I briefly dabbled with the 5/3/1 strength training program and I am currently doing a basic upper/lower split, shooting for four days a week of lifting.

On the topic of high-intensity interval training (HIIT), like Insanity, as discussed in this thread.

I haven't done Insanity, but I completed the "Rushfit" program, which is a similar idea. It's the Georges St. Pierre program. I got in pretty good shape on that program and it was kind of my gateway to fitness, where after working out six days a week on that program it became part of my routine and any days I wasn't active after that I just felt off.

Since then, I've been way more consistent in my training. Long story short, I love lifting!

And since Jason mentioned lifting a deadlift PR, I recently deadlifted 400 pounds for the first time and as it turns out, I have a video of it, so I suppose I'll share with the class:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S4L7SwF ... e=youtu.be

[John]

I am loving these stories of exercise success! Frank, that's awesome that Insanity has worked so well for you. People often ask me what the best workout routine is. The answer is simple: the one you adhere to. Just like the best gym is probably the one closest to your house because it's the one you're most likely to attend.

But back to you, Frank. You've gotten past that one-month hill that shuts so many people down. That's the month of "oh God my glutes are exploding each time I take a step, I never want to do this again" agony. Then that first month passes and suddenly things are becoming more manageable. Better yet, you're seeing the results, and now you're hooked. You're becoming a lifer like Jason; maybe not in the sense of crazy intensity all the time, but a dedicated practitioner of physical fitness such that you feel good about the way you look and, more importantly, you can live life the way you want without restrictions. That's the really beauty of fitness; it empowers you to kick open doors to living that slowly shut on others.

Cole, I saw you're deadlift video when you posted it on Facebook. All I can say is, "Right on, brother!" I haven't cracked 370 lbs. yet, I'm afraid, so I have some catching up to do.

[Jason]

Atta boy Cole! Get it!

I rarely do single rep sets, but it felt good - I only went up to 295 but I probably could have banged out 315 just to see three plates on each side! Probably won't try it again for another 6 weeks or so. I'm nervous about going super heavy - too many friends I know who are fitness professionals have torn stuff or had hernias. Getting too old to get too crazy!

To Johns point - even eating healthy and not restrictive and exercising moderately 2-4 times a week can pay dividends. Training too much - which I tend to do - can cause injury. Right now I'm dealing with a neuroma in my foot. Not cool.

[Cole]

Cole, I saw you're deadlift video when you posted it on Facebook. All I can say is, "Right on, brother!" I haven't cracked 370 lbs. yet, I'm afraid, so I have some catching up to do.

Thanks. If you're in the 350+ range and keep working hard, I'm sure you'll get there, if you wish to.

My deadlift by far is the lift that has gone up the fastest for me. I guess it's generally easier to progress, but it's the one that has gone up most linearly too without wide-scale plateaus and slow downs.

Squats on the other hand, a GRIND to get my lift numbers up. Doesn't help that after bulking most of the offseason, I have gone switched to cutting before ball season to try to get to a more suitable playing weight. Very hard to maintain strength gains and/or add strength when cutting weight!

I've had to significantly deload some of my lifts in the last few months, which is kind of disheartening.

I had squatted 250 pounds for 5 reps, 3 sets on X-Mas Day, which was the highest I had gotten on my linear progression. For a single, the highest I done was 285.

I kind of wish I had at least "tried" a 300 pound squat when I was still up heavier ...

Now that I've dropped about 10 pounds in the last couple months, I am nowhere close to those squat maxes... I struggled with 225 tonight. Uggh.

Atta boy Cole! Get it!

I rarely do single rep sets, but it felt good - I only went up to 295 but I probably could have banged out 315 just to see three plates on each side! Probably won't try it again for another 6 weeks or so. I'm nervous about going super heavy - too many friends I know who are fitness professionals have torn stuff or had hernias. Getting too old to get too crazy!

I don't do singles that often too, aside from as warmup for my work set. My work sets for the main compound lifts are generally 5 reps.

I just knew with ball season coming up soon I wouldn't be lifting hugely heavy and I needed to get this milestone out of the way just to say I did it.

I likely could have hit this milestone a long time ago. I lifted 365 for reps and a 385 pound single on Christmas Day and that was the last time I ever really tried a heavy single in deadlift until that 400 pound one last week. I'm not sure why I held off really. It is kind of unnerving to go heavy on deadlift, but I find it feels perfect as long as I keep my form in check - which reminds me, my ass came up too fast in that 400 pound lift, causing a tiny lower back round.. Woops! But, to be expected form will degrade slightly on a PR attempt.

Anyway, as you can see, I am very passionate about lifting and training and could talk about it all day.

What fitness programs are you on John and Jason? You had mentioned you just kind of do random stuff with a trainer Jason, but surely there must be some type of program or progression followed?

[Mike Dunn]

Prompted by Frank's revival of this thread, and my falling off the workout wagon this winter, I decided to order one of those DVD trainer programs. I looked at both Insanity and P90X as well as the versions of each that are slightly shorter-workouts per day. I read and watched online reviews, and decided to get the P90X3 which is a 3-month program, 30 min. per day (not including cool down) at six days per week. I also ordered a chin up bar and resistance bands to use in the program. I never done a program like this before. I'll probably start next weekend and will provide updates here!