P90x/Insanity Reviews?

[SpaceDog]

I've seen a lot of reviews for both P90x and Insanity on their website and on Amazon, but I'd feel more comfortable with perspective from members here, if anyone has any. I'm interested in one or the other, and would love to know if anyone would suggest one over the other, or perhaps neither at all.

Let me know what you think!

[MyBlu-rayBrotherEd]

I've used both, and they are both great workout programs. You get out of them what you put in.

[LynxFX]

I did P90X last year. I was at 205 and got down to 175 after about 2 1/2 months. It is very hard and quite the commitment. I couldn't even finish most of the workouts the first couple weeks. But you just do what you can and push yourself. Near the end I started only doing the workouts I liked that were more cardio based. Kenpo/Cardio/Plyo etc. I was more concerned with shedding flab than building muscle bulk. I wanted to see if it worked without having to change my eating habits, and it did.

Most workouts are over an hour, some up to an hour and a half. I didn't have the time or willpower to do that for 6 days a week. But just doing anything helps. Over a year later and I still have the weight off. I want to start it up again, this time focusing on building some muscle.

Forget about Insanity unless you are already a fitness guru.

[mikejet]

Changing diet > *

[fatediesel]

I did P90X early this year and got great results. Sadly I got lazy over the summer and gained back a lot of the weight I lost. I'm planning on starting the program again soon. Beachbody (the company behind P90X and Insanity) also has a program called Power 90. It is similar to P90X but less intense. It only features 2 workouts (versus 12 for P90X) and each workout lasts about 48 minutes. I would recommend that if you aren't in very good shape because it's tough to jump right into P90X.

Still, as Mikejet said changing diet is the most important thing. P90X has a fairly strict diet. If you follow it you are going to have success, but you would also have success with any exercise program if you followed the diet.

[MyBlu-rayBrotherEd]

In 2011 Beachbody is releasing P90X-MC2! I'm jacked for that to come out.

[mikejet]

Originally Posted by fatediesel

I did P90X early this year and got great results. Sadly I got lazy over the summer and gained back a lot of the weight I lost. I'm planning on starting the program again soon. Beachbody (the company behind P90X and Insanity) also has a program called Power 90. It is similar to P90X but less intense. It only features 2 workouts (versus 12 for P90X) and each workout lasts about 48 minutes. I would recommend that if you aren't in very good shape because it's tough to jump right into P90X.

Still, as Mikejet said changing diet is the most important thing. P90X has a fairly strict diet. If you follow it you are going to have success, but you would also have success with any exercise program if you followed the diet.

When the CFO here at work started it, he was shocked that he had to eat a 12 egg white omelet.

[SpaceDog]

I'm not stranger to changing my diet, but I've always had better luck when I add exercise/working out. It'll be good to have an at-home add on to what I can do at the gym as it's not always convenient to get out of the house and hit the gym. Both of these exercise/diets keep popping up, and it seems the price point has come down some.

I'm not sure about the 12-eggwhite omlette, but I'm open to whatever. I had huge success with South Beach a few years ago.

[mikejet]

Originally Posted by SpaceDog

I'm not stranger to changing my diet, but I've always had better luck when I add exercise/working out. It'll be good to have an at-home add on to what I can do at the gym as it's not always convenient to get out of the house and hit the gym. Both of these exercise/diets keep popping up, and it seems the price point has come down some.

I'm not sure about the 12-eggwhite omlette, but I'm open to whatever. I had huge success with South Beach a few years ago.

it's really relative to your current body type

he's a tall guy so it called for a lot of protien

[SonOfArathorn]

I just finished my initial 90 days of P90X last week and have started my second round this week. I can't say enough how great the program is. The only thing you need to remember is that you actually have to do it, make the commitment to the diet and the workouts and you will be amazed. Don't just half ass it and go a few days a week thinking that something is better than nothing. If you're not going to do it right don't bother, get something less intense.
Also you will build muscle, I keep reading people say that they mainly just burned fat and lost weight, they were obviously not doing it correctly. I have put on more muscle doing P90X than I could have ever thought possible. The phase 2 workouts especially are intense and will push you to the limits. I have just got the P90X plus DVDs and will wait until my second 90 days is up before I add those.
All in all, if you bring the right frame of mind and make a serious commitment to working out 7 days a week (the 7th day is for stretching or resting but do the stretches, they help out immensely, besides days off are for wimps) then you will get the results you want, actually you'll surpass anything you thought. I didn't think it was possible to make the transformation I did in the relatively short 3 month period.I will post before and after pictures when I get to work later today.

[mikejet]

SpaceDog, one thing you need to know, some of the workouts, they are really long.

Like hour and a half long.

Sure you aren't working out the whole time and some of it is breaks but keep that in mind before committing.

Some people would rather just hit the gym or go for a jog. Or bike like me.

[Maximus]

I had great success with P90x. Not really to lose weight but to bulk up a bit and increase my mass.

I would recommend it to anyone who is committed, but if you aren't then don't bother.

[SonOfArathorn]

Originally Posted by mikejet

SpaceDog, one thing you need to know, some of the workouts, they are really long.

Like hour and a half long.

Sure you aren't working out the whole time and some of it is breaks but keep that in mind before committing.

Some people would rather just hit the gym or go for a jog. Or bike like me.

Actually the only one longer than an hour is the Yoga. If an hour is "really" long to be working out then you should stay away from P90X.

[mikejet]

Also SpaceDog, do you have weights? You're going to need weights or resistance bands.

Weights are better though. I used bands and it's not the same.

[SpaceDog]

If I go to the gym, it's typically for 90 minutes anyway - so 1.5 hours on Yoga isn't an issue. I get the feeling that people lean more towards P90x than Intensity here.

I'm 6'1 and out of shape, but not sedentary. Committing to something I can do at home is much easier than working in a visit to the gym, though I could see myself doing both on a good day.

[mikejet]

Originally Posted by SpaceDog

If I go to the gym, it's typically for 90 minutes anyway - so 1.5 hours on Yoga isn't an issue. I get the feeling that people lean more towards P90x than Intensity here.

I'm 6'1 and out of shape, but not sedentary. Committing to something I can do at home is much easier than working in a visit to the gym, though I could see myself doing both on a good day.

Watch out for multiple "coaches" online that will try to get you to work through them to get the program and other stuff.

Just order directly through the site for P90x.

Some of those "coaches" seem like they are brainwashed by Tony Horton.

[MyBlu-rayBrotherEd]

Originally Posted by SpaceDog

If I go to the gym, it's typically for 90 minutes anyway - so 1.5 hours on Yoga isn't an issue. I get the feeling that people lean more towards P90x than Intensity here.

I'm 6'1 and out of shape, but not sedentary. Committing to something I can do at home is much easier than working in a visit to the gym, though I could see myself doing both on a good day.

Insanity is an excellent work out program as well. It requires no equipment, and is a 60 day commitment instead of 90, although fitness is a lifetime commitment I believe. Insanity is mostly cardio, and VERY intense cardio at that. I've yet to be able to make it through a workout without taking a few breaks, but the people on the video all take breaks too, it's that intense. I highly recommend both P90X and Insanity. They will both get you into phenomenal shape, but it depends on what your goals are and what kind of shape you are in to begin with. For an "out of shape, but not sedentary" person I would recommend going with P90X first, maybe go through it a couple of times, and then if you want something different try the Insanity program. It's nice to have them both because you can mix them for even more change.

[mikejet]

Insanity is like training or participating in a Triathalon. Your heartrate always stays high.

It's up to you if you want to do it but I personally wouldn't.

[SonOfArathorn]

P90X will get you built and ripped, Insanity will help you lean up but will not allow you to build nearly as much muscle. Rather than moving on to Insanity after P90X and burning off much of the muscle you've built you're better off going towards P90X plus and then the forthcoming p90X: MC2 when it comes out next fall.

I am not a fan of the Insanity program at all and I don't recommend to anyone. Maybe it's just a preference thing.

If you do the P90X route you'll need a pull-up bar (can get the iron gym ultra for 30$ at Walmart) and a decent set of weights, you'll need something relatively heavy for your back stuff, some relatively light for the straight arm shoulder stuff and a few in between for arms etc. I use anything from 5 pounds to 50 pounds depending on the exercise. Push up bars are nice to use but not required, I like them though.

[MyBlu-rayBrotherEd]

Originally Posted by mikejet

Insanity is like training or participating in a Triathalon. Your heartrate always stays high.

It's up to you if you want to do it but I personally wouldn't.

It's interval training. It is an awesome workout. Nothing has ever made me sweat like Insanity does.