Insanity
Shaun T.Year Released: 2009
Categories: Abs/Core , Circuit Training (cardio and weights) , Floor Aerobics/Hi-Lo/Dance , Total Body Workouts
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I'm new to this site, but hoping to be able to add some reviews for others. Insanity is a decent workout, full of fast paced sports endurance drills. I was at ECA in NYC this past year and was lucky to be in on a class with Shaun T promoting his newest "Assylum" workout. I am a huge stickler for safety, and I just don't connect as well with workouts that refrain from giving good safety cues. Past injuries speaking there. No doubt, Insanity is a very tough workout and I have yet to try Assylum. I know many people who swear by Insanity, my jury is still out on it, but he gets a plus for kicking my butt.
Instructor Comments:
Shaun T was very personable and has tons of energy. It was fun seeing him live, not just on my tv screen. Man, his body is even more cut now than in Insanity.
I am with others on this review...if you want to bulk up look elsewhere. If you want to burn some calories, this is the place to be. However, you shouldn't purchase this program if you don't have any intentions on continuing it. You lose the weight so fast that it can come back just as fast. Just don't stop...keep going. Shaun T. is fun and pushes you to keep going but just because you finished the program doesn't mean your done.
This program does have a lot of hard moves and you will sweat, a lot but don't expect to come out with a six pack, you need resistance to make that happen. I did the program once but stopped because it is INSANE! But it works and that is why I would consider doing it again.
CARDIO POWER AND RESISTANCE
“Let me know you’re working!”
This workout is 39 minutes, and it consists of three circuits (including the warm-up circuit).
Shaun emphasizes this is interval training, which means you work hard but make sure to recover between intervals.
CIRCUIT 1--Warm up:
+Jog
+Power Jacks (jacks with slow and deep squat)
+Log Jumps (jump side to side with knee high, but “power up” each jump, keep knees softly bent)
+123 Heisman (three steps to side, knee to chest, core tight)
+Butt Kicks
+High Knee
+Vertical Jumps (from knee-bent position)
repeat
repeat
water break (each break is 30 seconds)
+STRETCH
CIRCUIT 2:
+Power Jumps (slow and controlled – power from below, “never jump from on high”)
+Belt Kicks (squat and kick)
+Hit the Floor (jump up and to the side, touch floor, jump up to other side, etc)
+V-Pushups (in plank pike position, palms turned in, targets shoulder)
break
repeat -- faster
break
repeat – faster
BONUS MOVES (done once):
+Tricep Dips – [35 seconds with both legs on floor; toward end, put one leg up and then other (Shaun T counts these a little unevenly, 16 seconds on first leg, 9 on second; might want to add 3 or so reps on second leg)]
break
+Ball Tricep Pushups (tricep push-ups on toes with body bent down in ball position)
break
CIRCUIT 3:
+Hurdle Jumps – sprint first and power jump up, back and forth
+Globe Jumps (jump to right/back/left/front)
+Moving Push-ups (2 pushups to right, 2 pushups to left)
+Floor sprints (run while in a push-up position; keep butt down and core tight)
break
repeat
break
repeat
break
BONUS MOVE (done once):
8 Hop Squats then 8 Pushups (elbows wide)
Stretch
CARDIO ABS
The total time is just over 16 minutes. It starts with a cardio warm-up and then goes to the floor.
“No sit ups or crunches – be happy about that.”
WARM UP:
+Jog
+High Knees
+High Knees w/Twist
+Jump Rope
+Tuck Jumps
brief break
+Wide Tuck Jumps (slow and controlled)
FLOOR: C-sit position (the moves vary from 30-60 minute segments, and frequently Shaun stops to explain next move)
+Twist (twist arms from side to side; then alternate lifting knees while doing twist)
+A Frame Ab Twists – (arms straight overhead in A position with hands clasped--go up over head and twist side to side; then do set that brings knees between hands)
+Hold Center in C-sit
Break
+Single leg raises (Knee in and out/Straight leg lift up and down)
Brief Rest
+Both leg raises (Knees together in and out/Straight legs together lift up and down; one VERY LONG minute!)
Break
+High Plank with alt knees in
+High Plank with hop as knee comes in
+Low Plank alternate knees
+Low Plank/High Plank [start on elbows, 8 pulses, move up to high plank, 8 pulses, etc. [Shaun does this on same arm; I repeat this using other arm to even things out, it adds less than a minute]
Stretch
Pure cardio
Pure Cardio is one of the Month 1 workouts. It’s 38 minutes, and after the stretch and break, it is 15 minutes of unrepeated moves done without a break—not even a pause to “shake it out” or to learn the next step.
Warm up
+Jog
+Jumping jacks
+Heisman (hope side to side with core tight, knee comes up high)
+123 Heisman (three lateral steps plus Heisman hop with knee up)
+Butt Kicks
+High Knees
+Mummy Kicks—Arms straight out and scissor back and forth
Repeat (faster)
Repeat (faster)
water break
stretch 20:50-5:35
1 minute each, no breaks or pauses: (this section is 15 minutes and 15 seconds long)
+Suicide drills (tap 3 steps to the right, tap 3 steps to the left)
+Switch kicks (jumping alternating front kicks)
+Wide football sprints
+Stance jacks (jumping jack but touch floor with opposite hand when legs are apart
+Pedal and lunge (sprints then 2 plyo lunges)
+8 hooks then 4 very high jump rope jumps
+Power Jacks (like a plyo jack)
+ Level 2 drills
+8 pushups then 8 runs then jump up
+Frog Jump (jump forward then backwards)
+Power Knees Right (knee smashes)
+Power Knees Left
+ Vertical Mountain Climbers (high knee jog in place, as one knee goes up, other hand reaches up)
+Ski Jumps
+Scissor Runs (alternate feet forward, whole foot stays on floor) [Shaun T. calls this move a “recovery move” because he slows down a bit – the slower pace only lasts for this one move!]
+Suicide Jumps (squat thrusts with a jump)
+Push up Jacks (do a pushup, then legs jump wide in and out, etc.)
water break
Stretc
Maximum Interval Plyo
Maximum Interval Plyo is a 55 minute workout with a circuit warm-up, two additional circuits, and a series of individual intervals that do not repeat. I do the last set of exercises twice, since it is easy to chapter back. This puts the workout at just over an hour for me.
Shaun T. gives a lot of form pointers, especially on the push-up moves. He emphasizes that it’s important to watch him in the side push-ups so that the hands are placed in the proper position. When he demonstrates the balance push-up, his form is beautiful -- he is poetry in motion!
Breakdown:
Warm up
Jog
Jumping jacks arms go straight up
123 knee
Jump Rope side to side (both feet together)
High Knees (arms out)
Switch Kicks (plyo front kicks)
Hit the Floor (jump up high, go down on one side and touch floor, jump to other side)
Floor Leg Hops (hands stay on floor, legs jump high side to side)
repeat faster
repeat faster
WATER BREAK (30 seconds)
Stretch
+Switch Jump (squat then turn 180 degrees)
+Squat Pushups (sit very low in a squat position, fall into a pushup, then back to squat position—using core strength)
+Wide In and Out Abs (from plank position, legs come in and out)
+Power Jumps (wide jumps, knees come up high, hands touch knees)
WATER BREAK
repeat
WATER BREAK
repeat
+One Leg V-Pushups
WATER BREAK
+Pogo Right (one leg jump, bend down to touch floor)
+Power Push-up (do a pushup then jump to bring hands to feet)
+Globe Twists (squat jump right, same shoulder to knee, hand to ankle, jump up and to left, etc)
+Level 3 Drills (16 pushups, 16 mountain climber runs, repeat)
WATER BREAK
repeat (Pogo done on left leg this time)
WATER BREAK
repeat (Pogo is done half right, half left)
+Power Lunges/Hop Squats (2 alternating plyo lunges, then 2 pulsing plyo squats)
WATER BREAK
+Side Push-ups (15 each side; hands in L-position)
+Kickstand Touch the Floor (jump knee raise then touch floor, 15 per side)
+8 Power Knees, 4 Diamond Jumps (4 fast knee smashes with one leg on floor, then plyo jumps with legs in frog position)
+Balance Push-ups (pushup then raise right arm and right leg, then other side) 12 reps [Note: body should be straight, but leg only needs to be parallel to shoulders and need no go higher.]
[WATER BREAK; CIRCUIT DOES NOT REPEAT]
Stretch
Maximum Interval Circuit
MIC is a circuit workout that clocks in at 60 minutes, and no time goes wasted. The breaks are all 30 seconds – “this is not a coffee break people!” In my view, this is the toughest of the workouts due to the number of low to the ground, shoulder-intensive, all body moves. But, all of the “Maximum” workouts give you a run (and a jump) for your money! [Many other vf-ers consider Maximum Cardio Conditioning to be the hardest due to the fact that there are no breaks.]
Warm up
Jog
Jumping jacks arms straight up
123
Jump rope, feet together, side to side
High knees with arms out
Switch kicks (plyo alternating kicks)
Hit the floor (side to side touch the floor with alternating hand in the center)
Floor hops (from a pushup position jump feet from left to right)
repeat
repeat
stretch
water break
Pedal/Power Lunges (sprint and 4 plyo lunges)
Ski abs/Push-Up Jacks/In-and-out/Oblique (push-ups with knee in)—4 each in plank position, repeat
Power Strikes (two hard punches toward the floor, alternating sides)
Frog Jumps (forward and back jumps in squat position, touch the floor)
break (30 seconds)
repeat
break
repeat
Football Runs/Cross Jacks (2 360 degree football run turns with body twist and clap, then 4 cross jacks)
water break
Hook Jumps (4 hooks high, 4 hooks low, 4 tuck jumps, alternating sides)
High Knees with Oblique Twists
High-Lo Jab with plyo Squat
Floor Switch Kicks (on floor in tricep dip position, alternating switch kicks)
water break
repeat
break
repeat
123 Jab Across (lateral hop step, cross jab, alternate sides)
break
Side Suicide Jumps (squat thrust with jump but legs go to the side)
Squat Hooks (low plyo jacks with hook)
Full Body Drill (8 mountain climber floor runs, 4 lateral moving pushups, 8 mountain climber wide floor run, stand up)
Plank Punches (stay in plank and alternate punching in front)
break
repeat
break
repeat
Fall to floor utterly spent
Maximum Cardio Conditioning
Maximum Cardio Conditioning is an endurance workout. It is one of the longer workouts suggested for the Month 2 Rotation. It clocks in just under 48 minutes.
Unlike the circuit workouts, there is no repetition of exercises (except for in the warm up). After the stretch there are no breaks, although Shaun T. gives you a few seconds to “shake it out” after each move. He also demonstrates the next exercise, and that adds a few more seconds of break—at least the first time through when you don’t know what to expect. In the middle of the routine, he slows the pace and comments that a couple of the moves are like “recovery” moves.
The camera moves around a lot on this workout, so it can be hard to follow any one exerciser.
BREAKDOWN:
Warm up:
Jog
Jacks with arms straight up
Jump rope side to side (knees together like a ski-jump, arms go in opposite direction)
High knees, arms out
Switch kicks (plyo alternating kicks)
Hit the floor (jump to side, touch the floor in middle, jump up, jump down on other side, touch floor, etc.)
Floor hops (hands stay on floor, legs kick up, knees together, and hop side to side)
Repeat above moves (with faster pace)
Sprint
Regular jumping jacks – fast
Heisman (alternating jumps with knee up)
123 (three fast lateral steps with Heisman)
High Knees
Break
Stretch
Break
ENDURANCE WORKOUT:
1 minute each (Shaun frequently, though not consistently, gives you the 20 second and 5 second mark).
+High/Low Jab with plyo squats
+Foot ball runs then drop into a low pushup
+4 Basketball shots, 4 hops to other side, 4 shots to other side – repeat several times
+Right kicks (no jumping, but speed gradually increases)
+Left kicks
+Diamond Jumps (jump to bring heels together and hands together
in and out abs for 4, then 4 jack pushups
+Suicide Jumps (squat thrust jumps)
+8 high knees, 8 low sprints, 8 runs while in plank (like mountain climber move)
+Ski Abs (from plank position, jump feet side, back, other side, back etc.)
[Pace is slower for next three moves—Shaun calls these “recovery” exercises]
+Kick/Step Back (front kick then touch floor)
+Squat Twist (plyo squats, touch hand to opposite shoe, alternate sides)
+Over the River Hops (slow jumps from side to side on one leg-don’t touch feet down, alternate feet)
[pace quickens again – “we’re going to get insane again”]
+Attack (2 jacks with a palm-out tricep focused punch, alternate sides)
+Power Knee, right side (similar to knee smashes in kickboxing but very fast)
+Power Knee, left side
+Ski Down Hooks (jump and squat down, knees together, with alternating hook punches)
+Belt Kicks (low squat with alternating front kicks, slower, lower, and very controlled)
+Forward/Back Suicides (3 steps fast feet forward touch floor, then 3 steps fast feet back, etc.)
+Pushup Abs (pushup and get knees to elbow, alternate sides)
+Plank Punches (hold the plank and alternate raising arms)
+8 jump ropes/ 8 hop squats (8 high tuck jumps w/ jump rope arms, 8 low jumps from squat position)
+Low Squat Speed Bag (speed bag from a low squat holding position)
Break and Stretch (at 3:55 mark)``
Instructor Comments:
Shaun T is both tough and encouraging -- he says "this is no game," but he also reminds you to take a break if you need to.
I purchased this DVD Set after successfully completing P90X and P90X Plus. I am a trainer at a Golds Gym and lead these workouts for free... I find it easier to do some of the workouts involved in both programs with a group to do it with.
InSaniTy is a great program. I have the regular version with 10 DVDs not the Bonus version with 13. It has a calendar that you are to follow which varies everyday. The only two consistent "days" are on day 4 of every week you have a "Cardio Recovery" day and day 7 is "Off".
This program has a tool to track your personal successes. The "Fit Test" is 8 exercises that you do for 1 min each - what you do is keep track of the total reps per exercise and write it down on a given chart. You are to do the "Fit Test" on Day 1 (to see where you are when you start) and various times throughout the program to track your progress.
I'm 6'4 280 pounds, built like a football player, and I have loved the challenge that comes with Insanity. The routines all begin with a 10.5 minute "Warm-Up" (probably the hardest part of most workouts, not kidding) followed by a 3.5 minute lower body/back stretch. After that the Interval Training begins. Its typically 3 mins of work followed by 30 sec of rest. I have started seeing definition and noticed my legs getting stronger/more defined.
Some of the moves are a bit "silly" but seem to have a benefit regardless. There are a lot of JUMPS/PUSHUPS/PLANKS involved in this program and when they say its INSANITY they mean it.
I noted above that I lead this for free, word of mouth has stretched my group to approx. 15 different people that have TRIED it, only about 5 have continued to stick with it. Its tough, but its definitely rewarding.
I recommend this workout to people looking to shock their system and burn some calories. Anyone interesting in bulking up should look elsewhere.
