Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

The workout is aptly named - it is insane(ly great!). It turns the typical intense workout on its head with the premise being longer intense spurts followed by shorter rests (3 min of working as hard as you can, 30 seconds rest) - the opposite of the norm . This is a workout that will push you to your limits, and that is the secret to its success. And it works. This program is the best workout on the market for an active person who wants to power up your routine to get in great shape and lose weight. However, if you are a beginner, not active or have any physical limitations, this is not a first time workout. This is a cardio heavy workout with minimal resistance training (push-ups, squats, lunges are pretty much it for resistance). It's a two month program, with alternating intense workouts through the first month, then, after a recovery week, a second set of cardio heavy workouts. It moves fast, you don't have any time between segments, which is the idea behind the program, so you need to be prepared to move. The specific exercises aren't hard to do, they are a variety of jumping jacks, jogging in place, squats, lunges, push-ups, jumps (plyometrics), and kickboxing/martial arts moves , so it is easy to follow and do movement wise. They are all done at a super fast pace with a lot of repetitions - this is where the insanity comes in - and this can make the segments hard to complete. You get an all over workout for all your muscle groups, so when you complete each day, you have done an effective all over training. Pros about the workout: You don't need equipment to do it, just you, your sneakers, a mat (maybe) and the DVDs. The instructor is great, giving you encouragement all the way through (and you will need it). Exercises are easy to understand and not complicated to do, so you don't need great coordination to execute them correctly. You cycle through several exercises (ex. 20 secs each of jumping jacks, jogging in place, suicide drills, burpees, jump lunges), then a 30 second break. And then you keep going. Each workout is 40 minutes, which may seem easy, but you are pushing it the whole time with practically no break. It will get you sweating and your heart going. When you first start this, don't hesitate (or be ashamed) to use your pause button to make it a little easier to adjust to the routine and avoid injury. As you get used to it, and it doesn't take long, you can get through the whole DVD without a pause. You can change up the DVDs each week which keeps you from getting bored and keeps you motivated, a great plus with the program. You also don't have to map out a workout regimen, this program comes with everything laid out in a calendar that's easy to follow. It also comes with a nutrition program that outlines what you need calorie and nutrition wise to keep your energy up to do this (and you will need it). This is not muscle building workout, although it does incorporate some strength training, but only using body weight as resistance. If you want to incorporate a little more strength/muscle building, I recommend working some weights into the routines. I found that the best way is to use ankle and wrist weights, this way you can strap them on before you start and just keep going. You are also told to check your heart rate throughout the workout, I recommend a heart monitor Polar FT4 Heart Rate Monitor which you can wear as a watch or on your chest (comes with a chest strap) - wearing on your chest gives you the most accurate reading. It also tells you how many calories you've burned. Stands up to a heavy duty work out. I also added a fat burner supplement to my routine,T5 RXD - Clinical Strength Thermogenic Fat-Reduction Formula. Highly Concentrated T5 Weight Loss, Fat Burning Supplement (90 Capsules) (1 bottle) it gives a huge energy boost to help get through the workouts, but without getting jittery or crashing afterwards. I lost about 2 pounds per week the first couple of weeks just doing Insanity and dieting alone, which wasn't bad. But after adding the T5-RXD I started losing almost double the weight (lost an average of about 4 pounds per week). It's a clinical strength formula so it's pretty strong, however I have not experienced any negative side effects which is a big plus to me. There are several good energy/fat burning supplements out there you can use, I just found this one to be the best. If you want serious, fast results, Insanity is for you, but it takes a serious commitment to get through the program. You will be very happy with the results, and this is the best workout I have found to get the body you want in a short time.