Beachbody Series Thread (Insanity Max 30 Released)

[Duir]

Hi all,

Just wondering if anyone else has tried any of the Beachbody workout programs as well and what you think of them? I have done Shaun T's Insanity (3 or 4 cycles), Asylum, dabbled in Tony Horton's P90X, and am currently trying out T25 (first few weeks in).

Anyone else have any experience with any of these and how they compare to other types of high intensity workouts? I find them awesome as my cardio is definitely my weak spot so my body argues the entire time as I am working out but after I am done it feels like I accomplished something good.

Would be great to hear of any other experiences with any of the Beachbody series as well! Thanks in advance!

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[HockeyThoughts]

The last few weeks, I've been integrating Insanity into my schedule..I play hockey 3 times a week and have been trying to do Insanity the other 3 days. Needless to say, it's tough. Insanity is just one really tough regiment. As someone who mostly does the regular, some weights, lots of hockey and HIIT on the treadmill to improve my sprint/explosiveness (and shed a few lbs) -- the plyometrics have really thrown my body for a loop. For instance, my calves were ridiculously sore for days after.

A few things I've learned about myself lately though are that my balance is totally garbage and I am not as flexible as I would like. I think Insanity will help me target both of these weaknesses while also increasing my explosiveness, leg/foot/calf strength and help me shed some winter weight. For a hockey player these are all absolutely vital so I've been pushing myself to continue through the program.

 

[Duir]

I had the same thing happen with my calves, HockeyThoughts. After the first week or so it started to go away but it was pretty hard to walk up and down the stairs for a bit. Insanity is one tough mother of a workout.

You are smart to only do it for a few days, doing the whole program takes tremendous energy throughout the week so to do a hybrid is cool move. Maybe check out Asylum. It is basically Insanity on steroids but it does wonders for agility, strength, stability, and core movements all associated with sports. It is f'ing hard though. But fun

 

[Lisa Needs Braces]

A girl on my facebook has become one of the beachbody coaches. She keeps trying to peddle the supplements. Its super irritating.

As for the Insanity/P90X, I've never done them, but I've heard from friends they're really really good.

 

[Carl Carlson]

P90X is a decent program. It won't help if your trying to bulk up but if your looking to lose weight and gain a little muscle it will work provided you stick with it and follow the meal plans. Plyo days sucked.

 

[Mayor Bee]

(deleted)

 

[Duir]

The fun part is when you memorize large chunks of dialog from the DVDs.

You say plyo, I hear "That's a prosthetic leg, so I don't wanna hear NO EXCUSES FROM ANY OF YOU!."

LOL no kidding eh, 'That ***** is bananas, yo!'

 

[Whiplash27]

I've done like half of P90X and then I got lazy and stopped. Same with RushFit (not beachbody). Both programs are good, but when you're working out 5+ days a week, I feel like you can get just as effective of a workout without them.

 

[HockeyThoughts]

After about 2 weeks I've quit the program. Don't think my shins can handle the amount of constant impact that comes with jumping up and down repeatedly.

Sucks too, I was actually kind of enjoying the program, was an intense workout that got me sore in places I haven't been able to get sore in a long time..

Maybe I'll try to find something easier on the shins and knees.

 

[ORLY]

I did a month of P90 a few years ago, and that month really transformed me. Although I did cut out soda and did not eat much junk food. Didn't really watch anything else. I lost 15 pounds, toned some muscles, and returned to school in the fall feeling very confident.

I am working the shoulders and arms workout and the plyometrics workout into my summer routine, as well as the ab ripper X. Nothing but good things to say about P90x. But if you're looking to get a lot bigger, look elsewhere.

 

[Duir]

I have to say, I just started the Beta cycle of FocusT25 after finishing Alpha round, and this is one awesome workout.

I LOVE that it is only 25 minutes, that makes is soooo much easier to be motivated. Getting excellent results as well.

Would totally recommend this workout series to anyone!

 

[HockeyThoughts]

I have to say, I just started the Beta cycle of FocusT25 after finishing Alpha round, and this is one awesome workout.

I LOVE that it is only 25 minutes, that makes is soooo much easier to be motivated. Getting excellent results as well.

Would totally recommend this workout series to anyone!

Is there a huge focus on plyometrics in this tape too?

 

[Duir]

Definitely not as much as Insanity, that's for sure. I have done several cycles of Insanity and I would say that FocusT25 is a good combo of cardio, core, plyo, and strength. The program is easier on the joints, I find, but still packs a huge punch. Extremely well thought out program.

 

[GetFocht]

I did P90X twice, back-to-back in college, went down to 7 percent body fat, absolutely shredded, and I forgot how it felt being tired. i recommend taking CLA, L-Cartanine, and protein shakes during the program to get maximum results.

Plyometrics did wonders for me in floor hockey as a goaltender.

 

[DCDM]

I completed Insanity last summer. It was a real challenge but I'm really glad I was able to push through because it was definitely worth it.

I tried to integrate Focus T25 into my school year but never really got into a rhythm with it unfortunately. I would definitely like to complete a cycle of it at some point though. And I would do Insanity again too, though I think I am presently too far removed from a consistent workout schedule to go at it again lol. Insanity is awesome but it's definitely not for the faint of heart. You have to be extremely motivated to get through it.

 

[Dr Pepper]

Wanted to bump this because I'm just over halfway done my first Insanity circuit.

Before I started, I had topped the scales at 235. Heaviest I'd ever been, and it sucked. Well...the number wasn't terrible given my height (~6'3"), but as you could probably guess, there wasn't a whole lot of muscle there.

So there was work to be done.

Started Insanity and it really kicked my ass the first few days. Sweating buckets, yelling at Shaun because it's not as easy as he makes it look, etc.

32 days in, and I'm down to 215. There's some toning and definition going on, I've definitely slimmed down a bit, and others have noticed. Feels good.

Kicks into a higher gear next week for the second half, and I haven't checked the videos yet but I'm guessing I'll be getting my ass kicked again real soon.

It'll be worth it in the end though.

 

[ColePens]

Good job, Modo! Keep it up. I'm just starting week 11 of T25 myself. It's the most amazing 20 week program I've done. I can't believe i doubted this stuff before.

Shaun T is by far the greatest. I'm glad you are having a good experience, too.

 

[StronGeer]

Awesome stuff man! Keep it up!

 

[RayP]

Good job, Modo! Keep it up. I'm just starting week 11 of T25 myself. It's the most amazing 20 week program I've done. I can't believe i doubted this stuff before.

Shaun T is by far the greatest. I'm glad you are having a good experience, too.

How much jumping is there? I'm interested in doing that, but I have people that live below me.

 

[ColePens]

How much jumping is there? I'm interested in doing that, but I have people that live below me.

Unfortunately can't do it. There is a lot of jumping/high knees/quick feet. The people below you would call the police every night. Impact is pretty high unless you want to do the modified versions (but then what's the point?)

That's the only thing I will say about T25. It seems like they advertised it to just about anyone, but you need to be experienced/athletic to do it. I was very fortunate to train hard before starting it, but I saw results and muscles/toning on places I never thought I would. It's been a blessing in terms of time saving and killing my body.

The only thing I do is add 2 weight training days to the schedule. That's just to add strength, too, even though that's a HUGE focus in Beta/Gamma.


If anyone has questions on T25 - feel free to ask. I won't just try and sell it. I honestly am a huge fan and will make this part of my routine twice a year. The time it saves and the workout you get is amazing. Just be warned - make sure you have some background in working out or are athletic. There is a lot of stuff throughout the workouts that will make you quit if you aren't.

 

[RayP]

Unfortunately can't do it. There is a lot of jumping/high knees/quick feet. The people below you would call the police every night. Impact is pretty high unless you want to do the modified versions (but then what's the point?)

That's the only thing I will say about T25. It seems like they advertised it to just about anyone, but you need to be experienced/athletic to do it. I was very fortunate to train hard before starting it, but I saw results and muscles/toning on places I never thought I would. It's been a blessing in terms of time saving and killing my body.

The only thing I do is add 2 weight training days to the schedule. That's just to add strength, too, even though that's a HUGE focus in Beta/Gamma.


If anyone has questions on T25 - feel free to ask. I won't just try and sell it. I honestly am a huge fan and will make this part of my routine twice a year. The time it saves and the workout you get is amazing. Just be warned - make sure you have some background in working out or are athletic. There is a lot of stuff throughout the workouts that will make you quit if you aren't.

Figured it would be like that... I can do it at work, if I really wanted to, though.

 

[Rocko604]

Did P90X once and lost about 15 pounds. I didn't mind the program, but Tony Horton got to the point where I had to go no music/commentary, with only the cues and put on music instead. He annoyed the living **** out of me.

After I finshed it, I honestly missed the gym and went back to that, so it was never something I could do continuously. I also never did the yoga, and replaced with the cardio-X. I thought the Kempo Karate was a joke because I've trained muay thai in the past and used to workout regularly to the Bas Rutten tapes.

Gripes aside, a really great program for anyone who wants to start doing something but are a bit intimidated going to the gym or just want to try something different. Everynow and again, I'll actually throw in the plyo dvd just to do something different on a cardio day.

 

[DaDucks*]

I thought I was in decent shape until I tried insanity.....

highly recommend buying the series. Maybe go through the series once if you have to. You'll want to break your DVD player if you try to push it too much with this program.

I like to use it to supplement my exercise. They also include a Abs workout CD which is very difficult/awesome.

 

[ColePens]

Picked up Insanity Max 30 on its release date. Wow.. it's Insanity/T25 mixed. I always do a trial week run before starting the program. I'll start it after the holidays because it's a nice commitment.

Anyone buy it or check it out? I can tell you right now after doing a week.. it's not for everyone. You have to love pushing your mind to new levels. You have to. It's also very high in terms of intensity/impact on your legs.

T25 is definitely my favorite, but if you need a 2 month workout that shreds you to hell and back... this is it. Definitely.

 

[BADoglick]

There are no decent gyms that are convenient to get to within a convenient driving distance from my house and open at convenient hours. My choices are either belong to an awesome gym that is only open for an hour and a half after I get out of work (and it takes a half hour to get to) or go to a gym that's ten minutes from my house but is basically treadmills and has some light machines, all of which I can do about 50 reps each set on the highest weight settings. So basically it's a girls' gym, although I see plenty of weak men there as well.

So I started doing T25 because my girlfriend got it for free from one of her beachbody coach friends. And I really enjoyed most of it, my only complaint is sometimes I feel like certain body parts got way more attention than others (upper gets very little in alpha, and your back is basically ignored entirely). Insanity is way more intense than T25, but is also time consuming, and it's damn near impossible to not take breaks. P90x is a good workout but you need way more equipment and way more space, and that to me kinda defeats the purpose. If I had a home gym, I wouldn't need these videos. 21 Day Fix is an interesting one. I feel like Autumn does a better job of designing the workouts than Shaun T, though it's not as intense of a cardio workout.

They all have their pluses and minuses, but I love that I've learned tons of new workout moves that I never would have thought of had I not done any of these videos, and I'm in a much different kind of shape than I ever have been in my life. Better cardio shape than ever before, I have more burst, flexibility, and I can train on more days and have fewer rest days. It's best just to try all of the videos and see what works for you.

I've actually designed some of my own workouts since I feel like I've moved beyond what's in some of these videos. I have a list with times and use a stop watch. So now I know what all the workouts are about, so I've kinda figured out what's best for me and what areas I need most improvement in.