We have another celebrity letting the world know how she feels about Beachbody Products.  Singer, Jewel Kilcher, in a recent Shape Magazine article gives us a clue of how she stays in shape.  Jewel says she works out with the guys next door and their favorite work out is Insanity. She also goes on and talks about some of the other exercises she does to stay in great shape and shows us her ab routine.

If these celebrities are getting results from programs like Insanity I’ll bet there is a pretty good chance you will to. If you are thinking about giving Insanity a shot remember this.  Insanity is tough, real tough and it’s not for beginners. With that being said, it is an awesome work out.  Hardest cardio work out I have ever done and I still do these work outs to this day mixing them in to my P90X work outs.

If you are really looking for a challenging workout that will leave you sweating up a storm then Insanity is for you.

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I often get asked this question so I decided to write a little something about it.  Insanity or P90X, which one is better?  Which workout is harder?  Which program will bring me the best results?

First let me say this.  I have done both Shaun T’s Insanity and Tony Horton’s P90X and I loved both of them.  Which one you will like best depends on what kind of results you are looking for and what type of workouts you like.  Both of these workouts are advanced so it is best to have some sort of fitness base before trying to tackle either one of these. P90X might be a little more forgiving since you can modify the moves and do things at your own pace.  With Insanity you better be ready to go, go ,go.  If you are a beginner do not choose Insanity.  You will just get frustrated and probably quit.

P90X is an all out assault on every muscle in your body.  You will be using muscles that you never knew you had.  There is some extra equipment you will need like a pull-up bar and dumbbells or resistance bands.  If you like push ups, pull up and using dumbbells then P90X is going to be the right choice for you.  You will also get some great cardio workouts with P90X Kenpo X and P90X Plyometrics.  Don’t forget  about P90X Yoga X.  If you have never done Yoga before then you are in for a real treat.  If you are looking to burn some fat, add some muscle and definition then once again, P90X is for you. P90X is a 90 day workout so be sure to take that into consideration.

Now let’s talk about Shaun T’s Insanity.  Tough, tough and tough.  That is the best way I can describe it.  Just  when you get totally worn out you find out that you have only just completed the warm up and you still have the whole workout to go.  Insanity will definitely push you to new levels with its’ extreme cardio and plyometric moves.  You are still doing a lot of various types of push ups that will work your triceps and shoulders and you will also be doing a lot of exercises that will really get your heart pumping.  Think back to the way you felt when you were in high school and you had to do suicide sprints on the gym floor.  That is what I would compare Insanity too.  Then after you are totally beat you have to get down and do some push ups.  Trust me, it’s tough but if you are looking for a challenge just like I was then you should give Insanity a go. Insanity is a 60 day workout and you need no other equipment.  Just the will to push through it and your own body weight is all you will need. Be sure to plan for longer levels of high intensity training and very short breaks.

So which one is harder? Well I am going to have to say Insanity in it’s own unique way.  I also was not used to doing extreme cardio workouts like the ones Shaun T puts you through.  If you are not used to weights, push ups and pull ups then you might say P90X is harder.  It all depends on what you are use to and what you have done previously.

As far as which program will bring you the best results, well, you will get awesome results with both.  You just have to pick the one that fits you best with what you are trying to accomplish.  I hope this helps in your selection and if you have any further questions feel free to leave a comment and I will respond or just shoot me over an email.

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Finally the last day with Shaun T’s Insanity. The last day of Insanity is Max Cardio Conditioning and Cardio Abs.  I also took a little break and did my 5th and final fit test since I didn’t want to do it on Easter Sunday.  If you follow the Insanity schedule to a “T” then the fit test would actually be your last workout.  I would advise doing it the on the scheduled day so you are not worn out from the previous workouts.  You really want to have all of your energy so you can see how much you have improved in the last 60 days.

Over all I really like Insanity.  It was very different then anything I have ever done before.  It you like cardio then you will love Insanity.  You do not need anything extra, all you need is your own body weight.  I am kind of excited to mix these workouts in with my P90X routine.

Here are my results from my 5th and final fit test.  I improved on every exercise from the 4th fit test.

Switch Kicks: 78

Power Jacks: 69

Power Knees: 132

Power Jumps: 74

Globe Jumps: 15

Suicide Jumps: 26

Push-up Jacks: 50

Low Plank Obliques: 110

I feel really good, lost some more belly fat and I am in the best shape of my life at 38 years old.  Not too many people can say that.  If you are reading this you have the opportunity to say you are in the best shape of your life.

Days 58 and 59 with Shaun T’s Insanity are Max Cardio Conditioning with Cardio Abs and Max Interval Circuit.  I can finally say that Max Interval Circuit is getting a little more bearable.  I can get through it without complaining about it.  If you love cardio workouts then Insanity is for you.  These workouts really get your heart pumping and legs burning.

I only have 4 more workouts left and then I will be able to say that I got insane with Shaun T and completed Insanity.  The fit test is on Sunday but I will probably do it on Saturday since it is Easter Sunday.  I can’t wait to see how many globe jumps I will be able to do.  Yay!  Fun!  I also can’t wait to take a break from these intensive workouts.  My shoulders feel like they need a break.  I’ll take 6-7 day off and then I’ll be ready to hit the weights again.  I think I’m starting to miss the pull ups I was doing with P90X.  never thought I would say that since at the time I was doing them I hated those darn pull ups.  Especially the corn cob pull ups.  Well, in any event, Insanity will be in the books and I will move on to something else.  I will be doing some sort of hybrid of P90X and Insanity.  Personally I like more exercise with weights and resistance as opposed to extreme cardio but some of the Insanity workouts will fit in nicely with P90X.

Day 57 with Shaun T’s Insanity is Max Interval Plyo and let me tell you, I am extremely happy that I only have to do this workout one more time.  This workout is as tough as they get. It did seem a little more bearable today but it is still really tough, especially when you are pushing yourself really hard.  Looks like I have 6 more workouts with Shaun T and then I will be able to say that I am truly “insane”. (kidding)  These workout were great and I feel really good but I am looking forward to hitting the weights again.  I am sure I have lost some pull up strength and maybe some back muscle strength but it shouldn’t take much to get back to where I was when I finished my first round of P90X.  I will be mixing these two workouts together in the future so stay tuned to see how it goes.  I already know it is going to be fun.  Variety always makes your workouts more fun and of course great results help to.

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Shaun T Insanity days 52, 53 and 54.  I have been combining multiple days lately since I feel like I am repeating myself and I don’t want to bore my reader.  Day 52 was Max Cardio Conditioning and Cardio Abs, Day 53 is Max Recovery, and Day54 was Max Interval Circuit for the second time this week. Max Cardio Conditioning is still tough, it still kicks my butt and then to add Cardio Abs at the end of it was the icing on the cake to my butt kicking. Max recovery was much needed this week.  I am not sure what I did to my back but I was in some pretty bad pain on that day.  I did Max Recovery later in the day and I think it helped. Max Recovery is pretty much a lot of stretching and poses so I figured I could work my way through it. Day 54, which is today, was Max Interval circuit again.  My back still doesn’t feel the greatest but I made it through this tough workout. I didn’t want to do it but I only have 1 week left and I don’t want to screw up my schedule. Tomorrow is Core Cardio and Balance and I should be able to handle that workout even if my back is still a little sore.  Ahhhh, 8 more workouts to go.