I get asked a lot about the differences between Insanity VS. P90X and what each of these workouts can do for you and who should do which one. I am going to go into the ins and outs of each one of these Beachbody workouts, but be warned, I will get into the good and bad points and so, if this is not something that you want to read about it, then you might as well hit the back button now. You’ve been warned 
So the first thing that you may be thinking about is why write about INSANITY VS P90X, after all, these two workouts have already great websites, correct? well, in my experience, those sites are great if you don’t care to know anything about the product and you just want to read all the positive points. But back when I was trying to make a decision whether INSANITY VS P90X were for me, I wanted to find what other users like myself would think about the workouts, specifically what are the differences between INSANITY VS P90X?
Remember, I was a 244lbs overweight, thirty something guy, not some super fit stud who could do anything you threw at him and so I wanted to find out the pros and cons about each one of these workouts.
CLICK HERE FOR THE OFFICIAL P90X SITE
So, without more fluff, let me tell you about Tony Horton’s P90X and also about the Insanity Workout and hopefully clear the mystery between INSANITY VS P90X:
I have done 3 full rounds of P90X and I am currently doing my 4th and I can honestly say that P90X will kick the pants out of any home workout that you can think of that is geared towards strength training.
As you probably know, P90X is a 90 day workout and it is divided in 3 phases. Each phase is 30 days long. On each phase you do different workouts that vary in intensity and duration but all of them focus on developing your strength, endurance, balance, coordination, core, flexibility, etc. This is what is known as Muscle Confusion and it basically prevents your body from ever hitting a weight loss plateau. If you are like any of the millions of people trying to lose weight and get in shape, you very well know how frustrating this is when it happens.
P90X will focus on developing your muscle mass from head to toe. You have workouts for your chest and back, shoulders and arms, core, abs, legs. It also incorporates yoga and stretching workouts to prevent injuries and work on your balance and flexibility. One of the biggest gripes that people have about P90X is the yoga workout. This workout takes forever and it is really, really hard. The good news is that you can find other alternatives such as the P90X One On One workouts which are less time consuming.
Another great thing about P90X workout program is that it comes with a very detailed nutrition guide. This guide is so important that I can honestly say that 90% of your results will come from the principles taught here. In addition, you get a fitness guide that will clearly explain how P90X works and what you can expect throughout each of the phases.
In order to do P90X you will need a pull up bar, yoga mat and dumbells and or resistance bands. That’s it! During my first round I used resistance bands only as I didn’t own a set of dumbells. Since then, I got my hands on a set of adjustable dumbells for about $300. You can check on Ebay or Craigslist for deals.
This workout is entirely based on adding variety to your fitness. In other words, one day you are working your biceps, triceps and shoulders, the next you are working on jump training or plyometrics while the next you find yourself doing yoga poses, etc.
What this means is that if your idea of working out equals putting on your headphones and mindlessly run on a treadmill or just go out for a jog in the morning, then this might not be for you.
People who do not enjoy working with weights or that have the misconception that they will get bulky if they lift weights will not enjoy P90X and will be better off with a workout such as Insanity or Turbo Fire.
Workouts are long. You are supposed to workout 6 days a week. 4 of those workouts are between 70-90 minutes and the other 2 are about 50-60 minutes. So, if your schedule is really tight, this means that you will either have to get up earlier than usual or do your workouts late at night once your kids are in bed or when you are finished with other obligations.
The Insanity workout program is a 60 day home fitness workout that is divided into 2 phases, each one lasting 30 days with a recovery week in between each 30 day segment. The main focus of Insanity is to develop your cardio to levels that you didn’t think possible before and this means that you will burn a lot of calories and fat with these workouts.
Basically, you are going to do a different workout each day, 6 days a week. You will do a Fit Test every other week to track your progress. The workouts during phase 1 take about 40-45 minutes and on phase 2, between 50-55.
The Insanity Workout DVD’s are really hard! You will be pushed to the limit here which means that these workouts are not for those people who do not like to work hard and push themselves. If you are among the people seeking instant gratification and losing weight taking pills or doing silly diets, then move along, this isn’t for you!
One of the greatest things about Insanity is that you don’t need any equipment to do it. All you need is a good pair of shoes on which you can jump, squat, flex, etc. I like Reebok’s Zig or Vibram Five Fingers.
Shaun T is really fun to watch and he does a great job of pushing you hard but also remind you to take breaks and to be safe when doing the workouts. One of my favorite quotes from him during one of the workouts is: “This shit is bananas!” I love it!
Another great thing about Insanity is that it is very simple to follow since there aren’t any moves with weights of poses that involve practice and or flexibility and balance. All you are really doing is using your body in ways that you would normally do: squat, run, jump, flex to one side or the other. Nothing fancy, yet highly effective.
Insanity, I would say is not for your typical overweight, out of shape person. I know for a fact that I would’ve quit day 1 if I hadn’t done P90X first. This workout will put a lot of strain on someone’s joints and muscles, especially knees and lower back if you are not used to working out or very overweight.
Some people who are very out of shape might be put off by the sheer intensity of the program and feel overwhelmed. Having said that, they will also experience a greater joy discovering their inner strength. I leave that up to you.
CLICK HERE FOR THE INSANITY WEBSITEINSANITY VS P90X: Both P90X and Insanity are great workouts! You simply can’t go wrong with either one. In fact, many people who finish P90X go on to create hybrid workouts that include workouts from both programs in order to get the best of both worlds: get the strength training benefits from P90X and also add the great cardio from Insanity. So, as you can see, there really isn’t a cookie cutter answer to the question INSANITY VS P90X?
If I had never done either one and I was getting ready to begin, I would do P90X first and then Insanity. I hope this clears out the mystery between INSANITY VS P90X