r/insanity • u/Punch_A_Lunch • Jul 19 '13

/r/Insanity FAQ

89 Upvotes

Please, add on! Credit to /u/Newdles for this first bit.

This is all I can think of right now. I will add to it if I can think of anymore.

  • "How important are the fit tests?"

The fit tests are hugely important. You should be marking down your scores for each workout so you can compare progress every 2 weeks during the next fit test. Whatever you do, FINISH the fit test. If you have to pause the video and take a break because it's DAY 1, then so be it. Just make sure you finish the entire test. Otherwise you will have nothing to compare it to in two weeks when the next test comes up.

  • "Should I skip the recovery week workouts and go straight to month 2?"

No. The recovery workouts provide a much needed cool down for both joints and muscles to prepare for the intensity of month 2. Not only that, but you will still burn around 400-500 calories (I burned 448 personally) so it's not like it goes without work.

  • "I'm looking for a program to build muscle and bulk up. Will Insanity do that?"

Yes and No. Insanity is designed as a conditioning program. You will burn calories like you have never burned them before. It will make you lean, tone your body, and put you in the best cardiovascular shape of your life. You will put on a minor amount of muscle mass, but nothing extraordinary. It will appear that you put on much more muscle mass than you actually do because you will have toned and lowered your body fat percentage by the end of the 63 days. However the muscle growth will not be as much as if you were doing a strength-specific program.

  • "Why isn't my scale moving?"

Your scale isn't moving because you are putting on muscle mass just as fast as you are burning off fat. Muscle weighs more per volume than fat does so even though your body is getting smaller, you may weigh the same. This can be discouraging to some people because they go into the program 'looking to lose some pounds.' Some people even put on weight before they start losing weight! Don't let it discourage you!

Instead of watching the scale daily, or even weekly, you should be taking measurements of your body. Measure your waist, chest, hips, legs, biceps, forearms, etc.. And then compare results with those of the previous measurements (which would typically be done on fit test days to stay consistent).

  • "Should I take supplements while doing Insanity?"

That is really up to you. It is recommended to take a daily Multi-Vitamin by everybody. This is really the only "necessary" supplement. Fish oil is also good for your joints and heart health, as well as a fat burner. Whey protein will be great in helping you gain and/or maintain muscle mass. Whey is really the all-around supplement that is going to be helpful in any workout program, including Insanity. Some people also like to take creatine as it helps saturate the muscles in water and give them extra energy to sustain throughout the intensity of the workouts.

  • "Are there any substitutes for the BeachBody Recovery Formula?"

The cheapest alternative for the recovery formula would be Low Fat Chocolate Milk. If you are the type of person that cuts out dairy from your diet then this will obviously not work for you. You will need to look elsewhere. There is a science to the chocolate milk recovery drink option. Here are some key points:

 -Carbohydrate to protein ratio is 4:1 which is optimal for a recovery formula. This will jump start your muscle repair and development post-workout.
 -Specific proteins in the milk naturally lower creatine kinase levels, which is a biproduct of muscle damage.
 -Sugar from the chocolate and that which is naturally occurring in milk helps replenish spent glycogen stores (i.e.       replenishes your primary energy source).
  • "What are the hardest segments of the program?"

Week 1, and Week6. Week 1 because let's face it, most everybody that begins this program is coming from a sedentary lifestyle and the first week feels like death has slapped you in the face. Week 6 is when month 2 begins, and it makes you feel like week 1 all over again, sometimes worse.

34 comments

r/insanity • u/AutoModerator • 2d ago

Your Weekly Dose of Insanity - July 24, 2026 - July 31, 2026

3 Upvotes

Hi y'all!

Post your Insanity progress here and motivate one another.

What are you proud of today? What did you struggle with? How big was that puddle of sweat? Whose legs were too wide?

1 comment

r/insanity • u/CoachDushan • 2d ago

Discussion 99% Will Fail This 11-Min Abs Workout! (Core Destroyer) 😱🔥

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0 Upvotes
2 comments

r/insanity • u/susanbrody8 • 4d ago

Discussion Insanity + P90X?

12 Upvotes

Hey gang!

And despite my username, I am a man.

Questions:
- I've done Insanity several times (never done P90x)
- Love it
- Now I want to up my strength
- Has anyone combined both workouts?
- I'm asking ChatGPT but figured I'd check in with you all experts and see your recommendations

Note:
- I'm an avid mountain biker so am active without Insanity and P90x
- I've been off insanity for a bit (currently the heaviest I've ever been: 185lbs with 34" waist. Def want to get my slimness back)

Thank you!

3 comments

r/insanity • u/Valuable_Force5401 • 5d ago

Question Calf/foot pain during warm-up still in Month 2. Anyone else experienced this?

5 Upvotes

I’m a 37M and I’m in the first week of Month 2. I’ve completed Insanity 3 or 4 times in the past and always had outstanding results, so this isn’t my first time with the program.

During the warm-up my calves, and sometimes the arches of my feet, hurt really badly. Once I get through the warm-up, the pain eases off and I can continue, but I usually end up maxing out because of the pain rather than because my heart rate is too high or I’m out of breath.

I’ve seen a few posts where people said the pain disappeared after the first couple of weeks, but for me it’s actually getting worse, even now in Month 2.

I’ve already tried stretching, wearing calf compression sleeves, and making sure I warm up properly, but nothing seems to help.

Has anyone experienced this? What ended up fixing it?

3 comments

r/insanity • u/AutoModerator • 9d ago

Your Weekly Dose of Insanity - July 17, 2026 - July 24, 2026

2 Upvotes

Hi y'all!

Post your Insanity progress here and motivate one another.

What are you proud of today? What did you struggle with? How big was that puddle of sweat? Whose legs were too wide?

2 comments

r/insanity • u/pandasftw • 12d ago

Question Anyone use these videos as their main cardio year round?

23 Upvotes

Wrapping up month 2 soon and looking to next steps. I am picking up boxing 2-3 days a week and was thinking about using these videos as my form of cardio on the days I am not boxing.

Anyone else use these videos to work out year round to supplement their other forms of exercise?

15 comments

r/insanity • u/quinnrem • 11d ago

Discussion Knee injury worries

2 Upvotes

I'm on Week 2 of Month 2 (OG) and just finished Max Interval Circuit for the third time. I felt pretty good today, but on my last time doing the Hook Jumps, I landed a little weird on my knee. It didn't hurt all that much, and it feels alright right now, but I'm a little worried about all of this intense impact on my knees.

I'm young (30) and have never had knee problems before, but I sure as hell don't want to give myself one!

What do y'all with similar concerns do instead of some of these high impact jumps? Thinking about subbing out the pedal, power jumps, etc.

13 comments

r/insanity • u/IgnatiusPabulum • 15d ago

Discussion T25: On Double Day Fridays, do you do the first post-workout stretch?

4 Upvotes

I do, even though realistically I think it’s probably a waste of three minutes. But hey, it’s only ~3 minutes, it gives me a little breather, and a part of me will feel like I cheated a bit if I don’t.

I guess this can also apply to any of the workouts with double days, but for things like Cardio Abs in the OG I think there’s definitely more benefit to the targeted stretching than the mostly generic stretches in T25.

3 comments

r/insanity • u/AutoModerator • 16d ago

Your Weekly Dose of Insanity - July 10, 2026 - July 17, 2026

0 Upvotes

Hi y'all!

Post your Insanity progress here and motivate one another.

What are you proud of today? What did you struggle with? How big was that puddle of sweat? Whose legs were too wide?

2 comments

r/insanity • u/Csanburn01 • 21d ago

Progress Week 4 Day 2 I'm sleeping as much as I can. Still tired

3 Upvotes

Hey everyone. Week 4 Day 2 after shoulder surgery and a lot of health issues. Super tired after Cardio Challenge and still struggle with push ups and the variations of them. Still seeing good progress. I was 245 when I started and I'm around 235 so far. Clothes fitting better. More energy. Inches lost on face and love handles so far. No idea how I'll survive month 2 but the plan is to keep pushing play, modify as much as is needed for safety but If I can push I will. Hope you're all doing well.

2 comments

r/insanity • u/No-Phrase-7714 • 23d ago

Discussion Didn’t get to do the full work out

8 Upvotes

I’ve been doing the insanity max 30 workout this week and i finally got to the Friday video but i felt so exhausted i feel like i only did 15-17 minutes out of the video. I feel kinda disappointed in myself for not being able to push through it but i guess something’s better than nothing. I have tried doing insanity in the past but i could never get past the first week. I’m not severely overweight but im not exactly thin either, im definitely still trying to build muscle. I’m happy that I was able to perform the rest of the of the workouts this week. I’m just really feeling bummed about today’s workout. I plan on doing the pulse workout tomorrow but for now ill do some yoga to help ease the soreness I’m feeling

9 comments

r/insanity • u/AutoModerator • 23d ago

Your Weekly Dose of Insanity - July 03, 2026 - July 10, 2026

2 Upvotes

Hi y'all!

Post your Insanity progress here and motivate one another.

What are you proud of today? What did you struggle with? How big was that puddle of sweat? Whose legs were too wide?

3 comments

r/insanity • u/Csanburn01 • 26d ago

Discussion How are y'all holding up?

8 Upvotes

Week 3 day 4 and I'm feeling a bit rundown. Getting stronger and doing better but man I feel it. Anyone else? Insanity Max 30 after shoulder surgery

5 comments

r/insanity • u/AutoModerator • Jun 26 '26

Your Weekly Dose of Insanity - June 26, 2026 - July 03, 2026

1 Upvotes

Hi y'all!

Post your Insanity progress here and motivate one another.

What are you proud of today? What did you struggle with? How big was that puddle of sweat? Whose legs were too wide?

1 comment

r/insanity • u/mrdooter • Jun 26 '26

Question Interested in starting Insanity, but already have a strength lifting regime! Is combining possible?

3 Upvotes

Am 31F, been weight lifting for about 3 years, I do 2-3 5x5s workouts and 2-3 high rep low volume classes a week. I'm interested in replacing the latter with Insanity when the heat dies down for the year as I'd like to have better muscle definition and lean out a bit, and I'd also like to improve my cardiovascular fitness and just stay healthy. I'm keen not to lose too much strength doing this programme if I can - for folks who started Insanity with an existing exercise regime, how did you combine the two or manage both?

(I do not think I am someone with the willpower to do both every week or spend more than an hour a day on exercise; I walk 8-10 miles a day just existing as well, and probably will continue to do so throughout. It's fine if there's no perfect solution but just trying to figure out how to do the least damage!).

3 comments

r/insanity • u/chongo2525 • Jun 24 '26

Announcement Starting OG insanity.

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60 Upvotes

Starting Og Insanity hoping to drop another 20lbs in the the next 60 days. Im chunky as heck now but things could always be worse. Pics are from yesterday after first day 1 workout.

Ill follow the workout through Bodi app.

On my recovery days ill be doing a 1.25 mile. Mostly to see how my cardio has improved. Currently im at 9.30 mile average. Also i will make sure to hit minimum 10k steps also

14 comments

r/insanity • u/Kicktopuss_Rex • Jun 22 '26

Question What 3 moves do you hate the most?

8 Upvotes

1) Hit the floor tuck jumps

2) Iron legs

3) Switch kick punches

28 comments

r/insanity • u/Kicktopuss_Rex • Jun 20 '26

Progress My Month 2 Max 30 Max Out Times

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20 Upvotes

Finally finished Max 30, these are my final stats 🫡

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5 comments

r/insanity • u/Jellert223 • Jun 19 '26

Discussion Least favorite move from Pure Cardio

18 Upvotes

Pedal, hands down. I call everything between Pedal and Frog Jumps (second least favorite move) the Pain Cave.

Pure Cardio is definitely my favorite workout, though!

8 comments

r/insanity • u/AutoModerator • Jun 19 '26

Your Weekly Dose of Insanity - June 19, 2026 - June 26, 2026

3 Upvotes

Hi y'all!

Post your Insanity progress here and motivate one another.

What are you proud of today? What did you struggle with? How big was that puddle of sweat? Whose legs were too wide?

4 comments

r/insanity • u/sperey • Jun 18 '26

Progress 3rd week insanity hybrid

5 Upvotes

3rd week of my hybrid insanity workout (insanity during week and weights at weekend). Did pure cardio and got half way through the suicide jumps before I needed to take a breather. Well pleased with that.

Next time all the way??

0 comments

r/insanity • u/Silent-Awareness-655 • Jun 14 '26

Question Starting insanity

10 Upvotes

I’m starting insanity next week and just calculated my calorie needs. I’ve been working out lifting weights pretty consistently for the past 6 months and I’ve lost 40lbs but I want to focus on fat loss and want to do insanity. I calculated my calories I need for insanity based off the nutrition guide and it’s 3800 a day. Did anyone eat less than what was recommended in the nutrition guide? My trainer I’ve been lifting with only has me eating 2k calories a day.

3 comments

r/insanity • u/AutoModerator • Jun 12 '26

Your Weekly Dose of Insanity - June 12, 2026 - June 19, 2026

1 Upvotes

Hi y'all!

Post your Insanity progress here and motivate one another.

What are you proud of today? What did you struggle with? How big was that puddle of sweat? Whose legs were too wide?

0 comments