INSANITY DVD Workout – Deluxe Kit
Why use fitness DVDs?
Most people looking to get fit or transform their body are deciding between joining a gym or class or buying something to help them workout at home.
Joining a gym or class is not for everyone:
- you have to exercise with other people and the pace may not suit you
- if you are not happy with how you look you may prefer to exercise in private
- you have to exercise at a certain time and this may not fit well into your life
- you have to go somewhere to do this and it may be easier to workout at home
- gym membership or classes may be more expensive (see breakdown of comparative costs)
But, without that class to keep you motivated and vary the exercise routine you may easily become bored and give up. A good fitness video will keep challenging you and will vary the exercises you are doing so you stay motivated. It will also ensure that many different parts of your body receive attention so you achieve the results you are looking for.
Why compare products for workout dvds?
You’ve probably heard of Insanity, T25 and P90-X and maybe this is the year you are DEFINITELY going to use one of them, starting NOW.
Maybe your friend has started Insanity or one of the others and is loving it. But is it the best fitness dvd to transform Your body?
Not all workout videos will give you the same results as the exercise routines they use are different. Some will focus on weight training and building muscle, some on extreme effort to achieve amazing results and others on gentler moves to gradually achieve success. There are also some based around dance moves.
Let’s take a look at some different workout DVDs and check out:
- What exercises they use
- How long they take for a workout
- What results they give
- What kit you need to use
Insanity
- Insanity is an extremely energetic cardio based programme.
- It’s a total body interval training workout using the max interval technique devised by Shaun T.
- There is a full in-depth look at how Insanity works and what is involved in the exercises on the Insanity Results – what can you expect page of this website.
- Insanity is designed to help you lose weight by using a large number of calories during each workout.
- It uses maximum interval training and afterburn to maximise the calorie burning effect of each workout.
- It will also tone your body and uses the principle of muscle confusion to maximise the effect.
Insanity comes in DVD form and you can get the basic kit or the deluxe kit. Both kits include the 10 Insanity DVE workouts, calendar to track your progress and a nutrition book. The Deluxe version also includes 3 additional advanced workouts, a professional-grade jump mat and a body fat tester.
Insanity Time Taken
Insanity workouts vary from the Fit Test which is around 17 minutes to the more usual 60 minute workout.
The Insanity workout is scheduled to last over 10 weeks with workouts on 6 days a week.
Insanity Results
Anyone who seriously works their way through the complete Insanity programme and combines this with healthy eating is going to see results. The calorie burn of the workout should result in at least a 2lb a week loss, doubling that from healthy eating alone. This would give you a weight loss of up to 32 lbs over the 60 days of the Insanity workout. Because your body will be much more toned after the 60 days you will look as though you have lost more weight than this.
Visit the Insanity Results – what can you expect page to see lots of pictures, videos and comments from people who have completed Insanity. For more specific results there are also pages of women’s and of men’s results.
Insanity Equipment
Insanity uses no equipment except DVDs You just need a tv, DVD player, good sports shoes.
Insanity Basic Kit
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Insanity Deluxe Kit
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T25
Focus T25 is another high intensity workout from Shaun T and Beachbody. Each workout only takes 25 minutes so is ideal if
you are really short of time to fit exercise into your daily routine.
Shaun T who created both Insanity and T25 says that he has experimented with the Insanity workout to identify which elements give the most results and put these into a 25 minute format to deliver amazing results in a short time.
There are two main sets of workouts:
Alpha Cycle
- CARDIO 25 minutes of high calorie-burning cardio workout.
- SPEED 1.0 Another high calorie -burning, fast-paced workout.
- TOTAL BODY CIRCUIT A workout focussing on strength and resistance for fat loss
- AB INTERVALS Cardio and ab intervals that flatten and firm your abdomen.
- LOWER FOCUS Focus on your lower-body muscles and also burns fat..
After 5 weeks of Alpha Cycle you then move on to :
Beta Cycle
- CORE CARDIO Progressive cardio-core workout to burn fat fast.
- SPEED 2.0 Fast moving core-focused speed drills with high calorie burn.
- RIP’T CIRCUIT Cardio…upper body…legs…abs…repeat! Full body workout.
- DYNAMIC CORE Works on the body core to build strength and burn calories.
- UPPER FOCUS Develop the upper body of your dreams. All you have to do is FOCUS.
If you buy the Deluxe kit there is a third set of discs called the Gamma Cycle.
Gamma Cycle
- RIP’T UP Upper body workout to Strengthen and streamline your biceps, triceps, shoulders, back, and chest.
- EXTREME CIRCUIT Build lean muscle and burn fat at the same time! The weights never leave your hands. Not even for the warm-up
- THE PYRAMID A 25-minute cardio and strength endurance test. Accelerate your reps as time progresses.
- SPEED 3.0 This is faster and harder than the previous Speed workouts – a real high speed challenge.
T25 Time Taken
T25 workouts are specially designed to fit within 25 minutes for each workout.
The T25 workout is scheduled to last over 10 weeks with workouts on 5 days a week.
It can then be followed by the Gamma Cycle which lasts another 4 weeks.
T25 Results
As with Insanity, anyone who uses this T25 over the complete cycle and combines this with healthy eating WILL lose weight and will look much more toned and sculpted afterwards.
If you want to see how many calories you could burn using T25 check out the T25 calories burned calculator.
A person weighing 156 lbs and working out to maximum intensity could burn up to 380 calories in 25 minutes with T25. If this was done 5 days a week as the schedule asks then you would burn an extra 1900 calories in a week. Over the 10 weeks you should lose an extra 5 lbs over and above whatever your healthy diet led you to lose.
For someone weighing 200lbs that would be 490 calories a day, 2460 a week and an exercise weight loss of around 7 lbs for a 25 minute session over ten weeks or 14 lbs with a double workout.
If you did the Gamma also with a weight loss diet the potential over the full 14 weeks workout of 25 minutes would be:
- at 156lbs start weight would be 27 lbs and
- at 200 lbs start weight would be 38 lbs
But this is not taking account of the afterburn effect.
Both Insanity and T25 make use of the After-burn Effect.
A continuous cardio exercise may burn the same amount of calories at the time as a high intensity interval training – but the body continues to burn more calories after each interval of exercise so the end result is a higher calorie burn in total.
To achieve this you have to train at 80% to 90% of maximum heart rate. This is very hard to do and can only be kept up for a very short period. But if you train for short periods then have even shorter periods of resting the after-burn is maximised.
And don’t forget this is only 25 minutes a day! People who do have the extra time to spend often do two T25 workouts back to back so bringing the weight loss from exercise alone up to at least 10 lbs over the 10 weeks.
And , of course, after all that exercise you would be toned and fit and would look as though you had lost much more weight than that.
Here are some before and after pictures so you can see the results people have achieved.
T25 Equipment
The Alpha and Beta cycles of T25 you need resistance bands, dumbells and a yoga mat or similar. The resistance bands come as part of the kit and if you buy the deluxe version there is a mat included also.
For the Gamma Cycle there is an optional requirement for a chin up bar. There is a good comparison of the kinds available if you do want to get one.
T25 Basic Kit
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T25 Deluxe kit
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Dumbbells
There are many dumbbells available from very simple options:
*Click Here to See Pricing, Ratings, and Reviews on Amazon.com*
to more extensive kits:
*Click Here to See Pricing, Ratings, and Reviews on Amazon.com*
If you want to look at a greater variety of dumbbells check them out at Amazon.com*
P90
P90 has been around a while now and Beach body have released four different versions:
- P90X – the original version
- P90X2
- P90 – a gentler version with out the X for Extreme
- P90X3
All are reviewed separately below.
P90X – the original one
PX90 stands for Power 90 Extreme and the 90 denotes that it is designed for 90 days of workouts. It is a very intense workout plan combined with a nutrition and supplementation plan. You also get a detailed fitness guide, a calendar and tracking worksheets
There are 12 different workouts:
- CHEST & BACK Targeted strength and definition workout for classic upper-body.
- PLYOMETRICS Explosive jumping cardio routine.
- SHOULDERS & ARMS Combination of pressing, curling, and fly movements to build strength.
- YOGA X Combines strength, balance, flexibility, and controlled breathing.
- LEGS & BACK Squat, lunge, and pull for a total-body workout.
- KENPO X Intense cardiovascular workout with punching and kicking for endurance, balance, and coordination.
- X STRETCH Builds athleticism and prevent injuries while avoiding plateaus.
- CORE SYNERGISTICS Build and support multiple muscle groups while conditioning your body.
- CHEST, SHOULDERS, & TRICEPS Target both large and small upper-body muscles.
- BACK & BICEPS Flex the biceps and focus on toning and tightening arm muscles.
- CARDIO X Low-impact cardio routine.
- AB RIPPER X Sculpt the six-pack abs and benefit your health and physical performance.
P90X Nutrition
This is a similar approach to the New Atkins diet.
Phase 1 – P90X Fat Shredder
The P90X Nutrition Plan starts with a high protein phase to shed fat and water. This also builds muscles.
Phase 2 – P90X Energy Booster
Adding in more carbohydrates to achieve a balanced mix of carbohydrates and protein, with less of fat.
Phase 3 – P90X Endurance Maximizer
This is a longer lasting healthy eating plan centered around complex carbohydrates and lean proteins.
P90X Time Taken
Most of the workouts start with 10 to 15 minutes of warm-up followed by around 45 minutes of hard exercising. The Yoga workout takes around 90 minutes whilst the Ab ripper workout is only around 20 minutes. It is designed to last 90 days in total with workouts 6 days a week.
P90X Results
The workouts in P90X use a lot of calories so if you stick with it and go through the whole program and combine it with their nutrition plan you undoubtedly WILL lose weight!
Someone weighing around 156lbs will use between 500 to 700 calories each workout if they are exercising intensely. Over 90 days with workouts 6 days a week this should result in about an extra 1lb loss a week from exercise plus probably 2lbs a week from diet. Over the three months of the programme this would be a total weight loss of 36lbs.
Someone weighing around 200lbs will use between 700 to 900 calories each workout if they are exercising intensely. Over 90 days with workouts 6 days a week this should result in about an extra 1.5lb loss a week from exercise plus probably 2lbs a week from diet. Over the three months of the program this would be a total weight loss of 42lbs.
Because P90X is also designed to sculpt and tone your body and to build muscle you will probably look as though you have lost a lot more weight than you actually have.
Here are some pictures of results people have achieved:
Much better body definition as well as weight loss
Well done girls – much more beach ready now!
And this is sooo impressive – what a transformation!
P90X Equipment
In addition to the DVDs you will need:
- Resistance bands
- Dumbbells
- A pull up bar
Resistance Bands
This is one set of bands available. *Click Here to See Pricing, Ratings, and Reviews on Amazon.com*
If you want to look at a greater variety of resistance bands check them out at Amazon.com*
Pull up Bars
There is a very good comparison of pull up bars on www.EasyBuyPal.com
P90X DVDs
There is a basic kit containing DVDs, detailed fitness guide, a calendar and tracking worksheets.
Click Here to See Pricing, Ratings, and Reviews on Amazon.com*
Or there is a Deluxe version with 3 additional workouts, resistance bands and a yoga mat
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Or you can buy the Ultimate Kit which also contains resistance bands, power stands and even a pull up bar
Click Here to See Pricing, Ratings, and Reviews on Amazon.com*
P90X2
P90X2 claims to deliver greater results than P90X – not by making you work harder but by making you work smarter.
It uses muscle integration. You perform resistance moves on one foot, a ball or some other unstable platform. Your body has to maintain stability so is forced to use many more muscles at the same time with each movement. This means you are exercising your entire body at once and burning many more calories this way.
P90X2 builds on the principles of P90X and focuses on agility, balance, and mobility to produce visible results.
There are 12 workouts:
- X2 CORE A core workout and the basis of P90X2
- PLYOCIDE Combines explosive movements with mind and body coordination
- X2 RECOVERY + MOBILITY More restful workout combined with total body realignment using foam rolling .
- X2 TOTAL BODY Instability plus resistance for muscle-building.
- X2 YOGA Increase isometric power, improve your range of motion, and strengthen your stabilizer muscles.
- X2 BALANCE + POWER Core exercise using balance and power.
- CHEST + BACK + BALANCE Work out from unstable platforms to build strength and balance
- X2 SHOULDERS + ARMS Build strength and balance in shoulders and arms.
- BASE + BACK Work with the two largest muscle groups using pull-up and plyo exercises.
- P.A.P. LOWER A revolutionary sports training technique to provide fitness and performance.
- P.A.P. UPPER Straightforward but challenging moves.
- X2 AB RIPPER Ab-ripping workout to build core strength.
ADDITIONAL EXTREME WORKOUTS
Available as part of the Deluxe and Ultimate kits and also sold separately.
- V SCULPT Work your biceps and back while boosting your strength and functional fitness.
- X2 CHEST +
- SHOULDERS + TRIS By forcing movement out of an athletic position, you’ll push chest, shoulders, and tris to perform at a higher level.
P90X2 Time Taken
Most of the workouts are around an hour in length whilst the Ab ripper workout is only around 20 minutes. It is designed to last 90 days in total with workouts 6 days a week. There is more flexibility in the schedule for P90X2 than the original. The Foundation stage can last from 3 to 6 weeks depending on what you need. It also allows you to take a “recovery week” when you need to.
P90X2 Results
The originator, Tony Horton says this will give better results, faster than the original P90X because muscle integration causes you to use many more muscles for each exercise. This will make you look more toned and will build muscle faster than the original workouts. Unless you burn more calories with this system you will not lose any more weight. Results using workouts and careful eating plans will be impressive.
P90X2 Equipment
In addition to the DVDs you will need:
- RumbleRoller
- PREMIUM stability ball
- Two medicine balls
Rumble Roller
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Stability ball and medicine balls
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P90X2 DVDs
There is the basic set which has DVDs, fitness guide, nutrition guide and workout calendar
*Click Here to See Pricing, Ratings, and Reviews on Amazon.com*
There is a Deluxe version which also has
- 2 additional extreme P90X2 workouts
- 1 Foam Roller
- 1 55cm Premium Stability Ball
- 2 8-lb. Medicine Balls
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Or there is the Ultimate kit with
- 2 additional extreme P90X2 workouts
- 1 RumbleRoller
- 1 55cm Premium Stability Ball
- 2 8-lb. Medicine Balls
- Tony Horton’s PowerStands
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P90 (Without the X)
This is described as a 90 day body transformation for EVERYONE. The creator of P90X, Tony Horton acknowledges that not everyone can manage the extreme workouts and says:
“Now you don’t have to go to the extreme to get dramatic, visible results.”
PHASE A – Shapes the foundation
Sculpt A
Gets your body ready to get strong
Sweat A
Melts that fat that’s been holding you back 
Ab Ripper A
Adds power and definition to your core
PHASE B – Overpowers your limits
Sculpt B
Builds endurance and lean-muscle growth
Sweat B
Cranks the calorie burn even higher
Ab Ripper B
Carves slimmer, rock-hard abs
PHASE C – Completes the transformation
Sculpt C
Defines your body and puts results into overdrive
Sweat C
Burns fat and tests endurance like never before
Ab Ripper C
Puts the final touches on your lean, sexy six-pack
P90 Time Taken
These are shorter than the P90X workouts.
Phase A are just under 30 minutes
Phase B are around 30 minutes
Phase B are just over 30 minutes
with the Ab-Ripper workout in each phase being much shorter – 8 – 15 minutes in length.
They are planned for 6 days a week with the 7th as a rest day. The workouts are scheduled to last for 90 days.
P90 Results
Have a look at these before and after pictures and judge the results for yourself.
And this is with an EASIER workout??
WOW I’m loving the transformations!
Yes, definitely looking better!
P90 Equipment
You will need dumbbells and resistance bands in addition to the DVDs.
DVD kits
There is a Basic Kit
- 10 Workouts on 4 DVDs, Simple Kitchen Nutrition Guide, 4-Step Power Plan, “How to Hit It” Tutorial
- Plus – Pro-Grade Resistance Band, 6-Day Shred and 90-Day Workout Calendar
*Click Here to See Pricing, Ratings, and Reviews on Amazon.com*
Or you can buy the Deluxe kit
- P90 Deluxe program comes with everything in the Base Kit PLUS 3 Additional Speed Workouts; Speed Sculpt, Speed Sweat & Speed Abs.
- In addition, you’ll get 2 B-LINES Resistance bands (20 lb. + 30 lb.)& a Yoga Mat.
Click Here to See Pricing, Ratings, and Reviews on Amazon.com*
P90X3 – the latest version
This features 16 extreme 30 minute workouts.
Many studies show that the most dramatic effects of exercise happen in the first 30 minutes so Tony Horton, creator of the P90X series, set about finding a way to help people achieve the results they want in only 30 minutes a day.
He started with the Muscle Confusion concept of P90X, added in the Muscle Integration of X2, and tailored new routines to take advantage of this science of shorter workouts.
P90X3 is designed to get you using every muscle possible for the whole of the very intense 30 minute workout to achieve what he calls “Muscle Acceleration”
Tony Horton says:
“YOU DON’T GET OFF EASY WITH X3, YOU JUST GET FINISHED FASTER.”
RESISTANCE WORKOUTS
Total Synergistics
A full-body resistance workout.
The Challenge
Strengthen your entire upper body with push-ups and pull-ups in new combinations.
Incinerator
A full-on extreme workout session.
The Warrior
A one-size-fits-all workout that can be done anytime, anywhere.
Eccentric Upper
Using tension to creating lean-muscle growth in the upper-body
Eccentric Lower
Slows down the eccentric (or negative) half of each movement to carve a ripped lower body.
POWER WORKOUTS
Agility X
A combination of aerobic and anaerobic energy to improve precision, flexibility, balance, and strength.
Triometrics
An explosive plyo workout.
Decelerator
Balance your ability to go up strong and come down safe with multi-angle deceleration training.
CARDIO WORKOUTS
CVX
Combine resistance with intervals to give you that full-body burn and power up your core.
MMX
Challenging mix of strength, endurance, and flexibility with a martial arts–based cardio workout.
Accelerator
Increase your cardiovascular and muscular efficiency and burn lots of calories.
CORE, FLEXIBILITY & BALANCE WORKOUTS
X3 Yoga
Using yoga style to improve musculoskeletal flexibility, balance, stamina, and core strength.
Pilates X
Use Pilates principles to work your core, gain muscle elasticity, and stabilize your joints.
Isometrix
Isometric contraction combined with instability—this workout gives you an unshakable platform to work from.
Dynamix
Increase your range of motion, flexibility, and stabilization to help maximize the results you get from every routine.
P90X3 Time Taken
These workouts are designed to last 30 minutes only but there are no days off during the 90 day period.
P90X3 Results
There are some AMAZING before and after results – especially for a 30 minute workout!
Definitely seeing some great results here.
Great results, girls!
Looking good Katie!
And its not just about how you look – this program is also about getting you fitter.
P90X3 Equipment
You will need, in addition to the DVDs,
There is a P90X3 Basic DVD kit
Includes 16 extreme 30-minute workouts, Fitness Guide, Nutrition Plan, Workout Calendar, “How to Accelerate” DVD,
Click Here to See Pricing, Ratings, and Reviews on Amazon.com*
Or the P90X3 Deluxe DVD kit
- Includes 16 extreme 30-minute workouts, plus 3 additional Elite workouts and the Elite Block Calendar
- Also includes a Fitness Guide, Nutrition Plan, Workout Calendar, “How to Accelerate” DVD and 24/7 Online Support
- Deluxe comes with 3 Pro-Grade Resistance Bands and E&E Energy and Endurance Pre-workout formula (1-Month Supply)
Click Here to See Pricing, Ratings, and Reviews on Amazon.com*
Or even the P90X3 Ultimate DVD kit
- Includes 16 extreme 30-minute workouts, plus 3 additional Elite workouts and the Elite Block Calendar, Fitness Guide, Nutrition Plan, Workout Calendar, “How to Accelerate” DVD, and 24/7 Online Support
- Also comes with 3 Pro-Grade Resistance Bands, Premium Beachbody Jump Mat, Gym-Quality P90X Chin-Up Bar, P90X Chin-Up Max
- Supplements include E&E Energy and Endurance Pre-workout Formula (1-Month Supply) and P90X Results and Recovery Formula Post-workout Drink (1-Month Supply)
Click Here to See Pricing, Ratings, and Reviews on Amazon.com*
You might also be interested in looking at the P90X Chin-up Max – Pull-up Assist Band which helps build a strong “V-shaped” back and muscular arms and offsets some of the weight your muscles must support doing pull-ups and chin-ups.
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And the P90X Results and Recovery Formula which offers extreme nutrition support with
- Dextrose (glucose) – a natural 6-carbon sugar for optimum glycogen replenishment
- A high Protein Efficiency Ratio (PER) blend to provide the critical building blocks for rapid muscle resynthesis.
- Vitamins, including antioxidants, to help reduce muscle soreness and assist in repair and growth
This is NOT recommended if you are trying to lose weight but is great if body building is your aim.
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Zumba
Zumba combines Latin and International music with a fun and effective workout system. It involves dance and aerobic movements and includes hip-hop, soca, samba, salsa, merengue and mambo. Squats and lunges are also included.
If you love music and dancing this might be the workout for you.
Zumba Exhilarate
1. Step-by-Step – 20 minutes of step breakdown
2. Activate – 45 minute workout
3. Rush – 20 minute workout
4. Exhilarate – 60 minute dance-fitness party
5. Ripped – a workout featuring the Zumba Toning program and Zumba Sentao program
6. Mix – rhythms from all over the world
7. Fitness Concert – a live concert class
Zumba Incredible Results
- Quick Start (40 min.) & 20-Minute Express (20 min.)
- Zumba steps followed by a calorie-torching total-body workout
- Super Cardio Dance Party feat. Cardio Burst Intervals (50 min.):
- Zumba Step feat using the Zumba Rizer (45 min.): A cardio-conditioning blend of Zumba routines and step aerobics.
- 30-Minute Burn (30 min.) & Amazing Abs Bonus (15 min.)
Zumba Gold
Designed for those needing a slower pace
- Step By Step – teaches the moves
- Cardio – 45 minutes of dance-fitness workout. Starts slowly: picks it up: then cools down
- Gold-Toning – shake it up using maracas to tone and sculpt at your own pace.
Insanity Time Taken
Zumba discs vary from 20 to 60 minutes. You repeat as often you wish until you have mastered the moves and to suit your mood. There is no defined program.
Zumba Results
Zumba is a great way to get a total-body workout and improve your fitness levels. If you also want to lose weight then you will need to combine this with a healthy eating plan. Zumba recommend a diet plan built around whole grains, complex carbohydrates, lean proteins and foods rich in fiber and calcium.
Zumba can burn a lot of calories – someone weighing around 156lbs should burn up to 600 calories in an hour of Zumba if they are working intensely
You can check YOUR calorie burn with this calculator.
Now take a look at some before and after pictures to help you decide if Zumba is for you.
These two really show what can be achieved in a few months.
Fantastic improvements – well worth the effort!
Looking good!
Zumba Equipment
All the equipment you need for a particular set of DVDs is included in the kit you get with them.
The other thing you will need is a good pair of shoes as dancing in poorly fitting shoes or those which do not move in the correct way can be bad for you and lead to injury.
Check out some Zumba shoes at Easybuypal.com and find out what you need to consider when choosing a pair to suit you.
Zumba DVD sets
Zumba Exhilarate
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Zumba Incredible Results
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Zumba Gold
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