If you really want to see what you’re made of, these popular full-on workouts promise to push you till you break. Ready to test your limits?
INSANITY
✻ What is it? Looking for a challenging workout that you can do at home, and that fits into your schedule? Welcome to the madhouse. Comprising of 10 DVDs, the Insanity workout ($120, beachbody.com) involves a combination of plyometric drills (explosive exercises used to develop speed and power) and interval training (a mix of low- and high-intensity moves) in workouts that last about 40mins. With claims that it’ll give you ‘the hardest body you’ve ever had’ in just 60 days, it isn’t hard to see why it’s so popular.
✻ Body benefits. More than just giving you buns of steel and rock-hard abs, Insanity promises to tone your whole body. By combining what Insanity creator and workout instructor Shaun T calls “max interval training” (long bursts of intense exercise followed by short periods of rest) – as opposed to regular interval training (where the bursts of intense activity are short and the recovery periods are longer) – with cardio, plyometrics, speed, and agility drills, and intense resistance and core exercises, the workout ensures not a single muscle is left unused (good luck walking, sitting and laughing afterward).
✻ Why you might like it. Firstly, you’ll see amazing results in just two months. Two months. That’s, like, the shortest commitment ever. Secondly, other than the DVDs, you don’t need to purchase any equipment. Plus, Shaun T’s enthusiastic and constant calls to “dig deeper” are strangely compelling. Oh, and he’s not bad to look at either…
✻ Why you might hate it. It’s freakin’ hard. So much so that even Shaun T admits that the workout isn’t for everyone. “It’s not for the person who’s lazy. It’s not for the person who makes excuses. It’s only for the person who’s mentally ready to take their body to peak physical condition,” he says in a promo video for the DVDs. You’ve been warned.
✻ Hardcore verdict: It’s tough on the body but even tougher on the mind. If you’re going to go crazy with a workout program, this is the way to do it.Grab your towel, because you’re gonna need it! If you really want to see what you’re made of, these popular full-on workouts promise to push you till you break. Ready to test your limits?
P90X
✻ What is it? First released in 2004, the P90X (from $120, beachbody.com) was devised by trainer Tony Horton as a DVD workout program for people who are already-fit. It’s made up of 12 workouts (60mins each), and uses various exercise disciplines, including strength training, yoga, plyometrics, and cardio. But unlike Insanity, the 90-day program requires equipment, such as a set of dumbbells
or resistance bands and a pull-up bar.
✻ Body benefits. P90X is designed to be a workout that changes as your body does, using what the program creators refer to as “muscle confusion”. By changing up your workout at certain stages (through the introduction of new moves and routines), you’ll avoid plateauing, meaning you’ll get results much faster.
✻ Why you might like it. The variety of exercises used in P90X means you’ll never get bored (or lazy), plus it gives you a well-rounded workout, so your whole body is challenged on a number of levels. If that’s not enough, trainer Tony is a hoot and a half (that was sarcastic) – there are actually bad jokes galore. See, torture can be fun!
✻ Why you might hate it. You’ll need to put aside at least an hour, six days a week to commit to this workout, which can be tough when you have other things to do – you know, like going to work, having a social life…
✻ Hardcore verdict. If you’re looking for a serious challenge and aren’t commitment-shy, then this workout could be just for you.
CROSSFIT
✻What is it? No DVDs here. CrossFit involves an actual gym (known in the CrossFit world as a ‘box’) as well as real-life trainers to supervise you. However, there is a version you can do at home; the WOD (a.k.a. Workout of the Day) is published on the CrossFit website (crossfit.com) every day, so you can do it wherever you are. It’s an intense strength and conditioning program that incorporates elements of gymnastics, weightlifting, running, and combat disciplines to improve every aspect of your fitness.
Generally taking less than 30 minutes, each WOD involves a combination of high-intensity or difficult exercises with a specific number of reps that must be completed in an allocated time frame. Exercises can include anything from rope climbs, box jumps, rowing, sprinting, and even flipping tires.
✻ Body benefits. No matter how fit you are, you’ll pinpoint any areas of weakness with CrossFit and be forced to address them. Because of this, and of the overall level of fitness the workouts demand, many elite athletes (as well as military, rescue, and law enforcement bodies) use CrossFit to complement their normal training. You’ll strengthen your core, increase your endurance levels, boost your overall muscle power, as well as your flexibility, power, agility, coordination, and balance.
✻ Why you might like it. The workouts are short. And as they involve working with a trainer and other participants, you’ll be more motivated to push yourself. Then there’s the camaraderie you’ll get from training alongside others. If that’s not enough, the constantly changing WOD means you’ll never get bored, and you’ll constantly feel challenged and driven.
✻ Why you might hate it. It’ll make you realize you’re not nearly as fit as you think you are! And unlike a DVD program that inevitably comes to a conclusion after a month or two, with CrossFit there’s no end in sight.
✻ Hardcore verdict: If you love a workout so intense that you end up hurling, sign up now (see the CrossFit website for your nearest gym). Once you walk into a CrossFit ‘box’ though, prepare to check your dignity at the door, ’cause things are bound to get messy.
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