Spring Break is approaching, which means hundreds of college students are at the gym busting their butts to acquire the perfect beach body. Since there’s only a few weeks left the results can’t seem to come quick enough, especially with our busy schedules; we can’t find the time nor the energy to drive to and from the gym every day, plus doing that ridiculously hard workout in between.
There are a number of home workouts that can provide just as good of results as the gym, sometimes even better. Insanity is considered one of the hardest conditioning workouts out there. When done properly, it promises to transform your body into a leaner overall appearance over the course of just 60 days. However, you will most likely begin to notice some changes after the first week alone. The movements are extremely intense, pushing you to your max and elevating your heart rate in a very short period of time. It’s not an exaggeration to say that thirty seconds feels like five minutes while doing these workouts. But in the end, you’ll be thankful of just how fulfilling the results are, despite your sore muscles and pools of sweat.
Here are some of the reasons you may want to give Insanity a try during your Spring break prep.
1. No equipment is needed. Insanity essentially focuses on using your body weight to tone up and build muscle definition. The best part is that you don’t have to invest in weights, machines, or any type of equipment for these results, so it’s perfect for a student on a budget. All you need are good sneakers and a gym towel; the towel is probably the most important part of this workout, as you will sweat a lot.
2. It’s extremely quick. Each Insanity workout ranges from 35 minutes to an hour. This time frame also includes a warm-up and cool-down stretch, so the workout itself is relatively short and goes by exceptionally fast due to the constant, rapid movements. But don’t let the time duration fool you. Chances are you will burn more calories from the high intensity moves compared to that of a 40-minute steady run on a treadmill. After those 35 minutes, you will feel incredibly exhausted.
3. It provides a higher afterburn than steady cardio. Insanity is considered HITT—high intensity interval training. Your heart rate quickly shoots up and then back down for a quick resting break, resulting in an afterburn that can last for up to 48 hours afterward, depending on how hard you worked your body. This essentially means that your metabolism continues rapidly burning calories, even when you’re in a complete resting state.
4. You can do it from home. Making time to drive to and from the gym when you’re swamped with work sounds like just another tedious commitment. For Insanity, all you need to do is to do is pop the DVD into your computer or TV and hit play. You can immediately get started and be finished in less than one hour. Sometimes, the drive to the gym and back alone can take a good 30 minutes with parking, so that’s already a big chunk of time saved from your day.
5. There are a variety of workouts to choose from. We know how boring the same workouts get after the first week of exercising. We’re so motivated and excited for our workout, until we become nauseated by just the thought of doing that same 30-minute elliptical session again and again. There are 10 different Insanity workouts that continue to challenge your body every time you press play. While you will certainly find yourself improving of the course of time, it always gives your body a difficult push, no matter how many times you’ve completed it.
6. It gives you a killer butt and abs. Insanity incorporates moves such as power squats and jumps that give your butt a complete workout. By the end, it will most likely feel like your legs aren’t attached to your body; but let’s not deny that we secretly love that feeling of soreness. The workouts also include sets which strictly focus on building definition in your abs. There is even an entire video, Cardio Abs, which is 15 minutes of hardcore ab exercises.
7. It provides a full body workout. Insanity will work every part of your body, resulting in an overall leaner appearance. This differs from machines like the Stair Stepper and Elliptical, which mainly work to improve your cardiovascular endurance. Insanity will work your arms, legs, core, and butt, resulting in a melt of body fat, a buildup of muscle definition, and higher endurance. Most importantly, it will provide you with the toned beach body you’ve been dreaming of.
There will be a countless number of times you will yell back at Shaun T. for pushing you to work so hard, but he’s probably the reason you’re still powering through that last set when you’re on the verge of collapsing. You’ll wonder to yourself how he and his crew can be that good. Chances are you won’t be able to make it through the entire workout without stopping for a breath of air. This is completely normal, even if you’ve been exercising your entire life or running 20 miles a week. Insanity is specifically designed to work every muscle in your body and ultimately elevate your heart rate to its max levels in order to achieve that intense burn. But that’s why the results are so rewarding in the end. So give it a try; you’ll suffer and curse at the screen, but you won’t be disappointed!