# p90x or insanity anyone



## kelso012 (Aug 19, 2010)

thought about trying one of these out over the winter months to keep in shape. anyone ever used either one. what were your thoughts. did you feel it helped/hurt your riding.


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## makeitso (Sep 20, 2008)

Being off the bike will hurt your riding. But if you're using this to compliment your fitness, it won't hurt anything.

FYI - from what I've seen from the infomercials and such Insanity is more of a plyo/cardio workout while P90X is more of a muscular workout. So keep that in mind when you choose one or the other. Both will shed fat or help maintain your weight.


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## oroy38 (Apr 27, 2010)

It won't help your cycling, but it certainly won't hurt it.

P90X will tear your apart though. It's definitely a tough program.


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## e34john (May 31, 2010)

It will help you use lose fat or keep you from gaining more and the lungs will get a good work out. Should keep you in decent shape, so that by the time Spring comes you won't be as lazy/fat.


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## Doctor Who (Feb 22, 2005)

Check this thread: http://forums.roadbikereview.com/showthread.php?t=202098

I'm going to give P90X a go in a few weeks after CX starts winding down. I'm going to tailor the program so that I ride 3-5 times a week through the winter, mostly just base/medium-paced group rides. I really do like riding my bike but I'm also interested in using my arms, too. 

I'm already in pretty decent shape in the core, but could lose some fat. From what I understand, when it's time to start building up for spring road racing, I should be kinda done with the program. 

I just want a six pack, even if it's just for a little while. Cycling gives ya a soft gut.


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## Keeping up with Junior (Feb 27, 2003)

*Week One - Insanity*

Just finished up first week of Insanity. Lots of cardio with pylometrics and some core work.

As I evaluated between Insanity and P90X my criteria included:
1) Something I might actually do and be capable of doing.
2) Reasonable time for workouts (Insanity runs 30-45 minutes so far).
3) Supplement my cycling (my weak point is sprinting and I think/hope the pylometrics will help).
4) Not a bunch of crap to buy (buy the Insanity DVDs and you have all you need).
5) Something my wife would do too (workout companion, motivator, cometition).

So far Insanity is meeting my expectations. Wife and I now have a standing date with Shaun T. for a threesome of sweating and grunting. We are both in good cycling shape and these workouts are pushing us both. Have not found any of the exercises that we could not do although sometimes need to ease up and go a slower pace. 

From what I have seen so far Insanity will help me maintain my fitness over the winter, supplemented with some weekend rides. Keep the winter weight off and maybe shed a few pounds although we both do not have much to lose. Other than being out of town a couple of days I have been able to keep up with the schedule. 

While it would be great to get the beach body look I am a bit more realistic. I will be in good shape for riding, look okay but I dont anticipate turning any heads with my sculpted body and six pack abs. In fact, one of the guys on my son's bike team is an Ironman triathlete and has been doing Insanity for a year(?). He looks like your typical racer, in good shape but not kicking sand in anyone's face at the beach.

Researching P90X I felt like it was something I only had a 50% chance of enjoying and completing. Too much extra crap to buy that had the potential of sitting around unused. In addition, since my wife and I would be doing P90X together it meant twice as much stuff to buy. While an upper body would be nice, it would not really be that much of a help in my cycling or life in general.

My recommendation would be to get the Insanity DVDs. If you get done with the two month program and really enjoy it then decide what you will do after that. Start another round of Insanity or buy P90X and use it for the balance of the winter. I would say two months of Insanity will give you a pretty good idea if you would be able to mentally get through P90X.


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## kelso012 (Aug 19, 2010)

Thanks I'm thinking I may give insanity a try along with some riding either on trainers or road if weather is ok. Thanks for the input


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## manymiles (May 26, 2010)

Im finishing up week five of insanity and have lost 13 pounds, increased my strength and eat better foods and increased my flexibility. I cant attest if my cycling strength has gone thru the roof but I do feel stronger on and off the bike. I have done two rounds of P90x and like both workouts, Insanity is all cardio and plyometrics with 30 second rests between rounds with 10 minutes of stretching after a warmup. P90x is a strength program that altenates cardio and strength with yoga and stretching on the weekends and is a fairly tame pace during the workouts. Both workouts can be modified and mixed to fit your schedule. P90x you need some equipment, Insanity you need no equipment. P90x is about power, Insanity is about overall athletic strength. I think the P90x workouts are way harder,I had to work my way up to get the strength to finish some or all of certain workouts, Insanity is all out but very doable.P90x will target certain muscle groups,Insanity covers everything each workout. P90x plus is even more intense.


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## utlucky (Dec 14, 2008)

Im a P90x man myself I did a round last winter and kept doing the yoga twice a week during riding season. I usually skip the Kenpo and cardio x and either ride outside or do trainer time.


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## DM.Aelis (Jun 19, 2007)

meh

crossfit.com

is free

taylor phinney does it

I love it

that's enough for me (I mainly use it as cross training, or a workout on days I can't get in a ride for some reason)


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## alex3780 (Nov 7, 2009)

im a few days in on p90x and i cant freaking walk. every single muscle in my body hurts. its embarrassing. the plyometrics workout was a total sufferfest.


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## makeitso (Sep 20, 2008)

DM.Aelis said:


> crossfit.com
> 
> is free
> 
> that's enough for me (I mainly use it as cross training, or a workout on days I can't get in a ride for some reason)


The biggest issue with crossfit in regards to the OP is that it requires the most equipment of all of the options given. Crossfit needs a gym membership or a willingness to buy quite a bit of equipment. Another is that crossfit bases itself around olympic lifts which, while being very effective, can also be easy to get wrong and injure yourself if you're not used to lifting. Lastly is crossfit has the highest possibility of building bulk due to the compound lifts that is its basis. 

While I have no experience with Insanity it's probably the best one for cyclists. Just looking at the promo stuff on tv and the calendar it seems to base the vast majority of the workout is purely cardio burn. The only muscle you'll put on in this is if you didn't have enough to sustain 30-45 min of mixed plyo training. The rest will be building endurance to make it through the exercises. 

P90x is more geared toward weight lifting. It focuses on specific muscle groups (unlike crossfit which emphasizes compound or whole body lifting) so its not as cardio intensive like Insanity. But the benefit being that you can target the muscles that are weak and not hamper the exercise for the other muscle groups. Basically it emphasizes power as all the exercises are high reps, regardless of what they say in the videos. Though there is a cardio element, so it's not all lifting. 

In the end just depends on your goals, here's how I'd summarize them. 

Insanity: Purely cardio. Probably best for cyclists as cycling is mainly an endurance sport. Won't put muscles on you. No equipment needed.

P90x: Mix of lifting and cardio. It's relatively light, high rep lifting. Problem with this is it takes time. It's probably the most time intensive of the three. Adds in a yoga / stretching element which helps with balance and flexibility. 

Crossfit: Mainly lifts of sort but they have an occasional cardio element. Requires the most equipment and some patience as you learn all their exercises. This is somewhat low rep, high weight exercises so expect to put on muscle if you decide to go this route. Could be the least time intensive. However, this probably has the biggest social network so workout / accountability buddies can be found relatively easily.


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## limba (Mar 10, 2004)

I've done P90X and Tony Horton's One On One workouts. I've tried one of the Insanity workouts twice. I think it's called Plyo Intervals, it was insane! I couldn't finish it. You can see the people in the video cracking and giving up. It's a *really* hard workout. I can do P90X Plyo even on a bad day.

I'm not a bike racer. I don't care about improving my biking abilities. The bike is just another way for me to exercise and get some fresh air. I would highly recommend these dvds if you want to be a better overall athlete or you're just bored of the bike. I wouldn't recommend them if you're only interested in bike racing.


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## manymiles (May 26, 2010)

limba said:


> I've done P90X and Tony Horton's One On One workouts. I've tried one of the Insanity workouts twice. I think it's called Plyo Intervals, it was insane! I couldn't finish it. You can see the people in the video cracking and giving up. It's a *really* hard workout. I can do P90X Plyo even on a bad day.
> 
> *I'm not a bike racer*. I don't care about improving my biking abilities. The bike is just another way for me to exercise and get some fresh air. I would highly recommend these dvds if you want to be a better overall athlete or you're just bored of the bike. *I wouldn't recommend them if you're only interested in bike racing*.


I do race and I would recommend it for racing. I am looking for every advantage I can get. My increase in flexibility and strength have helped with almost every bike skill I use,sprinting,climbing,descending, cornering, even falling when I crashed in June. Strength training increases bone density also, not a bad thing for raod racing where chances of breaking bones are good.


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## limba (Mar 10, 2004)

I don't race (anymore) but I'm in better shape than most of the "racers" I ride with. I seriously doubt that most elite cyclists are good at any sports other than cycling and that's ok if all you want to do is race bikes. Nobody cares how many pull ups Andy Schleck can do. *If you're a serious racer train like other serious racers*. If you want to be good at a bit of everything try the dvds already mentioned.


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## DM.Aelis (Jun 19, 2007)

makeitso said:


> The biggest issue with crossfit in regards to the OP is that it requires the most equipment of all of the options given. Crossfit needs a gym membership or a willingness to buy quite a bit of equipment. Another is that crossfit bases itself around olympic lifts which, while being very effective, can also be easy to get wrong and injure yourself if you're not used to lifting. Lastly is crossfit has the highest possibility of building bulk due to the compound lifts that is its basis.
> 
> ...
> 
> Crossfit: Mainly lifts of sort but they have an occasional cardio element. Requires the most equipment and some patience as you learn all their exercises. This is somewhat low rep, high weight exercises so expect to put on muscle if you decide to go this route. Could be the least time intensive. However, this probably has the biggest social network so workout / accountability buddies can be found relatively easily.


I have found that most Crossfit workouts do not build bulk like you describe (when used as cross-training...check out Crossfit Endurance for perspective). So many of the exercises (pull-ups for one) encourage you to stay lean from a body weight perspective. 

Furthermore (done correctly) with limited or no recovery between exercises, most workouts are less like "compound lifts" and more like v02 max or lactate threshold intervals, where your body is at the absolute limit doing a variety of functional motions for 20+ minutes. Like the recent workout I did with 800 m run/20 burpee repeats.

I disagree about the equipment disadvantage. I mean, of course you need gear to do things. It's like saying that since Crossfit requires you to run (and therefore purchase running shoes) it's an inferior program for the OP's needs. I mean, if you are serious about any kind of strength/conditioning program in the off season, you need to have

1) plyo boxes
2) pull up bar
3) some kind of bar/weights
4) jump rope

or the gym membership to secure those things. If you had none of them, hell you could do 100 burpees every morning and be in some kickass shape. That's a free fitness program for you all to follow.

In summary...if the OP is serious enough to get a DVD or "program" for his fitness he should be serious enough to invest in the proper equipment and training. And if he's not that serious or financially well-endowed, I don't see the point in buying a DVD to tell him to do difficult exercises at uncomfortable intensities. He can do that on his own. One could "adapt" Crossfit exercises for free, to be used in an equipment-less environment, and get tremendous cross-training benefits.


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## manymiles (May 26, 2010)

limba said:


> I don't race (anymore) but I'm in better shape than most of the "racers" I ride with. I seriously doubt that most elite cyclists are good at any sports other than cycling and that's ok if all you want to do is race bikes. Nobody cares how many pull ups Andy Schleck can do. *If you're a serious racer train like other serious racers*. If you want to be good at a bit of everything try the dvds already mentioned.


I say there are different goals for different people. Lance does pullups, and is a world class swimmer and even does marathons. Andy is 20 years younger and and probably cant do a pullup, your right who cares! But to say elite cyclist dont need to is absurd..
The OP is asking opinions if it helps or hurts your cycling. It seems to be hurting yours if you cant do 2 insanity workouts and are in better shape than most of the "racers" you ride with.


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## jim9091 (Sep 23, 2010)

DM.Aelis said:


> One could "adapt" Crossfit exercises for free, to be used in an equipment-less environment, and get tremendous cross-training benefits.


+1. Check out Mark's Daily Apple also, for some great ideas. The key is to really push yourself, to keep the intensity high. Make up your own WODs - burpees, jumps, pullups on playground equipment, sprints, body weight squats, pushups, dips, jump rope ... This is what I often do when I travel. Equipment does not have to be expensive. I made my own 20lb medicine ball with an old basketball and sand.


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## limba (Mar 10, 2004)

Are we arguing? I don't think you're understanding what I'm saying. P90X, Insanity, Crossfit, MMA training are all great at increasing your overall fitness. Will that make you a better cyclist? Maybe, maybe not. Having strong bones is great. Have you ever seen a professional cyclist hit the ground? They shatter like glass. Cadel Evans has broken his collarbone 50 times!  Should Cadel start doing concentration curls and alternating shoulder press? Hell no. 
Also, I said I tried one Insanity workout two times. It's called Plyometric Cardio Circuit. It's way harder than P90X plyo. I couldn't finish the workout. If you or anyone else on this forum can do it without taking a break that's impressive.


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## makeitso (Sep 20, 2008)

DM.Aelis said:


> most workouts are less like "compound lifts" and more like v02 max or lactate threshold intervals,


If you look at the past week Wednesday, Monday and Sunday include compound lifts. Look back further there's more.



DM.Aelis said:


> I disagree about the equipment disadvantage. I mean, of course you need gear to do things. It's like saying that since Crossfit requires you to run (and therefore purchase running shoes) it's an inferior program for the OP's needs. I mean, if you are serious about any kind of strength/conditioning program in the off season, you need to have
> 
> 1) plyo boxes
> 2) pull up bar
> ...


Just looking at the past week of crossfit exercises I see you would need also to include

- weighted wall ball or medicine ball
- bench (for back, and ab extensions among others)
- barbell + weights (probably 200+ lbs) + bar support/holder
- rings or a chairs stable enough to do dips
- pull up bar

and I've seen kettle bells, along with all the other items you've stated. Minimally a few hundred just for startup costs if you buy low end equipment. Not to mention all this stuff takes up space for those of us who live in small apartments. If anyone is truly curious here's a list of most (maybe all?) exercises that crossfit uses.

http://www.crossfit.com/cf-info/excercise.html

As I stated earlier, crossfit is great if you have access to all the equipment that it needs. However, due to it's lower rep, high(er) weight mentality you tend do add bulk over the others that have been listed. Sure you can superset each series but you can do that with anything. It might add a small cardio element but in all honestly super setting any kind of weight lifting exercises just hurts the muscle development part of the exercise to do a short burst of cardio. But serioualy, you can't go wrong with any of these. Just know your goals and buy in appropriately.


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## manymiles (May 26, 2010)

:wink5:


limba said:


> Are we arguing? I don't think you're understanding what I'm saying. P90X, Insanity, Crossfit, MMA training are all great at increasing your overall fitness. Will that make you a better cyclist? Maybe, maybe not. Having strong bones is great. Have you ever seen a professional cyclist hit the ground? They shatter like glass. Cadel Evans has broken his collarbone 50 times!  Should Cadel start doing concentration curls and alternating shoulder press? Hell no.
> Also, I said I tried one Insanity workout two times. It's called Plyometric Cardio Circuit. It's way harder than P90X plyo. I couldn't finish the workout. If you or anyone else on this forum can do it without taking a break that's impressive.


Really nothing to argue. I or anyone else needs your explaination about the relation or the lack of strength training regarding pro cyclists, you have convinced me that you are the expert! I offered my opinion as someone that currently is base training for another race season and stated P90x and Insanity helped my last season. Insanity Plyometric Cardio is a joke compared to the other workouts, therefore I would not recommend that you do the others, specifically someone that doesn't race any more.


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## Ghost234 (Jun 1, 2010)

P90X isn't the best thing in the world. Many of the people I know that use it/crossfit usually only make minimal gains in cycling. It can be a great tool to build overall fitness, but for cycling I would suggest reading weight training for cyclists. Not to mention many of the crossfitters I know have hurt themselves training because crossfit doesn't exactly promote good form.

I tore out the pictures of the exercises in the book and had them laminated. I take those to the gym and simply swipe through them in order to remember the proper order in which the activities should be done.


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## kelso012 (Aug 19, 2010)

I appreciate all the input. I was interested in these because I wanted something that could be done in the home with minimal use of machines/equipment. Simply looking to stay in shape through winter and not get lazy. I plan to ride on the trainer as well. I'm not really on the same level as lance or andy so if my workout is a little different I hope you understand.


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## makeitso (Sep 20, 2008)

kelso012 said:


> I wanted something that could be done in the home with minimal use of machines/equipment. Simply looking to stay in shape through winter and not get lazy.


Your responses are kind of vague so it's hard to really recommend you an appropriate program. But if the end goal is not to be lazy, don't even buy a program. Look up and create an exercise plan on the internet where you're doing something for at least 30-45 (at a min) 3 times a week and you'll be doing more than the vast majority of people during the winter. Print out the exercises and throw them in a binder or tape them to a wall and just commit to doing them. Make a log and write down time / distance / weight / reps and always try to meet or exceed what you did last time. Working out isn't all that hard, just make some structure and accountability and you'll be fine.


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## ncsu (Dec 28, 2008)

*You're doing it wrong*

You're all wrong. 

http://www.bodyrock.tv/

Yes, you're welcome. 






(Seriously though, it is worth consideration. No equipment required.)


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## OldEndicottHiway (Jul 16, 2007)

makeitso said:


> If you look at the past week Wednesday, Monday and Sunday include compound lifts. Look back further there's more.
> 
> 
> Just looking at the past week of crossfit exercises I see you would need also to include
> ...



Ha ha. Ha ha ha ha!

Go spend a week with the CF trainer I worked with all last winter. Oooooh m'god, you just gave me a good laugh.  

CF can be tailored to specific needs. CF is about as many reps/rounds as possible in a time limit, under load, incorporating as many muscle groups as possible all at the same time in each given exercise. There were days I wanted to throw up _before_ I went to a training session just knowing what was in store for me....talk about bleeding out of your eyeballs and seeing pink elephants. Gawd I'm getting the shakes just thinking about it.

For me, we tailored it to cycling. We didn't concentrate on adding weight. 

But yes, I agree, it is easy to bulk up if you're not careful.


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## Keeping up with Junior (Feb 27, 2003)

*Mental motivation*



DM.Aelis said:


> In summary...if the OP is serious enough to get a DVD or "program" for his fitness he should be serious enough to invest in the proper equipment and training. And if he's not that serious or financially well-endowed, I don't see the point in buying a DVD to tell him to do difficult exercises at uncomfortable intensities. He can do that on his own. One could "adapt" Crossfit exercises for free, to be used in an equipment-less environment, and get tremendous cross-training benefits.


Well yes, everything in any of these DVD packages could be accomplished individually by just doing the routines. However, you need to remember the mental side to working out, that is a portion of a good coaches job. A coach needs to develop the workout routine and also motivate the athlete to perform the routine on a regular basis at the proper intensity. 

In the winter Tuesday nights at the shop is spinning night. A great motivator as there is a group of people (who harrass you if you skip a night) and structure. The structure is typically provided by a Spinerval DVD session. Yes, we could all be at home, in our basement, doing intervals and riding our trainers. So for the OP, the set of DVDs, with an instructor, an exercise plan, a calendar and a goal created by the advertising could be exactly what he needs to improve his fitness.

If it were as easy as just doing workouts and following a diet yourself the streets of our cities would not be filled with cars occupied by overweight, out of shape people.


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## kelso012 (Aug 19, 2010)

I have found that you can get insanity for 50 60 dollars on ebay so I'm getting that instead of trying to research build a plan and hope it does something for me. Just easier and already has a plan to follow. Just my 2 cents.


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## changes2008 (Aug 19, 2009)

Take it or leave it... I did a full cycle of p90x and I feel like it helped my cycle fitness.

HOWEVER, the 1st month was terrible. I followed their diet, which is pretty much all proteins. It was brutal.

I was really lean at the end too. 6'2" and I was 148. I looked thin, but not sickly. Felt strong as well.


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## Para8291 (Jul 18, 2010)

I've been using my TRX system since March and love it. There are a ton of different exercises in the program. You can mix it up and never get bored. I'm in the army and the TRX is awesome. 

However, we just started the Insanty program and WOW that thing is pretty brutal but fun at the same time. You don't need any extra equipment to do it which is an advantage over the p90x.

Good luck.

Rob


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## Vibe (Jan 11, 2011)

I've done a month of Insanity and it is very challenging. I will definitely be restarting this program for the winter months mixed with some pull ups and long weekend rides (some shorter weekday rides, as well).

It's a huge mental boost for me to switch up my training environment.


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## gyllborgm (Aug 12, 2008)

Just started insanity this week after being off the bike and gym for a while. Can't really comment on which program is better but I will try to post updates as the program progresses.


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## pataww2001 (Jul 11, 2012)

I have also been interested in this as well. long hours at work, a 4 year old and a 8 month pregnant wife has made it hard for me to get any cycling in at all. I would like to do something like this or crossfit to keep me active. as well as assist me in dropping some more weight that I gained after my 12 year hiatus from cycling.


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## shoot summ (Oct 1, 2012)

I've done both, they are very different programs.

Insanity is mainly cardio, it's tough, will make you sweat, and is a great work out in a short period of time.

P90X focuses on strength training, there is cardio, stretching, and yoga as well. 

Both are great IMO, I've gotten to the point where I make my own schedule blending different discs from each of them.


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## jlandry (Jan 12, 2007)

I'm about to start Insanity in one week. I fooled around doing the Fit Test and it was pretty hard on its own. This is gonna hurt.


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