Insanity Workout Vs HIIT Workout – A Must Read!




Many people have heard of HIIT training, which stands for high intensity interval training. This training method is said to give excellent results in a short time. No need to spend hours in the gym. However, sometimes it is difficult to put together a HIIT training program that is easy to follow. If that’s what you’re looking for, Beachbody offers that kind of workout, Insanity by Shaun T.

The Insanity training program is a 60-day boot camp (63 to be exact). Based on the theory behind HIIT training, Insanity uses intervals to keep your heart rate going up and down. However, Insanity differs significantly from traditional intervals in one key way. Whereas in traditional HIIT training, you do short bursts, such as a 50-yard or 30-second sprint, followed by an active 2-3 minute rest, which is usually a slow walk or pedal. With this type of training, your heart rate shoots up quickly and then drops to a slower pace. For example, when I do traditional HIIT training, I sprint outdoors. I will run 100 yards and walk 300 yards. At the end of the sprint, my heart rate is 170 (beats per minute). By the end of the 300-yard walk, my heart rate drops to 100. Not bad, but could definitely improve.

With Insanity, the intervals are approximately 3-4 minutes in length and consist of exercises like push-ups, jumps, sprints, hops, and a host of other sports training movements. Many of the moves remind me of playing sports in high school. After the interval, rest for 30 seconds. At the end of 30 seconds, the next interval begins! Basically, the craze has taken traditional HIIT training and flipped it. Now to compare the heart rate again, during the insane interval my heart rate is in the high 170s. During the 30 second break, I lowered it to the high 150. See the difference. My heart rate stays elevated for a longer period of time, helping me burn a ton of calories. At the end of a Madness workout, I don’t have a dry patch of clothing.

Now understand that Insanity is not for everyone. You must be mentally and physically prepared to put your body through 63 days of extreme work. Great results are not easy. Both Insanity training and traditional HIIT work to help you reduce body fat. If you think you can’t handle Insanity, start with traditional HIIT training to build your cardiovascular endurance. Once you’ve trained your cardiovascular system to handle intervals, you should be ready to give Insanity a try!

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