Insanity Cardio Recovery – Review   This post is entitled Insanity Cardio Recovery. Pre-warning: I know a bunch of you bloggers are linking to my articles such as this one Insanity Cardio Recovery, I see the stats. This is not an article where I give it rave reviews. Consider yourself pre-warned. Insanity Cardio Recovery Disappointed! Is the first thing that comes to mind now that I have done the workout. Before I get into the actual review of the workout, let me tell you why I’m disappointed. Oh, where to begin. Let’s start with “Recovery.” What is recovery?  Recovery is something you don’t “do,” to rest for when you have to “do.” At night when you go to sleep, you are recovering from a day of “doing.” It is not a good idea to go for a brisk walk around the block instead of getting the 4, 5, 6, or even 8 hours of sleep you’re supposed to get each night. Why is it not a good idea? Because you are not recovering  – you are doing activity when you should be doing inactivity. You followme right? Good. The Story of Sally Back in 1998, Sally smoked two packs of cigarettes per day, every day; she smoked religiously. She smoked them morning, noon and night. She even set her alarm to wake her up at 3 a.m. every morning just so she could smoke a cigarette. This went on for 10 years. But one day, Sally decided that she was going to quit smoking, so she asked some dude name Charles Lloyd who ran a fitness website on the internet for some advice.  Here is what Sally asked: Hi Charles, I have a question.  I have been trying to quit smoking on and off for the past few years; sometimes I am successful, sometimes I am not. Do you have any advice? Charles: Sally, What is not successful? Sally: Well, I talked to a friend of mine and he suggested that I smoke cigarettes with low tar and nicotine, to wean myself off of them. Charles: There is your problem; you don’t become a non-smoker by smoking. That’s stupid. You become a non-smoker the day you decide that you are a non-smoker.Smoking is no longer an option. There isn’t “I have not smoked in “X” amount of days.” It’s, I DON’T SMOKE, PERIOD. Smoking is not an option.  No type of cigarette, whether it be low nicotine, low tar, no filter etc., is an option. You quit smoking by not smoking. So what does this have to do with Recovery?  Everything! You don’t recover from a cardiovascular workout by doing “light” cardiovascular work or stretching or weight lifting. You recover by not physically doing anything. This is why you sleep. When you don’t get enough sleep, you become bothersome and cranky. You don’t do stretching for 8 hours per night instead of sleeping. Why? Because that’s not recovery… that is stretching. You recover from a long day of work by sleeping. Sleep is what your body wants; sleep is what your body needs. The Holy Bible example In the Holy Bible, Genesis 2:2 reads like this: “And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which hehad made.” Whether you are a Christian or not, the point here is God rested. Nowhere in this verse does it say that God did yoga, or God went to do a light workout, or God cleaned up some loose ends from the week. Now let’s talk about this DVD; the title is an oxymoron. Cardio and recovery don’t belong in the same sentence. They are the complete opposites. It is as far away as East is to West. You can travel North on this planet until you reach the North Pole, but after that you are going south. On the other hand, you can travel east for the rest of your life and never go west until you turn around. Now that we got that out of the way; on with the review. Insanity – Cardio Recover – Review First we start off with a warm-up. This consist of various Yoga type of stretches, lunges and loosening exercises that stretch out your lower back, hamstrings, calves and other muscle groups. This is very short and only a few minutes, as it should be. Rest – 25 Seconds Plank Work This is the first“Recovery” exercise. This starts off with you inhaling and bringing your arms straight up in the air, then dropping down into a plank position.  Your legs are straight back and your butt is NOT pointing towards the sky; with your knees together, jump back into a crouching position, then roll yourself back up into a standing position. Repeat Plank Work – Make sure you keep your butt out of the air Repeat Plank Work, but this time jump 2X with your knees, meaning instead of coming up after you jump in, jump back out. When you rise up, do 3 inhale arm stretches. Repeat Plank Work – 3 jumps and 3 arm stretches Repeat Plank Work – 4 jumps and 4 arm stretches Rest – 10 seconds Plank Pulses This exercise starts off the same as the Plank Work you just did; however, when you jump down into a plank position, lift one leg up and pulse that leg up and down for 8 pulses. Jump back up and do your inhale with arm stretches. *Make sure you keep your butt down, and your Shoulders, Elbows and Wristlined up – This is good form* Repeat Plank Pulses  with opposite leg – Keep good form Repeat Plank Pulses  with 16 pulses – Keep good form Repeat Plank Pulses with 16 pulses with the opposite leg – Keep good form. Downward Dog Stretch Go into a downward dog position and hold it there for 25 seconds. When you start to come up, go into a hamstring stretch and hold it there. Go to your right leg and hold it there. Go to your left leg and hold it there. Rest – 40 seconds Slow Squats This is one of the basic moves, but you move slowly instead of going fast. Do 16 slow squats. *Be sure to keep your knees over your ankles. – This is good form* *Make sure you keep your back straight – This is good form* On your last slow squat you are going to stay in the down position and go into your next exercise Squat Hold and Pulses In your down position, ideally with your quadriceps and calves at a 90 degree angle, you pulse your quadriceps up-and-down a few inches. Personally, I like this exercise, butit is NOT a “recovery” exercise. Do 16 squat pulses Rest – 40 Seconds Lunges Imagine a straight line between the top of your head and the bottom of your right knee cap. Now lunge into that position. (Start with your right leg forward and you left back back) Do not lean forward or lean back. Keep your body straight up; your left leg should make a perfect 90 degree angle to support your body.  Your right knee should be only inches off the ground. Now grab your wrist with the opposite hand and bring your arms up to another 90 degree angle with your torso. This is the basic lunge position. *Watch your 90 degree angles – This is good form* *Never let your knee hit the ground – This is good form* Repeat lunges for 14 reps. On your last rep hold the down position. Lunge Hold and Pulses Just like the pulses we did earlier, you move up and down only a few inches. *Watch your 90 degree angles – This is good form* *Never let your knee hit the ground – This is good form* Repeat Lung pulses for 16reps. Rest – 10 Seconds Squats Now you are going to go a tad faster – You see why this is not a recovery workout now? Repeat Squats for 16 reps – Make sure you keep good form. Squat Hold and Pulses Repeat Squat Hold and Pulses for 16 reps. Rest – 10 Seconds Lunges Now go to your opposite leg and repeat the lunges you did earlier. Repeat Lunges for 16 reps. Lunge Hold and Pulses Repeat lung hold and pulses for 16 reps. Plié Yoga Stretch A plié yoga stretch is a combination of a plié squat and a yoga stretch. So what is a plié squat? Like a normal squat except in a plié squat you angle your toes outward, adding a bit more inner thigh work than you would with a normal squat. With the plié squat, you only want your knees to go out as comfortably as you can while still being able to do the exercise. *Keep your knees behind your toes.* I’m not going to go into the different yoga poses, but if you are in this position you can pretty much figure out what you need to do. Quadricepsstrengtheners This is an interesting exercise. First you start out on all fours, meaning you are on the floor with only your hands, knees and toes touching the ground (make sure your back is straight). Then bring both knees up off the floor about three inches. Now you are going to take one foot off the floor like you did earlier in your plank pulses and pulse your leg (your opposite knee stays bent and in the same position). This is a quad strengthener. *Keep your shoulders, wrist, legs and toes in-line – This is good form* Repeat quad strengtheners for 16 reps. Rest-Stretch out your back by going into a child’s pose (a yoga stretch). Repeat quad strengtheners 16x with the other leg. Oblique Work This exercise starts off exactly the same as the last exercise. However instead of pulsing your leg up and down, you are going to bring your leg as far to your shoulder as you can in a controlled manner. *Keep your shoulder, wrist, legs and toes in-line – This is good form* Repeat oblique workfor 16 reps. Rest-Stretch out your back by going into a child’s pose. Repeat oblique work 16x with the other leg. Go into a downward dog and walk your hands back up so you are almost standing up straight. Hip Flexor stretch – then combine this with another yoga stretch. Table Top Balance Pose A tabletop balance pose is exactly what it sounds like; you balance on one leg and make the rest of your body like the top of a table – flat and horizontal. Do your table top on one leg Switch legs Knee to Chest Yeah, do that while standing straight up. Keep your core tight. Do one leg then the other. Knee to oblique Yeah, do that while standing straight up. Keep your core tight. Do one leg then the other. Hamstring stretch to Hip openers Hip openers is just what it sounds like, you are in a squat position and use your elbows to open up your hips as wide as possible. Insanity Cardio Recovery This get a 0 out of 5 Charles faces. The reason for this is not because it’s a “bad” workout per se, butit’s not a recovery workout AT ALL. It’s like having a really good meat loaf sandwich and calling it smoked salmon. Even though the meat loaf is good… it’s not smoked salmon. I would be way more satisfied if they just showed the presenter lying in a bed for the length of the DVD. THAT would have been a cardio recovery, which is both true and entertaining. I feel like this was just a filler DVD. I suggest they change the name of this DVD to something like Insanity – Stretch & Yoga or just completely take the DVD out. In most instances, like this one, less is more.   Yes, it is a matter of semantics. But what isn’t? So that is it for Insanity Cardio Recovery. Share this: Related

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About The Author Self processed fitness missionary and author of most of the ridiculous fitness articles written on Charles Lloyd Fitness.com. I am not really a writer, but a workout fiend who happens to have a blog. The single mission of this website is very simple: Get You In Shape. I have been blessed with the gift of good health and want to share it with you. Join Me.

is, and how to use it. Also, Rich is correct in his “active recovery” statement, and that is the purpose of this workout. The workout itself is not only solid but absolutely does what its advertised to do. If this workout is too much for you or anybody else, then perhaps you should be giving a second thought on whether you are physically fit enough for the program. I don’t know who you are, or how old you are, etc. But if you take some exercise science classes in college, you’d see the benefits of active recovery. Everyone’s entitled to their opinions, but what you are stating as factual are wrong and that can get people in trouble/actually hurt some people and no one really wants to see that. April 22, 2011 Patrick, you would be right had this video been titled Insanity “Active” Recovery, but it’s not that it’s titled Insanity “Cardio” Recovery. Active ≠ Cardio. Thanks for dropping by Patrick, I appreciate it Sal May 12, 2011 It really IS semantics. I certainly need this little‘break’ yet also continue to welcome the ‘activity’. My former life was extravigantly sedintary. May 12, 2011 Totally, If you are interested in Insanity Sal, why don’t you become a coach and make some money while you are at it? It’s pretty easy, especially since you are already doing the program. May 12, 2011 Well i just did cardio recovery, and this is what i came up from it. It does help heart relax. Cardio Recovery to me is more like slow down from insanity to gym class. lol 😀� i do feel rested. But yet i don’t feel like i wasted a day without exercise. So it works for me and i mean is not like you are not goign to sleep later at night.? So i mean don’t be lazy he told everyone on the commercial somethign about short periods of rest with long periods of exercise, if you can’t HANDLE it don’t do it nobody is making you. MBarthicus June 2, 2011 You ALL are correct (or wrong). It just depends how you look at the wording. Cardio Recovery: Are they implying you are recovering fromcardio or using Cardio to recover? Yeah, they should have named it something different, but it is what it is. Now can we all just hold hands and dance around the Insanity box (would that be considered active recovery)? Thanks Charles for this blog. Good descriptions of the exercises. I’m a smart ass myself, so I like you style! Kpurn June 17, 2011 What the hell did you expect? Pop in the DVD, and see Shaun in his pajamas going “night night”? That’s rediculous, it’s called cardio recovery, in which you recover from cardio, not workout recovery, not full body recovery, CARDIO recovery. Not saying you don’t know anything just think your looking at it wrong. I have personally done this exercise, and it is not easy by any means, yet it is not as hard as the other exercises, and there are no cardio exercises whatsoever…. And I have to admit I felt pretty good afterward. June 18, 2011 You are late to the party Kpurn! Yeah Shaun in his pajamas, that would have been entertaining and true.. No,just like I told the other people here,you do not recover from Cardio by doing more Cardio, that does not make sense. If you want to use that logic then, go to your nearest drug rehabilitation and recovery hospital, and tell a “recovering” heroin addict, that the best way to recover from a heroin addiction is by doing more heroin. Fox June 28, 2011 Charles, I’m surprised. You provide, all in all, quality information and advice. Yet you’re arguing about points you clearly don’t quite understand. I know your bio said you only went to 1 semester college and I think you should you go back and continue to improve yourself. Physical education, sports psychology, nutrition…any of those I think you’d excel in if you applied yourself to your studies. Yes, this is about “active recovery” and I’m suggesting that your comments mar an otherwise useful site. You said “Comment on what you actually know about” and really, you should take your own advice. Continue your education and don’t be so afraidof the dictionary. Also, you taunt one of your critics by saying “this was my website…why don’t [you] build a website”. Charles, your review is partially about how you don’t feel the title of the workout is honest and accurate. And then you go and make the same mistake! You didn’t “build” this website. It’s a Site Build It website. I’m sure you did a lot of work (that much is clear) but you didn’t build the website. I know something about websites…and I have many friends who actually do build websites. Don’t oversell yourself and claim things that aren’t true man. You didn’t build the site Charles. Site Build It did that work for you. June 28, 2011 Fox: You paid attention in Speech & Debate 101 Class Tuesday – Thursday 10:05 ~ 11:30. Start out with a complement then go on to say why they are wrong, and be sure to give bullet points, and a concise closure. :p There have been plenty of people who have tried to prove me wrong, but no one has been able to, I have seen dictionaryreferences, people calling me a moron, etc. I have proven what I have said as true numerous times, and the only thing I have heard was “No, you are wrong” without substantiation, actually no different then what you have said. 2nd: I absolutely built this website. This website is not a Site-Build-It website, and hasn’t been for years. 3rd IRT: Education, since you are a through reader, I take it you missed these post or which were college essays. However what I am really amazed by is you can ready my bio then know my level of complete level education based on something that happened in the early 90’s. Amazing. Thanks for the comment, pissing people off enough / information so good people take time out of their day them to leave a comment, means what I am doing works. Pissing off “legalist” puts me in a good humor. July 12, 2011 I read about the workout prior to putting in the dvd, so I knew that it meant a recovery from the intense cardio, not a rest-type recovery. perhaps you wouldhave liked the name “Recovery from Intense Cardio” or “For this one you won’t be out of breath the whole time”. I understand that this is your website, and you are entitled to your opinion, but when you open it up to comments, well, then we are entitled to our opinions as well. July 12, 2011 No one said that they weren’t entitled to their opinions Heather, That is the reason why I leave them up here unedited, uncut, and uncensored. As you said this is my website and I can delete or edit anything I choose, comments included. But why would I do that when the people who write on my website LOVE me, nobody forces them to write here. But I DO NOT BELIEVE in the whole *LETS ALL JUST GET ALONG* agreeable theory. If people want to challenge me, then they better bring their “A” game, because 9x out of 10 my opinion is stronger than theirs and I am going to voice it. Thanks for the love Heather. Justin Anton July 13, 2011 Charles, Your site came up on my search about “Cardio & Recovery”. myquestion(s) are about “Insanity” as an overall program. I’ve done two days (The fit test and Ply Cardio Circuit.) Is this program as successful as it claims? As in, you see the before picture of the over weight guy and 60 days later he has 6-pac abs… I guess it would depend on how “deep you dig” but for me (5″10 211lbs) I can do the workouts but not the eating plan, as I am in Afghanistan and limited on what I can eat in the chowhall on base. But if I do the program, and eat as well as I can… what realistic results will i see? I feel like i will not get the full impact of the program as my cardo just flat out sucks… i am tired after the warm-up! is that normal for people just starting? I see the people on the video getting tired, but is there any point in the next 58 days that i should be able to do this w/o stopping? July 13, 2011 Justin, the program works very well, but just like going to a bank, you can only get out what you put in, those pictures that people are rare cases, in thereal world most people do not see those kind of gains/losses because of the mentality that goes behind weight loss. In my experience weight loss is something that is “ideal” and not a necessity, there is a huge difference between your doctor telling you you have to lose 60 lbs or you will die, versus you wanting to look good at the beach next year in Mexico. Most people approach weight loss is they want to buy some sort of pill they can buy that will *block fat* or *speed up your metabolism*. Insanity is a program that is for people who are already in decent shape, the program you need is Power 90, but since you already have the Insanity program you may as well use it, and modify it to suit your fitness level, if you cant do all that they are asking, do ONLY what YOU can do, just make sure you do the maximum you can possibly do AND complete the whole 60min workout. The thing is EVERBODYS cardio sucks, you will always find someone who’s cardio is better than yours or someone who isstrong than you, getting in shape is not a zero sum all or nothing game, its a marathon that you are running by yourself, that is very hard and very painful. The key here is to follow the program, THE WHOLE PROGRAM especially the nutrition aspect AND DO NOT QUIT. Hit me up if you have any other questions. cheese July 17, 2011 you are such an idiot July 17, 2011 Somebody – Hey Charles some person named “cheese” on the internet thinks “you are such an idiot”. Charles Lloyd – “I’m crushed, and my feelings are hurt”. cheese July 17, 2011 was there ANY cardio in the “cardio recovery” video? NOPE. therefore, you recovered from cardio, hence the title of the video. July 17, 2011 There wasn’t ANY cardio in this video?!!!? Now THAT is the best comment yet. Thank you for your contributions cheese, THAT comment completely satisfies my heart. Kyle July 21, 2011 It isn’t called just “recovery”, its called “CARDIO recovery” hence why he doesn’t do any fast paced CARDIO workouts during the entirevideo. Your reference to the woman quitting smoking was trying to do exactly that, QUIT. Are you saying in order to recover you have to quit Insanity cold turkey? It seems as though you’re either, out of shape, or for some strange reason have the expectation that Thursdays (Cardio Recovery day) should be the same as Sundays (REST day). It’s perfectly fine to work out 6 days a week. And then on Sunday, you get the much needed recovery you speak of with “No physical activity”. Please stop misleading others who might be new to the fitness world and happen to believe reviews like yours. Its CARDIO recovery. Not the allotted REST day that you get once a week. July 21, 2011 Q:Are you saying in order to recover you have to quit Insanity cold turkey? A: No You claim that I shouldn’t “mislead” people that may be new to the fitness world. A. Why would someone new to the fitness world start with a dvd set named Insanity when I clearly, on numerous occasions have said that people new to workingout should NOT start out with Insanity. B. Why would someone new to the fitness world workout 6 days per week, since according to you “It’s perfectly fine to work out 6 days a week”? C. I live and work with real people in this industry and anyone “new” to fitness that works out 6 days per week at the INSANITY level, WILL NOT BE working out 3 months from now. You remind me of one of those guys who will read 2 pages out of Ivanhoe then suddenly you are a Eton College graduate with a Masters in Classical Literature. Nothing is misleading. I have been in fitness more than some of my readers have been alive. This website and my reviews are on the first page of Google because they are truthful, honest and helpful. It stays on top because “smart” people like yourself keep commenting and keep it on top. Thanks Kyle:) Fez July 27, 2011 You sound like a moaning bitch. If you can’t handle it, go sit down. Jason Hill August 4, 2011 I liked this review, Charles. Also, thank you for the tips on goodform that you included as you described the exercises. You are right, it is not a “bad” workout. After the first two days my body was ready for this lower-cardio, stretching-focused session. Of course, I like meat-loaf sandwiches, too 😉� August 4, 2011 Oh man! Finally someone actually gets it! Aren’t meatloaf sandwiches great? Especially if they don’t have any filler bread in it….and topped off with BBQ sauce and salmon 😛� Kyle August 15, 2011 Just noticed you responded. I also noticed how you focused on two sentences out of my entire comment. The first about quitting cold turkey, and the second about being “new” to the fitness world. Way to go. My comment merely stated that your reference to the smoker was a bad one, it doesn’t relate very well to exercise routines. After reading your comment I regret saying “new” to the fitness world. Although I would consider myself somewhat “new” to the fitness world in the sense that I am following a video workout rather than just going for achecking for a response. Have a great day. August 15, 2011 You just wrote me a big long paragraph to tell me that you are not coming back? That is more or less the High School break-up letter that says “I’m soooooo over you right now”. Here is what John Chow has to say about people who say they are not coming back. People Who Say They’re Leaving Don’t No one really completely leaves a site. They may not visit as often as they used to but it’s rare for anyone to never come back. I’ve had commentators post that my blog had changed for the worst and they’re leaving and never coming back. The next day, they’re flaming me again for another post. You WILL be back. You have to come back, I am the #1 guy on the internet for this keyword and a whole bunch of Insanity videos, I didn’t get to the top by accident, most people dont comment, but link this post to their friends and voila #1 status. Thanks for the warm regards. Ceaser August 24, 2011 Wow.. what an idiot.. Fitness Fun September 26,three days on this program because I am sore as hell today. j December 29, 2011 I have full access EVERYTHING, meaning I can edit, delete any comment, post or page I want to. If I have pissed people off enough for them to take time out of their day and write on my blog, I have done my job. Controversy and blog post create traffic and $$$. ^^^ your words. I use to follow your blogs. I thought you were posting these reviews for the good of the people. but by your comments you seem heartless and sort of a dick. December 30, 2011 Yep my words. Please do “unfollow” me, heartless would not be me, nobody who dedicates this amount of work to help people get in shape *for free* with his/her blog is heartless, sort of a dick…now that would be true. Had I been the “Everything is great guy” that would be boring and *you* would not trust me. Being a dick but telling the truth is why this blog succeeds. My reviews are for the good of the people. For the same reason why I tell you that this videosucks, there is also a reason why good parents tell their kids not to eat ice cream for breakfast before you go to school, and it has nothing to do with being “heartless and sort of a dick” its the absolute opposite reason, its because they love you and actually give a damn. John January 19, 2012 I agree about the recovery….Let me ask you a question. What would your rating be on this DVD as a workout or a yoga DVD. January 19, 2012 Great question John! It would be an OK light workout DVD. As for a Yoga not so much, the P90X Yoga X Dvd would workout a lot better. Dan T February 23, 2012 I don’t understand why everyone is getting all up in arms here. All he’s saying is that cardio recovery is improperly named – it isn’t recovery, per se, but instead, a less intense workout. He’s not bashing the insanity program or the workout itself. “The reason for this is not because it’s a “bad” workout per se, but it’s not a recovery workout AT ALL.” As you can see on the Insanity workout schedule,there is an actual recovery workout on Sunday. It is titled “OFF.” To sum it up, if you need assistance reading the review, I believe (correct me if I’m wrong) that it goes like this. Insanity works as is, and the workout has its place in the program, but cardio recovery is misleading and improperly named, which is the defect and the reason for the 0 out of 5. Sarah March 6, 2012 When they decided on “Cardio Recovery” I think they meant a recovery from all the cardio. So there isn’t any cardio in the video. Richie April 4, 2012 I know I’m late to this discussion but I would like to add that I do like this site and will continue to come back to it and read your workout reviews. I’m educated enough in life and fitness to take what information makes sense and if something doesn’t fit my beliefs then I’ll toss it in the basket. The part I’d like to point out is your rating… 0 out of 5 means you liked nothing about the workout just because of the name…yet in your Max Recovery review yougive a 3 out of 5. Same concept yet a favorable score…? Please explain…. Thanks again for the site and keep up the good work. Ken April 4, 2012 I think people are just getting worked up about the semantics. Charles probably should have given his rating based on the workout rather than the name of the DVD but does it really matter? He gave a very good review like all the other ones and calling people morons doesn’t really do anything does it? Thanks Charles for the blog I really enjoy all the well thought out reviews! April 4, 2012 Thanks for stopping by Richie. April 4, 2012 Thanks for dropping by Ken Ken April 5, 2012 Hey Charles got a question for you. I haven’t been resting on my rest days and kind of “saving” it when I am too busy to workout. Do you think I need to rest those days and forget this idea of saving it? April 5, 2012 Hey Ken it really depends on your body. If you feel good then go for it, if not then rest. Your body goes through a periodization where sometimes eventhough you think you should rest you feel great (and can continue your workout), and other times when you think you should go for it but you really should rest. I have a 15 minute test. What I do is workout for 15 minutes and if im not feeling good or tired then I will just stop. But to answer your question, you can’t really “save” a rest day. Honestly you just have to REALLY just listen to your body and do what it tells you. J April 11, 2012 You are a complete idiot. I can’t believe I actually took the time to read this garbage April 12, 2012 Not only that, it was so bad that you even took time to respond AND read more of my articles. Thanks for the comment. Megan April 16, 2012 I understand what Charles and others are getting at, but maybe it’s all relative. I just finished this one and couldn’t help giving Shaun T dirty looks and saying, “Recovery, huh?” during those squats, but I was glad to have something to do. After the first two days of Insanity, I would have felt a littleforgotten/lazy taking a break on the third day. Also, my calves were sooooo tight, and now I can walk without limping. So I thought it was needed, and my muscles appreciated it. With working that acid out and the stretching, it was recovery for me. For people who are in better shape, maybe not as necessary. April 16, 2012 Megan, The voice of reason shows up, where have you been when I have been fighting off these monsters? 😛� Megan May 7, 2012 Haha, glad to help! 😛� I’m heading into “recovery week” in a few days and then onto the second month. I feel like a powerhouse already! PS Love your story! I know what you mean about not being able to find weights in Asia. My husband and I live in China, and it’s impossible to find a good set of weights. May 9, 2012 Isn’t is crazy that the people in Asia eat so well, but its like pulling teeth in order to find a decent set of weights or even a gym? Jen May 9, 2012 I LOVE this review! I read it back when I was doing Insanity (I read your blogeveryday to prepare myself for what was to come), Now on days when I need a good chuckle, I re-read this post…cracks me up every time! May 9, 2012 FINALLY some people actually “get it”. Thanks for dropping by Jen. Appreciate it! I just dropped you an email! Nick Rodriquez May 15, 2012 This is my first comment on this blog. Love your reviews and, yes, I fully agree that Beachbody has made a mistake labelling this DVD. While it is not a big issue for regular Insanity followers, new “recruits” might have trouble handling a recovery day which actually includes a workout (and mind you, it’s not an easy workout)! In fact, the Cardio recovery day in Insanity is as intensive as a regular day in other programs, say P90X, minus the weights, of course. I cannot help laughing at the posters above who have continuously tried to mock Charles for his honest and unbiased review. Niral Ramesh May 16, 2012 You obviously are an uneducated, stupid moron who should spend less time whining about the namesof DVDs. No one else whines about such dumb things like that. After all, stretching is a welcome break from insanity interval training. As a result, this video does technically give you a break. Retard. May 16, 2012 Its comical Nick. Straight up comical! May 16, 2012 Since you are obviously a fitness professional and a scholar Niral, please enlighten me on the Postactivation Potentiation effect that recovery has on the CNS. Also school me on the effects of cardiovascular “recovery” in relation with the article I wrote. I’ll even link to the specific article *just* to to help you out. . Also feel free to site the New England Jornal of Medicine article from October 28 1999 where specifically talks about heat-rate recovery just to drill it into my head, because after all I am “retard”…let this retard help you out again Go ahead and send your enlightenment into the New England Journal of Medicine also (from your gmail account none the less) because they also “whines about such dumb thingslike that” when “No one” else does. Nick Rodriquez May 22, 2012 Niral had to just come here and post a stupid comment. Playing by the same rules, why don’t you [Niral] stop being a douche bag by spending less time whining about this post and actually taking an initiative to read other posts on this blog which have tonnes of fitness tips. Niral Ramesh May 23, 2012 “they also ‘whines about such dumb things like that'” is incorrect grammar. Maybe you should go back to elementary school where they teach you plural and singular verb agreement, retard. May 23, 2012 ROFLMAO….LOL I can’t buy comedy this good. It really does not get better than this! LOLLerskates. On everything I love I didn’t touch ANY of Niral’s comments!!! LOL LOL LOL ————— —–/\-O–/— —-/–/-\/—- ——/——– —–/–\—— —-/—-\—– –LOL—LOL— ————— …….lol!!! Niral Ramesh May 24, 2012 you can’t buy comedy this good because you are a poor unemployed fool Garrett May 24, 2012 I came across this article because the one thing that’s bothered meabout this DVD is the deep squats and lunge pulses. My legs are very sore from the Insanity workouts and to hold those lunge pulses seems to be making me feel worse and not recover. Was interested if anyone had any info on the theory for why Shaun T does these moves in lieu of a P90x yoga style workout? Would it be ok to swap this out for YogaX? May 24, 2012 Garrett, The premise of Insanity is High Intensity Intervals Training…or what we call H.I.I.T. It was mean for people that want to lose weight through this style of training. P90X purpose is to build lean muscle strength, through power, balance and flexibility, 3 core “ingredients” of the P90X system. Different philosophies of two different styles of workouts to achieve different results. There are lots of people who have done a hybrid P90X/Insanity workout. Feel free to incorporate/substitute what you feel necessary as everybody’s body responds differently to different things. Have fun! Jeromy K. June 7, 2012 Charles, I’ve beenreading your reviews my whole entire time doing insanity ( 25 pounds lost so far), and I agree with you on this one. People forget your review is your opinion. Everyone’s body is different and Shaun T even says in one of the videos, ” Do what you need to do for your body”. To be honest the recovery days hurt my joints so I go for a 45 min walk. Thanks Charles. Jeromy K. June 7, 2012 Charles, I’ve been reading your reviews my whole entire time doing insanity ( 25 pounds lost so far), and I agree with you on this one. People forget your review is your opinion. Everyone’s body is different and Shaun T even says in one of the videos, ” Do what you need to do for your body”. To be honest the recovery days hurt my joints so I go for a 45 min walk or jog instead. So thanks Charles. I’m glad to know I’m not the only one against recovery days, but I still love insanity. June 7, 2012 Jeromy, Good deal man, stick with it, but dont kill yourself in the process….Insanity is brutal. Jay June 11,2012 Hey there, I have one question about Insanity in particular! So, I have a pretty average build, with some fat clinging in places I don’t like. I’d like to keep my current muscle, and possibly build some more in places that are lacking, but I also want to get rid of this garbage that’s hiding my muscle. I hear that doing cardio for too long is not good for muscle growth, so people say that you should only do it for 20-30 minutes. I’m attempting (or rather, starting) to do a P90x/Insanity Hybrid, but I looked at some before and after pictures of some people who did it, and I do not want to become that skinny. However, I do like to play sports, and I don’t want to just become bigger without gaining any endurance in sports such as basketball, football, and (possibly, if you consider it a sport) ping-pong. I was wondering what you would recommend as a good duration for any of the workouts from Insanity? And, I was reading through some of the arguments that people had about your reviewand I couldn’t help but facepalm. You are right in your opinions, so I think the only reason why people argue is that you’re opinions are very expressed (and maybe aggressive) and some people in this world think that they have to argue back. June 12, 2012 Hey Jay, From what I gather is that you are neither a Ectormorph (skinny guy) or Endomorph (big guy who holds a lot of fat), that would put you right in the middle as a mesomorph (neither skinny or fat, but can build muscle fairly easily, but losing fat is not easy). So if your goal is to build muscle there is one of two ways you can do it. The first way is to do what is called a ‘cut’. What this means is you are going to eat and workout like you are trying to lose fat, which in consequence means you are going to also lose a slight amount lean muscle mass but also but a ton of fat. The second way is to do what is called a ‘bulk’. What this means is you are going to eat and workout like you are trying to gain muscle mass. which inconsequence means you are going to gain muscle mass but you are also going to gain some fat in the process. The two ways have two different nutritional and workout plans and are completely different in how you workout and what you eat. Let me know which one you want to do and we can proceed from there. Interesting observation about the comments here, I pretty much though the same thing but never worded it in my head the way you did. I think that we live in such a PC environment/society that anytime somebody has some very solid and outspoken opinions it goes against the grain of “everything in moderation”….”don’t try and hurt anybody’s feelings”….”lets all just get along” mantra that is advertised, preached and shoved down our throats 24/7. That when somebody goes against this flow, people want to rein me back into the groove. I have yet to read a valid point in any of the comments left here. I actually “want” someone to prove me wrong, but all I mostly get is…”you are a moron”,”you areto have time to repair itself. The general exerciser does not get this though. In fact they don’t want to take any time off and just go go go. In reality they will get stronger if they rest but they don’t think that way. Thanks for the post I enjoyed it. July 7, 2012 Good stuff Paul. Agree 100%, always doing more, more, more in reality gets you almost nowhere. Its hard for people to understand that you don’t grown when you are working out but during your hours of rest you become stronger, gain flexibility, strength etc. BTW I got your email and will be replying shortly. Thanks for dropping by Paul. Emily J. July 12, 2012 Lol WOW…this one got a lot of feedback! People just love to argue on the internet! Anyways….love your reviews! I read them every day before my work out so I know what I’m gettiny myself into! The Cardio Recovery may not be very impressive lol but MAN, I NEEDED IT!! My calves are KILLING me!! lol I don’t know if I could have taken another day of super intensity. Thebreak came right in time for me! Today was only day four for me…damn! I’ve just recently completed P90X, effing loved it. Jumped right into Insanity a few days after completing P90X. When I finish Insanity, I can’t wait to do that P90X/Insanity hybrid! Thanks for all the reviws, they’re really helpful! July 12, 2012 LOL thats the Internet for you Emily…a place of social unrest. How did you end up doing P90X at first and what made you decide to do Insanity? Drew August 2, 2012 The specific workout is called Cardio Recovery not Recovery, its simply a marketing ploy. Do you drink “recovery” formula, powder, juice, or whatever it may be called? Because your performing the act of drinking you are not at rest, hence you are not in recovery. That’s the logic behind your review, which is simple minded. The main reason your getting complaints on the site is because your rating of the program is the complete opposite of your rating of the workout. Did you factor in the meal plan for the day?That’s likely a simple “Nope”. Did you have a bad mental day at work, dealing with people, etc.? Possibly. This can sway ones judgement easily. I’m sure with the pre-stretch warm up you started complaining that there was some or too much cardio involved, which clouded your judgement when it came time to review it. To give this a 0 is simply foolish. August 4, 2012 The problem here Drew is like most of the people here, you have no platform to say what is good and what is not good about this workout or this review. The reason you are even reading this blog is because I AM ONE THE FOREMOST EXPERTS ON INSANITY AND MY opinion matters, and it matters to thousands of people link to this very article and email me for advice on this workout and other Insanity workouts. It even matters to you because you are commenting on it, and you will be back to see what I had to say! People complaining about this article is like some guy in Alaska sitting on his couch drinking a beer saying that Kobe Bryantneeds to step up his low post game. Jeff August 16, 2012 Charles: I am a 3rd year medical student and I’m loving insanity because it kicks my butt without taking up too much of my time. I happen to think “Cardio Recovery” is perfectly named. I never once am out of breath on Thursdays– in fact, it’s all stretching and resistance based exercises. I will say those Squat and Lunge pulses are tough though! Based on your review of the actual workout (not the many inaccurate analogies that precede the review) it seems as though you enjoyed it. Yet you give it a “Zero” rating. I think this is what perplexes people the most besides your lack of ability to comprehend the title of the workout. September 8, 2012 I give this review a 0 out of 5 Mike September 10, 2012 Iv just started the insanity program, and I can’t wait to see the result when iv finished it! Charles, your cocky and funny lol Legend Tyler September 20, 2012 Not sure why you’re getting all the haters in the comments. I agree withyou for the most part. I personally think it’s a good workout. But in my opinion, it’s vital to the DVD set. Most people who buy Insanity don’t know how to properly loosen up their muscles. Flexibility is key in plyometric exercises. When you are doing things that are so dependent on form, you need to be able to make the shapes. But like it’s NOT recovery. It’s stretching. Athletes know the difference. When your muscles are in a position where you need a full-on recovery, this kind of stretching is not something you want to do. And for all of those that say it’s “cardio recovery” because you’re not heaving and breathing like a banshee, well, they just don’t understand that your heart is actually working when you stretch too. It’s just a different type of work. I like a good honest review. You’re not writing to promote the product. You’re just sharing your professional opinion. It is appreciated. Bob P. September 21, 2012 And you are an idiot! Bet you don’t even work out. You probablyjust watch the video and google your comments. You don’t look like you can even do a single push up. Recovery does not mean you don’t do anything…. dumb ass…. Marc October 4, 2012 I agree with the author of this article. The DVD is labeled cardio recovery and Shawn T mentions in the beginning that this work out is supposed to give your muscles time to recover from previous work outs. However with the lunges and squats it does anything but this. This is simply a lighter workout in comparison to the other work outs during the week. Of course I believe the whole Insanity work-out itself it misleading. It is marketed as a total body work out that will increase lean muscle mass while burning fat. In reality Insanity is an intense cardio workout that focuses on hamstring and quad muscle development and neglects most of the major muscles in the chest, shoulders and arms. Don’t get me wrong these are intense work outs that will burn fat and build some muscle, but it will not make your upperbody ripped. I needed a good leg workout routine and needed to work on my cardio but I am disappointed in how a majority of the work-outs only work on legs. I have noticed DECREASED muscle definition in my abs, chest and shoulders while an increase in my lean muscle mass in my legs and an increase in endurance since starting this work out three weeks ago. I am not complaining about the actual work-outs as I believe I am being challenged and making progress. I am disappointed that my upper body is suffering as a result of this. I guess it is my own fault though for not researching the product enough prior to purchasing it. Once I am done with Insanity I will switch to PX90 since it targets all muscles equally. Graham November 9, 2012 You keep saying that recovery means resting, but that’s simply not the case. It used to be the case, before anyone knew a lot about sports performance. But now every single athlete who has ever had an injury knows that you can recover better if you activelyrecover. Stuff like rehab with resistance bands, body-weight exercises, low-resistance pool training, etc. Pull a hamstring, do nothing for 4 weeks, then sprint and let me know how it goes. “But a pulled hamstring isn’t the same as doing Insanity.” In a way, yes. But muscle soreness and pulled muscles are both forms of muscle tears, small and large respectively. And I know for a fact that active recovery is better for muscle tears than passive recovery is. As for your argument about sleep, it’s a logical fallacy. No one is asking you to do this workout instead of sleeping. This is part of a program designed to get you in amazing shape in 60 days. You don’t get that by taking 2 days off per week. If you define sleep as recovery, shouldn’t you be doing a recovery workout every night? And what about the parts of your day that aren’t spent working out? By your definition ( I specify “your” because there’s a very large body of athletic training science that disagrees with you) recovery is ”