Comparing Programs: Insanity vs. TurboFire

Sometimes I get into workout ruts and I need help getting out of them.  I love coming up with my own plans, but it’s also exciting to get tips from others.  There are so many amazing trainers, coaches, and fitness instructors out there, and it would be silly not to take advantage of their expertise.  I often find myself scouring the internet, books, and magazines in search of new fitness trends, fun and interesting new workouts, and tips on eating and living healthier. 

A few weeks ago, a friend of mine mentioned that she started doing some of the Insanity workouts on DVD.  Having heard about the program before, I was immediately intrigued and started to do a little research of my own.  The investment is somewhat sizeable, and with my aversion to spending money, I like to know what I’m getting into before I swipe my card. 

Here’s the description of the Insanity workout from the Beach Body website:

“Your personal trainer Shaun T will push you past your limits with 10 INSANITY workout discs packed with plyometric drills on top of nonstop intervals of strength, power, resistance, and ab and core training moves. No equipment or weights needed. Just the will to get the hardest body you’ve ever had.

The secret to these mind-blowing INSANITY workout results: MAX Interval Training.

Shaun T took traditional interval training and flipped it on its head—you perform long bursts of maximum-intensity exercises with short periods of rest. Each INSANITY workout keeps you constantly challenged as you alternate between aerobic and anaerobic intervals performed at your MAX. The result: burn up to 1,000 calories in an hour and get the most insane body in 60 days.

Check out this YouTube video of the program:

Through my research, I came across another workout, called TurboFire®, which also intrigued me. 

According to their website,

TurboFire^® is the intense 90-day cardio conditioning program that will help you get leaner with exercises that burn up to 9x more fat and calories than regular cardio.

In the included Fire Starter Class, Chalene Johnson shows you the right form for every move you’ll make. To help you get up to speed, TurboFire also includes two low-impact (but intense) workouts. Then, it will keep you moving with more than 20 smoking-hot music remixes through all 14 fat-sizzling classes.

Check out this YouTube video of this program:

I remembered one of my favorite bloggers, The Fitnessista writing about this program before, so I hopped over to her site to see what she had to say again.  In this review of the program,  she talks about how TurboFire is one of her workout staples. 

Here’s what she says about the program:

They’re designed well, fun, the music is fab, and I burn a crazy amount of calories in a shorter amount of time. I love the fact that HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) training is utilized and Chalene Johnson is pretty much amazing.

(source)

She designed the workouts and mixed the music so that it corresponds perfectly to the choreography. The workouts are a combination of kickboxing with some dance moves thrown in there (think “punch, punch, shake it”), HIIT drills, a core workout, stretch workouts and a strength workout using resistance bands.

Click here to check out her full review on the program.

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And the verdict is: I decided on TurboFire… at least for now.  The plan is to try Insanity as soon as I’m done with this program, but here are some of the main why I went with TurboFire first:

• The reviews I read said that the music is better in TurboFire (she mixes her own tracks so they correspond with the movements you’re doing), and for me, music is often key to a good workout.
• Some reviews said that Shaun T can be a little intimidating (maybe even annoying?) and although this in itself doesn’t really deter me (I like when instructors challenge you), all of the reviews I read said Chalene is awesome, fun, and super motivating.
• Apparently the TurboFire workouts include more dancing and kickboxing type movements, with actual choreography to learn, which is what I’m finding myself really drawn to right now – perhaps because I haven’t been able to (and won’t be able to in the near future) take any Zumba classes lately. 
• Insanity seems more strength-focused, and some reviews have said that TurboFire is a tad bit easier if you are not feeling super strong at the moment.  While I consider myself in decent shape, I haven’t been doing a ton of strength training lately, so the logical progression seemed to be TurboFire first, Insanity second.

Click here for another great review and side-by-side comparison of the two programs which really helped me make my decision.

Both programs seem challenging, entertaining, and utterly effective, but I really want to dive head first into it, and you can only do that with one program at a time.  I don’t plan on joining a gym right away when I move to my new place, and since I’ll probably be doing some traveling this summer, these programs seem perfect for me right now; I’ll be able to do them at home, or I can take them with me when I go somewhere.  I’ll also have a set plan for what to do instead of having to come up with a new plan on my own, amidst moving to a new city, starting a new job, traveling, and enjoying the summer.  Using the program schedule, I’ll easily know what to do when, which is what I really need right now.

I plan on starting the program sometime after I’m back from Florida, and I’ll be sure to give full reviews once I do.

Questions:

Do you like to do workout programs or make things up on your own?

If you were to pick either Insanity or TurboFire, which would it be?

Have you done either of these programs before? If so, what did you think?