If you’ve done some Beach Body programs before, you may have heard of P90X3 and Insanity.
But what are the differences and which one is better? We are here to help you navigate both programs to see which might be a better fit for your fitness journey.
Whether you want to lose weight, create lean muscle, or build muscle mass, you need to find the correct program that will lead you there.
We’ll cover the similarities and differences and let you be the judge.
What is P90X3?
P90X has been around since 2005 when founder Tony Horton decided to combine cardio, strength training, and stretching to create muscle confusion.
Muscle confusion enables your lean muscle mass to grow since they are constantly being challenged. The schedule runs for 90 days, six days a week, with 30-minute workouts.
It works fantastic for weight loss, lean muscle gain, and overall health improvements.
Let’s Talk about the Insanity Workout
Insanity–it’s in the name. This workout is going to be intense, but at least you know that going in, right?
Founded in 2009, this workout combines high-intensity interval training (HIIT) with short rest periods.
It was created by the co-founders of Beach Body LLC and is available via that platform. Insanity max speeds your heart rate up for 3-4 minutes and allows for a 30-second rest.
Then it’s back to 3-4 minutes of high-intensity training. The duration of the program is 60 days with 30-60 minute workouts, six days a week.
It has similar results as P90X3 like weight loss, improved cardiovascular fitness, and torching fat.
P90X3 vs. Insanity – Let’s Compare
Beachbody on Demand | P90X
Created by Tony Horton, this 90-day home fitness program has 12 intense workouts that use resistance and body-weight training.
You’ll get in the best shape of your life—and be shocked by the results.
Now that you have an idea about each program let’s make some crucial comparisons like duration, features, nutrition, equipment required, etc.
This will make it easier to decide which program is better for you. We are always here to help at Calisthenics Gear.
Duration
Both P90X3 and Insanity require you to work out six days a week. Pick your rest day, but the rest of the week is game on!
The differences are in the length of time these programs run. P90X3 is a 30-minute workout, six days a week for 90 days. Get it? It’s called P90X for a reason, ya’ll.
For Insanity, the workouts last for 30-60 minutes, six days a week for 60 days. Don’t be fooled by the 60 days instead of 90 because they pack a lot into those 60 days.
Insanity Max:30
- MAX:30 isn’t just INSANITY on fast forward.
- With 150 brand-new moves, it’s a whole new way to work out.
- Max-out a little farther each day, and when that happens, you’re going to look and feel amazing.
Features
P90X3 is separated into four categories–Power, Resistance, Cardio, and Core/Flex/Balance.
You perform different exercises using your body weight to create lean muscle and burn fat within these categories.
Power consists of upper body cardio workouts with strength training incorporated. Resistance focuses on fast-twitch muscle movements without resistance.
Cardio uses some weight training with core and mobility exercises to increase weight loss. Core/Flex/Balance is all about increasing your flexibility training by stretching and yoga.
This workout program is a massive summation of everything in 90 days.
Insanity is precisely like it sounds. The workouts are incredibly high-intensity with short rest periods. It’s broken down into two phases.
The first 30 days are six cardio sessions a week with everything from plyometrics, circuits, core, resistance, and more. Each session the first month is 30 minutes long.
For the second month, the workouts are the same, but the stakes have been lifted. The duration is now 60 minutes with the same amount of intensity. Double or nothing, people!
Nutrition
Without a nutrition plan to promote healthier eating habits, exercise won’t change anything. Now when you pair lots of excellent training with nutritional eating habits, the sky’s the limit on your physical fitness.
P90X3 offers a nutritional guide that promotes healthy eating by counting macros.
The idea behind this is to get the following percentages in your food choices every day.
- 40% carbohydrates
- 30% fats
- 30% proteins
That will vary depending on your fitness goals, but those percentages are the general guidelines. P90X3 teaches you how to control your portions and the best times to eat.
P90X3 also stresses the importance of hydration and choosing the right foods to replenish your spent energy.
Insanity also offers a nutritional plan that guides you on selecting the right food choices and provides you with meals to get you started.
The idea of five small meals every day is what they preach for the best way to sustain a healthy lifestyle.
Equipment
If you are not an equipment person, these programs might be just what you need as little to no equipment is required.
However, there is the option of getting a jump mat for jump training and dumbbells for resistance training if you would like. P90X3 is not much different as they only require a pair of dumbbells or a resistance band.
If you want, you can purchase a yoga mat, a yoga block, and a pull-up bar, but they aren’t necessary. For the most part, you just need your body weight for all of the exercises.
Price
Let’s talk money.
Both of these programs are available with a Beach Body membership that runs at $99.99 per year.
If that’s not your jam, you can purchase the Insanity DVDs for $144.80. Currently, the DVDs for P90X3 are unavailable on Amazon, but they usually cost $38.99.
P90X3 is starting to phase out the option of buying the DVD sets, so keep that in mind.
Beachbody on Demand
Included in this program:
- Fitness Guide
- Quick Start Guide to Nutrition
- Eating Plan
- Fit Test
- Workout Calendar
- INSANITY Hybrid Calendar
- FAQ
- Spotify Playlists
And the Winner Is…
Can we say that it depends? Both of these programs offer excellent exercises to get you fit and healthy.
On the one hand, P90X3 incorporates resistance training, cardio, and flexibility training, leading to muscle building, and you only need a resistance band.
A bonus is the workouts are all 30 minutes. We all have 30 minutes in our day to get our training in, right?
On the other hand, Insanity features more cardio with the high-intensity training that requires no equipment.
This is an excellent program for fat burning due to the endless combination of aerobic and anaerobic exercise. While the workouts are longer, some people prefer that.
In the end, you can’t go wrong with either program. They both bring muscle definition to your life and are perfect home workouts.
One word of caution is that Insanity workouts and P90X3 are not great for beginners to fitness.
It might make sense to take a fitness test to ensure you can handle the extreme level of exercise that both programs bring to the table.
Now go have fun no matter which one you choose. Exercise is fun, people!
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