INSANITY

So yesterday, after the Raider's v. Browns game, I was channel surfing and came across this infomercial for this extreme exercising program called INSANITY.  What is it?  A total body sculpting workout promising to show you results in 60 days (or 2 months) if you are willing to take the challenge.

What is the challenge?  It is basically a 6 day a week workout for 45 minutes each session.  Sounds normal so far, right?  The only difference is that it is 45 minutes of high intense workout.  What does it mean?  Exercise your hardest for long periods and have short periods of rest.  They promise to burn up to 1000 calories per hour, which is mostly everything you consume in one day.

Okay, this sounds FANTASTIC.  45 minutes 6 days a week for 2 months?  Sure, I would do that if i can transform.  BUT WAIT!  Shaun T says this is not for the lazy OR people that make excuses.  Damn, guess I am not in this elite group...and I cannot get that shirt that says "I EARNED IT."  Damn.

But all joking aside, this program IS good, and good for all of you people that were on it and transformed yourself.  And kudos to you people who are willing to put yourself through it.  But here are my problems with it:

(1)  Excessive sweating on my carpet is gross and can cause bacterial growth (i.e. ring worm on wrestling mats).  Excessive sweating on hardwood or concrete is dangerous.  Your examples of working out in a puddle of my own sweat screams lawsuit.  If I slip and fall, guess who I am blaming.

(2) Why do I want to wear a shirt that says "I EARNED IT" when I should ALREADY KNOW THIS.  The commercial makes it seem like these people are full of confidence, but having to flash around the shirt either means you need assurance OR you are being a douche.  "I earned it myself right?  RIGHT!? Oh, yes, the shirt tells me I did.  Thanks shirt.  You are always there when I need you."

(3)  Once I start less vigorously doing this program or stop, what will happen?  My guess is that I will start to revert back to my previous state and then some.  Look at the majority of the people that were on the Biggest Loser.  They lost a lot of weight in relatively little time and then after, when all the cameras were gone, BAM all the weight and then some returns.

(4) Eating.  So, here is the thing.  3500 calories is one pound, so in about 4 days, I can lose a pound. Meaning I can lose about 2 pounds a week or 8 pounds a month.  Am I still sticking with my 1500 a day caloric intake?  If I am, I think there is some serious problem.  Athletes intake a lot more calories because they are burning so much and they need the energy.  What about people on this plan?  Yes, a food planner is given BUT everyone is different and so is their body, so how accurate is it?

Honestly, I am sure a lot of people on this program are self motivated, like a challenge, and like people on the screen yelling at them and that is why the program works for them.  Everyone wants to look fantastic and be attractive and do it fast BUT how much can your body take and for how long.  The advertisement said something to the effect that "your body is a machine and it is meant to be worked like this."  I don't agree with this at all.  If that were the case, slaves should have no problem building pyramids, bridges, railroads, and working in fields.  But they had trouble moving cinder blocks, and braking mountains, and working in extreme conditions.  Like all machines, they wear down and break.  Perhaps working it that hard, that fast is detrimental in the long run.  You just cannot see the effects right now. 

I am obviously not their target audience.  Yes, I hate looking at myself in the morning and yes, like the ugly, fat caterpillar, I would like to transform into a beautiful butterfly.  I think slow and steady is good to seriously keep everything in check.  No shock to the system and you are slowly easing yourself into a lifestyle change, but that is just me.  It's cool if you disagree; I am just stating an opinion.  I won't lie, I was tempted to buy this system, but thinking it though, I decided that it just wasn't for someone like me, and no it am not lazy and I don't give up that easily.  If I was, I would be 500+ pounds of pure fat with atrophied muscles, and guess what.  I would not be ABLE to use your program.