I’m sure you’ve already seen the promo videos. Shaun T and about fifteen athletes in a basketball gym, doing ridiculously hard circuits of cardio and plyometrics for about 40 minutes per workout, promising that if you follow the program you will have a total body transformation in 60 days. Is this program a serious, legitimate workout worth investing money, time, and effort? Is this show real? I’m going to take a serious look at what the show implies and promises, and honestly evaluate it.

Shaun T bases his entire training theory on something he calls “Maximum Interval Training.” He explains that the theory involves changing the traditional theory of interval training, in which people typically train intensely for a short period of time and take long breaks in between. With Max Interval Training, it makes you exercise intensely for long periods of time, with very short breaks in between. These circuits range in duration from one minute to several minutes, with a solid cardio workout lasting twenty minutes without a break.

It is important to make it clear that Shaun T repeatedly tells you that this exercise is not for normal people. You must already be in excellent shape to participate, and he provides a ‘Fit Test’ at the beginning of the workout to help you determine if you qualify for this level of intensity. If the fit test itself is too difficult for you to perform, you obviously need to do a preliminary exercise first before tackling INSANITY.

Also, throughout workouts, I was pleased to hear Shaun T repeatedly tell you to take a break if you need to and never sacrifice form for duration. This emphasis on form and safety is incredibly important in any exercise routine that promises to deliver “extreme” results.

What is ‘Maximum Interval Training’? Even though Shaun T demands that you give your workouts as much as possible, you clearly cannot approach them with the kind of intensity with which one undertakes a High Intensity Interval Training session, where you go to the intensity of a heart attack. for twenty seconds, take a ten second break and repeat for about four to five minutes total. Max

Therefore, interval training is clearly not a real ‘Max’ like HIIT is, but rather something a step below it. I think the correct term for this type of cardio / resistance is “Threshold Training”.

The threshold in question can be debated. Whether it’s VO2 Max, or lactate threshold, or anaerobic threshold, OBLA or ventilator, the point is that you are running at the highest intensity you can sustain for a period of time, which in INSANITY is typically around 40 minutes.

Threshold training is used in various sports for professional training, such as cycling and running. The reason is because you are experiencing a great alteration of the cellular energy state and you do it for prolonged periods of time, which is why this type of training tends to improve your aerobic motor as well, as much as anything else. In addition, you are working at a level where the generation of waste products from your muscles is high but sustainable. This tailors your body to deal with waste products more efficiently and is therefore desirable. Given the higher intensity, you also tend to see a higher generation of Type II muscle fibers compared to lower intensity cardio.

So the benefits are tangible, but the downside is that working as close to your threshold as possible for forty minutes is extremely tiring and can be downright unpleasant if you are not yet in peak physical condition. The jury is still out on whether it is advisable to work this close to the threshold for five days a week (one of the 6 INSANITY workouts each week is a recovery routine) or it could result in overtraining.

Finally, a word of caution: if you are not in excellent physical condition, it can start to put a lot of stress on your joints. The sheer amount of cardio and plyometrics can result in great punishment for your knees and ankles, so you need to consider the strength of your joints as well as your muscles before entering.

Is INSANITY training legitimate? Yes, but with several very important caveats. Understood as threshold training, it can deliver incredible benefits in a very short period of time. Your body’s ability to deal with the generation of waste products, the development of your aerobic and anaerobic engines, and the recruitment of Type II muscle fibers are all very attractive benefits, not to mention the large number of calories you will burn. However, it is a very extreme form of training and therefore must be approached with the right combination of wisdom and caution. Be incredibly careful with your joints and be honest about whether your body is prepared. Measure your fatigue levels and see if exercising at this intensity level five days a week is good for your body.