INSANITY: The ASYLUM - 30 Day Sports Training Workout DVD Program Review

[atkima]

INSANITY: The ASYLUM - 30 Day Sports Training Workout DVD Program

Look and feel like an elite athlete in just 30 days. Guaranteed! Former track-and-field star Shaun T will push you to Dig Deeper® than ever with sports-specific training and drills inspired by pro athletes.

Brand new, factory sealed box set. Complete set includes 6 athletic training DVDs, 2 bonus workouts, Speed Rope, Agility Ladder, Get Shredded Nutritional Plan, ASYLUM Workout Calendar, and Guide Playbook.

You can purchase this set with free shipping from Amazon.com.

Features:

• 6 athletic training DVDs, 2 bonus workouts, Speed Rope, Agility Ladder, Nutritional Plan, Calendar, and Playbook.
• Shaun T will push you to Dig Deeper® than ever with sports-specific training and drills inspired by pro athletes.
• Look and feel like an elite athlete in just 30 days by increasing your speed, coordination, agility, and power.
• Move like a football running back, serve aces like a tennis pro, and score points like an all-star guard.
• Free online support tools help you with round-the-clock access to fitness experts and peer support.

Full Review of the Asylum DVD Program:

5 Stars! Get the Best Body of Your Life
Insanity: The Asylum is the "sequel" to Insanity, and it pushes you hard, further, deeper in ways that the original Insanity workout wasn't meant to do. I'm going to discuss what to expect in this DVD series, then tell you a little about my results. To give you some perspective, I'm almost 40, and only 2.5 months ago, weighed more than I ever had before (222 pounds). I'm pretty short, so I looked like a man-dumpling. I did insanity (all 63 days, never missed a workout), lost 22 pounds, and then was looking for the next thing to help me keep losing. Fortune struck, and this set came out at just the right time. I segued directly into this series. Here's the story.

The DVD set iself comes with six DVD's, which includes I think 8 videos (the Fit Test, Speed and Agility, Strength, Vertical Plyo, Back to Core, Game Day, Overtime, and Relief). It also comes with a nifty wall calendar which I gleefully mark off each day (it tells you what to do each day). It also has schedules for how to combine it with Insanity and how to combine it with p90X for those who have completely lost their marbles and wish to push themselves to olympic like levels. It comes with a "speed rope"--really, just a jump rope, an "agility ladder"--a ladder like contraption made of sturdy plastic rungs and nylon cords. More on it later. My set came with two elastic resistance bands (a red, heavy duty one for legs, and a green, still strong but not quite as resistant one for arms and back). I'm not sure if they all come with these bands, I've heard some folks didn't get them, so check out the package contents carefully when you buy. It's not like you couldn't get a couple of resistance bands for a few bucks, however, so this shouldn't dissuade you from anything. It comes with a booklet containing a simple but quality nutrition plan--nothing flashy, just good solid time tested nutrition with some suggestions on how to eat to get the best results. I'm doing weight watchers, so I didn't use their directions, but looking at the nutrition plan, it looks like something I could do if I wanted. I'm just happy with my WW results. Neither here not there. The packaging is quite professional, and the quality of the production is high. Music is much the same as in Insanity--it gets the blood pumping, but you're not gonna want to listen to it in the car.

The workouts are crazy, no lie. This set was designed for use by folks who have completed a course like Insanity, P90X, Turbofire, or the like. If you are in good shape, you'll be fine even if you haven't done that. If you are overweight, like me, beware--this thing is nuts. It should be handled with care and treated with respect. These workouts will push you, challenge you. There are a lot of things that I STILL can't do after completing Insanity! But by the same token, if you are up for a challenge, there is nothing here that you can't modify down to your own level. Obviously, don't do these if you are injured, or have heart issues, or all that jazz. You know what you can and can't do. But if you are basically healthy but just overweight, these DVD's are tools--use them to push yourself, to make yourself stronger, faster, harder, better. Heaven knows that I freely modify things so that I can do them--but I keep pushing, trying to get closer and closer to what Shaun T. and his insane posse of fitness gazelles are doing.

The Agility ladder is used as a tool to give you a physical goal during your "in and out abs", "mountainclimbers", and a series of running/agility exercises. It didn't seem like a big deal at first, but let me tell you, it is a very effective tool and a cruel master. What the insanity folks do with an Agility ladder blows my mind. The speed rope is just a light weight jump rope--a little too light weight for me. I use a heavier rope, or use an imaginary rope. I'm just not coordinated enough to get my heart rate up really high when I'm using the jump rope--I keep tangling my legs up, stopping, and then losing my momentum. I am getting better, but I usually end up dropping the rope and just keep on jumping in time with Shaun. It serves my purposes, but if you are really interested in becoming more coordinated and precise with your movements, the jump rope is a great tool. Asylum also wants you to use a chin up bar, but if you don't have one, it gives you alternative movements. You need some dumbbells or some resistance bands in order to do the strength workout. These can be purchased relatively inexpensively if you don't have them, and are a good fitness investment anyway.

Results? Well I'm 15 days in now (it is a 30 day program). Remember that I was down 22 pounds at the end of insanity. I'm down 28 pounds now, and I'm gaining a lot of muscle at the same time. I've got biceps, triceps, and chest muscles that I never knew I had. My abs, which had started to show a little during Insanity, are continuing to become more apparent. I'm still overweight, but definitely getting better. My cardiovascular status has actually improved since Insanity, which is saying something. The workouts are unrelenting, about 45 minutes in length each, and they strive to use your whole body. There is still Shaun's overarching focus on your core, but he works your back a lot, which is new. I've got back muscles which I had no idea I'd ever have. I'm enjoying the new emphasis on muscle development (Insanity itself was almost exclusively cardio work), and Shaun is all business here. He is here to "train you hard, and he is not playing!" That said, these workouts are also amazingly fun. The "game day" workout is one of the most fun workouts I ahve ever completed, and I look forward to doing it even though it completely shreds me to pieces.

In summary, I love this set. I love how hard it pushes me, I look forward to working out, I'm losing weight and gaining muscle. I highly recommend it to the highly motivated--but know what you are in for when you begin. You will be sweating, panting, groaning, and staring with amazement that "that was just the warm up!". But it will be worth it. Oh yes, it will be worth it.

If you want to purchase the Asylum DVD Program, head over to Amazon via this link to get it for under $110 and with free shipping via Amazon Prime.


What do you get?

You'll receive: 6 ASYLUM athletic training workout DVDs: 1: Speed & Agility: Get quick on your feet-fast, with this intense cardio workout. (45 minutes) 2: Vertical Plyo: Jump higher than ever with this lower-body training routine. (40 minutes) 3: Relief: Stretch out to build long, lean muscle and increase your flexibility. (25 minutes) 4: Strength: Increase your strength and power by cross-training with weights and resistance. (50 minutes) 5: Game Day: Put your new sports skills to the test with this cross-training workout. (60 minutes) 6: Back to Core: Build the rock-solid core, glutes, and hamstrings for the explosive power you'll need to play and dominate at an elite level. (45 minutes) 2 bonus workouts: 1: Sports Performance Assessment: Discover the improvements you've made in your fitness and skills with this performance measurement tool. (25 minutes) 2: Overtime: Add this 15-minute monster to any ASYLUM workout to see if you've still got game. Agility Ladder, Speed Rope, Get Shredded Nutritional Plan, ASYLUM Workout Calendar, and Guide Playbook.