Formosa Fitness

I probably shocked some folks last year when I said I actually liked these programs. Trainers like me are supposed to hate DVD programs like P90X and Insanity but I actually found a couple of good things about them. For one, they introduce real intensity to the general population and you have to like that. Intensity allows for shorter, more effective workouts. You end up actually doing the workouts instead of just thinking about them. And let's face it trainers: many, many people have gotten great results on these at-home programs.

However, these DVD fitness programs have a major drawback or two that makes your average trainer hate them.

For one, they are primarily junk volume. Junk volume is exercise that serves little purpose other than to make you tired. Oh sure, you burn fat in the process and it does get you moving, but you never get BETTER at anything. You just get better at doing the program. Where do you go from there? Do the DVDs again? Who knows. It's not like doing kettlebells or Crossfit where there's a progression that can take you as far as you want to go. You aren't building skills in anything that is scalable upwards. 

Second, intensity is great and all but there's a real limit. Insanity is guilty of this one big time. The workouts are intentionally programmed to be nearly impossible to complete at that intensity. And you're supposed to do that intensity six days a week? Injury here we come.

DVD programs that use intensity naturally are plauged by customer injuries. Afterall, no one is there looking at the squats and lunges that you're doing by the hundreds. With that much volume, faulty exercise patterns will cause injuries very quickly. Trainers naturally warn clients away from these DVDs because of that.

On the whole, I think they do more good than harm, which is why I give them a positive review. I'd rather people be exposed to that type of exercise program than not even with the down side. And let's face it, everything has a negative side, right?

So enjoy the occassional P90X or Insanity workout (or even cycle) but keep good exercise form and upgrade to a better program when you can.