Anyone looking to take their workout routine up a notch, I recommend Insanity: the Asylum series from Beachbody. After completing P90x and Insanity (considered the gold standard of home workout programs), I was looking for a new challenge to take my fitness to the next level.
As a sequel to Insanity, Asylum Volumes 1 and 2 build upon the foundation established in the 60-day Insanity program, which focused on high impact cardio and endurance training. That main theme remains in Asylum, but there are differences.
The first thing I noticed is that Asylum shifted its to improving athletic performance–such as coordination, power and explosiveness. As such, unlike Insanity, Asylum requires equipment. But not too much: dumbbells, a jump rope, bands and an agility ladder will do.
There are videos, Game Day in Volume 1 and Championship in Volume 2, which simulate the movements and actions of certain sports, such as basketball, soccer and track and field events. Volume 2 spends a lot of time on helping improve footwork and coordination, and even includes a tutorial devoted to all of the different footwork sequences. And they are challenging. Another difference is that each volume of Asylum is only 30 days (instead of 60 in Insanity). This makes sense, as it is such an extreme program, you should see results, even in such a short timeframe. Also, I think it would be difficult to have the energy to keep attacking these workouts with the same focus and effort for much more than a month.
As with every Beachbody workout, both Asylum volumes include diet programs to help properly fuel your body and ensure the best results. Volume 1’s diet suggests limiting alcohol and dairy intake for the first two weeks. Other than that, it is pretty close to the other Beachbody program diets, which stress eating small meals frequently throughout the day, limiting carbs and maximixing vegetables and proteins.
I strongly recommend Insanity: the Asylum to athletic people looking to improve their performance. Given its intensity and complexity, beginners may find it too challenging, and risk injuring themselves. It is probably the most intense and difficult exercise routines I’ve done. To those who are very familiar with various fitness programs (such as those offered by Beachbody or boot camp workouts), and looking for a challenge with the convenience of working out at home, I strongly recommend Insanity: the Asylum.
Aubrey Chau is a communications professional in Edmonton. He is passionate about being active, current events and finding the answer to two eternal questions: ‘why?’ and ‘where are my keys?’ Twittering at: @achau13
