One of the main reasons why workouts and exercise programs are unsuccessful is that people don’t have the motivation to stay with them. Instead, after trying the workout for few days or weeks, they get tired or frustrated, and give up. An exercise routine with the name “Insanity” could make many people assume they will fail before they even begin. It is a tough routine, but it is one that can give you a years worth of results in only 60 days if you can stick with it.
The most important thing to remember is that anyone can see results from the Insanity workout if they do stay the course and continue exercising. To help you stick with Insanity, here are some tips that you can implement or remember every day so that you can continue working and get the results you want.
Have the Right Mindset from the Beginning
If you begin the routine with the assumption that you will fail, then what else can you expect to happen? There is a quote going around that says “whether you think you can or you think you can’t, You’re right”. So much of your motivation comes from how you think. If you think you won’t succeed, then chances are, you will not make it very far toward your goals. If you have a positive mindset from the beginning, then you can more easily achieve your goals. When I started my most recent round of Insanity I know my mindset would make or break me. And you know what, I completed Insanity because I had the right mindset. Try thinking these things:
- I know I can do this.
- I have seen results in others. If they can do this, then so can I.
- I have a goal and each day I am a little closer to it.
By reminding yourself regularly to keep in the right mindset, it can make a big difference in your ability to stick to Insanity.
Set Realistic Goals To Stick To Insanity
Some people set goals that are impossible to obtain. They think that somehow, the workout will be a “miracle cure” to their body condition. If you do stick with it, you will see results that could surprise you, but it isn’t a quick fix. Insanity is about getting your body into good shape and toned condition. That means it will take time.
You need goals because they give you something to work toward. However, you need to set goals that you can realistically attain. I went into Insanity with a goal of losing a few pounds but my main focus was dropping my body fat percentage. I set a goal to get to 10% body fat and I finished at 13%. Did I meet my goal of 10%, no, but I was making progress everyday to keep me going towards that goal. You need to challenge yourself, but don’t set a goal you will never be able to reach. If you do, then you will become frustrated and you may give up.
Make Sure You Are Eating Right
Some people think that if they exercise regularly, then they don’t have to worry about their diet. However, not eating right will sap energy, leaving you so drained that you don’t feel like working out. Not to mention it will be devastating on your overall results. I suggest tracking your nutrition with an online application like My Fitness Pal. Eating whatever you want will backfire in your goals. Learn how to set up My Fitness Pal here.
Getting the correct amount of calories is probably the most missed part of this equation that I see. I see many people either eat way too many or far too few calories with Insanity. It took me a few weeks to find the sweet spot for my body, but once I did the weight and body fat started to come off consistently. A simple way to calculate your Insanity calorie intake can be found here.
You need to follow the nutrition guide as closely as possible and make sure you are getting the types of foods that will fuel your body and boost your metabolism. For me I went through the nutrition guide and picked out every meal that sounded good and had it loaded in My Fitness Pal. So not only picking meals was easy, but knowing the calorie intake from those meals were already predetermined. This is extremely important to the overall success to the workout and is vital to your ability to stick to Insanity.
Don’t Get Frustrated
You may start the Insanity workout and you may not see the results you expected right away. You may get frustrated and you could give up and quit. Don’t let your weight loss get to you, though. Beginners have more trouble performing all of the moves right and following the proper diets. Try looking at your daily routine and see if you can pinpoint a reason why you aren’t losing weight as quickly as you thought you would.
Let’s be honest, there WILL be days that you don’t feel like pushing play, there WILL be days you want to have a cheat meal. That’s the reality and it’s OK. You have to live your life and just keep going and don’t focus on the negatives. I had good days and bad days during my round of Insanity, but I got it done.
You may not be eating the right diet to lose weight properly. Remember that the workout is only one portion of your fitness, and the foods you eat are important. Refer to the nutrition guide and determine if there are things you need to change. The most important thing to remember is to not give up out of frustration.
Don’t Do It Alone
This is probably my number one recommendation for sticking to Insanity. This is the hardest program ever put on DVD and that is not a clever slogan or title. It’s the truth. You will be pushed hard everyday and although through the beginning you may feel amazing there will come time when you just don’t feel like pushing play. I had a few days like this in my Insanity Journey. And you know what kept me going? My Insanity Challenge Group. Knowing everyday that everybody else was pushing play and was there to support each other was amazing. I ONLY missed one workout in the 63 day routine and that was due to injury and it was during the recovery week. Having someone to keep you accountable will be huge for your success in completing this program. If you are not really interested in joining an Insanity Challenge group you still need someone to keep you accountable. Find family members, loved ones, friends or anyone and ask them to help keep you accountable. If you would like to learn more about joining my Challenge Group click here.
Write It Down
What do I mean by that? Well I’m actually talking about blogging about your Insanity experience. This was the second biggest factor for me in helping me stick to Insanity. I blogged everyday about every workout. I even wrote about my nutrition. I did this for my readers but mostly for myself. It really helped me stay accountable to myself and my goals. I put it all out there too. If I had a bad day I wrote about it, if I hated a particular workout I wrote about it. I basically wrote about everything in my Insanity journey including my weight loss results and pics that I updated every 15 days or so. So I highly suggest you do the same.
It’s easy to do, blogging is free. You can create a free blog over at www.wordpress.org or www.blogger.com. It doesn’t have to be anything extreme. It’s just a place to empty your mind on how the day went for you. If you’d like to see my Day by Day Insanity Journey click here.
In Conclusion
Don’t walk into the Insanity workout thinking it will be a piece of cake. It’s designed to be a challenge and it will be tough. However, if you stay with the 60 day program, you will get results. Make sure to keep yourself in the right mindset before you begin the exercise routine and throughout, even if you aren’t seeing the results you expected right away.
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Yours In Success,
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