I've been running all winter. Around Christmas break time we got snowed in for about a week and then the second week it was windy as heck. One of my relatives told me I should do Insanity cardio with them. Now I feel like I'm being dragged into it, as a 5:08 mile and 17:34 5k runner. Should I be doing this? I'm usually so exhausted from it I can't even get out to run. If you know anything about this cardio program please help me out here!
Workouts like insanity and other high-intensity bodyweight programs are just non-specific high-intensity cardio. So, it is not a replacement for lots of easy running, which is specific to your goals and lower intensity than insanity. Like, in terms of fitness, I imagine it is better than nothing, but it probably also triggers adaptations that you aren't looking for. Upside is that not a ton of stuff can happen to your body in a short amount of time, but running is always going to be the most specific and effective way to train. Especially with your times, doing some other kind of training program isn't going to make you better than running. At the same time, you aren't like poisoning yourself.
What do you mean by "Should I be doing this?"
What are you worried about? Injury?
Yeah, I'm also worried I'll be gaining muscle I don't need.
Cross training can certainly help you improve as a runner, but cross training is not a replacement for running.
RunnerWhoIs Confused wrote:
Yeah, I'm also worried I'll be gaining muscle I don't need.
Unless you're doing the full Insanity program for however long it is (I forget if it's 30/60/90 days), you won't be doing it long enough to gain any substantial amount of muscle. Insanity is not a muscle gaining program. It's meant to shed weight and build functional strength.
If anything, you will gain functional strength that will only help your running (core muscles, more leg strength with the plyo/lateral movements of the program...things that only running will not necessarily help with).
Honestly buddy: you're over thinking this. You're not going to Tokyo and you're not going to be signed by Nike. Do what you can to stay injury-free, healthy, and in shape over the winter months. If that includes a soccer mom program like Insanity, then go for it. If it doesn't, then do something else.
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