So, today I finished the T25 workout program (both Alpha and Beta). Having done the Insanity program, I wanted to sit and think about the differences and which program is 'better'.
First, to say one is better than the other is like saying a banana Slurpee is better than cherry because it's yellow. Let's see if I can break down which was better for me. First Insanity. This was a very intense program, averaging about 45 minutes for the first half and 60 minutes for the second half. This is a lot of time to commit if you have a busy life. I leave for work at 6:00 am and get home around 5:00pm. That means my only real options to do my exercises are at 4:30am or when I get home. I opted for 4:30am, mainly for the reason that I would rather spend the evenings playing with my daughter and I only have a few hours with her before it's bed time. After that, it's wind down time to spend with my wife.
Doing a very rigorous workout at 4:30 in the morning does not work for everyone. Heck, it barely works for me, and I am very much a morning person. I found as the program was coming to the end, I was having a harder time staying focused and really applying my full energy towards the workouts. I was definitely more tired towards the end, but managed to stick it out and complete the program. It is a very good program and really works you hard. Before I started it, I was at 195 pounds. At the conclusion I was at 176. But, I felt like I hadn't really lost much of the pudginess that was hanging around. Obviously I had lost weight, but I still felt like I looked the same.
On to T25. According to my weigh-ins, I lost exactly 0 pounds with this program. I weighed this morning at 176 pounds. Earlier in the program, I had climbed back up to about 183, and came back down to where I am. I don't know if this was because of the week in Hawaii or just because of the holidays in general, but whatever. I know what you're thinking...what a waste of time. If you're looking strictly at weight loss, then I could agree. However, as I said above I didn't really feel like I looked any better after Insanity. After T25, I can actually tell that my mid section has trimmed down a lot. Pants that I hadn't been able to wear (even at the beginning of T25) are now much looser. I was wearing a size 34 jean prior to Insanity. Now, I can fit into my size 30 jeans. Notice, I'm not saying comfortably. There is a difference between wearing jeans and being able to button them. But that's because my thighs are bigger than they used to be, more on that later.
So, I really do feel like T25 is the better program for me in regards to losing inches, but Insanity yielded better results in regards to losing pounds. And for me I'm almost at the ideal weight anyway, so my focus at this point is more toning and losing the pudginess. T25 is much more about the core work and cardio work. It does incorporate some small weights in the second half, just enough to give you some resistance in the squats and firm up your upper body muscles. If you're looking for muscle gain in the upper body, this is the not the program for you. There is also a lot of focus on the lower body. Squats and lunges and squat lunges and moving squat lunges. You get the idea.
Overall, I like T25 better for the fact that it's 25 minutes long. Friday has a double day, but you can always split them up and do one that evening or on Saturday. I find that I can actually push myself harder on Friday's just to get both of them done in the morning so I don't have to do it that evening.
Now that it's done, I am wondering what to do next. There is a gamma stage that we might look into. I think for now, I'll just start T25 over again. I will probably start with the Alpha again, mostly because while I completed it, I feel like I didn't do it at 100% every time. I am not a very coordinated person when it comes to doing things like dancing or yoga. I am very much the epitome of white guy dancers. So, while I struggled through the program with some of the moves, I know I can go back and do them again at a higher intensity. Plus it'll be good to break up the exercises again. Each phase is 5 weeks, which is just a bit too long for me. I start getting bored with the repetition of the workouts. So I might try to modify the program a bit, combining alpha and beta phases every couple of weeks.
So there it is. I love working out again, and I'm glad I have found a program that allows me to workout and not really interfere with my family time.
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