Crazy About Insanity?

College students may have found a new way to combat the freshman fifteen, and pounds that pile on during their often stressful academic tenures. A workout program called Insanity seems to be getting attention on college campuses.

A study done by Dr.Terry T.-K. Huang and other health experts revealed, “most college students are not meeting dietary and physical activity guidelines, suggesting the need for prevention interventions and increased understanding of overweight in college students,” according to tandfonline.com

The need to manage their weight, along with pressure to look good might contribute to the popularity of workout programs like insanity.

“College students are obsessed with body image and this workout is marketed to a young audience with the promise that you will lose weight and gain muscle quickly,” said Matt Kirson, a 20-year-old college student.

The Insanity workout program was created by Shaun T, a dancer and choreographer who received a Bachelor of Science in Sports Science, and a minor in dance from Rowan University.

The system has 10 levels, starting with a dig deeper phase and fit test, and ending with a max cardio routine and abdominal workout.

“We are insane,” said users of the system, as they jumped up and down in the Insanity infomercial.

It’s all about max interval training explained Shaun T. “It’s going for working as hard as you can for three minutes, take a break, go back into it,” the fitness guru said in the infomercial.

“One night I was up late and saw a commercial for the workout plan. I had a conversation with a friend who'd tried it and decided that I would too,” said Daniale Simmons, a senior at Rutgers University.

“This power-packed home DVD workout by BeachBody and Shaun T is designed to transform your body from regular to absolutely ripped in just 60 days,” according to the Insanity website, but college students have mixed responses to the program.

The 60 day program costs about $120.00, but some believe it’s not worth the price or the pain.

“I wasn’t fond of the fact that the instructor didn’t allot longer break times,” said Simmons.

Kirson also had trouble with the system. “It started off extremely quick and was hard to keep up with. Since I was not used to working out at someone else's pace, I found it hard to keep on time with the video. The exercises change very rapidly and going from one to another tires you out quickly,” Kirson said.

However, getting the results you want may depend on your level of determination.

Francesca Rosa, a 22-year-old Beachbody coach thought she wasn’t going to be able to finish the program. “My first impression was, oh my God! I can’t do this! It looked completely insane,” Rosa said.

Eventually Rosa got the hang of it. “After actually trying the moves I found that I was able to do most of them, not perfectly of course, but to my capability,” Rosa said.

Contrary to negative and partial views on the Insanity system, there are those who believe if you’re persistent the results will be worth it.

Alison Antisz, a 22-year-old who often looks for new ways to stay in shape believes the program is worth the effort if it’s done regularly. “If you stick to it, eat well and give it everything you have there’s no doubt that you will look 10 times better than you did before,” Antisz said.

Eating well seems easier said than done, and some college students find it hard to maintain healthy diets while coping with the stress of their academics.

Although the workout system comes with a nutritional guide some people have a difficult time sticking strictly to the system.

“If people don’t watch what they eat a long with this system, they will probably not get the results they want. Some people have gained weight instead of losing from this system so definitely eating right plays a huge role,” Rosa said.

The Economy vs. The College Student

It all seemed to crash at once, the stock market, the housing market, people stopped spending what money they had, and then came the job cuts. In the fall of 2008, when most of today’s senior class was entering freshman dorms at their respective colleges, the onset of economic ambiguity peaked. As the class of 2012 approaches graduation, there are mixed sentiments about the current economic climate.

Non- profit research organization The Project on Student Debt stated that the 2010 graduating class faced an unemployment rate of 9.1 percent, and graduated on average about $25,250 in debt.

The unemployment figures from The Project on Student Debt did not take underemployment into account. College graduates may resort to minimum wage jobs, or jobs they are overqualified for because of a lack of higher paying jobs.

Alison Antisz graduated from Rutgers University in May 2011 with a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Policy, Intuitions and Behavior, and a Bachelor of Arts in Planning and Public Policy. She began searching for jobs seven months prior to graduation but still found herself in compromising financial situations.

“After graduation I was working a minimum wage job for the summer in Maryland. I was then offered an independent contractor position in New Jersey and was subsequently let go after about two months with no notice,” Antisz said.

Antisz eventually received a position as a staff scientist at a firm in Morgantown, West Virginia, but explains the road to finding a job she could sustain herself with was not easy, and for many of her friends finding a niche in this economy is difficult.

“In short, I would say it took me about five months to find a job that paid me a decent salary, but I am the only one of my friends that I can say that for, and I know the only reason I can is because I moved 500 miles away,” Antisz said.

At the end of November the U.S. unemployment rate was 8.6 percent, down from 9.8 percent in November 2010, but some economists don’t believe these numbers reflect substantial economic movement.

Professor Bruce Mizrach an Economics professor at Rutgers explained the labor market is weak, and is still in recovery. “For college graduates 2011 was better than 2010, but I think that 2012 will be no better than 2011,” Mizrach said.

Despite skepticism some college seniors are preserving positives attitudes about the economy.

Giuseppe Cefalo, a 24-year-old senior at Montclair State University feels confident in the job search. “I feel confident as far as getting a job, but I do realize how the economy is, and it’s hard out there,” said Cefalo.

Cefalo majored in Broadcasting with a minor in speech communication and plans on applying for jobs in the television industry before May commencement.

While Cefalo is keeping the faith, others working in the media industry are not convinced there’s room for eager college graduates.

Mason Medina graduated in January 2011 from Rutgers University with a B.A., in journalism & media studies, and a minor in history. After an internship with My9 in Secaucus, New Jersey, Medina was able to land a freelance position with the station.

However, Medina gets an average five days per month on the schedule as a freelance production assistant, and after sending out resumes to media companies all over the tri state area, he is extremely frustrated with the job outlook.

Looking back, Medina doesn’t think college was imperative to being successful. “No chance I’d go to college knowing it’s (the economy) is like this, I’d have at least an unsuccessful business by now,” Medina joked, as he explained he doesn’t think it makes a difference whether or not you go to college in this economy.

“I’ve been looking for a full time job for the whole year,” Medina said.

With more than three dozen resumes sent out, he explained, “the hardest part is getting an interview, because no one calls back,” Medina said.

Going to graduate school is a decision that is often weighed by recent college graduates, but being overqualified and still not being able to get a job afterward is a reality they may have to consider.

Christin Nassar graduated in 2011 with a B.A., in psychology from Rutgers, and decided to continue her education by pursuing a master’s degree in social work, also at Rutgers.

Nassar wanted to further her education but the economy affected her ultimate decision of completing a master’s in social work now, instead of following her dream of completing a Ph.D., in psychology.

“Originally, I planned on obtaining a master’s in clinical psychology and then going on to obtain a doctorate of psychology, but during my last semester as an undergrad I realized that financially it would be better for me to pursue an MSW and spend three years in school, as opposed to seven-eight years pursuing a Ph.D.,” Nassar said.

Nassar works as an apartment assistant at Rutgers, a job that cuts the amount of loans she has to take out to finance her education.

Optimism about the labor market after college varies from student to student, and major to major, and some people realize certain occupations are more in demand than others.

“People that went into specialized fields like nursing, radiology, medical positions, or accounting positions seem better off,” said Medina.

Medina said if he could go back to his first year out of high school he might have studied nursing.

The financial implications of going to college and dealing with the possibility of not finding a job afterward are personal decisions each student will have to weigh. “When will I retire? When can I buy a house? Will I be able to have kids and provide for them?” Antisz pondered.