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.