INSANITY vs P90X: A Comparison for Women by a Woman

The question I kept on asking myself before trying to decide between the INSANITY and P90X workout programs was, “oh my gosh, when did I get so fat?!” I knew it made my heart race to walk up a few flights of stairs, but when did I gain nearly thirty pounds?!

Yes, I was over 150 lbs when I made the decision to get back in shape again, so I wouldn’t be self-conscious about getting in a bathing suit. This is when I began comparing INSANITY vs P90X. I saw enough of the infomercials on TV, so I was intrigued.

As a woman, my goals were to lose weight and tone up without getting a professional bodybuilder look. Unfortunately, most of the real reviews I was able to find online about either program were written by men. My problem with that was men lose fat quicker than women, and men tend to like different types of workouts than women.

Anyways, below is my comparison of the top two at-home workout programs from a woman’s perspective.

And this is post is a comparison with the original P90X, I’d suggest reading my P90X Generation Next review which came out in 2026 befroe deciding whihc program is the best for you.

The Two Key Differences Between INSANITY and P90X

If I were to answer the questions, “What is P90X?” and “What is INSANITY?” in one sentence answers, this is what I would say this:

INSANITY is a 60-day intense workout program that is primarily a weight loss program where the workouts are performed 6 times a week and are 30-45 minute in length.

P90X is a 90-day total body workout program that consists of weight training workouts, cardiovascular exercise, and Yoga to help you not only lose weight, but also build lean muscle.

INSANITY vs P90X Comparison Chart

Being an art major(grad), I have always found it easier to take in information when presented visually, so  I figured my chart comparing INSANITY vs P90X would be an easy way for you to see key differences between the programs and which is better at achieving which result:

What Are the P90X and INSANITY Workouts Like?

The INSANITY workout program is based on something known as “Max Interval Training”, which is long-bursts of full blown cardiovascular exercise followed by shorter and lower intensity intervals of cardiovascular exercise. All of the INSANITY workouts will get your heart rate up and leave you pretty much drenched in sweat.

P90X bases its workouts around a training principle known as “muscle confusion”. The theory behind this principle is that, when you change up exercise order, workout order and even your diet, you don’t allow the body enough time to adapt to the training. This keeps you always moving forward with your health and fitness and not plateauing.

How the Workouts are Different

INSANITY workouts are high-intensity cardiovacular workouts that are not dance orienteted. You will be left in a puddle of sweat after these workouts from the plyometric moves that they incorporate with other physically demanding body weight only movements. Insanity workouts are done 6 times a week with no weights.

P90X workouts are also done six times a week. The program features three days of weight training, a plyometric workout, Kenpo(kickboxing) workout, and sweat inducing Yoga workout. The workouts are cycled in three week phases so you will not get bored with the workouts.

How the Diets Differ

The INSANITY diet plan is an easy-to-follow diet where you eat 40% carbs, 40% protein, and 20% fat. This diet is well-balanced and easy to stick with. Everything is detailed in the INSANITY diet plan, which includes a step-by-step guide to calculating your calories and a bunch of easy-to-follow recipes that won’t keep you in the kitchen all day.

The P90X diet is more complicated than the INSANITY diet. The P90X diet plan is a 3 phase nutrition plan. In phase 1 of the P90X diet, which is called the Fat-Shredder phase, you eat a diet high in protein, low in fat, and low in carbohydrates. During the first phase of the P90X diet, people often notice significant loss of energy from the lower carbohydrates, but also significant weight loss. The second phase of the P90X diet is called the Energy Booster and is similar to the Insanity diet of 40% carbs, 40% protein, and 20% fat. The third phase of the P90X diet is called the Endurance Maximizer and is nicknamed an athletic diet for this reason: unless you have extremely low body-fat levels, you should avoid this phase of the diet entirely and stick to the Energy Booster phase or you’ll likely add unwanted body fat.

What Equipment You Need for P90X or INSANITY

What I like most about the INSANITY workout program is the fact that it requires no workout equipment. This means I can just move my coffee table to the side, throw in a DVD, and start working out it minutes. You may want to add a heart-rate monitor to your workouts to make sure you stay in your target heart range.

On the other end of the spectrum, P90X  requires lots of equipment if you want to get the most out of the program. While it is recommended you have at least resistance bands and a yoga mat to do P90X, you will really need a few more pieces of equipment. Pull-ups and chin-up variations are major exercises in P90X, which means you’ll need a chin-up bar, plus likely a chair to help give you a boost until you’re strong enough. You’ll also want dumbbells up to thirty pounds, push-up bars, a yoga block, and a heart rate monitor is always very handy to have. The only good thing is that weights up to thirty pounds, yoga mat and heart rate monitor are something you will always be able to use down the road, so think of them as more of an investment in your health overall.

P90X vs  INSANITY  – Which Program is Harder?

For one reason or another, people always want to know which program is harder when comparing Insanity to P9oX. I can tell you this: both programs are extremely difficult, and both programs if followed properly are extremely rewarding. They will whip you into shape in 60 or 90 days and start you on track to a new and healthier lifestyle. However after trying both programs, I believe INSANITY is the harder of the two programs if you were to go all out with either.

Price Point – Where to Get p90X or INSANITY for the Lowest Prices

The good news is you do not have to let price be the deciding factor when choosing between INSANITY and P90X. Why? Because they both cost the same!

The lowest price for INSANITY and P90X is $119.88 plus shipping. But, if you order through a Team Beachbody store, you get free bonus workouts that are not available anywhere else.

If you order P90X through the link below, you get two free bonus workouts: Fountain of Youth Yoga and Mammoth UML, which is an upper body workout. And, as of writing this, you will also receive P90X Plus (4 DVDs – 5 workouts) for free, which is a $130 value alone.

Click here to order P90X

Ordering INSANITY through the link below will also get you a free bonus workout called the Fast and Furious workout. I love this workout, and the fact it is only 20-minutes long makes an awesome addition to my workout line-up…especially on those days when I am short on time.

Click here to order Insanity

Try Both Without Risk

March 2015, Beachbody created the Beachbody On Demand media library allowing you to stream some of there at home workouts to Internet capable devices.

This service is part of the Team Beachbody Club membership. Here is the link to a 14-day no obligation trial(scroll down to the bottom right for the offer), that if you have not had a Club account before you can use to try all of the Beachbody workout programs ever produced.

P90X vs INSANITY Results

INSANITY and P90X will undoubtedly get you real results. Both programs will help you lose weight, tone-up, and improve your cardiovascular health.

• For weight loss, I would give INSANITY five stars and P90X four stars.
• For toning up, I would give P90X five stars and INSANITY four stars.
• For cardiovascular health, I would give INSANITY five stars and P90X four stars.

The Simple Way to Decide

If I had to put it into simplest terms, if you like weight training, lots of pull-ups and push-ups then P90X is for you. If you do not like weight training and love high-intensity cardio INSANITY is your better option.

Still Need Help Deciding?

If you read this article and still are having difficulty figuring out which program is the one for you, please leave me a comment below. The more information you give about your goals and current fitness levels will help me figure out the right program for you.