Don’t Be Scared!!!

Day 1 of the Insanity program is the Insanity Fit Test, and as a Beachbody Coach, I have found this workout to be the most difficult for people. Why? For a lot of people, I think it is out of sheer fear of the word “test” and “failure”. Well let me clear the air, there is no such thing as a poor Fit Test performance. The Fit Test is only meant to help you track your progress and is also a great workout to boot. This article will teach what you need to know about the Insanity Fit Test, which will get you started on the right foot with the Insanity workout program.

My Insanity Fit Test Workout Overview

The Insanity Fit Test is about twenty-five minutes in length and is comprised of eight exercises done for a minute each. In between each exercise, you receive a minute break to write down the number of repetitions you performed for each exercise and briefly catch your breath. The Insanity fit test video begins with a general warm-up and light stretching and concludes with a light stretch. The Fit Test is performed every other week in the Insanity program, and you will be performing the test a total of five times during your two months of Insanity.

Who is Featured in the Insanity Fit Test?

The Fit Test is led by trainer Shaun T and features two Insanity graduates, Tonya and Chris, who perform the exercises. Shaun T first demonstrates the proper form of each exercise during the 1-minute rest period before each exercise, and then the exercise is performed by Tonya and Chris while Shaun T critiques form.

Remember, you are not in competition with Tonya or Chris – they have both completed 60 days of the Insanity program already. You may also notice Tonya has more of a lackluster range of motion on most exercises, which allow her to perform more repetitions than if she had a full range of motion on each exercise. If I had to decide between the two on who had better form on each exercise, I would choose Chris – this is who you should be watching more.

The Insanity Fit Test Exercises

1.) Switch kicks: In Insanity, switch kicks are performed by standing up straight and kicking each leg out in front of you as high as possible while alternating legs for the one minute set. Remember to keep your core muscle tight and control the movement – do not flail your limbs. Flailing is what leads to injury. Two kicks equals one repetition for counting purposes.

2.)Power Jacks: Power jacks are performed similar to a regular jumping jack, but you assume a low squat position at the bottom of the movement. Remember to keep your back flat (no arching!) and do not let your knees move past your toes at the bottom of the movement (the squat part).

 

3.) Power Knees: Insanity’s power knees are not an arm exercise. This exercise is performed by grasping your hands over head and then lowering your hands while simultaneously raising your knee to meet your hands at a slight angle across the body. Keep your core tight. This exercise is performed on one side only.

 

4.)Power Jumps: Insanity power jumps are performed by going down into as deep of squat position as possible and leaping into the air as high as possible while raising your knees. Like the Insanity Power Jacks, remember to keep your back flat and do not allow your knees to drift past your toes when squatting.

 

5.) Globe Jumps: Insanity’s globe jumps are the hardest exercise in the Insanity Fit Test. These are performed by hopping four times from a squat position. You start with one leap back, a leap to your right, a leap forward, and a repetition is finished with a leap to the left. Again, be sure to keep a flat back and not allow the knees to pass the toes when squatting – never sacrifice form for repetitions.

6.)Suicide Jumps: Insanity suicide jumps are just a fancy name for the classic burpee exercise. This exercise is performed by dropping down into a plank (push-up) position and then drawing your knees back up into a squat position and finishing with a leap into the air.

 

7.) Push-Up Jacks: Insanity push-up jacks are the only real upper body exercise in the Fit Test. This exercise is deceptively simple. It is performed in the plank position. When you lower down into the push-up, your feet are spread apart, and when you raise up into the plank position, you put your feet back together touching for a single repetition. Keep your body straight throughout the movement by tightening your core and squeezing the buttocks.

8.)Low Plank Oblique Exercise: The Insanity low plank oblique exercise is performed by staying in the plank position and alternatively bringing each knee up to the elbow or as far as possible. Again, be sure to keep the straight line of the plank position and avoid arching the back up or down.

 

While the above exercises may not seem very difficult, however when performing as many as you can for a full minute at a time, they become quite difficult and make the Insanity Fit Test a very good workout in and of itself.

Insanity Fit Test Tips

• Pace yourself – if you need a break, take it. Never sacrifice form for repetitions
• Write down your numbers, and use your numbers as a benchmark for each additional time you take the Fit Test and try to improve upon them.
• Keep your core tight during every exercise and control the movements. For many of these exercises, it is easy to relax the core and flail your limbs, but this will only increase your risk of injury, so keep the core tight!

Insanity Fit Test Workout Sheets

It is very important to track your Insanity Fit Test workout results. For this, I have provided downloadable links for the Insanity Fit Test in PDF format that can be printed as well as an excel sheet that you can use to track your Insanity results on your computer.

Download the Insanity Fit Test in PDF Format – Here

Download the Insanity Fit Test Tracker in Excel Format – Here

To track all of your Insanity workouts online for free, Team Beachbody has created the SuperGym were you can log your workouts and track your progress online. All you need is a Team Beachbody account that you can create for free by clicking this link.

If you have any questions about the Insanity Fit Test or any other part of the program, please feel free to leave a comment below.