Sixty days older, five to fifteen pounds lighter, a hell of a lot fitter, and pumped to take your newfound gains to the next level with a new Beachbody program.
Insanity Max 30 and those brutal “Max Out” workouts are officially in the books.
… Now what?
Beachbody On Demand is home to more than 75 unique programs and thousands of workouts, which makes choosing your next program a little more complicated than, say, Athlean-X.
Are you ready to choose your next Beachbody program?
Here are our top picks for what you should do after Insanity Max 30 to continue making gains.
1. Take a Full Week Off (The Real Answer)
Dun, dun, dun. (Sorry, that was a tad dramatic.)
There’s no time to lose when you’re slimming down and becoming more “aesthetic” by the day. But it’s also no coincidence that Shaun T builds a recovery week between months one and two of the original Insanity — it makes a difference.
Following in the footsteps of the OG, Insanity Max 30 is jam-packed with 150+ plyometric jump movements that leave even the beastliest of athletes wincing, aching at the joints, and sore.
Max 30 was eight straight weeks of that, 5–6 times per week for a half-hour per session. So what you should really do after Max 30 is take a week-long break.
(Unpopular opinion, yes, but bear with us!)
This brief pause in training is a chance to recharge mentally and physically in a way that Max 30’s one rest day per week couldn’t allow.
The muscles and joints use this period to repair any residual microtears that can trigger noticeable growth. Week-long pauses also reduce the risk of overtraining, which can damage your immune system, cause insomnia, or lead to frustrating training plateaus.
But what about the long-fabled detraining myth?
Studies do link a lack of exercise to decreased muscle activation (-10.2%), cross-sectional area (-15.1%), and strength (-9.65Nm) … after eight weeks of detraining. However, a loss in strength, muscle size, and aerobic performance typically require 2–4 weeks of absolutely no training.
A week off will better prepare you for the remaining eight picks on this list!
2. Insanity
If you’re not ready to call it quits and ghost Shaun T just yet, the OG Insanity is the most logical next step after completing Max 30.
Insanity Max 30 offered a taste of the record-setting Insanity program, but let’s make one thing clear: it’s not just a watered-down version of the original. Those who’ve tried both would describe the transition from Max 30 to the real Insanity as smooth yet intense.
The insanity continues the six-day-a-week format (if you count the Pulse recovery workout as a session) and thrives on the “max” concept.
This time, it’s “maximum interval training” — or three-minute cardio bursts followed by 30 seconds of rest. All this drives your heart rate to 80% of its maximum to reach a point of fat-burning bliss, which explains why many shed 20–40 pounds in just two months.
But be warned: Shaun T’s original Insanity is arguably the toughest 60-day challenge in all of Beachbody history.
Insanity workouts last longer (35–60 minutes), adopt a nearly full cardio approach, and burn upwards of 1,000 calories an hour … if you’re not winded or doubled-over halfway through.
Choose this program if you:
- Can pass the Insanity Fit Test & get your doctor’s approval
- Want to lose at least 10–20 pounds
- Care about weight loss more than strength and mass
- Prefer cardio and aerobics to strength and resistance training
What you need: A jumping mat (optional)
3. P90X
P90X is that one program that nearly every Beachbody subscriber attempts at least once, though sometimes reluctantly. (We consider it somewhat of a Beachbody rite of passage.)
You can check out our full review here: https://noobgains.com/p90x-workout-review
Legendary fitness trainer Tony Horton launched P90X to a roaring crowd more than 15 years ago, pairing the groundbreaking program with the catchline “get in the best shape of your life.”
As the cheesy slogan suggests, P90X is more of an all-around fitness program — unlike Max 30’s strict cardio and plyo focus. This six-day-a-week program will build muscle, torch fat, improve endurance, enhance strength, and even boost full-body flexibility.
This now “ancient” 90-day routine pounces on the variety Max 30 seems to lack.
It’s no longer just core work or just plyometrics. Instead, P90X introduces split training, yoga, Kenpo, and stretching through its 12 unique workouts (including the still-popular Ab Ripper X).
So what should a Max 30 grad like yourself expect from P90X?
A bit of a shock, to put it bluntly. P90X workouts are considerably longer (45–90 minutes), somewhat tamer, add equipment into the mix, and achieve more fitness goals at once.
Choose this program if you:
- Consider overall fitness your #1 training goal
- Want to follow a program that stands the test of time
- Crave training variety beyond cardio and plyos
- Have up to six hours a week to dedicate to training
What you need: A jumping mat (optional), chin-up bar, adjustable dumbbells, resistance bands, heart rate monitor (optional), yoga blocks, skinfold calipers, push-up stands
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4. Body Beast
Body Beast is our top choice for the Max 30 survivors that are ready for a bulking program. Now 5–15 pounds slimmer with a lower body fat percentage, Body Beast flips the switch and kick-starts your muscle and strength-building phase.
This 2012 Sagi Kalev program is Beachbody’s take on the classic “bro split.”
Kalev designed Body Beast around the classic hypertrophy training principles. Using heavy dumbbells, 8–15 reps per set, and a combination of set styles (i.e., forced and super), many thrilled Beachbody subscribers end Body Beast with 7+ pounds of pure lean mass.
This quick-paced program cycles through three distinct “blocks” tailored to aesthetic physique goals: Build (foundational strength), Bulk (hypertrophy), and Beast (maximizing gains).
Fair warning: Body Beast features one cardio-style workout per week at most. It’s essentially the polar opposite of Shaun T’s Max 30, which is its #1 bonus if you’re somewhat of a gym rat.
Choose this program if you:
- Plan to bulk up, lean out, or generally build muscle
- Aren’t fond of constant aerobic exercise
- Prefer longer programs (Body Beast is a slightly longer 12 weeks)
What you need: Adjustable dumbbells (10–70 pounds), resistance bands (optional), EZ curl bar (optional), weighted bench or balance ball, chin-up bar (optional), exercise mat (optional)
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5. Focus T25
Because lord knows there’s no such thing as “too many Shaun T programs,” number five on our list is the always-popular Focus T25 — or T25 for short. If you found Max 30 too challenging or relied on the Modifier Track as a crutch for workouts, T25 packs a much-needed ego boost.
Shaun T’s T25 stuffs an hour’s worth of results into just 25 minutes of high-impact training per day, five days per week. (That’s 55 fewer minutes of training a week, for anyone keeping tabs.)
But while late-beginner and intermediate-friendly, T25 is still a far cry from “easy.”
Its 17 fast-paced, high-impact workouts keep rest periods brief, variety high, and transitions seamless (10–60 seconds per exercise before sliding into the next).
T25’s Alpha and Beta phases drive up the intensity weekly to build steady foundational strength. Meanwhile, the optional Gamma phase nails down the strength and size aspect.
This Beachbody program might seem like a downgrade compared to the intensity of Max 30. However, it’s a solid choice for those who felt over their head with Max 30 and want to build strength while slimming down — sometimes 19+ inches!
Choose this program if you:
- Prefer slightly shorter workouts and one less training day per week
- Want to improve strength, size, and endurance
- Can handle a quick pace similar to Max 30
What you need: Adjustable dumbbells, resistance bands, exercise mat (optional), chin-up bar (optional)
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7. P90X3
P90X3 is like the Insanity Max 30 of P90X — similar in concept but a significantly smaller time commitment. Like Max 30, P90X3 workouts hover around the 30-minute mark, follow a six-day-a-week schedule, and are reasonable for intermediates (a smooth transition).
But those are about the only similarities these two Beachbody programs share.
Tony Horton’s P90X3 combines the best features from his hit programs from the same record-breaking franchise, P90X, and P90X2.
P90X3 carries a familiar high-intensity approach from Max 30 while doubling down on Horton’s passion for training variety. Beyond classic strength and conditioning workouts, P90X3 infuses yoga, pilates, MMA, isometrics, and eccentric training into the mix.
Horton dubs this 90-day program “extreme fitness accelerated.” He also built in four unique training tracks — Classic, Lean, Mass, and Doubles — to match your definition of “fitness.”
Choose this program if you:
- Want to jump on the P90X bandwagon but don’t have the time
- Felt somewhat out of your comfort zone with Max 30
- Enjoy trying out new training styles
- Prefer to make it up as you go (i.e., switch from a weight loss to strength goal)
What you need: Adjustable dumbbells (up to 50 pounds), resistance bands (optional), chin-up bar, cross-training shoes
8. LIIFT4
Next up is Joel Freeman’s LIIFT4, a 2018 program designed to tackle the impossible — build muscle and burn fat in a matter of eight weeks.
We’d rate LIIFT4 a better routine for intermediates who saw little Max Out progress in Max 30 or can’t handle the daily high-intensity plyometric training.
It’s also a more reasonable selection for those still unsure of their training goals. The simultaneous muscle-building, fat loss, improved strength, and enhanced endurance offer a little taste of everything and buy you more time to decide.
Unlike other Beachbody programs on this list, LIIFT4 also has a new workout every day (literally), with 32 in total.
These workouts generally follow one of three formats: HIIT (60/45/30/15 seconds on and 15 off), LIIFT (10-rep resistance training), and LIIFT 50/50 (HIIT first, LIIFT second).
Full disclosure: the jump from Max 30 to LIIFT4 is a bit bumpier than our previous picks. Compared to Max 30, LIIFT is far milder, calls for two fewer workouts per week, and leaves the relentless high-impact cardio obsession in the rearview.
Choose this program if you:
- Lead a busy lifestyle and can only fit four workouts into your schedule
- Want a brand new, unique workout each day
- Hope to transform your entire physique
- Have resistance training equipment at home (or a gym membership)
What you need: Adjustable dumbbells (heavy, medium, light), workout mat (optional)
9. A Hybrid Beachbody Program
Hybrid programs are the unspoken blessings in the Beachbody world that often remain secret. By that, we mean Beachbody doesn’t outwardly say, “Hey, check out these hybrid schedules,” but they also don’t say, “Please don’t combine our programs and post them on Pinterest.”
If you can’t settle on a single Beachbody program, want to pursue several training goals at once, or become bored easily, a user-made hybrid program is your best alternative.
There are two theories behind creating the “best” hybrid:
- Blending a cardio-focused routine with a strength-based one and alternating workouts throughout the week (i.e., Body Beast & Insanity Max 30)
- Pulling the best workouts from Beachbody’s top programs and arranging them into a logical schedule (i.e., Core de Force’s hybrid calendar, which does just that)
Side note: this option requires some fitness and nutritional know-how to avoid overtraining, undertraining, and following a diet that doesn’t match your goals. The last thing you want is back-to-back upper-body days or to schedule leg days after a power-based plyo workout.
Choose this option if you:
- Don’t want to settle for a single program, trainer, or goal
- Have a Beachbody On Demand subscription with access to all programs
- Feel confident creating your own schedule and diet plan
- Care more about variety than anything else
What you need: Varies
10. Insanity Max 30 (Again)
We saved Max 30 for last because — like that time you waved back at somebody who was actually waving to the person behind you — Max 30 might be a memory you want to forget.
The Beachbody community’s trend is repeating programs repeatedly until users either hit plateaus, become bored, or adjust their training goals. That might explain why most of the program’s success stories come from those who’ve repeated Max 30 for 2–5 rounds.
For those secretly wondering whether they can repeat Insanity Max 30 again and continue seeing results, the answer is yes.
While eight weeks is long enough for most, the entire “Max Out” concept opens the door to the aerobic version of “progressive overload.” Repeat the program, record longer Max Out times with each session, and inch closer toward finishing an entire workout without a single break.
Don’t forget that there’s a second Max 30 track called “Ab Maximizer,” too.
This slightly tougher variation adds 2–3 weekly core workouts to the schedule for anyone with the time and patience to tackle two-a-days for a more aesthetic physique and a six-pack.
As the old saying goes, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”
Choose this program if you:
- Have a goal of “Maxing Out” at 30 minutes (good luck, champ)
- Are still seeing results and haven’t yet hit a plateau
- Aren’t sick of Shaun T and Max 30’s 16 workouts
- Haven’t tried both the Max Out and Ab Maximizer versions
What you need: A jumping mat (optional)
Conclusion
The last thing on anyone’s mind after completing a brutal eight-week program like Max 30 is doing literally nothing for a full week.
(Sorry, not sorry. That’s our top pick, and we’re sticking to it!) But, after that week-long recovery period, the best Beachbody programs to try are:
- Insanity
- P90X
- Body Beast
- Focus T25
- P90X3
- LIIFT4
- A hybrid Beachbody program
- Insanity Max 30 (again)
Which one of these Beachbody routines is best for you? That depends on your training goals, how much free time you have, whether you have the equipment, and your fitness level.