P90X3 vs Insanity Max 30: Which is Better? (No Joke)

If we learned anything from GTA: The Trilogy and Batman v Superman (2016), it’s that reboots very rarely do the original justice.

Yet, P90X3 and Insanity Max 30 prove that isn’t always true. In fact, some regard them as better than the OG versions they evolved from — Tony Horton’s P90X and Shaun T’s Insanity.

Both of these routines are standalone programs requiring 5+ half-hour workouts per week, minimal equipment, and advanced training experience.

But between P90X3 and Insanity Max 30, which is best?

What Is P90X3?

P90X3 (2013) actually evolved from user complaints (surprise, surprise).

The unofficial P90X and P90X2 fan clubs raved about their progress. But they also found that 5–6 hour-long workouts per week — including a 90-minute yoga session — were unrealistic.

Horton took that to heart. He combined the training principles of P90X and P90X2 into a single 90-day program calling for six weekly workouts at half the time (P90X3).

Horton calls P90X3 “extreme fitness accelerated.”

With more than a dozen non-traditional workouts — like Agility X and MMX — and training styles like post-activation potentiation, P90X3 is often regarded as the best in the franchise.

This cardio, resistance training, and calisthenic program are semi-noob-friendly, can shred 20–40 pounds in three months, burns a ton of calories in the process, and requires nothing more than dumbbells and a chin-up bar.

Here’s a closer look at the program’s details and features:

• Experience Level: Advanced
• Program Goals: Athleticism, muscle mass, burn fat
• Required Equipment: Dumbbells (up to 50 pounds), cross-training shoes, chin-up bar (Optional: resistance bands)
• Workouts Per Week: 6
• Program Length: 90 days
• Average Length of Workouts: 30 minutes
• Unique Workouts: 20 total (17 P90X3 & 3 P90X3 Deluxe)
• Schedule Options: 4 (Classic, Lean, Mass, Doubles)
• Our Rating: 8.4/10

Learn how P90X3 stands up against those that came before it — P90X vs. P90X2 vs. P90X3.

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4 Benefits of P90X3

1. The workouts are exciting — point-blank. Where Max 30 becomes repetitive, virtually every P90X3 workout goes against the grain. Workouts feature agility, MMA, yoga, pilates, cardio, resistance training, push-ups & pull-ups, military-style, dynamic, acceleration, deceleration, and eccentric training. Insanity Max 30 can’t say the same.
2. It’s the best of both worlds for P90X and P90X2 fans. Of course, not everyone agrees that it’s better than P90X and P90X2. But P90X3 borrows the training styles, aesthetic focus, and workout intensity from the OG P90X. From P90X2, it steals the athletic spin, post-activation potentiation (PAP), and emphasis on unstable foundations.
3. The inches and pounds lost speak for themselves. OK, yes, the calorie “calculations” — if you dare to even call them that — completely ignore the science. However, if you skip the cheat meals as Horton recommends, follow along with each workout, and make healthy food choices, you can lose 20–40 pounds in just three months.
4. It’s somewhat doable for beginners (somewhat). P90X3 is an awful choice for those who haven’t trained a day in their lives (so is Max 30). But, assuming you can pass the P90X3 Fit Test and don’t mind a few half-ass modifications sprinkled in, the program’s intensity and variety are slightly more bearable than Max 30 for newbies.

4 Reasons Against P90X3

1. It requires some equipment. Unless you have an adjustable dumbbell set, resistance bands, and a chin-up bar collecting dust in the basement, you’ll either need a monthly gym membership or to buy your own. Max 30 requires literally nothing except free space to work out.
2. The lead-up to the high-resistance block is slow. P90X3 is a full-body program tackling nearly every fitness goal imaginable (i.e., endurance, weight loss, strength). Unfortunately, it’ll be 13 weeks until you reach the Elite Block featuring heavy-lift and explosive workouts: Complex Upper and Complex Lower. If resistance training is your final straw, between P90X3 and Max 30, P90X3 is the winner … but it’ll be a long wait.
3. P90X3 requires a sixth training day each week. An extra half-hour session per week probably won’t be the deciding factor. But it’s worth mentioning if you juggle a busy social life and a full-time job. Insanity Max 30 saves you an extra day per week.
4. The modifications are a swing and a miss. Nearly every exercise in P90X3 has a modification. However, we’d argue that “slowing your pace” isn’t really a modification. Why bother adding modifications like that?

What Is Insanity Max 30?

Insanity Max 30 (2014) is like the original Insanity’s first cousin — similar, but its own beast.

Unlike the OG version, Max 30 features much shorter workouts (topping out at 30 minutes), five weekly sessions, 150 new exercises, and more beginner-friendly low-impact modifiers.

This equipment-free eight-week program eyes progress and intensity with its one-of-a-kind “Max Out” theme. Follow along for as long as possible until you physically can’t record your time.

Creator Shaun T guarantees the “most insane results of your life.”

While it’s certainly a cardio-heavy calisthenics-only routine, Max 30 brings the fire with HIIT-style workouts — 20/10 and 45/15 Tabata strength cycles — plus 30-minute cardio-based infernos.

Many users report losing 15+ pounds in eight weeks while adding minutes to their Max Out records. Shaun T also includes an alternative Ab Maximizer route for a more defined core.

Here’s a closer look at the program’s details and features:

• Experience Level: Advanced
• Program Goals: Weight loss, endurance, aesthetics
• Required Equipment: None (Optional: Beachbody’s Core Comfort Mat)
• Workouts Per Week: 5
• Program Length: 8 weeks
• Average Length of Workouts: 30 minutes
• Unique Workouts: 16 total (13 Insanity Max 30 & 3 Insanity Max 30 Deluxe)
• Schedule Options: 2 (Max Out & Ab Maximizer)
• Our Rating: 8.2/10

4 Benefits of Insanity Max 30

1. It doesn’t require any equipment. This “pro” is for the crowd that’s on a budget, has no room for exercise equipment, or considers the gym hell on earth. The only requirement is enough room to spread out without banging a shin into the coffee table or knocking your head clear through the ceiling.
2. The entire concept leans on progressive overload. Shaun T certainly isn’t expecting you to Max Out on day one. Yet, logging your Max Out times each day is a lesson in progressive overload as your stamina improves from one day to the next. Unlike P90X3, where you’ll compare reps and weight between two equal workouts, the Max Out time applies across all workouts. If you add 2:00 to your record, you’re improving!
3. The Modifier Track is more welcoming for newbies. Insanity Max 30 actually includes a separate view in the video module called the “Modifier Track.” This setting enables a split-screen feature with Shaun T on one side and the low-impact modifier on the other side. (Side note: they’re much less tame than P90X3’s “modifications.”)
4. It’s still not as intense as the original Insanity. Plenty of people end Max 30 disappointed that it wasn’t just Insanity 2.0. That’s the whole point. It was redesigned with more management intensity and recovery workouts like the Insanity Max 30 Pulse to be a solid introduction to the original Insanity.

4 Reasons Against Insanity Max 30

1. It can be tough on the joints. P90X3 is also jam-packed with explosive movements and plyometrics. But Max 30 can be rough on the knees and ankles for those who are overweight, have bad joints, or never fully healed from a previous lower-body injury. The jumps and heavy landings could leave your joints achy.
2. The workouts might feel repetitive. Although Shaun T included 16 unique workouts, they still lack the variety that Horton included in P90X3. Really, how many times can you “Max Out” or train Tabata-style each week before it becomes a chore? P90X3 certainly wins on the variety front with agility, yoga, pilates, and plyometrics mixed in.
3. After Maxing Out, performance very well may tank. The biggest problem with Max 30 is the near-daily Max Out concept. If you train at almost 100% intensity to kick off a workout and “Max Out” at 3:00, performance may suffer during the remaining 27:00. P90X3 is a better choice for avoiding this 0–100 approach to training.
4. Some muscles are flat-out ignored. Despite stuffing 150 exercises into the program, two muscle groups still seem to take the backseat — the biceps and back. Following the Max 30 program may require a sixth DIY workout each week to target those muscles.

P90X3 vs. Insanity Max 30 Conclusion

P90X3 and Insanity Max 30 are both top-notch Beachbody programs that are 1) developed by fitness legends and 2) arguably more efficient than the originals.

But — drumroll, please — P90X3 is slightly better than Max 30 for aesthetics because:

• It condenses the best parts of P90X and P90X2, two best-selling Beachbody programs.
• The 16 unique workouts put an exciting spin on each session.
• Users report 20–40 pounds of weight loss in 90 days.
• Surviving P90X3 boosts your odds of completing P90X, Insanity Max 30, and Insanity.
• It requires a three-hour commitment each week (really, that’s it!).

However, Insanity Max 30 also delivers a killer workout in 30 minutes.

All in all, it’ll come down to preference … in a trainer, workout style, number of workouts per week, equipment, and goals.