A group of sweaty, muscular and out-of-breath men and women grimace as they describe how the pain they feel has taken them from being completely out of shape to physically lean. Seconds later, a fitness coach explains how viewers can also achieve a perfect body with just a television and 60-90 days.

These infomercials are for extreme fitness videos such as Beach Body’s P90X and Insanity workouts, which claim customers can muscle up in a few months without using machines, gym memberships and personal trainers.

“It sounds like a miracle, but it’s actually science,” says the narrator for the P90X television ad, referring to the product’s method of avoiding the “Plateau Effect” it claims traditional workout plans can have.

Zach Rivera, a personal trainer for Campus Recreation and a junior in AHS, said extreme workout videos are not for everyone. The programs are designed for highly motivated individuals who are somewhat familiar with general fitness activities.

“It’s the kind of program where if you don’t have enough self-motivation you won’t stick to it,” Rivera said. “It’s really only for getting lean, not really for building much muscle mass.”

Shaun Thompson, the creator of the Insanity workout program, gives customers a similar warning. In the ad, Thompson tells viewers that “Insanity is not for everybody … It’s only for the person who’s mentally ready to take their body to peak physical conditioning.”

Rivera said people looking to “get ripped” and lose body fat without gaining more muscle would benefit most from the extreme fitness DVDs. The programs are not dangerous and can be used to challenge experienced people, he said.

Scott Jones, a junior in LAS, said he has friends who have used similar workout videos. They seem to enjoy it, he said. It saves them time from having to go to a gym, but he prefers to make the trip weekly.

“I prefer coming to the actual gym,” Jones said. He added that at a gym, he can interact with friends and take advantage of more workout options such as playing basketball and swimming. “You can’t really do (those things) in your room,” he said.

That is one disadvantage to using the home fitness programs, Rivera said. Without a trainer or partner, there is no one around to watch if customers are doing the exercise routines properly. Beginners may need the extra guidance and motivation, Rivera said.

Lack of fitness experience would also be a disadvantage to people who use the videos.

“They’re really demanding videos,” he said. “If you don’t do what they’re asking of you, then you’re not going to get the results and if you do what they ask of you and you’re untrained then you’re going to be exhausted the first day.”

A general understanding of basic fitness and training ensures users have a proper form and technique, Rivera said. He added that in his experience as a personal trainer, demonstrations alone — like the ones the videos provide — are sometimes not enough for people to comprehend and replicate proper exercise routines.

Alec Peiffer, a senior in ACES, agreed. With an athletic and military perspective, Peiffer thinks extreme fitness videos are a joke.

“I think it’s good if people don’t have a sports application for it,” Peiffer said, adding that he has friends who have enjoyed using similar programs. “In terms of crossover national sports, I don’t think it’s that effective.”

Peiffer tends to work out at the Activities and Recreation Center in addition to keeping fit with CrossFit strength and conditioning, a training program used by professional athletes and members of the military. He said the home videos like P90X focus more on gym workouts than the training he’s used to.

What the programs claim to offer that other programs can’t is the use of science to disrupt common setbacks found in traditional workout regimes. While P90X creator Tony Horton says in his ads that he’s spent years trying to curve the Plateau Effect (a period when people’s bodies stop responding to training), Thompson, the Insanity creator, uses an idea he calls “max interval training,” which re-formulates common fitness training processes. According to the products’ Web sites and commercials, that is how users are able to see such results in the 60-90 day time period.

Peiffer said he thinks the videos would still give the same results people get from frequently coming to the gym.

Rivera agreed. He recommends beginners work with a live trainer to whom they can ask questions.

“(Tony Horton and Shaun Thompson) are both experienced trainers and group fitness instructors, so I’m not saying they don’t know what they’re doing,” Rivera said, “but you can’t ask them questions in a video.”