Tony Horton One on One - Time to Mix it Up!

Have you been through P90X several times and maybe even P90X2? There’s a good chance that you have also survived a round of INSANITY with Shaun T. If so, you probably need to mix it up even more.

Keeping it real

That is where I ended up and turned to the Tony Horton One on One DVD series. They are really what they say they are; one on one with Tony. The videos are shot right from Tony’s workout room in Santa Monica. The feel of the videos are just like he is in your living room. It’s less “stiff” and more conversational and humorous of course.

Tony Horton One on One – A few of my favorites

Fountain of Youth – The biggest advantage of Fountain of Youth or FOY, is that it’s not P90X’s Yoga X and 90+ minutes.  Many of the same moves are covered but it is drastically shorter at about 45ish minutes.

Just Arms – Just like it says on this workout; biceps, forearms, rinse repeat.  If you really want to drill in and focus on building strength and muscle in your arms, you need to try it.

10 minute Crusher Pack – This is one of my favorites when in a time crunch since it is only 30 minutes.  It consists of three 10 minute workouts. It starts with an ab workout of 20 reps using a pull up bar then 12 reps on the floor.  The second 10 minutes switches it up to lower body and legs.  The last 1/3 finishes up with shadow boxing.  Tony’s humor really comes out as he impersonates Rocky Balboa.  He also breaks into a “10 minute, I’m gonna train you!” off the cuff song and jams to it.  I get a kick out of him. (30 min)

Power 90 Road Warrior – If you travel a lot, look no further and save the excuses.  Travelers are the focus in the Road Warrior workout DVD.  Tony takes advantage of minimal equipment with resistance bands and his own body for weight.  He even rips his pants in this one.  HA!

Thirty Fifteen Upper Body Massacre – What a BEAST this can be.  One full hour of constant push ups and then pull ups.  All varieties are implemented into the workout. Levers are a killer! Tony starts with 30 pushups and then 15 pullups for one set and continues to do 24 sets. CRAZY.  He ends up reducing the number towards the end but still are nutty numbers when you add them up.  I can’t keep up just YET.  Plug your nose because he kicks off his shoes for this one.

Patience Hummingbird - very similar to Fountain of Youth but only 37 minutes.  If you are looking to get yoga in for the day but are running on minimal time, it’s perfect.

Killer Abs – You thought Ab ripper X was tough? In Killer Abs, Tony basically takes you through the Power 90 Ab Ripper and then also P90X’s Ab Ripper X.  I’ve been through P90X numerous times and get to the point of finding Ab Ripper not too bad when I am dialed in.  I use “not bad” loosely.  I find it difficult and one of the most challenging ab exercises I’ve done.  If I stop doing it and then come back to it, I am surprised at how fast you can lose your progress.  (25 min)

There are numerous others that you can also try out for yourselves. Three different volumes were created in Tony Horton One on One series so you can really take advantage of muscle confusion!  Create a free account with me and browse the store.  Some of the DVD workouts that are in volume 3 are intros or previews into P90X2 such as V sculpt and Plyocide.  No more excuses to keep it real and mixing it up for maximum results!

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Tough Mudder It's Arrived

Here I sit just a few days before my first Tough Mudder.  I’ve been registered for several months now and been doing quite a bit of training.  I’m excited and nervous all at the same time.  I’ve done numerous rounds of P90X and other Beachbody workouts, a few 5k’s, 7k and a 10k but nothing of this distance.   Tough Mudder is a new crazy 10-12 mile obstacle course that is sweeping it’s way across the states.  It consists of jumping into cold water, crawling through mud, over walls and through fire just to name a few.  I am on a team of about 15 and we are all going to help each get across the finish line.  It’s going to be a rush of adrenaline!

Tough Mudder – what I will be getting myself into:

Tough Mudder List of Obstacles!!!

1. “Braveheart Charge” Charge into battle.

2. “Bale Bonds” Hay bales! Climb over!

3. “Kiss of Mud” Crawl under wire only 8″ from the ground in mud.

4. “Devil’s Beard” crawl through annoyingly low cargo nets.

5. “Ball Shrinker” Rickety swinging rope bridge over mud pit.

6. “Under water tunnels” Bob underneath obstacles on the water’s surface. (water is said to be freezing)

7. “Hold your wood” Log carry up a hill then down.

8. “Berlin Walls #1″ Series of 12 foot high walls.

9. “Twinkle Toes” Log Bridge over a freezing cold lake.

10. “Cliffhanger” Climb hills of a muddy mountain track.

11. “Mud Mile” Energy Zapping Trademark toughmudder thick mud through a maze of trenches.

12. “Funky Monkey” Monkey bars with the some having butter on them. Fall into an ice cold lake.

13. “Boa Constrictor” Series of pipes that force you into freezing cold water.

14. “Berlin Walls #2″ Yet another set of a Series of 12 foot high walls.

15. “Tired Yet?” Run through tire’s some have mud in them.

16. “Log Jammin” Over and under a series of logs.

17. “Log Bog Jog” Over Under a series of fallen trees.

18. “Highstepping” Series of 3 foot high hurdles.

19. “Spiders Web” Climb over a series of 2 cargo nets.

20. “Mud Slide” Slide down a mud hill

21. “Mystery Obstacle” to be announced at event.

22. “The Trenches” Energy Zapping Trademark Toughmudder thick mud through a maze of trenches.

23. “Rubber necking” Cary a Tire around a race track.

24. “Fire Walker” Run through Blazing Kerosene soaked straw flames at least 4 foot tall.

25. “Rope-a-dope” Free climb up a 15 foot rope.  – Hmmm, I haven’t been training for this since I don’t have a rope handy just hanging from my ceiling.  I guess that could be a good thing!

26. “Everest” Slippery Giant quarter pipe.

27. “Turds Nest” Climb across a fragile net.

28. “Arctic Enema” Icy cold bath forced to go under the icy water.

29. “Electroshock Therapy” Sprint through a field of live wires of up to 10,000 volts at the finish line.

What to wear?

I think this is the most thought that I’ve put into what to wear to an event than ever before, including weddings.  Ha!  I researched and asked my teammates on thoughts on shoes especially.  I’ve decided to go with my Inov8 F-lite 195′s.  I wasn’t going to originally since I don’t want to ruin them but I don’t want to get weighted down with the wrong shoe and feel I can clean them up pretty good afterwards.

The weekend forecast as of now shows partly cloudy and 82.  With that in mind, I am planning for a short sleeve shirt that I got from running in a 10k.  It’s polyester.  No worries, I will not wear any sort of cotton.  For shorts, I will be wearing basic workout shorts that are polyester as well.  This could change right up to Tough Mudder time!

Nourishment

I plan on being well hydrated before but not going to lug water with since there will be 5 water stations. I will have my same breakfast of Tropical Strawberry Shakeology with ice and a banana and then going to take 1 ½ scoops of Energy and Endurance formula as a pre-workout drink.  For an energy boost while on the course, I am also taking some organic honey stingers that consist of vitamin C and electrolytes.

It’s Time!

Even though I have battled a few injuries while training, I am ready to tackle this goal.  During the months leading up to the run, I ran into a calf strain and a nagging foot issue with the balls of my feet.  I dialed back my training so I wouldn’t injure myself but at the same time kept going as much as I could to stay the course.  My full report of my experience will be coming soon!

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What is it?

Each year Beachbody rewards its top coaches with a reward trip to celebrate their hard work and dedication for helping others reach their fitness and financial goals.   This year it was at the beautiful Atlantis Resort at Paradise Island, Bahamas.  The resort is absolutely huge and first class.  It has 3 hotels, numerous pools, a casino, water park, dolphins and so many other amenities that I can’t even begin to mention.  Beachbody always goes all out on these trips.   The food they provide is always very healthy and everything is so well organized.

During our 5 day, 4 night stay, we covered a lot of ground.   Since I decided to bring the whole family, I don’t think we missed any of the pools.   My 7 and 10 year old daughters love to swim and needed to check them all out.  We also spent some time at the beach.  The sand was soooo soft and the water soooo blue.   It was like a real life postcard!

Each night was a Beachbody dinner and social gathering.  It was a great opportunity to reconnect with other successful Beachbody coaches from across the country.  Some of whom I’ve already gotten to know and others that I met for the first time.   It’s a different world since the invention of the Internet, YouTube and Facebook.    After interacting with someone for several months and then meeting in person for the first time, it makes it feel like you’ve known them forever.

We also were able to workout with celebrity trainers Tony Horton, Shaun T and Leandro Carvalho on the beach.  It was a surreal experience, especially the yoga session with Tony Horton and the sunrise workout with Shaun T.   We worked out hard and then were treated with Shakeology and fruit afterwards.   Shaun T even had all the kids one up on stage for one of the circuits.   The kids loved it!

I also had a chance to joke around some with Tony Horton.   It may sound even over dramatic but I owe my change in mindset to Tony’s Home fitness program of P90X.   He’s just as goofy and humorous in person as he is in the DVDs.   P90X helped me transform my waistline and then my approach to fitness and health.  Now I help others throughout the United States and Canada do the same.

Beachbody Success Club Trip Bahamas 2012 Dance

Another perk that Beachbody offered as a reward on this trip was a photo shoot to highlight our physical transformation.   They brought professional photographers and did an excellent job.

In addition to all the dinners, workouts and pool activity were the planned business sessions.    One of them was a question and answer session with the trainers.  Tony Horton, Shaun T and Leandro Carvalho (creator of Brazil Butt Lift) fielded questions from CEO Carl Daikeler and other Beachbody coaches.   Craig Holiday also packed the room and provided his usual wisdom on life and succeeding with your business.  He is an incredible motivational speaker that helps you move your business forward.

With the massive size of the resort and all the activities and people, it was hard to decide on my favorite part.   If I had to say one thing, it would simple be the plush sand and the ocean.  It didn’t even seem real.  I will definitely make a promise to come back very soon.

Beachbody Success Club Trip – 2013 in Orlando!

It was an incredible experience and one that I will never forget.  Just when I thought things were winding down on the last night’s party, a fireworks display erupted.  It was symbolic of how Beachbody always goes above and beyond everyone’s expectations.  Music was playing and then I capped it off even more by dancing up on stage with my daughters.  Next year’s trip is in Orlando at the Disney’s Yacht Club Resort.    I am already half way there for qualifying.  You can join me on Beachbody’s dime.  Help me end the trend of obesity and others get their health back.  I can show you how.

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Is Shakeology Worth It?

What is all the hype about?   Is it expensive?  What’s in it?  These are all questions that I hear a lot from curious minds.

Shakeology is meant to be a meal replacement.  What that means is that you can drink it to replace a meal.  The most common meals to exchange out with Shakeology are breakfast or lunch.  I usually drink it for breakfast and I really look forward to it.  It fills me up and sets the tone for my day.   If you are one of the breakfast skippers, then you definitely could benefit from Shakeology.

Is Shakeology worth it?  That is the main question.  There are other shakes out there that are cheaper.    That is the main point.   Cheaper is not ever better in my opinion.

Make sure you are measuring apples to apples.  Shakeology comes to $3.50 – 5.00 per serving depending on how you order it.  If you are a coach you receive the 25% off discount.  Club members receive 10% off.  Home delivery orders receive free shipping so there are a few factors that play into the cost.

Let me ask you this.  When you research a product that you want to invest in, ask yourself if you are looking at the whole picture.  A less expensive option may cost you say $2-3 a serving but what you may not know is that you need 2 of them for the same result.  Or maybe you are only receiving 25% of the nutritional power.  Many times you end up spending MORE and waste more time in the whole process.

Vegan Tropical Strawberry Shakeology

Shakeology comes in 3 flavors:  Chocolate, greenberry and also the vegan option of Tropical Strawberry.    Depending on your taste buds will determine your favorite.   For specific breakdown on the ingredient list, check out my main Shakeology post.

How has Shakeology helped me?

I’ve been drinking Shakeology for about 2 years now.  What I find the most noticeable is that I don’t have many cravings.   I actually crave things like Shakeology, fruit, etc.  I don’t really have much desire for any sweets.  When I stray a bit I can’t wait to get back on track with great nutrition since I know how much better I feel.  The energy increase is also a big difference.   Combined that with my rigorous exercise, I am in better health than when I was 25.   Losing weight is a huge reason why many people will turn to Shakeology.  Since that isn’t a goal of mine I sometimes use it as a midafternoon snack for my goal of adding muscle mass.    It’s great for on the go as well.  If you are not prepared and hungry when out on the go, it will make your decision much easier.   It’s usually a much healthier one as well.  I have been able to stay at my same new weight since I lost my 25 pounds and maintain great blood pressure and cholesterol numbers.    Now you can’t use your age or time as an excuse to be healthy!

Is Shakeology worth it?  I say yes, of course but I suggest doing the research and looking at the pure ingredients that are in it and comparing to other products.   I know that Beachbody is using the highest standards possible and beyond what is required by the food industry.  They are going to remote areas of the world to find the best ingredients and working directly with the small farmers and cutting out the big box middlemen and mass production with chemicals.  To me that is worth gold.   Invest in yourself before you are forced to try and get your health back.  It will be much more difficult if you let it go too long.

If the cost still seems to be too high, compare it to how much you are spending for lunch.  Many people go out to lunch every day and spend $5-8.  What they are getting for that many times is high calorie processed junk food.   When you look at it as treating yourself towards better health, being sick less  and feeling more energetic the choice becomes very clear.   Shakeology is oh so worth it!  Only you can be the judge of that.  Try it for yourself.

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How to increase pull ups

Pull ups are very important and an integral part of gaining strength in your back, shoulders and arms.  So, yes you should do them.   That doesn’t mean you have to rip out 20 in a set when you first are starting out.  If you can’t do any then keep reading for my tips.   Start small and have patience.   When I first started I could only do 1 1/2 wide pull ups.  I worked my way up to 13 in a set.  I still want to up my number but if my math is correct that is an increase of 766%!  I’ll take that any day.  As Tony Horton says:  ”Rome was not built in a day”.  How am I increasing my pullups?

How to increase pull ups – where do I start?

1.) Negatives

When I was first working on increasing my pull ups, I was told by numerous people to do NEGATIVES!  I had to try it especially since I was struggling to increase my numbers.  I wasn’t making progress like I wanted.  What is a “negative”?  No, not the Debbie Downer that we all know.  A negative pull up is when we life our body over the bar and then slowly let ourself down.  Using a chair or some other type of assist is usually what is used to help up over the bar.  Keep repeating these until you get stronger and can do more unassisted.  I usually do unassisted to failure and then do several more negatives.   Those last reps at failure are when we gain the most strength.

2.) Assisted

This can be with the use of resistance bands or some type of pull up assist.  There are several types that are sold to help you to increaase your pullups.  The Beachbody Chin-up Max is one of them.   It’s a little tricky to use at first and takes some adjustments but once you have it set right it’s a tremendous help.

Using a chair works great too.  Place one leg on the top of the chair and use it to pull yourself up over the bar.  Push the chair further away from you to make it more difficult.

Chin-UpMax

3.) Do MORE!

If you really want to increase your pull ups, you need to add reps.  It’s as simple as that.  What I started doing in addition to my regular P90X workouts was to add a pull up bar on the main level of my house.  My workout area is in my basement where I have a pull up bar.  But it’s out of the main traffic area of the house where I normall am later in the day.  Now when I pass the pull up bar, I do 5-10 pull ups.   On a good week, I do this several times throughout the night on alternating days.  It doesn’t take me away from anything I am doing since it is literally seconds of my time.  Doing this allows me to add anywhere from 50-75 or so extra pull ups depending on the day.  The bar I use is easily placed over the door frame.  It takes seconds to attach and take down.    I noticed my number going up when I started adding this into my routine.   It makes perfect sense.  I am already walking by the door, might as well work on my goal!

4.) Add weight

Do this only when you feel the need to take it up a notch with the previous steps and are already using proper form.  Form is key.  If you arent’ doing them correctly you risk injury and really cheating yourself.    An easy way to start is by adding a medicine ball in between your feet and increase from there.  A weighted vest is another.    More weight = more strength.  Simple as that but master the first steps first!

Time to get to work

Just as in any other part of life, if you want to get better you need to do the work.  You are going to jump from 1 to 20 pull ups overnight.  It takes a consistent effort.  Follow the above recommendations and pretty soon instead of wondering “How do I increase my pullups?”, you will be looking for a ad hoc pull up bar wherever you go just to get in a few extra!

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Beachbody coach scam - NOT

A Beachbody coach is basically someone to help you with your accountability and keep you on track with your fitness and nutrition goals.  Feeling alone and then quitting is the number one reason for failure with a workout and nutrition program.  The Beachbody coach is there to support and help them succeed.  They help them believe in themselves and blowing past those roadblocks.

If it’s all one big Beachbody coach scam, I am guilty as charged.

I am sorry ……that I have dropped 25 pounds and 5 inches off my waist.

I am sorry …….that I cut my body fat by more than half.

Forgive me ……that I have become more confident.

……that I make a nice income by truly helping others achieve the same success that I have accomplished.

…… been able to meet and joke around with Tony Horton and Shaun T.

…… meet and became close friends with many other coaches and customers of mine from across the country.

……. Can work from anywhere, on my own time.

……. Rewarded with travel perks.   I just got back from the Beachbody Success Club trip that was held at the Atlantis Resort in Paradise Island,  Bahamas.

……..Was in Laguna Beach, CA for a Leadership retreat.  Paid for by Beachbody as a reward for my success.

So many of the other coaches I met at events have such a strong mindset, with high goals, in great shape and financially successful.

Beachbody coach SCAM?  Hmmmm.  Let’s dig deeper.

Before Beachbody, I didn’t travel much at all.   Now I am crossing goofy things like this off my list:

Winning money just by logging my workouts in the online Supergym.  Yep, I won $300, so I know that is not another Beachbody coach SCAM!

With Beachbody, I receive free customers to help get healthy and fit.

Beachbody coach scam - Live the dream!

I get paid to be in shape and be a product of the product.

Made me think bigger and pursue a life to the fullest.  I now think “why not” vs “I can’t”.

If Beachbody coaching is a scam then there would be far more negatives items and the company would eventually dry up and go out of business.  Beachbody is in this thing for the long haul to truly help people by offering the best products possibly.  They are not the least expensive since they will not go for the quick buck and move on to the next customer.   They know there is no such thing as a quick fix.  They market their products as difficult and requiring hard work.  What they do promise in return are incredible results.

Success story after success story are being produced every day.  All you have to do is listen to the CEO Carl Daikeler speak for a few minutes.  Either I am REALLY being scammed or he is fully, 100% committed to ending the trend of obesity.  I know it’s real and I am not falling for a big Beachbody SCAM because I know I am smarter than that and see the changes happening right before my eyes.

Or listen to Carl’s wife Isabelle Daikeler talk about nutrition and the high level of quality in the supplements that Beachbody offers.  She is  the co-creator of Shakeology and is truly passionate about not selling out and putting anything close to junk in the Beachbody product.    Once again, NO Beachbody coach scam there!

What is the verdict of this BEACHBODY COACH SCAM?  I say no way.  A scam is defined as “a fraudulent or deceptive act or operation”.  I see nothing that is even close to representing this.   I’ve met many employees from Beachbody corporate and numerous other coaches.  They all represent nothing but the highest ethical standards.

The funny thing is that I am thankful that I was moving down the wrong path.  If I didn’t catch myself and start with that one simple change, who knows where I would be today.  Instead I picked up the phone and ordered P90X.  Life works in strange ways.  Now today, I am a coach and helping others make big changes for themselves.  Not only with their waistline, but overall with a full life transformation.  So, I must say that the Beachbody coach scam is not even close.  Join me in helping others get healthy!

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INSANITY vs. P90X

Ding, ding, ding!  In one corner, we have P90X and in the other corner INSANITY.  You’ve heard a lot about each of the Beachbody home workout programs but just in case you haven’t:  INSANITY was created by Shaun T and is a high intensity cardio home workout program that promises incredible results in 60 days.  It includes plyometric drills and nonstop intervals.  P90X is a 90 day home workout program designed by Tony Horton that is a mix of strength and cardio.    Both were made to get you into some serious shape.

INSANITY vs P90X – What program should I choose?

Let me start by breaking each program down a bit more.

INSANITY

PRO’s

You will get in the best shape of your life if you follow the program.  Yes, including the nutrition plan.  It is at least 60% of the results.

•  No equipment needed.  Everything is done with the weight of your body.
•  Not much space is needed.
•  60 days is a pretty short time period for commitment.
•  Can get it all in about an hour each day.
•  Some very delicious recipes from the nutrition plan.
•  Easy to follow schedule.
•  Modified moves option.

CON’s

• May need to buy a mop since your floor will be soaked guaranteed!
• You may feel a need to yell at Shaun T!
• It’s very difficult and becomes a mental challenge (maybe this is a pro if you are a complete fitness nut?)

P90X

PRO’s

• Muscle confusion helps so you don’t plateau with your results.
• Tony Horton’s humor – “German potato soup”!
• Well laid out schedule to follow.
• Lots of variety so you don’t get bored.
• Has been known to give you a BURST of energy shortly after you find yourself laying on the floor catching your breath.
• Included nutrition plan gives you several options and changes with each month.

CON’s

• It’s hard work!
• Some equipment involved.
• Length of Yoga X (90 minutes) is a common complaint but it works all areas of your body and you feel great afterwards.
• Tony Horton’s humor.
• Trying to keep up with Tony and pull-ups.  It’s his wheelhouse!

INSANITY and P90X both offer the same advantages of:

• No travel to a gym.
• No gym fees.
• No waiting to get on a machine.
• Small investment when comparing to athletic club dues or even indirect costs of doctors’ visits, lost work time, etc.
• Free coaching from a coach like me to guide you through the process.
• Online community to post comments and share experiences.
• An instant accountability group of other like-minded people going through the same program.
• Daily cash given away just for logging your workouts on the Team Beachbody website.

The great thing I guarantee that you will see from either of these programs is a change in not only your waistline and number on the scale but a huge change in many other things in your life.  Your attitude, confidence and overall health will improve. You will be setting a positive example for your family and friends.   You will probably even think clearer and be better with your career.  Everything seems to start with taking care of you first.

INSANITY vs. P90X – what program wins?  There is no clear answer on this unfortunately.  It all depends on your fitness goals.   I started my fitness journey with P90X so I choose it first but also really love INSANITY.    Runners and track athletes will choose INSANITY first.   The general rule of thumb is if you want your focus to be on resistance training, choose P90X.  If you want more focus on high end cardio, go the INSANITY route.  I cut off 5 inches off my waist using mostly P90X and my sister cut 15 minutes off her marathon time and qualified for the Boston Marathon by incorporating INSANITY.   Does it work?  I think so!

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This topic is fresh in my mind since I’ve been dealing with some injuries myself recently.  I have been going strong with P90X, P90X2, INSANITY, Asylum and running for quite a while now.  It’s been a great ride with success and very few injuries.  There was a three week period with a sciatic nerve in my back, some feet issues and a few kinks here and there.  But beyond that, I’ve been going constant without many setbacks.   Maybe that is why when an injury pops up, it is tough for me to be patient and use a good recovery method to get back on track.

A couple rules of thumb I use when dealing with injuries:

1.)    When to rest it and when to push through it – Listen to signals your body is sending you.  What I was experiencing this week were strange things like my calf locking up, wrists very sore, tight neck and the ‘ole foot issues again.  I didn’t feel right pushing through and possible causing a more serious injury.  I took a few days off from my workouts and training for the Tough Mudder.

2.)    Foam roller!  I was introduced to the foam roller with P90X2.  Each workout opens and closes with stretching with the use of a foam roller.  Who knew simply rolling across a hard foam cylinder would provide so much relief for my muscles!

3.)    Shoes – your feet take a lot of pounds with a lot of weight and need the proper support.  Once one body part is out of place everything else seems to follow.    See It’s all in the shoes for more info on the shoes that I use and tested out.    This is one area that I’ve had the most problems off and on.  The balls of both of my feet were bothering me.  I’ve been pretty good after replacing my shoes and having some chiropractic work on them.

Injury

4.)    Rest – Your body could be run down and needing some recovery time or catching up with sleep.   If you are me you like your 8 hours a night and then feel ready to rock the day.   When it’s less than that I definitely notice the difference.

5.)    Push through it – Only when you feel you are ready to take it to the next level and your injury is getting better.  If it’s a major one, it’s always best to consult with your doctor of course.   I start slow when coming back and see how I feel then gradually increase the intensity.  Sometimes if we wait too long we can fall back into the a bit more of the lethargic patterns.  We may just need to shock ourselves back into the workout routine and get the blood pumping again!

6.)    Nutrition – This is always such an important piece to our overall health.   Maybe you ate something out of your normal routine that is bothering you or that you may be reacting to.  Dial it back and get back to good old clean foods, especially if you have strayed.   It may even be time for a cleanse.

7.)    Water!  Flush all the extra toxins out!  The rule of thumb is half your body weight in ounces.   It’s easy not to get that amount.  You have to make a conscious effort to drink it throughout the day.

What?  Just 7?  It’s a lucky number I guess, I’m going with it.

Bottom line is that you need to listen to the signs, especially if it’s a smaller injury.   It’s trying to tell you something.    For me it’s tough to take a break, but I always do when it’s needed and then I come back stronger and ready to take it to the next level!

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“Motivation will almost always beat mere talent.”  Norman R. Augustine

It applies to do everything we do.  If we don’t feel like working out, eating healthy, doing projects around the house or maybe even attending a social event; we blame our lack of motivation.  We simply won’t take action if the perceived outcome isn’t great enough for the amount of work required.

What is motivation?  What does it mean to you?   If you lack it, you can also check out my “how to stay motivated” post.  What drives you and makes you do the things you do?  Why do you work out?  Why do you eat healthy or not healthy?     It’s simple.  We all do whatever is most important according to our priorities and what we get out if them.

I work out because I love what it does for my overall health, energy level, confident and waistline.   That motivates me!  What I get out of it vastly outweighs the cost of not doing it.   With all of the great rewards that must mean everyone is working out and feeling great right?  Not exactly.  We live in a fast paced world today where information is being passed along instantaneously and everyone needs things NOW.  It a huge part of our growing obesity problem.  Expectations have changed over the years.  The same holds true with working out and our nutrition.   When we don’t lose that 10 pounds in a week, most people will quit.  Usually anything that is worth any value requires some time and effort.

What separates the ones who reach their goals and those who don’t?  It boils down to motivation.  We all have the same amount of time in the day; we just need to make the choice on what small tasks each day will get us to that ultimate goal.

What is motivation for you?  What are your goals?  If you have failed with them in the past, why is that?   What are you going to do to achieve them? Once you know why then you can be more aware of it and make the necessary changes.

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P90X2 review

P90X2 Review – My top 5 reasons why P90X2 it is great.

Let me start by explaining about P90X2 and why it is different than P90X.  P90X promised to be difficult but get you ripped in 90 days.  P90X2 adds in even more for agility and athleticism.

When P90X2 first was announced the biggest question was whether it would be any different than the first and original P90X from fitness guru Tony Horton.   Many probably wondered how they could come up with a whole new program to make it even better.    Well they did just that.   After going through a total of 6 rounds of P90x myself, some of which were mixed into some type of hybrid, the timing couldn’t have been better for me.    Check out my before and after photos on my about me page.  I was all over the pre-order process and started it up right away when it arrived in the mail.   You may be wondering what is so great about the new P90X2.     Let me explain in more detail what I like best about it.

P90X2 review – My 5 favorite changes

1.) Faster with less breaks

I noticed this right away within the first few DVD’s.   I’ll admit it’s still no INSANITY, but it’s a very nice fast pace that gets your heart rate up there.  It was even more obvious when I went old school and subbed in an older P90X video.   You’re moving right to the next move with no breaks mosts of the time.  A big bonus that many will LOVE is that the new Yoga X2 is only 65 minutes!  Many of you X’ers out there will be more than happy about that.  The 90 minute length was on one of the few complaints from the first Yoga X.   I still feel I get the same workout, if not better from Yoga X2.  It’s similar but more advanced.  If you struggle with crane, look out!  I like it much better and it’s shorter!

The P.A.P. workouts (Post-Activation Potentiation) in the last phase are also quick.  Boom, boom, boom right to next move.

I liked Phase 2 the most and plan to stay in it longer when I do my 2nd round.

Most of the videos range in length from about 50 -60 minutes with the exception of Ab Ripper X2.

2.) Advanced focus on the core and balance

P90X2 review

A few new pieces are introduced with P90X2: a foam roller or the advanced RumbleRoller, medicine balls and and a stability ball.   All of them play an important roll in strengthening the core and improving overall balance and the athletic performance.

One of the most challenging moves is the impossible-possible pushup.  It consists of balancing your whole body on medicine and stability balls while doing pushups.  It may not sound that hard, but go ahead and try it.   Wow, it is a humbling experience.  It’s similar to the one armed pushups in the first series.  I couldn’t do any at first but over time have improved dramatically.

3.) Flexibility with the schedule

The first P90X had a strict schedule divided into 3 different phases.  The same applies with P90X2 but with added choice of how long that you stay in each phase.    If you’ve been in phase 2 for 3 weeks but feel you need a bit morwee ok in the phastay add a week or two longer before moving to phase 3.  Tony also recommends that if you feel the need for some extra stretching that you pop in the recovery and mobility DVD and work out the kinks.

4.) Updated Nutrition plan

We all know how important nutrition is with our overall success of the program and to achieve the best results.  It accounts for at least 50-60% of our success, if not more!    The new plan even includes grain-free and vegan options.   It includes great visuals of recipes and makes it very easy to follow.

5.) More Tony jokes!

You either love Tony’s humor or you hate it and put him on mute.  I fall into the category of liking it even though he can be corny sometimes.  It’s a nice change of pace and makes it fun instead of a boring grunting type of workout.  He pokes fun, sings with the lead singer from Chicago, and talks up a storm, all in good fun.   He even adds the tip of the day to get your “swagger” on.  What would a P90X2 review be without swagger?!

Are you wondering if you should jump into P90X2, stick with your current routine or do another round?  It all depends on your goals and fitness level.  If you are just starting out, you will want to start with P90X and graduate into P90X2.  If you are in pretty shape and ready for the next challenge, take the plunge with P90X2.  Even better, if you are an athlete and looking to improve your overall balance and athleticism – you can’t go wrong.

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