At a charity event I attended last weekend, I was talking to a very nice girl who asked me about my business with Beachbody.  When I mentioned that P90X was one of our programs, she said…

“Oh!  P90X!  My husband was doing that!  He got to about day 45 and then stopped.  And he was doing so well!”

I hear this often, and in fact, I’ve experienced it for myself.  I must have started and stopped P90X at least 3 or 4 times.  On the other hand, I’ve also successfully completed the full 90 days.

So, what are the keys that make for a successful 90 days?  I’ve given that some thought the past few days.

• Have faith that you will emerge on the other side a better person.
• Either write down your workouts on your calendar, or automatically schedule your workouts in the Team Beachbody WOWY calendar.
• Plan on a time of day that you will do your workouts.  Stick to that time as long as it’s working for you.  But if you need to make a change, then MAKE IT!
• Have all of the equipment you need ready to go (more on that in a future post).
• If at all possible, make plans to start the program with a loved one.  You’ll need the support.  You can get additional support from your Beachbody coach.
• Make plans to improve your nutrition.  This is a larger part of results than most people realize.

I had been contemplating starting a new round of P90X anyway, so I thought this would be a good time to do it.  I decided that I would share my journey through my blog.

Today was day one and the first workouts were Ab Ripper X and Chest and Back.  I hope I can lift my arms tomorrow! 

So look for a weekly blog post from me sharing:

• Tips
• Recipe ideas and how they break down for the P90X portion plan.
• My struggles, and how I’m dealing with them.
• My successes (and I hope you’ll celebrate with me)

But I don’t want this to be all about me!  I want you to share your journey as well (it doesn’t matter if you are doing a program other than P90X).

With any luck, we’ll all learn a lot and be a LOT healthier!  I’m excited to share this journey with you!

Your friend in fitness,

Judy

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I thought I’d spend some time on the basics of fitness according to Tony Horton.  For those who don’t know, Tony is the creator of the P90X Home Workout Routine.  You may have seen it on TV as you were surfing through the channels on a Saturday or Sunday morning.

Tony has what he calls “The 11 Laws of Fitness”.  I first learned these at a Tony Horton Fitness Camp in New York in 2007.  They are very good, basic laws that are critical to developing a healthy LIFESTYLE.  No diets.  No temporary fixes…but a lifestyle!

Tony’s first law is VARIETY.  How boring would life be without variety?  Human beings are strange creatures.  We have a basic need for both consistency and variety.  As far as exercise goes, I’ve often said that I have exercise A.D.D.  Doing the same routine day in and day out is just too boring for me!  That’s probably why I have a library of just about every home workout routine that Beachbody has produced!  I like being able to choose the workout that will achieve the goal I’m aiming for that day, but add some variety to prevent boredom.

Adding variety to your workouts can help you to avoid the setbacks of injuries, plateaus, and boredom.  I used to work at a Wellness Center, and there was one man there who was losing weight, and then plateaued.  I suggested that he talk to the Program Manager, and have her design a new program with different exercises.  He said he was happy with what he was doing.

The only problem was that his previous routine…the one that helped him lose weight…was no longer working.  Why?  His body had adapted, and it was no longer hard.  That’s probably why he didn’t want to change.  He remembered how hard the routine was in the beginning, and he probably remembered how sore he was that first week or two.

But that’s the funny thing about working out.  When your body adapts, the best thing you can do is set up a new challenge.  Changing up the routine is a great way to do that.  That’s what I love about P90X so much.  I’m currently in week 4 of this round of P90X.  For the first 3 weeks, I had a schedule that included the same workout every Monday (chest and back), another every Tuesday (Plyometrics)…and well…you get the idea.

Now in recovery week, I’m doing cardio, yoga, and stretching.  Next week, I’ll be into another phase where I’ll have the same workout routine every Monday, another every Tuesday…etc.  Some of these routines will be different than those I did in weeks 1-3.

The point I’m trying to make is that I’ll be switching up the workouts every few weeks.  Tony calls that “muscle confusion”, and it works very well!

Other ways I add variety into my workouts?  When it starts to get a little warmer here in Pennsylvania, I’ll start running again.  I’ve been taking Zumba classes every Saturday morning.  Zumba is a Latin dance based cardio workout.  I’ve also considered taking a class at a new ice rink near here.  They call the class “icercize”.

You need to keep your workouts fun and interesting.  Will you enjoy them ALL?  Probably not.  There are some workouts that I know I need to do, but I’m just not in the mood for.  Sometimes I enjoy cardio more, sometimes resistance training is more fun for me.  I almost never enjoy yoga WHILE I’m doing it, but I feel SO good after the workout is done.

But overall, I try to keep the fun in it.  I do a lot of my workouts from home, but when I can workout with a friend, that adds an element of fun to the workout…especially if you can find a friend who is just a little better at the workout than you.  It pushes you to be better!

One of my favorite ways of adding variety to my workouts is Tony Horton’s One on One Series of home workout routines.  It’s sort of like a magazine.   A new workout comes every month.  I have no idea how Tony keeps coming up with new stuff for these, but he’s great at mixing it up.  Not to mention that he’s hilarious in them!  It’s just him and the director Mason in the room, and they film from beginning to end with no cuts.  One time, Tony ripped his pants at the beginning of the workout, and they continued to film!  Too funny!

So that’s it!  Remember to get variety in your workouts!  Be curious!  Try a new home workout routine or look for a new class in your area!  You’ll be more apt to stick with it in the long term!

Together we’re better!

Judy

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WOW!  This success story just blew me away!  At only 33 years old, Jeremy tipped the scales at 370 pounds, was on medication for his dangerously high blood pressure, and walked with a limp due to severe arthritis.

Jeremy had no energy and that was a problem because he had two young active sons.  All Jeremy ever wanted to do was sit on the couch.  Life was passing him by, but he was complacent about his weight.

I’m always fascinated by that “moment”…that thing that flips the switch in a person’s mind and all of a sudden, they HAVE to make changes.  When you get to that point, the solution will show up!

Well, Jeremy had a good friend who was willing to tell him the hard truth.

“He asked me how I would feel if another man had to replace me and raise my sons, um, I was speechless . . . It made the situation really real for me. It forced me to think of the real events that would occur if I didn’t change my ways.”

Ouch!  I could see how that would motivate Jeremy!  We’ll do things for our children we would NEVER do for ourselves!

A high school athlete, Jeremy started asking buddies what they were doing to get in shape and found that many were doing the P90X^® home workout routine.  When he saw the way their eyes lit up when describing P90X, Jeremy knew the program was for him.

The most appealing characteristic of P90X that Jeremy’s friends described was the variety. The home workout routines in P90X included strength training days, cardio days, and days when they did stretching.

Jeremy loved the workouts, but there were major obstacles in his quest to get fit. He continually faced the temptation to eat poorly, and the arthritis in his ankle caused him intense pain.

“When I first started P90X, I swear I used every modification that Tony could throw at me. Whether it was from being so out of shape or physically being too big for my ankle, I had to modify everything. I really struggled. But around every corner there was Tony saying, ‘Do your best, and forget the rest.’ So many times I felt like he was personally talking to me.”

Jeremy probably felt like quitting many times, but I’m sure that when those times occurred, he heard his friend’s voice inside his head saying “Do you want another man to replace you to raise your sons”?  He pushed through the difficulties, and completely changed his life!  He’s no longer the Dad who just sits on the couch while his sons are playing.  He’s right in there playing with them!

P90X is a great program, but it IS intense!  Sure there are ways to modify it, but what few people actually know is that Tony Horton (the trainer who developed the P90X home workout routines) also developed some programs which are meant to ease you into P90X.

The Power90 home workout routine is a great place to start!  The workouts are shorter and much less intense.  Tony also developed the Power90 Master Series of home workout routines.  Those are somewhere between Power90 and P90X.

The important point to remember from Jeremy’s story is that he first made the decision to no longer be complacent about his weight.  He discovered his “WHY”, and it was a very powerful one…so that HE could be the one to raise his boys…not some other man.

What is YOUR why?  If you ever want to change your life, finding your why and keeping it at the forefront of your mind is essential to your success!

Together we’re better!

Judy

P.S.  Jeremy won $1,000 for his transformation story using Beachbody products, and now he is in the running to win $10,000.  If you’d like a free Team Beachbody account so that you can vote for the man and woman who will each win $10,000, just click here!

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Beachbody is a company that markets home workout routines that actually work!  How do I know that?  I’ve experienced it for myself.  But don’t take my word for it, over the next several days, I’ll be profiling some of the success stories who have used Beachbody products to lose fat and build muscle in a way that will blow your mind!

First, meet Carson Sanders!  Carson is a 39 year old firefigher and paramedic from Sarasota Florida who used to be a gym rat.  But he was finding that his typical weight lifting workout at the gym just wasn’t giving him the results that he wanted anymore.  He saw the infomercial for the P90X home workout routine and was skeptical at first.  How could a home workout routine give him better results than the gym?  Pushing aside his doubts, he decided to give it a shot.  He purchased P90X and committed to 90 days of workouts at home.

Carson never looked back!  He ended up losing 59 pounds and went from 21% body fat to 6% body fat.  He ended up canceling his gym membership.  Now that he is able to workout at home, Carson is able to spend more time with his family, get the results he wants, and be a role model for his children.

That’s one of the things I love most about committing to a home workout routine!  Your family members see you working out, and I hear many people saying that their kids actually take part in the workouts with them!  What could be better than that?  In fact, if you watch Carson’s video, you’ll see his two young sons doing the workout right along with him! 

I’ll have another inspiring success story to share with you tomorrow!

Together we’re better!

Judy

P.S.  All of the people in the success stories I’ll be featuring over the next several days won $1,000 for submitting their transformation story after using a Beachbody home workout routine, and now they are in the running for $10,000 in the quarterly prize.  If you want to see all of the success stories, you can get a Free Team Beachbody account by clicking here.

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I bought P90X in late 2006, and started it for the first time in early 2007.  It was TOUGH, but one thing I remember most was how hard the P90X Ab Ripper X (ARX for short) routine was.  At the time, I was going through this life changing experience with over 100 other people.  We had gotten together on the Beachbody message boards and agreed to hold each other accountable.

When I started having trouble making it though ARX, I asked others “Wow…how are you getting through the whole thing”?  I had the advantage of MANY other people going through the same experience, and got many tips.

On February 1, 2010, I started a round of P90X after doing some other Beachbody programs during 2009.   As I was doing Ab Ripper X this morning, all of those tips kept flooding back into my mind.  Thank goodness!  I’m much better now than I was in 2007 when I first did it, but YOWZA…I needed help! 

So, it seemed appropriate to blog about this so that I could share the tips with others out there who may be  struggling.  Remember, the struggle will make you stronger, but here are some tips to help you through so that you keep showing up!

• The number one tip that helped me the most was “remove your sneakers”.  Just that little bit of weight will make a big difference.
• Keep the remote next to you and press “pause” if you need to.
• Even if you don’t pause the DVD, you can still take breaks.  For example, last week I set a goal to do 15 oblique V-ups per side (Tony and the kids do 25).  I do these with good form.  Your goal may only be 10…or 5 in the first week.  This morning I had a goal for 20 oblique V-ups per side.  I only made it to 18.  That’s okay.  I’ll continue to set my goal at 20 this week, and when I’m doing that easily, I’ll shoot for the whole 25!
• On any of the exercises where I am on my back, I lace my fingers behind my back, and place my hands beneath my butt.  This helps me to keep my lower back pressed into the floor and takes the pressure off of my lower back.
• Those mason twists at the end are KILLER, aren’t they?  If you notice, Tony and the kids have their feet off of the ground.  Start with your feet on the ground, and just do the twisting motion.  When you feel like you’re ready for more, do 10 with your feet off of the ground, and then place them on the ground for the remainder.  Keep extending that until you can do all 50 with your feet off of the ground.

Those are the tips that got me through last week!  As I progress towards my day 90, I’ll need them less and less! 

Do YOU have any tips on getting through P90X Ab Ripper X?  PLEASE leave a comment on here and share them with us!

Judy

P.S.  I’m not a personal trainer, so it’s important to know that these tips are only through my own personal experience as an “X”er!

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“I HATE pushups!”

That was me several years ago before I saw the light!  It turns out that pushups are good for me!  Who knew?    They work the muscles in my chest, shoulders, arms, upper back, AND my core…all at the same time.  Plus, since so many muscle groups are getting involved, my heart rate goes up.

I did my first round of P90X back in 2007. That summer, I went to my first Tony Horton Fitness camp in New York.  It was a BLAST (and the subject for another blog post some day), but that was the first time I got to try the pushup stands that TONY himself designed.  He called them “PowerStands”, and I never saw anything like them.  Unlike all of the push up stands I’ve seen before, these were strong, well made, heavily cushioned at the hand grip, and looked like they wouldn’t tip over if you were doing wide pushups.

They weren’t available for sale at the time, so I went on with my pushups with my hands on the floor.  I improved quite a bit, but then one day felt a twinge in my left wrist.  Afterwards, my pinkie and ring fingers in that hand were a little “tingly” feeling.  I laid off of the pushups for a while until things started feeling back to normal.

By this time, I saw that the PowerStands were available, so I ordered a pair.  Now, I rarely do a pushup without them.  I mentioned what happened to my wrist to my doctor, and I explained to him how I was now only doing pushups with my PowerStands, and I hadn’t seen any problems with my wrist.

I was REALLY hoping he wouldn’t say “Don’t do pushups anymore”.  HUH?  Did I just think that?  I used to HATE pushups!!!

It’s amazing how you can change your mind about something that you dislike once you see the benefit AND you have the proper tool.  For me, that proper tool was Tony Horton’s PowerStands.  Honestly, I couldn’t get through P90X without them!

Judy

P.S.  I just started a new round of P90X.  I was astounded to see that my first fit test showed that I could do 7 pushups on my toes.  I remember how proud I was that I could do 7 whole pushups on my toes.  How many did I do on THIS fit test?  32…and yes…ON MY TOES!!  Whoo hoo!    P90X works!

If you have wrist issues, it’s best to talk to your doctor (just like I did)!  Really, you should talk to your doctor before beginning any exercise program.  Exercise is GREAT for most people, but you need to make sure your body is ready.  Please!  Talk to your doctor!  That’s what he/she is there for! 

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You may have seen the P90X infomercial and been inspired to give it a try, but in the back of your mind you know that it’s too hard for you right now. Maybe you haven’t exercised in a while, or maybe you’ve NEVER exercised!

I can relate! When I started on my journey toward a “beach body” with Beachbody, I started with Slimin6 in 2004. I knew about P90X back then. The infomercial wasn’t even on the air yet, but I was actively using the message boards at Beachbody, and I knew several people who were using P90X and getting great results!

After Slimin6, I was happy that I was in better shape, but I still didn’t feel like I was ready for P90X. So the next program I tackled was another created by Tony Horton, Power90! This is a GREAT program to work up to P90X! It’s the same trainer, so you get used to Tony’s style a little.

Watch Don’s story below to see how he lost 38 pounds since starting Power90. He also talks about the value of having a Beachbody coach helping him. That’s what I do! Don is still working his way toward P90X. Right now he’s using another great program called ChaLEAN Extreme, created by the Turbo Jam creator, Chalene Johnson. After that one, I have a feeling his next program will be P90X!

There are two levels in Power90. The workouts in the first level (called 1-2) are around 30-35 minutes long and those in the second level (called 3-4) are around 40-45 minutes long. There’s resistance training (called “sculpt”) and cardio (called “sweat”).

You start out on level 1-2, and do that until it feels too easy for you. Then you move up to level 3-4.  Power90 is designed to be used 6 days per week. You do sculpt, then sweat, then sculpt, then sweat, then sculpt, then sweat.

There are also two levels of ab routines: ab ripper 100 and ab ripper 200. While doing the Power90 program, you do those 3 days a week as well. And the same is true for the levels…you do ab ripper 100 until it’s too easy. Then you move up to ab ripper 200.

Power90 also comes with a meal plan so you can start learning how to eat better to support your weight loss and healthy lifestyle.  Check out any of the Power90 links to see exactly what comes in the program!

It’s smart to begin with Power90 before moving up to P90X! But, as with EVERY exercise program, get your doctor’s okay before beginning! That is ALWAYS smart!

If you are interested in purchasing Power90, just click here!  I’ll be assigned as your personal coach, and I’ll be here to help you around the website and answer any questions you have about the program.

Judy

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Sometimes a success story on Beachbody comes along that just is over the top motivating!  Cammie’s story makes me wonder “what’s YOUR excuse” when I don’t feel like doing my workout.

She was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis and within a short period of time, she couldn’t move her legs and found herself in a wheel chair.  Her slow digestion caused her to have trouble getting enough nutrition and calories into her day.  But with Shakeology, that’s all changed.  She says “Shakeology made me come alive”!

With Shakeology and P90X (modified), she’s been able to drop 70 pounds, and she’s active again!

I just LOVE Cammie!  She’s a long distance friend, and I hope to be able to meet her in person one day VERY soon!

THIS is what Beachbody is all about!  Sure, we all love the great products, but it’s friends inspiring friends that makes it all work!

Judy

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