I will say that day 1, TurboFire Fire 30 class was awesome.  I realized just how uncoordinated I am but I still enjoy it. :) I did my best and I will only get better over time as I continue to press play each day and learn the moves more and more.  What rocked was that the wife got in there and rocked it with me as well. She really enjoys the dance type workouts and it shows.    But I was glad to have the added support and motivation from the wife working out with me and getting herself into the ‘game’ as well.  Going to be a great 90 days!

My video log of day 1 can be found here on my YouTube channel. Look for some clips from the day 1 workout to be posted there soon.

So what was the workout like? It was intense.  I was working up a sweat out the gate and it never stopped till we finished 30 minutes later.  Chalene does an great job of putting together continuous moves that keep you engaged and with an intensity level that is just kicking the calories burning up a notch!  Even only running a mere 30 minutes, it felt like you were packing in an hour long workout worth of ‘work’.  That’s the benefits of these type of workouts.  They don’t have to necessarily be long to get the benefits. It’s about working smart.

What I have found is that one major benefit of this workout program is that anyone can do it.  Chalene has structured it with the different workout partners on the ‘stage’ with her doing a non-impact type version so that most anyone can get into the mix and enjoy getting this program.  This program will get you results and just requires you to make that commitment.  It’s your for the taking. Life changes are often hard.  It’s how you handle it what counts.  Only you can go out there and press the play button or make a change that will allow you to be happier, live a longer fulfilling life with your friends and family.  You have support, motivation, accountability partners, but you need to take that first step.

I look forward to this new 90 day challenge.  The past year and a half have given me a new profound outlook on fitness and my desire to push myself harder but while still retaining the ability to have fun at it.  I won’t do it if I can’t enjoy myself also.  I’ve said that from day 1.  So find what allows you to have fun and do it.  It’s out there.  There is something for everyone.

You want support, accountability, some daily motivation, or just a simple hello from someone who shares in your interests and desire to become healthier and happier in life then contact me.  I’m here and would be honored to.  

Decide. Commit. Succeed.

Alright I’m definitely in for some major butt kicking. :)  My next 90 days, as the title says is TurboFire.  I’m really looking forward to this. I’ve been previewing the discs and have already done the HIIT 15 workout that came with the Tony Horton One-on-One a month or so ago and let me tell you all now, WOW!  This is some major calorie burning, body toning, all out cardio endurance program.  I’ve done Insanity 2 rounds now and I’m scared. :)  But in a good way.

My Kickoff Video can be found here on YouTube.  . I’m really excited to be doing some new video again.  Watch for video updates quite regularly as I am trying to find my form from day 1.  That is probably going to be the hardest part for me.  I’m not use to consecutive moves in a row, but I’m not letting it deter me from reaching my goals this round and just having fun and staying healthy! All about staying motivated, engaged and ready to mix things up and get results. Variety is so much fun.

Begins: June 28th, 2010.

Speaking of goals.  Here are a couple.

• FInish the 90 days strong. Fight through those temptations to either skip a day or to dog it that particular workout.  Also I want my free T-shirt. :) Take those before/after pictures and measurements. Total motivators when you see yourself after 90 days.
• Shred the fat.  I still got fat to trim down.  I’m thinking about 5% BF down over the next 90 days.  I don’t need weight loss. I’m sitting comfortably where I want to be.  But I need reshaping some.
• Have fun!
• Continue running.  As I expand my cardio endurance with TurboFire and all the benefits that I’ll be getting over the next 90 days, hopefully I can continue to cut time off my minute splits.  The next 10K I hope that I can break the 50 minute mark. 
• Log into WOWY each day. Share my love to press play each and everyday with friends and fellow workout partners. Create accountability.  I’ve already set my auto-schedule. Consistency is key. Shoot for 9PM EST every night)

I’ve attached a couple screenshots of the ‘class’ schedule that we’ll be following over the next 90 days.  I’ll update with one that was similar to my P90x/Insanity Round 4 hybrid.  I like the idea of checking off each day as I go.  Love visuals.

So if your interests are peaked, your excited to try out the next big challenge, contact me. I would love to talk to you about what is out there and which direction to proceed.  It’s going to be an AWESOME summer of working out and keeping oneself challenged, motivated and on task. But that is what it is about.  With a side of fun along the way.  You can do it.

Decide. Commit. Succeed!

The April Tony Horton One on One program was the 100 / 30 /20.  This consisted of 100 Jump rope, 30 sit-ups and 20 push-ups.  I think most would think this pretty straight forward. We’ll Tony does a wonderful job of mixing things up with all 3 aspect of the workout.  The key here is the variety.  Per usual, Tony keeps the body guessing what it is going to encounter next. That is the amazing benefits of the 1-on-1 series each month. Always something new, always something fresh coming your way.

This is a great circuit that will keep you moving and really give you a great workout.  One thing to look forward to is the end.  Can you keep up with Tony and get through 100 jump ropes without stopping? Restart if you mess up and keep doing this till you get to 100 perfectly. :) Great way to finish out a workout!

Enjoy this one  from Tony, It’s a keeper for sure!  You can still get it and sign up for the monthly home direct.  It’s awesome variety for any workout program. Any Questions, as always don’t hesitate to contact me and let’s get you started on something that fits your goals.

Decide. Commit. Succeed!

This past Sunday(May 2, 2010) did my first ever 10k run.  Was at the Heart of a Spartan event which was it’s first year running.  There was an amazing turnout of people.  Around 1500 alone in the 10k and 2500 in the 5k event.  The support of the people, the volunteers and everyone involved made it a great event.  I ended up completing the event in 52 minutes and 17 seconds. Averaged 8:21 minute miles.  Considering I had not run this length only one other time, I felt that it went awesome. I had hoped to below 53 minutes and I did it. 

I had only run in a 5k event previously down in Dearborn (Martian) and it was an amazing experience.  Definitely different than running alone on a track or outdoors.  You have all this energy and excitement from the people around you as they get ready to partake on this amazing journey.

The 10k was wrapped around the campus of Michigan State University, my alma mater!    To set the stage, it was a pretty normal day.  The only big issue was the rain.  Now I had been training by running outdoor is somewhat ‘ideal’ weather and situations.  So running the rain was definitely a new experience for me.  One that well I have a new found respect for. It wasn’t too bad initially. One thing I will remember for next time is to not wear glasses or definitely get some contacts and wear.

The other thing is to get a better shirt one that fits tighter. it had way too much movement and caused some soreness which was very distracting throughout the race. So we live and learn and move on. But I still enjoyed the event and will be there next year as well.  Hopefully no rain. :)

So what got me motivated to get running this past winter? Simply said, my new found energy, my new found desire to continue my quest to get healthy, stay fit and challenge myself. I owe it to myself making the decision to press play, workout and eat healthy. If I hadn’t started P90x back in January of 2009 and laid down the foundation of good eating, hard work there’s not telling where I would be today.  With the added rounds of Insanity, healthy nutrition and Shakeology I’ve kept my activity levels going, my workout schedule on track and loving every minute of it.

I’m excited to keep on running and see where it goes.  It’s been fun and I hope to keep pushing myself. Each month I hope to do some sort of race, whether it be a 5k, 10k or maybe something longer down the road. Looking to up the ante with a potential Dances with Dirt event in September.  Check it out. Should be fun.

Many new products(TurboFire, Body Gospel, P90xNext, Insanity Asylum) coming down the pipe from BeachBody that are going to rock your world. More to come on those. Any questions on my journey or how I can help you reach your fitness goals and have your own journey, contact me.  It’s fun, takes dedication, but is well worth the hard work.

Decide. Commit. Succeed.

  So law One.  Variety.  With anything you do in life, you want to find ways and things that will keep you motivated to continue the task at hand.  This is very much the same with working out.  Variety in your workouts will help you continue to go beyond your current capabilities, you won’t reach that plateau that so many folks get to and don’t see results anymore.

The variety, keeps the body guessing. Keeps the muscles moving in different directions, hitting them from different angles, working your body cardio wise in different manners. Whether it be HIIT (high intensity interval training as in Insanity) or some longer sustained workouts(P90x) getting the calorie burn going. Your body will stay adapted to what you are doing if you repeatedly do the same thing over and over.  It becomes too efficient and doesn't work as hard anymore.

Other reasons to add variety is that it helps reduce the potential for injuries.  As you include added workouts, exercises which are working your body in all different manners, this allows for it to become stronger from the various angles. So when you go into the real world to do your favorite sport, or simple work in the yard or whatever it may be, you’re less likely to sustain an injury. I think for my own personal self this has played a great part in my running I am doing now.  Because I had done Insanity for 2 rounds, it got my body ready to take on the miles I have been putting in.  Love it.

So, add variety.  Add different workout programs, intermix them, do different sports, try something new that you’ve never done before.  Keep yourself engaged with a variety of workouts and never be bored that is for sure.  If you like something new every month, look at Tony Horton’s One on One program (Volume 1, Volume 2, Individuals).  Definitely variety. But no matter what you do, press play and find what works for you.  Goal is to keep you continually working out and being successful and getting healthy! There is always something out there for everyone no matter what their interests are.

Have fun.  Stay fit. Decide. Commit. Succeed! 

What a wonderful idea!  Throw in a hat, a million different exercises, pull them one by one and have an amazing workout!  Talk about confusion, talk about variety,  talk about results and getting the job done.  Tony has created yet another wonderful One-on-One workout.

So the gist of this is, Mason(Director, camera man, Side Kick) pulls from a hat a series of exercises from the various workout programs.  Including, P90x, Power 90, Tony Horton One on One’s and P90x Plus. The workout lasts approximately 37 minutes including the warm-up and cool down.  Tony is in his usual form of comical fun. I love listening to the interaction between Tony and Mason.  They keep you motivated, they keep you involved and keep your mind off of what you really are doing. :)

So same thing with resistance training and muscle confusion we are looking at cardio confusion.  I saw that there is a thread out there in the TeamBeachBody forums that someone has created a workout generator. I think that is a great idea.  Just might have to look into something like that. You can really do a lot of things with it.  Everyone is always looking for ways to spice their workout programs up. I am always intermingling different exercises into my hybrids but why not truly make it random. 

But this is what I love about these programs.  You have incredible variety.  This is something that keeps your body from getting use to the normal routine and really forces it to get results.  Have some fun. This is a perfect example of thinking outside the box, pushing yourself to live on the edge!

I’m having fun in my current round of P90x.  Mixing it up, finding ways to push myself to the next level while still keeping the eye on the prize. My long term health and fitness and hopefully motivating others to do the same so we can continue to fight this dreaded position we’ve gotten ourselves into across this great nation and world!  There isn’t a quick solution to the problem. But together we can tackle it one day at a time. Beachbody, myself are here to help. Contact me with any questions! Love to get you started down your path back.

Decide. Commit. Succeed!

Tony Horton is the creator of P90x.   A great 90 day workout program that will take you through a total body transformation like none you’ve seen before.    Below are his 11 laws of fitness.  I will go through each one individually more in depth over the coming weeks.  I think you will find that they are simple concepts that really make sense. I personally look at them as a basic guide to doing what is right to being successful in our quest to be healthy!

Variety. Variety is the spice of life and fitness. A lifetime of health and fitness is achievable when you can think outside the box. You have to mix it up all the time. Stay curious, creative, and stick with the kinds of workouts that you enjoy. A variety of exercises, workouts, and sports will allow you to avoid injuries, plateaus, and boredom.

Consistency. Improvement and change occur when you do things often. Stopping and starting all the time will kill any momentum you need to succeed. You must find ways to stay in the game. Moderate forms of exercise, done consistently, provide far better results than the occasional full-body pummeling. A lifestyle that includes multiple forms of exercise five to six days a week guarantees results.

Intensity. YOU'RE TOUGHER THAN YOU THINK. The fear of pain or injury from working out is a mindset steeped in failure. You must learn to "Find the Line." Do the extra rep or two, increase your range of motion, and increase resistance as you get stronger. Intensity goes hand in hand with Variety and Consistency. The combination of the three work together as a triad that creates a platform for success. The programs provide variety. Your plan will keep you consistent.

Purpose. Your purpose is to have a better life. Exercise and eating right help you feel better. When you feel better, you do more. When you do more, you meet other people. A healthy lifestyle gives us the energy to be better than before. We want to participate, share, communicate, and build a community have purpose in our lives. If you had never found Beachbody, you might be right back where you were isolated, with nothing to share, no purpose, because you weren't doing anything with anyone.

Reality. Why do we want life to be different than it is? Why do we think about who we were and who we're going to be more than who we are? We certainly talk a good game about who we are now. Why do we try to predict the future with the hope that wishful thinking is enough to change it? Life is NOT the way it was. It's the way it is. Life is not our fantasy predictions of the future or our glory days of the past. Life is that thing that is happening to you as you read this. We fall into the trap of living in the past and future because right here is not good enough. Back then and up there are keeping you from right now.

Sports. Take the onus off of weight, inches, and body fat percentages and put the focus on MOVING - from dancing, rock climbing, and mountain biking to table tennis. I love that ping-pong! Think in terms of "can do" instead of "look like." Sports are fun and help develop balance and coordination which in turn accelerates your results. Jump, kick, run, spin, throw, skate, shoot, hit, score, compete . . . PLAY!

The Plan. SCHEDULE ALL WORKOUTS IN ADVANCE. This creates accountability. Plan an entire month ahead of time. Try to schedule as many workouts as possible with friends who have similar goals. WOWY was developed so that we could find an easy and effective way to stay accountable and work out together. Now we've got people in Trumbull, CT (my hometown), doing Power 90 at the same time with people in Hollywood. That is cool!

Sleep (and stress). Stressed out, sleep-deprived people don't eat right and exercise regularly. Stress depletes energy, strength, and desire, while poor sleep habits affect your moods and immune function along with cognitive and motor performance. Burning the candle at both ends makes it impossible to be fit and healthy.

Loving It. Exercise and workouts involve commitment, determination, planning, consistency, and intensity. If you don't like what you're doing, there's no way on earth you'll succeed. Enthusiasm is a very big piece of the puzzle. Get creative and stay curious. If you enjoy doing Power 90 exclusively and it works for you, then keep doing it until it doesn't. If you get part way through P90X and it's not your cup of tea, then stop, and do something else. Something's got to bring you back day after day, week after week. Love it (tolerate it) or leave it.

Flexibility. Flexibility is the fountain of youth. Flexible people are much less prone to injury. Yoga and stretching allow you to bring more intensity to your workouts. Flexibility is the key component to becoming less vulnerable and more durable. Aging has a funny way of making everything we do harder. Staying limber and flexible is the way to prevent that from happening.

Food and Supplements. You are what you eat! Food and supplements are your fuel. The right fuel supplies proper energy and recovery through balanced brain chemistry. The right supplements simply fill in gaps in your diet.

So what have I been up to these past 2 weeks of my round 4?  I’ve been pushing play, best I can.  I have missed a couple workouts to be honest.  But those days happen.  Do our best and forget the rest. So back on track this week. Staying consistent, buckling down with the nutrition side after a crazy Easter weekend.  I did partake a few times in the Easter candy. :)  But nothing too crazy. 

Last week was the recovery week. And I’m glad that it was. I was feeling a big need for one and it came at the right time.  So starting now into Month 2 of round 4, I'm ready to really get focused again and continue working towards the goals I laid out from the onset. I am confident that I will be successful.  Nothing wrong with adjusting your goals. It is an awesome exercise each and everyday to go back, re-read your goals in the morning, or a few times a day. Review and adjust if you need to.  You can’t accomplish everything in the 24 hours we are given each day, but we can certainly make progress.  Step by step we will be successful!

Let’s have fun, get fit, felt great each and everyday you wake up.  The rush and long term effects of working out are so much better than the alternative.  Don’t sit around watching the evening dramas and the afternoon soap operas and talk shows.  Use that time wisely and make it work for you!

One thing i want to do is get back to my video’s. I have slacked quite a bit on them.  So look for something soon!

Contact me with any questions about P90x, Insanity, shakeology or any other BeachBody product. They have a product that can fit any fitness level and nutritional supplement. They all work.

Get fit or Get out!

Tony Horton One on One series is an amazing way to spice up any of your current workout programs. On top of that, you can build your own program from just these workouts if you have both the Volumes.  Volume One, contained more of the meaty resistance type workouts while Volume 2 so far has contained many of the cardio core/Abs type workouts.  Personally I do have a fondness for the program, but I would have liked to have seen new resistance workouts. 

So what is ISO Abs?   This is another great addition to the many ab/core workouts that Tony has been creating in volume 2.  There are a total of 10 exercises with twelve reps each. You go through the routine twice.  Total time takes around 38 minutes.  This would be the longest ab/core workout that I’ve personally been through.  It is definitely different than AB Ripper X and most of the others. It’s focus is to keep things slow, controlled and keep you focused/concentrated on each move and the core.  You really feel it in each move throughout your core region.

Tony does a wonderful job of showing you variations in the moves in case you have lower back problems or aren’t currently up to par to do the entire workout.  My best advice to you is to do your best on each one. If you have to lower the # of reps you do, so be it.  In no time you will work up to the 12 per and maybe go even further if you challenge yourself. 

ISO Abs I feel is a great add-on to your current program. For one you could switch out on some days with Ab Ripper X, or in any other programs Abs workout (cardio abs, merciless abs, etc).  Don’t hesitate to spice things up, to challenge yourself and find what gets the most out of your workout.  If you are going to spend the hour or more a day working out, make sure it gets the job done. Make sure you aren’t wasting that hour.  The 38 minutes you will spend doing this routine is WELL worth it. 

The 10 exercises that Tony puts you through are Banana Boat, Tick-Tock, Super Scissors, The Gate, Oblique Crunch Left/Right, Draw-Bridge, Big Bike, Palin Twists and the Monster. 

Take a look at the One on One series and get your subscription going. You won’t regret it.  I’ve been adding them in and out of my P90x rounds for some time now and don’t plan on stopping anytime soon.   Contact me with any questions. Love to help get you started down a journey of health and fitness!

Decide. Commit. Succeed!

Day 11 – Core cardio and Balance.  I decided to switch things up and go with this rather than the yoga this week.  I was wanting to through it into the routine and this was a good as any day to do it. Felt great.  It had been some time so really enjoyed it.  Definitely different pace than the P90x Yoga X or the much shorter Patience yoga but for the standpoint of a general what I would call a mid-week recovery workout worked perfect for me.  You’ll find that I’ll change things up from time to time through out the program depending on how things are going and how I feel.  Love having so much variety on hand to be able to mix it up with all types of workouts.  From the insane pace of Insanity to the booty workout’s from Brazilian butt lift.  There is something for everyone.

Day 12 – Legs and Back  / Run (4.x miles)  I started the morning with a 4.45 mile run.  Felt awesome. Finally getting my playlist in order to match up for a 7 – 8 mile run.  Keep tweaking as I get longer and adjusting the order some to make sure I'm keeping the pace as I want it. It’s been fun with all the tinkering.  Overall the runs have been getting better and better I feel.  I do think I need to stretch more.

Legs and back that night at my usual ‘bat’ time workout.  Now I will say that it wasn’t as strong/intense as I would of liked.  I did go heavier with the weights.  I’m wondering if it played in part due to the running in the morning and taking something out of my legs. Not sure.  But I got through it, and was very happy that I didn’t stop.  Pressed play.

Day 13  - Kenpo Cardio Plus/ Chalean Extreme Burn it off – Love doing the P90x Kenpo workout.  Never fails to get a great workout, heart-rate up and solid calorie burn.  I continue to use ankle weights and weighted gloves with most of the cardio workouts now. some it is tough so will vary depending on which one.  I’ve decided to put on the wish list a weighted vest. :).  Should really make things interesting down the road.  Won’t get for a while but will be fun. 

CE Burn it off did this with the wife during her workout time.  We had a BLAST.  She is doing awesome with sticking to her workout plan and slowly making changes in her journey to new found health!  Here to help her reach her milestones! You can also follow her journey @ her site.

Day 14 – Rest day/ Basketball  My weekly basketball is tonight.  Only a couple more weeks left. I’m going to miss it that is for sure. I’ve really enjoyed the past 4ish months.  The new found cardio endurance from Insanity, and the running has really allowed me to get in there and play some fun defense. It really is my only ‘benefit’ i bring to the table. lol. I really can’t shoot for squat.  Throw a pick here and there to get a guy open and that is the extend of my ‘skillz’.  But it is fun, another workout.

So are you really enjoying what you are doing now? are you getting in motion at least 3 times a week? Have you found something that you enjoy to get you down the right track of getting healthy for yourself and your family.  Remember, you don’t only affect yourself. You are affecting the lives of your children and others around you.  it really is contagious. 

Both exercise and nutrition side.  they each play a crucial role. But you have to start.  Start slow, but just start.  Press play, get outside, take a walk, whatever it takes. If you are ready for a challenge, ready for a structured program to kick you in gear then i would love to talk with you about Beachbody products and fitness programs. they work, they do the job. I’ve been using for over a year now and I attribute my success to them getting me dedicated to changing my life and my families for the better.  Contact me, with any questions about P90x, Chalean Extreme, Insanity, Brazilian Butt lift, revAbs, shakeology or any other of the amazing products that BeachBody has to offer. 

Let’s have some fun folks!