Sometimes its not life that gets us offtrack, sometimes its doubters and people projecting their problems. I have heard, more than once, that “P90X is a scam” or “how can you get in shape from a infomercial?”. The reality is, P90X works and those people have issues of their own. This reminds me of a quote from Franklink D. Roosevelt:

“It is not the critic who counts: not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles or where the doer of deeds could have done better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly, who errs and comes up short again and again, because there is no effort without error or shortcoming, but who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, who spends himself for a worthy cause; who, at the best, knows, in the end, the triumph of high achievement, and who, at the worst, if he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who knew neither victory nor defeat.”

Basically, don’t let those watching from the sideline have an impact on what you are trying to do….they aren’t even in the arena!

Keep at it, keep pressing play and keep ignoring the critics!

The people who know it only by the infomercial will almost never give it a try or listen as you try to explain it becase “how can an infomercial ever be for real?” I don’t waste my time with these people, becasue they probably don’t work out to begin with and aren’t open to changing their bad habits.

The people who know nothing about it are the people that I love to talk to. They are usually stuck in the same routine of going to the gym and working out with no purpose. They are usually openminded and looking for a regiment that works. They usually will listen.

The people that have worked out with P90X understand its power. They get it, they really understand what its about. They understand that not only does it change their lives from a fitness perspective, but it can change their lives from a life perspective. 

BeachBody, the creators of P90X, have created an entire industry around P90X. Hundreds of people are employeed via the coaching opportunity, while others have become personal trainers inspired by amazing transformation from P90X. When you enter the world of P90X, you are given every support tool possible to be successful. 

You can sign up to have a BeachBody coach assigned to you, for free. You also have access to the forums that have thousands of people on hand to give you support and answer any questions you have. There are numerous videos on YouTube of people giving their weekly updates. 

What I am trying to get at is that the only way you can fail at P90X is within yourself. If you give to it, it will give back tenfold. You are given all the tools and support that you will ever need. Its out there for you to take………..go get it!

In comes my iPod!

I took my P90X DVD’s and ripped them to my computer using Handbrake. I then put the ripped video on my iPod and now I have Tony Horton in the gym with me. I love doing my P90X workouts at the gym!

Eat five to eight fresh fruits and vegetables every day
The P90X philosophy is: Don’t ever hold yourself back from enjoying all the fresh fruits and veggies you want!

Enjoy whole-grain carbs
Ditch white breads, bagels, doughnuts, cookies and the like. Tear into a hunk of all-natural whole-grain bread instead with gusto! You don’t have to eat carbs at every meal, but you should have at least one serving of carbs every day. That’s because your brain relies solely on carbs for its energy source. Sure, you’ll be trim if you don’t eat any carbs, but you’ll come across as a ditz! Your protein serving should always be larger than your carb serving to prevent your blood sugar from spiking, then plummeting. The last thing you want is to feel weak and shaky during your P90X workout!

Enjoy good fats
Good fats are monounsaturated and polyunsaturated; some sources include avocados, olive oil, fish and nuts. The P90X fitness system recommends fish as the most lean source of protein and as the best source of omega 3 oils. Wild Alaskan salmon is best. Saturated and trans fats are bad; some sources include meat, dairy products and hydrogenated oils.

Drink at least six to ten 8oz glasses of water every day.
Water flushes away excess fat. That’s a good thing, because you’re going to crave tons of water after your P90X Cardio X, Plyometrics and Kenpo X workouts!

Avoid these items at all costs:
fast food burgers and fries; hydrogenated oils and high-fructose corn syrup. When you follow the P90X fitness mindset, you don’t even regard them as food. Think of them as poisonous artery-clogging and liver-taxing toxins.

Never, ever skip meals or starve yourself.
This will only slow down your metabolism anyway. You are going to need plenty of energy for your P90X workouts! Never leave the table hungry, and never leave the table miserably stuffed. Eat until you are full, but not overloaded.

What I liked about Cardio X
I really enjoyed the fact that the workout was not borning. Cardio X mixes in exercises of all different sorts: Yoga, Plyo, Kenpo, Ab Ripper etc. This workout really kept my attention and the workout seemed to fly by.

What I didn’t like about Cardio X
This workout was not as intense as Plyo or Kenpo X. While Kenpo X isn’t as intensive as Plyo, it is much more instensive than Cardio X.

I think Cardio X is a really great workout, but I htink its a better substitute for your Rest or Stretch X day than it is for Plyo or Kenpo X. To me, Plyo is the greatest workout in the P90X program due to its intensity.

Raised in the small Rhode Island town of Westerly, Tony preferred fast food to his mother’s healthy home cooking. As a kid, he hated exercising, and didn’t particularly like sports. He describes himself as the “quintessential 98-pound weakling,” and had all of the insecurities that went along with it.

Onward to Hollywood
After graduating from the University of Rhode Island, Tony moved to Hollywood to pursue his dreams of becoming an actor. He found himself working long hours, which didn’t leave time to exercise or eat right-or so he told himself. Although his ambition was high, his physical health was at an all time low. With some urging from his talent agent, Tony realized that to make it in showbiz, he needed to get fit.

But Guys Like Arnold Were Too Big
From that point on, Tony says his life changed forever. He joined the World Gym in Venice, California, where Arnold Schwarzenegger and Lou Ferigno worked out. He watched them and asked questions and read every book he could get his hands on. But Tony didn’t like the bulky, stiff, body-builder look, so he focused on exercises for speed, flexibility and balance that would give him a more streamlined appearance. He learned cardiovascular training, from world-class triathlete, Mark Sission, who introduced him to exhilaration drills and interval training.

Looking Good
As Tony got in better shape, he noticed that other things in his life were shaping up too. He felt better, his brain was sharper and he was more productive in everyday life. Tony had hit his stride and his world opened up. He started…

* rock-climbing
* inline skating
* doing yoga (laying the groundwork for P90X Yoga)
* practicing Pilates
* utilizing plyometrics

The more he learned, the better he looked and felt.

Friends and acquaintances were blown away by his physical transformation and started asking him how he did it. Before long, word got around: whatever Tony Horton, trainer, was doing, he was doing right! Word soon got to musician Tom Petty.

Tony Horton: Fitness Trainer to the Stars
Tony helped Tom get in the best shape in his life, and then went on to train some of his rock-n-roll friends. This began Tony’s career as a sought after fitness trainer. Over the years, he built his training career, establishing ASH Fitness in Santa Monica. His acclaimed exercise techniques appeared in Men’s Fitness Magazine and Tony established an on-camera presence as the spokesperson for Nordic Track. Then, in the late 90′s, he was retained by a major Hollywood studio to condition the entire cast of the motion picture The 13th Warrior.

In 1996, Tony met Beach Body president, Carl Daikeler through one of his clients. Tony and Carl hit it off immediately and soon became friends. Before long, Carl hired Tony to be his personal trainer.

After three months of Tony’ s instruction, Carl was in absolute disbelief. In just 90 days, he saw changes in his body, he never thought possible. Carl knew Tony had hit upon something truly revolutionary…

I really enjoyed the the permutations of pushups that were presented in this routine. Tony introduced about four new pushup variations that really workout the chest. I was surprised at how great of a pump I got from the different pushups.

I am still trying to figure out the right amount of weight for each exercise, especially when it comes to shoulders. The issue I have is that I don’t have a full set of dumbells. I suppose this is where the BowFlew Select Tech really comes in handy.

I was really surpised at how great of a workout this was; it really renewed my motivation and confidence in P90X. I am looking forward to seeing my results at the end of week 5.

• Daily Multivitamin – This is the most important vitamin you can take.
• Omega 3 – As Americans, we don’t consume enough fish to get the EFAs (Essential Fatty Acids) that we need.
• B Complex – There just isn’t enough B vitamins in the daily to suffice.
• Recovery drink – This is a post workout delight. I have not had the P90X branded stuff yet, but a nice glass of Chocolate Skim Milk does the trick!
• The above mentioned are standard supplements that most people take. However, I have found a secret weapon….Wu-Yi Tea. This stuff is AMAZING. The web site is a little sales oriented, but the product is amazing. 1-2 cups of this tea a day really kicks up the metabolism!
• Colon Cleanse – This product is truly extraordinary. This is a product you take for 15 days, twice a year and it really enhances your health.

Thats it! I know people who take CLA, ALA, Milk Thistle….the list goes on and on. Don’t get me wrong, I have tried them all as well, but they really don’t do anything.

All of the products I take are at the recommendation of www.p90xsupplements.com. These supplements really kick P90X into high gear!

My advice:

1. Don’t listen to what somebody else takes and what benefits they get from that particular supplement.
2. Do a little research as to what supplements will help you accomplish your goal
3. Take the results from your research and TRY the supplements. Pay careful attention to how your body reacts to them. If they do you no good, throw them out and do more research.

One last thing to remember….Supplements are there to supplement; there is no magic pill!

Be Well

To keep morale high, I like to throw in an additional exercise to the routine. I love riding my mountain bike on one of the many trails in the Denver-metro area. This is a refreshing exercise that is fun, and most important of all, its outdoors. This is an important point. Most exercise routines/programs are indoors and is difficult to adhere to when its beautiful outside.

Today, I rode 10.86 miles in 59m14s. This is almost the exact same amount of time as most of the P90X workouts (with exception to YogaX).

The next time you are feeling like you are getting bored with the routine, don’t give up! Simply switch it up! Take a walk, go on a bike ride, go rollerblading or participate in something other than the indoor routine.

Be Well

My only complaint is that Kenpo X, which is a cardio workout, doesn’t really pack a lot of intensity. Since tomorrow is a Rest/Stretch Day, I wish that Kenpo X brought a little more punch (no pun intended). There are a few ways to kick it up a notch on your own.

Overall, this is a good workout that keeps your interest due to its fast moving pace.