Who is Tony Horton?

If you have research P90X, or are currently on the extreme workout regiment, you know exactly who Tony Horton is. For those of you who don’t know who he is, Tony is the creator and host of P90X. But, what qualifications does Tony have to coach so many people? What is Tony’s background?

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…