April 10, 2009Real Life of FitnessI don't know who created the mantra "keeping it real" - probably some hip hop star from the early 90's - but I'm a fan when it comes to planning out a fitness lifestyle. The truth is, most people only think about one immediate goal. It could be 15 pounds, 2 inches, or for the more athletic-minded folks, running 20 plus miles and cutting sprint times. But if you're really interested in seeing far into your fitness future, there are some basic realities you need to keep in mind. If you don't use it, you lose it. I hope you know that if you stop exercising and eating healthy, you're bound to gain the weight back. That's not rocket science! There are other things to lose, however, like specific strengths. Maybe you've worked super hard through a program like P90X, and suddenly you've become a pullup master. Well, after you've finished and moved onto some other crazy fitness regiment, you can't expect to continue putting up the same rep numbers unless you're doing pullups regularly - even if you're doing other back exercises. The same goes for general skills like endurance, stamina, and speed. To maintain the same "upper limit" you have to practice! Everybody gets bored. Yes, the gym gets boring after you do the same old routine everyday. Home fitness gets boring, too, especially if you're watching the same videos all year. It could be the repetitiveness, or maybe working out just seems less important compared to other things going on in your life. That's just how it happens. Routine is your frienemy. We all have those people we keep as friends but secretly want to stab in the back - well, maybe just a quick jab to the kidneys. Similarly, we like routine when it keeps us consistant with our exercise habits. If your fitness routine stays the same week in and week out, however, you'll steadily see less results. That's a serious bummer. Our bodies change as we age. Metabolisms slow down. It becomes harder to keep muscle on your bones and fat off certain places. At some point, you may not be able to do all the same activities as 5 years ago. If you really want to stay in shape, don't think you can get away with all cardio all the time. Resistance training and protein drinks will help keep meat and muscle on your body! Yeah, I know. I'm a real downer. All my friends tell me so. The trick is not to think of these as insurmountable realities. Instead, just think of them as the "rules of the game". First, figure out your goals and which fitness elements you want to retain most. That way, you know where your training should stay focused. If you're getting bored, or your routine is running you dry, it's time to get a little inventive and try something new! And lastly, be aware of your body. It may even help to consult with a physician or nutritionist, or even get some bloodwork done to make sense of it all. There's no real magic formula to getting in shape and staying there. Be "real", but don't give up and plan ahead. You'll find any fitness setbacks far less disconcerting - trust me. March 27, 2009Famous Faces in my Face
What a strange and exciting week. Sunday, I'm dining out in San Francisco and run into a taping of Anthony Bourdain's no reservations - free meal and picture with Mr. Bourdain included (see the proof, right). Then, today I pop into a 24 Hour Fitness class headed by Chalene Johnson! I was tipped off to Chalene's random appearance in San Mateo by my BeachBody Coach, Nina. Apparently Chalene's been doing some promotional tours for her new workout series, getting trainers to come out and become certified as instructors. My good friend, Elaine - aspiring runner and budding exercise fanatic, joined me at the gym as well. 
Chalene Johnson is just as energetic in real life as she is in her videos. She was at the front jumping around like crazy while the live DJ was spinning his jams. She started with her TurboJam repertoire, and then moved into some unfamiliar territory with a very dancy, kicky routine. At a certain point I had a pretty hard time keeping up, although it seems many of the trainers had had ample time to study up on the vids beforehand. It was all still, plenty of fun, and everyone was pumped up. It was almost like being at a dance party - except choreographed. Hope you enjoy the pics! Now all I have to do is track down that darn Tony Horton...  March 23, 2009Pirate's Cove 30K Trail RunWell, at least I crossed the finish line, but I really got my ass handed to me on this one! The start for the Pirate's Cove 30K trail run was just over the Golden Gate bridge in the Marin headlands, right by the coast. Skies were overcast, but the views from the hillside were truly breathtaking. Luckily, my puffing and panting may have helped prevent vertigo from some of the potentionially dizzying heights. It took me almost 4 hours. I finished 75 out of 119 people, and second to last in the 29 and under crowd. My running buddy, Kingston, finished 15th, and the winner of the 50K ultra marathon finished 15 minutes after me... haha. I guess I should do some more running-specific training before the next time. Lesson learned. The Pirate's Cove run was put together to help promote trail running in the bay area. I have to give props to the organizers who were extremely helpful and did a great job pulling things together. The trails were all very well marked, so I was never worried about missing a turn. What I didn't realize is that unless you're one of those 2 or 3 people at the front, it's pretty impossible to do the race without walking at some point. It's brutal when you're 10 miles in, and suddenly you come across a humungous stair case leading up the side of a hill. I also learned that even though the gummy bears and beef jerky taste AWESOME when you make it to a pit stop, I should not stuff my face unless I want to get a major muscle spasm in my left quad! At the moment, I'm expecting one of my toe nails to fall off any day - casualty of war, it happens. While I was only hobbling around yesterday, I'm feeling better today and was even able to do 25 minutes of an upper body workout. Anyway, it was an interesting experience. I think 20K is much more reasonable for me, but I'd be willing to give it another shot, if for nothing else except salvaging my pride. Yes, yes - my friends and family have said "at least you finished the race" and "most people wouldn't even run one of these", but I suppose I'm just not satisfied yet. February 23, 2009Fit Test at Breckenridge 2009!My family and I go on a yearly ski trip, a tradition that started just over 10 years ago - a full 4 years before I even learned to snowboard! While our annual vacation has typically wisked us off to the slopes at Blackcomb Whistler, outside Vancouver, we've shaken things up a bit and spent the week in Breckenridge, Colorado. It's been my first taste of the Rockies! Here's the fitness spin on this tale. Story is I was expecting to board 4 days out of 6. That would give me a couple rest days because I usually don't board more than 2 days in a row without getting extremely exhausted. Who wants to be crippled by total body muscle-aches when they're on vacation, right? What I didn't factor into my plans, though, were the days when the rest of my group wanted to hit the snow, OR when the fresh powder decided to hit the mountains. Sometimes my family can be just as unpredictable as the weather! Essentially, I ended up shredding the slopes for 5 days straight - and you know what? It didn't kill me. In fact, my legs felt stronger than ever before, and I seemed able to keep up with the pace, even with the high altitude (nearly 14,000 feet sometimes!). I guess I owe another debt of gratitude to P90X. And it's nice to know my current routine is still doing some good, and keeping me fit when it counts.
Here's something my sister put together for me. I'm goofing around with my niece. Okay... I'm acting like a goof and she's just staring at me! February 8, 2009Chalene Johnson Live!I've started a new chapter in my fitness regiment, ChaLEAN Extreme starring trainer Chalene Johson. With the fanaticism that many women rave about her TurboJam series, you may akin her to an Oprah-esque persona in the home fitness world. ChaLEAN Extreme is another 90 day fitness program that's been released on the heels of P90X popularity. For me, it's a chance to keep my exercise routine interesting. Plus, my sister-in-law has agreed to complete the 90 days with me, which has been lots of fun so far! As a P90X grad, the big question is whether or not ChaLEAN Extreme is a suitable alternative to the high intensity of Tony Horton. My impression so far is that ChaLEAN is a great intro to resistance and strength training, and also appeals more towards woman. Chalene herself seems to be a great educator and source of inspiration. Here's a call I sat in on where Chalene talks about her successful fitness career: I'll be blogging about ChaLEAN extreme in similar fashion to P90X, although probably less frequently. At the end though, I'll be sure to post my results and a full review based on my 90 day experience. January 5, 2009Oprah is Depressed and Fat!The truth comes out! I watch Oprah! Ok, many of my friends already know this and make fun of me for it. I guess I can live with the humiliation. Hey, if I can put my half-naked self on the Internet, what's one more small thing like Oprah.
Truthfully, Oprah is the queen of defensive re-marketing (not re-invention, that's Madonna). In cases like this, where she's taken a beating from the press, she's quick to confront the issue with an apology or an explanation, and we tend to take her at her word. The last big headline was when James Frey's memoir, "A Million Little Pieces", was discovered to be fictional, and Oprah publicly denounced the author and apologized to her audience. So when it comes to today's show, perhaps she actually is the same person, someone whom her fans are quick to forgive when mis-steps occur. Today, Oprah described herself as having "fallen off the wagon" - not just with her weight, but with her spiritual centered-ness. It's in these full disclosure shows, I think, that we see why Oprah is so identifiable. It's not because she is in fact the happiest person on earth. Instead, here's an instance where she shows us the reality of being a human being. Falling off the wagon and subsequently getting back on is just another way of describing the human cyclical condition. We all have periods of great fulfillment in our lives that often revert to less than ideal times. It's the struggle to regain our happiness that teaches us how to handle things better the next time. Then, hopefully, the struggle becomes less, and our cyclical patterns are never as extreme - that's how I define "finding balance". It's a philosophy that I think can and should be applied to weight loss and fitness. The first and hardest struggle may be losing those 40 extra pounds, but over time the goal should be to stay within a smaller range of weight gains and losses, while learning to enjoy the process. Just another thing I learned from watching Oprah. November 14, 2008P90X Review
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P90X Plus - After P90X
The P90X Workout Program
P90x is based on the idea of "muscle confusion". For people who know a little about working out, that basically translates to high-intense cross training or circuit training. Tony Horton, the P90X trainer, has put together a program that works different muscle groups everyday in a combination that ensures your body development never plateaus. One day of the week you may be working your biceps, another day you'll be thrashing your legs, and the next day you'll find yourself doing yoga poses - then, the program changes again every 30 days. In practice, that means constant, non-stop improvement. The P90X Nutrition Plan
I was surprised to find that the P90X nutrition plan was fairly reasonable over all. After doing some simple calculations (upon reading the manual), I found I could eat about 2400 to 2600 calories per day. Volume-wise, that's not too shabby for a normal guy. You have your choice of doing a precisely scheduled day-to-day meal plan, or else a more flexible option based on food group portions. For details on what I did exactly, check out this other blog post I wrote. The first month was the hardest because it was predominantly low-carb at the equivalent of 2 slices of whole wheat bread per day. It gets easier from there on. I had some trepidation interpreting their diet plan at first. As someone who's never dieted before, certain advice in the manual seemed grey. For example, the meal plan is clearly laid out, but then you'll read things in there like "listen to your body". That's sort of ambiguous isn't it? And even though you do become incredibly aware of how your food choices affect performance, it's hard not to question if you've made a wrong choice - adding more carbs sooner than scheduled for more energy, for instance. The Tony Horton - Face of P90X
As an instructor, he's a phenomenal motivator and does an adequate job explaining key points for each exercise. You can pick up some good advice on how not to injure yourself if you pay attention. Most of your learning technique-wise, however, is done visually. Tony jumps from one exercise to the next rather quickly. That's appropriate, I think, for being an "extreme" program, but it means beginners and less coordinated types should freely use the pause and replay buttons to make sure they're on point. After 90 days, you'll learn many of Tony's favorite phrases, too, like:
"Do your best and forget the rest!" The Un-mysterious Abs
What I like most about P90X is that it demystifies the "how to's" of obtaining lean muscle definition in your body. And yes, that includes a 6-pack for many people. Although muscle confusion is a fairly basic principle in the dogma of building efficient workout routines, the full road map is right here in 12 workout dvd's and 90 days of commitment. You're told exactly what to do every single day - and guess what? It works! I saw changes in my definition and strength within the first two weeks, and I continued to improve in those and other areas (like endurance and flexibility) over the entire 3 month period. If you've ever wondered whether you have 6-pack potential, then this is a pretty darn reliable road map to finding out. The Costs & Commitment
P90X costs $119.85 for the package plus a $19.95 shipping and handling fee. You also have to factor equipment costs. While P90X is toted as an out-of-home workout program, you need more than just the basic sweatband and towel. Theoretically, you could do everything with simply a set of resistance bands. However, you'll get a far better result by incorporating free weights and a pull-up bar. There are a number of exercises that work superbly with resistance bands, but you'll find yourself frustrated being unable to record how much weight you're actually pulling. Even if you've never done a pull-up in your life, at some point in the 90 days, I expect you'll be wanting to transition to a bar. I spent about $500 total on my essential fitness gear as follows:
*Prices at time of my purchase. Optional equipment you may find useful with P90X:
*Prices at the time of this review. $500 may seem like a lot, but it ended up being worth every penny. I went with a power tower versus a doorframe pull-up bar for stability, and because I was worried about damaging the house. Having adjustable weights is a huge space saver. And I included a set of resistance bands in order to finish off pull-up sets with more reps, and for variety on certain other exercises (great for tri-cep and shoulder workouts!). For numbers geeks, this chart I made shows how many months you have to use your new fangled equipment instead of the gym before you "break even". It's based on an exact equipment cost of $539.94.
So, I need to use my P90X setup about 6 months in order for it to be cheaper than the $90 per month gym membership I gave up. That's just the numbers, though. For most people, the inherent fitness value of P90X is pretty close to having your own personal trainer. Based on reading other reviews, my equipment costs are also on the higher range. Time is as much a cost as money. If you're pumped for P90X, be prepared to spend up to an hour and a half on certain days in front of the TV. That includes general set-up time, and also days when you're adding in the abs workout. The first week of the first two months usually ends up increasing workout time because you're busy pausing the dvd player in order to learn a new move, or to catch your breath. The Benefits
As was advertised, I am truly in the best shape of my life now. I'm stronger in measurable amounts, and I have more endurance in ways that I can feel anytime I'm active (running, hiking, biking, etc.). I could also probably squeeze into a super hero outfit without looking too much like a fat spiderman. I began P90X as someone who'd been working out regularly (3-5 times per week) for the previous 2 years. At the gym, I would mostly work my upper body with free weights and run on the treadmill for cardio. It was a workout pattern that steadily slimmed me down a couple pant sizes. I wasn't someone you would consider super athletic, and I've never had a toned body before, so I'm pretty amazed by where P90X has boosted me. If you check out my results in the next section, you can get the numbers and visuals. Some of the unexpected benefits were: 1.) Learning how to get a great workout outside of the gym.2.) Pushing my body to limits I didn't realize were possible. 3.) Motivating friends and family to get healthy, too. 4.) Seeing first hand what it means to eat hardcore healthy. 5.) Enjoying yoga. My P90X Results
Here are my before and after measurements:
*My body fat was measured twice each time with the exact same machine. I took the lower "before" and the higher "after" numbers to get the most conservative difference. And in case you missed the photos:
My P90X Recommendations
Is P90X for women? YES! There are many women who complete P90X successfully with fantastic results. Many women express worry about "getting bulky", but the fact is P90X is more about becoming lean and toned. As long as you follow Tony's rules about number of reps for lean muscle (12-15), then you'll be fine. I hate to sound too judgemental, but if people are honest, about 90% of the time saying, "I'm afraid of getting bulky" is an excuse for not doing the work. Resistance training is proven to improve weight loss. And in any case, you generally have to reach a certain point in your overall fitness level before even worrying about looking like the Incredible Hulk. Even beyond P90X, it's a lot harder to gain mass than you might think! If you're still fearful of all the weight training, P90X gives you the option for doing a "lean" program, which adds more cardio to the system. When are you ready for P90X? There are a few ways to know you're ready for P90X. At the top of this list is dedicating yourself. You've got to have it straight in your head that you're 100% committed to completing every workout, every day, no matter how tired you are. P90X is the real deal. It's hard work that takes concentration and focus, so make sure your head is in the game! While there is a basic fit test you should pass before starting P90X, most people can't go straight from zero to hero overnight. If you don't exercise regularly, then I recommend first getting into a basic exercise routine. By going to the gym 3-4 times a week, you'll get into the habit of working out. Better yet, try a less extreme program first to create those habits and so you're already physically fit at the beginning of P90X. Will you get injured doing P90X? Injury is always a possibility when you're pushing your body's limits. P90X reduces the chances of injury through long warm ups, stretching, and showing proper technique. You can prevent injuries by paying attention and taking the time to hit the pause button if you can't keep up. Pay special attention to moves that cause neck strain, and leg exercises that can damage your knees if you use the wrong form. I think everyone should use the first week of P90X as a learning week. Be heavy on the pause and rewind buttons so you can wrap your head around everything. I also recommend supplements (vitamins and recovery protein drinks) so your body recovers faster. Supplements and good nutritional food choices also help increase energy during your workouts. The less tired you are, the less likely you're going to hurt yourself! How do you stay on track? Plan ahead! You might consider starting the nutrition plan or at least stockpiling your kitchen one to two weeks before starting P90X. Make sure to schedule time for your workouts around your career and any random events. If you know you'll be traveling, then think ahead and figure out where you can find a gym, bringing equipment, supplements, and your computer along for the trip. I checked out the online support network, and it's actually filled with highly enthusiastic P90X grads. If you have any questions or just want to chat with like-minded folk, it's a great place to get connected. At first I didn't write anything down, but finally got on the horse in my second week. I found that it was a huge boost of confidence when I could track my weekly base-line and measure improvements when they happened. Finally, tune out the Debbie downer's of the world. There will be friends who cheer you on, and then other skeptical folks who think your somehow harming yourself or trying to achieve the impossible. Just don't listen! This program works. Do you really need to do the pre-test? I only recorded less than half the pre-test measurements, because I was lazy. I must admit that I wish I'd gotten all my numbers. Items such as your active heart rate and body measurements can be great indicators of health improvement and total body conditioning. It may seem silly to figure out how much higher you can jump after 90 days, but you will be very curious by the end, especially after you've done all the hard work. Can I bulk up or gain muscle mass with P90X? According to many reviews, P90X is not for bulking up, and that's probably true if you take the program as written. However, it is possible to gain muscle mass using the P90X system. The key is in altering the nutrition plan. The fact is, you're not getting enough protein or calories in your diet by following the P90X nutrition plan if your goal is to build lots more muscle. People have had success, though, by adding additional calories in the form of protein supplements. This is really for more serious body builders, but a typical schedule for adding bulk is to do 180 days of P90X. The first 90 days utilizes a muscle gaining diet, and then the second 90 days trims down any extra fat by following the plan exactly as written. My Favorite Exercises from P90X
chin ups August 20, 2008Goal Setting for P90XIt occurs to me that I haven't laid out my expectations very clearly here in my blog. Setting goals is an important step in any personal achievement or self-improvement task. The important thing about goal setting is to have a balance between something reachable but still challenging. I think it's also good to have more than one goal, which is one way of obtaining that balance. Maybe certain goals are a little bit farther fetched, while you have very attainable goals that allow you to credit progress and that may act as benchmarks pushing you to continue through. Where do I want to be after 90 days? Really, the quick answer is I want a six pack and guns (did I just say that?). All measurements and health benefits aside, I feel like I've been set up with the expectation that, should I do the full 90 days and follow the nutrition plan, there's no reason my after picture shouldn't be similar to what you see on TV. I think that's reasonable since P90X is toted as an extreme workout that will produce drastic body-altering results. So let's see it! Coinciding with my desire for never-before-had ab and body definition, is a measurable decrease in my body fat percentage. I would be pretty thrilled if I can drop from 12.6% to under 9%, where the so called "elite athletes" mingle. Even being described in a category as "athletic" is a pretty unique thing for me, because it's not a classification I've ever associated myself with. I'm personally not sure how realistic it is to drop 3.6% in 90 days, even with Tony Horton prodding me, so if it doesn't happen I'm willing to keep going until I get there - one way or another. Lean muscle is key. I don't mind gaining some muscle mass in the right areas, but I'm not into being "bulky", and I definitely still want to have a neck after all is said and done. I kind of like being a little more agile and flexible. That's why I haven't been cheating on the yoga or stretching segments. According to the materials, P90X is perfect for building a strong, lean and muscular frame. There are obvious time benchmarks you can use for P90X, namely days one, thirty, sixty, and ninety. From what I can currently tell from other P90X-ers online, there doesn't look to be huge differences from 1 to 60. In fact, I would venture to say that most of the crazy visual body development happens in the final "hell" month. For the P90X series, I think it's actually more important to give yourself credit for the small improvements that happen throughout. If you don't, you may get bummed out by how much the workouts break you down, and how hard it is to keep up with the folks on the DVDs. Granted, the slogan Tony uses all the time is "Do your best and forget the rest," but that just means you have to be mentally strong and very realistic while giving yourself a pat on the back now and again. Cause let's be honest - most of us still want to try and keep up!
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About MeI'm an entrepreneur who's steadily become interested in health, nutrition, and fitness over the last couple years. With this blog I'm hoping to keep motivated to get ripped and beyond!
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In 
Oprah's whole image has seemed to be about being the happiest person on the planet - spiritually whole and living the life envied by others. If there's a church that isn't a church, it's probably the Oprah Show and it's millions of viewers who look to America's leading lady for advice and wisdom. So hearing that she hasn't been "walking the walk" for nearly 2 years is more than a little bit disconcerting. Is she really the woman we all thought we knew?
P90X is a 90-day "do it from home" fitness program whose purpose is to get regular people in the best shape of their lives. You would have remembered seeing the infomercial, because it totes some of the most amazing before and after pictures of any exercise package currently advertised on TV. Generally, the workouts are not really marketed to the traditional couch potato, but instead aim at everyday folks who might already be in average to above average shape. This is what might be considered the ultimate fitness pick-me-up for people who've found their existing workouts are lackluster and boring.
This was a first for me. I'd never in my life tried to follow a diet. Like many people, the idea of "dieting" that sucks all the life and joy out of eating never appealed to me, so I expected this to be a challenge. On the other hand, I figured I wouldn't be entirely miserable as long as I knew it would end after 90 days.
Tony Horton is an entertaining coach and teacher. You really do get jazzed by his enthusiasm, practical advice, and generally whimsical, talkative nature. He's been responsible for many leading Beachbody programs, such as Power 90 (the precursor to P90X) and the new 10-Minute Trainer series.
