Get Lean. Eat Clean. Train Mean.: P90X

Showing posts with label P90X. Show all posts

Sunday

Started ROUND 3 of P90X! First 3 Days Review

After MONTHS of working out with ChaLEAN Johnson (ChaLEAN Extreme and TurboFire) - I missed Tony. And since I have all but ONE of the new P90X One on One Volume 3 DVD's (which are Tony's "practice" for P90X2 workouts) - I decided to follow the P90X Classic schedule using the One on One workouts.

Day 1 was Chest, Back and Balls (he he) which has apparently been renamed Chest, Back and BALANCE for P90X2 (I guess "Balls" was a little too risque!) LOTS of pull-ups, which I had to do using bands and the door attachment because I let a friend borrow my pullup bar. And for me, those are never as hard as doing actual pullups, even if I have to use a chair. The push-ups are pretty much impossible using a variety of balls (including doing push-ups with your hands AND feet on basketballs...WTF????) Needless to say, I modified alot of the moves. After that I did good old ARX, which I pretty much know by heart.

Day 2 was PLYOCIDE. Honestly, I never really did Plyo X because my first round I did the Lean schedule, and Plyo is not included in that schedule. My next round I did Classic but substituted Insanity for all the cardio workouts. SO, I can't really compare the two. But it's a tough workout and feels like a very intense leg workout. The last time I did it I could barely walk for DAYS, so I hope a longer stretch and a full dose of Results and Recovery formula will help ward that off this time.

Today was Shoulders and Arms. It's a great workout. Three sets of heavy shoulders, followed by three sets of lighter shoulder work. Then three set of heavy biceps and triceps, followed by lighter bicep and tricep exercises. I'm going to do a different ab routine, probably one from DirectTV, just because I like to mix it up.

Tomorrow is yoga. I'm probably going to do a yoga routine from DirectTV as well because I'm not a fan of the lack of instruction on the One on One Yoga DVD. Tony says he's not going to talk much because it's "his" workout. What's up with that Tony?? I can't do yoga if I have to keep looking up at the TV. Duh!

Anyway, my whole body hurts. That's why I love P90X!!

CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFO ON P90X ONE ON ONE

Tuesday

More info about P90X:MC2 thanks to Steve Edwards.

P90X mc2: Buying Into The System

Friday

How Fitness Changed Tony Horton's Life

By Tony Horton, creator of P90X®
I'm learning that when you decide to eat right and exercise regularly, the person you become will have it pretty easy, and life will no longer seem quite as hard. Until I got really fit, I used to have so many problems. Everything seemed difficult and daunting. There was a lot of drama and conflict. I was lazy, tired, and overwhelmed. I didn't have the feel-good brain chemistry of a person who was firing on all cylinders from making better choices. Life was a struggle. But I had no clue that my poor diet and erratic physical activity were the reasons for my misery.

In my late twenties and early thirties, I began to eat better and work out more regularly. Oddly enough, new opportunities began to come my way. My confidence improved, and the drama began to fade away. It never occurred to me that healthier food and physical activity were responsible for the shifts in my life. I chalked it all up to luck, nothing more. Sometimes, for brief periods of time, I'd get lazy, eat garbage, and blow off workouts. And guess what? Life got hard again. But I still hadn't put two and two together.

By the time I made fitness my true vocation 13 years ago, I was in much better shape—not perfect, but pretty good. Those early days of creating my at-home DVD routines were fun and exciting. I was in the right place at the right time with the right experience to be able to help my business partners create something different and better when it came to at-home workouts. We were striking gold where it had never been found before. You'd think by then I'd have a clearer understanding that my regular exercise and healthy eating had something to do with my early triumphs, but the answer was still no. More great luck, right?

Turns out the more consistent I was with my workouts and the better I ate, the more opportunities came my way. Only in the last 2 or 3 years have I truly begun to appreciate that by exercising 6 or 7 days a week and eating wholesome foods, I have the energy and enthusiasm for a life I enjoy.

I'm not telling you this to brag—I'm sharing this experience because I want you to realize that life can be incredible, and not through luck or upbringing or even education. I know plenty of people who have degrees from top schools and who make tons of money—and they're a mess. Joy, happiness, opportunities, success, and the life you want come from switching to a lifestyle that involves regular exercise and whole foods. What seems hard as hell at first will turn your life into a carefree world of endless experiences and plenty of opportunities, and will give you the energy and enthusiasm you need to enjoy life for the rest of your life.

Saturday

5 Things to Cut Out of Your Diet

By Tony Horton, creator of P90X

When I begin training new clients, the first thing I do is ask them about their diets. Because if you want to get major results, you have to cut out what I call "food porn"—food that's doing nothing to fuel your body, and in some cases is actually doing more harm than good. To keep things simple, I tell them there are 5 things that they absolutely, positively, MUST stop eating and drinking if they want to achieve their fitness goals:

1. Processed sugars. I'm talking about white sugar, high fructose corn syrup, sucrose, or pretty much any kind of sugar that came from a factory instead of a piece of fruit. Processed sugar negatively affects your metabolism, your insulin response, even your mood—and all for totally empty calories. Cutting sugar out of your diet means you're going to have to read some labels, because it is by far the most common food additive in the U.S.

2. Alcohol. Calories that are as empty as sugar, and at 7 calories a gram, booze can really pack it on. Alcohol also dehydrates your body, which compromises muscle growth. Plus it slows your metabolism, so you burn fewer calories. In short, drinking gives you less muscle and more fat—you're just undoing everything you're trying to achieve with your workout.

3. Caffeine. I know there are a lot of people out there who say caffeine can give your workout a little extra "oomph." Obviously, it can give you some extra energy to make you push harder, but the cost is that it increases cortisol levels in your body, which inhibits lean muscle growth. Plus, it can negatively affect your sleep patterns, and you're better off working out when you're rested than when you're juiced.

4. Anything with a face. It used to be that you could find some decent lean meat sources, but in the last few decades, the hormones, antibiotics, and chemicals that have been used to process meat and fish make them pretty worthless as a source of protein. There are plenty of excellent vegetarian protein sources, like beans, tofu, and nuts, so you can eat clean while you get lean.

5. Gluten. Gluten is a grain-derived protein found in lots of different foods, mostly wheat, rye, and barley products. The name comes from the Latin word for "glue." You don't need to eat glue. Even if you're not one of the millions who are sensitive or allergic to gluten, you'll be operating a much cleaner machine if you cut it out of your diet. There are plenty of other healthier gluten-free alternatives, like millet, amaranth, quinoa, and oats.

By eliminating these empty or harmful "foods" from your diet, you can start turning your body into the well-oiled machine nature intended it to be. By eating a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, you can give yourself the premium fuel to get into the best shape of your life.

Peace,
Tony

Workout Meditation or Distraction?

Someone on Facebook posted this quote the other day:

"Failure. Get comfortable with it. If you’re not failing, you’re not getting better. And if you’re not getting better, you’re getting worse." In other words, make your workouts intense. Make them a challenge to YOU. If you aren't challenging yourself - if everything is easy or perfect - then you aren't doing yourself any favors.

Then I found the blog the quote came from and read further. This guy does CrossFit workouts, but of course it's true for anyone trying to maximize their fitness results.

"The people who get the most out of workouts are not the ones who complete them easily, or those who zone out halfway through in an effort to “just get through it.” If you ever find this to be the case during a workout, you’re missing the point."

"The bottom line is that fitness requires failure. Your body adapts to challenges it cannot meet in order to better prepare itself for the future. This process involves levels of fear and intensity that are typically uncomfortable, but absolutely necessary. If you’re not outside your comfort zone, you will not improve. And if you’re not trying to improve, what exactly are you doing?"

This really got me thinking about my own attitude lately with my workouts. I've been in the mindset to "let's just get this over with" or "I'm tired, I'm not going to work hard today" or "Hurry up, I want to be DONE". My workouts have been a distraction. But if this is my attitude, then why exactly am I wasting an hour of my day doing a half-a$$ed workout? Shouldn't I MAXIMIZE this time I'm taking to work on my fitness? Shouldn't I focus on what I'm doing and "BRING IT" and "DIG DEEPER" like Tony and Shaun T are always telling me?

So yesterday, I took this new attitude to heart doing P90X Legs & Back. I pushed HARD. I stayed FOCUSED on what I was doing. I didn't keep taking breaks to put dishes away in the kitchen or check my Facebook (YES, I've been known to do those things in the middle of a workout!) I decided to USE my hour to WORK MY BODY and it was AWESOME! I focused on FORM, I got DEEP in my lunges and squats. It almost felt like a meditation. It was great! I have not been so tired after a Legs and Back workout in a LONG time.

So how do you want to feel after your workout today?

Sunday

Don't say 'I CAN'T'. Say 'I PRESENTLY STRUGGLE WITH...'

This is Tony Horton from the interview in the new Chest, Back and Balls - P90X One on One. I thought it was great so I had to re-post it!

"P90X is a skill based program. There are supposed to be alot of exercises you can't do the first time, the second time, the third time, the forth time, the fifth time. But maybe by the 6th, 7th, or 8th time you can do one or two of them. For alot of people that can be very frustrating, and is the reason that no one has done a program like P90X before, because people who make fitness programs are afraid to deliver something that people can't do pretty well right away. That's why the plateau effect is the case for so many other programs. For P90X it's a completely different thing. There are people who start P90X and they can't do half or 3/4 of it but they GOT THE CONCEPT that IT'S a JOURNEY, it's a struggle, and over the course of time, that's how you improve. You get BETTER at your pull-ups, you get BETTER at your push-ups, your range of motion increases, and your flexibility increases."

Saturday

Beachbody Workout Clips

Sunday

Week 1 of P90X/Insanity Hybrid DONE!

So my husband decided to join me for this round of P90X/Insanity. So I thought I would let him get the FULL P90X experience so we followed the Classic schedule for week 1. He LOVES it! He was formerly a CrossFit workout guy, but I convinced him to try just ONE WEEK of P90X and now he is hooked! I am extremely sore, which kind of surprises me since I started right after finishing Insanity, but I guess MUSCLE CONFUSION is working, again!

Monday

Insanity/P90X Hybrid Calendar

Classic Insanity Hybrid

Sunday

FINISHED P90X!!

I officially finished with my 90 days yesterday! I did Kenpo as a farewell to Tony since I love that workout SO MUCH! I BROUGHT IT!

Did my INSANITY Fit Test today. Here are the results:

Switch Kicks 62
Power Jacks 52
Power Knees 80
Power Jumps 36
Globe Jumps 10
Suicide Jumps 15
Push Up Jacks 16
Low Plank Oblique 35

It was VERY hard and I was breathing SO HARD! Can't wait to see what the next 60 days are going to bring!

Friday

Tony's 11th Law of Exercise: 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.

Even though my job title is Trainer and Coach, I put a lot of time and energy into Diet and Supplementation. We need Energy and Enthusiasm to exercise. That energy and enthusiasm is determined by the quality of fuel we choose. The Double Es (as I call them) can make or break your day. When they are strong, we are strong. When they waver, we falter. Your fuel intake is a key component to your success with Power 90® and P90X® (and everything else in life). Healthy, nutritious food provides the energy you need to get through a hectic day. Poor food choices, aka "FOOD PORN" causes napping. Your choice. When you do the right thing, you're sharp, ready, enthusiastic, and willing to take on the day. When you fill your gullet with processed foods and grease, trying to organize a sock drawer feels like climbing Mt. Everest.

Everything you put in your mouth—all the food, snacks, liquids, supplements, and even drugs (prescription or otherwise) affect the quality of your life. Excess quantities of low-quality food and drink can and will lead to weight gain, excess fat stores, heart disease, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, and even things like arthritis, osteoporosis, and Parkinson's disease. Recent research shows that this is only a partial list. A poor diet will affect mood, energy, strength, and destroy healthy sleep patterns (see Law # 8: Sleep (and stress)). Recent studies have also shown that a poor diet leading to extra pounds increases your risk of cancer of the breast, prostate, colon, esophagus, ovarian, uterus, kidney, and possibly more.

Eating high-quality foods, combined with proper supplementation, greatly reduces the risk and the possibility of developing and/or dying from such health problems. High-quality foods and supplements assist in lowering fat stores, losing weight, increasing energy, recovering from workouts, and maintaining healthy bones, muscles, and joints. Supplementation and eating well also reduce bouts of depression, sadness, and anxiety while promoting psychological well-being. The Power 90 and P90X diet plans show you what kinds of foods to eat and when to eat them. In the test groups I witnessed firsthand the difference between folks who ate well and took their supplements, and those who didn't.

I take my supplements every day. My belief is that going without them is like going without water. They supply us with the nutrients required for living a healthy lifestyle. The vitamins and minerals in supplements work together with food to supply us with the energy we need to do a six-day-a-week program like Power 90 and P90X. Supplements are NOT drugs. A prescribed drug is taken when your body and/or mind is no longer capable of functioning normally. Supplements are taken to subtly assist the mind and body to reach beyond everyday activities.

When it comes to food, I have never been a calorie counter. I have enough things to think about, and keeping track of calories is not one of them. I'm equally uninterested in percentages, formulas, and "weird" combinations of different foods to trick the body into losing weight for a short period of time. This battle of overeating, eating garbage pretending to be food, and dangerous ways to lose weight is a nightmare. If you really care about your health then you must clean up your diet. If you consume high-test fuel, your mind and body run smoothly. Low-fat chocolate cake is NOT a healthy choice. Fat-free potato chips are NOT healthy either. Bacon for example, is not the best way to start your day. This stuff is FOOD PORN.

Don't get caught up in all the fad diets and weight loss pills. Long-term success does not happen with Atkins, Slim-Fast, or the Coconut Diet. It happens when you consistently eat lots of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean protein, and healthy fats. Showing up for six workouts a week requires great discipline. It's also important to show restraint and discipline in your choices regarding food and supplementation. Our bodies don't run on exercise, they run on the fuel we put in our mouth. You cannot substitute good exercise for a bad diet. Good diet and exercise have to happen at the same time. If you bring the same level of consistency and discipline to your daily fuel intake as you do the workouts, you'll greatly reduce a lifetime of health risks, improve your overall quality of life, and see much greater physical change in a shorter period of time.

Peace,
Tony H.

My progress with P90X (so far)

Thursday

The Way of the 6-Pack by Tony Horton

In the land of last hurrahs, the infamous 6-pack is high on the list. The feeling out there is that if you've got a 6-pack, you've arrived. I have a 6-pack and love handles. What does that say about me? I've arrived at needing to eat my cake/cookies too. Owning a 6-pack (or even an 8-pack) is a result of three key components: diet, cardiovascular exercise, and core/ab work. What most people don't realize is that the core/ab work is last on the list when it comes to how your abs rise to the surface. That's right—last! Once they begin to show, the way you work them will influence their aesthetic appearance.

If you had stayed active and ate well early on in life (and stayed that way), your stomach muscles would be as easy to see as your head. That stuff covering up your abs is fat. Fat that has accumulated from a life of poor diet and inactivity. Your abdominal muscles are buried far beneath the surface. Ninety-eight percent of humans who attempt to bring the 6-pack to the surface with just crunches, ab lounges, and any other silly low-calorie-burning repetitive motion will fail. That fat is unburned fuel. Cardiovascular exercise involving your legs and a diet low in fat, sugar, and sodium is the way of the 6-pack.

Talk to anyone who has had great results resurfacing the 6-pack from doing Power 90®, and they'll tell you that eating in the top two tiers of Michi's Ladder and three solid cardio days a week (done consistently) had more to do with it than crunches alone. Do your Ab Ripper routines, Cardio, and Sculpt three days a week. Eat the kind of food seven days a week that doesn't add to the unwanted fuel that keeps "The Pack" from rising to the surface.

A Girl's Guide to P90X

By Whitney Provost

Everyone was talking the day after the Grammy^® Awards about Pink's gravity-defying performance of "Glitter In the Air." She talked with Oprah Winfrey later that week about how she got into the tremendous shape that turned her into the "human sprinkler," and the secret was P90X. Kudos to Pink (and to Dreya Weber, the P90X star whom the eagle-eyed may have spotted as one of the gold-painted aerialists).

Tony Horton and Dreya Weber

Muscles are a girl's best friend. Not only do they raise your metabolism and help you burn more calories, they also keep you living strong. And they look beautiful. Well-sculpted shoulders and lean, tight legs carry clothes better and allow you to power through everyday activities with strength and stamina. How do you get a body like that? A program like P90X will do the trick.

I know this because I'm a P90X graduate. I can vouch for its muscle-sculpting, fat-blasting, and body-shrinking powers. Before I ever started working for Beachbody^®, I finished two rounds of P90X and incorporated P90X Plus into my fitness routine. I still do P90X regularly, and Plyometrics is consistently in my cardio rotations.

I'm not a world-class athlete. I'm just a regular at-home fitness junkie. P90X has been helping me get the body I want—lean, tight, and strong but not bulky—and it makes me feel good.

Not sure if you're ready to tackle the X? Here are a few things to keep in mind.

Do your best and forget the rest. You'll hear Tony say this a lot throughout P90X, and it's important advice. All you have to do is lift as much weight as you can, and that's it. You're not in competition with anyone else. Don't worry if you can only lift 5 pounds while the women in the workouts are hoisting 15. Every time you Push Play, you'll get stronger, and before you know it, you'll be able to lift heavier than you ever have before. And don't be surprised if you find that you can do a few pull-ups at the end of 90 days.
Eat enough. A common mistake many active women make is undereating. With a program as intense as P90X, it's important to fill your body with enough healthy fuel to power through your workouts and help your muscles recover afterward. If you don't eat enough, your metabolism will slow down and your body will burn muscle for energy. Follow the P90X nutrition plan and take your supplements. They're designed to help you get the best results.
Don't be a slave to the scale. During a program like P90X, your body will go through a lot of metabolic changes. At first, your muscles may retain water as they react to the shock of the workouts and the recovery afterward. You may notice your weight going up for a short time before your muscles shed the excess water. As you continue with the program, you'll be building muscle and shedding fat, but the scale might not move downward as much as you want it to. Don't let that deter you. A pound of muscle is denser than a pound of fat, so your body may shrink even if your weight doesn't change that much. Keep in mind that muscle is a metabolism booster, so the more you have the more calories and fat you'll burn all day long.
You're not going to get bulky. Look at the women in the P90X workouts. They're all lean, strong, and feminine. Because women don't have enough testosterone to build massive amounts of muscle, it's nearly impossible for them to bulk up by lifting heavy weights. When women complain about feeling bulky, it's usually because they're new to a fitness program and their muscles are retaining water. If this happens to you, don't give up. Stick with your meal plan and workouts, and soon the extra bulk will go away.
You're going to love the way you feel. OK, maybe not when you're sore from working out, but as you get stronger and leaner, you're going to love how easy everyday tasks become, like lifting heavy objects, walking up and down stairs, or picking up children. And I can pretty much guarantee that you'll find yourself admiring your shoulders in the mirror or poking yourself in the belly to feel your tight abs. I do it all the time.

Whitney Provost Got something to say? Chat with the writers and other readers on Monday, February 22nd, at 8:00 PM ET, 5:00 PM PT, in the Team Beachbody Chat Room!

If you'd like to ask a question or comment on this newsletter article, just email us at mailbag@TeamBeachbody.com.

Starting my Blog!

This is my first Blog entry! I want to share the great experience I have had with P90X and Beachbody! More to come!

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