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Success Story

Craig Snook Won $1,000 in August 2009

Forty-four-year-old Craig Snook had been thin throughout his life—three years in the army, his first marriage, and even through a divorce. But six years ago, while at work as a contractor, Craig was unloading materials when an item slipped and caused a major problem in his back.

"The discs at the base of my spine were completely gone, and muscle was the only thing holding it up, and my spine collapsed."

He needed surgery, and screws were inserted to support his spine. He was told that life would never be the same. Unable to lift anything more than 20 pounds, which included his baby daughter, Craig had constant pain down his legs and back. A typical day for Craig? Wake up, eat, watch TV, eat, nap, eat, and then go to bed.

"The spine had impinged on my sciatic nerve, and I had nerve damage into the upper half of my legs. For days afterward, I was still heavily medicated. I wasn't doing much. I had an 18-month-old daughter, and knowing that I would probably not be able to lift her up anymore really hurt."

Weighing 220 pounds, he had never been heavier. When Craig saw a picture of himself from vacation, he was shocked. He told himself he had to do something but wondered if it was possible. Familiar with Beachbody® through the infomercials, Craig and his wife went to the Beachbody Web site for more information on products.

"One of them was called Power 90. While at the time, between her and me, we had almost every exercise video ever made. But they were all stacked up in our basement and were collecting dust."

But Power 90® was going to be different; this time, they were committing to a workout that they both wanted. After two weeks of watching his wife do Power 90, Craig believed that he could do a few of the moves. He loved that Tony Horton encouraged people to press pause when needed.

"It was one of the very first videos that we had had that didn't make you feel like a loser. Didn't make you feel like a complete doofus if you couldn't keep up with them. And that that really meant a lot to me."

Sure he started slowly, but then gradually he grew stronger. After 90 days of Power 90, Craig was ready to try P90X. He started slowly, modifying just about every move, and even doubting himself at times. But when doubt crept in, he repeated Tony's mantra: "Do your best, and forget the rest."

"One thing I did right off the bat when starting P90X was go out and get on the Message Boards. They helped keep me accountable, and they helped motivate me. If you're a little intimidated by it, and you're on the fence thinking about it, I would just have to tell you to go for it. The person I was before P90X is nothing like the person sitting here now."

Craig has now completed Power 90, three rounds of P90X, and a round of ChaLEAN Extreme®. He's dropped 50 pounds and 17 percent of his body fat. Craig says he's literally gone from "being disabled to being better than he ever has been." He's able to play with and pick up his daughter. Not his infant daughter—she's now six years old. For all of Craig's hard work and dedication, he is a $1,000 winner in Beachbody's August Million Dollar Body Game. Way to go, Craig!