Team Beachbody Guest

In The Beginning...
I was TIRED of being a BLOB! On this day, I started eating from the first two tiers of Michi's Ladder, a hierarchical approach to healthy food choices. I also ordered the P90X DVD's, protein supplements, recovery drink mix, and resistance bands from Beachbody.Com.
I joined the BB Club and set up a profile in WOWY (Work Out With You) and became a COACH in order to take full advantage of information & tools that were available for me to utilize. You see, someone I knew shared his story of health & fitness with me. Let me briefly explain...

Intro To Beachbody...
While having a tile floor installed by my friend Brian Ciarrocca, I asked him as he was leaving one day if he taught fitness classes as I had heard he was a "coach". It was then that Brian told me about P90X and showed me a card with his before and after pictures on it. Amazed at his transformation. he explained that he ditched eating badly and had begun to eat foods that FUELED his body while following the P90X home fitness program. The more he talked, the more I knew I had to do this.

In the year 2008, I spent several thousand dollars on doctor visits and for both blood pressure & cholesterol medications. With a peaking level of stress, panic disorder, and a general sense of fatigue, I sensed that I had reached a breaking point in my life and was at critical value choice: Live & improve or maintain status quo & decline.

P90X outlays a PLAN that works, provides the RESOURCES to maximize success, and delivers on the EXECUTION of the daily workouts with Tony Horton. You just gotta "Bring It"...

What I Needed...
• Resistance Bands (I bought the entire set & have used them)
• DVD player
• Dumbells (5-40 pounds ideal; I only had 15, 20, & 25)
• Mat
• Yoga blocks (for support)
• Heart Rate Monitor
• Clipboard & Pen for Recording Workouts
• Pull-UP Bar (if you don't use the bands): I made a portable one that stores under the bed since we don't have standard width door frames
• Recovery Drink / Protein Bars
• Push-up Stands (I use Tony's design)
• GET A COACH!

I routinely use the resistance bands as I am not trying to lift heavy weights and build bulk. Rather, I want to reduce my body fat and build lean muscle mass.

Let's Talk "R.O.I." (Return on Investment)...
You may be asking yourself if all this stuff costs a lot of money. After spending $4,000.00+ in medical costs in 2008, my investment of a few hundred dollars (I spent about $450.00, but you don't have to spend that much) seems relatively small. I had to ask myself how much it was worth for ME to get in excellent physical condition and become a healthy eater. I no longer buy diet drinks, eat chocolate & junk food, and listen to satellite radio (I used the refund money & quarterly subscription fee to help fund my Beachbody program).  P90X or any other program will only work if you DO IT. No amount of money can buy that.

Date: 04Apr2009
The P90Xformation Begins
A New Meaning to the term "BRING IT"
 
Soreness and a sense of rejuvenation sum up the first couple weeks of P90X. Reassurance from my Coach (Brian) is helpful beyond words. I still can't believe I'm standing in my den with my son doing exercises with people on a DVD. P90X is no joke. It's hard work and total body...

Date: 14Mar2009
The end of week three
Feeling Great - Working Hard - Clothes that Fit! 
As my double chin begins to shrink and my clothes start to fit, I can see some photographic progress. It's difficult to accept the truth of how I look through the lens of an "objective" and "Unassuming" camera. I've dropped about 12 pounds and have started to feel the difference in my body strength, particularly in my arms and legs as I move about during the day. My posture has improved and knowing that I'm hitting the PLAY button of my DVD at home 6X per week is satisfying.

People at work can begin to tell a difference. I am working better and don't feel so tired each day. I wake up with a notable degree of energy and zest for the day ahead. Of all the things I am doing, my DIET seems to be having the greatest impact on my general sense of well-being. I am not cheating on my DIET in terms of portions size, quality, and meal-timing. I am hungry when I get up and eat a high protein breakfast with a P90X protein bar every day at mid-morning when at work. It boosts my energy level and keeps me from being a ravenous eating machine at lunch. I also make sure I follow the meal plan for PHASE ONE in the nutrition book. Clearly, Beachbody has taken all the guesswork out of it. TRUST the process, eat right, and push PLAY 6X a week.

This week, I became a COACH as well. I'm in this for life.  It's first and foremost an opportunity to share the experience with others and "pay forward" the time and guidance I have received from my coach.

Date: 09Apr2009
into WEEK FOUR with the CORE"X"
Feeling Stretched - Working HardER
While this week is a "recovery" week, it's tough love at its best. This is an intense core Xperience. Between Yoga X & Synergistics, I communicated with muscles I haven't spoken to in years. Fortunately, between getting more rest this week and the strategic consumption of Recovery Drink, I'm doing OK. I'm preparing to enter Phase II of P90X. I now know I can make 8 more weeks of the program. I can really see some progress. It's great to actually see a return on my investment of consistency and hard work. I never missed a workout. 

Date: 13Apr2009
BEGIN WEEK FIVE - PHASE II
The HONEYMOON is OVER....
Well, I'm sore again. The first day back with CHEST, SHOULDERS, and TRICEPS is tough. Sandwich in Plyo and then BACK & BICEPS today has left my muscles in a jelly-like state. Did I forget to mention that I am actually completing 1/2 of the AB RIPPER sequence now. Not bad considering I couldn't do any of the exercises more that 2 or 3 X the first week. I'm up to about 16-18 reps out of the 25 for the first several exercises so I AM seeing some progress