Team Beachbody Guest

Starting P90X July, 2009! Am substituting Great Abs Guaranteed for the Ab Ripper 300 program at least to begin with, because my abs are a little too weak right now. Am also running at least 15 minutes every day.

I've really enjoyed both P90 and P90X in the past, having completed both programs, and am now very excited about doing P90X again.

I first tried Power 90 back in August 2003. As often happens, I found excuses to stop working out, even though after a month my wife and I had both been noticing some significant changes in my physique.

I tried P90 again about a year later, but only for a few days before ditching it in favor of some other short-lived dietary fad (involving pork rinds). In doing
so I forgot about all the testimonials from Beachbody enthusiasts who had found that in fitness as in living a meaningful life there are no easy fixes, and that what counts is to keep on living right, day by day.

I think sometimes we're actually AFRAID of improving ourselves - perhaps out of concern that after fixing what we think needs improvement, we still won't be satisfied. Will it be worth it? It's so easy instead to just return to the familiar - even if the familiar is slowly killing us!

But having two little boys has made me better able to see the "big picture," and to realize that I'm not working out just to look good to others, but so that I can play with my children and continue to have wonderful, exciting adventures with my wife when I'm in my 50s, 60s and well beyond.

I started P90 July 27, 2005 and this time I finally saw it through, with great results. It was a real eye-opener to see how much transformation could occur simply by sticking to a solid, reasonable fitness and diet program that works
the entire body.

Since I completed P90 for the first time, I've continued my "Beachbody Journey." There have been ebbs and flows, certainly: months when I've
felt more motivated, or when all my physical cylinders have been clicking - and months I'd rather forget. But overall I've continued to exercise regularly, using Beachbody products as my base.

I was very proud to complete a round of P90X in 2006! Since then I kept my weight under control but lost some body tone. In June 2007 I began adding P90 routines to my exercise mix, and since then I've continued to work out regularly, with a mix of running, P90, P90 Masters, P90X and P90X+ routines.

Tony Horton's exercise routines inspire me, because they focus on flexibility and cardio as well as strength, for a whole-body experience. I used to be unable to do a single pullup and only a few pushups; at my peak, when finishing P90X in 2006, I've been able to do up to 60-70 pushups at a time, and sometimes dozens of pullups over one workout session.

As one of my mentors on the Message Boards says, "Success is not a destiny but a journey." With help from Team Beachbody I'm making regular exercise and sensible eating - not "dieting" or fad workouts, but good, sustainable eating habits and exercise routines - into fundamental parts of my life.

I'm really happy with this program. My energy level is much higher when I follow it, I feel so much stronger, and I'm excited about what the next steps on this journey will be like. But you know what the BEST thing is? It's watching my little boys imitating Dad, doing pushups, pullups, and even yoga moves! They are learning that fitness is fun: something it took me decades to realize.