Monday, April 26, 2010

What's in a name?

What's in a name? There are a few four letter words no one of wants to ever hear. Now, remember, before anyone gets offended we are talking about fitness! If I had to pick the most common four letter word no one in fitness wants to hear it would be without a doubt Yoga. Yep, Yoga. Surprise you? I suppose in most cases we take for granted what we call things, and even if the object changes but the name remains the same we still will associate the name with the "older" model. Such is the challenge of Madison Avenue and marketing students across the globe. Mention Yoga, and to most people they will have a traditional, dare I say stereotypical image, of sitting in the lotus position chanting ohms and meditating... or trying to in otherwise uncomfortable positions. To those who practice this type of Yoga I offer admiration and respect. I know that there is much much more than that to their avocation.

But I would like to open the discussion up to different types of yoga, in particular, Ashtanga Yoga, sometimes referred to as "power Yoga" (oooh, I don't like that name either!) as an integral part of a fitness program. For those of you unfamiliar with the subject here is a link http://bit.ly/98mZpH, but briefly Ashtanga Yoga is an isometric exercise routine using various postures and techniques combining strength, coordination, and flexibility. It is challenging and extremely difficult to master, but everyone can participate at his or her level and benefit enormously from the rehabilitative aspects of the workout. Most people are initially overwhelmed and shocked at how their preconceptions of what they thought they were about to do go up in smoke! Very few can finish the session the first time through. But nearly everyone is left with a new respect for the exercise and "postures", and within a few weeks can perform them to a satisfactory level and thus begin to appreciate the benefits and realize what they have been missing all along.

Like all forms of fitness Yoga must be respected and performed within your own ability. Some of the postures are very difficult, but there is always a modified version. Any instructor worth his/ her salt will advise you to not push yourself past the point of reasonable boundaries. If you can't do wheel do bridge. If you can't do bow do crescent. If you can't do plow then lie down in corpse pose. There's variety! It's beautiful!

If I had one fitness tip for everyone it would definitely be to incorporate a Yoga workout into a weekly program.  P90X YogaX  is a masterpiece in my opinion, because it combines the strength with balance postures, stretching postures and an ab workout then finishes with a relaxing series of positions suitable for everyone at any fitness level. It IS the glue that holds the rest of your active life together!

So the next time you are given the opportunity to experience a Yoga session keep an open mind.

It will be a shock.
It will be hard. 
It will be uncomfortable. 

But...it's good for you....

Saturday, April 24, 2010

A Drop in the Bucket

My sister and I had a piggy bank that said "Girls' Nite Out", and we'd throw our change in it.  Before long we'd have enough to head out to Chili's or a movie and were always surprised at how easy it was to save up considering it was only pennies and nickels and such.

I can't help but look at the way things have changed for me in terms of the ease of moving through daily life. So many conveniences! Walk up windows, remote controls, internet shopping, video games...I used to roll my eyes when my parents would tell me they used to "walk to school 5 miles up hill both ways"! But the fact is we fail little by little at most things not all at once. If we could only take a minute and evaluate how our lives have been depleted of the routing efforts we all took for granted I believe we could make huge gains with very small investments.

Simple things like taking the stairs, parking at the end of the row instead of the nearest spot, raking the leaves instead of leaf blowers, going into the bank instead of driving up...these are just a few ideas.

And then consider a more direct fitness application. How about trading in your desk chair for a large exercise ball to sit on? You'll automatically be engaging your core, calves and back and burn calories free of charge. During your lunch break take 5 minutes to do some Ashtanga sun salutions in the privacy of your office or corporate fitness center. For that matter let your co-workers SEE you, and maybe you'll find a workout buddy unexpectedly! You could also bring in some execise bands and during your breaks do some easy stretching and resistance moves.

The possibilities are endless, but the concept is the same: do these small things each day. Deposit them in your fitness "piggy bank", and I guarantee you will be pleased to see how quickly your investment adds up. 
And the next time you're having a "girls' or guys' night out" watch as heads turn and eyebrows go up. You can't beat that kind of return on your investment!

Friday, April 23, 2010

Simple Sugar :)

5 Simple Rules for Eating Sugar


Few topics boggle dieters and fitness enthusiasts the way sugar does. Is this simple carbohydrate the key to unlocking elite sports performance? Or is it the chains that drag our country deeper into the obesity epidemic? Annoyingly, the answer is both. But before you throw your hands up in frustration and grab yourself a Twinkie®, let's take a minute to talk about sugar. It's not as complex as it seems. In fact, with just a few guidelines, it's incredibly easy to use these simple carbohydrates for good instead of evil.







Rule #1: Just say "know."

Here's a grossly oversimplified look at how sugar, also known as simple carbohydrates, works. Just as with all carbs, you eat sugar and it's absorbed by your blood, where, if you have the right amount of it, the insulin in your system converts the sugar to energy. However, if you introduce too much sugar into your system, the insulin stores it as body fat. A little stored body fat is fine; the body likes some emergency fuel. However, if your blood sugar spikes too often and the insulin has to work too hard converting fat, this can lead to a variety of health issues, including type 2 diabetes and heart problems.



As we'll discuss later, when your body obtains sugar from natural sources, like fruits and veggies, the process tends to be checked by fiber, which slows absorption. However, when you eat foods with added sugar, this can overwhelm the usual checks and balances, causing problems like those nasty blood sugar spikes. To make matters worse, consuming too much added sugar can cause a host of other problems, including tooth decay, increased triglycerides (or stored fat), and malnutrition (from overconsumption of foods filled with empty calories and deficient in nutrients).



If you wanted one overarching rule to work from, you might choose to avoid added sugars entirely. You'll get all the energy you need from foods with naturally occurring sugar. That said, there are times when refined sugar is okay or even beneficial. If you're able to build yourself a lifestyle completely free of added sugar, nice work. But for the rest of us, the trick is moderation.



Rule #2: Less is more.

One teaspoon of table sugar has 15 calories. Honestly, if you have a couple of cups of tea or coffee in the morning and you dump the proverbial spoonful of sugar in each, that's 30 calories. If the rest of your diet is tight and you're active, it won't matter. If you're trying to lose weight and eating at a severe deficit, you'll probably want to skip those few spoonfuls of sugar, because table sugar is nutritionally void and you want every calorie to count nutritionally. Other than that, though, life's short—enjoy your java.



Rule #3: High fructose corn syrup is the enemy . . .

In a recent study out of Princeton University, two groups of rats were fed a sucrose solution and a high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) solution. The rats that consumed the corn syrup got fatter. "Some people have claimed that high fructose corn syrup is no different than other sweeteners when it comes to weight gain and obesity," said study leader Bart Hoebel, "but our results make it clear that this just isn't true, at least under the conditions of our tests."



There are a few possible explanations for this. One is the ratio of fructose to glucose in HFCS is slightly higher. Another is that in the HFCS manufacturing process, fructose molecules are free and unbound, making them easier to absorb. The fructose in table sugar is bonded to the glucose, which means it requires an extra step to be used.1



Rule #3.5: . . . and it's hiding behind every corner.

And you thought Invasion of the Body Snatchers was creepy . . . Avoiding the obvious sweetened foods like soda, cake, cookies, and pies is only half the battle. Manufacturers add HFCS (as well as other sugars) to a mind-boggling amount of foods because it adds flavor. If it's in a bottle, box, or can, read the ingredients. You'll find sweeteners in everything from ketchup to peanut butter to bread to salad dressing (see "6 Foods with Hidden Sugar" below). With a little effort, you can usually find versions of the same food with no added sugars or HFCS that are more nutritious and taste just as good.



Rule #4: No, the sugar in fruit isn't bad for you.

When the low-carb "revolution" hit in the early aughts, fruit was demonized for its sugar content. This is, in a word, ridiculous. Yes, fruit is loaded with sugar, but it's also usually loaded with fiber, which slows sugar absorption, making it an ideal way to get your simple carbs without straining your little insulin buddies. Fruit is also loaded with easy-to-absorb vitamins and minerals. Most fruit is also filled with water, yet another benefit.



Even relatively low-fiber fruits like bananas offer far too many benefits to deny. Bananas, in particular, are rich in electrolytes, which are crucial to sports performance. As I always say, I defy you to introduce me to an overweight person whose biggest indulgence is fruit.



You can think of the ingredients in Shakeology® the same way. Sure, there's a little sugar in there, but the protein and fiber slow absorption, and the massive amount of nutrients makes it all worthwhile.



Rule #5: Occasionally, a hit of straight sugar is a good thing.

You're sitting around watching television. You haven't done much today. Your glycogen stores are up, and because you've eaten normally, your blood sugar level is balanced. Time for some P90X® Results and Recovery Formula™? Probably not.



Conversely, you just blasted a killer workout. You've blown through your blood sugar and your glycogen, leaving you shaky and tired. Now, getting some sugar in there to recharge quickly wouldn't be such a bad idea. Furthermore, since it'll rush in so fast, it's a great opportunity to add some protein and micronutrients to that sugar blast, because they'll rush into where they're needed just as fast.



If you genuinely gave the workout your all and you're truly wiped out, you won't even come close to storing that sugar as fat.



So there you go. Not so tough, huh? With a little forethought and self-control, keeping an eye on your carbs can be, ahem, a piece of cake.

Wednesday, April 14, 2010

Too Sexy for Fitness

Seems like everywhere I look there are incredibly seductive adds that make your eyes pop out of your head, your heart race, and stop men in their tracks and drool. I'm not talking about a Victoria's Secret infomercial. I'm talking about the endless barrage of fat-oozing mouthwatering bacon triple burgers, fries, chimichangas, and flaming everything elses that bombard us from every angle from the minute we wake up until the minute we try to close our eyes with visions cinnabons dancing over our beds! Admit it, the only word to describe these adds and their approach is "sexy". They penetrate all our outer defenses and strike right at the nerve centers of survival, pleasure and comfort. Let's not forget self esteem either. After all if you're a real man you're supposed to stuff your face with sausage and buffalo wings on Sunday ( or Saturday if you like College football!) and then saturate yourself with gallons of beer to fill in the blank spaces in your stomach in case the pounds of fat you've gobbled at the speed of sound have left any air pockets. 

What about you ladies? You've had a hard day and definitely need a mocha latte grande with whipped cream and some extra caramel drizzle to go with your toasted buttered scone on your way home from picking up a double stuffed double crust pizza with extra cheese and pepperoni. 

Hey, this is what America is all about! The land of plenty and, hey, what's wrong with treating yourself? Lighten up!

Sort of reminds me of the casino joke: they stuff you full with a $6 buffet take your money then drop you out the back door with a hangover. 

I don't begrudge anyone trying to promote their businesses. Companies have every right to sell their products and let the buyers beware. After a while, though, the hype and the pitch starts to actually sound like truth, and many over the years have become iconic symbols of affluence and the prosperity of our country. 

...But it's going to leave us with an enormous hangover.

So, how do I propose we can resist temptation in the face of such sensual marketing shenanigans? Well, let's take a page out their book. 

First: What's sexier than a burger that lasts 5 minutes in your hand and a lifetime on your belly? How about one of the hundreds of excellent recipes from the Beachbody website or many others that allow you to enjoy tasty foods in large quantities without the morning after guilt? This is 2010 for Pete's sake! Log on, and you'll see incredible recipes that aren't that hard to prepare and not that expensive considering the benefit.

Second: What's sexier than 18 consecutive hours in a comfy chair in front a wide screen? How about getting your kids or your friends to join you in a game of Frisbee or football outside, or 9 holes of golf, or a Kenpo workout, or maybe even an Ashtanga Yoga series followed by a walk to the nearest park?

Finally: What's sexier than a ripped/ toned spokesperson trying to convince you to celebrate with them and join the party? 

HOW ABOUT BEING A RIPPED/ TONED PERSON YOURSELF!!

Ok, it's not Madison Avenue caliber, but you have to admit that unless people begin to see the subtle (maybe not so subtle) conditioning we are being subjected to, generations will be lost to a new model of what it means to be an "average American", and the price tag will be enormous. We need to encourage each other to resist the trend towards immediate or impulsive or temporary "satisfaction" at all cost and take a longer view of where we are going and how we can get there. 

Don't end up physically broke and out in the cold after a lifetime of empty calories and being a spectator! What will you be left with after the sexy adds have done their work on you?

Call your best friend, get your sneakers on, and get in the game.

Now THAT'S something too sexy to resist!

10 Reasons to Give Up Soda- courtesy of the P90X newsletter


Top 10 Reasons to Give Up Soda

By Steve Edwards
If you're looking for a scapegoat in the obesity epidemic, look no further than soda. It's the single greatest caloric source in the world, accounting for somewhere between 11 and 19 percent of all the calories consumed worldwide. It's cheap, addictive, and readily available, which generally means it'll take some willpower to avoid. But don't despair, as we at Beachbody® are here to help. We now present our top 10 reasons to give up soda. Drumroll, please . . .
Woman Thinking about Giving Up Soda
  1. Soda may cause cancer. According to a report in Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention, consuming two or more soft drinks per week increased the risk of developing pancreatic cancer by nearly twofold compared to individuals who didn't consume soft drinks. As reported, the study "followed 60,524 men and women in the Singapore Chinese Health Study for 14 years. During that time, there were 140 pancreatic cancer cases. Those who consumed two or more soft drinks per week (averaging five per week) had an 87 percent increased risk compared with individuals who did not."

    Then why, you're probably asking yourself, is this number 10 on our list, and why is soda still even on the shelf? Not that I'd challenge the ability of such large corporate power to hide such a thing but, in this case, the study slit its own throat. As one of the researchers noted, "Soft drink consumption in Singapore was associated with several other adverse health behaviors such as smoking and red meat intake, which we can't accurately control for," meaning that we have no way of knowing for sure if soda was the culprit. Still, it doesn't hurt to know that when you drink soda it lumps you into a fairly unhealthy user group.1
  2. It's not just about calories. Calories grab headlines, but recent science is showing that diet soda drinkers are still in the crosshairs. A 2005 study by the University of Texas Health Science Center showed there's a 41 percent increased risk of being obese—and a 65 percent increased risk of becoming overweight during the next 7 or 8 years—for every can of diet soda a person consumes in a day. Admittedly, this one should be higher on the list, but I wanted to make sure the article-skimming crowd knew the score up front: that diet sodas are very much a part of the problem.
  3. Pouring WaterIt's the water . . . and a lot more. Okay, so that was a beer slogan, but soda is also made up mainly of water, and when you're slinging as much of it as they are, and you need to sling it cheap, sometimes you can't help but run into problems with your supply chain. In India, Coca-Cola® has found itself in hot water, and not the kind they thought they were purchasing rights to. Two of their factories have been closed, but one continues to run amok. 

    According to a report in The Ecologist, "They accuse the company of over-extracting groundwater, lowering the water tables and leaving farmers and the local community unable to dig deep enough to get to vital water supplies. Since the bottling plant was opened in 2000, water levels in the area have dropped six metres, and when a severe drought hit the region earlier this year the crops failed and livelihoods were destroyed."2
  4. BPA: not just for water bottles anymore. Nalgene® and other water bottle companies took the heat when the dangers of bisphenol A (BPA) were made public a couple years back. While these companies went to great lengths to save their businesses, the soda companies somehow flew under the radar and continue to use it in their products. A recent Canadian study has found that BPA exists "in the vast majority" of the soft drinks tested. Most of these were under the national limits set for toxicity, but some were not. And remember how much soda the average person consumes, meaning odds are most soda consumers are at some risk.

    "Out of 72 drinks tested, 69 were found to contain BPA at levels below what Health Canada says is the safe upper limit. However, studies in peer-reviewed science journals have indicated that even at very low doses, BPA can increase breast and ovarian cancer cell growth and the growth of some prostate cancer cells in animals."3
  5. Can convenience. As in the 1950s colloquialism: can it. Speaking of the 1950s, those were the happy days when most of our soda was consumed at soda fountains, obesity was a term hardly anyone had heard of, and the most feared epidemic was one involving atomically mutated insects taking over the world. Now instead of hoofing it down to the corner confectionery for one soda, we fill trucks with pallets of shrink-wrapped cans or bottles and quaff the stuff by the six-pack. Not only does this ensure that our diets will be out of balance, it wreaks havoc on the world around us. The bottled-water industry (which is mostly owned by the soda industry) famously uses 17 million barrels of oil a year, and the aluminum industry uses as much electricity as the entire continent of Africa. Not only that, aluminum mining accounts for a ton of toxic chemicals left behind for every ton of the metal produced.4
  6. The Frankenfood factor. Whether you consume diet or regular soda, you're getting all the genetically modified food you need and more, via high fructose corn syrup or aspartame. Both of these are under plenty of scientific as well as anecdotal scrutiny. Findings aren't pretty, but so far this multibillion-dollar industry has kept these sweeteners on the shelves while alternative sweeteners meeting cost requirements are explored. Since it's almost impossible to read health headlines without finding one of these ingredients in some type of controversy, I'll just use one example:

    "The Center for Science in the Public Interest, a nutrition and food safety advocacy group, called on the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to review the claims, which stem from research conducted by the European Ramazzini Foundation in Italy. The foundation reported that rats who consumed aspartame in exceedingly large quantities were more likely to develop cancer. CSPI executive director Michael Jacobson considers this an important finding that should not be overlooked." 5

    I know, there I go again with the cancer. But some people need to be shocked in order to take action. For me, seeing the Diet Coke® and Mentos® experiment was all I needed to swear off the stuff.
  7. Child Drinking SodaForeign news cares how much soda we sell in our schools. How bad is your country's problem when the whole world is watching its daily actions? "Nearly one in three children and teenagers in the U.S. are overweight or obese and health experts say sugary drinks are part of the problem." 6 Yep, bad. The world is well aware of the problems soda is causing and is looking to us to lead. And we certainly are trying. Are you with the program?

    "Under the voluntary guidelines, in place since 2006, full-calorie soft drinks were removed from school canteens and vending machines. Lighter drinks, including low-fat milk, diet sodas, juices, flavoured waters and teas were promoted in their place."6

    And, while great and all, it appears that no one got the memo about diet sodas.
  8. Diet? Um, that's just like your opinion, man. When it comes to soda, treat the word "diet" as a slogan. A study at Boston University's School of Medicine linked diet soda with increased risk factors for heart disease and diabetes. To be more specific, the study "found adults who drink one or more sodas a day had about a 50 percent higher risk of metabolic syndrome," which is a cluster of risk factors such as excessive fat around the waist, low levels of "good" cholesterol, high blood pressure, and other symptoms that lead to heart disease and/or diabetes. And, for those of you only concerned about how you look in the mirror, "Those who drank one or more soft drinks a day had a 31 percent greater risk of becoming obese."
  9. Soda outkills terrorists. A study out of the University of California, San Francisco, shows that soda has killed at least 6,000 Americans in the last decade.

    From ABC News: "The new analysis, presented Friday at the American Heart Association's 50th Annual Conference on Cardiovascular Disease Epidemiology and Prevention, offers a picture of just how horrifying the damage done by excess consumption of sugary drinks can be.

    "Using a computer model and data from the Framingham Heart Study, the Nurses Health Study and the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, researchers estimated that the escalating consumption between 1990 and 2000 of soda and sugar-sweetened beverages, which they abbreviated as 'SSBs,' led to 75,000 new cases of diabetes and 14,000 new cases of coronary heart disease. 

    "What's more, the burden of the diseases translated into a $300 million to $550 million increase in health care costs between 2000 and 2010."7
  10. It's the "real thing" . . . not exactly. Should having the number-one source of calories in the world come from something that's entirely manmade be a metaphor for a dying world? It doesn't have to be this way. After all, there's nothing in soda that we need. In fact, there's nothing in soda that even comes from the earth except caffeine, and that's optional. It's a mixture of altered water (injected with carbon dioxide gas), artificial flavors (yes, "natural flavor" is artificial), artificial color, and phosphoric acid, along with its sole caloric source that is a by-product of genetically modified corn production and offers virtually no nutritional value. It's about as real as The Thing.
  • Sources:
  • 1 http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2010-02/aafc-sdc020310.php
  • 2 http://www.theecologist.org/News/news_analysis/373906/cocacola_just_part_of_indias_water_freeforall.html
  • 3 http://www.cbc.ca/health/story/2009/03/05/popcans.html
  • 4 http://www.pacinst.org/topics/water_and_sustainability/bottled_water/bottled_water_and_energy.html, http://www.earth-policy.org/index.php?/books/eco/eech6_ss3
  • 5 http://abcnews.go.com/Health/Diet/story?id=3317079&page=1&CMP=OTC-RSSFeeds0312
  • 6 http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/8557195.stm
  • 7http://abcnews.go.com/Health/Wellness/study-sugary-drinks-lead-early-grave/story?id=10019518"

Monday, April 12, 2010

Don't Blink

Anybody out there NOT like Kenny Chesney? His sentimental and thoughtful song is as much motivation as I've ever seen for doing one's best and making the most out of each day we're given. Just like that you wake up and you're 25...35...50...and everybody wonders where the time went. And many may also wonder what they did with the time they were given. We can't change the past, we can only learn from it. We do have something to say about our future though. Look ahead, and imagine you meet yourself in 10 years. What will you have done? What will you wish you had done, and if you didn't do as much as you thought you could then you might ask yourself why? What happened?

Time is moving along with or without us. The question becomes: can we look at ourselves in the future and do something about it now? The answer is: of course we can! This holds true for everything in life from education to relationships and of course to fitness as well. Statistics say the average American will gain 1.5 pounds of fat per year for the rest of his or her life. Think about it. 10 years go by and you meet yourself and notice- Gee put on some weight. Wish I had taken care of that right from the beginning. Too late now...Well, another 10 years go by, and you are even more surprised that you're even heavier.  You wonder why you didn't act on it 10 years earlier when you'd only gained 15 pounds!! You get the idea I'm sure. Time will tell who we meet in the future, but think about the little corrections we can make along the way to avoid those regrets that statistics say are inevitable. More importantly let's state it right here once and for all that this is why all of us who promote fitness look at it as a lifetime achievement and a healthy overall environment and not a short term fix followed by a long term failure.

Look at yourself in the mirror tonight, and promise yourself that the future YOU will not be worse off for a lack of commitment and foresight from the present YOU. The choice is up to you, but know that there are plenty of people like me willing and anxious to help you to achieve your long term fitness goals.

If on the other hand you see your reflection, are content with what you see now, and choose to proceed in a casual manner regarding your wellness and lifestyle I wish you all the best but offer a word of advice...

Don't blink.



Sunday, April 11, 2010

Fitness Reboot Required!

Whether we know it or not, we process and store information in a similar way to our very own computers. No, I don't mean binary code or photons or stuff like that! Way too technical for this venue. No, I mean : garbage in, garbage out. We see and read news articles on hundreds of subjects.  We are bombarded everyday with information, and we do our best to coordinate the data.  However, in many cases it becomes contaminated and jumbled, and we can hardly remember what we heard or read later on let alone give an accurate account or summary. What is left in its place, if we are not careful, is quite simply, garbage. Consequently, if we are not diligent when it comes time to actually use that information our decisions are either compromised, inaccurate, or we choose to do nothing rather than move forward based on the insecurity we feel.

Consider the news and information you may have heard over the years regarding fitness. 
What do you think of when you hear the word diet? Celery and cottage cheese? Carefully measured portions and the inevitable starvation from hunger pangs? I'll bet your pulse just went up, your brow just furled, and your gaze just darkened. 

How about the word exercise? You remember the images of heavyweights lumbering on treadmills with towels draped over their shoulders, and even the least experienced fitness aficionado knows there is NO chance of that person surviving that regimen.

Old habits die hard. Images such as those are burned into our memory banks, and reprogramming is nearly impossible.  Naturally, the automatic defense mechanisms are practically hard wired into our subconscious.

We need to have a procedure to restart the system: Ctrl+Alt+Del our Selves!  We need to program our systems with useful and easily updated software. There is no need to hire expensive consultants. You don't have to attend night classes or run out and buy "Fitness Reprogramming For Dummies". 

Nope. All you have to do is place your cursor over the link below, sign up for  our free community bulletin boards and newsletters and upgrade your personal fitness software yourself. 

No experience required.

No need to purchase anything.

No risk.

No garbage.

Just great information and great results.

Your fitness software needs updating! 
Click http://bit.ly/BB_Home to begin the transformation!

Thursday, April 8, 2010

Let's get real...about fitness and committment

A  year ago my dad  admits he was in the worst shape of his life thanks to too many nachos and maybe a few too may Dos Equis! The treadmill and pull ups were not keeping up and the doctor visits confirmed what was easily visible from the outside: bad foods=bad numbers. He did not consider himself a candidate for a fitness program like P90X and frankly either did I! But one day my mom put the DVD in and said;"Just turn it on and push play!" . Since that day back in May of 2009 he has lost 30#, can do hundreds of pull ups and keep up with any of us during one or more cardio workouts. Now, at this point in a commercial there is usually a little disclaimer  that says: Individual results may vary . Results not typical...blah blah blah. But the fact is while these results are impressive they ARE typical and very realistic, and he would be the first to admit this to any of us. What may be different in this case though is something not so typical: commitment. I don't remember my dad telling me he was disappointed because of his push up numbers or ever remember him keeping me abreast of his weight. I DO remember him asking questions about better techniques during lifting and how to rebalance his carbs so he had more energy before a workout. I don't remember him keeping terribly accurate records in the first few weeks. I DO remember him bringing his weights to my uncle's house when he went for a visit and a strong commitment to finishing the program in as close to the 90 days as possible. I don't remember him saying he felt he wasn't as far along as the guys he saw on the DVD. I DO remember him sending me a picture of himself on the 90th day!

I've seen dozens of success stories with the P90X program. The results are typical. But it depends on how you define success and what is typical. If by success you mean that an individual has enjoyed a process that he or she believes will or has achieved significant improvements in their overall well being then that result is typical. The individual results may not look exactly the same though! But so what? That's not what defines success for my father and the other success stories I know about. But there is one thing that is common to all of these results and it is something that I am afraid cannot be taught or preached or forced upon anyone- it is the desire to committo the process and let everything else follow along for the ride. Commitment is both the foundation and the key to a long term ability to endure. Results and appearance may vary. But to those who are committed appearance is a false mile marker. 

How much commitment do you need to follow through with your fitness program? Superhuman amounts? An ocean of commitment in reserve for bad days? Nope. You need just enough commitment to fill the tip of your index finger so it can push "play" like my dad did a year ago.

The rest?

Typical results.

Guaranteed!

Wednesday, April 7, 2010

Avocados: The Poor Man's Butter


Tony Horton on Avocados: The Poor Man's Butter

By Tony Horton
Every time I mention that I eat four to six avocados a week, I hear all this gobbledygook about how fattening they are. I want to clear up this avocado debate right now. The fat in avocados is monounsaturated. This good fat is part of a healthy diet. It actually helps lower cholesterol. Avocados are rich in vitamins C and E, folic acid, and potassium. They also help your body absorb beta-carotene from other foods. Half an avocado is only 150 calories, and makes a perfect topping on a salad or some of your favorite whole-grain toast. Plus the pit is a giant seed that grows into a gorgeous plant. 
Avocados
Peace,
Tony H.

Monday, April 5, 2010

Citius Altius Fortius

To all but the most disciplined fitness devotees there will come a time, usually around the 4th or 5th week, probably at 5:30 a.m. during  the 14th rep of pushups that you'll ask yourself: What's the point? You are eating right. You've lost a few pounds. Your clothes fit better. You feel fine. You don't smoke or drink to excess. Why are you doing this to yourself? After all this can't last forever and so instead of pursuing this painful investment in time and energy why not look for an easier alternative.

Welcome to "the wall". Some hit it harder than others. Some do manage to avoid it. The vast majority of people who embark on a fitness program crumple at its base and stagger off into the sunset headed for the nearest MacDonald's.

But not you. Not this time. Not gonna happen. Here's why. You already are prepared through a proper attitude to ignore the mental recordings that have plagued us ever since the first bicep curl was attempted and instead remember why you are here and what you hope to accomplish. Weight loss, biceps, keeping up with your kids, avoiding family health problems, nice clothes...they all come as a byproduct of what you have committed to: faster -higher- stronger. You remember that it's not about the number of reps (your notebook cares about that). It's not about a goal in a fixed time limit ( the calendar cares about that). It's not about bigger guns ( you saw you earned those last week).

What keeps you pushing through is the knowledge that you can now do things that 4 or 5 weeks ago seemed impossible, and very soon you will reach a fitness level that allows you to move through all aspects of your life with greater ease and comfort and satisfaction. And you also know that within a very short period of time your fitness program has become a part of life not a chore you must do, and that the maintenance of your new found fitness is made easier by the fact that you have approached your program with the correct mindset from the first push up, pullup, and curl.

You are different. You know it. You feel it. You see it. It was worth it. 

That sound you heard?

It was a wall coming down behind you as you pushed through it.

The Myth of Females "Bulking up"

There are a thousand reasons to not want to work out. I've heard most of them. I used many of them myself! But the one that seems to always make the Top 10 list is the misconception that exercise will cause a woman to build massive muscles and to "bulk up". I am not sure where this came from, but it seems to have struck a common nerve and unfortunately short-circuits too many fitness efforts. 

Women are not like men. There's a shock, right? Women do not posses the same hormonal systems that result in muscles swelling, tearing, and increasing as is the case with ripped massive examples of men who hit the weights heavily. That's not to say that women cannot become bodybuilders! However, to achieve that result requires an effort far beyond the scope of the typical fitness program and especially a program like P90X. For the amateur fermale fitness lover there is no need to worry about one day looking in the mirror and seeing  the Incredible Hulk! Far from it! Intead what you will see is leaner muscles that burn more calories, are well toned, and make you look great in a bikini or evening gown.

So, set aside your fears and misconceptions.

You can enjoy all the benefits of a hard resistance workout without the risks of transforming yourself into a musclebound superhero.

But let detractors beware your fury if THEY try to tell you otherwise!

Ladies, and gentlemen! Leave the misinformation at the door, push "play" and bring it !