P90X2 - Order now for delivery by December 25

P90X2 is now available to order! Order through one of the links below and get 2 FREE Tony Horton workouts and FREE SHIPPING!

Base kit

Deluxe kit

Ultimate kit

P90X2 Pre-order

Interested in P90X2? Here are some details.

First thing I ask that if you don't already have a Beachbody coach that you sign up for a free account at here. If you have a coach but are not currently working with them leave a comment and I can give you instructions on how to change it.

Pre-orders start on 9/1. If you want it for Christmas or to start at the beginning of the year I strongly urge that you take advantage of this. Speculation is that by November all the supply will be reserved and the next batch could be months away. This isn't due to trying, but rather a HUGE demand!

There will be three versions of the program and it will be available on DVD and Blu-ray. Here's the cost breakdown:

Base kit:
12 exercise DVDs, nutrition guide, fitness guide, calendar
DVD: $119.85
Blu-ray: $149.85
Shipping: FREE!

Deluxe Kit:
Base Kit
2 additional workouts: VSculpt and X2 Chest, Shoulders and Tris
Foam Roller
Stability Ball
8 pound medicine ball (qty 2)
DVD: $239.85
Blu-ray: $299.85
Shipping: FREE!

Ultimate Kit:
Deluxe Kit
Rumble Roller
Tony Horton Power Stands
Stability Ball
DVD: $299.85
Blu-ray: $359.85
Shipping: FREE!

All pre-orders will also ship with 2 extra Tony Horton One on One workouts as well as enter into a contest to win exclusive P90X prizes.

I also will be organizing a group on facebook of people doing the program at the beginning of next year. My hope is that at least one of us will be featured in the first P90X2 infomercial!

I'll post the link on Thursday, but feel free to send me any questions you might have.

Beachbody Business Opportunity (incentives and contests!)

The Beachbody Coach Summit wrapped up today. I wasn't able to attend this year :(. I am lucky enough to be connected to quite a few people that did go and the message I heard from each of them was: "You have to be here next year!" Well, I can tell you that I've already purchased my ticket for Summit next year. It will be held in Las Vegas on June 22-24. Do you want to go? How about I pay for your ticket? Do I have your attention now? Read on...

I honestly believe there has never been a better time to get involved in this business, and specifically for a few reasons.

1 - P90X2 will be released this fall! You can make money every time somebody buys a copy. This will be absolutely huge and people will be lining up to be the first to try the sequel to the best selling exercise program.

2 - Shakeology is going Vegan and pink(new flavor). Two huge announcements that came out of Summit this year. The new flavor is Tropical (I understand it to be berries, pineapple, and papaya) and people are raving about the taste. Business for this product is exploding and will only grow with new offerings.

3 - Because you want to be healthy for yourself and those you care about. This should be the number one reason for joining Team Beachbody. After all, the mission is "to help people achieve their goals and lead healthy, fulfilling lives."

Is that reason enough to sign up? I thought so. How about I sweeten the deal?

Get P90X2 for FREE! Join my team as a coach and achieve Emerald status (that means you personally sign up two people to be coaches). Be at Emerald status the week that P90X2 releases and I'll send you a copy!

Get a FREE ticket to Beachbody Summit 2012. Join my team as a coach and achieve Diamond status (2 personally sponsored emerald coaches and six personally sponsored active coaches). Hold this rank on June 1, 2012 and I will pay your entrance to the conference. If you are on my team and have already purchased a ticket to Summit, I will compensate you with cash for the price you paid for the ticket.

Get a bag of Tropical Shakeology for FREE. Join my team as a coach and sign up 5 customers/coaches on Shakeology Home Direct before the Tropical flavor is released and I will send you a bag of the new flavor for free.

What are you waiting for? Join the team today!

Are you active duty military? I can get you started as a coach FOR FREE! No sign-up charge. No monthly service fees while active. This is brand new and an amazing offer. I truly believe this is the single best deal Beachbody has ever offered and your business can ignite in a matter of days. Send me an email at onedose@beachbodycoach.com with the subject line "Active Duty Coach."

If you have questions about any of these incentives please send an email to onedose@beachbodycoach.com.

Thursday, June 9

Day 4 of the Super Hybrid called for Fountain of Youth Yoga. I was so stoked when I saw this on the schedule. This is one of, if not the absolute, favorite workout discs I have. There is just something about breathing, stretching, and twisting for 40 minutes that really appeals to me now. A year ago I would have laughed in your face if you told me that I would enjoy yoga, let alone be able to touch my nose to my knee. I also would have been carrying a coke zero or a mountain dew and likely chewing on sunflower seeds. Wow, how things have changed since then!

I have been extremely sore from the Upper Body Massacre on Monday, so I haven't incorporated any kettle bell workouts in yet. Tomorrow is Strength from The Asylum so I doubt I'll have much left after that. Right now I'm focused on getting through week one of this craziness.

Weekend Promotion

Order Shakeology on HD from here and get an exercise program of your choice. Good thru 6/12. What will you choose? P90X®? Insanity®? Insanity The Asylum? TurboFire ®? Slim In 6®? Also if you refer a friend I'll send you one of Tony Horton's One-on-One discs of your choice. SPREAD THE WORD!

Tuesday, June 7

Yesterday was day 1 of the Super Hybrid workout. The routine on tap was 30-15: The Upper Body Massacre. The theory is you do 30 push ups followed by 15 pull ups. You do different variations for a total of 24 sets.

Eleven months ago when I started this journey I wasn't able to do a single pull up. Check that - I don't recall a time in my life when I was able to do a pull up. I was able to complete 7 for my Fit Test last week for Insanity: The Asylum, by far the most I've ever done. Asylum came with a pull up assist, which I used for a couple of weeks while I was wrapping up Phase II of P90X before I started Asylum. Then I didn't do a single pull up during Asylum (opted for lat push ups and other alternates instead). I opted for the pull up assist last night. I figured there was no way I could do the first set of 15 pull ups, let alone do it 11 more times. Even with the assist the most I got to was 12 and by then end I was down to 4. But the key is I stuck with it. I'm pushing myself out of my comfort zone and doing things I never though possible!

Push ups have become a friend of mine, but after about the fourth set of 30 I felt like I was toast. Tony Horton is an impressive man being 50 years old and able to do the things he does. He does drop down to 25-12 about half way through the video, but 25 diamond push ups is crazy at any time and this guy is busting them out for sets 17 and 19! The last few push up exercises I was doing 10-12. I could hardly lift my arms when I finished last night. I mixed a little recovery formula and chased that with a casein protein shake.

I hopped on the scale this morning and am now only 5 pounds away from my original goal! That means 60 pounds down, 5 to go. Although my workouts seem to be fast and furious, the pace has been slow and steady. This journey has taken eleven months. In no way am I planning on stopping once I reach the goal. This is a lifestyle now.

Saturday, June 4

Change of plans...

I was turned on to a "Super Hybrid" workout put together by Mark Briggs. This schedule incorporates P90X, Insanity, Asylum, and the One-on-One with Tony workouts. It is a 90 day schedule and has me absolutely pumped to jump on this thing. I don't have Volumes 2 & 3 of the OOO, so I will have to make some substitutions. Either way, this is exactly what I was looking for and can't wait to get it started!

I did another ChaLean workout yesterday and was yet again impressed. I took today off and will do Relief from Asylum tomorrow to gear up for the start on Monday. I'll be putting together a word document of the program and will make it available to anybody that is interested.

Kettlebell still hasn't arrived, so I haven't been able to mix it up much yet. I did find a push up challenge today that I will complete tomorrow. Should be interesting as I've never seen about half of the moves. Looking into purchasing some new shoes to add some running into the mix, but having a hard time pulling the trigger.

Friday, June 3

Mixed it up with a workout from ChaLean Extreme last night. I've had the program for a few months, but have only done it once or twice. I can definitely see how people get results from the program, and really like her demeanor.

My kettlebell should be arriving today, and I can't wait to start using it. The P90X/Asylum hybrid officially kicks off on Monday and will conclude on July 5. That day is the one year mark from when I decided to change my life. On that day, I came home from a family picnic and stepped on the scale. The number that I saw (300) put me in shock (and probably should've caused a heart attack). I literally was pounding out push ups and using a resistance band for pull ups within 30 minutes. Thank you Chest & Back for being a tough, but honest, routine and starting things off on the right foot.

This morning I stepped on the scale to my lowest weight in who knows how long - 241. In eleven months I have managed to decrease my weight by 59 pounds and increase my health a thousand fold. My original goal weight was 235. It feels more in reach now than any other time on this journey.

My promise to you is if you stick with it, you will get where you want to be. It hasn't been easy, but it has been worth it!

June Challenge

Here we go with monthly challenge number five. Each month will have a different theme or goal. Also in the interest of bettering our health, each person should make a commitment to make one healthy change for the entire month. The goals are completely up to you.

The challenge for this month is TRY SOMETHING NEW. I know that I get stuck in a program or a routine and don't like to stray from it. If you've been running, try doing some resistance. If you always do push ups, change to sit ups/crunches. If you haven't been doing anything, kick yourself in the rear and get going! Either way, leave a comment with your name, what the goal is and what change you will be making for the month. Here are mine:

Goal - add kettlebell routines and running to the P90X/Asylum hybrid
Change - Eat a vegetable with every meal

I have started a thread on the Team BeachBody Message boards. You do need to register to participate on there, but let me tell you there are tons of resources and it is FREE! To register click here, then click on the join box, then scroll all the way to the bottom and click on try free membership. There is a paid membership option with lots of extra support like meal planning, access to BeachBody TV, a blog, fitness and nutritional articles, recipes, and they even give you a discount on products if you go this route. But the pay option is not necessary so please don't do it unless you see some value in what it offers.

Decide for yourself to make a change now. Commit to something. Find your success down the road. Anything that promises fast/instant results is not sustainable. Now is the time to take your life and health into your own hands. The only thing holding you back is yourself.

Here's to a healthier us!

Tuesday, May 17

I am finally seeing some progress on the weight front. I'm down 4.2 pounds for the month. I've started changing my eating a bit. Instead of drinking my Shakeology for breakfast, I'm now doing it for lunch. This seems to be the jolt that I needed as the weight has only started coming off the last few days. At one point I was actually up about 6 pounds for the month, which means I'm down ten from that point. I also assume that my body has figured out what it needs to fuel me through The Asylum and isn't storing anything unnecessary.

Wednesday, May 11

Ten days into Asylum and I get my first crack at Relief today. So far I have to say that every workout is amazing! They are around 40 min long and the time flies by. The favorite so far is probably Back to Core. The burn comes on so quick, yet after I'm finished I feel fantastic. Vertical Plyo is the most intense as the warm-up has my legs burning. I haven't had a chance to do Gameday yet (tomorrow) but have watched it and I know that is going to be by far the most difficult. Think Pure Cardio (Insanity) on crack.

Yesterday was a killer day as I had Vertical Plyo as well as a basketball game. Not a very good idea to do such a strenuous exercise the day of a game, but I'm 110% committed to completing Asylum per the schedule. Only three weeks left of the program. After that will be a recovery week and then the P90X/Asylum hybrid for a month. That will put me a couple of days past my 1 year mark of starting this journey. So far I've lost 50+ pounds. I'm really looking forward to the one year pictures.

I haven't been on the scale in a couple of days and will probably wait until the weekend to do so. I'm dialing in my water consumption and focusing on trying to get 100+ ounces each day. Some days I am well over, others come in very close.

Thursday, May 5

Day four of Asylum is in the books! That brings me to day 5 - rest! I thought this was pretty weak to schedule a rest day only four days into a new program, but now I see why! I have found myself focusing on form and trying to do every move perfect, or at least as well as I can. This adds a whole new level of complexity to a workout and makes it way more difficult. I'm guessing I felt like this after a few days of P90X, and definitely this way after Yoga X the first couple of times. If anybody is looking for a real challenge, Asylum is for sure the way to go!

So far I haven't seen any weight come off. I'm not worried in the slightest. I know my body is shocked after starting this new program and is trying to figure out what in the world is going on. I'm working the meal plan as best as I can and really focusing on the theory of heavier meals early in the day and light at night. Tonight might be a little difficult as I'm going to a midnight showing of Thor, but I know that I have to indulge every once in a while!

Tuesday, May 3

Today marks day two of Asylum for me. All I have to say is WOW! This stuff is like P90X and Insanity all in one! The cardio is crazy and the resistance pushes you to the brink. I'm loving every second of it and can't wait to say that I've been committed!

I'm following the meal plan fairly close. It isn't calorie restrictive, but is quite difficult to find time to eat six small meals each day. The hardest parts are no dairy and having the meals get progressively smaller throughout the day. I'm sticking with this for the first 14 days and if all goes well I'll likely continue for an additional two weeks.

As far as weight goes I started the month with a Shakeology cleanse. This put me down 9 pounds from where I was at the end of April and at nearly the lowest I've been in a very long time. I firmly believe that if I push myself everyday and focus on eating clean I'll definitely drop the 10 pounds that I've set as a goal for myself this month.

May Challenge

Here we go with monthly challenge number four. Each month will have a different theme or goal. Also in the interest of bettering our health, each person should make a commitment to make one healthy change for the entire month. The goals are completely up to you.

The challenge for this month is WEIGHT LOSS/GAIN. Most of us are looking to shed some pounds. Perhaps you're goal is to gain a few. Either way, leave a comment with your name, what the goal is and what change you will be making for the month. Here are mine:

Goal - 10 pound weight loss
Change - Increase water intake

I have started a thread on the Team BeachBody Message boards. You do need to register to participate on there, but let me tell you there are tons of resources and it is FREE! To register click here, then click on the join box, then scroll all the way to the bottom and click on try free membership. There is a paid membership option with lots of extra support like meal planning, access to BeachBody TV, a blog, fitness and nutritional articles, recipes, and they even give you a discount on products if you go this route. But the pay option is not necessary so please don't do it unless you see some value in what it offers.

If you want to join in the fun, just leave a comment on here or the facebook group with your goal and change.

Decide for yourself to make a change now. Commit to something. Find your success down the road. Anything that promises fast/instant results is not sustainable. Now is the time to take your life and health into your own hands. The only thing holding you back is yourself.

Here's to a healthier us!

April challenge and May plans

So due to the release of Asylum I've got a change of plans! I'm sticking with P90X and will finish phase two, which is up through week 7. I'm skipping the recovery week and headed straight for the Asylum. I previewed the workout last night but switching out Plyo X for the Speed & Agility workout and let me tell you this is going to push me to a whole new level. My shoulders (traps and neck too) are more sore tonight than they have been since I can remember. My calf muscles feel like they've been beaten with a hammer. The crazy thing is - I LOVE IT!

That being said I'm still plowing through P90X. I'm seeing gains in pretty much every routine and feel incredible. I've added a supplement and will give it a month to see how it works. I'm right on track with my ab moves and could actually hit 6000 before the end of the month.

I've been a slacker with my not eating after 8 PM, but I feel like my metabolism is on fire and I need the extra fuel to sleep. I'm trying to eat cleaner, but not always succeeding there. I'm also going to stop focusing on trying to lose weight and try and listen to my body more. If it says "feed me" I will. One thing that I am super stoked for is that I'm going to start playing basketball competitively again. Games start in one week and I feel like I'll actually be able to contribute. I never would have thought this to be possible a year ago!

Start thinking about your goals for May as I'll have that thread up and running here shortly.

Keep Pushing Play!

Tony Horton's take on the Beachbody Coaching Opportunity

Boys and girls,

I'm unaware of your financial situation but I do believe that you're reading this page because you care about your health and fitness. If you have plenty of income and love your job then what I’m about to tell you might not be for you. If you're not thrilled with the way you make a living, would like extra income, love Beachbody products, like the way they make you look and feel, enjoy helping other people feel and look better, enjoy setting your own hours, get excited about being the captain of your own ship as opposed to working for the man - then listen up.


The reality is, your health and fitness moves beyond you. It impacts the people around you. You (whether you like it or not) have the power to change lives based solely on your own personal transformation. Inadvertently you become a catalyst for change. This is how I got started. I was clueless, asked a few questions based on my need to be strong and healthy, stayed with it and people in my life wanted to know what I was doing. Simple yet powerful.

If you want to share what you've learned with people in your life who want better health (and could use extra income in the process) then you should consider becoming a Team Beachbody Coach. I felt so strongly about this program that I’ve encouraged many of my friends to become coaches, even my own sister. She is doing great (even though my contract with Beachbody won’t let me help her). She is a perfect example of someone who had plenty of doubt and hesitation regarding the coaching opportunity and still found a way to make it work for her. A busy working wife and mother with three very active kids doesn't sound like a good candidate to start an in-home multi-level marketing company. Did you say multi level marketing? What? Ick! You mean pyramid scheme right? Okay chill out. All these fears would be true if BeachBody were selling hats or kitty liter, but this is Beachbody people! The number 1 in-home fitness company on the planet! P90X is steadily becoming the most popular fitness system in US history. Shakeology is the revolutionary replacement meal on the market today. We sell life-altering change - not soap. Tens of thousands of regular folk around this country are doing something they love because of this coach opportunity.

The unemployment rate still hovers around 10% but it doesn't have to be that way if more people were willing to see that new opportunities exist all around them. The Team Beachbody Coaching opportunity is one of them. Health care companies, pharmaceutical companies and our government are not capable of solving this obesity crisis and we can't wait around for them to do it. The crisis is now and the answer is YOU! I know that sounds a bit Rah Rah but it's true.


Cynics don't need to apply, but if you're sick and tired of the status quo and want to make a difference in your own life and in the lives of those around you, then open the door. The two major issues of our time - the health care issue and unemployment rate could be resolved if a million more people in this country decided to get healthy and share the wealth. This is a brand new industry waiting to explode. It's not happening in boardrooms or factories – it’s happening in the homes of tens of thousands of Team Beachbody Coaches and in the homes of their customers. With a tiny investment (actually the company is waiving the enrollment fee through the end of 2010) and a willingness to help people the sky's the limit.

TH-

Thursday, March 14

For me this is week 5 of P90X round 2. That means its time for some muscle confusion! Monday and Wednesday are new workouts and I forgot how killer these ones are! The back and biceps disc is pure pleasure and I'm not sure why I didn't think so the first time through (oh yeah, corn cob pull ups). Just finished my Yoga X for the week and am feeling great. The weight is holding steady right now. That must mean I'm on a plateau and I know that I'm going to bust through it here very soon. I'd like to drop another 10 pounds by the end of this round, but need to dial in the nutrition a little better.

Sticking to my guns on the abs. I missed a couple of days, but have put in some extra reps to make up for it. As of tonight I'm 30 ahead of schedule (both obliques and standard so 90 total). A couple more big days and that gap will widen.

Hope you are pushing play.

Looking for some business partners

So here's the deal. I'm looking for a few people to join me as a Beachbody coach. I've had a couple of coaches placed under me by my upline. I'm not thrilled at the idea of generating income for these people that I don't know. Well, at least not out of the gate. I'd much rather have somebody that I know directly under me so that they can reap the rewards. Are you that person?

What does it take to be a Beachbody coach? Let me spell it out:

1. A desire to achieve your own personal fitness and nutrition goals
2. A mindset focused on helping other people with their goals

That is it. You don't have to be a personal trainer. You don't have to be a nutrition expert. You don't even need an awe inspiring transformation story. You have to want to better yourself and those around you.

I know that these programs and products work. I've seen it in my own life. There is no way that I could have lost 50 pounds in nine months if they didn't work. You read that right. I've lost 50 pounds by changing my eating habits and using Beachbody workout programs. Why wouldn't I want to tell everybody about them? I know that you can have similar results, and I would love to be there every step of the way with you. Are you ready to commit to changing your life?

I've got the ball rolling on quite a few things and I will tell you that BIG things are coming to Utah County with Beachbody. The window of opportunity is now! If you want to know more, simply watch the video at the bottom of this post. If you are ready to go click here. If you want some more information there is a Super Saturday this week (April 9) that will be held in Pleasant Grove, UT. I would love to have you join me to learn more about Beachbody and where it is going. To offer incentive for your time, if you join me at the meeting and sign up as a coach I will cover your $40 initial investment. Is anybody else offering you an opportunity to start your own business for free?

I am committed to this for the long haul. This is not a get rich quick scheme. Nor is it a get ripped quick scheme. The workouts and the business take time to see results. I can promise you that I will be successful with both. Who is with me?

March push ups bring April sit ups

Another month down and that can only mean one thing: Time for a new challenge!

I'm proud to say that I achieved my goal of 5000 push ups during the month of March. I broke it down to 162 per day. I did as many as 311 and as few as 50, but overall I totaled 5022 push ups during the month. I didn't dial in on my healthy change as much as I would have liked, but I didn't throw all caution to the wind either. I haven't had carbonation in over three months and my water consumption has increased, but not to the goal of 100 oz per day.

Here we go with monthly challenge number three. Each month will have a different theme or goal. Also in the interest of bettering our health, each person should make a commitment to make one healthy change for the entire month. The goals are completely up to you.

The challenge for this month is (same as last month) EXERCISE. Pick an exercise (running, crunches, pull ups, squats, etc.) and set a goal for the month (run 40 miles, do x amount of crunches, etc.). Set a realistic goal and go for it!

Here is my goal and healthy change

Goal - 6000 ab moves (2k each oblique and 2k normal)
Change - Limit eating after 8 PM

I have started a thread on the Team BeachBody Message boards. You do need to register to participate on there, but let me tell you there are tons of resources and it is FREE! To register click here, then click on the join box, then scroll all the way to the bottom and click on try free membership. There is a paid membership option with lots of extra support like meal planning, access to BeachBody TV, a blog, fitness and nutritional articles, recipes, and they even give you a discount on products if you go this route. But the pay option is not necessary so please don't do it unless you see some value in what it offers.

If you want to join in the fun, just leave a comment on here or the facebook group with your goal and change.

No advanced notice this month. Decide for yourself to make a change now. Commit to something. Find your success down the road. Nothing that promises fast/instant results is sustainable. Now is the time to take your life and health into your own hands. The only thing holding you back is yourself.

Here's to a healthier us!

P90X Round 2 Week 2

So I kind of missed some workouts last week. Life gets crazy and I didn't make the time for exercise. No regrets, just live with the decisions. Health has been a huge focus for me over the last nine months. I needed a couple of days off, and my wife certainly didn't complain.

I think I've figured out how to get back on pace. I went with Legs & Back on Monday. Man, I hate this workout! It has been quite some time since I've done it, and even though I completed Insanity not too long ago, my lower body wasn't ready for this beating. I was really sore on Tuesday so I opted for X Stretch with Ab Ripper X after. I felt really good during and after the workout and thought I would be able to push today. Boy was I wrong! I woke up this morning and could hardly walk. My groin, glutes, quads, and hamstrings feel like they've been snapped in half and then glued back together. Good things Shoulders & Arms was on the schedule for today. I pounded out this workout and saw improvement from last week. Tomorrow will be a nice Yoga session, Friday is Chest & Back and Saturday will be either Cardio X or something Insane!

I'm still cranking out push ups all day. At a total of 3789 for the month and am 86 ahead of pace. With how great this has me feeling I think I'm going to continue with this regimen even after March is over. I'll probably decrease to around 100 per day, but I know this will continue to build my strength and endurance. Eventually I would like to be able to pound out 100 consecutively. No rush to get there, but working these life changes one month at a time.

Cheers to all of you out there. How's your month been? How's it going to end? Who's in for an April Challenge?

P90X Round 2 Days 2-4

Slacking on the updates! Work has been crazy busy and my time that I used to blog, late at night, has been filled with work.

I've got in all of the workouts so far this week. Day two I substituted Cardio X for Plyometrics as I started a Fit Club every other Tuesday night. I don't want to kill anybody that wants to test out the program and Cardio X is the perfect introduction as it includes pieces from different routines.

Shoulders & Arms was day three. If you've been reading the blog you know that I love this workout! I mixed it in quite a few times on top of Insanity workouts. This week was by far my best go at this routine. I was able to do higher reps with heavier weight than in the past. Definitely a sign of getting stronger. The only bad thing was my left shoulder felt like it popped out of place and I had to pause for a few minutes to stretch it out until it felt right again. Luckily some stretching fixed it and I haven't felt any discomfort since.

Today was Yoga X, along with Ab Ripper X as I didn't have time for it on day 3. I have lost some serious flexibility in the last few months and have a lot of catch up to do on Yoga. It felt like I had never done the routine before. I don't think an audience helps much either. But I do have to say that this is my favorite workout of the program and I look forward to getting back to where I was at the end of Round 1.

I've stayed strong and fought to catch back up with my push ups for the month of March. As of tonight I am at 2709 and only 28 behind pace. I should be able to catch that up and get back ahead of schedule by the weekend.

I was able to get a sneak peek of Insanity: The Asylum today and am very excited at what that program is going to bring. I can't wait to give it a shot in the Summer to see how far I've come and want to push myself to the limit. I'm pretty sure The Asylum will do it!

Shakeology is still the only way that I start my morning. I'm pretty much stuck on this recipe:

1c water
1 banana
1 scoop chocolate whey protein
2tbsp peanut butter
1tbsp honey
1 scoop chocolate Shakeology
Ice and cinnamon to taste

If I'm missing one of the ingredients I go without, but haven't done much variation and don't anticipate changing it up any time soon. For anybody still reading this, shoot me an email or leave a comment and I'll let you know how you can get a free single serving of Shakeology.

P90X Round 2 Day 1

March 14 marked the beginning of the second round of P90X for me. This puts me at an end date of June 12 or just in time for the beginning of summer. A few days before the end of the round will be my 28th birthday. I hope to be in the best shape of my life, and know that if I stick with this program that will in fact be the case.

The first workout of the program is Chest and Back. This is pretty much push ups and pull ups with a couple of back workouts with weights. I used to hate push ups and honestly I still can't do a pull up. I have grown to love push ups in all forms and was anxious to start the program as I knew this was the first disc. I've definitely lost some stamina from when I completed my last round (October 3), but you know what Tony says, "Do your best and forget the rest!" I am doing this round with a pull up bar and it is a completely different ballgame than with the bands as I did last time. I did all sets of pull ups with a chair to assist, but hopefully by the end of the program I'll be doing them all by myself!

On resistance days you also do the Ab Ripper X workout. This ab routine is no joke and is probably the craziest 17 minute stretch of the entire program. I was surprised that I was able to keep up with the robots on the screen for much of the workout, but I did sub out the Fifer Scissors for some boat (albeit less than half of the dedicated time). I know from experience that this workout gets easier with repetition and I should be able to complete the entire workout by about week 4.

I'm still going strong on my March challenge. The water intake has been a little light and I am slightly behind on my goal to hit 5000 push ups (2194/2254), but this was due to a vacation last week. I'm home and ready to hit it hard and will be BRINGING IT every day!

A lazy catch up...

Wow have I been a slacker on here!

I've been out of town since 3/6 and was busy getting ready for the trip the days prior to leaving. Apologies for anybody who cares.

I've been staying strong with my push ups. as of tonight I am at 1462 for the month which is a little ahead of the pace of my goal. I went for a nice run today (1.55 miles), hit the weights for about an hour, and then finished off with a 6.25 mile bike ride. If I only had all of this equipment at home!

Enough about me, how is everybody else doing?

Wednesday, March 2

Today was another productive day and I'm heading in the right direction. I managed 173 push ups and did most of Recovery 4 Results from Tony's One on One series. I wanted to do something more intense, but decided to take it safe as I don't have many calories to fuel a workout.

Speaking of calories, day two of the cleanse and all is well. Managed to squeeze in three shakes today and that definitely helps. I did add about 1/2c of fruit to two of the shakes as well as made some changes to the salad for dinner. Felling better tonight, but the real smile came when I got on the scale. Too bad I didn't do this in February to hit my weight loss goal, but there is no way I could do an Insanity workout during the cleanse cycle.

Tuesday, March 1

What a great start to March!

I put in Shoulders & Arms from P90X today and am so glad I did. I've beent talking about doing the routine for a couple of weeks now, but couldn't find the time with Insanity. I'm getting more excited about starting a full blown round of P90X in two weeks.

I also am holding to my goal of 5000 push ups during the month of March and started strong with 170 today. I've also focused on my water intake and should easily clear my goal of 100 oz per day.

Today marks day one of a Shakeology cleanse for me. I've never done something like this before, but plan on doing this one once every three months. That is, pending I make it through and feel it is worth repeating. If you are curious about the cleanse, you can find more information here and here.

Completion of Insanity!

So the end of Insanity has come and gone. Am I sad? Not even a little. This was a very intense program and I am glad that I stuck with it and saw it through. Will I do it again? Probably not. I'll likely pick up Insanity The Asylum and give it a run through but I don't see myself committing to this program again. As I've stated a few times before I'll incorporate some of the workouts into a P90X schedule as a replacement for Kenpo and Plyo X.

Final fit test results: (first-last)

Switch Kicks - 76-126
Power Jumps - 36-53
Power Knees - 63-104
Power Jumps - 22-36
Globe Jumps - 6-10.5
Suicide Jumps - 5-16
Push-up Jacks - 18-36
Low Plank Oblique - 30-56

As you can see the numbers improved by leaps and bounds. I was a bit disappointed on the weight loss side as I dropped 16 pounds, but then again I know my nutrition wasn't perfect. Overall I am very satisfied with the results from Insanity. I am proud to say that I am a graduate of the program. But most of all I'm glad that I can stop "digging deep" and am so ready to "BRING IT!"

Friday, February 25

Max Interval Plyo - skipped! I couldn't bring myself to put this one in today so I went with Burn Circuit I from ChaLEAN Extreme. I'll be completely honest - I'm not going to miss the Max Plyo workout one bit. Will I use it in the future, yes. On another note the Burn Circuit was crazy fun and a nice change of pace. Eventually I'd like to do the entire program, but it will have to wait until probably the summer. I've got a dual workout tomorrow with Insanity and then the final Fit Test. So close, and so glad to be wrapping it up.

Shakeology for the day: 1/2c frozen mango chunks, 1/2c frozen peaches, 8oz organic lemonade with a Greenberry packet. This stuff is money when made with these ingredients. Not necessarily together, but any of these three things really bring out a good flavor in the Greenberry.

March Challenge

Here we go with monthly challenge number two. Each month will have a different theme or goal. Also in the interest of bettering our health, each person should make a commitment to make one healthy change for the entire month. The goals are completely up to you.

The challenge for this month is EXERCISE. Pick an exercise (running, crunches, pull ups, squats, etc.) and set a goal for the month (run 40 miles, do x amount of crunches, etc.). Set a realistic goal and go for it!

Here is my goal and healthy change

Goal - 5000 push ups in the month of March (this will be outside of my P90X round that I will start on 3/13)
Change - drink 100 oz of water every day

I have started a thread on the Team BeachBody Message boards. You do need to register to participate on there, but let me tell you there are tons of resources and it is FREE! To register click here, then click on the join box, then scroll all the way to the bottom and click on try free membership. There is a paid membership option with lots of extra support like meal planning, access to BeachBody TV, a blog, fitness and nutritional articles, recipes, and they even give you a discount on products if you go this route. But the pay option is not necessary so please don't do it unless you see some value in what it offers.

If you want to join in the fun, just leave a comment on here or the facebook group with your goal and change.

Only a couple of days until the challenge starts. Tell your friends and keep checking back for updates.

Here's to a healthier us!

Thursday, February 24

Final time through Core Cardio & Balance and opted to forgo the HRM. I wanted to focus on the exercies and not worry about anything else. This is actually a nice recovery workout. I think I've tried to push way too hard through it every time except for today. The shoulder burners at the end still give me trouble, but other than that this is a very nice compilation of exercises. I think this one will work its way into the rotation like the Recovery for Results disc has.

Had to spice up the Shakeology this morning with almond butter and a banana. This is seriously my addiction right now.

Wednesday, February 23

Last time doing Max Interval Circuit. Am I going to miss this hour long workout? Nope, not one bit :smug:. I will be fine without ever hearing the words "Side Suicide Jumps" or "Full Body Drill" ever again. Seriously though, this is an awesome interval workout that keeps the heart rate high and works every part of the body. My HRM showed a burn of 1054 calories tonight, and I'm pretty sure I sweated every one of those out. I'm positive this workout will find its way into the rotation during my round of P90X, even if it means I have to attempt a side suicide jump.

Tried to lower the calorie count in my morning Shakeology today. Went with a banana, water, and ice with the chocolate mix. The peanut/almond butter really does make this so much better, but this was still tasty and hit the spot.

Tuesday, February 22

Another day of doubles, well at least there were two workouts on the schedule for the day. I managed to squeeze in both Cardio Abs and Max Cardio Conditioning today. I did them at two different times as I wanted to put as much into each workout as I could. The HRM showed a total burn of 1016 calories across the two workouts. I feel really good tonight and definitely know that I gave it my all today. Only four more workouts until the final Fit Test!

Went with a Shakeology staple this morning - 1 banana, 2tbsp Peanut Butter, 1c water, ice with a scoop of chocolate. Can't go wrong starting any day off with this!

Shakeology - You know you wanna try it

So one of the reasons I signed up to be a Beachbody coach was to get a discount on Shakeology. I had been reading and watching videos about the stuff for quite some time, but I had some reservations. After doing a little bit of tracking my expenses (breakfast foods, multivitamin, protein powder, etc.) it looked like I was already spending close to the amount of Shakeology but wasn't getting all of the benefits. I finally made the decision to take the plunge and buy the stuff. What a wonderful decision that was!

Since I got my first order of Shakeology seven or so weeks ago there have only been a couple of days that I haven't started my day off with the stuff (and that was because I ran out!). The benefits are vast, but let me list a few things that I've noticed.

1. I have more energy throughout the day and have kicked my caffeine habit
2. I have struggled with digestive issues for many years and that has completely cleared up
3. Shakeology provides satiety and I can make it for a few hours before feeling hungry
4. I have seen good weight loss results
5. It tastes amazing (seriously, I heard from a not so credible source that they were told there is crack in the stuff)

But I don't want you to take my word for it. I have some sample packs that I would love to give out. If you haven't ever tried the stuff, send me an email at stu_35@yahoo.com or a message on facebook. Let me know if you would prefer the chocolate or the greenberry (both are good, but most people prefer the chocolate) and I'll get in touch with you to get you a sample pack. Now there have to be some stipulations and please respect the following:

1. You have never tried Shakeology
2. You are either a) assigned to me as your coach on Team Beachbody or b) not a current Team Beachbody subscriber. So what I'm saying here is if you have a different coach on Team Beachbody, ask them for a sample.
3. You promise to mix up the stuff and provide me feedback.

If you have questions about Shakeology, check out the right side of the blog and click on the Shakeology link for a bunch of videos that will get you up to speed. You can also contact me and ask questions directly.

Now for the fun part. Until the end of February, anybody that orders Shakeology through my page will be entered to win a $25 gift certificate to the place of their choice. If you order Shakeology on Home Direct (free shipping, automatic billing each month, FREE workout DVDs first month, FREE shaker cup second month) I will put your name in the drawing three times (as opposed to once if you order it regularly). Why would you do this? How about the bottom of the bag guarantee? That's right, if you aren't satisfied with Shakeology you simply contact Beachbody within the first thirty days and you can send them back your bag (even if it is empty) for a full refund (less shipping).

And to take things a step further, the first two people that join my team as a coach before the end of February will have their $40 startup dues covered by me. If this sounds like something you are interested in or have questions about, click the "Be a Coach" page on the right side of the blog for information, but don't sign up without talking to me first. For those in Utah, there are big things headed our way with Beachbody. The opportunity is great, and I will not let this fail! Who is with me?

Monday, February 21

And I'm back with a vengeance after whining last week and a much needed day off. Two weeks straight really gets to ya, especially when you're not loving the workouts. Tonight was Max Interval Plyo. I didn't get the workout in until later in the day and that seems to have a negative impact on my attitude. I really pushed through each exercise and tried to go as fast and as long as I could. Power Push Ups? Yeah right! I hope I'll be able to do those in a year. Felt really good all the way through though and the HRM showed a burn of 953 calories - not a record, but a solid effort.

Only five more workouts until the last Fit Test! I'm not going to miss seeing Shaun every day, but I know that some of the Phase II workouts will be replacing Kenpo X and occasionally Plyo X to keep the intensity going.

Shakeology recipe for the day: 6 oz. Yoplait plain Greek yogurt, 1 banana, water, and ice with the chocolate mix. Not a bad taste, but I did put the ingredients in the blender in an awful order so I didn't get the whole scoop of powder. I think a little honey would have done the trick for this one.

Saturday, February 19

Okay it is time for a confession. I cheated yesterday. I put in the Max Interval Circuit and before I even started I decided I didn't have it in me. I felt like there was no way that my body could go through 60 minutes of intervals. So I pressed the eject button and instead poppen in Recovery For Results from Tony Horton's One on One V1. The workout is about 35 minutes and is meant for those days when you just can't do it. My body needed another day of recovery and as my lost post mentioned I needed a fix of Tony. I think this was a wonderful idea and after it was all said and done I felt a thousand times better!

Fast forward to today - Core Cardio & Balance. Another short, not over the top strenuous workout. I believe I completed all of the moves and in the desired quantities with one exception: the final three minutes of shoulders (did my best but couldn't lift my arms any more). Now I have a real day off tomorrow and six more workouts next week with the final Fit Test next Sunday. It has been a great journey so far, and I can't wait to be able to say that I completed Insanity!

Thursday, February 17

So I'm not going to sugar coat this anymore. I hate the recovery workout. It's not like Yoga X where I feel like I'm getting somewhere with flexibility and I think that is my problem - Insanity is not P90X! I came into this thing fully committed to completing Insanity by the book. I didn't follow the diet guide, but have changed some habits for the better. I felt like I saw good results in Phase I, but Phase II has been a disaster. There are a bunch of things I could blame it on, however I think it comes down to one thing - I need my Tony Horton. Sure I burn more calories in these workouts than I do in the P90X cardio routines. I need the strength training. I need the push ups. I need the pull ups. I need a change! End of temper tantrum.

Max Recovery was the workout today. Burned 563 calories according to the HRM. Some of the moves were way too much tonight. Could have something to do with the 12 straight days of workouts, but I'm not sure. The countdown to completion is on: only eight more workouts until the final Fit Test! Results will show on the Fit Test, and hopefully the pictures will tell a better story than my negativity has tonight.

Wednesday, February 16

Today was a double dip - Max Cardio Conditioning followed by Cardio Abs. That's quite an intense way to spend an hour, and I'm so glad I put in the videos and went for it. HRM showed a burn of 1058 calories across the two workouts. I'm pretty sure I've mentioned it in the past, but I don't care for the Cardio Abs routine. I'd much rather do an Ab Ripper workout. I'll give Insane Abs a shot after Insanity - perhaps it is more of what I'm looking for. The conditioning workout went well, no surprises just 45 minutes of non-stop action.

I attended a Beachbody meeting tonight and am very excited with what I learned. It seems like there are a great bunch of coaches in the surrounding area and I can't wait for things to come! I've got a feeling that this is going to be a great year!

Tuesday, February 15

What I would have given to take a day off today! Started the morning out with a chocolate Shakeology with a little bit of peppermint extract (which was delicious) and then it got crazy. Next thing I knew it was seven hours later and time to workout. I hadn't eaten antyhing but the shake and decided to put in Max Interval Plyo and give it a go anyway. Wow - nothing in the tank to start with left me straining to get through each interval. I've been getting stronger with pretty much every workout and I felt like today was a step backwards. That being said, I still completed the workout with a burn of 876 calories according to the HRM. I definitely didn't up any quantities from the last time I did this routine, but I tried to stay true to the form and push with what I did have.

The lack of energy I had through the workout was quite disappointing and I'm going to ensure this doesn't happen again. Only ten workouts left before the final Fit Test and the end of Insanity round 1.

Monday, February 14

Max Interval Circuit. Feels like day one all over again. I found time in the middle of the day to get this one done and I think that makes a huge difference. I downed a Gatorade pre-workout drink before I started and felt really good all the way through the workout. Still struggling with the Side Suicide but other than that I really pushed through the workout today. HRM showed a burn of 1026 calories. On a side note I'm now down a total of 14.8 pounds since starting Insanity. My goal is to be under 247 which was where I was when I finished P90X. I'm dialing in on what I need to do to get there and am seeing great gains in endurance and strength.

Shakeology update. No recipes this week! Due to my stagnant weight I'm cutting out all of the additives from my shakes for the week. So here's the recipe: 1c water, Shakeology packet and ice. Yummy!

Fit Test #4

Fit Test number four is supposed to be tomorrow. I decided that because I push so hard during test days I don't want to double up and do a workout the same day. That being said, I did the Fit Test today. Here are the results of all four tests with the most recent on the right:

Switch Kicks - 76-104-124-126
Power Jumps - 36-45-51-53
Power Knees - 63-85-96-102
Power Jumps - 22-30-33-36
Globe Jumps - 6-9-10-10
Suicide Jumps - 5-8-14-15
Push-up Jacks - 18-24-30-32
Low Plank Oblique - 30-44-50-56

Am I happy with the results? Sure. I didn't see the increase over the last test like I was hoping, but if you look at how far I've come since the beginning it is absolutely crazy!

Two more weeks of this craziness.

Saturday, February 12

Two workouts to update. Last night was Max Cardio Conditioning. HRM showed a burn of 858 calories. I felt like I pushed harder than that, but the numbers are what they are. Today was Max Interval Sports Training and HRM showed a burn of 953 calories. I'm afraid I enjoy this workout a bit too much. There's something about throwing punches for six straight minutes that feels so great. I still modify some of the exercises due to the fact that I have a downstairs neighbor, but I try and stay moving the entire time. If you don't have this workout I highly recommend it.

Shakeology recipe for yesterday (that I will be making here shortly once again): 1/2 banana, 2tbsp almond butter, 1c light silk, 1 scoop chocolate protein powder, and a packet of chocolate Shakeology mix. This is quite a bit higher in calories than what I've been having, but I feel that the extra protein is necessary.

I also want to note that I haven't been losing much weight the last few weeks. During my workout this morning I had an epiphany. I've been eating cleaner and pushing harder during the workouts. What's changed? I started using a scoop of Results and Recovery formula during every Insanity workout. A lot of the days I don't start my workout until about 10PM and I think the extra carbs (sugar) is stalling. I'm going off the stuff for the next two weeks to see if I can hit my goal of losing 12 pounds in February. That means 10 pounds in two weeks.

Thursday, February 10

I feel much better this week than I did last week after the Max Recovery workout. HRM showed a burn of 596 calories but my shoulders were on fire. It seems as though my body is adapting to these exercises after a couple rotations. I am definitely getting stronger and continuing to focus on the form. I held the one armed balance for much longer this week and was able to do more military style push ups too. You would think that I'd be uber-flexible especially through the hip flexor after all of these stretches but I still struggle in that area. Really looking forward to the next couple of workouts as they mix it up from what I've done for the last 11 days.

Shakeology recips for the day: 1c water, 1/2 banana, frozen mango chunks with the Greenberry mixture. This was perhaps the best Greenberry recipe yet. It was the perfect consistency and I guzzled the whole thing down quickly. Great taste and always filling.

February Challenge Update

To date I've got 18 people that are in on the February Challenge. Most of the action is going on at the Team BeachBody Message boards. You can follow the thread here, to post you need to be a member. If you're following here on the blog leave a comment with your update or feel free to join in for the last half of the month.

I'm working on the challenge for next month. I want the goal to be centered around an exercise of some type (run, push ups, crunches etc). If you've got any ideas shoot em over, I'd love to hear them!

Wednesday, February 9

Another shot at Max Interval Plyo today. Have I mentioned how frustrating those side suicide jumps are? What about Power Push Ups? Some of these moves are crazy! HRM showed a burn of 961 calories today but I felt like I took longer breaks than I have been. The crazy thing is I know that I am pushing harder on every move and have been working on keeping my form as good as it can be. Gonna finish the week strong as the workouts on the radar should be exciting!

Shakeology recipe for the day: 8 oz white grape juice, frozen raspberries, frozen blackberries with the Greenberry mix. Again, not a recipe from the calendar and this time it was a miss. The flavor wasn't quite right which was disappointing as I thought the high sugar in the juice would bring out a pleasant taste. Oh well, tomorrow I'll try something different.

Tuesday, February 8

Third go at Max Interval Circuit today. Knees have been bothering me so I needed to do some modifications a bit. Still can't do those stupid Side Suicide things. I kept going for as long as I could during each interval today, definitely an improvement from last time. Burned 1020 calories in the workout. What a good feeling that was!

Shakeology recipe for the day: 6oz Chobani Fat Free Pomegranate Greek Yogurt, 3/4c water, 1/2 banana with the Greenberry. This was delicious! This wasn't a recipe that was provided, but an improvisation with what I had mixed with what sounded good. The result was wonderful and I'm glad to know that the yogurts mix well with the Greenberry. I love options!

Monday, February 7

Tonight I had the pleasure of tackling Max Cardio Conditioning. I had some issues with my HRM as it said I only burned through 500ish calories. My sweat-soaked shirt tells me otherwise. I modified a couple of moves (Diamond Jumps, Suicides) to appease the downstairs neighbor but managed to stay moving throughout the entire workout. Honestly I don't like this one as much as the Pure Cardio workout and don't see this being in the rotation unless I decide to do Insanity by the book again.

Went with an old standby for the morning Shakeology - 1c water, banana, 1tbsp peanut butter, honey with the chocolate mix. Still one of the favorites. Gonna go with the Greenberry for the rest of the week as I'm afraid that I will soon be addicted to the chocolate.

Friday, February 4

Another round of Max Interval Circuit. I had a crazy busy day and so I didn't push play until 11:30 PM. I was so pumped to start tonight and wanted to push it as hard as I could. Wound up with 999 calories burned according to the HRM. I did more reps on every exercise than the first go at this workout and really focused on form. What an awesome way to end a wonderful day!

Shakeology recipe for the day: 1c light Silk, strawberries, peaches with Greenberry mix. I put a little more than the 1/2c of the fruit that the recipe calls for and wound up with a huge amount. This was a very good recipe though and definitely one that will make it into the rotation. I think this would have been just fine with water or organic lemonade which would decrease the calories. So happy to be back on the shakes and I'm not going to run out again!

Thursday, February 3

Max Recovery? Why don't I feel recovered? Seriously though, I am more sore and tired this week than I was during any time of Phase I. Despite being sore and tired I popped the DVD in an hit the play button. Burned 598 calories, which is way more than if I would have just gone to sleep like I really wanted. Two more days of week six and then three more weeks after that. I am going to recommit to pushing harder and bringing it more every workout. Gotta hit this thing strong to see the results that I want.

Didn't have Shakeology this morning as it didn't arrive until the afternoon. But that is great news! Starting tomorrow off with a shake should bring back some of that energy and give my body the nutrients it needs to push through.

Wednesday, February 2

Max Cardio Conditioning for the first time tonight. Similar to the Pure Cardio workout in that you don't have any planned breaks, but with more focused and difficult exercises. It seems that the routines in Phase II contain exercises that focus on multiple parts of the body where Phase I was full of isolation exercises. I could be wrong, but something makes these more difficult than Phase I. I burned 861 calories in just over 47 minutes - not a bad way to wind down a long day.

No Shakeology this morning, instead I made a shake with a Chobani Greek yogurt (strawberry), a banana, 3/4c light Silk and some flax seeds. Was very tasty, but I certainly missed the extra boost that Shakeology gives me. I listened to a BeachBody coach talk today who claimed there is crack in Shakeology and that's why we miss it so bad when we're out of it. I don't think that is true, but it sure does make sense!

I also want to check up on anybody participating in the challenge. What are you doing to hit your weight goal? Diet change? Exercise program? I'm interested in how you plan on achieving your goals.

Tuesday, February 1

Max Interval Plyo is the second workout of Phase II. I didn't watch this before doing the workout which is a mistake. I was a bit lost on some of the exercises but gave it all I had, which didn't feel like much tonight. I did manage to burn 954 calories during the workout so I must have been doing something right. The crazy thing is I don't feel like Phase I prepared me for this at all. Going to be a challenging couple of weeks to push through these crazy workouts.

Shakeology recipe for the day: banana, 1c soy milk, 1tbsp honey, 1tbsp natural peanut butter with the chocolate mix. One of my staples and favorite recipes. Today was a sad day as I ran out of my packets. Anxiously awaiting my order(s)! Gonna be a mix of greek yogurt, oatmeal, and proten shakes to start the next few days off.

Monday, January 31

What a day! That Fit Test is a killer. Note to self - don't do the fit test and a workout on the same day ever again.

Max Interval Circuit is the first workout of Phase II. It clocks in at just under an hour and I burned 1088 calories throughout. Combine that with the 400+ that I'm sure I burned during the Fit Test and that makes for a solid day. I could not do the Side Suicide Jumps; definitely have some work to do there. Overall this is a very productive way to spend an hour!

Shakeology recipe for the day: 3/4c organic lemonade, 1/4c soy milk, banana with the Greenberry mix. Similar to some of the others that I've had but better than most. I haven't been posting daily Shakeology updates for the past few days as I'm almost out. I only have one packet of chocolate left (which I'll probably consume tomorrow). I'm waiting on my variety pack to show up this week and have ordered a bag of chocolate to have on hand.

Also I didn't post my weight update with the Fit Test results. I am down 11.8 pounds after Phase I. A very solid effort. My goal is to do that amount during Phase II for a total of 23.6 lost for the program. I know I gotta dig deeper everyday. The way I see it, why not? I've already completed 36 of the 63 days, the rest is downhill.

Fit Test Results

Wanted to post my fit test results. I'll post later this tonight after I've completed the Max Interval Circuit workout.

First - Second - Third test results

Switch Kicks - 76-104-124
Power Jumps - 36-45-51
Power Knees - 63-85-96
Power Jumps - 22-30-33
Globe Jumps - 6-9-10
Suicide Jumps - 5-8-14
Push-up Jacks - 18-24-30
Low Plank Oblique - 30-44-50

I am most happy with my Suicide Jumps as that is the most difficult exercise for me.

Phase one down - BRING ON PHASE TWO!

End of Insanity Phase I

Been at it all week. Seven straight days of workouts. Needless to say, I'm really looking forward to a rest day on 1/30.

Finished up my "recovery" week and the final week of phase one on 1/29 with Max Interval Sports Circuit. Burned a total of 989 calories this time around. I'm going to miss this workout for the next couple of weeks and am positive it will find its way into whatever hybrid program I do in the future.

I received my results and recovery formula, chocolate peanut butter bar, and ChaLEAN Extreme on Friday. Decided to give the recovery formula a spin on that day. Taste is excellent (even though I only used one scoop in 17oz of water) and it seems to do the trick. I'm going to use it during intense workouts instead of post workout. I think my body will respond better that way.

The protein bars were a bit of a disappointment. I'm not saying it was bad, it just isn't my favorite. I bought a box of them and they will get eaten, I just don't see myself ordering any more.

And as for ChaLEAN Exteme, well that starts 3/13. That gets me through insanity (complete 2/28), time for a Shakeology cleanse, and then a weeks vacation. I'm really excited for this program as I have heard nothing but great things.

It has been a great month back on this exercise train. Fitness test and official weigh-in on Monday. Looking forward to great things for the next phase of Insanity!

Thursday, January 27

A new personal record for calories burned today - 1042 doing Max Interval Sports Training. This workout is legit! I hope that one day I will be able to actually complete the entire thing. For now, I push as hard as I can and take the breaks when I need them. I really like the boxing section. I don't think my triceps had fully recovered from Tuesday and they feel like mush right now.

Shakeology recipe for the day: 1c orange juice, 1tbsp lime juice, raspberries with the Greenberry mixture. A solid recipe - I am now convinced that this mix must have a citrus base (oj, organic lemonade, pineapple juice) to make it taste good. I am finding it easier to get through a glass, but not like the chocolate where I could drink it all day.

February Challenge!

In the spirit of friendly competition, I'm starting a challenge. I will (try and) do this every month. Each month will have a different theme or goal. Also in the interest of bettering our health, each person should make a commitment to make one healthy change for the entire month. The goals are completely up to you.

The challenge this month will be weight. Most of us are looking to shed some pounds. Perhaps you're goal is to gain a few. Either way, leave a comment with your name, what the goal is and what change you will be making for the month. Here is mine:

Goal - Lose 5 pounds
Change - No fast food

Writing it down is simple. Following through and holding myself accountable is the hard part.

I have started a thread on the Team BeachBody Message boards. You do need to register to participate on there, but let me tell you there are tons of resources and it is FREE! To register click here, then click on the join box, then scroll all the way to the bottom and click on try free membership. There is a paid membership option with lots of extra support like meal planning, access to BeachBody TV, a blog, fitness and nutritional articles, recipes, and they even give you a discount on products if you go this route. But the pay option is not necessary so please don't do it unless you see some value in what it offers.

If you want to join in the fun, just leave a comment on here with your goal and change.

Only a couple of days until the challenge starts. Tell your friends and keep checking back here as well as the message board for updates.

Wednesday, January 26

Today marks the halfway point of the "recovery" week. I went with Core Cardio & Balance for the second time this week (along with some Ab Ripper 200). I also threw on the heart rate monitor again and was very pleased - 780 calories in about 45 minutes. The hip flexor and shoulder burnouts at the end really push me. I quite enjoy this workout and think it might find its way into the mix when I'm not doing a program. I didn't get the resistance workout in today as I had planned, but I'm going to make sure and get in at least one more this week.

I did cheat and hopped on the scale today. I was very happy with what I saw - down ten pounds from where I started four and a half weeks ago. This was an unofficial weigh in for me as the next fitness test isn't until Monday. Hopefully I can maintain that number or even better it a bit.

Shakeology recipe for the day: 1c soy milk, 1/2tsp cinnamon, 1tsp almond extract, 1tbsp almond butter with the chocolate mix. This was divine! I could seriously drink this all day and be completely happy. I'm loving the fact that so many of these recipes are this delicious and I know that starting out my day with Shakeology is assisting with the results.

I am anxiously awaiting the P90X Recovery Formula, the chocolate peanut butter protein bars, and ChaLEAN Extreme which should be arriving on Friday. I decided to take advantage of the sale/clearance pricing to give these a chance. Gotta mix it up!

Tuesday, January 25

MAX INTERVAL SPORTS TRAINING! This is no joke. After watching the video last night I knew I was in for a trip. Nevertheless I pushed play and gave it all I had. I would call it a very successful workout - 966 calories burned in just over 55 minutes! I had to calm a couple of the exercises down to save the person that lives below me, but I made sure to keep moving during that time. What a way to end the day! Really excited to do this one two more times this week.

Shakeology recipe for the day: 1/2c plain greek yogurt, raspberries, 1tbsp honey, 1c soy milk with the Greenberry powder. This one was very good. The yogurt gave it just the right thickness and the flavors blended together very well. Definitely a keeper.

Monday, January 24

Another day of doubles in the books!

First workout of the day was P90X Shoulders & Arms with the wife. Such a great workout! It is a wonderful feeling when your sweat has made your shirt stick to your neck and you can't even peel it off with your own arms. Seriously though, this one gets me every time.

What I didn't realize is that my so called "Recovery" week of Insanity was going to be crazy intense. The week consists of six days of Core Cardio & Balance (or you can substitute Max Interval Sports Training which I will be doing every other day). Where is the recovery? I burned 659 calories in about 37 minutes tonight. My arms were still very sore and weak from the earlier workout and some of the moves were very difficult. I watched the other workout after finishing this one and I don't know how I'm going to make it through tomorrow. Oh yes I do, I'm gonna "Dig Deeper." I might even "Bring It." And I'm definitely going to "Keep Pushing Play!"

Shakeology recipe for the day: 1c soy milk, 1tbsp almond butter, frozen raspberries with chocolate mix. The base was pretty tasty, but I'm a strawberry guy and this definitely would have been better that way. Gotta use the fruit I have first, so I'll probably make this one again in the near future.

Sunday, January 23

So it has been a few days. As I previously stated I was out of town for work and had some busy days and nights with not a lot of time to update on here. I didn't slack - well that might be an overstatement. I didn't make the best choices with food and I did miss the workout yesterday, but I made it up today. Now I'm back home with five weeks to go!

I busted out the heart rate monitor for Plyometric Cardio Circuit tonight (was supposed to be a rest day but had to make up for yesterday). Burned through 723 calories in just under 42 minutes. Felt great to get through the last workout of the fourth week. This week is the so called "Recovery Week." I'm going to mix it up with the Core Cardio & Balance and the Max Interval Sports Training as well as three solid resistance workouts. I'm looking forward to big changes over the next five weeks!

Shakeology recipe for the day: 1c Organic Lemonade, 1 banana with the Greenberry mix. This was quite delicious! The lemonade seems to be a very good base (along with orange juice) and I'll continue to explore my options here. Still enjoying the Shakeology and looking forward to the next shipment.

Thursday, January 20

Skipped the recovery workout today. Went to sleep way too late (early) and I couldn't drag myself out of bed this morning before work to get it done. Instead I did a UML (Upper Middle Lower) workout. I tried to do this fairly quick to get the heart rate up and burn some calories. I stayed fairly close to the Mammoth UML from the One on One series with Tony Horton. I enjoy these type of workouts as you don't have one particular body part that is overly sore. Twas a nice change of pace.

Chocolate Shakeology with about 18oz of water this morning. Again, I have to admit I am surprised that this was not awful - decent taste even with nothing blended in. I might be able to make it through a cleanse after all.

Wednesday, January 19

What a long day!

Started the morning off with a drive to the airport. Mixed up a Greenberry packet with about 16 oz of water (past security of course). I was actually surprised that I didn't want to gag or dump it out. It tasted just fine this way. Shocking!

After two flights and many hours later I was finally checked into the hotel which meant time for Plyometric Cardio Circuit. I was shocked at how much energy I had and was able to push really hard through this workout. I guess the lower elevation helped with oxygen too. I didn't get in the double as I would like a little more time between workouts. That means up early tomorrow for a UML before heading off to training all day.

A year ago I never would have thought about exercising, let alone packing DVDs and clothes to do it on the road. This is not a fad or a phase - it is a lifestyle change. One that I have needed for a long time and one that I could not afford to put off any longer. Don't hold back - just keep pushing play!

Tuesday, January 18

Cardio Power and Resistance. I really need to plan my P90X doubles workouts a little better. Nothing like working shoulders and arms hard the night before only to do them the next day. Those dips with a leg raise are killer! Had a great sweat going the entire time and gave it all I had.

Shakeology for the day was the personal favorite: 1 banana, 1tbsp honey, 1tbsp almond butter, 1c water with chocolate mix. So delicious and yet so filling.

The hard part starts tomorrow as I will be doing the workouts the next couple of days in a hotel room. I got a ground floor room so nobody can complain about me jumping around.

Monday, January 17

What a Monday! Had the day off from work which makes multiple workouts a lot easier. Started off the morning with Pure Cardio and Cardio Abs from Insanity. I also decided to throw the heart rate monitor on. It was a wonderful workout with 975 calories burned. Couldn't think of a better way to start a new week!

Finished the night off with Shoulders and Arms from P90X. It has been a few weeks since I've done this disc as I've opted to work these out using the One on Ones which focuses on either the shoulder or the arm. Doing them together is way more intense. I could barely scratch my neck at the end of the workout.

Shakeology for the day was: 2 peeled kiwi fruit, 1c strawberries, 1/2c soy milk, 1/2c water with a Greenberry mixture. This was a great breakfast and will definitely stay in the rotation.

This week will prove to be a bit interesting as I have to travel for a couple of days. I'm going to take my Insanity discs and continue with that program and will likely mix in a couple UML workouts to keep things fresh.

Keep on it everybody and have a great week!

Tips for Healthy Shopping

This is a great video of healthy items to buy at Costco.

Friday, January 14

Put the workout off until tonight. Well, got super busy and stressed with work and family and so the workout got bumped. Probably not the best idea as I didn't feel like I had it in me. I pushed through Cardio Power & Resistance nonetheless. Got a very good sweat going and felt really pleased with the workout.

Shakeology for the morning was: 1/2c Orange Juice, 1/2c Water, Frozen Strawberries (didn't measure) with the Greenberry powder. It was pretty tasty and one that I will do again. I'm thinking the trick with the Greenberry is the Orange Juice.

Thursday, January 13

Doubles today! Started with Cardio Recovery from Insanity. Felt really good to get some stretching and breathing in. The pulse ups are still difficult but getting stronger every week.

For resistance I chose Just Arms and some Ab Ripper 200 tonight. I really love these workouts together. I ache from my wrists to my shoulders - but in a good way! Thinking it might be time to invest in heavier weights though.

Shakeology for the day: 1 banana, 1/2c Orange Juice, 1/2c Water, Ice with a Greenberry mix. Another delicious combination! I let the blender go longer than I have and I think this helped as I had been getting pockets of the powder. None of that today and the shake was wonderful.

I will admit that I cheated and got on the scale today, but I liked what I saw. Not going to report it as I am tracking these numbers on fit test days. Two weeks from Monday is the next fit test and I hope to see some good results by then.

Wednesday, January 12

Pure Cardio and Cardio Abs today. I really look forward to the day I can get through the entire Pure Cardio workout. Will that ever happen? I'm not convinced it will - but that won't keep me from trying! I didn't have much left for Cardio Abs today. Also want to make it known that I prefer the Ab Ripper series to this. I am committed to doing the Insanity program in its entirety no matter how I feel about the workouts.

Best Shakeology yet this morning! 1c water, 1 banana, 1tbsp peanut butter, 1tbsp honey with the chocolate powder. I downed this thing in a matter of minutes and wanted another. Starting to feel the effects and loooking forward to big changes.

Tuesday, January 11

I'll start off with a confession: I didn't get the Legs & Back workout in last night. Got busy doing a whole bunch of other things and, well no excuses.

Today was Plyometric Cardio Circuit and it felt great! I really tried to put myself out there and go for as long as I could while trying to maintain form. I really feel like I'm getting into the groove of this. I doubled up with a resistance workout tonight and went with Diamond Delts from the P90X One on One series. First time through this workout and my shoulders are spent! The combination of the cardio and resistance is tough, but hopefully will pay dividends.

Shakeology recipe for the day: 1c water, 1c blackberries with a packet of Greenberry mix. Not my favorite, but it wasn't bad. I'd give it a 6 out of 10. Already thinking about tomorrow's shake.

Had to share this

So I just want to say that I am really excited to be a part of this company!  I'm in it for a lifestyle change - anybody with me?

Monday, January 10

I started using soy milk in my protein shakes a few months ago and have actually liked the taste.  I've been looking into alternatives and will give almond milk a shot.

Shakeology recipe for the day:  1/2c Orange Juice, 1/2c Water, Ice, with the Greenberry packet.  This one was a hit!  What I've found so far is that the first taste is a bit shocking, but both times as I have gotten closer to the bottom of the cup it seems to taste better.  One thing I have noticed is that I have felt better (more energy, happier) both mornings that I've started off with a Shakeology - zero complaints and no reason to stop now!  I'm going to keep trying some of the recipes and hopefully find a few that I really like.

As far as workout goes today was fit test number 2.  Results so far:

Switch Kicks - 76-104
Power Jumps - 36-45
Power Knees - 63-85
Power Jumps - 22-30
Globe Jumps - 6-9
Suicide Jumps - 5-8
Push-up Jacks - 18-24
Low Plank Oblique - 30-44

I really pushed myself through this today and was very pleased with the advancements made on most exercises.  I'm not sure if it is my height (6'8") or what, but the suicide jumps are by far the most difficult for me.  Weight didn't change, but I had anticipated that for the first month of this workout.

Haven't gotten in my P90X Legs & Back as this will be done late tonight (I really pushed myself through the fit test and need some time to recover).

Saturday, January 8

Workouts done for the day.  Decided to go ahead and start the morning off with Shakeology - chocolate with 1c light soy milk a banana and some ice.  Didn't taste as good as the regular protein shakes I've been having, but it will do just fine.

Pure Cardio with Cardio Abs right after and I was spent!  Best singled Insanity workout day so far - loving it!  Tomorrow is a day off and Monday is the big weigh in and fitness test followed by Legs & Back from P90X.  Gonna be a beautiful weekend and looking forward to a strong start next week!

Friday, January 7

What a day of workouts!  First was Cardio Power and Resistance.  I really tried to focus on bringing as much power as I could to the workout.  I fell a little flat in the middle as I was burned out, but finished as strong as I could.  Felt really good about the intensity today.

Tonight I decided to do a routine I haven't previously done for resistance.  30-15: The Upper Body Massacre from the One on One series with Tony Horton.  Oh man, this workout is killer!  Thirty pushups and fifteen pullups - twelve sets of each.  Honestly I started at 20 pushups and got as low as 13 at the end.  Pullups I stayed flat at five throughout.  I am really focusing on building my pullup numbers and stressing the negative movement.

Been a great week so far - tomorrow is Pure Cardio and Cardio Abs.  Not sure how I'm supposed to do a workout after Pure Cardio, but I'm sure I'll have a story for tomorrow.

PS - Shakeology showed up today.  Gonna give it a start on Monday and will post reviews and favorite recipes.

Thursday, January 6

Cardio Recovery? Why do I find myself sweating through the entire 32ish minutes? It felt good to take a "break" today and really push through the stretches. The weekend looks intense - can't wait!

Also the fitness test and weigh in happen on Monday.

Wednesday, January 5

Another grueling day of doubles! Plyometric Cardio Circuit from Insanity first and Just Arms from the P90X One on One Series tonight. Great combination of workouts today as I feel like my entire body is feeling it. One thing that I do to add some intensity to the Just Arms workout is do moves from the Ab Ripper (X and 200) while Tony talks. I feel like I'm accomplishing something instead of listening to him, after all it doesn't change no matter how many times you do the workout.

I do have to say that I have my first complaint about Insanity. I'm ten days into the program and have only done three different workouts. I think that is what I love about P90X - six different workouts every week. Don't want to complain though, I'm sure the second month is going to be an absolute nightmare. Bring it on!

It's a New Year

First post of the new year.  One full week of Insanity doubled with P90X resistance workouts down.  Eight weeks to go.  Shakeology should arrive the end of this week - can't wait to give it a shot.  We now have a Hawaii trip planned the first part of March which gives me extra incentive to work harder through the workout portion and after I finish I will do the 3-day cleanse with Shaekology.  I already have seen an increase in my energy levels and can't wait to see the changes in my body!