Did I tell you...?!

Did I tell you I'm training for my very first marathon?!

I'M TRAINING FOR MY VERY FIRST MARATHON.

I feel very excited and very much like a psycho.

I entered into running pretty reluctantly.  When I was young I played soccer and softball and I danced and did aerobics videos with my mom.  But when I got to college, all of that was gone and what was left was a gym with a treadmill.  So I got on it, and that's how I got my start.

I remember when my best friend asked me if I wanted to run a 5K with her my senior year of college.  

I thought she was a lunatic.

I legitimately trained for that run.  And listen, I KNOW how hard it is to run 3 miles when you have never run or you are not a runner.  That's why I'm telling you... I trained for that run, less than 8 years ago.  It was painful.  I thought I was running forever.  When we finished the run, I thought I was such a badass.

Less than a year later, I got this crazy idea that I should try running Broad Street, the largest 10 miler in the country.  I don't know what I was thinking, except that I could do it.

And I did it.  I remember finishing that 10 miles and thinking, "I have no desire to run a half marathon.  What psycho would run 3 more miles?"

Two and a half years later, I was that psycho.

And as I ran from mile 12 to mile 13.1, I remember thinking, "I will ABSOLUTELY do this again."

I signed up for two more half marathons (with the possibility of a marathon in the back of my brain), and with that, most definitely jinxed myself.  In January of 2014, just six weeks after my first half, a piercing pain in my knee sidelined me.  It took four months, two MRIs, PT, a knee brace, a cortisone shot, and three doctors to diagnose my mysterious injury:  Synovial Plica Syndrome.  On June 18, 2014, I had arthroscopic knee surgery and on June 19th, I signed up to be a Beachbody coach.  That day they introduced a new program called PiYo, that promised to be low-impact, especially for knees, but high-intensity.  My thought was, "Well, I won't be able to do anything else, I suppose I can do a little yoga."  You guys know my story.  PiYo taught me that I don't have to run to feel strong, healthy, and in shape.

But, four and a half months after my surgery, I ran a 10K race, and less than a year after surgery, I was reunited with my true love, the Broad Street 10 Miler.  That race sealed my fate.  I was all in, and a week later, I signed up for the Rock'n'Roll Half Marathon in Philadelphia on October 31 and the Rock'n'Roll Marathon in Phoenix, Arizona on January 17.

I truly believe things happen for a reason.  I have seen so many things happen in my life that, at the time, felt like the end of the world, but in the end turned into a lesson or a blessing of some kind.  Being able to run this marathon means more to me now than it ever would have before, had I not gotten through the surgery, become a coach, and discovered PiYo.  Of course, there is a little voice inside of me wondering if I could beat my last half marathon time of 2:08, but I keep reminding myself, that's not what THIS half marathon is about.  This half marathon is just one more triumphant return to running; another distance my healed knee was able to carry me, the halfway point to my marathon, the ultimate goal.

In the next few days, I will post my marathon training calendar, along with how I came up with it!  Thank you for all your support and for sticking with me through this!

Beachbody Performance Line: How I used it on my long run

I was so excited when I woke up on Sunday morning for my 9 mile run!

And no, it wasn't because I was about to run 9 miles.  That would be crazy talk!

Back in July when I went to Beachbody Coach Summit in Nashville, Tennessee, I purchased a sample pack for the brand new Performance Line.  There was one serving of each of the five new formulas in the pack.  The main purpose of the sample pack is to make sure you like the taste of each formula, since supplements do their best work when used consistently over an extended period of time.

HOWEVER, I wanted to make sure that if I used them, I was using them in a way which would maximize their ability to work.  And what better time to use supplements than before, during, and after a 9 mile run?

So, I was very excited!

First up, the pre-workout formula Energize.  Energize is a combination of three main ingredients:  Beta-Alanine, which inhibits muscle acid buildup; Quercetin, which is known to increase the production of mitochondria and therefor improve exercise performance and recovery; and finally, low-dose caffeine from green tea.  I mixed one packet with 8 oz of water and drank it about 30 minutes before I started my run.  I had already had a bowl of oatmeal.  It was really yummy... it tasted like thicker lemonade, but it wasn't gritty AT ALL.

During my run, I put the during workout formula, Hydrate, in one of my water bottles with 8 oz of water.  Like a sports drink, Hydrate is a combination of carbohydrates and electrolytes to help keep your body hydrated during sweat loss.  Unlike a sports drink though, Hydrate has much less sugar, allowing the formula to be absorbed more quickly and easily into the bloodstream.  This was also delicious and tasted like a thicker citrus gatorade, but didn't leave my mouth feeling sticky and like I needed to keep drinking... which is the effect gatorade has on me.

Finally, after my run, I enjoyed the post-workout formula Recover.  Recover is essentially a protein shake, made with a variety of different proteins (whey isolate, pea and macular casein protein) and branched-chain amino acids (leucine, isoleucine, and valine) which help to promote muscle synthesis.  There is also pomegranate extract in it, which is being studied as a natural non steroidal anti-inflammatory (NSAIDs)!

All in all, I had NO negative side effects with any of these products!  Yay!  If we are being 100% honest (and we are), I didn't feel much different after I took the Energize.  And I'm not surprised.  First of all, I don't need energy to workout... ever.  Second of all, caffeine has no effect on me.  There were many times in my former life that I would fall asleep half way through a can of Coke.  So... yeah.  But if you're someone that needs your morning cup of caffeination, I bet you'd really like Energize.  And like I said, it was tasty!  I'm not quite sure how the Hydrate worked for me.  I don't think I felt much different... that being said, it's been five months since I ran nine miles and almost two years since I was running that much consistently... and I felt really good!  So, I may be looking into a container of that!  Finally, I LOVED the Recover.  Loved it.  I actually thought it tasted better than my chocolate Shakeology!  I didn't blend it, I just shook it with water.  You are supposed to drinking it within 30 minutes of finishing exercising and usually, I don't feel like putting anything in my stomach that quickly.  But the Recover was SO easy to make and drink, that I had no problem.  I also felt fantastic the rest of the day, as well as the next day.  No sore muscles!  Was it the Recover?  MAYBE!  That's definitely going on my list!

All in all, a VERY positive experience using the Beachbody Performance line.  I know they are meant to be used with Beachbody workouts (duh), but they are even more valuable to me if I can use them as a runner as well.

Looking for more information?  Just fill out the form below!  I'm excited to talk to you!

PiYo Infomercial Part 3: Hurry Up and Wait

The best way to describe my day was "Hurry Up and Wait."  We hurried up to get our outfits checked, and then we waited.  We hurried up to get our hair and makeup checked, and then we waited.  We hurried up to get our lunch, and then we waited.  All in all, we hurried up and waited for FIVE HOURS until they finally started taping us at 4 pm!  What a trip.

BUT during those 5 hours, I got to meet some of the biggest names in PiYo like Michele Park and I got to meet some really amazing women for whom PiYo changed their lives.  They were Beachbody coaches, PiYo instructors, moms, young women, older women, and so many different shapes and with so many different stories.  It was so hard to not scream from the rooftops (and the Facebook) all about what I was doing, and who I was meeting.  I can't wait to go back and tag all the pictures that were taken!

^^Why am I making that face with Michele Park?!  Am I kissing? Smiling? Sassy? Ugh!

I was also sneaky and got to watch some of the PiYo Master Trainers practice for their Lesson 41 shoot the next day.  Not going to lie... I kind of want to be a Master Trainer on the Talent Team now.

At some point, we were waiting so long for ANYTHING to happen, that Chalene came in (she was not hanging out with us, unfortunately) and said thank you and took pictures with us.  Obviously I video taped it.  She kept looking at me like I was a creeper, but WHATEVER!  It was Chalene!

Finally FINALLY at 3:45, the director took half of us into the group exercise room where there were tons of cameras and lights and people.  We weren't supposed to bring our phones in, but I'm a rebel and a badass now, so I did...

The way the taping worked was that Michele Park actually led the class while Chalene was being interviewed by Maria Menounos.  There were a lot of different cameras:  some on stands, some flying through the air, some being walked around by camera men.  Michele led us through a number of different sections of Drench, which is the workout on the DVDs most like a PiYo Live class.  Michele is an amazing instructor.  Every time they had to stop taping, I wanted to keep taking her class!  It was so much fun to be doing PiYo with so many people who were so good at it!

Eventually we switched out with another group.  Chalene and Maria Menounos were both in workout clothes, but I'm not sure if Chalene showed Maria any moves, since we were in another room.

I ended up having to scoot out a little before filming was over, because I had to get back to LA to catch my 10:30 pm flight home!  I slept like a baby between my layover in Vegas, landed in Philly at 8:20 the next morning.  Not before filming this video in the LA airport:

How do I even close out a story like this one, except to repeat how I began it:  by emphasizing not only the honor and AMAZEMENT at being chosen for something at which I worked so hard and about which I am so completely passionate, but by recognizing how the act of applying for the opportunity and then actually DOING IT, despite the risk and anxiety it presented totally and completely changed my life.

I have never felt more alive, more fulfilled, more passionate, more rewarded, more like a BADASS than ever before in my life.  I want and NEED to help others feel the same, now that I have been through this experience.

I am offering two amazing opportunities to celebrate my one year anniversary with Beachbody, and my new Badass status.

The first is an exclusive PiYo Challenge Group led by me, beginning on MY PiYo one-year anniversary-- Monday, July 6.  This is not your average 21 day Challenge Group.  This will be a full-out 8 week group that will follow the entire PiYo program.  In addition to the group support setting, you will receive one-on-one coaching support with meal plans, modifications and accountability.  There will also be an opportunity to learn some of the most current PiYo combinations from the PiYo Live lessons, since I am a PiYo Instructor!  For this group, I am looking for 15 people who are committed to give this program their all, who will be enthusiastic participants in our challenge group, and are open to trying new things, physically, emotionally, and nutritionally!

The second opportunity is to apply for a spot on my coaching team, Team Fit by Example.  Becoming a coach was the very first REAL risk that I took, and I haven't looked back.  In the last year I have become a better version of myself, both physically and emotionally, made amazing friends, gained confidence in leaps and bounds, found a purpose in my life both by helping others do what I've done. The thousands of dollars I've made doesn't hurt either.  I am looking for people who are looking to claim or RE-claim their Badass status.  I'm looking for 5 people who are passionate, fun, honest, CONFIDENT and ready and willing to try new things and make big things happen for themselves.  If you want more, then I want you to be an example with me!

To apply, fill out the short questionnaire below and I will contact you with more information!  I cannot wait to bring my love of PiYo and my ever-growing confidence to everyone!

PiYo Infomercial Part 2: My Adventure Begins

The week before the infomercial was a whirlwind of finalizing plans, secretly (from my husband) buying new workout clothes (they were on sale at Old Navy!) and traveling to my cousin's bachelorette party!  I think in five days I spent one night in my own bed.

The day came and I packed as light as I could:  one outfit for both plane rides, a couple workout options, and pjs.  Oh, and a yoga mat.  There would be no checking bags, no computer, no frills.  My original plan was to board a plane in Philly at 6:30 pm, change planes in Houston during a 40 minute layover, and land in LA at 11 pm PST.  Imagine how my stress level rose when, on my way to the airport, I got an alert that my plane to Houston was delayed 30 minutes.  No worries, I thought, if they know I'm coming, they should hold the plane.

Then the plane was delayed an hour.

Then an hour and a half

Then 2 hours.

I decided it was probably time to figure out another way to LA.  But first, let me take a selfie.

In 2 minutes, the helpful airport desk lady had me on a nonstop flight to LA that left at 8:30 pm and landed in LA at the exact same time.  Crisis averted!  Everybody resume normal activity!

So of course, as I'm waiting to board, I brought my inspiration, You Are a Badass, and happened to read the following quote:

So many times during this trip, I couldn't believe what I was doing.  I would have moments of anxiety and as I was trying to talk myself out of the crippling fear of during something so out of my comfort zone, I would come to the realization of how AWESOME it all was.  Seriously.

Fast forward a lot of hours through one very cold plane ride, an unexplainably long rental car line, and a scenic midnight drive over the hills of San Pedro, and I ended up at a fellow coach's house!  We had never met, and actually were not even friends on Facebook, yet here she was opening her home to me and providing an extremely comfortable bed on which for me to get in my beauty sleep.

I didn't have to be in Irvine until 11 am the next day, so I spent the morning having our own little team building session and by 9:30 am I was on my way.

I got to the gym around 10:30 and recorded this little message:

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PiYo Infomercial Part 1: You are the Chosen One

It's hard to know where to begin with this one.  I know you've all come to hear my big announcement.  And I am SO excited to tell you.  I have been holding it in for weeks and so OF COURSE I am excited to tell you.  But the more I sit on this secret of mine, the more it spins in my brain and the more I reflect on it, the more I realize that it wasn't the OPPORTUNITY that was amazing necessarily (although don't get me wrong, the opportunity was friggin awesome), it was the fact that I actually did it.  I put myself out there, more than ever before.  I took a financial risk that many thought unwise.  I fought through the anxiety of the WHAT IF I AM MAKING THE WRONG DECISION? and just. fucking. did. it.  And you know what happened?  I realized that I am a badass.

Seriously.

I found something that I enjoy, I pursued it, amazing things happened, and then I didn't make excuses. I went out and I lived my life.  I did something crazy.  Something that just a YEAR ago would have sent my nerves into a tailspin.

You know what sucks?  Regret.  I have always held true to the mantra:  Forget regret, or life is yours to miss.  And that has really worked for me.  Because my life has been filled with overanalyzing and pros and cons lists and endless conversations consulting everyone for their advice.  I have never put myself in a situation that could allow for regret.  And I am ok with that.  And I will probably continue to live most of my life that way.  I like safety and security.  I like that my savings account has money and that I brush my teeth twice a day and that I don't jump out of airplanes.  BUT for the first time in my life, I took a chance in which the outcome was unforeseen.  In which my decision was cautioned by my parents.  In which I had to spend a lot of money.  Forget regret, right?  I knew.  I knew that if I didn't take this chance, THAT regret would be worse than the regret of not doing every damn thing I needed to do to get there.  So that's what I did.

I applied, was chosen, and attended the invitation-only taping of the brand new infomercial for Chalene Johnson's and Beachbody's workout program PiYo.

You remember PiYo?  My soul workout.  The workout that saved my life.  The workout that rehabilitated my knee, my body, and my mindset.  The workout that taught me that I didn't have to run to stay in shape and be worth something, but that helped me get back into running anyway.  The only Beachbody workout that I've complete twice.  The workout that I got certified to instruct.

It all started when Beachbody posted on Facebook that they were looking for people to submit their pictures and their stories for a chance to be selected to be in the PiYo infomercial.  You had to be available to be in Irvine, California on the day of the taping.  Many people commented, "Oh man, I would love to do this, but I live far away!"  "PiYo changed my life, but I just can't spend the money to get there!"  "There is nothing I would rather do, but I just can't get out of work!"  There were a lot of "buts" in those comments.  So when one friend tagged me in the comments, and then another, and then another, I thought, "Well, why the hell not?"  I already had my story.  I already had my transformation photos.  All I needed was a video of myself doing some of the moves.  So, at 10:30 pm after a long, gluttonous Memorial Day Weekend at the beach, my husband taped some of my most impressive PiYo moves.

Everything was due to be emailed by noon on Tuesday, May 26.  I wasn't entirely sure if that meant noon PST or not, so I did it in the morning just to be safe and went about my day...

...looking up red-eyes to and from Los Angeles.  I don't even know why.  Something told me that I should be prepared. Now, I'm not going to tell you I was walking around saying, "I've got this in the bag, no problem," but I wasn't walking around saying, "This was stupid there's no way they're going to pick me," either.

The ad to apply for the infomercial stated that the people chosen would be informed on Friday, May 29.  So imagine my paralyzing shock when this happened:

I never pick up numbers I don't know.  If it's important, they can leave a message.  But you can bet your ass I picked this up.

Yup.  It was Beachbody.

They wanted to know where I was from.  My area code must not have rung a bell as being local.  When I told them NJ, they asked, should I be chosen, would I be willing and able to be in Irvine, California on the day of the shoot.  I believe what I told them was, "I would WALK to California if you picked me to be in this shoot."

"Great, we'll let you know on Friday."

Cue me texting everyone I knew.  I mean, they wouldn't call me if they weren't seriously considering me, right?  How was I going to wait until Friday to find out?

Apparently, I didn't have to.  Less than 24 hours later, this happened:

I was officially invited to the PiYo infomercial shoot.  It would be an all-day affair in Irvine, California.  Of course, Chalene herself would be there.  More specific information about location and dress code would follow.

WTF.  Cue frantic screaming phone calls.  I was going to meet Chalene.

I was, as you would expect, ecstatic.  And then, terrified.  I must be crazy.  I was going to go to LA and back, for less than 48 hours total, rent a car, find somewhere to stay, put myself in a situation where I didn't know anyone, all by myself and on my dime?!  Many people I talked to felt the same way.

"Wait, you have to pay for this yourself?  Is that a wise financial decision?  Didn't you just buy a house? Why would you do that?"

"Yes.  Probably not.  Yes.  Well..."

Because.  Because WHO applies to be in an infomercial for a product they TRULY believe in, let alone gets CHOSEN to be in it?  Because this "Beachbody workout hobby" of mine has changed my life, and this is a chance to show the world.  Because life is only life if you live a little.  Because it would make me HAPPY.

That's why.


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Me Hyphen Baby

A good friend once compared her engagement to her now-husband as a type of "hyphen" between being single and being married.  It's a dynamic time period in one's life where the boundaries between yours, mine, and ours are fuzzy, especially to people outside of your relationship.  People will say, "Just wait til you're married," as if your relationship now as an engaged couple (or before as a couple dating) isn't as serious as it will be when you are married, simply because you haven't yet been able to file a joint tax return.  I have been married now for a little over a year and a half and I have discovered a different type of hyphen in life-- the time between getting married, and having children.

Just like the hyphen of engagement, people on the outside of your relationship are focused only on the next thing.  If they haven't come up to you and blatantly asked, "So, when are you having kids?" it's definitely on their minds.

This topic has been weighing heavily on my mind for some time now.  First it was because of my job.    90% of the people I work with are women.  85% of the people I work with (including the men) have children.  While I very rarely get asked if or when I will start popping 'em out, I get these gems instead:

"You're so lucky you can do whatever you want."

and

"You'll understand when you have kids of your own."

Last summer, I was faced with another hurdle between myself and Those-Who-Have-Kids... Beachbody.  To me, the most obvious people out there who want to lose weight and get healthy are moms.  And rightly so.  In an effort to give all they have to their kids (as my mom has and does for me and my brother), they put themselves and their health on the back burner.  They've maybe put on weight, or never lost the weight they gained when they were pregnant.  They don't have the time to spend working out because they are providing for their families.  They may not believe they deserve to set aside time.

But this is not me.

I am very busy.  I work a full-time job as a teacher and a part-time job as the Business Manager for the local high school theater.  I take care of all the household responsibilities:  cook dinner, go grocery shopping, clean, do laundry, pay the bills, run general errands.  I love working out, and I make it part of my day, like brushing my teeth and washing the dishes.  I need to make sure I make time for my husband, my family and my friends.  I very rarely, if ever, have extra time.

Yet, I took a leap of faith, joined Beachbody, and suddenly found more time that I didn't know I had to work that business too.  Some of it was easy, because I was already working out, cooking dinner, packing my own lunches.  But some of it was harder to fit into my day-- weekly nighttime conference calls, posting more to social media, doing personal development, creating a blog.  What I realized was that, if you love something, if it's of value in your life, if it's WORTH it, you will make the time. Does anyone REALLY have the time to have kids?  Does anyone sit around pre-baby, and think, jeez, I'm so bored, a baby would really fill up my day?  NO.  People have kids because they want to love something, to nurture something, something that is a representation of the love that they share with their partner.  If anything, people probably think, "I don't have time for a baby!"  Yet millions of people have them and millions of people find the time.

So here I am, in my hyphen world with my Beachbody baby.  And I am having a hard time, a REALLY hard time, connecting to people like me.  People in this hyphened state of life.  People pre-baby.  I'm having a hard time showing people what a fantastic baby Beachbody can be.  How it can fill your life with so many good things, that you find the time for it that you didn't think you had. Parents will say to me, "You'll understand when you have kids of your own..."  Maybe that's true.  That I can't truly understand what it's like to love until I have a child of my own.  That I don't know what I'm missing.  BUT I also know that I had no idea what I was missing with Beachbody until I became a coach.

So this is where I sit.  Unsure where to go next.  Do I take a leap and reach out to more people "like me"?  Do I sort of just glide along until I have kids and finally "understand"?  How do I show people like me that they can find the time to do something like this and it will be worth it?

South Jersey Super Saturday!

So far, one of the most amazing things I have done with my Beachbody family was attend the first Super Saturday of the year in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.  In attendance there was the CEO Carl Deikler, 21 Day Fix/Extreme trainer Autumn Calabrese, and the 2014 Top Coach, Melanie Mitro.  It was so exciting to see everyone come together for the common goal of bettering ourselves as coaches and bettering the lives of others through our products.





Super Saturday happens four times a year and can literally happen anywhere.  All you need is to register your town with Beachbody.  They will send you a corporate video to show.  Other than that, it's up to you!  You can have one person there or thousands.  You can hold it in your garage, a local school or church, or even a hotel or NFL stadium!

Inspired by our experiences in Pittsburgh in January, my coach decided to co-host the next Super Saturday event locally, which was this past Saturday, April 24.  I have to tell you, I was excited (I'm always excited to spend time with my team), but I didn't think there would be that many people there!    And people we didn't know who weren't on our team!

It was a really awesome morning.  My coach Leigh and another local Star Diamond coach Sabrina welcomed everyone and did some recognitions.  We then heard from one of Leigh's challengers, Kelly, about her transformation:  over 40 pounds since last July doing T25 and Insanity Max: 30!

Next we watched the video from corporate.  Two new product announcements were made:  Cize!, a new dance workout by Shaun T and Beachbody Performance, a line of supplements that range from pre-workout energy to nighttime repair formulas!  I'm kind of excited about this, although I read that you can't mix any of it with Shakeology, which is what I've been doing with the Beachbody protein that was just discontinued.  Once the products come out in July, I'll give everyone a full run-down.  If you're interested in being notified when these products are available, click the products^!

The video also featured quick advice from some top coaches and some very inspirational stories from some successful challengers.  These videos are quite motivational for veteran and new coaches alike, as well as visiting friends and challengers in attendance who are not coaches.

After the video, there were some trivia and prizes and then finally, the live workout portion!  Leigh started it off with a half hour of Insanity!  The bad AND good news was that Leigh had to modify some of the moves because there wasn't enough room with all the people who showed up.  It was really awesome.

Next was PiYo live and my FIRST class!  You remember when Rachel and I got certified two months ago?  I have been practicing and preparing for this very moment!  It was a very interesting experience.  Even without a mirror in front of me or the confidence/experience to do the moves facing my "class", I still think it went really well!  Quite a few people commented to me that it was way different, and better, than the video program (I, of course, disagree) and now they want to get certified too!  Awesome!

I have to end by pointing out my sweaty band.  Why am I wearing it like that?  Do I always wear it like that?  As one of my teammates so eloquently put it:

I guess if I have to be compared to anyone, Rambo is not a bad choice.  Right?

P90X3 Review

Review time!  I am just finishing up 90 days of P90X3, and I have a lot to say!  Mostly because there are A LOT of different workouts in this program, especially if you take advantage of Beachbody On Demand, which allows you to access the Deluxe workouts, a HUGE bonus, as the Complex Lower Body workout is probably my favorite in the whole program.  I chose P90X3 because I loved the original P90X and I loved the idea that these workouts were only 30 minutes.  With my added coaching responsibilities and the intense meal prep I do in the morning, I don't have the time that I used to.  But let me slow down and start from the beginning!

What is P90X3?

P90X3 is truly a total body workout, dare I say even more so than the original P90X (I haven't done P90X2, so I can't comment on that).  While the original P90X spent a long period of time (usual an hour per workout) on weight-lifting for very specific parts of the body (back, shoulders, biceps and legs), most of P90X3's workouts focus more equally on the "four powerpoints of muscle gain and results":  Resistance, Power, Cardio, and Core/Flexibility/Balance.  There are quite a few moves that are cross-over moves, considered appropriate for some or all of the four areas.  The easiest example I can give is the pushup:  it is used in almost every single workout, including X3 Yoga.

Research shows that the most dramatic body transformations happen in the first 30 minutes of a workout, and a lot of Beachboy's newest programs are taking advantage of that.  P90X3 is not different.  There are very few water breaks, the cool down is NOT part of the 30 minutes, and if Tony finishes the program before the 30 minutes are up, he makes you do a bonus round!

How does P90X3 work?

Like most of the Beachbody workouts, P90X3 relies on muscle confusion.  The program comes with 16 (!) different workouts used over the course of a 90 day schedule.  Just when your body becomes used to the workouts, they change and your body is required to do something different and even more challenging.  The schedule has you completing the same weekly schedule for 3 weeks in a row, with a  4th "recovery" week.  For example, here is what the "Classic" schedule looks like:

There are also options for a "Lean" workout schedule, a "Mass" workout schedule, and a "Doubles" workout schedule.

Who is P90X3 for?

Pretty much anyone who is a fan of Tony Horton.  Personally, there's nothing I'd rather hear more at 4:30 in the morning than Tony's cheeseball commentary.  ALSO P90X3 is for people who want an extreme workout, but don't have a lot of time.  You are going to need weights.  For a beginner or someone who has never lifted weights before, 5-15 lbs is probably good.  However, if you want to go hard, especially if you're a man, you are going to need upwards of 30-50 lb weights, especially for the lower body workouts.  You'd be surprised how much your legs can handle.  You'll also need a pull-up bar or a place up high to attach a resistance band.  I did the entire P90X with no pull-up bar and no resistance band and while I still got a good workout, I had to skip A LOT of moves.  One of the videos is only pushups and pull-ups.

Although this isn't advertised, P90X3 (and all the P90Xs) are fantastic for cross training.  The weightlifting builds strength and muscle endurance while the power and cardio workouts build power (shocker!), stability and agility.  Any workout that includes a jump squat IMMEDIATELY improves my hip strength which allows me to run long distances pain-free.  I love it.

What comes with P90X3?

I'm glad you asked.  My favorite thing that comes with P90X3 (other than all the workouts) is the Fitness Guide.  This guide tells you exacts what moves are in every workout and how to do them.  If for some reason you don't have Beachbody On Demand (which has the entire P90X3 program including the Deluxe workouts and is stupid cheap), you can bring the guide with you while you are traveling and workout that way.

Let's talk about the workouts:

Resistance Workouts

Total Synergistics:  A full-body resistance workout featuring compound movements, which utilize multiple muscle groups in every exercise.  With compound movements, the increased force to the body stimulates the body's natural ability to produce performance-enhancing hormones, such as testosterone.  This triggers powerful metabolic changes and is one of the fastest ways to change your body composition.
The Challenge:  You'll be stacking push-ups and pull-ups, two of the most effective upper body exercises.  The result is not only increased muscle size and strength, but stabilization and functionality.
Incinerator:  This workout is designed for muscle fatigue.  If you don't burn out, you won't get the best results.  It is another push-pull routine, but this time, the push-pull moves that follow each other work the exact same muscle group.  So you'll work one muscle group doing either a push or a pull move, and then you'll work the exact same muscle group again doing the opposite exersize.
The Warrior:  This is a total-body workout, free of equipment.  You'll circuit upper- and lower-body resistance with core and cardio work, essentially touching on every area of fitness in one workout.
Eccentric Upper and Lower:  These are classic weightlifting workouts focused on the theory that "time under tension" is the key to inducing muscle growth.  In these workouts, you'll slow down the eccentric (or negative, lengthening) half of each movement.  The eccentric part of a move recruits more muscle cell motor units than the concentric (or positive, shortening) half, resulting in the biggest band for your buck.  These workouts will really pump up your muscles.
*Deluxe* Complex Upper and Lower:  These "complex" workouts focus on efficiency in all areas:  musculoskeletal strength, muscle elasticity, dynamic movement patterns, core functionality, and mobility.  Each workout is comprised of five rounds of four exercises that require a weighted resistance exercise followed by an explosive movement.

Power Workouts:

Agility X:  This is a full-body workout that requires floor targets to dictate movements to focus on precision, power, flexibility, balance, and strength.  As opposed to traditional cardio workouts, these targeted movements force explosion, deceleration, and proprioceptive adaptations, the sum result being an increased ability to move effortlessly for extended periods of time.
Triometrics:  My favorite!  Why?  It is the perfect cross-training exercise for running.  It's plyometrics, or "jump training", which are explosive moves that are highly effective at training muscular efficiency or power.  However, with Triometics, each move has three levels, and they are not all focused on jumping.  Some moves focus on stability, some focus on the landing.  Each of the three levels of every moves increase your range of motion, your stability, and your strength and power.
Decelerator:  Decelerator focuses on the landing, not the jumping, because studies have shown that most athletic injuries occur on landing, not takeoff.  You'll use strategic angles to force loads on different parts of you body, which allows you to increase your ability to stabilize and protect muscles, connective tissues, and joints.

Cardio Workouts:

CVX:  This is an interval cardio workout done entirely with a weight.  Each group of three moves is done twice, and the second time is always focused on speed.  Combining both resistance with intervals increases the impact across every energy system.
MMX:  My other favorite!  This is a Mixed Martial Arts routine that combines karate, keno, jiu-jitsu, judo, and tae kwon do.  The moves will not only give you a cardiovascular workout, but you'll be taxing your upper-body strength, core power, leg endurance and flexibility.
Accelerator:  This cardio workout has you exercising at two different speeds, which allows you to increase your cardiovascular and muscular efficiency.  It also eliminates downtime associated with power-based workouts, while maximizing the consistency of traditional aerobic workouts.

Core/Flexibility/Balance Workouts:

X3 Yoga:  X3 Yoga improves your musculoskeletal flexibility, balance, stamina, body awareness, and core strength.  Improving in these areas allow you to recover faster, get less injuries and even build stronger muscles.
Pilates X:  Pilates focuses on controlling the body through its core while centering on breathing and balance.  Pilates X takes this philosophy to build core strength and muscle elasticity, stabilize the joints, and create a solid human platform to perform any activity in life.
Isometrix:  Isometrix means every "move" is actually a position that you hold for 45 seconds (isometric contraction).  Adding instability to the mix requires your body to fire its stabilization muscles.  When training these two simultaneously, you create an unshakable platform to work off, heightening the affects of movement training that you'll target in other workouts.
Dynamix:  Dynamix is stretching with constant movement. The moves allow you to actively increase range of motion, flexibility and stabilization.  These systems are your keys to free and easy moment with daily activity and other exercise.
*Deluxe* Ab Ribber X3:  This 15-minute workout focuses on all areas of your abdominals:  your rectus abdominus, transverse abdominus and internal and external obliques.


Lucky for you, the P90X3 Challenge Pack is on sale this month.  As with all Challenge Packs, you receive a month of Shakeology (worth $130) and the entire P90X3 program (worth $120) for a total of $180 (originally $205).  Now is the perfect time to talk to me about ordering, because my next Challenge Group starts on Monday, May 4 (May the Fourth Be With You, har har).  I feel very comfortable talking about P90X3 and supporting you through the program.

You have two great options.  If you are 100% sure P90X3 is right for you, you can order here.  However, if you'd like to talk to me about your options or even getting a FREE ONE MONTH TRIAL of P90X3 (or a variety of other workouts) fill out my Challenge Group Application below and I will contact you!

And if you REALLY want to get pumped up, check out the infomercial!

T25 Review

This is not an April Fools joke:  I am forever grateful to my very best friend, Rachel, for writing this review of T25 for me.  I have tried all of the workouts, but Rachel just completed the entire program.  Don't let her downplay her results... they are awesome!

When it comes to making a commitment to a fitness lifestyle, there are many excuses and complaints. Probably the most common one I hear is that people can’t find the time to fit exercise into their busy schedules. I’m not going to get into how your health should be a non-negotiable; I’ll leave that for Michelle to tackle. But I AM going to get into how T25 is the workout for your busy lifestyle.

Ok, fine, I know. My life isn’t that busy. Even though I work full time at a job an hour away that often requires more than the 40 hours I get paid for, the fact is that once I get home, I have no one else to worry about but myself. Being single and childless, I don’t have much else to do except workout and eat some semblance of dinner. But, I have a very short attention span when it comes to exercise. If the workout is more than 30 minutes, I lose interest quickly, get a mental block, and start slacking on the moves (don’t even get me started on PiYo Drench…). One day, over a bottle of wine (duh), I complained about this to Michelle, and being my wonderful coach, she recommended I give Focus T25 a try. Since I’ll basically do (almost) anything Michelle tells me to do, I clicked on over to www.TeamBeachbody.com and ordered myself a brand new workout.

Having completed PiYo as my first Beachbody workout, I wasn’t accustomed to high-cardio/impact exercises. It was difficult at first, but now having completed T25, I feel very strongly that PiYo and T25 complement each other very well. Both are high-intensity workouts and increase strength but T25 aids in building your cardiac endurance while PiYo really improves your flexibility. Strength, endurance, and flexibility - three things that everyone needs!

What is Focus T25?

Focus T25 is a high-intensity, 25-minute, full-body workout created by Shaun T, the same guy who created Insanity. It is considered Focus Interval Training, where every muscle group gets worked, and then worked again. With this plan, you get the benefits of an hour long workout packed into a short 25 minutes, and there are NO water breaks. It’s no joke… it’s hard work and there’s lots of sweat, but after 25 minutes, you’re done. That’s ONLY 1.7% of your day! You still have 98.3% of the day to do whatever else it is you need to do.

How does it work?

T25 is broken down into two blocks, Alpha and Beta. There is also a Gamma cycle that can be purchased separately (I did not do the Gamma cycle, so no review of it here). Each block is 5 weeks long and has a different focus. For every week, you do one workout Monday through Thursday, a double on Friday, rest on Saturday, and stretch on Sunday. Shaun T recommends doing the double on Friday for maximum results, but if "T50" (as I like to call it) does not fit into your schedule, that’s ok. You can do the second workout over the weekend. I don’t have the patience for Friday doubles so I always spread it into the weekend. For every workout, there is a modifier who shows you how to do low-impact versions of the exercises. Don’t be fooled though. Even though the modifier is low-impact, you’re doing just as much work as everyone else (sometimes even more because you don’t have the momentum from the jumps!). After every 25-minute workout, there is a 3 minute stretch/cooldown to help your muscles recover.

What do I get?

You mean, other than a hot, fit, bod? So much! You get 10 different high intensity workouts, a Stretch workout, a Quick Start guide, a 5-Day Fast Track guide, the Get It Done Nutrition guide, an Alpha-Beta wall calendar that shows you which workouts to do on which day, and a pro-grade resistance band. If you order through Michelle, you will also get a bonus Core Speed workout.

What else do I need?

The right shoes! Do not wear running sneakers to do T25. Your feet will cry. You might cry too. T25 has a lot of quick, lateral movements for which running shoes will not give you the proper support. I learned this the hard way when my wide, flat feet started cramping and burning within the first 10 minutes of every workout. Don’t make my mistake. In the end, I found that doing the workouts barefoot was actually the most pain-free option for me. This won’t be the case for everyone, but it's definitely something to consider if you're having some foot pain.  I also purchased some interlocking foam exercise mats (http://tinyurl.com/p4wfj7g) to cushion my landing and the world was right again. For the rare instances that I do decide to put shoes on, I found a pair of low profile New Balance cross-trainers (http://tinyurl.com/ougb9bh) that give me good lateral support with minimal cramping. Look for a crosstrainer that gives you support for side-to-side movements and is also flexible, allowing your feet to move naturally.

Some other optional equipment you might want are a soft workout mat and a set of dumbbells. The workout mat comes in handy for some of the exercises on the floor to cushion your back and knees. Dumbbells can be used in the Beta cycle in place of the resistance band that comes with the program. Choose a dumbbell weight that is doable but also challenging.

You should also know that for the entirety of T25, you should be focused on form over speed. Sometimes, those people on the screen with the perfect six pack abs and ripped arms will be going so fast, and you are doing your darndest to keep pace with them. But, it does you no good to keep pace with bad form. You end up cheating yourself of the proper focus and could also cause injury (to yourself and/or your pet/person/tiny person/tv). Stay with Tania the modifier when you have to and go at your own pace. With practice, you will work your way up to speed.

ALPHA - Focus: The Foundation

In the Alpha round, your main focus is building a strong foundation using just your body weight. The workouts are Cardio, Speed 1.0, Total Body Circuit, Ab Intervals, Lower Focus, and Stretch.

Cardio - A full 25 minutes of non-stop cardio. Get ready for heavy breathing!

Speed 1.0 - This is the only workout in Alpha that does not give you the option of turning off the music.  This is because it’s a workout focused on improving your speed and agility with interspersed stretching intervals. Speed 1.0 is one of my favorites from the Alpha cycle because it feels like a dance routine as opposed to a workout.

Total Body Circuit - TBC is, I think, the hardest workout of the entire program. It makes me want to lay down on the couch and start thinking to myself that maybe having some extra fat padding and a subpar cardiovascular system really isn’t that bad. You certainly work your entire body and there are, what feels like, endless planks and pushups. I had to follow the modifier the most for this workout and take breaks as needed, but by the end of the Alpha cycle, I was able to take less or no breaks and only follow the modifier for a few moves or when I got really tired.

Ab Intervals - Shaun takes you through a slew of ab work with cardio recovery in between. You will V-sit like a pro after this video.

Lower Focus - Leg day is here. You will definitely feel the burn with Lower Focus as you work the largest muscle groups in your legs and glutes.

Stretch - Confession… I have never actually done the Stretch video. But The Google tells me that it helps you lengthen, stretch, and recover the body. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ Sure, ok.  That's what PiYo is for.

BETA - Focus: The Core

After you’ve built up a good foundation in Alpha, you move on to the Beta round where your main focus is your core. You will notice that for every video, Shaun puts an emphasis on keeping your core engaged even if it is not an ab-based exercise. The workouts are Core Cardio, Speed 2.0, Rip’T Circuit, Dynamic Core, and Upper Focus.

Core Cardio - Another non-stop cardio workout. I personally think this is the hardest Beta workout just because it’s so cardio heavy and your heart rate never really goes down.

Speed 2.0 - My (and Michelle's) favorite of all the T25 workouts! Just like Speed 1.0, this video focuses on your speed and agility with repeating sequences that build and are done in shorter and shorter intervals as you progress through the video. Also just like Speed 1.0, it feels like a dance routine, and I can bring out my inner hip hop dancer.

Rip’T Circuit - When I first saw the name of this video, I groaned because I thought it was going to be TBC x1000. I was pleasantly surprised that I did not want to kill myself the first time I did Rip’T. In this video, Shaun takes you through intervals of CULA - Cardio, Upper, Lower, Abs. It is the first instance where you will use your resistance band/dumbbells. It’s not as tear-inducing as TBC, but you still work hard using a lot of muscular and cardio endurance.

Dynamic Core - A great core workout using seven standing exercises and seven floor exercises. You also get to witness Shaun T punch a girl in the stomach. That’s my favorite line from T25 - “Now watch, as Jen goes by, I’m gonna punch her in the stomach.”

Upper Focus - The most difficult part of Upper Focus is trying to figure out why Shaun T is wearing a polo shirt. Who works out in a polo shirt? Anyway. If you’re a lifting junkie, this video will probably be your favorite. The resistance band/dumbbells are heavily featured in this workout to build your upper body strength.

Results

In doing Focus T25, I lost 2.6 lbs and 4 inches overall. I know it’s not a super impressive drop in weight, but let me tell you… I fit into so many clothes that I didn’t fit into a year ago. Talk about reclaiming my closet! I also saw improvement in strength and endurance as I progressed through each week. Things that were hard to do in Week 1 were not nearly as hard in Week 5. In reminding you, dear readers, I am also reminding myself that the numbers don’t tell the whole story. Stick to it. Show perseverance and persistence. It’s only 25 minutes a day. Do the work and then you can enjoy your results for the remaining 23 hours and 35 minutes of your day.