Success Warrior: The Blog That Embraces ADHD

Get Ready for Summer (Part 2)

So,

There are about 90 days left until June, which gives people enough time to make some dramatic changes in their body composition or fitness levels before summer if they start now.  We have taken it up a notch here to get ready, individually and as a family.

We started doing something new a couple of weeks ago that has been fun and that we'll continue.  It stems from, in a way, from watching The Biggest Loser.  Quite some time back, as I was walking through the living room to get a drink before returning to homework, I noticed that Tia and Trey were watching some kind of fitness show.  This went on for a couple of weeks and I found that I would stop at watch a few seconds more each time to see what was going on.  One day, I just sat down and finished watching the rest of the episode they were watching.  They were watching episodes on Netflix and by the time that I finally decided it was interesting enough, they were halfway through Season 2.  I have a whole post of information in my head about The Biggest Loser but the important point for today's post is that many of the people on the show have been obese since childhood.

Trey is incredibly skinny and I think that Tia and I provide a good example for him already but we thought it would be fun to do some exercise together as a family a couple of afternoons a week.  When the weather is nicer, it will be less like "exercise" and more just "activity".  Last year, we would go for walks together, play basketball, and go do some batting practice.  Yesterday it was snowing so we stayed indoors and tried to do one of Bob Harper's kettlebell workouts.  Kicked my butt.

I haven't done much exercise in the last 3 weeks other than the family exercise time because I have had some kind of nagging illness that has just made things miserable.  I think I'm on the mend now and Monday I'll be getting back to my morning workouts.  I'm going to change them up a bit.  I usually change them every 4 to 6 weeks anyway but I'm going to increase the intensity a bit this time along with changing the exercises.  I'll still be using Tabata Intervals because they fit my personality so well at the moment and have proven to be effective for me. 

As a family, we have cleaned up our eating habits a bit more over the last month as well.  Tia has been reading various cookbooks on healthy eating and we've been trying several different dishes a week.  Some have been good and some not so good as far as taste goes but it has kept things interesting and we are seeing results, especially Tia. 

She also drinks a BeachBody Shakeology shake every morning because it's something healthy that she can blend up and take with her out the door, which is so handy because morning's can be a little chaotic around here (like most families, I suspect).  Shakeology is a meal replacement shake with lots of good stuff in it like protein, fiber, prebiotics, vitamins, minerals, and plenty of other stuff.  BeachBody just came out with Strawberry flavor too, which Tia is really happy about.  I changed our monthly order to strawberry and it should be arriving next week.

We have also decided to run a 5K this year as a family.  We haven't decided when yet.  We've glanced over some of the 5K's that are coming up but we either need to pin down a date or a particular race/location/cause that we want to take part in.  After Tia and I were done working out last night, Trey decided to do intervals on the treadmill.  He was doing minute intervals and I was watching because he wanted to see how fast he could go.  He did 7 mph, 5 mph, 8 mph, 5 mph, 9 mph, 5 mph, and then tried at 10 mph.  He did about 20 seconds before he looked like he was losing control and I pulled the plug.  Earlier, Tia and I were talking about who would hang back with Trey on the 5K.  Instead, we may have to see who can keep up with the kid.

***

Follow me on Twitter to get updates on when new posts show up on this blog (plus get random thoughts on the life of Success Warrior) and feel free to "friend" me on Facebook.

Success Warrior is an Independent BeachBody Coach for BeachBody.com, a company that offers fitness programs, supplements, and equipment that have absolutely changed my life.

Have you heard of P90X? That's BeachBody. They also have Insanity, Turbo Jam, TurboFire, RevAbs, Brazil Butt Lift, and many more. They have some of the best exercise programs on the market. These aren't just DVDs but are complete programs to transform your body. They also have the hugely popular, and what they call "the most important meal of the day", Shakeology. Go HERE to learn the most inexpensive way to get Shakeology.

They have equipment and supplements in addition to Shakeology and popular exercise programs. Visit BeachBody.com and click on the "Shop" link to see everything they offer.

There is also a business side to all this fitness that you can take advantage of. Whether you're looking to just make a couple hundred extra dollars in fun money or are looking to take complete financial control of your life, BeachBody can help you get there. If you have a desire to be more fit and would love to help other people do the same while making some money at it, visit BeachBody.com and click on the "Coach" link. Team up with me and I'll help you reach your goals, in fitness and finance.

Get Ready for Summer

So,

This is your annual reminder that there are about 90 days left before June so if you have any fitness or self-image goals that you would like to accomplish by the beginning of summer, NOW is the time to start (if you haven't started already).

I don't do blog posts on fitness very often anymore because I found it hard to keep coming up with new thoughts on the subject but I am just as committed to fitness as ever and I'm still a BeachBody coach (I should go back to putting the links at the bottom of my posts so people don't think I've quit because, you know, Look!  Something shiny!).  I still field questions on fitness by email and in person and, in fact, I did both this last week.  Some questions are specific to BeachBody and some are general fitness questions.  I do not consider myself to be an expert but I do know a thing or two and if I don't know the answer, I will go look it up so that I can help someone and so I know the answer for myself.

This week's email question was about recovery drinks following an intense workout.  There are lots of them to choose from and BeachBody has the P90X Recovery formula which tastes like an Orange Julius, which I found to be very yummy.  However, when it comes to basics, chocolate milk can be used as a recovery drink, oddly enough.  It has the 4:1 quick carb to protein ratio that is the current advice for recovery drinks.  The P90X recovery drink has that and also has glutamine and creatine, which are both great if you are exercising intensely.  You should drink your recovery drink within 45 minutes of exercise.  If you are going to put sugar in your diet, this is the time to sneak it in because it can actually help speed up recovery and replace glycogen levels.

My wife started on her goals far earlier than today because her goal date is prior to June.  When I told her what the theme of today's post was though, she loved it.  She thought it was a great reminder for people because summer tends to sneak up on them.  By the time the weather starts turning warmer, a lot of people give up before they start because there doesn't seem like there is enough time to make a change.  It snowed here today and it's really easy to forget that summer is on the way.  90 days is enough time to make a huge difference in your body composition or fitness level.  P90X has proven that over and over.  Check out these before and after photos:

This post was twice as long as what you see here but when I hit save, Typepad logged me out instead of saving and I lost the second half of this post.  I don't have the energy to type it all back in at the moment so I'll try to recreate the thoughts tomorrow.

Good night.

***

Follow me on Twitter to get updates on when new posts show up on this blog (plus get random thoughts on the life of Success Warrior) and feel free to "friend" me on Facebook.

Success Warrior is an Independent BeachBody Coach for BeachBody.com, a company that offers fitness programs, supplements, and equipment that have absolutely changed my life.

Have you heard of P90X? That's BeachBody. They also have Insanity, Turbo Jam, TurboFire, RevAbs, Brazil Butt Lift, and many more. They have some of the best exercise programs on the market. These aren't just DVDs but are complete programs to transform your body. They also have the hugely popular, and what they call "the most important meal of the day", Shakeology. Go HERE to learn the most inexpensive way to get Shakeology.

They have equipment and supplements in addition to Shakeology and popular exercise programs. Visit BeachBody.com and click on the "Shop" link to see everything they offer.

There is also a business side to all this fitness that you can take advantage of. Whether you're looking to just make a couple hundred extra dollars in fun money or are looking to take complete financial control of your life, BeachBody can help you get there. If you have a desire to be more fit and would love to help other people do the same while making some money at it, visit BeachBody.com and click on the "Coach" link. Team up with me and I'll help you reach your goals, in fitness and finance.

Is There A Spin Doctor In The House?

 
So,

Here's something that I've been wondering for a while.  If the spin and the political tactics become so obvious that every corporate media article, talking head, and blogger is mentioning it, what's the point?

For example, The Great and Powerful Oz would love Mubarak to stay in power but that's just not going to happen so he can't openly endorse support for the dictator and has to speak in a way that supposedly doesn't offend the next Egyptian government.  Everyone knows this.  Everyone.  The US government has long had a standing policy of putting oppressive dictators in place to control regions of interest and giving them billions of dollars in weaponry, support, and bribes.  This is just common knowledge and Obama's waffling in Egypt is an obvious result when the supported dictator falls.

And while we're on the subject, does this common knowledge make statements like this one, from Steve Clemons, look stoopid or more like completely inept and unbelievable spin?

"Given that we are seeing a pattern of protest in many vulnerable nations throughout the Arab world, the Obama administration will be expected to roll out a new strategy of engagement that protects America's interests — particularly its energy sector interests — while at the same time standing behind the universal rights of people around the world to assemble and call for political reform."

Dude!  Obama kills someone every single day!  What we need here Steve, are baby steps.  Let's wait until Obama has mastered the skill of standing behind the universal rights of people around the world to breath before we go merrily skipping ahead to freedom of speech, shall we?  It's really hard to speak freely about what kind of government you would like when you're not breathing.  Steve acknowledges that Obama is using the military to help oil companies pull off something that they couldn't afford to do nor would it be accepted by anyone else in the world and then goes on to give the bullshit line about respecting human rights.  Really Steve?

If Obama didn't have his military completely tapped out destroying two other countries under false pretenses, he'd probably have them in Egypt helping Mubarak put down the uprising with extreme prejudice.  The rumor is that the "Mubarak supporters" that are fighting against the protesters are actually paid soldiers in plain clothes and that the money comes from the US government.  I have no idea if that's true but it's very easy to see the possibility that it's true.

Maybe Steve gets his Internets service from Canada and didn't pay the overage to get the whole story.

Oh no you don't!

What?

Finish the thought on spin before you go merrily skipping ahead to Canadian Internets service.

Fine.  <pout>

Okay, so let's get this out of the way quickly so we can move on.  Do you think that the people that are going to be in charge of the next Egyptian government are, in any way, fooled when Obama and Clinton try to straddle the fence?  I don't understand all the pretend coyishness.  If it's transparent to everyone with an Internets connection, doesn't that include Egyptians (you know, when Mubarak hasn't shut down the Internets)?

Happy?

Yes.  Thank you.  Move on.

Nothing to see here.

You know?  I say that I don't do commercials but that's not entirely true.  I don't watch them on TV (love DVR) and I don't listen to them on the radio (love-love-love Pandora) but every once in a while, I'll check them out on YouTube.  Right now, E*Trade's are my favorites:

Turns out my parents are dabbling in wrestling.

Hello?  Canada?

Jeezus!  What are you?  The ADHD police?

Canadian Internets users are in the midst of a scare.  Bell is charging them through the nose, using a cell phone type of plan where people would get a certain amount of minutes (in this case data) and then they would have a super-extra amount in overage fees for any Internets use over the cap.  With people streaming TV shows and movies from places like Hulu and Netflix, companies are looking for ways to increase revenue from providing Internets service.  Bell, who provides something like ALL the Internets to Canada (okay, I'm exaggerating, it's only 80-90%) is also going to charge wholesale companies so that customers can't sneak around the bill by getting unlimited data packages from smaller Internets providers (who are getting their service through Bell).

Supposedly, the Canadian government is going to tell Bell that they can't do this.  If they don't, a Netflix movie will cost something like $8 to watch if you've gone over your limit for the month.  Then there's the popcorn and soda pop. 

What?

Isn't that what everyone always says about movie prices?

Yes, yes it is - AT A MOVIE THEATER!

What?  You don't eat popcorn at home?

Speaking of taking out a second mortgage to take the fam to the movies, Congress is going to raise the debt ceiling again.  Okay, I've covered this before but I read a better perspective about this stoopidity last week, a better way of putting it into words.  I'm taking my own creative license with the idea, which is completely summed up in the first two sentences of the next paragraph.

Congress should raise the debt ceiling and they should do it right.  They should raise it to $100 trillion.  There is no such thing as a debt ceiling anyway for Congress.  When they get to the current imaginary ceiling, they just raise it again.  This happens every 6 - 12 months and they are wasting valuable time debating the amount when that time could be better spent killing people  infringing on the rights of their subjects  supporting Mubarak but pretending not to  having sex with underage hookers taking an extended vacation (after all, the government that governs least is the one that governs best).  Just raise it to the point where you don't have to worry about it for a few years.  It doesn't exist anyway so they might as well vote to not even have a debt ceiling.

I vote that we quit pretending like there is any amount of money we won't spend.  Is anyone opposed?

Nay!

The lone vote from the gentleman from Texas is noted.  Motion carries.  Let's go shopping!

Gotta luv OPM!

Doncha?

Last, but by far the best part of today's post, is an email that I received from C.R. in response to the fact that I have to buy new pants that are a size smaller.  She sent this:

"If you think you've got it bad . . . I'm buying clothes again for the third time.  I bought some new things for my birthday back at the beginning of December because everything I owned was falling off.  By Christmas, things were baggy again so I shopped the after-Christmas sales, and I'll be darned if it's not happening again.  I'm about 7 pounds away from my goal.  Actually I reached my first goal and decided I could do better.  I haven't been this small in 26 years.  I don't want to see my high school weight, I was too thin back then, but 10 pounds above that is where I'm headed and I never dreamed I would ever come close to that again.

I have been stuck where I am for the past couple of weeks as far as the scale, but you're right.  If you keep "pushing play" the results happen.  Although the scale hasn't moved recently, the measurements keep getting a little smaller each week.  This is awesome!!!  You've got to love Beachbody!"

How cool is that!?!

Right?  That deserves a "You, the Super Hero" mention.

Right you are, Ken.

She doesn't mention it here but, for those of you that are interested, she is currently doing TurboFire.  She mentions Beachbody as a whole in her email because she also has P90X and TurboJam and uses some of the supplements like P90X Recovery drink and Whey Protein (I've mentioned the benefits of whey protein many times and will likely mention it again).

Email like that make it so rewarding being a Beachbody coach.

***

Follow me on Twitter to get updates on when new posts show up on this blog (plus get random thoughts on the life of Success Warrior) and feel free to "friend" me on Facebook.

Success Warrior is an Independent BeachBody Coach for BeachBody.com, a company that offers fitness programs, supplements, and equipment that have absolutely changed my life. 

Have you heard of P90X?  That's BeachBody.  They also have Insanity, Turbo Jam, TurboFire, RevAbs, Brazil Butt Lift, and many more.  They have some of the best exercise programs on the market.  These aren't just DVDs but are complete programs to transform your body.  They also have the hugely popular, and what they call "the most important meal of the day", Shakeology.  Go HERE to learn the most inexpensive way to get Shakeology.

They have equipment and supplements in addition to Shakeology and popular exercise programs.  Visit BeachBody.com and click on the "Shop" link to see everything they offer. 

There is also a business side to all this fitness that you can take advantage of.  Whether you're looking to just make a couple hundred extra dollars in fun money or are looking to take complete financial control of your life, BeachBody can help you get there.  If you have a desire to be more fit and would love to help other people do the same while making some money at it, visit BeachBody.com and click on the "Coach" link.  Team up with me and I'll help you reach your goals, in fitness and finance.

Yay For The Tea Party!!!

Just kidding.  I was trying to get some attention to let everyone know that I'm back to blogging.

Well, today, I'm going to take a shortcut but this blog is back, anyway.

First, a quick bit of housekeeping.  While this blog will maintain its focus mostly on fitness, martial arts, Vibram Five Fingers (VFFs), and such, I'm going to go back to my ADHD ways of posting on whatever catches my attention (Look!  Something shiny!).

Today, I have two huge projects going on in the house (true to life housekeeping) that I need to get back to if I hope to complete them today.  However, I promised myself that I would get this blog going today so I'm going to borrow a message from Tony Horton, the P90X guy, to keep my word to myself (I never promised myself that *I* would write the blog, just that I would post to my blog - Semantics?  Maybe). 

So here you go:

Be Part of the Solution

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-  

***

Follow me on Twitter to get updates on when new posts show up on this blog (plus get random thoughts on the life of Success Warrior) and feel free to "friend" me on Facebook.

Success Warrior is an Independent BeachBody Coach for BeachBody.com, a company that offers fitness programs, supplements, and equipment that have absolutely changed my life. 

Have you heard of P90X?  That's BeachBody.  They also have Insanity, Turbo Jam, TurboFire, RevAbs, Brazil Butt Lift, and many more.  They have some of the best exercise programs on the market.  These aren't just DVDs but are complete programs to transform your body.  They also have the hugely popular, and what they call "the most important meal of the day", Shakeology.  Go HERE to learn the most inexpensive way to get Shakeology.

They have equipment and supplements in addition to Shakeology and popular exercise programs.  Visit BeachBody.com and click on the "Shop" link to see everything they offer. 

There is also a business side to all this fitness that you can take advantage of.  Whether you're looking to just make a couple hundred extra dollars in fun money or are looking to take complete financial control of your life, BeachBody can help you get there.  If you have a desire to be more fit and would love to help other people do the same while making some money at it, visit BeachBody.com and click on the "Coach" link.  Team up with me and I'll help you reach your goals, in fitness and finance.

Coach Corner - Sugar, HFCS, and Underhand Rows (Back)

The BeachBody newsletter this week was all about sugar.  Most of the information was stuff that I already knew but there was one point that caught my eye.  There was a study done where a bunch of poor unfortunate rats were split into two groups.  One group was fed a solution of sucrose (sugar) and the other group was fed a solution of High Fructose Corn Syrup (a chemically engineered sugar made out of corn).  The rats on HFCS got fatter than the rats on sugar.  Here's a quote from the study:

"Some people have claimed that high-fructose corn syrup is no different than other sweeteners when it comes to weight gain and obesity," said study leader Bart Hoebel, "but our results make it clear that this just isn't true, at least under the conditions of our tests."

The only thing worse than the fact that HFCS is poison is the fact that manufacturers put it into just about everything on the planet.  If it has been processed at all, there is a good chance that there is HFCS in it.  I was looking for a site that shows foods that have HFCS in them and it turns out that there are a lot of sites that list the foods that DON'T have HFCS in them.  It's easier.

In fact, from looking over the list, if it's not a one ingredient food (you know, like what's the ingredient list for an apple?), you should probably assume that HFCS is in it.

I was listening to or reading something this week (dammit, now I can't remember where I heard this information) and the speaker or author said that HFCS was in everything so that people stayed addicted to it.  I'm sure you've heard the fat, salt, sugar thing.  It's the same theory.  All foods, no matter the logic, are trending toward having fat, salt, and sugar in them to keep people addicted to food that isn't good for them.  HFCS is a cheap way to implement that plan. 

Of course, then the US government pays lip service to "fighting obesity" while subsidizing corn production and the FDA approval system sold to the highest bidder. 

If you want to be healthy, it's up to you.  Shop the outside aisle of the grocery store, buy as many one-ingredient items as you can, read labels, and avoid HFCS as best you can.

I want to be clear that I haven't nothing against sugar (in moderation and eaten intentionally) but HFCS is not good for you and it's especially not meant to be part of every. single. thing. you put in your mouth.

Allow me to step off my soapbox and introduce today's exercise.  It's just like yesterday's except different.  The Underhand Row is another back exercise and I actually like it better than the Overhand Row.  The difference between them is the hand position (as you would guess from the names) and where you pull the weight to.  They can be done with barbells, resistance bands, and as shown here, dumbbells.

We are doing both the overhand and underhand version this month.  They both target the back but hit it from different angles.

Tomorrow, I'll show you the whole circuit.  "Whole" makes it sound like there's a lot to it.  There's only 4 exercises in the circuit.  Yesterday, I did the circuit 12 times.  I strongly suggest that you don't do that unless there is something wrong with your brain.

Here's my food journal for yesterday:

• First thing - Shakeology.
• Breakfast - Eggs, turkey bacon, and grapefruit.
• Snack - Nothing.  I was asleep.  I stayed up late (for me) the night before and then did 12 of my Chest/Back circuits.  When I was done exercising, I ate breakfast so my muscles had some fuel, and then I went to bed for a nap.  Friday's are long days for me so there usually has to be a nap in the day somewhere and today I chose to go right back to bed.
• Lunch - Chicken tenders, crab salad (very little because it wasn't good), and a sugar-free Monster drink (one of my guilty pleasures).
• Snack - Grapes.
• Dinner - Chicken breast, cottage cheese, cantaloupe, honeydew, and grapes.
• Snack - Shakeology.

When all the planets line up, I like to go for a run on Friday but that rarely happens.  The nap takes priority over the running on Fridays.  Without a nap, I would be awake for about 22 hours every Friday and that gets old in a hurry.  So for this Friday, it was a nap in the morning and some writing in the afternoon that had to be done before I went to work.

It's all a balancing act.

***

I am an Independent BeachBody Coach for BeachBody.com, a company that offers fitness programs, supplements, and equipment that have absolutely changed my life. 

Have you heard of P90X?  That's BeachBody.  They also have Insanity, Turbo Jam, RevAbs, Brazil Butt Lift, and many more.  They have some of the best exercise programs on the market.  These aren't just DVDs but are complete programs to transform your body.  They also have the hugely popular, and what they call "the most important meal of the day", Shakeology.  Go HERE to learn the most inexpensive way to get Shakeology.

They have equipment and supplements in addition to Shakeology and popular exercise programs.  Visit BeachBody.com and click on the "Shop" link to see everything they offer. 

There is also a business side to all this fitness that you can take advantage of.  Whether you're looking to just make a couple hundred extra dollars in fun money or are looking to take complete financial control of your life, BeachBody can help you get there.  If you have a desire to be more fit and would love to help other people do the same while making some money at it, visit BeachBody.com and click on the "Coach" link.  Team up with me and I'll help you reach your goals, in fitness and finance.

Feel free to "friend" me on Facebook.

Coach Corner - Cheap and Easy Calf Raise Stand

One of the most common questions that I get is people wondering if they know enough to be a "Coach".  I've gone over that title a couple of times and I just quickly restate that it doesn't mean that you have to be an expert in anything.  A lot of people sign up as a BeachBody coach for the sole purpose of getting the 25% discount on BeachBody products, like joining Sam's Club or something similar.

On the other hand, there's a good chance that as you use BeachBody producst or follow a more healthy lifestyle that you are going to come across hints and tips that people will find useful.  When that happens, you pass them on.  It really can be that simple.

For example, here's the calf raise stands that we use in my class:

For the cost of one 2X4 and a bunch of screws, you can have a perfect piece of exercise equipment for working your calves.  We use them for other things too that I'm sure will make it into the videos at some point.

I had my neighbor cut the wood for me since I barely have enough tools in my house to keep my man-card from being revoked. 

One thing that I would add to this video is that you might want to put some kind of finish on the wood to help protect it.  I didn't do that and I don't know that it really matters.  When it finally starts to give out, I can always buy and build a new one on the cheap. 

Some of this stuff, like exercise equipment and being a coach, is that simple.

***

I am an Independent BeachBody Coach for BeachBody.com, a company that offers fitness programs, supplements, and equipment that have absolutely changed my life. 

Have you heard of P90X?  That's BeachBody.  They also have Insanity, Turbo Jam, RevAbs, Brazil Butt Lift, and many more.  They have some of the best exercise programs on the market.  These aren't just DVDs but are complete programs to transform your body.  They also have the hugely popular, and what they call "the most important meal of the day", Shakeology.  Go HERE to learn the most inexpensive way to get Shakeology.

They have equipment and supplements in addition to Shakeology and popular exercise programs.  Visit BeachBody.com and click on the "Shop" link to see everything they offer. 

There is also a business side to all this fitness that you can take advantage of.  Whether you're looking to just make a couple hundred extra dollars in fun money or are looking to take complete financial control of your life, BeachBody can help you get there.  If you have a desire to be more fit and would love to help other people do the same while making some money at it, visit BeachBody.com and click on the "Coach" link.  Team up with me and I'll help you reach your goals, in fitness and finance.

Feel free to "friend" me on Facebook.

Coach Corner - One on One Promotion

BeachBody is doing another promotion for their One on One with Tony Horton series.  Previously I did a post on the series that you can fine HERE.  Go read that for more information on the DVDs. 

For the rest of the month, when you sign up for the One on One series, not only do you get Tony Horton in your living room every month but you also get:

• A packet of the chocolate Shakeology
• A Shakeology recipe card to give you ideas to change things up
• Shakeology "Breakthrough" DVD

Here are some of the ingredients in Shakeology:

Weight loss, extra energy, lower cholesterol, are all very nice but the reason that I drink Shakeology is because of all these ingredients.  Look at all the fruits and vegetables that I get with each shake.  It's a quick and simple way for me to get some good stuff into my body when the rest of my food intake leans more toward the carnivorous side.

BeachBody is calling the promotion "Double Impact" because fitness requires exercise and nutrition (and sleep).  Combining Shakeology with any of the BeachBody DVD programs is going to give you results.  This promotion gives you a chance to taste test the chocolate Shakeology to see if you'll like it without investing in a 30 day supply that you might not like.

Obviously, this is something that I can get behind since I've been getting the One on One DVDs since they first started making them and I drink Shakeology every day.  Double Impact indeed.

***

I am an Independent BeachBody Coach for BeachBody.com, a company that offers fitness programs, supplements, and equipment that have absolutely changed my life. 

Have you heard of P90X?  That's BeachBody.  They also have Insanity, Turbo Jam, RevAbs, Brazil Butt Lift, and many more.  They have some of the best exercise programs on the market.  These aren't just DVDs but are complete programs to transform your body.  They also have the hugely popular, and what they call "the most important meal of the day", Shakeology.  Go HERE to learn the most inexpensive way to get Shakeology.

They have equipment and supplements in addition to Shakeology and popular exercise programs.  Visit BeachBody.com and click on the "Shop" link to see everything they offer. 

There is also a business side to all this fitness that you can take advantage of.  Whether you're looking to just make a couple hundred extra dollars in fun money or are looking to take complete financial control of your life, BeachBody can help you get there.  If you have a desire to be more fit and would love to help other people do the same while making some money at it, visit BeachBody.com and click on the "Coach" link.  Team up with me and I'll help you reach your goals, in fitness and finance.

Feel free to "friend" me on Facebook.

What Kind of Example Am I?

I've asked myself this question quite a bit since becoming a BeachBody Coach.

I can think of a couple examples that I'm not.

I'm not perfect. 

I don't eat exactly right.  I don't do every workout that I plan.  When I go in to talk to the city manager, I grab a handfull of the Jelly Bellies that he keeps on his desk and munch on them while we visit.  We had budget meetings this week and one of the employees brought in some oatmeal cookies that were passed around.  I had a couple.  The first night, it was a long meeting and we had pizza delivered.  I indulged.  I try to run 3 or 4 times a week but it has been alternating between snowing and 50 mph wind gusts every day this week so I've skipped the running.  Screw that.  I'm not going to do it if I can't enjoy it, at least a little bit.  If I'm hating every step, I'd rather stay in the house and be warm, thankyouverymuch.  There will be other days coming up where I can run and I'm going to have a treadmill in my next house.  For now, I watched Ninja Assassin, which one of my karate students thought I should see so he lent me his DVD.  I'm not sure how that relates to running in any way but it certainly relates to the fact that I'm not perfect when it comes to fitness.

I'm also not and never will be an "in your face" kind of guy about fitness, even if I do reach a higher fitness level than I'm currently at.

When I was going to the police academy, oh so long ago, we had a fitness instructor that was in his late 50's.  I was 25 and most of the cadets were 21.  This instructor could literally run circles around most of us.  He was in great shape and he really liked to rub that in.  I don't know if he was just super proud or if he was trying to use it as motivation.  If it was motivation, it backfired.

This guy probably ate a healthy breakfast and then worked out with us.  He probably had a healthy snack and then worked out with the other class that was going through the academy at the same time.  He then had a healthy lunch and went for an afternoon run just for the fun of it.  Then he went home and did whatever he wanted to do.

I got up and ate in the cafeteria.  I worked out with him and then went to class for the rest of the day studying law and police tactics with a lunch break to eat in the cafeteria.  I grabbed a quick bite of whatever for dinner and took my 3X5 cards with me to the hospital where I would sit in the oncology ward and study so that I could spend some time with my, then wife at the time, who was pregnant and had leukemia.

Anything this superfit instructor had to say about his life had no bearing on my life.

Even today, most of us have to exercise before or after our day job.  His day job was exercising.  Of course he was superfit.  I want my attitude to be more like Tony Horton's.  You are where you are, just do your best and forget the rest.  You can only compare yourself to you.

So where does that leave me?

I think, in the end, I am just . . . me. 

And probably a lot like you.

I have a job and it can be very demanding at times, especially on the weekends.  I left work at a little after 2am this morning, I was back there at 10am, and I'll be back there in another hour.  That's just how it goes on weekends.

I have a family.  I managed to color eggs with them today and we took Trey on an Easter Egg hunt that my wife and a friend arranged. 

I also teach a group martial arts class and private lessons and I'm on the City Council.  While you may not have those exact responsibilities, you do have things that you want or need to get done.  You have your hobbies, civic organizations, kids' sports and activities, and on and on.  We all do.

Somewhere in all of that, we try to get in some exercise so that we have the strength and energy to get everything else done.  Sometimes it's a struggle.  Sometimes a workout gets missed.  Sometimes the only meal that you have time for is a Hot Pocket that takes 60 seconds to nuke before you run off to the next thing. 

Could I do things better?  Sure.

Could I be doing a lot worse?  You bet.

In the end, what matters most is what you do the most.

There is no end to the journey.  There is no "getting there".  There is no perfect.  There's just this trip that we call life and you do what you can with what you have.  If you slip, you get back up.  When you do good, you celebrate the fact and look ahead to the next thing. 

Anyway, that's how I see it. 

What kind of example am I? 

I'm the best me that I can be right now.  Could be better but certainly could be worse and I'll just keep on trying day by day.

How 'bout you?

***

I am an Independent BeachBody Coach for BeachBody.com, a company that offers fitness programs, supplements, and equipment that have absolutely changed my life. 

Have you heard of P90X?  That's BeachBody.  They also have Insanity, Turbo Jam, RevAbs, Brazil Butt Lift, and many more.  They have some of the best exercise programs on the market.  These aren't just DVDs but are complete programs to transform your body.  They also have the hugely popular, and what they call "the most important meal of the day", Shakeology.  Go HERE to learn the most inexpensive way to get Shakeology.

They have equipment and supplements in addition to Shakeology and popular exercise programs.  Visit BeachBody.com and click on the "Shop" link to see everything they offer. 

There is also a business side to all this fitness that you can take advantage of.  Whether you're looking to just make a couple hundred extra dollars in fun money or are looking to take complete financial control of your life, BeachBody can help you get there.  If you have a desire to be more fit and would love to help other people do the same while making some money at it, visit BeachBody.com and click on the "Coach" link.  Team up with me and I'll help you reach your goals, in fitness and finance.

Feel free to "friend" me on Facebook.

Coach Corner - One on One with Tony Horton

 
BeachBody is running a promotion on one of my favorites this month.  It's the One on One with Tony Horton DVD series.  Tony Horton creates a new workout every month and they send it out to you.  He's always switching things up so that you have something new to try each month, while building up your exercise DVD collection. 

It's common for people that have done P90X to sign up to get these DVDs but completing P90X isn't a prerequisite.  These are for people who like variety and want to keep changing things up.  You know, like me.  I've got about 18 of these and plan on continuing to keep getting them for as long as Tony will keep making them. 

From now until April 5th, you can try the first DVD for just a penny.  You also get a book-like DVD holder that holds all the DVDs for the year.  It's better than having a bunch of loose DVDs floating around. 

Here's mine:

Inside the books, there is space to write down the name of the DVD and a place to make notes in case there is something special you would like to remember about the DVD.  I should do that because sometimes I'm looking for a certain exercise and I have to scan through my ever-growing collection to find what I'm looking for.  I usually find something interesting anyway but if you're smarter than me, you can keep notes inside the book.

Whether you're looking for the next step after P90X or just looking for variety to keep boredom at bay, this is a great collection and you get to start it all of for a penny.  How cool is that?

Here's a sample:

To get your first DVD and DVD holder for a penny, visit BeachBodyand click on the "Shop" link.  If you want to get 25% off all your BeachBody purchases, click on the "Coach" link instead and sign up with the coach membership plan first then get your DVDs rolling.  If you're like me, you're going to love have all these options available to you each day.

Coach Corner - 25% Discount

The first and most obvious benefit of being a Team BeachBody Coach is the fact that you get 25% off of all your BeachBody purchases.  25% is huge and if you are going to be making several purchases or buying supplements each month, it's going to pay for itself and then some to be a coach, whether or not you intend to take an active role in the coaching or not. 

No one is required to do any coaching or business building as a "coach".  It's there if you want it but I know several people that have signed up under the coach option simply to get the 25% discount because the savings on their monthly purchases exceed the $15 membership fee.  It's a simple financial decision if you are going to be using BeachBody products.

That is initially why I joined up for coaching.  I save money each month on every purchase from BeachBody and my savings exceeds the membership fees.  If you like BeachBody products (and really, what's not to like here people?), then it's just plain silly not to upgrade your BeachBody account to "Coach".