P90X Results and What I Learned

So I finally finished my three month commitment to P90x and here's a final picture of my results:

All in all the whole program was amazing and was more than just a weight loss program, it was a total change in lifestyle going forward. Though the physical results I achieved through it are great, what was the most valuable aspect of the program is the mental durability you acquire. I noticed that from Day 1 you aren't just training your body, you are training your mind to a level it hasn't yet achieved. The complete transformation happens throughout the program between mind and body until by the end they match each other in leanness and durability.

I can't tell you how much the program has not only advanced my fitness a hundred fold, but the mental discipline I acquired from it will stay with me forever. I'm fully confident that nothing in the business world can break me down now ever because of the mental durability I now have. I stand by the fact that if you can do this program, you can do anything you put your mind to.

If any of you decide to try the program, let me bestow some words of advice. First of all, buy all the equipment needed. The total investment will probably cost you upwards of $300, but trust me if you want the change its worth it. If you torrent the program or if you just borrow the equipment from someone you have nothing invested in the program and it will make it easier for you to quit. Anytime I felt like not working, I'd remind myself of the money I just wasted and that was a huge motivation to get off my ass.

Second, follow the nutrition plan to the 'T'! If you do not you will be supremely disappointed. If there's one thing I realized from this program is that exercise & nutrition go hand in hand...having one without the other is the equivalent of a boxer going into the ring and using only one hand. Cut out the high glycemic index carbohydrates, refined sugars, and bleached flours.

Third, and I know this is going to be a tough one for a lot of people, is alcohol consumption. I did consume alcohol on the weekends, however, I changed my drinks of choice to bacardi and diet cokes, vodka w/ Fresca, or vodka and Sprite Zero. This way even though I was taking in extra calories from the alcohol, I wasn't having a ton of carbs with it to store those empty calories as fat. Even still, I wonder what my results would've been if I had cut it out completely and I'm starting to taper it down even more because I still want to take it to the next level (six pack baby!).

Fourth, you are going to be in A LOT of pain the first two weeks because you will not be used to working out at this intensity level. Just remember to push through it because the first two are the hardest, especially for Ab Ripper X. I've played every sport known to man up through high school, did seven years of jiu jitsu and mixed martial arts, and am a certified trainer through ACSM and I can still honestly say that this was the hardest training program I've ever done out of everything else.

I do recommend that you invest in some supplements to ease the pain and help with muscle rebuilding including creatine monohydrate, a whey protein powder, casein protein powder for before bedtime, and glutamine (either powder or pill form). If I didn't have these I can't imagine how much more painful the whole program would have been, so make the investment.

Another couple tidbits stick to complex carbohydrates and try to keep them in the morning at breakfast and after your workout. Cut out the cheese and substitute either fat free cheese or Laughing Cow Light spreadables (only 3 grams of fat). And after 8pm, no more carbs!

Anyways if you ever have any questions or just need some advice should you decide to do the program, just send me a message and I'd be glad to help you out.

Using Thanksgiving To Thrust Yourself Forward

First of all Happy Thanksgiving to everyone, if you're reading this I congratulate you on a) not being in a carb induced coma and b) reading on a day of rest.

Thanksgiving is a day when people hang back and relax with family and friends, eat a lot, watch football, and fall asleep. All these things have their place at some point during the day and should be enjoyed thoroughly, but I'd also like to suggest something wholesome and developmental.

I've been looking at the day like this: today we unwind and maybe throw the diet out the window for a day, but its also a great opportunity to reflect and map some stuff out. All the everyday garbage is out of our heads and we can now see the road ahead objectively, and that's a huge advantage that shouldn't go to waste!

To use a crude metaphor, we're both the cast-iron and the metalworker working on it...today's the day to remove yourself from the flame and allow yourself to cool to see what shape has taken form. Make some decisions as to what you want to become and then thrust yourself back into the fire. 

Use today to look at how far you've come and what you've done great these last few months. Similarly, look at what you've done not so great. Start to see how both the good and the bad have contributed to your current quality of life. Are you where you want to be? If not, are you on the right path? How do you know? What indicators have you chosen to let you know at this point?

If these are things you haven't considered in the past, its never to late to start! What to you want to do by, let's say, January? Why do you want to do it? What will you have gained from it? How do you think that will make you feel? What are you willing to do (or not do!) everyday to succeed? How do you know you've achieved it? And most importantly...how will this enhance the quality of life for you forever once you've got it? After all, nothing is worth accomplishing if the effects are only temporary or unsustainable.

These types of questions really help to strip back the layers of bologna when we are trying to make a change, but really aren't committing to it. If anything these types of questions can help realize just how unimportant something is to us! A lot of people have weight loss goals but find their only motivation is to look better. That's just the surface! They never considered how they'd feel about themselves, what they'd learn from it, why its important and how their success will enhance their lives beyond the goal itself.

These types of layer-penetrating questions can help us reach deeper levels of desire for success so that we are completely aligned with our goals for transformation. Wishing the best of holiday weekends to you, your families, and your friends!