Choose 2 Be Fit » P90X

Today Show features a man who lost 180lbs using Beachbody workouts!

choose2befit — Thu, 31 Dec 2009 16:10:56 +0000

These are incredibly inspiring stories, that will be featured in the newest People Magazine, although featured on this morning’s the Today Show. Amazing transformations from 3 people that lost the weight ON THEIR OWN! No pills. No surgery. No magic.

The 2nd story features a gentleman that lost 180lbs using Beachbody’s at home fitness program. Nothing like continuing to get free publicity on air. WHY? Because it works!! Watch this and be inspired:

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Anyone following Pink on Twitter? How about David Archuletta? They both are finding great results with P90X. Best part is, they aren’t getting paid to endorse it. Same with Sheryl Crow and her announcement of P90X and how it’s changed her figure.

Malika Duke Interview’s me on Shakeology®, Eating & P90X® Results and Recovery

choose2befit — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 20:26:02 +0000

I was honored when Malika had asked to interview me on Shakeology® and my thoughts and experience with the product. I had sent her a sample of each the Greenberry and Chocolate flavor, and as anyone should, she wanted to do her homework to find out the true health benefits from this renowned product.

Naturally, we progressed into talking about eating, when and what to eat and how the P90X® Results & Recovery Formula could do a body good, especially as a compliment to the P90X® workout. In Malika’s case, she’s doing the Doubles version – definitely NEED that P90X® Results and Recovery Drink!!

Check out our 2 part interview (only because we got cut off mid-way).

Shakegology Q & A – Part 1

Shakegology Q & A – Part 2

Hope you enjoy and if you’d like to try your very own sample of either Greenberry or Chocolate Shakeology® or the P90X Results & Recovery Formula, please don’t hesitate to send me a message.

To your health & fitness!

5 Ways to Speed Up Your Six-Pack, By Ben Kallen

choose2befit — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 23:33:54 +0000

This is a great article featured in the latest Beachbody newsletter. Don’t miss an issue, as there are great articles to further your health and fitness goals.

No matter what your age, body type, or fitness level, we’re pretty sure one of your main workout goals is to improve your abs. And why not? A flat midsection, with or without a visible six-pack, is the ultimate symbol of being fit and lean. (And yes, it looks great at the beach.) But it’s not just a matter of vanity—a strong core helps stabilize your entire body. That’s why every Beachbody workout program includes a variety of ab-tightening exercises.

Still, whatever you’re doing to get fit, there’s always room for improvement where the core is concerned. Here are five tips to help you to get those great abs faster than ever:

1. Work your entire core. Your “core,” the trunk muscles of your abdomen, lower back, and pelvis, is a whole system that supports your body as you stand up straight, perform everyday activities, and work out. And it’s important to strengthen all these muscles, not just the rectus abdominis (the main “six-pack” muscles targeted by crunches). At the very least, you should strengthen the spinal erectors of the lower back to balance out your abs, which will help your posture and reduce the risk of back pain. Think of total-core training as increasing your functional fitness—meaning you won’t just look better, but you’ll also be able to do things better too. (P90X’s Core Synergistics workout and ChaLEAN Extreme’s Extreme Abs workout are great examples of complete core workouts.)

2. ChaLEAN Extreme®Take it slow. When you’re doing crunches or other ab-focused exercises, it’s easy to speed up and lose proper form, especially when you start to get tired. Either you let momentum carry you through much of the movement or you pull yourself up with your back and shoulders. But you’ll get the most benefit (and the least chance of injury) from your workout if you concentrate on measured, controlled movements. And keep the abdominals contracted the entire time. After all, they’re the ones that should be doing the work. (Doing some Pilates-style movements—like ChaLEAN Extreme’s Pilates Roll-Up, in which you lift your upper body to a count of 8—is a good way to train yourself to slow it down.) When you can’t do any more reps with the proper form, it’s time to stop.

3. Don’t overdo it. If you really want great abs, you may be tempted to grind out crunch after crunch to the exclusion of other exercises, or to do more ab-centered workouts than your fitness program recommends. But directly working your abs too often can do more harm than good. Like any muscle, the abdominals need to recover between workouts. If you find you aren’t improving the number of reps you can do or the amount of weight you can handle, that’s a sign that you’re overtraining, and you need to cut back.

4. Don’t neglect the rest of your body. The more you work your entire body, the better it is for your abs. In fact, just about any full-body or compound movement, from push-ups to squats to deadlifts, takes a lot of ab effort. (That’s the whole point behind programs like Hip Hop Abs® and the upcoming RevAbs™, which give you great core results without focusing on crunches.) What’s more, working your full body will burn many more calories and raise your metabolism, which is important, because you also need to . . .

5. Lose the fat to make your abs flat. No matter how much you strengthen your abdominal muscles, the only way to get a flat midsection is to lose body fat. That’s going to require a diet that’s high in protein and fiber, low in simple carbs, and full of bulky, nutrient-dense foods that keep you full with fewer calories—and of course, plenty of water. If you’re on a meal plan associated with a particular workout, make sure you’re really following it and not fudging here and there. (Keeping a food diary can help.) When you combine an effective full-body workout with a proper diet, getting the flat abs you’ve always wanted is just a matter of time.

Set your goals and get there with a fitness program that is suitable for you. I’d be happy to help you determine what direction is appropriate for you. Send me an email at taryn@choose2befit.com and let’s get started.

My Journey Across the Finish Line (with P90X) – Seattle Rock N’ Roll Marathon Race Preparation/Training

choose2befit — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 03:23:18 +0000

Back in January, when a girlfriend, Adriana, and I made the commitment to run the full Seattle Rock N’ Roll Marathon, I had no idea the daunting task ahead of us. I was ready to take on the challenge, but was not sure if I could actually pound the pavement for 26.2 miles. I mean, that’s 26.2 miles!!! Not a 5k, 8k or 10k, but 26.2 miles. WOW. But, being the competitive individual that I tend to be, I wasn’t going to let that amount of mileage bring fear and doubt into my abilities. Just was not going to happen.

So, with that said, how was I going to prepare for it? Many of my friends and family asked me daily, “how are you preparing for this race?” There was a lot of preparation involved. Not only physical, but mental. You have to get into that mental space to be able to prepare for such a long journey. So, I had to have a little ‘heart-to-heart’ with myself, so I knew what was expected.

It first started with reviewing my running schedule, as suggested and recommended by a 2-time finisher of the Seattle Marathon, and good friend of mine, Janna Fain, to follow. She had trained vigorously with Chuckit running group. In appreciating her advice and guidance, we quickly downloaded the schedule, posted it on my fridge and was time to get to it. Also, I was fortunate to have met my running Coach, and now, Team Beachbody Coach, Tendi Remy, who helped me get prepared with proper nutrition and pre-event training.

Another piece to incorporate into my training was my P90X routine. I was obsessed and addicted to it, so in getting on the Team Beachbody message boards early on, I had learned that many race enthusiasts, had kept up with P90X to train for their respective races – whether it be a Marathon, Ironman, bike race or swimming. PERFECT! I was just coming off my last 90- day program of ChaLEAN Extreme, so was chomping at the bit to get back to P90X. This was perfect timing. So, just as I was gearing up for my longer runs, I was getting back onto my faithful 90-day regime.

There are some that caution doing strength training while training for a race like a marathon, which I could never understand. How could strengthening your upper & lower body and abs/core, hinder your stamina for a race?? I don’t think I could’ve made it through race day without the endurance I built from workouts such as Plyometrics (aka “jump training”), Legs & Back or the echoing remnants of Tony Horton’s famous “tips of the day”. One of my favorites has to be “don’t smash your face” – just brilliant! I mean, that just covers all things across the board, wouldn’t you say? P90X’s regimented routine of muscle confusion not only can get you in great shape, but prepare you for the mental and physical hardship that one experiences in preparation for any kind of race. A very well rounded program in any regard.

So on with the running. My running buddy, Adriana, and I hit the pavement every weekend and followed that schedule to a “T”. Only until, an unforeseen back injury and elbow surgery would take my running buddy and dear friend out of the race and training, all together. What a blow that was! More so to her, of course, but I was crushed, as I so looked forward to our weekly run down of what the kids were up to, how life happens and get a little adult conversation in. It was our short escape from a busy life of being Mom’s. Sorry from then on, I had to carry the torch for us both. I was determined.

Going forward, I had to yet again, mentally prepare myself for the longer runs and know I was mostly doing them on my own…especially the daunting 20 mile one!!! I’ve always felt I was a pretty strong runner, but then again, my longest distance may have been 8 miles or so, and that was usually with crowds of people cheering you on. But, as I started to log my longer runs, I couldn’t believe the energy and stamina I had felt. Could this been a results of P90X? You betcha!!

So, in response to my friends, family and WOWY workout buddies, I was confident in saying that P90X was my crutch, to get me mentally and physically prepared for the race – AND IT DID!! I beat my goal of 4 hours and 30 mins and completed the race in just 4 hours!!

I’m already geared up for the next race, although think I’ll shoot for a ½ marathon instead. Lake Chelan’s Shore to Shore in September. Any takers??

Oh, and my husband is going to begin training for his very first ½ marathon! Why?? Well, it started out with his sister doubting that he could do it, so that triggered his competitive edge to accomplish it. Go hun!!!! I’m rooting for you and know that you can do it! P90X, baby! BRING IT!

One final note, the support and encouragement I received from everyone throughout my training was overwhelming. I truly took each inspiration word, phrase, thought and gesture with me each step of the way. I’d like to thank everyone that had faith in me that I could do it! The power of positive thinking!

Challenge #2 for the Day

choose2befit — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 15:36:00 +0000

My 2nd challenge is:

EAT 5 X’S A DAY

Well, for those that know me, know that I LOVE to eat. I’ve done a pretty decent job training myself to eat healthy, so with years of hard work on that, I think I’ve reset my lifestyle, although will still enjoy a “cheat” here and there.

So, here’s my new goal and challenge – eating 5 x’s a day at every 2 to 3 hours.

I’m fortunate, with my P90X and ChaLEAN Extreme programs, to have a great nutrition guideline to assist and give me ideas in maintaining healthy eating habits.

Let me know if you are looking for support or assistance in getting onto a healthy eating pattern.

WANT TO LEAN OUT? Here is the secret….ADD MUSCLE! by Mike French

choose2befit — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 23:23:00 +0000

A great post by a fabulous fellow Team Beachbody Coach to his group – this answers A LOT of questions for most:

1.) Muscle is the MOST anabolic substance in the human body (Anabolic processes tend toward “building up” organs and tissues. These processes produce growth and differentiation of cells and increase in body size)

2.) Muscle chews up body fat. If you add 1 pound of muscle, and your body burns an additional 50 calories per day just to sustain that muscle. (Add 10 pounds of muscle and your body burns an extra 500 calories to maintain it!)

Most people in an effort to burn body fat greatly increase their number and length of cardiovascular workout sessions.THIS IS A MISTAKE!!!!! This hamstrings your efforts to burn body fat believe it or not. While you do burn allot of calories during extended cardio sessions you are also chewing up hard earned muscle. That is why you don’t see any competitive
bodybuilders who also run marathons!

You burn alot of calories during extended or extra cardio but that stops when you stop the cardio.

Here is the secret:Your metabolism continues to burn body fat and calories for HOURS after hard resistance training. The muscle repairing itself has alot to do with this.

In effect, building muscle through INTENSE weight training is the key to the lean, muscular body we all strive for.(A prime example of extended cardio not being the key is people that only do aerobics and no weight training. They NEVER change the shape of their body. They stay the same year after year….what is the sense of that?)

What does this mean for P90Xers or ChaLEAN users?

DO THE PROGRAM AS DESIGNED AND WORK HARD ON GETTING STRONGER DURING YOUR RESISTANCE TRAINING NUTRITIONAL SUPPORT

**EMPHASIZE PROTEIN – Eating more protein intensifies the thermogenic effect of the digestive process by 1/3rd and protein is the nutrient that builds metabolism enhancing muscle.

We need carbohydrates to fuel our workouts and repair muscle but don’t get carried away. Too much WILL be stored as fat.

Remember guys and gals:MORE STRENGTH = MORE MUSCLE = LESS BODYFAT

Thanks Mike!! You always put it into perspective.

To learn more about P90X, any of the Beachbody Programs, or how you can be a part of our Coaching program, click here to learn more.