Real Life Fitness – Getting Fit With Brent

Beachbody’s master trainer Chalene Johnson has put together a great new exercise program that is releasing in June:

Turbo Fire!

Chalene’s goal is to make you feel like you’re at the gym in a live class.  Based on High Intesnity Interval Training, Turbo Fire helps you keep burning fat and calories even after you finish working out.

Check out this video to give you just a glimpse into what Turbo fire is and what it can do for you.  If you want to get on my mailing list for when this program hits the shelves, drop me an email to brent@getfitwithbrent.com and I’ll let you know as soon as it is available.

Brent Fitness VIdeos beachbody, chalene johnson, Turbo Fire

Ok, realize these are not Beachbody’s official F.A.Q.’s on P90X2, nor are they meant to be.  And I could be 100% wrong on some of these, but based on what I’ve read, what I have heard from Tony Horton, Steve Edwards, etc, these are some high level questions and answers to P90X2 based on some things I have had asked of me.

1.  Who is p90X2 geared for?  Who should buy it?

P90X2 is geared towards improving athletic performance, overall fitness, stability in trouble spots, improving strength, coordination, etc.  In other words, it is for anyone who wants to simply improve.  The caveat to that is this:  Unlike P90X, this is not recommended to do without some type of fitness base.

I suggest you already be in pretty good shape or have had completed at least one round of P90X, Insanity, Asylum, or Turbo Fire.

2.  What is the difference between P90X2 and P90X?

P90X was based on muscle confusion…in other words, it was based on the variety of the workouts to help your muscles continue to grow and be challenged.

P90X2 is not much different from that, but it is not based on the same principles.  Where P90X2 differs is that it focuses on building fundamentals, then strength, then performance.  In phase 1 of X2, you will focus on the foundation:  Working in improving on weak spots by using motions geared towards improving performance and stability of your joints as well as large muscle groups (where phase 1 of P90X was just one set of workouts focused on overall fitness, X2 is working towards making improvements to how your body performs).

3.  What equipment do I need for P90X2?

P90X2 is a lot like P90X:  The main thing needed that you cannot find around your house is a set of resistance bands, some way to make these mimick pull-ups, and some time.

Optionally, a pull-up bar, a pull-up assist if needed, a foam roller, medicine balls, a stability ball, push-up stands, yoga mat, yoga blocks, etc, could all be useful.  The P90X2 Ultimate Kit has most of this included.

4.  Will I lose weight on P90X2 like I did P90X?

Weight loss has less to do with exercise than it does good nutrition.  If you have great discipline with your nutrition, you’ll lose weight on P90X2.  However, it should be noted again that your goal with P90X2 is not to lose 50+ pounds.

5.  What is the difference between P90X2 and Asylum, if both are based on athletic performance?

Having done Asylum (minus the last few days due to my shoulders), I can tell you that nothing compares with the difficulty of Asylum.  That program is meant to challenge you to exhaustion and push beyond limitations.  It’s focus is on agility and strength combined in a high paced workout.

P90X2 is geared towards improving the motions of your body in general.

I like how Steve Edwards put it:  If P90X2 is the practice for the game, Asylum is the game.  Both are great to prepare you for any athletic event or just improving performance.

6.  I have a bad back/shoulders/hips/knees.  Is P90X2 right for me?

I had an old high school football coach that said this:  You can play through pain, don’t play through an injury though.  What does this mean?  It means if you are really injured, go see a doctor.  In fact, if you even think you may have a lingering injury, go see a doctor before doing P90X2.

But, if it is a matter of a weakness and not an injury, P90X2 can help you improve that weakness or instability.

If you want to see the official P90X2 F.A.Q.’s from Beachbody, check out http://P90X2.GetFitWithBrent.com.  You can still pre-order P90X2 from the same link.

Brent P90X2 asylum, insanity, P90X, p90x2, Turbo Fire

Guess what:  It’s December 27th.  Christmas is over.  We’re all stuffed on all the holidays foods we can stand.  Personally, I’m about sugared out (yes, I’m the first to admit I’ve had WAY too much sugar over the last….month).  But in just 5 days, it is 2012, and everyone is doing the same thing:

New Years Resolutions!

I saw a stat that other day, and I don’t know its validity, but it sounds about right:  65% of Americans make a resolution to lose weight in the new year.  If that stat is true, I’d like to know how many of them stick with it beyond 90 days!  We do know that a majority of people who join a gym for the resolution QUIT during the first 90 days.  That’s a fairly widely known fact.

But 65% start, and many of them are near doomed before they lift the first dumbbell or eat their first thing of yogurt (which if you eat Yoplait yogurt is loaded with High Fructose Corn Syrup, which is NOT healthy).  Sounds harsh, but is true.  Why?

-  Most people do not know where to start.
-  Most people do not know what to do.
-  Most people do not know what to eat.
-  Most people do not have the support needed to last 90 days or beyond.

It’s sad.  I’m faced with it too.  There are plenty of people that do not understand why I eat the way I do, why I love to exercise 5-6 days a week, why I subject myself to “painful” or “difficult” programs like P90X (which is neither painful or difficult, but that’s another post for another day).  Fortunately I have a wife who is also a Beachbody Coach with me, just one who is much more slender, prettier, and doesn’t have to fight as hard to lose weight….well, fortunate for her that is!

So how do we structure things to help you succeed?

Enter The Beachbody Challenge…

Now this sounds daunting.  If you are severely overweight, the thought of a “Beachbody” may be a far fetched idea.  Ignore that.  Beachbody is just a company name.

Let’s call this the YOUR body challenge.

What do you want your body to look like?  Realistically, look in the mirror, and decide what you’d want to be shaped different.  Slimmer waist?  Trim upper body (for the guys)?  Sleek curves?  Muscle tone?

You can do all of that.  I’m not promising it happens overnight, but you can do it.  And that is where the Beachbody (i.e. Your) Body Challenge can help.

Here are the basics:

1.  You are going to commit do doing something.  30 days, 60 days, 90 days, whatever, you’re going to commit to a fitness program, good nutrition, etc.

2.  You’re going to be placed into a support group.  5 people max, plus me.  These are your virtual gym buddies.  These are the people that we are all going to lean on, rely on for motivation, celebrate successes with, etc.  You may never meet these people in person, but these people will be there for you.  Remember, they are doing the same thing you are.

3.  You’re going to have all the tools at your disposal:  A fitness program, an eating guide, the highest quality nutritional supplement and meal replacement shake, and support.  Everything you need to meet your goal will be available.

4.  You’re going to promise yourself to not give up.  Don’t make the promise to me.  You don’t know me.  It’s easy for you to give up on a commitment to me.  But, look in the mirror, look at yourself in the mirror, and decide that this is what you want for your life:  A healthier, leaner, happier you.

And this is how you get started:

Visit my Beachbody Challenge Group Pages.  These are all the challenge groups I can possibly run starting January 1st (or slightly there after, giving shipping times).

Find which group you’d like to join.

Order the appropriate pack (if one is required), or if you already have what you need, let me know you want to join.

And then get ready for it!

On a more serious note, I take what I do as an “Independent Team Beachbody Coach” very seriously (and yes, I had to use quotes in that).  As someone who has lost a lot of weight, struggles around Christmas, and then always loses it quickly again, I know the hardest step is sometimes just getting started.  That is what I’m here to help you do:  Get started.

And beyond getting started, its keeping you in the game.  It’s keeping you engaged, excited, motivated through life’s stress and the stuff that gets in the way, and helping you realize that you CAN do this, and that you are 100% WORTH IT!

Now…let’s get started.  Together.

Brent Fitness Tips, Nutrition And Diet beachbody, Beachbody challenge, beachbody challenge group, Brazil Butt Lift, fat loss, insanity, lose weight, new year's resolutions, P90X, rev abs, shaun t, tony horton, Turbo Fire, weight loss

It’s the holidays, which means Christmas is soon coming (as of today, 25 days away!).  So while figuring out presents to get your loved ones, don’t forget about your (or their) fitness needs and things that can give them that extra something they want out of life:  Health, fitness, happiness, etc.

So let’s start with some of my top picks from Beachbody:

1.  P90X2 

The newest workout from Tony Horton.  Pre-Order ends tomorrow (November 30th), and with that you get free shipping.  Even if you cannot order by November 30th, it would still be a great to get your loved one, especially if they are a P90X graduate or just want to improve their athletic performance.

P90X2 will help them feel younger, run faster, jump higher, be more athletic, and “kick the panties off of anyone who tries to get on the court or field” with them (ok, so I shamelessly stole that line from the original P90X Plyo workout, but hey….it will apply here).

P90X2 Base kit is only $119.95.

2.  Beachbody Challenge Packs

This package is a bit more all-inclusive for those who need it all:  A great fitness routine, added nutritional benefit of Shakeology, and support/meal planner through the Team Beachbody Club membership.  To order a package it is real simple:  Go to my Beachbody Challenge site, register for the challenge, and then purchase the package that you want.

Need some suggestions on what to order?  Here’s my opinion (take it or leave it).

If you are a male, I suggest P90X if you like to lift weights, Insanity if you like more cardio based workouts.

If you are a female, I suggest starting with Turbo Fire, unless you like to lift weights and hate the entire peppy cardio scene.  If you like weight lifting, go P90X.  If you rather do cardio but want something grueling, definitely choose Insanity.

If these are a bit “steep” and looking for something, but just something that cost a bit less, there are packages for cheaper.  The Ten Minute Trainer is a great option for those that are always in a hurry.

For the ladies, and I highly recommend this:  If you’re already fairly thin, just want to shed a bit of fat, and really want to work on your booty (think lifted, better shape, much sexier and looks killer in both jeans and a bikini), I cannot more highly suggest the Brazil Butt Lift challenge pack.

What are the advantages to getting a package?

For starters, free shipping.  Put it this way:  If you were to order P90X, shipping is around $13.  Shakelology is another $13.  So there is $26 off there.  The cost of things is also greatly reduced.  Instead of $240 for P90X and Shakology, as an example, it is only $205 + tax (no shipping, remember).  Plus you’ll get the tools you need:  Shakeology on Home Direct, the fitness routine, and 30 days membership to the Beachbody Club.

Plus, you’ll get a chance to win $500 a day just for logging your workouts.

I’ll be starting some focused Challenge groups on January 1-2 range, so be looking for more info there.

3.  Beachbody Gift Cards

Yes, it’s the old cop-out gift.  But what better way to give a gift card than to give one that allows your loved ones, or yourself, to chose what they (you) want to do?  If you are not a mind reader, this is a great option.  You can get them a gift card as low as $25 and all the way up to $500.

To order a git card, you must be at least a free member of Team Beachbody.  Then simply go to order a Gift Card by clicking here or through the Team Beachbody website.

Other Non-Beachbody Gifts

Of course, there are many other gifts you can get them that are non-Beachbody but still contribute to their fitness, or your fitness, depending on who you are buying for, of course.

1.  Primal Blueprint

Hey, I could always use some of my readers going primal with me.  This is a serious great read and will make you question a lot of what people have said is the “right” way to eat to lose weight?  Sound a little out there?  Check out these success stories.

2.  Vibram 5 Fingers

They are trendy, and they are primal-ish.

3.  A good heart rate monitor

Always useful for runners, light cardio junkes, etc.

4.  A Crossfit Membership

Check out Crossfit and find them a box in your area to join.

And, of course, I’m sure there are many, many other things you could get them.  Like a yoga mat.  Or some Select Techs.  Or a massage.  Heck, get yourself a massage and give them a yoga mat!

Enjoy the Christmas gift buying experience, and be safe this holiday season!

Brent Fitness Tips beachbody, Brazil Butt Lift, insanity, P90X, p90x2, primal eating, Turbo Fire

If you have a goal, you have to know how to get there.  This goes for everything in life:  Career, financial, and fitness.  The problem is, too many people simply just “show up” to exercise but there is no clear plan on how to go from point A (where they are now) to point B (where they want to be).

My wife thinks I over think and over plan, and she may be right.  But there is never any doubt in my mind about what I’m going to do when the time arrives.  I have a plan in place, I execute the plan, and I see results.

Let’s talk about planning:

Often times people revolve their fitness around a date:  A wedding, a vacation, a reunion, or something.  They peg that date on the calendar and say, “I want to lose X pounds by this date” or, “I want to look hot in this dress for this event.”

They get their goal, they put a date to that goal, and then they just start exercising.  Now, that’s good.  I’m all for that!  I’m a firm believer that some activity is better than no activity.  I do believe that these people would best be served with a clear cut plan of action, either coming from a personal trainer or a program like P90X, Turbo Fire, or Insanity (or any other Beachbody workout).

I’m going to use my 2011 as an example.  I have milestone dates in there that line up well with what I’m working to accomplish.  I personally use Beachbody products because, like a personal trainer, they give me exactly what to do, how to do it, and instruct me on everything from form to nutrition.

My first big date is June 16 when I attend the Beachbody Coach’s Summit.  I mark that on the calendar as the first big event.  From the start of the year, that is 5 months and a couple of weeks away.

I started P90X and will finish it April 2nd.  That gives me 10.5 weeks until I leave.

Now, I’ll be exercising at The Summit, but I have other tools in my arsenal other than P90X that I can incorporate.  In this case, I’m leaning towards doing Insanity, a 9 week workout, giving me 1.5 weeks.  In that time, I’m looking into doing the 5 Day Inferno Plan from Turbo Fire.  That will take me almost up until I leave, which I will supplement my workouts until I get back.

My next big day is going to be around August 1st, when we leave for vacation to the beach.  Now, most Beachbody programs run on a 60 or 90 day cycle (at least the ones I will do).  After doing a 60 day cycle, I’m going want to do a 90 day cycle of something that includes resistance work.

I want to be working differently all year long, so at this point I will lean towards doing either RevAbs or a hybrid between Chalean Extreme and Turbo Fire.  That will put me exercising on vacation, but I’m okay with that.

So a 90 day program starting June 19 (12 weeks for the hybrid, and either 12 or 13 for Rev Abs) will have me completing either September 10 or 17.

The next and final big date of the year will be December 17, when my lovely wife April and I are looking at going on a cruise.  Which ever of the above programs I do not do, I will do the other.  So I will be completing it somewhere in the middle of the holiday season, most likely around December 10.  This will give me 5 days to do one more big burn before we leave for the cruise (again, leaning towards a Turbo Fire 5 Day Inferno Plan).

So there I have almost all of 2011 planned out.  My goal is to not repeat programs and to continually keep my muscles and body guessing.  I’m aiming to continually challenge my body in different ways over the course of 12 months, which should allow me to improve my fitness and reach the goals I want.

Some additional notes:

Yes, there is always the possibility for sickness or injury to occur.  If it is injury I will stay on schedule and adjust to keep exercising the parts of my body not hurt (i.e. if I hurt the upper, I work the lower.  If I hurt the lower, I work the upper.  If I hurt both, I work the middle).  Sickness will be the only thing that will slow me down, and I would have to be pretty sick to stop.

If I am doing something and not feeling challenged, I will add more.  I know the first 5 months will not be a problem.  I doubt the last 7 will either.

Finally, nutrition is always a focus.  What I’m doing now is working well, and I’ll be continually making micro adjustments to it as I go along.

Brent Fitness Tips beachbody, exercising, fitness, insanity, P90X, personal trainer, planning fitness, rev abs, Turbo Fire, working out

Today is a rest day for me, but we had an inaugural Fit Club here in Conway.  The workout that was selected was Turbo Fire HIIT 15.  And by the way, HITT means “High Intensity Interval Training.”

First, let me say this:  This is NOT a women’s routine.  In just a 16 minute total workout (from video starts until end of warm-up) I has my butt kicked.  Hard.  It reminds me a lot of Insanity, just with much shorter intervals but just as intense.  So if you are a guy wondering if this is too “girly” to do, you’re crazy not to try.  If you’re not tired/exhausted after just one HIIT workout, you didn’t do it right.  Sorry…

The moves are not hard to do.  It has a good amount of plyometric movement in it, which I really liked.  Not being used to it I was a bit slow on figuring out all the moves.  But once I got it, I was able to jump in.

Bottom line…this is a kick butt workout.  It has me thinking about doing it and ChaLEAN Extreme combination (the hybrid calendar is included in Turbo Fire).

Here’s a preview video of the workout.  You can purchase Turbo Fire here.  (And, if you become a Beachbody Coach, you can save 25% off of it and the Recovery Drink).

Brent Fitness VIdeos high intensity interval training, Turbo Fire

Another Team Beachbody coach turned me onto this book, and I got it at a steal at Barnes And Nobel’s webite:

The Abs Diet by David Zinczenko (editor-in-chief of “Men’s Health Magazine”).

The great thing about P90X is that it comes with an extremely flexible meal plan.  The only thing lacking from it is a more detailed description of why things work the way they do.

The Abs Diet took the approach of teaching you why the combination of foods you eat matters and gives the explanation behind why it’s “Power 12″ foods can help burn belly fat at a faster rate.

Interestingly enough, a lot of the foods on The Abs Diet “Power 12″ are identical to a lot of the foods in the P90X plan, but the book does point out a few things that you should avoid that appear on the P90x plan.

Likewise, the book allows a cheat meal where P90X suggest against it.

The book also has a light weight exercise routine that you can follow 3-6 days a week.  It incorporates 3 days of strenght training, 2 days of mild cardio, one day of intervals, and ab work 2 days a week.

So, here’s my plan:

I’m going to use this diet (it’s a 6 week diet, but I’m sure I’ll do it longer) and use Beachbody routines.  My goal is to use Turbo Fire for the cardio and either ChaLEAN Extreme or P90X for the lifting.  I’m going to use either Ab Ripper X or Brazil Butt Lift’s Tummy Tuck as the ab routines 2-3 days a week (leaning towards 3, similar to P90X), but going to follow the book’s suggestion of doing abs first and then doing the routine.

I start with this January 2nd.  I’ll be blogging more about my findings here before I start and then quite regularly about progress after.

Brent Nutrition And Diet P90X, The Abs Diet, Turbo Fire

So you’ve finished with Tony Horton.  Shaun T just finished kicking your tail for 9 weeks.  You’ve done Chalene’s 12 week Turbo Fire.

And now you’re wondering, what to do now?

The great thing is, there are options.  I have my preferences, which I’ll get to, but here are some thoughts:

• Do something different.  Get outside, go jogging, biking, running, play a sport, something.
• Start going to a gym.  Not always a preferred option, but hey, it’s something to do.
• Or, my favorite, invest in another program, do it, and then hybrid it out.

I’m a huge fan of variety.  And while I’m not anti-gym, I just know the gym isn’t right for me.  So I personally choose to get additional programs and hybrid them out.

This year is an exception.  This year I’m doing routines as they were designed for the first 7 months.  But after that, I’ll be tempted to run through some hybrid rotations.

So here are some ideas for you:

Finished P90X?  Get Insanity.  Do Insanity.  Then hybrid the two.  There are tons of suggestions, schedules, etc, out there to help you do this.  After you to this, get Asylum.  Asylum is setup with 30 days of just Asylum, 30 days of Asylum and Insanity, and then 30 days of Asylum and P90X.  So there’s 90 days (3 months) worth of workouts ready to go.

Just completed Insanity?  Do the same as above, or just move into Asylum.

Turbo Fire?  Get ChaLEAN Extreme.  You’ll see a hybrid calendar in your Turbo Fire book.  Or, you can also get Brazil Butt Lift and hybrid those two routines.  I just spent some time working on just such a hybrid for my wife.

Not a big Insanity fan?  So get the One on One’s and work on doing hybrids with those and P90X.  Plenty of options there.

Overall, the goal here is to not limit yourself on your workouts.  Do different things.  Focus on different weak spots.  Just keep doing something.  Being idle is not an option.

Brent Fitness Tips asylum, Brazil Butt Lift, chalean extreme, insanity, P90X, Turbo Fire

As I previewed here, Turbo Fire launched today, two days ahead of schedule.

I have no doubt in my mind that people who want to burn fat through this system will.  We’ve seen success out of the test groups, now it is time for the masses to experience the same level of success.

You can go to the link in the first sentence to see the preview video.  If you are ready to order, here is where you can get it:

Turbo Fire – Order Here

There is also a Turbo Fire Deluxe which has extra workouts and a food journal.

Turbo Fire Deluxe

I’d love to help you reach your goals through either of these.  Ordering from these websites will allow me to be your personal coach….and I come for free!

Get your copy of Turbo Fire today…they are selling like crazy!

Brent Fitness VIdeos chalene johnson, Turbo Fire, turbo fire deluxe

P90X workout today was Legs and Back and Ab Ripper X.  As usual, I started with Ab Ripper.  I’ve actually found that it is a really good warm-up for the main exercise.  Legs and Back, as usually, kicked my butt.  I crushed it, I pushed hard, but it wears me out majorly (I’m writing this at 9pm, and starting to feel the soreness in the glutes).

I used to hate this workout.  And I still do.  Not that I hate doing it, I just hate that I’m not crushing it.  But I guess that is what training does.  Eventually I’ll get better, I’ll get stronger, and I’ll be able to do more.

Nutrition was good today.  Ready for the spaghetti to be out of the household though!

Breakfast – Shakeology with skim milk, natural PB, and a banana.

Snack #1  – Almonds

Lunch – Spaghetti, whole grain noodles

Snack #2 – Box of raisins

Supper – Baked chicken, steamed veggies, and a bit of oven baked potato bites.

Snack #3 – Not there yet.  Leaning towards protein shake tonight, just for something different.

The Shakeology really hit the spot today.  Usually I’m very hungry by my mid morning snack.  Today, I was far from hungry.  I ate the snack because I needed to, but I did not feel like I was famished, even after a tough workout.  Plus, my energy level has been higher today.  Glad and thankful to have my shipment in and back on it.

We also got our copy of Turbo Fire in today.  Very glad to get it.  My wife is going to be starting it in February and let it run its course.  I previewed one of the HIIT workouts.  I may do one of those as an addition to tomorrow’s workout, just for fun.

Brent P90X, Shakeology, The Abs Diet P90X, Shakeology, The Abs Diet, Turbo Fire