Tony Horton Answers the Question, “How Do I keep Going?”

Here’s a question people ask me: “I’m finding that my exercise routine is very intense and I’m seeing the benefits on day 1, so what can I do to stay motivated and keep going?”

Most folks struggle with motivation every day. I’m one of them. Motivation can be broken down into a few subcategories. My Ninth Law of Health and Fitness is “Loving It.” Progress and motivation are possible if you look forward to your workouts. They have to be challenging and interesting to you. If you despise them before you start them, you’re not going to survive them for very long. If your reasons why are meaningful to you, then staying motivated is easier. I’m always promoting health, fitness, quality of life, and feeling good as reasons to get and stay motivated. Not to say that a person’s goal to lose weight or fit into smaller clothes isn’t motivating—it’s just that when these goals are obtained then new ones need to come into play.

When the numbers on your scale and measuring tape are low enough to make you happy then it’s important to start to explore some new numbers. I’m talking about numbers that relate to ability, improvement, and achievement. Your physical appearance will improve at a more rapid rate if you can start to exercise with your focus on power, speed, and strength. This mind set applies to both men and women. This means that your motivation comes from your desire to “Bring It” during exercise at home and out in the world. Let your P90X® or Power 90® workouts trigger something new and bigger than anything you’ve done before. For me it’s skiing and gymnastics. For you it could be anything that pushes you beyond the confines of repeating the same workouts the same way, day after day.

Tony Horton Bloopers

Tony Horton’s long time director/pal Mason Bendewald made this blooper reel after shooting video for Tony’s follow up eBook to BRING IT.  Enjoy!

 

Tony Horton on Dr. Oz

Correction:  Missy Costello, Tony’s personal chef, posted on Facebook yesterday that Tony would be on the show today.  She said that she made a mistake and the taping was today.  Tony will actually be on the Dr. Oz show on October 27th.

I’ve seen this posted on Twitter and Facebook but could not independently verify it, but apparently Tony Horton will be on Dr. Oz this afternoon.  I hope that is true because it should make for a lively show.

I saw this posted on MyFitnessPal, so they don’t exactly agree on things, “Tony Horton says to stay away from coffee and Dr oz says 6 cups a day for men to help prevent prostate cancer.”

Check your local listings for time and channel.

Tony Horton’s Second Law of Exercise: Consistency

Improvement and change occur when you do things often. Stopping and starting all the time will kill any momentum you need to succeed. You must find ways to stay in the game. Done consistently, moderate forms of exercise provide far better results than the occasional full-body pummeling. A lifestyle that includes doing multiple forms of exercise 5 to 6 days a week guarantees results.

Read all of Tony’s article about his second law of exercise from his “11 Laws for a Lifetime of Fitness” by clicking here.

Tony Horton’s First Law of Exercise: Variety

Variety is the spice of life and fitness. A lifetime of health and fitness is achievable when you can think outside the box. You have to mix it up all the time. Stay curious and creative, and stick with the kinds of workouts that you enjoy. A variety of exercises, workouts, and sports will allow you to avoid injuries, plateaus, and boredom.

Read all of Tony’s article about his first law of exercise from his “11 Laws for a Lifetime of Fitness” by clicking here.

Strength Training: More than Just Getting Ripped By Tony Horton

We know that strength training is an important part of a Power 90 or P90X routine. Why? It makes you stronger, and I’m not just talking about the shape of your biceps or the size of your pecs. Resistance training strengthens bones, ligaments, and tendons, as well as your muscles. Altogether, a well-oiled internal machine improves your balance and power while shortening your recovery time and risk of injury.

The difference between a full-spectrum workout like Power 90 or P90X and an all-aerobic workout regimen is huge. People who only do aerobic routines run the risk of developing overuse injuries, and their fitness is imbalanced.  Runners, for example, work their calves and hamstrings hard, but the quads and upper body get off easy. It’s important to strengthen all the major muscle groups for overall fitness balance and to reduce injury risks. No matter how careful they are (varying their workout intensity or the terrain they run on, wearing good shoes, etc.), runners who do not balance their regimens with strength training are likely to suffer from some kind of running-related injury
sooner or later.

Strength and power start at the core. Your core strength, which comes from your abdomen, back, and trunk, is the center for most of your power, agility, and balance. That’s why we bust out the crunches, lunges, and squats.  Strengthen your core and you’ve got a lot more “oomph” to rock out the outer, sport-specific muscles. Another major benefit to muscle training is creating muscle density. The denser your muscles, the higher your metabolism—and you know what that means. You can consume more calories without gaining weight. Now that’s incentive!

Peace,
Tony H.

Tony Horton’s Top 10 Snack Ideas

Tony posted these a while back in the Team Beachbody newsletter, before Shakeology took the market by storm, but I would think that he snacks on most of these, too.

“I rotate through this list of in-between goodies all week long. I’ll even use the Probar and the protein shake as meal substitutes. Most of the things on this list can be packed up for travel time.  The bars, pretzels, nuts, and graham crackers are perfect fast foods for when you’re away from home. So no more excuses! Here are my top 10 snacks.”

1. My sticky bar of course (with banana, peanut butter, and
   granola); see below
2. Almond butter (thinly spread) on
   organic whole-grain toast
3. Snyder’s of Hanover Organic Oat
   Bran Pretzels
4. PROBAR nutrition bar (original
   blend), 380 calories of pure joy—and 100% vegan
5. Protein shakemade
   with banana, half cup of frozen blueberries and strawberries, one tablespoon of
   flaxseed meal, two ice cubes, protein powder, and rice milk
6. Food For Life’s Ezekiel 4:9 cereal
   with almonds mixed into 8 ounces of plain nonfat yogurt and half cup of fresh
   blueberries
7. Handful of raw mixed nuts
8. Mi-Del Honey Grahams (whole wheat;
   eight crackers are 280 calories)
9. CLIF Nectar bars—I like the
   cinnamon pecan (four organic ingredients and only 170 calories)
10. LARABAR snack bars (ingredients:
    dates, pecans, almonds; 220 calories)

Tony’s Sticky Bar

1/2 medium-size banana
1/4 cup chunky
peanut butter (organic minus hydrogenated oils, preferably)
1 cup
unsweetened granola

Mix and mash all three ingredients into a
bowl. Spoon onto a sheet of wax paper. Roll up the contents into hot dog/cigar
shape. Stick in the freezer. Ready in about 90 minutes. Cut off little bites or
eat the whole thing. Eat it frozen or throw it in the microwave for 10 seconds.
Serves 2.

Preparation Time: 10 minutes
Freezing
Time: 90 minutes

Nutritional
Information: (per serving)

Calories: 389	Protein: 14 g	Cholesterol: 0 mg
Fat Total: 17 g	Saturated Fat: 4 g	Carbs: 47 g

Tony Horton to Guest on A&E’s Kirstie Alley’s Big Life

If you haven’t seen the show, Sunday is a pretty good time to tune in. You can catch the master of P90X^® Tony Horton in a premiere episode this Sunday, May 2nd, at 10:00 PM ET / 9:00 PM CT. Talk about the perfect way to wind down after all the Summit festivities. Check out your local A&E channel for further listing information.

Thanks, Joe

There is no better testimony for P90X than an unsolicited comment on the blog.  Joe just posted this comment and it is so true:

“I just started phase one on Monday, and after chest and back, ab ripper x, and Plyo today, this is the best workout investment I’ve made. Its almost impossible to push yourself to the extreme on your own without a coach, Tony is a BEAST! I’m sold on the P90X.”

Thanks, Joe, for your honest opinion

P90X: Hottest Celebrity Fitness Product of 2009

We could have told them, but in an article on The Celebrity Workout website it says, “Perhaps the most popular fitness item in 2009 was the P90X home training system.  P90X is an extreme workout program developed by trainer Tony Horton that operates on the principle of muscle confusion.  The P90X program comes with 12 DVDs and a meal plan to follow for the full 90 days.  P90X is the  best selling fitness product out there. It’s well worth the price and definitely gets results… That is, if you can stick with it.

Do P90X with a free Team Beachbody Coach and you will stick with it and get the results you deserve.  To purchase P90X and get your own coach, click here.

To find out which celebrities are using P90X, click here.