Wake Up Call On Cell Phones

Thanks to my wife, I have stopped holding the cell phone to my head. Apparently, she knew what she was talking about, as more an more news is inching toward the headlines about a link between cell phone usage and brain tumors. (Note: It's tough for the news media to report this stuff in thier headlines, since cell phones spend billions in advertising)

Are Cell Phones Riskier Than Smoking?
AOL -- Posted: 2008-03-31 12:11:26

(March 31) -- Cell phones could kill more people than smoking or asbestos exposure, according to an award-winning Australian cancer expert who was trained at the Mayo Clinic in the United States.The Independent, a British newspaper, reported that the doctor, Vini Khurana, based his findings on more than 100 studies on the effects of cell phone use."There is a significant and increasing body of evidence for a link between mobile phone usage and certain brain tumours," he said in The Independent. Evidence shows that using cell phones for 10 years or more can double a person's risk of brain cancer, the newspaper reported.

The article in the Independent has a great quote at the end from the Mobile Operators Association (MOA), which predictably dismisses the study. As far as I know, it might perfectly fine. But having had very close friends deal with brain tumors, and watch as they realized that, in many cases you just can't operate on these things, well, I don't want to wait ten years to find out the MOA was actually wrong.

I generally don't point people to purchase stuff from this site -- but this is a big deal. For the record, I don't think that androidian blue ear bud is better... I use this:

RF3 Headset

Oh yeah... The Warm-Up

I tend to leave the fitness tips to the trainers, but today I had an experience that might benefit you, especially if you are doing P90X.

The Value of The Warm-Up... Today I did a full fifteen minutes of warm-up before I started my resistance routine. As a non-lover of fitness, I tend to want to "get right to it", but I think that attitude has hastened a couple of injuries.

When it came time to start lifting, I was much stronger than I expected - especially when it came to pull-ups. And my elbow and shoulder issues didn't bother me at all!

The warm up was intense enough that by the end of it, I felt like I was working hard. And by the time I started working out, I got to full intensity much faster.

So if you're like me, you might reconsider. Make sure you are warmed-up well before you "bring it" and not only will your workout be stronger, but you'll avoid injury.

To The Coaches Who Are GOING FOR IT

It is not the critic who counts, nor the man who points out how the strong man stumbled, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs and comes short again and again; who knows great enthusiasms, great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who, at the best, knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who, at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat.

~Theodore Roosevelt~

Here's to all you coaches who know; what matters is your fitness, and encouraging those who just need the smallest of support of one person to get started... Let's make some progress this weekend.

I hope to see you in the WOWY Super Gym at 10AM PT/1PM ET Saturday morning!

Quotes From The Kids

I keep reading and hearing how much of an impact Beachbody and its Coaches are having on people's lives, and recently I've been getting even more news that it's already filtering down to the kids ever since I got that email from Jonathan, our general counsel.

I got this the other day from Anne Dovel:

My older boys, 14 and 10, say they want to be Beachbody Coaches when they grow
up. My brutally honest 7 year old said.."would I have to exercise every day?"

(Brutally honest note from Carl to 7 year old: You only need to exercise on the days you want to get stronger or be healthy. The days you want to get weaker or let your body deteriorate, you don't.)

And I got this from one of Virginia's Pioneers*, whose 13 year old daughter, Lori combines her love of writing poetry with her recent motivation to stay healthy:

"Healthy Living" by Lori

DAY 1

Just started the healthy stuff
My body yearns for junk
But if I stay in my situation
I’ll get an even bigger trunk

Been used to my lifestyle
In workouts Tony kicks my butt
But I’ll learn to do what he does
My old life’s book I will shut

Got to eat better
To get my dreamed of bod
Cuz when I look in the mirror
I want to yell WHAT HAPPENED And OH MY GOD!

No matter how hard it is
I will pass with a golden star
And get my self together
Power 90 is gonna take me far

I’d love to just sit around
And just lose weight like that
But I know if I do
I’ll get as fat as my cat

*Virginia's Pioneers is a group we started a few years ago after customer Stand out Virginia was inspiring so many people who wanted to lose 100 pounds or more. The Pioneers could be considered one of the five or so examples that led us to launch the coaching concept in the first place, as we realized that to expand the concept of support, we need to bring in more people like Virginia to help keep people motivated and on track, and we would need to fairly compensate them for helping us.

ALERT **Great Promo**

When I come across an ingenious Team Beachbody concept to promote fitness, I gotta show it off!

I went into MySpace tonight and saw two people had posted bulletins that were promoting what the prize is today in the WOWY Super Gym.

Here's what Sher said:

Get޲޲ tha޲޲t wor޲޲ko޲u޲t޲ log޲޲ge޲d޲ in tod޲޲ay޲!޲ It als޲޲o hap޲޲pe޲n޲s޲ to be HAW޲޲AI޲I޲ FIT޲޲ CLU޲޲B wor޲޲ko޲u޲t޲ day޲޲ too޲޲! Nic޲޲e bon޲޲us޲!޲ See޲޲ you޲޲ all޲޲ in WOW޲޲Y!޲!޲!޲ :-D޲޲ Sher aka haolegirl

And Doris said:

It'޲޲s a $1,޲޲00޲0޲ day޲޲ in WOW޲޲Y tod޲޲ay޲.޲.޲. so get޲޲ in the޲޲re޲ and޲޲ pus޲޲h pla޲޲y ; ') If you don޲'t kno޲w wha޲t WOW޲Y is..޲. ask޲ and޲ I'l޲l tel޲l you޲ how޲ you޲ can޲ win $1,޲000 for get޲tin޲g in sha޲pe and working out޲.޲ Doris ;)

I love this because THAT'S THE POINT OF THE DAILY PRIZE: To help motivate people to push play!

So if you're a coach or just a person trying to get people you know to get active -- go ahead, promote the prize of the day (it's posted right inside the WOWY Super Gym when you log in). If people don't know what it's about, tell them to ask you! We want more people involved - use what works!

The Aftermath

I am getting deluged with comments and notes form people who came to the Summit. WOW! I wanted to share some of the comments, because no one would believe it if I just talked about it (note who is going to get to work out with the lead singer from Chicago!)

=========================================

Hey Carl. I wanted to say a huge thank you for putting together the fantastic 2 day coaching summit in Anaheim. In case you're wondering, it's Brit Boy, the strange speaking English dude who sounds a little like Danny Teeson, but not as funny ;)

To get to chat with such inspirational people such as Mark Briggs, The French's, Traci Morrow, and Perry Tinsley about this wonderful community makes me feel extremely fortunate to have found BB. What a club! What a 2 days in Anaheim!!

Jason Scheff is coming to Vegas, where I live, in 3 weeks and suggested me and him work out at the MGM! Can you believe that?? The lead singer of Chicago wants a work out buddy??? Holy cow!

I signed up finally as a coach after Anaheim, not because the potential financial rewards sounded so appealing but for the desire to help others better themselves. That is reward enough but if you want to pay us also then who am I to complain! ;)

The event at The Grove was mind blowing and I wouldn't like to be in your shoes when next years bill comes around!!!

Cheers Carl.
Mike (Brit Boy)
=================================================
I just wanted to say THANK YOU for the amazing work that Beachbody is doing and for the excellent things that are coming up for all of us. It is a true blessing to be a part of a company that really cares about people and wants to see people transform their lives both physically and financially. This is SO much bigger than any one person - it's all about being a walking billboard for health and wellness, and bringing others along for the journey. Your "BIG WHY" has fueled ALL of us who came to Anaheim this weekend, and for that, we send SO MUCH LOVE AND BLESSINGS to you and your family. (Proverbs 11:24-25)

Personally, this meeting set me on FIRE, and I am ready to take Birmingham, Alabama by STORM!! Be on the lookout.... ;)


Thanks again, and we love you all so much!! Send love to all of the staff, too (they were so great)!!!

Clarissa (misscmac)
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Hey Carl - it's Mason B. GREAT EVENT bro! Nice work. I'm glad I was there to get a better idea of what it's all about. Here's something from my thread I thought you'd enjoy:


What truly motivated about the summit was not the speeches, not the workouts, it was the people. From the Beach Body staff who opened doors for us, to the faces like Carl, Jon, Tony, Mason, Jason & others, and also our team members like Mark, Traci & Jay who shared their success stories to the whole group you all were and are truly inspirational and transforming. Together we all can start a worldwide revolution as Carl shared with us, and that revolution begins with us.We are the X+X Fanatics - BRING IT!


TroyD
======================================================
Carl,

I know that you've gotten a lot of emails regarding the coach's summit, but I didn't want that to prevent me from telling you my thoughts. There are too many times that people complain about things, and not enough times when they pass on praise. Well, relax...I'm passing on the praise this time!;-) That Summit was TOP NOTCH!!! I left for California still a bit skeptical about coaching. I wanted it to be a good opportunity, and I thought it was a good opportunity. I came home absolutely convinced that it's not just a good opportunity, but THE opportunity of my lifetime. I think that only some people get the chance to be in on something huge from the very beginning. Those moments only come around once or twice...if that... in a lifetime. I've heard people describe this like being in on Starbucks before they became big, and now I know what that means. I feel it deep down in my soul that this is going to take off, and I'm SO grateful that I'm along for the ride! Now, when I approach my family, I'm going to tell them that I'm doing this with or without them, and I don't want them to come back to me in a year and say "Why didn't you tell me about this a year ago?" :D

My reasons?

1) To wake up every day excited to be doing something that I absolutely LOVE to do.
2) To be able to plan a vacation or make some other type of big purchase without thinking "Can I afford that"?
3) To be able to build a new house if we decide to do that or to remodel this one to be our dream house.
4) To bless my family, friends, and future friends with a healthy and financially free lifestyle.
5) To be able to give more away to charity. I'd love to be able to donate enough to drill a water well in Africa and travel there to watch them start it up!
6) To get to hang out with more people like those I met last weekend. I have NEVER been around a group of people who are happier, more interesting, and full of life!!!

So basically, this about tapping into this opportunity to bless my life so much that it overflows and blesses everyone around me! Thank you SO MUCH for allowing us all to be a part of this. It was something that you said in your blog in December 2006 that got me into this. I was looking for a way to stay committed to my own fitness program, and you said "I didn't get into shape and stay there until I owned a fitness company. This is an opportunity for our customers to have the same opportunity."

I got into this as a way to stay committed to my own fitness (which has worked beautifully by the way... I've maintained my college weight of 120 even through the holidays), but it has grown to be so much more over this past year. Milan said to me right in the beginning that this was more about the person we are becoming. Well, I really like the me that I've become in this past year, and I have a feeling I'm going to REALLY like the me next year that will be headed off to the top coach celebration with you! ;-)

Judy Zavislak
Proud Independent Team Beachbody Coach

Whale of a Good Time

We went on a sunset cruise for the final dinner before the Top Coach celebration concludes. As they say in Hollywood, it was "the golden hour" with the sun in just the right spot for some good photos, and a ton of whale sightings.

I think everyone has had a pretty good time. We have gotten some amazing interviews, and I can see how the promotion of being a coach can be a holistic experience that helps people get into shape, helps the people around them get into shape, and helps anyone who participates take control of their financial future.

With the recent trend of obesity news and economic news, that's a pretty cool proposition. And it's a lot of fun to be achieving this with such a great group of people.

Two Timers

Many of the Top Coaches are working out with Tony Horton TWICE a day -- once with the general workout in the morning, and then they're bringing it hard in the gym in the afternoon.

It's pretty impressive to see these folks, who all could be kicking back and simply enjoying the sun and sand, actually taking advantage of their time with "The Bringinator."

What I am Learning In Hawaii

First off -- I cannot believe how many humpback whales are swimming by this Maui hotel. I saw ten of them lazily swim by this morning in about fifteen minutes. Amazing.

As I interview coach after coach for the upcoming promotion of the Beachbody Coaches Network, I am learning a lot about what this opportunity really means to people.

Seen here for his turn to get interviewed is Blake Warrington, one of the top coaches from 2007. The earnings these coaches have achieved in less than a year of activity is amazing. And while these are the top performers of the young coach network, so of course their six figure results are top of the range at this point, Blake echoed the answer every coach gave when asked "How do you achieve that kind of financial success as a coach?"... The answer "Just help people."

That's the kind of answer that, if it were any other company or any other promotion, I would have rolled my eyes. "Right buddy... help people. Gotcha." But when every person stands there and tells you that they are not a "salesman", and they are not a fitness professional, but that their business turned around when they just started to care about helping people and not about selling anything, well, you start to believe it.

What is so gratifying is, THAT WAS THE PLAN. We knew that, as effective as the Beachbody approach to fitness and weight loss has proven to be over the last ten years, we know that so many of the people that buy the products from TV could still use some personalized support to realize their goals. And now the coaches are providing just that -- personalized one on one support. And as more people succeed and get healthy, the people around them always ask "how did you do it?", and that's when another customer realizes that if they want to pay it forward, they need to become a coach too.

It is so gratifying to hear this business model is growing exactly how we wanted it to. It's not the "get rich quick on the next miracle juice with a weird name" pitch of network marketing these days. It's people who are using the motivation to change their health to help others, and that circle of support turns into opportunity. Jayson Floyd said "If i see a great movie, the first thing I want to do is tell someone about it. Why wouldn't I want to do that with the products that helped me lose 40 pounds? And why wouldn't I love to get paid for doing that?"

As Robert Hudgens said, it takes two things to succeed: "It can't be about the money first. First, you need to use the Beachbody programs so you get results, and second you need to help others succeed. If you do those two things, in that order, you can't help but make the money. But it needs to be in that order."

As I read the headlines today I am further amazed: "Hold On To Your House, The Recession Is Here," and "Costs of Obesity Epidemic Higher Than Reported"... yet I am sitting here, listening to Charline Bucher and Monica Ward talk about their personal fitness and health success, and how Diane Sautman's lifestyle has been transformed by combining her desire to lose weight with her desire to add an additional income to her household. I know there are hundreds (or maybe thousands) of doubters out there, who think Beachbody went in a crazy wrong direction when, instead of selling our products in stores, we put the task of expanding our reach into the hands of our customers. While we have a long way to go to realize our goals of connecting everyone who wants support with a great coach, I know for sure, this is the healthiest way to grow the business I could have ever imagined.

Humuhumunukunukuapua'a

We've made it to Maui, Hawaii with the Top Beachbody Coaches from 2007. The hotel is incredible and the people we're getting to know are even better.

I caught Jon Congdon working out this morning -- I don't think we would have a business if everyone had this view as they broke their daily sweat.

Last night at the welcome dinner we kept hearing stories of coaches signing people up to be coaches in the airport, in the plane, at the hotel. The buzz from the Summit is creating a very cool ripple effect. (It doesn't hurt to be standing next to Tony Horton when passers by recognize the best selling trainer on TV of this year!) So we created a little unofficial competition: The Big Kahuna Award"... Whichever of the Top Coaches signs the most people between Friday night and Tuesday when we board the boat for the whale watching cruise will be awarded a Tiki statue (I sort of stole it from the hotel dining room... I suppose it will appear on my room bill) and that coach will be named the "Big Kahuna" until the next trip.

I think it's going to be a fun time. We start shooting interviews for the infomercial this morning after the group breakfast at the Humuhumunukunukuapua'a restaurant. I'm not kidding. That's the name of the restaurant (and the state fish). I'm going to call directory assistance later to see how hard it is to get the operator to look up the number.

It's "Gettin Brung" In Anaheim!

Right now there are three rooms at the Double Tree Hotel in Anaheim jammed with Beachbody Coaches as they workout with their favorite trainers to ear blistering music. It's absolute pandemonium!

Chalene is blowing me away. She's been shooting new extreme workouts all week, with another week of shooting to go (at least). She's was supposed to take it easy tonight. But when I shot this photo with my camera-phone, I happened to catch her the one time she stopped to mark some new moves. Otherwise, it was "blursville" she's was going so nuts. She's a real spark plug - and that room was truly Turbo Jammin!

Tony's room is packed -- standing room only (who would sit anyway?) I walked in when he had Mason B up on stage doing "Mason Twists" from P90X. Tony was flanked by Beachbody banners and was truly pushing the room to the limit between jokes. Great stuff!

Shaun T was working his room like is was a dance-off. It was so great to see Rockin Body brought to life with a room full of coaches familiar with his moves. He hardly spent a moment on stage as he worked through row after row of coaches to get their knees higher and mirror their moves. I think more than a few people were star struck with the hottest new trainer of 2007!

Hotel employees are having a hard time concentrating with all the excitement here. They're like "Who's that?" "Can we watch"? Room service is no doubt running extra slow tonight.

And it's one hour to the "Diamond Dinner" where the trainers and I get to mingle with our Diamond level coaches. I'll be wallpaper, as the real stars are our heavyweight coaches, and the TV-star trainers. It's ok - gives me more time to munch on cocktail weenies.

Tomorrow I'll try to find some time to update the blog again with more photos. I really wish you were here. It's more exciting than I anticipated, and such a pleasure to meet these people face to face. This is what it's all about! And don't forget -- Friday night I get the pleasure of handing out $800,000 during the grand finale of the Million Dollar Body Game!