Why You Could Love Being A Coach

We had a very solid week of business at Beachbody.com and Million Dollar Body. VERY solid.

We had very strong product development. We attracted some incredible new players to help us develop new product lines. Customer service and operations performed well. We made important decision in terms of how we intend to go green across every aspect of the company. And MDB continues to impress with the quality and enthusiasm of the customer and coaches. Plus we signed some exciting promotion deals which will make our entire business more visible.

And all that gets me charged up to continue to grow the business, and to make sure that I stay true to how I want to represent the lifestyle we advocate... which means it's time to put a workout in and Bring It hard.

What I am saying is that, for me, my motivation to work out, eat right, and take my supplements is driven a lot by how it is linked to my job - and as a coach, you get to experience that very same motivation.

I was involved in a few phone calls with MDB coaches this week, and each time I got more amped about how exciting it is to hear the passion and commitment our coaches have for helping people. That too makes me want to live up to their example, and workout and eat right... to show them that it's possible to be productive with this business and still stay healthy and fit. And every time I help a prospective coach decide to sign up, I am again motivated to walk the talk, push play, and stay with it.

If you have ever been frustrated by your own motivation to live this healthy lifestyle, consider living it the way I am: Where your entire life benefits by your commitment.

And by the way, on those weeks when I am challenged by the progress of the company, that inspires me to stay healthy too. I know that falling back into old eating and lazy patterns will only heighten the challenge, and undermine my own success. Again - if I can't stay with it, I can't expect our coaches and customers to stay with it. So... I. stay. with. it.

If you're wondering whether you would enjoy being a coach, and whether it would help you to have earning potential attached to your commitment to a healthy lifestyle, know that it sure works for me. I am living it. That's one of the reasons we created the Million Dollar Body network, to give you the ability to tap into the same motivation that I have. And today when I was digging deep for those last few reps it became very clear; at age 43, there's no way I would have found this intensity if it weren't for the fact that I am surrounded by the benefits, and that makes it that much more meaningful to me.

That's the way I live it, and if you become a coach, you can too.

The Beachbody Story - Part 1

Since I posted that Beachbody "Before" photo, I got some requests for more background. It's been an interesting ride for the last 8 years, and I won't bore you with all the details. But here's a first installment of a little background on how we've grown:

When we launched the company in 1998, we started with a product idea, and produced the workouts and the ads to sell the workouts at the same time. I think the budget was $25,000. Now the budgets have an extra comma in them.

In the early days I directed the workout videos and the commercials. And we called on friends to help us with everything from working the equipment to leading the routines. That included Tony Horton and Debbie Seibers, our first two trainers who turned out to both have something extremely special about the way they put a program together.

Great Body Guaranteed was our first video series, 7 to 10 minutes of efficient moves sequenced so you would target the different sections of the body in an order that would move from strongest to weakest so you got a great workout in a shockingly short period of time. The first DVD was Tony Horton's Great Abs Guaranteed, and it sold well on TV.

We created the on-screen graphic look of Great Abs Guaranteed, so people would feel like their TV's were more than a thing to watch, but a real source of fitness motivation and information.

Debbie Seibers is here on set for the shooting of the Thin Thighs Guaranteed Spots. Thin Thighs was a pretty big hit, when many in the direct-response TV business couldn't make a short form spot work. We enjoyed solid results for two years, and the Great Body Guaranteed line is still a popular product on the website.

Our next program was a kick boxing video called "Tai Fit" which I licensed from a friend for a few years. With the popularity of that title and our other programs, all of a sudden we needed and umbrella name for an online store. I wanted to call it "Great Body" but there was a squatter sitting on the dot-com... The back-up name was Beachbody.com, so we went for that.

We started to get success stories and photos from customers. I think our first was from Piper, and we were surprised at how much people wanted us to use their stories to inspire other people. Hmmmm... using our real success stories to inspire people. The future started to look more clear.

In the meantime to experiment with promoting Beachbody, Jon had a volleyball buddy who was putting on weekend tournaments on LA beaches, and for a few hundred dollars and some Activit, we got to put up this banner that made us look big time. The only thing "big" though was our waistlines... Power 90 and Michi's Ladder were right around the corner.

More to come...

Beachbody "Before"

While going through some old web files, our SVP of operations, Neil Evans found this snapshot of perhaps the very first Beachbody.com web page. This is when our tagline was still "Look Good Naked". (The tagline changed, but we still believe in the dream!)

As you look at the current websites at Beachbody and Million Dollar Body, one thing is for sure: We will continue to improve, and continue to listen to customer input (Which is why the tagline changed to "Decide. Commit. Succeed.")

And just like you, as you capture progress photos through your summer workout program, it will only get more interesting to look at where we all started, and celebrate how far we have come.

The WOWY Swimsuit Challenge

As you may have heard, I recommended that you take this summer to complete a full 12 week program of Turbo Jam, Power 90, P90X, or Hip Hop Abs. Well, Katie's Bikini Challenge on YouTube gave me an extra idea when I signed into WOWY yesterday: The WOWY Swimsuit Challenge!

Here's the motivator: Your goal is to workout, eat right and take your supplements with the commitment to update a new WOWY photo by Labor Day, displaying yourself in a swimsuit!

(1) Join the new WOWY group "WOWY Swimsuit Challenge"

(2) Buy the swimsuit you've always wanted to wear, and hang it near your workout space

(3) You've got three months to make it happen!

And consider doing what Katie did - updating us with a YouTube video once a week or so.

It's not a bad motivation to keep your profile updated either, because then you'll have a great photo to enter into the Million Dollar Body Game, because, if you can believe this; I am told we had yet another category where the $1,000 prize and the chance to qualify for the $250k grand prize will go unclaimed for June! It's crazy! Any submission would have one that category!

I like to recommend coaches ask their customers to update their pages every week, or every month at least, especially while they are trying to complete a program or reach a specific goal. THAT'S where consistency and persistence come from -- staying accountable with regularity. And your MDB Club profile is the place to keep yourself on track!

So update your stats and your profile, visualize that perfect swimsuit photo, and I'll see you online!

My Mom Loves Her Yoga... Booty Ballet

I got an email from my mother this morning talking about her success with one of our programs... The context is ironic, my mother giving me a testimonial for our Yoga Booty Ballet. Because, since I was eight years old, I can remember waking up to see my mom on the green carpet of the living room doing her yoga or following Jack Lalanne on TV. Her example didn't make me like working out unfortunately, but she definitely taught me it was necessary.

Now, at 69 years old she can dance all night and wrestle on the ground with her grand kids like you think just isn't possible. It's all because she never took her mobility for granted. (Thanks for that mom!) So she sends me this email this morning after my sister Robin recommended Yoga Booty Ballet... here's what she had to say:

Hi Carl,

I just finished my yoga booty ballet and couldn't believe how I could do it all on only my third day home from Europe, and deeply in the process of jet lag. As I was doing it I decided I'd write a "thank you" to you, and if you wanted, you could use it for a testimonial if you wanted. At least I want you to know how much I appreciate this yoga/exercise program.

I was getting a little lazy with my exercise ritual. At the same time I began planning my trip to Damanhur, in Turin, Italy. I saw the itinerary and got concerned that my body would not be strong enough to allow me full enjoyment of the trip. I decided to try yoga booty ballet and did it pretty much to your suggested schedule.

I could feel myself getting stronger and stronger. I had a month to let it work for me. Well, it was the best decision for my 69 year old body, for I could never have functioned as well without it! I found myself going up and down long flights of stairs, staying 100% engaged in long hours of classes and tours, and going from 7:00AM to Midnight (even having a glass of wine for dinner!) feeling strong throughout!

I am so grateful! The trip was wonderful, and my gratitude for my ability to be totally present is huge. Thank you Sweetie. The work you and your company does is awesome.

Love,

Mom

Denny Daikeler

Allied ASID Speaker/Author/Interior Design

Working Out: The Travel Edition

I mentioned Katie before, and her YouTube coverage of her bikini challenge is only getting more interesting (music's a little loud though). Anyone wondering whether it's possible to get thin thighs with Slim in 6, check out the results! Anyone wondering what to do this summer, commit to a program, see it through, and feel great by Labor Day!

International Extreme!

This is Dave Baldassi, the New Business Manager at a comapny called Northern Response. They do a great job distributing popular Beachbody products into non-US territories. (You should see Turbo Jam dubbed into Japanese!)

After seeing the success Jon Congdon and I had with P90X, Dave decided to try it for himself. I am always excited when an infomercial-industry veteran tries one of our products, because it gives us a chance to show that in fact, our products and our success stories are for real.

Dave's incredible success is his to enjoy, because he did the work. But it's always exciting for me to know that Norther Response, the company who is helping people in other countries consider these programs, now shares our enthusiasm based on Dave's personal experience.

Here is Dave's own testimonial which he emailed to Jon Congdon this week:

Jon, Here is my P90X story:

P90X Stats

Start Finish
Weight 203 187
Body Fat 19% 11%
Waist 35 31

Push Ups: 43 63
Pull Ups: 1-2 6-8
Wall Squat: 2:04 3:53
Toe Stretch: -10 0

Fat Loss: 17 pounds

My Life Before P90X
Every once in a while a person needs to remind themselves of what they are truly capable of. My diet had been a steady mix of good and poor nutrition on a daily basis for years. While I had lifted weights three times a week based on isometric holds I did zero cardio or stretching. My diet had become more sugar and carb heavy over the years. Aches and pains were becoming more prevalent each year. My toe stretch was a brutal -10" to start. I could reach around mid shin-bone. I had cravings and food addictions and I didn't hold back from feeding them. I often lived in a state of instant gratification, moving from one meal to the next as hi-lights of the day. Beer, Chips? -ok, Brownie?-sounds good. Given my eating habits and the way I packed food back I now wonder how I only weighed 203-206.

Two things finally inspired me to act. While getting some sweet action I happened to catch a look at myself without clothes on in the full-length mirror. Who is that guy, I thought as I saw the bulbous fat layers around my mid-section. " That's not me-I'm in good shape. Are you? Take a look fat boy-you've been kidding yourself." I really was out of shape. It's amazing how our own self perceptions and ego can mislead us.

It was time. But at 41 can you get in to top shape? When I saw the P90X infomercial and the results you and Carl and people in their 40's had gotten it completely changed my belief system about what could be accomplished through diet and exercise at this age. Without a belief in an outcome it would be hard to put in your best effort. I knew it was time to put the sample Beachbody sent me months earlier to the test.

Ego got the better of me for sure on this one guys. In retrospect, I should have taken the advice in the program and done a Power 90 before embarking on this journey.

During P90X
I think the best way to start is to say thank you for an absolutely awesome product. I can't begin to imagine what went into the making of this product-I really can't. It truly is phenomenal. I have more respect for you two then you know. You create quality products and you practice what you preach. This course far exceeds the price you charge for it and would easily be worth $499.00. I also believe the wealthiest people are those that help the most people so any success you have is well earned!

The food plan was great-tough but great. This was the toughest part of the program for sure. Eating till you are no longer hungry is much different than eating until you're satisfied. However, I did notice that your nutrition plan eliminated my cravings for junk food which was good as I had to make every calorie have nutritional value as dropping 20 pounds of fat is no easy task while trying to fuel muscle growth. I had a three full inches of blubber around my waist. My before photo doesn't truly capture it as I store the majority of my fat on my lower back and butt-which I think was another reason I let it go so long (it was out of sight). I now fully appreciate the dedication it takes to watch what you eat for months; from airplanes, to hotel food, to social events, you really have to want it.

At first the workouts were so hard they would beat me before I could complete them. I stayed with them the whole way, but truly became wiped and ineffective later into the DVD. But you know, if you just stick with it, and keep putting good fuel into your body great things happen.

My cardio improved dramatically. My strength and flexibility started to improve. The fat tides started to recede. Workouts became so engrossing I lost track of time just trying to do the movement properly. No way was I going to let these guys on the dvds kick my ass. Besides, Tony is older than I am and couldn't argue with -"So no excuses from any of you.". My body really limbered up, which to me was the most amazing. Pain disappeared- chronic pain I had for years. Often mornings before I had to do a tough workout on an empty stomach I would visit the Beachbody website and spend ten minutes reviewing the before and afters for inspiration-and it really helped knowing others had made the journey.

I never got bored with this program-actually quite the contrary. It is not only the volume of workouts that keeps it interesting, but each workout Tony makes it fun and challenging. I would be in the middle of a brutal workout, sweating profusely, and Tony would have me laughing with a joke. I learned what it means to really train, to "bring it" and the results you can get when you put it all together. While I completed the program -mastery of it is the vision. It is also great to know that at anytime in the future in 90 days I can completely rebuild and re-energize my body. People often asked me "What do you do when it's over?" I reply, the same thing I do with at the end of any day I care about, you get up tomorrow and put in a solid effort.

Great Gift
Someone who hasn't gone through this can't understand why I call it a great life experience. It's like trying to describe how an orange tastes if you have never tasted one. You just have to experience it. We can all fall into the trap of living in states of instant gratification, but we are most proud of our lives when we are strong and disciplined. Do you want your last great life experience health wise to be 20 years ago? I didn't. I am very proud of having gone through the program and giving it my best effort but I am not done yet with P90X. If I can produce these results starting at 19% body-fat-how would I do on this program starting in good shape?

Taking on an awesome challenge, giving it your all and completing it gives you a great sense of accomplishment. Beyond the physical it then elevates all other areas of your life where you were living at a comfortable level. What else can I accomplish in my life? Perhaps it's time to find out. I'm 41 and lean and mean thanks to the X!

Greatly Appreciated - Dave Baldassi

The Lesson of My Beachbod-a-thon

One of the things that makes Beachbody products effective is that they are created by a company of people that generally doesn't enjoy working out all that much. That means that everyone at the company is constantly looking for the thing that works "for them". For me, Power 90, P90X, and Fast 10 really fit my needs. For others it is Slim in 6, Kathy Smith's Project You!, Yoga Booty Ballet, Turbo Jam, or Hip Hop Abs which is "the answer" for them.

All of them have found a huge fan base. All of them have found their audience. Which is pertinent to what keeps us searching for the next opportunity to add a layer of diversity to the Beachbody and Million Dollar Body catalog: No single product is "the answer" for everyone.

Which is one of the lessons I learned from my Beachbod-a-thon, where I set out to complete each of our titles, one a day until I did every single DVD... An important aspect of my job is testing, developing, and tweaking new programs from a user-perspective. In the midst of the Beachbbod-a-thon, I haven't been able to keep up with my role in R&D, so development has been slowed. In that way, I have not been doing my job for you.

So my Beachbod-a-thon, which seemed like a good idea at the time, has been suspended. I will keep working my way through all our programs, just not quite as quickly as I expected to while we are in our heavy product-development season. The good news is, I've gotten a fresh taste of every one of our programs, and can relate to what's unique about every one of them. I also got a clear sense of areas where we can add to the catalog to make in-home video fitness better... I am talking about unique stuff no one has ever produced before. And you'll be experiencing the fruit of that lesson over the next nine months!

So from time to time, when you see me in WOWY at 6AM PT and I am working out to "Other", know that there's something exciting in development, and if it's good enough to get me up at 6AM, it's gonna be good!

P90X Plus Podcast Episode

How cool is this? Perry Tinsley is an incredible P90X Success Story. he is also a Million Dollar Body Coach and a video producer. he's taking coaching and motivating people to a new level on YouTube. I love it when people make my job easy... Check him out!

The Three Keys

Being an MDB Coach can mean thousands of dollars a month if you approach it with the three keys. It will truly transform how present the concept of living a healthy lifestyle is in your own mind, because you will talk about and think about your own habits more. And you will help others be conscious of theirs. And that means you will succeed, and they will succeed.

There are three keys to being a great coach. Three keys attached to a circular ring.

Coaching in this network is not about talking up a way of getting rich quick or getting in “on the ground floor” of this new idea. This is about (1) caring enough about your own health that you surround yourself with like-minded people, and then (2) caring enough about helping those people achieve their goals that you actually (3) help them lead a more fulfilling, healthy life.

But it starts with (1) you.

After you say hi to someone and ask them how they are, they ask you how you are. As a coach, you answer, (1) including how your fitness and eating is going. Sure they might be taken aback for a second. But the healthy conversation has now started, and weight loss is no longer a silent expanding social problem. You showed them it's important to be conscious of your habits, and you are living it (even if your response is "I am frustrated because I missed my workout two days in a row"). Then it’s about them. (2) How are they doing with their lifestyle of activity and proper diet? You are now supporting them, but the dialogue is about health.

And only after the first two keys is it about (3) how the income potential can help you stay committed to your goals and further motivate others to get healthy and spread the word.

The thee keys are on a never ending loop. It stops cold with the people you are supporting if you aren’t sharing your process. That doesn't mean you have to be perfect in your pursuit of a healthy lifestyle, just that you share truthfully where you are. The first key.

Here's mine:
1) My food intake is more consistently healthy than my exercise now, but I’m not too bad. I am gradually working through my Beachbod-a-thon. I am doing a different Beachbody workout with each session, usually at 6AM PT, until I’ve done them all. Today I did Power Half Hour Bun Shaper. As for diet, I am consistently eating five times a day, and pretty balanced too. As for supplements, I take my vitamins and my healthy fats every day. My weight is a fairly lean 152, a little lighter than I like because I need to add some muscle.

Just saying that makes my process present for me. Now that I've typed that (or said it) my decisions throughout the day will be that much closer to my goal, because I am conscious of my behavior.

(2) What are you doing? Is there an excuse that is getting in the way of looking and feeling great? If so, talk to your coach and explore it. Usually it’s "no time", which is why Fast 10 is an important program to have in your catalog. Everyone has ten minutes. If food is the problem, try changing that now, even if the goal is for today only. Go for a good day at the top of Michi’s Ladder. Pay attention to how you feel. And take your vitamins! Take your measurements, take your photos, and stay current with yourself. Talk about it!

(3) If you don’t feel a consistent burning drive to make these changes – how about the prospect of making some money for being the poster child for overcoming those excuses? Ask any of our success story winners who are also coaches, and they will all tell you that plenty of friends and neighbors have purchased programs and transformed their bodies primarily because off their success. That’s money YOU earn for being a part of the solution. And when you see how good it feels to get that check each week, just for telling people how you’re getting fit and helping them overcome their excuses, you’ll see others wanting to be coaches with you. And then the business, and the healthy revolution grows.

Our most successful coaches are the ones who are (1) sharing their progress with people – both the good and the bad of it – and (2) supporting others to share their progress, and (3) encouraging people to get on board to recruit others to be more conscious of their habits (1) and support others to do the same(2).

Some people have wondered if being a coach meant you have to be a fitness or diet expert. ABSOLUTELY NOT! In fact, the last thing we want coaches to do is give diet and training guidance unless appropriately certified. A coach merely checks in with the individuals on his team: (1) Share your story, (2) Get their stories and point them in the direction of resources at the MDB Club to get solutions to hurdles in the way of their success, and (3) to those that could use the money motivation to transform their body and life, see if they will help support and recruit people by living #1 and #2 above with you.

That's what is also great about the Million Dollar Body Game -- it too has roots in the Three Keys. (1) You update your story and photos (2) You see how other people are doing on their quest to live a healthy active lifestyle, and (3) you can show others the game, and encourage them to engage in their health and enter the game as well. A never ending loop, present in everything MDB is about.

Right now we have over 170,000 members of WOWY and 100,000 MDB club members; and just over 1,000 coaches. That’s 1,000 club members to a coach! And we’re adding over 15,000 new members a week! If you are looking for an opportunity to help people and get paid for it, this is it!

(1) Talking about my health and fitness helps my habits have a constant “share of mind”. (2) Hearing how you are doing gives me the opportunity to help you overcome your obstacles. I LOVE THOSE CONVERSATIONS! (3) And when it turns to the value of being a coach, there is nothing I am more excited about in our business than spreading our enthusiasm for how good it feels, from friend to friend.

That’s health!

(1) How am I doing?

(2) How are you doing?

(3) How about earning money living #1 and #2?

If you can do #1 and #2, plus you think doing that will help keep you accountable to losing weight and getting healthy, you’re ready to be a coach. Sign up, and do it with me!

And anyone who wonders if what you are doing is for real, show them this blog entry or just tell them about the Three Keys. This is what MDB is about!

How to Lose 280 lbs

Million Dollar Body is one step closer to being the center of the weight loss revolution - not by simply being the source for dramatic weight loss strategies and programs that combine great fitness programs and simple eating guidelines, but for also being the gathering place for people who want to celebrate their success and maintain their healthy lifestyle.

I got the letter below from Martha, a customer coached by Lisa Decker-Griffith. Martha blew the room away with her tale of losing over 280 lbs! (I wasn't there, but I had to email her and congratulate her for proving that it's not as much about how you lose the weight as it is your commitment, perspective, and support around you.) She gave me permission to post her email, as I suspect there are many readers who will be as inspired by her story as I am.

This is the kind of spirit that we are celebrating at Million Dollar Body, and with the help of coaches like Lisa and her husband Tom, and committed customers like Martha, I hope the trend continues!

Dear Carl,

Ok, now I am awe-struck. Thank you so much for your email! It is exactly this type of encouragement that is helping me to succeed. I guess I don't really find my story all that amazing, but when I hear from people like you it makes me think again! Since you said these kinds of stories really make your day, I thought I would give you the full scoop on my story.

As you already know, I lost most of my weight prior to finding the million dollar
body programs. But I could not have continued without it!

My weight has been a struggle since I was very very young. I have ALWAYS been called fat. Not plump, but FAT. I can't tell you how many times growing up that I would end up in my room crying because of it. At my heaviest point I was indeed 423 pounds. But believe it or not, other than being fat I was healthy. My doctor would tell me that I needed to lose weight but in the next sentence tell me "I was the healthiest fat person he knew!" (not very motivating to start losing weight).

I am a single mom and I have raised 3 wonderful boys by myself. I have always worked a full time job outside of the home, and never had time or made time for myself. So when I moved my family to Oregon 13 years ago to start a new life, I was bound and determined to lose weight. And I couldn't do it. I couldn't break the cycle of self abuse. I tried, I really tried. Then one day I decided to hell with it. I would just stay fat and die fat. I figured that was just how it was going to be and there was nothing I could do to change it. I also decided that diet was a four letter word in my house and would get extremely upset if anyone said anything about eating healthy.

Well, guess what? That attitude is what really changed my life. I was no longer
preoccupied by diets, my focus was no longer on food, and therefore it wasn't
important. And I started to lose weight. I started eating breakfast (no surprise to you that I wasn't eating it before) and I started to drink lots and lots of water! (and I do mean lots!) Then I started thinking. I would eat a fatty meal (ie a hamburger) and drink a COLD glass of water with my meal. While I was sitting at the table eating my hamburger a thought crossed my mind. Why do I drink a COLD glass of water? Look what happens to the fat in the pan when it gets cold? It solidifies. ewww. Is that what happens in my stomach? So I quit drinking the really cold water and started with room temperature water. I buy bottled water and I do NOT put it in the fridge. With this combination of new thinking, eating breakfast, and not drinking the cold beverages, I started losing weight. I lost the bulk of my weight over about a 10 year period.

Then last year, my Son was getting ready to leave for the Marines, he was devastated! He was told he was fat, and needed to lose about 30 pounds. I felt really bad for him. So I decided that if he could do it so could I. I wanted him to hold his head up at his graduation and not have people say to him "no wonder your fat, look at your mom!' So I really started concentrating on losing the weight and I started to cut down even more on my intake. So in August of 2006 I weighed 236 pounds. By the time I went to my sons graduation in November I had dropped to about 185, By the time he came home for Christmas? I was down to 177. (That was when I joined the MDB team and started on the Power 90).

Guess what? Thanks to MDB and all of the support from REAL people, I can now exercise, I am actually starting to lose inches, and I am now down to 144 pounds. (lol, so I guess that means I have topped the 280 mark!)

So when you tell me that you are awe struck? So am I. I joined MDB because of the support network. I am staying because of the support network. And I am Loving it! I sincerely hope that I can be an inspiration to others just as MDB in an inspiration to me. I want everyone to know that truly, if I can do it? Anyone can!

I hope this wasn't more information that what you wanted, but I felt compelled to share. Thank you, Carl, for creating a wonderful company that people like me can believe in. It really does restore my faith in mankind.

God Bless!

Martha
www.milliondollarbody.com/skinycricket

Trouble in Detroit Is An MDB-UAW Opportunity

BusinessWeek magazine had an interesting story about the plight of the big U.S. auto makers and a "deal that could save Detroit". As I read I was reminded of just how timely the launch of the Million Dollar Body Network is for the people who seize this opportunity to become a coach.

MDB was built to help people, and as the proud members of the UAW consider their options during turbulent times, taking their health and wellness into their own hands, member by member, is now more meaningful to the overall survival of the US auto industry than ever.

The BW article by David Welch and Nanette Byrnes outlines how beleaguered GM, Ford, and Chrysler have a crisis in the form of an estimated $120 billion in long term employee medical liabilities. Chrysler's current obligations to health care and pension benefits cost $1,500 per car according to former Chrysler chairman Lee Iaccoca!

A proposed solution to keep car makers viable is the creation of a trust to be run by the United Auto Workers union (UAW), whereby the union and its membership would assume more control over its health care costs, and also reap the investment benefits achieved. There is a downside risk to UAW members if the UAW doesn't manage the trust well, or if health care costs rise faster than investment returns. But there is an advantage that the UAW has which their employer (auto makers) do not; the ability to directly motivate and reward it membership for living a healthier lifestyle.

What I am saying is likely over-simplified analysis. But it is clear that rising health care costs in the US come from a combination of overall declining health (obesity, heart disease, diabetes, etc.) caused generally by lethargy, poor diet habits, stress, an aging population, etc, and incredible developments in treatments which cost money. We all have an expectation that any treatment will be available to us when we need it, regardless of the price. People also expect health insurance to shoulder those costs.

But when you look at the general declining fitness and diet of the country, it is clear that the majority of us are not thinking it through that "insurance" is not a "them" who pays our bills, it is the collective "all of us" who pays. Based on the rise of obesity in the country, few of us feel real accountability for making lifestyle choices that could ease the strain on the system (not to mention helping us feel better and live a healthy, more fulfilling life.)

Living an active lifestyle including fitness is not a drug that can be described. Making smarter food choices is not a program the government can regulate. These are choices we make, which are defining the state of health care.

Enter the Million Dollar Body Network. Here's a community of people who are helping each other stay accountable to their diet and fitness goals. Coaches earn a commission on sales generated from new people they introduce to the community, plus they earn commissions from current Beachbody customers whom they help to stay motivated. Thousands of people are losing weight and getting in shape at Million Dollar Body and as such, improving their health and wellness. That means they are actually having a direct impact on reducing health care costs and the demand for higher insurance premiums for the companies they work for - and those lower insurance premiums benefits everyone.

So there's Detroit - a microcosm for learning how we can turn around the crisis in rising health care costs. The survival-threatening reliance on corporate-supplied health insurance can be mitigated if not eliminated by the UAW if they take on the role of improving the health of their membership. (And I would propose that change can be as fast as 90 days for some, 6 weeks for others)

UAW membership who has been adversely affected by the competitive disadvantages faced by US auto makers in a global economy can take action by living a healthier lifestyle as individuals and through mutual support to achieve a new level of health as a community. Just like we are achieving within the Million Dollar Body community, the UAW will feel better, perform better on the job, and be in control of their destiny.

Your life, that body, is yours to take care of. The costs of taking care of your body are your responsibility. If you have a job which helps offset the expense of your health care as a benefit, congratulations. But in the end, the choices and habits that govern your well being are yours. And the ability to make a dramatic effect on improving your personal well being, and likewise, reducing the cost of maintaining that wellness, is also yours.

That is the message and mantra of the Million Dollar Network: YOU are in control of your health and fitness.

If you are an MDB coach, or are considering becoming an MDB coach, and you know someone in the UAW, I would start a conversation with people within its membership. We can help them feel better, and reduce the strain on their health care budgets for less than the price of one fill-up of an SUV.

If you are a member of the UAW, I would recommend you become part of the solution, become an MDB coach and start recruiting your fellow members to help them improve the health of the membership through active participation in a healthier lifestyle.

If I want things to change, it starts with me. If you want things to change, it starts with you. If you are a member of the UAW, and you want things to change, it starts with you - and you in this case is each member who wants the US auto industry to be competitive. As we stop relying on a "them" to solve out problems, we become empowered, and then we have options. But you need to decide to change things. You need to have the courage to succeed. And you need to commit to that decision. That's commitment to your self.

Once you've made the decision to improve your life, then you can decide to help others, and as a coach, you can profit by doing so in every way. And the rest is a revolution in your health, and the health of our country.

We all want the US auto manufacturers and the UAW to get through this tough period to remain highly competitive and well-compensated. After reading this Business Week article, I believe the UAW can make a dramatic impact by taking control of its destiny, and encouraging its membership to live a healthy lifestyle.

And the community of Million Dollar Body can help.

This is the "X" in P90X

This email below came from Tony's friend Erik S., one of the guys in the background of P90X Plyo/Legs. A friend of his decided to order P90X in the middle of the night when he couldn't sleep after seeing the infomercial. After a couple workouts, he finally got to plyo.

He cracked up seeing Erik in it and sent this email.

In a message dated 5/18/2007 4:23:12 P.M. Central Daylight Time, MnSo writes:

"Who the hell watching TV at that hour can handle that Plyo workout? I wonder how many people it has killed. :-) It's hard as my high school wrestling workout. I think that's why I like it. It really is a great f-in workout. After two weeks I already feel like a new man and I can't even get through them all yet. I do them every morning - usually with my girlfriend. I bought a late night infomercial spinning bike two months before that - used it twice, now I use it as the 'chair' for my plyo swing kicks. Hehe. Already done p90x at least 14 times, so a testament to how much better it is."

To quote Tony: "I f*&ing love this kind of feedback."

Click here and then click on Plyometrics to see Tony rant about this workout. It really is the renaissance routine that separates the pretenders from the extreme animals.

An Extra Bonus for Working Out... :)

Further to that video below - turns out Katie is an MDB Coach! And Swh won on WOWY! And she GETS IT! Thanks Katie!

YouTube Bikini Challenge

The power of YouTube... This girl is working toward getting into a bikini, and showing it off on YouTube in June. Here she talks about her chosen workout of the day: Turbo Jam!

Happy Anniversary Beachbody.com

May 11, 1999 -- this is the day we had our first customer; Hope Putnam, who purchased the Great Body Guaranteed DVD's.

Thank you Hope, and thank you to everyone who has committed to "Keep Pushing Play" to stay active and get healthy!

Interesting footnote; Even though Debbie and Tony designed those programs 7 years ago, they remain top sellers at Beachbody and Million Dollar Body. Nothing sells like saving people time!

P90X Ch 24. Transform The Way You Eat

We had a diet guru design the P90X eating plan. If you want a transformation, just working out won't get you there - the way you eat matters!

P90X Ch 23. Challenge Your Weakness

This is at the root of why P90X is more than a challenge to get ripped. It challenges you from every angle, in ways you don't expect.

Net Neutrality Matters To You

This is a photo of the Supreme Court building, taken from my phone as I walked to a meeting in the Hart Senate Building with California Senator Dianne Feinstein's office. If you have yet to schedule a trip to see how this place operates, I highly recommend it. Capital Hill is truly a staggering and impressive machine.

Jon Congdon and I are in Washington, DC this week meeting with regulators and lobbyists on a number of issues including privacy, state sales tax simplification, and my focus, the issue of net neutrality. The meetings were organized and attended by the Electronic Retailing Association and fellow E.R.A. members*.

You might not have considered it, but as a customer of Beachbody and Million Dollar Body, maintaining net neutrality is very important to you. It is basically the concept that the Internet "gate keepers" like cable companies and phone companies can continue to charge for all of us to access to the Internet over their wires, but that they won't add a surcharge to content providers for additional bandwidth as the technology expands capacity, or in other words, that public information networks will aspire to treat all content providers equally.

As we look at new ways to deliver health and fitness content and weight loss motivation via the Million Dollar Body community, that's important to us for many reasons. The freedom to innovate is one of the keys. Services like our free WOWY online gym, which we're JUST getting up to critical mass, would likely have to be scrapped if net neutrality were lost. We expect to attract hundreds of thousands of workout participants every day to workout together in WOWY (which stands for Work Out With You). In fact, we're working on changing the configuration so it's easier to use and easily available to both members and non members, as soon as we have improved the capacity of the technology. But feeding those features to thousands of people simultaneously takes massive bandwidth. WOWY is the keystone to getting more and more people to feel accountable to their daily workouts by having online buddies. But it will be impossible to keep it free if we get charged to stream this service.

Likewise, we fully expect to stream video motivation, diet advice, and even live workouts to our community. But if we have to pay both for access to the Internet AND for additional bandwidth to deliver programming to you, that plan is unlikely to come to fruition.

And that would be a shame. The Internet offers unbelievable potential for innovation without the impediment of negotiating and paying a gate keeper. In in our case, it offers potential innovation in an area of current crisis; obesity.

If you look at what is available to you on TV through your cable company, you can see that it's the highest bidder that makes it to your TV, not necessarily the most interesting innovation or bold new start up. The Internet has the potential of letting people get EXACTLY what they want, when they want it, as long it is not controlled by the gate keepers.

We are not asking our regulators to legislate the Internet except that we want to keep it open to everyone. We are asking our government to maintain the status quo.

And if you agree, it would do us all good if you would share your opinion with your Senators and Congressional Representatives.

After spending a day on the hill talking to Ahmad Thomas and Johann Sabbath in Senator Feinstein's office, Ramesh Nagarajan in Congresswoman Lois Capp's office (D-CA), and John Fortune Agan in the office of Congressman Paul Hodes (D-NH), I am confident reasonable minds will remain open to the interests of the public on this and the other issues we raised.

*Interesting footnote: Each time Jon and I attend these ERA industry functions, the proudest moments are when our competitors, vendors, and members of ERA itself approach and give us an update of their progress with our products. Power 90 and P90X are the favorites. People who think infomercial weight loss products don't work, take note: The industry itself actually buys and uses Beachbody's!

Drive for 500 peaks at 522!

WOWY -- did you guys show up this morning! (And wow, did you guys crash the server by showing up!) Response to the Million Dollar Body Drive for 500 was so strong, and so focused, that even our most cautious defensive technology plan got clogged with the traffic!

That means there's something even more exciting than we thought looming right around the corner from our upcoming technology upgrade. We will meet next week to analyze the numbers, but one thing is clear - when the Million Dollar Body community gets motivated to send a message that it's time to get active, the community shows up!

Thanks to everyone who logged in. Sorry if the website did not return the data to show you totals as they grew between 7 and 8, but know that you got a great workout, and we did capture all the entries. We will announce the $500 winner a little later!

The Drive for 500 Update!

Oh yeah, it's on... 5/5 is about working out - with total focus on fitness.



To make sure that EVERY member who wants to log into WOWY to be eligible for the $500 prize in our "Drive for 500" event Saturday morning, we will disable the rest of the functionality of the Million Dollar Body site during this promotion.

That means there will be no MDB bells and whistles to compete for your attention for an hour Saturday -- THE MORNING OF 5/5 IS ABOUT WORKING OUT!

Just go to the website, log in your workout, and you are entered. Then scorch those calories! Challenge your muscles! Reach for extra flexibility! Focus all your attention on your body and find what you are capable of achieving. Make this workout count like no other workout you've ever done before! BECAUSE THIS ONE IS BEING COUNTED LIKE NEVER BEFORE!

We're sending a message that the fundamental of MDB is the healthy lifestyle -- starting with staying active. No business building. No shopping. Not even intricate diet planning. From 9:30AM to 11:15AM (ET)/6:30AM to 8:15AM (PT) all of the Million Dollar Body site and community is completely devoted to working out and seeing how we can support each other to get active!

I'll see you at 10AM ET/7AM PT -- when I'll be doing Debbie's Siebers new Cardio Sculpt program from her Slim Series Express DVD's and making it count - with you!

Take It To The Dance Floor

As Hip Hop Abs continues its reign as the number one infomercial on TV, I wanted to give you a peek at one of the bonus features on the DVD's. Shaun T is a professional dance instructor as well as fitness trainer, so we shot some pure dance instruction and added them as a bonus chapter to the workout routines. Check it out -- AND PLEASE DON'T FORGET TO LOG YOUR WORKOUT IN WOWY SATURDAY AT 10AM ET FOR A CHANCE TO WIN $500 IN OUR DRIVE FOR 500 ON 5/5! OK.. commercial is over - time to push play!

P90X Ch 22. The Softer Side of Extreme

Michelle Sorro was a member of the P90X test group, who proved that Muscle Confusion wasn't just for men. Women could get a sense of their power and potential with this program as well. Since then... well the line up of women who have achieved hard-body feats of fitness is proof that it's not cardio, but resistance training that shreds the fat for a long term tight toned body.

The Drive for 500!

To celebrate the release of Debbie's new Slim Series Express, and as I finally re-engage in the Beachybod-a-thon, there is a big celebration and record breaking event coming up: Saturday May 5th -- There's an extra $500 WOWY giveaway for people working out between 10Am and 11AM ET/7AM - 8AM PT!

That means in addition to the normal WOWY prize of up to $1,000 for the day, there will be ANOTHER $500 prize to someone working out between 10AM and 11AM Saturday 5/5 -- cinco de mayo!

The goal is to break the current WOWY record of 331 from 2006, and hit a new all time high of over 500 people working out at the same time -- it's the "Drive for 5 -- hundred!"

I am hoping all of our MDB coaches will participate and use this event to find a friend or family member that wants to make the last dash to summer by saying to them - "Do It With Me!", and maybe you, or they - will win $500 - So I'll see you Saturday!

P90X Ch 21. The Quest Group

We launched a second, larger test group to validate the results of the corporate group. People of all ages with all sorts of jobs stepped up, and took on the challenge that is the X!

P90X Ch 20. Week Nine

Here's where the results start to show, and it takes extra grit to look in the mirror, see great results, yet not be satisfied. Here's where you push yourself to get truly ripped!

"Do It With Me"

With just one week of activity within the Million Dollar Body network, we already have sent out checks for over $1,000 in commissions to a number of coaches, and dozens between $300 and $900. From one week! That's staggering to me.

These are actually Beachbody customers, who raised their hands to participate in this revolution in peer support, and now they are already being rewarded for it. As they will from here forward, week by week.

Some look at my launch of the Million Dollar Body game and Network and think it's simply a sales ploy. "Prizes and network marketing, two classic ways to drag people to another get-rich-quick scheme."

Look beneath the surface, and see that it's dramatically different.

Other MLM businesses push meal replacements and miracle pill solutions alone to help you try to lose weight while they completely shred your metabolism (they never tell you that until it's too late). We are promoting a holistic approach to real body transformation and unparalleled peer support. If a coach gets rich by working Million Dollar Body, that only means they are helping more and more people use all the tools they need to succeed; fitness, along with healthy supplements, meal replacement strategies and portion control!

There's a real obesity problem in this country -- over a hundred million people are living it. Maybe YOU used to live it. At Beachbody we know that when people network together to get results, they succeed. That's why we aren't expecting coaches to sell. All we want coaches to do is look around at the face of obesity and frustration in their own neighborhood, and be the first to say, "I know how to lose weight and get in great shape. It's easier than you'd think. It doesn't cost a lot of money. Do It With Me."

Imagine someone who is intimidated by the prospect of trying to lose 30 or 40 pounds. You know they can succeed in 90 days with Power 90 and the right meal replacement strategy and then get absolutely ripped with P90X. As a coach, all you need to say is "Here's what you need. Do It With Me." You get in shape. They get in shape. Everyone wins.

You show up in WOWY. You set a workout schedule. You make sure you're getting the right nutrition. You help each other watch your food choices. And you both succeed.

Do It With Me is a promise of mutual support.

Imagine if you're a coach and you're contemplating another flight of Turbo Jam or Hip Hop Abs and that some of your friends would like to be swimsuit ready for the summer too. "Do It With Me" is the perfect simple invitation. You're not selling. You're offering enthusiasm and support. You are caring about people enough to invite them to "Do It With Me."

Imagine if you and a family member are both thinking about losing weight, but you need something to drive you. You both decide to enter the Million Dollar Body Game each month for a year, submitting your photos and stats each month as you compete for the monthly and annual prize. And if either of you wins, you split the money. Just an idea, that all starts with; "Do It With Me."

There are plenty of gyms and weight loss centers out there. But still people are getting more and more obese. What's missing is a friend who is willing to step up and say "Do It With Me," who will then keep that promise. With the commission structure compensating MDB coaches, now there's even a financial reward to keeping that promise.

One by one, people will succeed. And that will inspire more success. That's how this obesity trend will turn around.

AND THAT'S WHAT MILLION DOLLAR BODY IS ABOUT!

Who do you know that could use a friendly invitation and support to start their transformation? Next time you are planning another phase in your fitness, think of who you know that might want to join you online to get results step by step with your support. And keep this phrase in mind: "Do It With Me."

I intend to be in great shape this July, by completing all our workouts one by one, taking my supplements (especially BB protein, Recovery Formula and P90X Peak Health multi). I am not doing it alone -- I am being supported by the greatest fitness community on the planet. I want to see more and more people engaged in, and enthusiastic about what is possible when they commit to achieving incredible results. And I am inviting people one by one to get involved, to get in shape, and to earn money for helping us turn around this trend of obesity.

But since I can't do it alone, I need you to step up, do your workouts, and help other people get committed to their results as well. I need you to Do It With Me.

Now that I've seen what people get out of this, on all levels, I can promise you, your rewards will be substantial!

P90X Ch 19. Week Five

Where are you in your P90X transformation? You'll see here not everyone is created equal when it comes to form and intensity. Ian gets "worked" by Tony at the end, and it was a great part of the process to see that not everyone "Brings It" the same. But everyone can improve and everyone can get there with focus.

My Beachbod-a-thon Suspended

My Beachbod-a-thon will be suspended for a couple weeks while I try to heal a beat up arm. Last week I went in for the annual physical, and the girl who took blood tapped a different vein than the little one inside the elbow - and she must have been using a bendy straw instead of a needle, because it was brutal. A day later my entire elbow was black and blue... internal bleeding. It's slowly turning to black, blue, yellow and green. But as I was going to stop with the Beachbod-a-thon, I muscled through another week even though it was painful.

The pain has only gotten worse, so I think in the process I pulled a muscle or two in that region. I'm not sure if you can see it in this photo, but the color is dark, and the pain is significant!

So I am going to suspend my DVD per day promise for a couple weeks. (It doesn't hurt that this will also coincide with my honeymoon I suppose.) But the truth is, I need to heal this thing so when I get to the P90X phase of the Beachbdo-a-thon I can do the pull ups. I hope the healing helps so I can get back to it by the 24th of April.

Too bad... I was just starting to get good a Yoga Booty Ballet. I'll be back though!

A WOWY Birthday party

I love when customers do this: I got a WOWY invite from member Sully, who is celebrating a 47th birthday at 10AM/ET Sat April 21st.

I will be travelling that day, so I am not sure I will be able to make it, but I hope as many people as possible will participate and make it the biggest Turbo birthday party in history!

Please join me for a workout in WOWY at MillonDollarBody.com on Saturday, Apr. 21 at 9:00 AM CT! I am turning 47 today, and I want to eat my cake! come help me celebrate. ;]

xoxoxo, sully

I'm scheduled to do: Turbo Jam®/Cardio Party

I look forward to seeing you in WOWY!

Your friend, Sully

P90X Ch 18. "Aaaaah!"

This is one of the best chapters! It's when Tony and the test pilots first break into the P90X program -- this is a classic, and worth forwarding to anyone who needs a little inspiration. BRING THIS!

P90X Ch 17. Testing begins

P90X workout testing get started, where Jon Congdon (the Prez) and the others go through their P90X pre-tests

The Beachbod-a-thon Continues!

Update on the Beachbod-a-thon!

It has been almost a month of my marathon of a different Beachbody routine each day until I've done them all (around 110 when I started). The Beachbod-a-thon is getting longer as time goes by too, because we're just about to release four new titles from Debbie Siebers, and it's possible some other new titles will be read before I get done.

I haven't figured out how to get the video thing happening in my garage/gym yet, but I promise my Yoga Booty Ballet and Turbo Jam is laughable. Stay tuned - I'll post something soon.

For anyone following along, a couple days I doubled up because I was getting impatient, but so far these are crossed off the list after 24 days:

HO' ALA KE KINO
GREAT ABS GUARANTEED!
GREAT ARMS GUARANTEED!
GREAT BUNS GUARANTEED!
GREAT BODY GUARANTEED
GREAT STRETCH GUARANTEED!
THIN THIGHS GUARANTEED!
THIN THIGHS/GREAT ARMS
TONY+THE KIDS
FAST 10 FOCUS: CHEST/BACK
FAST 10 FOCUS: BICEP/TRICEP/SHOULDER
FAST 10 FLEXIBILITY
FAST 10 FAT BURNER
FAST 10 FOCUS: BUTT/THIGH/ABS
KATHY SMITH PROJECT YOU: FOUNDATION (T-36)
KATHY SMITH PROJECT YOU: PILATES CORE (T-29)
POWER 90 SCULPT CIRCUIT 1-2
POWER 90 SWEAT CARDIO 1-2
POWER 90 AB RIPPER 100
SLIM IN 6 START IT UP!
SLIM IN 6 RAMP IT UP!
SLIM & LIMBER
TURBO JAM LEARN & BURN
TURBO JAM 20 MINUTE WORKOUT
YBB BEGINNER THE REHEARSAL GUIDED MEDITATION YOGA BOOTY BALLET TOTAL TONING BASICS

P90X Ch 16. Time to Produce

At this point, we were getting impatient, so the pressure was on; PRODUCE THIS PRODUCT!

P90X Ch 15. Food plan, "Soup to Nuts"

Diet guru and author Carrie Wiatt designed the food plan for P90X to support three goals -- shedding fat, building muscle, and maintaining energy. "Soup to Nuts", as they say.

I love seeing new people in WOWY

I love working out at odd times in WOWY and seeing new faces. Here's a first time WOWY reaction from a P90X customer. Oh yeah - we'll see you Phil!

Phill in Texas
HOLY COW! I was worried that a home workout would be
weak...that kicked... I am glad I got this stuff...looking forward to many years
with you guys

Happy St. Patty's Day!

When Ava commits to a holiday, she commits!

I hope you have a fun St. Patrick's Day!

P90X Ch 14. The DVD Cover Shoot

With a physique like this, you'd think Tony would enjoy a day under the hot lights getting photographed... think again!

Ava's Sick Day

For any parents faced with sick days, I figured I'd share my recent experience... For the first time, I was the one who stayed home for two days to care for Ava since she was running a fever.

In order to avoid a habit of "my throat hurts" to score another day off, I decided to add some structure to the healing, including medicine. We made the following schedule, and she actually got into tracking her progress hour by hour... If she protested the medicine, the TV went off, the lights went out, and it was hardcore bed healing. She took the medicine. And it looks like she's ready for school tomorrow.

(Next time, I'll add "Do Daddy's Taxes" to the list.)

9 AM
Vitamin C
2 Prunes
Glass of water

11AM
Vitamin C
Pineapple bowl
Spoon of medicine
Glass of Water
Math practice

12:30 Lunch
Scrambled eggs
Toast
Glass of Water

1:30PM
Read outside in sunshine - Vitamin D
Complete 3 book reports for school

2 PM
Vitamin C
1 prune, 1 plum
Glass of water

4PM
Vitamin C
Snack - Sprouted Pumpkin Seeds
Glass of Water
Practice sight words

6PM
Dinner
Glass of Water

7PM
20 minute hot bath
Spoonful of medicine
Vitamin C
1 Prune

The other spot

The good news is, if you do Slim in 6 or Power 90, you are actually strong enough to lift the seats, or trim enough to fit into a Prius.

Debbie Siebers and Ford Challenge Commercial

Long story; Tony Horton was called into audition for a Ford commercial that needed two fitness trainers. Becuase he's a super nice guy, he gave me the information so we could see if Debbie Siebers could give it a try too. The project was on a tight timeline.

They auditioned and BOTH got "called back" for last looks. Unfortunately, though, when they called Tony, was at our office outlining new videos in a marathon meeting and his cell phone was off. Sooo, Debbie got the gig, and good guy super Trainer Horton missed the call.

Bottom line though, Tony congratulated Debbie, continues to work on some new videos and the revised Power 90 infomercial, and here are the spots with Debbie.

P90X Ch 13. Health Crack!

The planning continues... Wonder if the P90X Peak Health Formula is a good product? The supplements are coming together!

P90X Ch 12. A Lotta Workouts?

This is where the "making of" is really behind the scenes. Not a lot of glamour setting a date to have the workouts locked.

Becoming

As I continue my Beachbod-a-thon (today I am doing Thing Thighs Guaranteed and Great Stretch Guaranteed, both since I was travelling over the weekend and need to get caught up) I was recently inspired by all the "marathon talk" on the P90X thread.

Below is a post forwarded to me through the MDB coach's network. If you ever wondered if there is heart within the support community, on the boards, and the Million Dollar Body ranks, it's right here.

A new post from Beachbody Community > Community Message Boards > P90X!

Topic: Michelle & Hazel: Double Trouble

Marathon_P
Posted 03-11-07 05:04 AM

Sylvia,Go superstar, go!!! Congratulations on your progress girl!!! That's what this is about, progress and becoming. I think there is one thing I like more than running, becoming. Ally got me thinking about BECOMING, and I realize that I love Becoming. I can tell that you do, and that we all do. I think that is what we really do here, Becoming-X.

This is the X-style realization of more for each and every one of us. Michelle and Hazel becoming in the desert, you becoming at your 5K next weekend, Annie Bannie at her 10K, Ally with her 5K in May, Keith with his 5K, JD with his triathlon with Hazel and Michelle, Tracy with her 5K, Diva with her 10K. Sylvia, you are on fire and making progress and that is THE celebration. And you are making progress towards your goals. YOUR GOALS. Your goals are YOUR responsibility, and here we have the strength to accept the difficult path of having such responsibility. Your goal is the star in the distance. Your goals are the flame in your heart. Your goals deserve exaltation, reverence, and celebration. For you.

Michelle honors hers, I honor mine, Hazel honors hers....but you honor yours for you. And then we all celebrate together. The more you realize this, the more you can let all comparisons with others drop...it will be enough for you to be responsible only for you, and you will revel in that: your becoming. Way to go girl. Next week is the 5K for you...the arrival of your goal. That deserves exaltation. Next week will be my 40th marathon on Catalina, more becoming for me.

We are each becoming, our own goals, stars in the distance, flames in our hearts, and we celebrate that together. But the 5K is infinitely more important than that island marathon. It has to be that way. Your goals are your sacred responsibility, your becoming. And I am here, we are all here, to celebrate with you like crazy when YOU get there. It is all about YOU though.

And that is the same for all of us here. Grab that 5K goal, hold it close, watch it shimmer. Then your triathlon goals after that. It's about your goals for you Sylvia, so no apologies, no shame, only exaltation and reverence for your own sacred goals, and joy in becoming who YOU have said you want to become. I am getting strength from watching you do this for my own becoming, just as I get strength from watching Michelle and Hazel becoming in the desert.Way to go superstar. I am so proud of you. I am so happy for you. It is so easy to give up on goals, and you never do. phil

P90X Ch 11. Maximize Your Benefits

Did you know there was a triathlon supplementation superstar behind the design of the P90X supplements line? Now you know!

P90X Ch 10. The Birth of Confusion

This is a key meeting on the development of P90X -- this is where the X gets distinguished from Power 90. (And I have now realize that sideburns need to be trimmed more often than I thought.)

Week one... just a dent

Now I understand what marathon runners feel when they finish the first mile of a race, and realize that they barely got started. Week one of the my Beachbod-a-thon is in complete. I am looking at the list and wondering if I will ever make it through this list!

The best part is, this is going to stay very interesting as every title is so different it's really interesting to experience the trainers juxtaposed like this. The difference between how Chalene, Debbie, and Kathy punch, is radical. But I am sweating nonetheless and it's a good time.

Some highlights:

Ho Ala Ke Kino; Harder than I remembered it. I am not a big yoga nut, but this light dose was a good wake up.

Great Abs Guaranteed; I don't think Tony has aged in 8 years. It's still a great abs routine in 7 mins.

Power 90 Sculpt 1-2; It's really a classic. Get it's done with no razzle dazzle. Makes sense that the workout I had the most say in helping develop would fit me so well.

Yoga Booty Ballet Rehearsal; Not sure how this program is going to translate to me, but it will be funny! This was just a primer.

Slim in 6 Start It Up; Debbie really does a greta job, and it was fun to see my buddy Stef working out back there. Lotta squats. And my hip flexors were like "hey, what's this about?"

Turbo Jam Learn and Burn; "La-la-la Ladies..." Everybody raves about Chalene - all over the boards, and MySpace and everywhere. Guess what? They are hardly scratching the surface of how talented she is. She's the real deal. The first person that made this kind of dance/kick routine fun and clear for me. Honestly - if you work out in your home, this is a must-have. She is an absolutel pro at this art form, and I am prouder than ever that she is on the Beachbody team.

Kathy Smith's Project: YOU Foundation; I can see why Kathy has sold so many videos. Great cueing, easy moves. Step step kick. done.

Friday morning at 6Am it's Great Arms Guaranteed. I'll be "off the grid" for a few days of travel, but will still get a few titles in Sat, Sun and Mon. Updates (and video) to follow!

P90X Ch 9. Yoga can kill you

Here's Tony and Ish... Ish has the Yogamojo that put the Xtreme into P90X yoga. Tony took what he learned from Ish and turned it up to 11.

My Kite Tube Crash

While I am progessing through the Beachbod-a-thon, doing each one of our videos until I've done them all, I wanted to share why I haven't been as consistent this year as prior years (until now): The Kite Tube Crash. My knees, ankles, and shoulders have not 100% since July, but I am hoping by this May, with the help off our DVD's and the MDB community, I'll get my body and full mobility back! This is what I mean by "life happens". You never know what could take your great transformation results and challenge you all over again. Trauma, for instance, can set off a set back. The key is, when you are ready, get back at it, and slowly, gradually, and in a healthy way - bring yourself back!

P90X Ch 8. "Iraqi War Squats"

Some moves made it into the X, some didn't. Ya gotta see the cirque du soleil stuff at the end!

P90X Ch 7. Daytime Blonde Batgirl

Dreya Webber is a gymanst/fitness superstar with the most intense core and abs you've ever seen. Many of the moves Tony learned in this visit made it to the P90X Core Synergistic routine (except for twirling down a piece of fabric, hurtling toward your death). Core Synergistics is probably my alltime favorite workout we've created to date. It's the kind of routine that you can feel everything working together. If you like to FEEL that you not only worked out when your done, but that you tortured the fat off your body - this is for you.

P90X Ch 6. Pilates part 2

Today when I was doing "Great Abs Guaranteed" in day two of my Beachbod-a-thon, I was shocked to see how we already had some Pilates moves in the routine. We were ahead of our time -- but I must admit Tony takes it to a whole new level here and in the final P90X videos.