Dan Gregart P90X Day 30 Report.

My buddy Dan just got to day 30 of P90X. He has had some great results and I asked him to write a little write up on his impressions of the first 30 days. Dan gave me a ton of good info and I'm going to share it all with you. Thanks Dan.

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P90X – Day 30

If you would have told me that I would progressed this far in just 30 days I would have been ecstatic. My goal coming in to P90X was to revolutionize my health and to change my fitness habits FOR GOOD. I really didn’t believe that my results would get anywhere near the results I saw on the infomercial, but I was looking for some way to draw a line in the sand. I’ve fought my weight my entire life and have struggled so badly lately due to the nature of my job (insurance agent). Then, around the time of my son’s birth in mid-December, I got to that “sick and tired of being sick and tired” place and decided to purchase the system. I was also motivated by an upcoming company trip to Maui in April! On day 1, I was actually pretty nervous! I knew that the workouts would be tough and it had been so long since I had done any intensive training that I was fearful that I wouldn’t be able to keep up and that I would lose my motivation. After Chest & Back, I came upstairs in my house and spent the next 20 minutes dry-heaving on my back porch. Tony kicked my ass, made me puke, and I just knew that I was on to something! After Plyometrics the second day, I was hooked completely. I found myself clapping at the end of workouts and yelling at myself between sets to keep myself motivated. The idea of not being able to get through the workouts left my mind completely. I just loved how Tony would remind me that I could pause the DVD and catch my breath. I also loved the different intensities on the exercises. It made me feel encouraged when I couldn’t do what the people on the screen were doing. The idea was that if I just kept pressing play and pushed through every workout, I would see results; this was so encouraging to hear, especially after spending my first Yoga session stumbling and falling over the place! The funny thing that I’m seeing now is that I CAN do a lot of the things that I COULDN’T do before. The progress I’ve seen in terms of strength and physical appearance have been great, but the strides I’ve made in the areas of flexibility, balance, core development and explosiveness have been a big surprise.

I really can’t stress to people the importance of the nutrition plan. I am a carb-addict and have had issues for YEARS with digestion and energy. I always felt sluggish and bloated regardless of my commitment to exercise. The P90X Nutrition Plan has weaned me off sugar and introduced me to the wonderful world of fruits, vegetables and natural foods! I never knew they were out there! One of the biggest surprises for me has been how good I FEEL. Without going into too much detail, my digestive system isn’t backed up any more. I don’t get that post-meal bloated and sluggish feeling. And the amazing side note to this is the fact that I’m eating more than I ever have! I can eat a meal and feel really hungry within a few hours! Before P90X, I honestly can’t tell you the last time I truly felt hungry. Even today, as I sit here at work typing this, I need to get something to eat, and this is only 90 minutes after eating a whole-wheat bagel with natural peanut butter (thanks John) and sugar-free strawberry preserves! My system feels like its cranking at all times and I can literally FEEL the fat being burned. It’s a feeling that is quite addicting.

Today, I feel like I’m in the meat of the program. I’m dropping about .4 lbs per day and adding weight and reps to my workouts each time I do them. I can’t imagine what the next 30 days will bring. I’d like to drop another 10 lbs. (I’m focusing on lean muscle and not muscle size) and get to the point where I can get through the entire Yoga session without having to skip a pose or position. My thought is that if I can drop 10 more lbs of fat in the next 30 days, the final 30 days can be all about getting truly ripped. I never thought that I could be the guy on the beach with the muscle definition and the flat stomach, but I can see it now. Its only 60 days away. But the great thing is that I don’t have to think about things 60 days away. My job is to push play tonight and push myself whenever and wherever possible. The results will be there in two more months.

Thanks to John Kopecky for his help in getting started and staying on track. I feel like I’m part of something that’s going on over the whole world. Thanks for bringing me into the fold brother. More updates in 60 days!

St. Thomas, USVI

I'm waiting patiently for Monica to buy some jewlery in a shop and
figured I'd uplidd a photo.

Doing well on vacation. We've done 2 yoga classes. I've done a
shoulders and arms workout from memory (even ab ripper x).

Monica and I walked 9 laps of the ship this morning which is a bit
over 3 miles. We've easily walked another 2 miles plus around St Thomas.

Diet has been spotty, but I'm on vacation.

Take care.

John

PS. I love the iPhone. Have 3G AT&T network in the middle of the
Caribbean.

Beachbody Coaching

Some of you are curious what "Beachbody" coaching is all about.

I thought you could watch the following video.

See you next week!

Hey everyone! Monica and I just pushed off. We're signed up for 4
yoga classes. Should be a great week.

Push play while I'm gone.

John

Time For A Vacation!!!

All that hard work and I finally get to play!

Monica and I leave tomorrow morning early for Miami. On Saturday, we board the Norwegian Dawn for a 7 Night cruise. The cruise will be over our 6 year anniversary and will probably be the last vacation we ever take without kids for the next 25 years or so (if things go to plan.)

I sure have to say that all the hard work put into P90X has been really cool. I'm looking forward to this vacation so much. Part of that is because I have absolutely no qualms about taking my shirt off anymore.

I'll try to post a photo or two of us when we leave Miami while we still have cellular coverage. After that though, it will probably be at least a week without a post here from me.

Weird feeling

The DVD was rolling. I reached down, grabbed my set of dumbbells and started to work along with Tony Horton and the gang. The move was corkscrew curls. For those of you that are unaware, they are like regular curls, yet at the bottom your palms are facing behind you instead of a normal curl where they would face in front of you.

So, I started the curls. In the middle of the move I looked down and a weird feeling came over me. "Who's freaking arms are these?" I thought. My bicep was well defined, veins and arteries were pumped up and visible. It didn't look like my arms at all. I kept pushing, feeling as strong as ever. I didn't want to stop but eventually the burn got too much and I couldn't squeeze out another rep.

It was such an awesome yet odd feeling. To all of a sudden get a dramatic reminder that all the hard work you put in is bringing results...that is what it is all about kids.

Keep pushing play.

John

Why I became a Beachbody Coach.

You know what's been more exciting than my own journey with P90X?  Its been talking to others that were in a similar situation as mine.  I have some friends that have been out of a regular fitness routine, not at their best level of fitness.  A couple of these folks have seen my blog, seen my results photos, and my success so far has motivated them to get on board and try out P90X or another Beachbody Fitness program such as ChaLEAN Extreme.

One of my buddies called me up and was absolutely gushing about how he loved the first week of P90X.  I forget his exact quote, but it was something along the lines of, "Dude, this has been awesome!  I'm 100% into this program!"  How cool is that?  My success has resulted in not only improving my health, but its going to change his life for the better.  I'm sure down the line someone will ask him what he's been doing and will be motivated by his success as well.

Here's the truth why I became a coach.  The primary reason I became a Beachbody coach was not to make money (although the extra cash coming in has been nice).  The real reason is that I had a long history of starting a program and quitting.  I knew that starting as a coach would be drawing a line in the sand for myself.  How could I be a "coach" to others if I wasn't sticking to a program myself?  I thought that by making an extra commitment to others by coaching, it would be a strong motivator to keep me into the program. (It worked!)

Going forward, the success of my friends that I am coaching will continue to motivate me.  I invest some time in them, help them reach their goals and get to enjoy the results.  

If you're looking into helping others improve their fitness, and are interested in coaching shoot me an email at john@toughfitness.com  

You can also check out my coaching page.

P90X...What to expect.

I have to say, I DID NOT write the following. It has been sent around the P90X world and I've received it from a few folks. If you are the original author, or know who is, please let me know so I may give them credit.

RESOLVE TO EVOLVE

Clarity, like the fine edge of a newly sharpened blade. You have a plan, a goal, a schedule; you have your nutrition down to a point. Your workouts are intense, you suffer daily. You are making sure to get at least 7 hours of sleep every night to ensure adequate recovery from your brutal regimen. You are even doing your own version of "Doubles" whether its 20 minutes of HIIT, running, swimming or any other form of cardio three days a week to burn even more fat. You have a clear mental picture of what you want to accomplish during your round of the X, you have your "mind right". So what should you expect? I'll give you some insight so there are no surprises.

DAY 1 - 30 (PHASE 1 - APPROXIMATELY)
1.) This is the adjustment period. Your body is getting into the schedule and tempo of your workouts. It is adjusting to your new nutrition habits. Expect some differences, perhaps not the drastic visual differences you crave but your clothes will become baggier.

2.) Stay the course during this period. I have had allot of people say to me "Something is not right, I'm not getting as lean as I should be."

This is normal; during Phase 1 you are priming the body and stoking your metabolic fire. **YOUR BODY DOES NOT SPOT REDUCE FAT! I REPEAT, YOUR BODY DOES NOT SPOT REDUCE FAT! **

Your body will take body fat off in "sheets". What I mean is that it will reduce your overall body fat evenly. Where we hold the largest amount of body fat largely depends on genetics and gender. Women tend to hold their body fat in their butt, leg, hip region. Men generally hold their body fat in their waistlines. This is what to watch for in this Phase: loosening of your clothes, stay off of the scale and above all, remain patient and continue to work hard.

DAYS 31-60 (PHASE 2 - APPROXIMATELY)

1.) This phase is where your body kicks into high gear. You are getting stronger and leaner. Expect dramatic results during this Phase as long as you remain disciplined and suffer daily.

2.) WHAT TO EXPECT: You will start to see that your outer extremities, (Forearms, calves, upper back, shoulders) generally where people hold the least amount of fat, will start to get leaner.

3.) Where you hold the most fat will improve but not to your impatient satisfaction. Why? Because as your body removes the fat in "sheets" naturally the leaner sections of your body will show definition the quickest.

4.) REMAIN PATIENT AND STAY THE COURSE!

DAYS 61 - 90 (PHASE 3 - APPROXIMATELY)

1.) This is the Phase to let it all hang out. It's an all out assault on body fat. Your metabolism is in high gear, you have noticed a drastic improvement in definition throughout your entire body and your most stubborn pockets of fat are carving away.

2.) This is the time to do some extra workout sessions. Walk after dinner, take an extra bike ride. Skip rope, box, and do something extra to burn more calories and more fat.

3.) At the end of this Phase you want to be standing tall on Day 90, proudly take your after pictures and be able to say, "I worked as hard as I possibly could have during the past 90 days, I BROUGHT IT!"

So there it is, what to expect during a Phase of P90X. If you have any questions and would like to discuss some of the finer points of what I have described above, please don't hesitate to ask.

Another Year Older...different mindset.

Well, I turn 29 years old today.  

I'm one year away from cashing in on a bet with my dad.

 

When I was about 7 or 8 years old, my dad, old dog Annie and I were swimming in the cove at our old lake house. Annie was a gorgeous yellow lab.  She was my personal pillow while watching TV from about age 6 to 18.  But that's another story.

Anyway, my dad and I were swimming, and I made a joke about my dad's "beer belly."  My dad told me that I too would have a beer belly when I was 30.  I said, "nuh uh."  We then made a wager.  The bet was whether or not I would have a beer belly on my 30th birthday.  The amount of the wager was $100 (I was counting on inflation.)

Now, the details of this bet were a bit sketchy.  We have no set definition of what constitutes a "beer belly."  But, I guess its like that one supreme court justice said.  "I can't define it, but I know it when I see it."

My next 365 days will be focused on making sure I cash in on that bet.  My dad claims no knowledge of the wager.  However, my mom was tanning on the dock at the time and she says that she remembers the discussion.  So I've got that going for me.

So, my goal for this year is to get down below 10% body fat by May 1, and stay there for the rest of the year.

Take care friends, keep pushing play.

And remember, "Hope is not an action plan!"

John