Week 1 continues

It's always a bit challenging coming into a new defined round of a program.  With my travel schedule as an airline pilot, I have to workout at different times throughout the day.  One day it may be at 3:30 in the afternoon, the next day at 11:00 at night.   It all depends on a lot of factors.

Today was Insanity: Cardio Recovery.  Very light workout but a decent stretch for the upper body, which is something I really need.

The lack of sleep is catching up to me, but I'm not going to let it get me down.  I will not miss my workouts!

Getting enough sleep

Yesterday was a GREAT day.  Started off with Beachbody's national Super Saturday event, where we recapped the Summit for those who didn't get to go.   Then I led a workout which was a combination of P90X One on One: Plyo Legs, and Insanity: The Asylum : Back to Core.
  

Since Summit I've been fighting a respiratory infection that's left both Kim and I hacking all night long.  I can't say it's a cold because I'm not fighting the typical stuffy-nosed, sneezing nastiness,  just a brutal cough.  Kim has had it worse than me.

What has manifested has been fatigue.  2 days ago I couldn't keep my eyes open.  Yesterday on the way home I hit the same thing, so Kim drove and I slept.  When we got home I went in, crawled into bed, and slept until 10:30, for a total of 14 hours.  I am guessing my body was just exhausted and it caught up with me.

I'm still dragging a little but not coughing, and I do feel better.  So I'm pressing into some cardio today, and beginning Round X of P90X tomorrow.

I'm looking fwd to crushing it!

Some days you just have to listen to your body

I struggle with taking days off from working out.  Yes, I may be addicted to it, but more than that I mentally feel better about myself when I workout.  With that in mind, taking days off I tend to feel like I didn't do something for myself I should have done.   It's rare that I give myself the chance to just recharge because of this.

That is a bad habit and one I need to break.  I'm about to start my 10th Round of P90X, or at least using the X as the primary program.  I'm going to push really hard, nail my nutrition (which I am usually good at anyway), and see what I can truly accomplish.  Because I know I'm going to push my boundaries, I know I will need more down time to recover.

So today, being exhausted all day, I did 30 minutes on my Lifecycle and that was it. 

Tomorrow is our monthly Group Workout/Cookout and Beachbody's Super Saturday.   It will be a blast!

Shoulders and Arms MC2 Destroyed

Today I hammered P90X Shoulders & Arms MC2.  I was lifting heavier than I have in a long time, prepping for the kickoff on Monday for the 90 day challenge with That Team.  I had planned on waiting to start Round X, but now is as good of a time as ever, so BRING THE PAIN.

I have been asked by several people lately how I stay so dedicated.  It's actually a fairly simple answer: I have goals I want to achieve, and being healthy, fit, lean and muscular are among them.  It's part of my lifestyle.   Yes I'm human and there are times I want to cheat, I want to pig out on nasty food, but I know how I will feel, both mentally and physically after I do.  It's not worth feeling like lethargic crap for a day after eating badly, just for a few minutes of pleasure with the food.

A good buddy of mine at the Coach Summit also likened it to an alcoholic falling off the wagon: give in and the next thing you know I'm licking the bottom of the dessert tray in the corner. 

So I keep myself in check just by nature of my lifestyle.  I like how I feel, how I look, and want that to continue and improve.

Getting down to business

It's been a long time since I have posted, but it's time to get back to it.

I spent a month hammering out Insanity: The Asylum and it is nothing short of a brutal set of workouts.  I actually enjoyed the change of pace to hard-core speed, agility, and sports specific training.  I have never been much involved in sports so many of the drills and exercises were new to me, but I really enjoyed them.

This last week was spent at the Team Beachbody Coach Summit, surrounded by 2500 fitness fanatics.  The energy was off the hook.  I got to do my first live workout with Brett Hoebel of RevABS, and The Biggest Loser fame.   It rocked.  There is supposed to be a training and certification in his workouts to become instructors, which I will definitely do.

I'm working hard on my fitness, and the business of being a Coach is leading me to new places.  Case in point we are working on putting in an offer on a home in Southern California.  It's amazing what is possible part time through sharing my passion for fitness.

I'm also double stoked for P90X 2 being released later this year.  Pre-orders are coming in August and I'll be in line on day 1!

Getting back to it

It's been too long since I sat down to this.   I'm focusing on adding some muscle mass right now, pushing heavy weight and working hard.  It's a beating on my body, but I'm making progress.   I'm also fighting my right forearm hurting similar to what I dealt all last year with on my left arm.

I'm not going to let it sideline this year.  I am working to modify the moves to avoid the pain, but I know after I get through this phase I will give it a rest.

I'm OCD about this, and many other things, so I never will give it up.  The same is obviously true of my Beachbody business.  However I'm analyzing myself on a mental level, and trying to weed out my natural first response to a lot of things which tends toward the negative.  I've heard too many others lately who say only negative things, and have heard the same pouring from my own mouth, and that's just not who I want to be.

So in all things, I'm a work in progress.  The trick is moving  a small step forward every day, gaining momentum and working hard.  That's the Slight Edge at work. 

Making the Commitment

One of the things I've found that really sorts out those who will succeed at anything vs those who fail is the level of mental commitment they're willing to make.  Getting in the best shape of your life takes a lot of hard work, both in the gym and in the kitchen.   Many people will commit to the gym, but not the kitchen, and they don't get the results they want.

The same is true in the business of being a Team Beachbody Coach.  People say they want the success, but don't do the work, even when it's spelled out for them.  They sign up and wait for the business to grow, but just like fitness, doing nothing yields nothing.

If anyone wants to succeed at anything, they have to commit to it mentally.  There has to be that process in our minds that says "I am DOING THIS, no matter what."  There has to be a drive in their mind that says they aren't allowed to quit, because if you give yourself an out, you will take it.

Insanity is a perfect example of this.  The workouts are so hard they leave you feeling like you're going to throw up nearly every day when you first start out.  There is really nothing like it.  If you say at the start "I'm going to try this," you will quit because your mind isn't committed.   If you say instead, "I am DOING THIS all the way through," you will. 

You have to believe you can do a thing, have a goal of doing it, and commit to making it happen.  I'm committing to helping my Team grow physically, mentally, personally.  That's what I'm here for.  I tend to beat myself up if someone doesn't take advantage of that, but as Jim Rohn says, "Why do they do that?  I don't know, they just do.  I'm not signing up for the class that tries to figure it out."

Looking forward and driving ahead.  I'm committed and never, ever giving up.