p90 What!?!?!?!?

p90x by Tony Horton and Beachbody.com is:

1)The best and most complete workout I've seen/experienced.

2)Exactly what I needed after getting a little bored of going to the gym by myself.

3)Completely INSANE/intense

So...I have a missed 3 days the past 3 weeks, but I am loving the program. For those of you who haven't heard of it, it is a program that includes 12 workout DVDs. You are suppose to workout 6 days a week and you don't simply randomly pick a DVD. Instead he gives you a great method that will challenge you and keep you interested. The method is called periodization (he calls it muscle confusion) and is currently used for all competitive athletes at the college, professional and even some high school levels.

As a physical therapist, certified strength and conditioning specialist and a proud holder of a "BS" of Exercise Science from BYU I don't know that the problem for me was that I didn't know how to work out. Rather, I think that like most people I just got busy, bored and a little unmotivated. I found myself teaching others how to care for your bodies, injuries and even how to lose weight yet my waist line was larger than ever.

I heard about p90x from a few patients, then my bro in law "Mr. O" bought it and let me preview a few DVDs and I was incredibly impressed. I found a great deal from a friend who burned out after a week and landed the DVDs, workout books and pull up bar for a mere $80. Another $80 investment of push up bars, Heart Rate monitor, yoga mat x 2 (my wife has been enjoying the workouts as well) and a few other odds and ends and I am in love with this workout!!!

The work out is crazy intense, but they show you levels that most average, middle-aged adults could do. This workout is not for those with back, shoulder or knee problems. On that note, I tore my Achilles tendon and can do most of the workouts with my protective boot (except for plyometrics, but that is probably the hardest, most aggressive work out of the bunch).

The Pros:

1) Fun, Tony is just corny enough that he isn't annoying and you don't want to pound his face in as he mocks you. He is a refined trainer that explains well, makes excellent points and is pretty freakin' buff at 50.

2) Different, I LOVE the yoga DVD (however I have yet to complete more than 50 minutes of the 90 min workout), Kenpo is fun, the Shoulder/Arm routine is AWESOME...the chest/back routine is just hard. But nonetheless I feel like there is enough variety that I my interest is piqued and now that I am 3 weeks into it, it is time to do 6 different DVDs this week and I'm not really even ready for that.

3) Incredible technique, form, information, Tony is spot-on with his advice. I have actually incorporated a few of his moves into the rehab of some of my patients.

The Cons:

1)Not for the faint of heart, this will require commitment and if you are really out of shape, you may need to do some lighter training

2) Time, with proper meal planning and the workouts you have to invest at 1.5-2 hours per day, WELL WORTH IT. I am currently working 60+ hours a week to save my company and I still do it, so quite whining.

3)This program may have taken your last excuse away of "I don't know what to do...Working out just isn't fun...I don't have time." Do half the DVD and tell me you aren't completely wasted. It has a 15 min ab workout that leaves my abs in pain they are burning so much.

As they say on the videos..."Do your best and don't worry about the rest"

Two thumbs up, 5 stars, I can't give it any higher recommendation as a health care professional. If everyone did these workouts I would not have a job, period, the end.

I plan on doing several rounds of 90 days due to my Achilles injury and simply based on the fact that I can switch it up and do it forever really. So in a year when I am HUGE, you will know why. :]

P.S. the workout drink they advertise as "really good" ACTUALLY IS!!! The first 1-2 times I thought it was just okay, but I am LOVING it. I drink it 3x/week, instead of 6x as they would like my wallet, I mean as they would like me to do.

see http://p90x.com for more details

Upcoming in 2009

We hope to see our food storage climb

We plan to go camping all the time

Use P90x to get our bodies prime

Eat no candy, we’ll save our dimes

Shara starts kindergarten, she will shine

Jane using the potty, won’t that be sublime

Welcome the next baby in line

Mini-vacation from mom, we’ll be on cloud nine

Violin lessons to help Kenna’s skills refine

A fun house to continue to design

A garden to grow, weeds to pull, no body whine

Continue to raise Agility’s bottom line

Top 10 things that happened in 2008

10. Mike falling apart (February severe L Ankle sprain, November R Achilles rupture)
9. Kenna called to Scouts
8. New Year's Eve Party
7. Camping
6. Bike rides with our girls
5. Dave moving back to Utah/Saturday flag football
4. Christmas surprises
3. Kenna's dream car
2. San Clemente vacation
1. Our first home!

Best Books of 2008

Traveling in my car to Provo and back (and sitting at home in my bed at night) each day gave me a chance to knock out quite a few books. While the last 4 books are business related the application of each book has been more geared toward my personal life than my business. The first 2 are communication/relationship based and apply mostly to personal lives. Here are the highlights:

1.) Leadership and Self Deception by The Arbinger Institute (VERY POOR TITLE, IT SHOULD BE CALLED SOMETHING LIKE "Getting out of the box, where problems begin"
http://www.arbinger.com/en/bookstore.html#leadershipandselfdeception.

Who should read it: Everyone. This discusses relationships, communication and gives you tools to succeed personally, professionally and religiously.

Pro's: Easy read, written in story form and goes quickly. Very well written. Gives you tools everyone needs, helps take away what I call the "justification card" and helps us realize how to really fix problems.

Cons: None.

Why I loved it: I was really struggling with one of my work relationships, completely changed it and now it is better.

1a) Crucial Conversations by Vital Smarts
http://www.vitalsmarts.com/crucialconversations_book.aspx

Who should read it: Everyone. This book has helped my family, personal and close friend relationships more than any other book.

Pro's: Very well done, easy to listen to and immediately applicable. I would listen to one CD, practice the principles, which began to be innate and sincere very quickly. Not a quick fix book, rather a change in approach. Excellent tools that reduce frustration for all parties involved in the relationship.

Cons: Audio book only

Why I loved it: Immediate change in how I viewed my relationships, how I fit into them and how to improve them. Separates perception from reality in many ways.

BUSINESS/PROFESSIONAL BOOKS
1.) The 4 hour work week by Timothy Ferriss
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wX3eJRwJqlc)
Also see http://fourhourworkweek.com/index.htm

Who should read it: People who would like to be more efficient, change their paradigm on what productivity really is and those who aren't sure what to choose for their goals/those who have a hard time know what they want.

Pro's: Life-changing ideas about how to be productive, good step by step goals setting, first 100 pages was incredible. The BEST book I read this year, hands down. 1-Define, 2-Eliminate, 3-Automation, 4-Liberation.

Cons: The author is a punk, he makes good points, but he is a punk and swears here and there. Last 200 pages focuses on automation/drop shipping and doesn't necessarily apply to all. He is big on travel, I am not.

Why I loved it: My productivity is about 10x better (no exaggeration, literally 10x) since I read the book, stopped multi-tasking and focused on strong/concentrated efforts on tasks. It also help me define better what I want in life, church, family, etc. Also see this video from the book : http://vcr.csrwire.com/node/9964.

2.) Rich Dad Poor Dad, by Robert Kiyosaki.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lbXSmusaFOU&feature=PlayList&p=3787826DE513000F&index=1

Who should read it: People who want to understand the importance of FINANCIAL education and how money really works.

Pro's: Completely changed how I view money, promotes what I would consider gospel principled saving/spending, including tithing. Can be paradigm changing and prepare you to do more. Not a how to book, but rather a how to think book. I re-read it about 2x/year (or listen to it)

Cons: Slow start, written in story form and you may struggle the 1st 1/4 of the book if you a typical 'novel reader'. The truth may hurt at times during this book.

Why I loved it: Helped me see the world through different eyes, very liberating for me personally and helped shape the direction of my future.

3.) The Cash Flow Quadrant by Robert Kiyosaki (Sequel to Rich Dad Poor Dad)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nk75OUYNvRY

Who should read it: Those who want to understand what the best way to make money is, once you understood how money really works. Also those who want to find out where they would best fit in society, like those trying to decide on a major in school.

Pro's: Helps you understand the difference between job types, how money flows, taxes and gives you additional financial education.

Cons: He believes that there is a right/wrong way to work, while I may argue that certain people may be happier in certain areas even if they won't make the most money there.

Why I loved it: Incredible book, builds well upon the first book and is the next chapter in your financial education.

4) The E-myth Revisited by Michael Gerber

Who should read it: Anyone who either works at a business or has the desire the start their own large/small business.

Pro's: The Bible of how to start a business the right way, helps those who shouldn't do it decide not to.

Cons: Michael Gerber has a hard time getting to the point in certain areas of the books and can be long winded, I recommend the audio version for this reason.

Why I loved it: Probably helped me develop my company (Agility Physical Therapy) more than any other book. Best how to book, while the others are more philosophy based.

5.) The Richest Man in Babylon by George Clason
http://www.profitadvisors.com/richest.shtml

Who should read it: Everyone, teaches basic principles about money.

Pro's: Short, direct book, with great examples, quick read. Promotes very sound/conservative financial principles.

Con's: Written in an old world English that drove me nuts at times.

Why I loved it: Drove to home the importance of paying yourself first. I don't know that it taught me many new things, but certainly helped me realize the ramifications of poor priorities/habits with regard to finance.

Christmas surprise...take notes boys this is how it's done

This year I decided to try and really surprise my sweetie. I found out that a car she test drove (and loved) in June was still on the same lot due to the poor economy. I schemed for over a month, negotiated the price only to have the car sold right out from under my nose 1 week before Christmas. This called for some serious scrambling and rethinking on how to make this Christmas a special one and I think I came up with a pretty good result.

Kenna's wedding ring was lost a few years into our marriage and I couldn't afford to buy her a new diamond, but she didn't want her ring setting to be out of production. We have been waiting to replace her diamond for quite a while and this year we did. Rather than just giving her that I came up with a 9 gift scavenger hunt that represented key moments when were dating and culminated with her new diamond. It was fun and she pretty much cried before she even got to the 2nd gift!!

Here is a quick summary of how the gifts went down:

Gift #1- children's book (by Max Lucado) & a willow tree doll,- We met at my brothers house while she was babysitting his kids for their anniversary.

Gift #2-Pint of Ice Cream - Our first date ending with us getting Ice cream and talking for about an hour. I was able to find the same flavor as what she ordered that night!

Gift #3-Toy Boat and Movie tickets- One of our first few dates we know remember as the "marathon date" as it lasted about 14 hours. We went boating, to lunch/dinner, a wedding reception and watched a movie

Gift #4-Rod Iron clock/wrist watch...Some would say that our dating relationship didn't go all that fast. I didn't hold her hand for about...uh...well, about 5 months. So the clock represented the 'time' that I took. :]

Gift #5-Stuffed Animal (Moose). It may have taken longer than 5 months if it had not been for divine intervention. We were on a group date up Little Cottonwood canyon on hike. I wanted to hold her hand, but she was being a bit of a stinker, putting her hands in her pockets, etc (because I was taking so long she decided that I needed to work for it now). A huge MOOSE came barreling down the mountain and scared our group half to death. I took her hand and led her behind a large group of trees and never let go. Thank goodness for that moose!!

Gift #6-Carabiner/Restaurant gift card-Shortly before my birthday my mom informed Kenna that she could be in charge of my birthday. She hadn't 'officially' achieved girlfriend status, or at least we hadn't had the "define the relationship' talk, so it was a bit awkward for her. She did a great job and took me rock climbing and to my favorite restaurant.

Gift #7-Customized ring tone of our song-- Just before Christmas the missionary called her indirectly and said he would call her on Christmas. You can imagine how well this went over with yours truly. This DID spark the 'define the relationship' discussion, which obviously moved things forward.

Gift #8-Walter Rane Art "He is not here" This was the gift she though would finish the hunt as it represented our engagement and my promise to bring her to the house of the Lord. She has been telling me about this piece of artwork for years!!

Gift #9-Her new diamond- I didn't actually bring the diamond home, just a letter from Wilson Diamonds inviting her to come get her new diamond. She was speechless and it was fun!!

P.S. a week after Christmas she found the best deal I've ever seen on the car she wanted and got that too!!