P90X3 Review - Day 3

Today's workout was Yoga-X!  Yoga is definitely not a strong suit of mine.  I really don't enjoy it and I'm not good at it.  I haven't figured out if I'm not good at it because I don't enjoy it or vise versa.  Regardless, I will say that I DID enjoy this session much better than the 92 minute session that is part of the original P90X.  There are still enough of the moves from that video to let you know that it is an X yoga routine but some new ones for you to try too. 

Fitness isn't always about doing what you are "good" at.  Sometimes moving outside your comfort zone and learning different things can improve your fitness too.  It is obvious to me that my balance and inner core strength is something that still needs some work.  After doing this once a week for 13 weeks, I should be in much better shape. 

I can't say I was excited about it, but I finished it.  I'm sure this one will be a love-hate relationship for a while, but I'll get there!

Feel free to contact me at teambeachbodycoachdarren@gmail.com with any questions.

P90X3 Review - Day 2

Today was Day 2 - Agility X.  The workout is built around targets, speed and balance--of course, strength-building comes into play as well.  The video suggests using tape to create your "planes" (or lines) that you are working in, on and around.  I used six coins instead and it worked fine.  The workout varies speeds, direction and several different moves to keep moving your heart rate up.  There were a few moves that really challenged me, especially with Tony's quick changes.  For example, in a move called 3.4, I decided to do my own sequence.  With this being my first attempt and dealing with the learning curve of executing the moves (which I'll still need to work on), I just couldn't keep track of what Tony was calling out for me to do.  The workout wraps ups with plyo (or jump) push-ups.  This was a great finish that required you to dig deep and give it your all.  

Overall, a great workout but definitely one that will take a while to master.  I found myself frustrated a couple of times, but that's expected anytime you are learning something new.  Excited for day 3--yoga. 

Questions or need support?  Email me at teambeachbodycoachdarren@gmail.com.  Can't wait to hear from you1

P90X3 Review - Day1

I'm going to do a quick review each day (that I can) of P90X3.  I started the program today.  I have only one word--WOW!  For a 30 minute session, it was great.  I really enjoyed it.  The name of workout is Total Synergistics.  It works nearly every part of your body from your shoulders to your calves.  My suggestion, if you are going to do this workout, is to have several different sizes of weights available.  Some of the moves require you to hold one dumbbell with two hands.  You'll want heavier weights for those moves.  Others require one in each hand.  Those will require less weight.  Also, if you haven't quite mastered pull-ups (which I haven't) you'll want to have something to assist with that or use bands with a door attachment (the video shows you how to do that).  

Overall, it was an awesome 30 minute workout.  I went "all in" and give it 110% for the whole 30 minutes.  Several moves require quite a bit of balance, which was quite challenging but that's part of the fun.  There is always a learning curve when you start a new program.  

If you are interested in this program, send me an email at teambeachbodycoachdarren@gmail.com.  I'll help you get a great deal and make sure you get the support you need to stay on track.  Stay tuned for the next review!

Use your friends and family!

Before you say, "What?!?  That's an awful thing to say!"  Give me just a second to explain.  Your friends and family play a huge role in your life.  The things that they say motivate you to act in a certain way--whether good or bad.  Do their words lift you up?  Make you feel good?  Make you angry (sometimes)?  Make you decide to do something differently than what you had originally planned?  Well, that's proof that what they say can influence you.  Learn to use that for your motivation. 

Have you found that getting a small word of encouragement or even a compliment from someone makes you want to repeat the behavior that created that experience?  For example, you have been watching what you are eating and exercising for two weeks.  Suddenly, your BFF who hasn't seen you in a couple of weeks says something like, "Hey, you look like you are losing weight!  Are you doing something differently?"  Doesn't that give you motivation to keep that behavior going for another two, four, six weeks--maybe even longer?  OF COURSE IT DOES!  What about that time that you are giving a presentation at your job.  You prepare, have all of your visual aides ready, have all of your key topics memorized and you nail the presentation.  Your boss says, "I can tell you really prepared for that presentation.  You had examined it from every side and anticipated each question that was asked.  Great job!"  Doesn't that make you want to prepare at that same level, maybe even give a little more, the next time you are given that opportunity?  SURE!  I believe that, in most situations, we all want to do well and want others to believe that we do well.  We need to use that to our advantage when it comes to getting healthy.

If you have a circle of friends and family that you know will encourage you, share your experience with them.  Let them know that you are trying to get healthier, you appreciate all of their encouragement and kind words.  This does two things.  First, it will create a source of constant encouragement for you.  Let's be honest.  There are days that we won't feel like making the "healthiest" decisions.  We won't feel like working out, taking an order of fresh veggies over the greasy potato chips or saying no to the huge piece of chocolate birthday cake.  (We are human and, to some of us, those things taste great!  I'll admit that I still enjoy the "bad" foods from time-to-time.  That's not what this about though.  Stay tuned for a future post about that.)  It's those days that you look to the encouragement that the group can provide you.  A compliment or a boost can be the very thing to help keep you on track.  The second thing that this will do is build accountability.  If you know you have told someone that you are making some changes to get healthy, you've made yourself accountable to that person.  Whether they ever say anything to you or not, you know that they are watching and looking for results.  That can also be a HUGE motivator to make your decisions stay in-line.

Another thing that you should be aware of is that there are support groups available to provide this motivation and accountability.  I have a team called Team Restored for Purpose (thus, the name of this blog) that does just that.  I allow only positive feedback to be given.  It's a safe environment where you can express your thoughts, frustrations, concerns, goals, achievements and questions about health and fitness.  We help keep each other accountable and moving in the right direction.  Although I'm considered to be the coach, I'll say that people on the team probably motivate me more than I motivate them.  That's the beauty--we all work together to help each person achieve their goals.

Do you need that extra motivation and accountability?  Would you like a "safe place" to talk about your fitness goals, frustrations and successes?  If so, email me at darren.r.cline@gmail.com and tell me that you would like to be a part of the team.  It's all completely free and the team would love to meet you.  Use your family, use your friends and use the resources available.  Meet your goals and become the healthier you that you have always wanted to be!

What Time of the Day Should I Workout?

I'm gonna give you the short answer first, in case you don't want to read the rest of the post.  Many people want to know if they should workout first thing in the morning, before dinner, after dinner, before they go to bed, etc.  The answer that I have for this is really scientific and hard to grasp, so read it slowly.  Are you ready?  You should workout at the time of day that you feel most motivated.  That's it!  I know, that's not rocket science, but so many people get hung up on the time of the day as an excuse not to workout.  I've had people say, "My goal is to burn fat and the best time to do that is first thing of the morning.  I can't workout in the mornings so there's no need for me to even try.  I'd be working out for nothing."  Honestly, that makes no sense at all.  Exercise is about burning calories, increasing your heart rate, building muscle and getting healthy.  That's the main goal.  Regardless of when you are doing, it is better than nothing at all.

I'm sure that there is probably some scientific data out there to support that specific times of the day are marginally better for different results; however, isn't it better to exercise at some point in the day than not to exercise at all?  It will still bring results regardless of whether it is at 5:00 a.m. or 10:00 p.m.  Exercise is exercise.  Although your metabolism will be working at different levels throughout the day, you will still gain results from exercising, regardless of the time.

So, here's my advice on this question.  If you have a window of time that permits you to exercise at various points throughout the day, experiment.  Find the time of the day that you enjoy your exercise the most.  Once you find that time, dedicate that as your exercise time.  If you don't have that luxury, workout when it best fits your schedule.  When I first started, that time was 4:00 a.m. for me.  Sounds crazy, I know but I learned that, once my day started, I never found the time to exercise.  By the time I found that I did have some free time, I was already worn out from the day's events.  You can see, there is an element of commitment to this.  Find your time, commit to it and get that exercise in.  You won't be disappointed.

Contact me at darrenrcline@beachbodycoach.com if you have any questions.

Which Program is Best?

So many times I am questioned on which program is the best. My follow-up question to that is, "What are your goals?"  Without knowing your goals, it is difficult to determine which program would best help you achieve your goals. Even bigger than the program is your purpose. Yes, I said that. I'm more interested in your purpose than your program.  Don't get me wrong--I am a huge fan of the BeachBody programs. P90X, Insanity and Focus T25 have helped me reach fitness levels that I used to only dream of. I love those programs and plan to work my way through some of the others like Insanity: Asylum, Les Mills Combat and maybe P90X2. Did you hear what I said about them though?  I said, I ENJOY them. (Well, actually I just implied it, but you know what I mean.)  I'm a big believer that your attitude about a program is key.  If you know your purpose and you enjoy what you are doing, you will stay on track. Even if you know your purpose but are miserable, you'll likely quit. Likewise, if you don't know your purpose but are enjoying the workout, the likelihood of you trying something else is better, but you may lose motivation because you aren't getting the desired results. So, how do we solve this riddle?

First, determine your purpose. Do you want to lose weight?  Tone up? Gain muscle mass? Increase cardio capacity?  A combination of a couple of those?  Once you make that decision, it's time to do your homework. Not all fitness programs are created equal. Some have beginners in mind. Others are for those who are at the intermediate level while even others are for the person who has been exercising regularly for a while. Determine what program you think will best help you achieve your goals based on the purpose that you have for doing the program. 

Next, start the program. Now, you have to be fair at this point.  If this is your first exercise program, you are probably gonna hate it at first. Let's be real. You're gonna be sore, it's gonna be making you do things that make you uncomfortable and none of us enjoy that.  To make a fair assessment, you really need to give it 3-4 weeks, in my opinion. That will let you get through some of the initial soreness, allow you to push past the initial learning curve of doing the routines and you should even start seeing some results. If, at the end of a four week period you still hate the program, you may want to try to find something else that you can enjoy. 

The final step is to stick with it!  If it is a 90-day program that you have committed to, stay with it. The program is built around the time frames that are given. You shouldn't expect the results to come if you don't finish the program. Once you finish, then it's time to reassess where you are, what your new goals will be and start the process over again. 

That's it!  Not rocket science, huh?  Just a few simple steps to finding your success. So, now here are  the questions I want you to ask:  (1) What are my fitness goals? (2) What programs are out there that can help me reach my goals? and (3) Do I enjoy this program and does it keep me motivated?  Once you have answered all of those questions, you'll be well on your way to success.  Feel free to email me at darrenrcline@beachbodycoach.com if you would like information on any of the BeachBody programs. 

When Will the Results Come?

So many times this is the question that I hear--"When will the results come?"  That is truly a tough question to answer, although I'll admit that I asked that question too. Most of the time, people are really asking when will they lose weight or when will they see muscles starting to form. I want to challenge you to think outside the box on this one. There are so many different ways that you can measure results. You are really doing yourself a disservice by only watching the scales or pumping up that bicep. 

First, let's take a look at how you feel.  If you are feeling better, have more energy, more confidence, isn't that a result?  Aren't all of those positive things?  What about your clothes? Do they fit better, feel more comfortable, maybe look a little different than before?  Aren't those good results?  What about your body?  Is your digestion better?  Are you sleeping better at night?  Have your stress levels decreased?  Again, who wouldn't be happy with these outcomes, right?  Guess what?!?  ALL of these results could occur without you losing one single pound!  Even the way your clothes fit could change as your body composition changes without seeing one change at all on the scales. 

Let's take a look at something else.  Now, this may make you feel uncomfortable, and even a little weird, but I stand by it. The first thing you should do is take some pictures. I recommend you getting into as little clothing as you are comfortable with and get some snapshots. I'm not talking about anything indecent or distasteful. Get on Google or YouTube and search for before and after pics and you'll get the idea. I know this is a tough request. I know it may be out of your comfort zone. How do I know this?  That's how I felt too. I didn't do it. I didn't like what I saw in the mirror. I didn't want to see it, much less immortalize it in a picture. Then, once I started having success, I was so excited that I didn't really think about it. Once I reached my first weight loss goal, I could produce an after pic but had nothing to compare it to. Fortunately, I found a snapshot that someone had taken of me just a few months before I started. Had it not been for that, I would have nothing. Now, I use those pics and new ones to keep me motivated. I can honestly say that I haven't lost any weight at all in the past few months; however, my body has changed quite a bit. I see it everyday. It's impossible for me to see the changes UNLESS I have a point of comparison. Those pictures provide just that--a point of comparison that will show your success. 

Of course you can look at other things as well--tape measures, endurance levels (are you getting stronger in your workouts), scales, BMI, body fat percentages, etc. to monitor your progress. I just wanted to offer you a few other important things to consider when you are asking the question, "When will the results come?"  Stay on course and stay true to yourself. Even if you blow one meal, one day or one week, don't stop. That's not a license to lack commitment. It's simply encouragement to tell you that you can always regroup and get back on track.  Take control and achieve the results that you want!