P90X: The Mindset For Success

We’re coming to a close of my first week back on the P90X wagon. Last night I finished Yoga X (I forgot how brutal that could be) and already in my journey I’ve realized something important for my other P90X-ers out there:

There is a special mindset for success in P90X.

And it’s important. If you’re head isn’t screwed on just right when you start this program, it’s almost impossible to see it through to the end.

So what’s this mindset all about?

Patience, Grasshopper.

P90X isn’t a program for people who think too far ahead. It takes a lot of dedication on a daily basis. It takes a mindset that lives in the present moment.

I figured the best way to approach P90X was to keep my eye on the prize. Just keep your eyes focused on the target and think about the end of the road.

In my experience, there is no faster way to fail.

You can’t think that far ahead with P90X. Why? Because it will psych you out. As soon as you start to realize what’s coming and everything you still have left to do, it seems daunting and impossible.

When you’re standing at Day 3 and realizing that you may not be able to eat your favorite food again for another 87 days, it can be hard not to want to call it quits. That’s when the excuses start coming.

Take the program in bite-sized chunks and you give yourself a much better chance of success.

The AA Mindset

They say in Alcoholics Anonymous (so I’m told) that your goal should simply be to get from the beginning of the day to the end of the day without having a drink. I believe the same mindset is true for P90X.

I remember in my first experience with P90X, I didn’t even think in terms of days but in terms of meals and workouts.

I told myself, all you have to do is follow the diet plan for one more meal. After that you can cheat if you want, but just choose to do it one more time. And I always did.

The same goes for the workouts. Just do the next workout. Just get through this one. Tomorrow you can skip it if you want, but choose to get through just one more workout.

When I broke my commitments into individual decisions, they were manageable. They were easy and I never slacked off on them. I never chose to skip the next workout. I never chose to cheat on my next meal.

That’s the P90X mindset for success. Consistent movements in the right direction.

I’ll bet the P90X mindset applies pretty well to all areas of life. What do you think?

P90X Journal Intro: At It Again!

All right, kids. It’s that time again. Dorian, Kevin and Ashley have convinced me to start P90X Extreme Home Fitness
again and document the whole thing.

By far the most popular article on Home Fitness Challenge is the P90X Mistakes post I originally wrote about three years back. That’s why Dorian asked me if I was ready to get back on the horse and fix my old mistakes.

So How’s This Going to Work?

I’m not going to be writing a daily journal. I learned last time that there are just so many times that I can actually write “Ahhh! My muscles are so sore! “ before it gets boring.

No, I’m only going to write about the important bits that are actually going to help you get through P90X yourself.

The way I see it, I’m doing the program for me. I’m documenting it for you. Nobody cares about my sore muscles, so I’m only going to write about my experiences if you guys can benefit from it.

The Nutritional Plan:

I’m rejecting the P90X recipes meal plan in favor of their “Portion Plan.” It allows a lot more freedom when you get right down to everyday eating.

Plus it’s cheaper.

Granted, you don’t eat as well . . . But you get used to eating the same things over and over again. If you’re wondering what a meal on this portion plan is like, you’re in luck.

I took a picture of my first P90X meal on day one:

That’s some black beans, scrambled eggs, a banana and unsweetened iced tea with lemon. Mmmm. Breakfast.

Or for those of you playing along at home: 1 portion of veges, 1.5 portions of protein, 1 portion of fruit and 1 portion of caffeine

So Stay Tuned . . .

Be sure to stay up to date on all of the P90X updates, I promise there will be some good stuff coming your way (including some videos). Best way to keep up with the progress is to subscribe to the RSS feed (in the box below) to receive all the great updates in your email inbox.

Wish me luck.
-Daniel

Weight Loss For Beginners

Weight loss for beginners is a tricky subject. It shouldn’t be, but it is. The fitness world can be so confusing and vague sometimes that it’s hard to know where to turn and who to believe.

To help, I thought I would map out a checklist for your fitness journey. Do these three things and you’re going to have no problem going from beginner to weight loss expert.

Let’s start by getting something out of the way. At this stage in your weight loss, it’s important for you to seek professional advice. Weight loss for beginners is full of pitfalls and too many beginners end up doing the wrong things, getting no results, getting discouraged and quitting.

That won’t be you. You are going to put your ego on hold and not be afraid to go out and get the best information available.

Weight Loss For Beginners Steps:

1. Find a Diet Plan: Now I don’t mean go buy the book for the latest fad diet, I mean get a healthy eating plan where your every meal is mapped out. That way there is no question of what to eat next.If your goal is to gain muscle mass and sculpt your physique the meal plan included in No Nonsense Muscle Building is ideal for you. If your goal is to lose a lot of fat very quickly, FatLoss4Idiots (I hate that title ) is the perfect plan for you.It all depends on what you’re looking for and what you want to accomplish. Just make sure you get a plan from a reputable source. Any of the plans mentioned on HFC are good choices. We’ve checked them out ahead of time.
2. Find a Good Exercise Plan: The exercise plan is arguably less important than the diet plan, which is why I put it second. It isn’t that you don’t need a plan, it’s just that any physical exercise will burn calories.That said, those people looking to build muscle (and I hope you all are) should make sure that they are getting a program geared toward pushing their muscles. Ladies, if you’re looking to get lean muscle without looking bulky try the Fit Yummy Mummy program (I love that title ). That program is highly recommended because it’s put out by our friend Holly, who definitely knows what she’s talking about.As always, just make sure that the program you’re going to use is right for your goals.
3. Don’t Buy A Lot of Equipment: You really don’t need specialty equipment to get fit. You don’t really need any equipment at all, but there are a few things that will make life easier. A set of adjustable dumbells or elastic resistance bands are always a good idea to have around.Don’t worry about getting bogged down in all of the fitness equipment out there, most of it is unnecessary anyway. Right now just focus on the right diet, the right workouts and doing them consistently every single day.

That’s it, I know it may not seem like much but that’s actually the point. Weight loss for beginners doesn’t need a lot of stuff to get in the way. The worst thing you can do is get bogged down in all of the information out there. So this is all you need to know:

Get a solid diet plan, get a solid workout plan, follow everything consistently and you absolutely cannot fail.

Good luck and remember that weight loss for beginners can be tricky, but everyone here at HFC is more than willing to answer any questions you may have a long the way.

P90X Alternatives

I have a love / hate relationship with P90X, but I know it’s not a program for everyone. It’s intense and some people either aren’t ready for it, or are just looking for something that can get them into shape, not turn them into bulging “musclemonsters”.

Since P90X isn’t for everyone, I’ve compiled this list of P90X alternatives. This is a huge list and took a lot of time, but I think it’s full of the best P90X alternatives available. I made sure only to include those programs that have an average user rating of four to five stars.

Fat Burning Diets:

	Fat Loss4 Idiots Average User Rating: Website Blurb: “You are overweight for the most simple of reasons — because you’re eating the wrong foods, the wrong types of calories per meal, and you’re also eating meals in the wrong patterns each day.” Read Our Fat Loss 4 Idiots Review Visit the Fat Loss 4 Idiots Homepage
	Cheat Your Way Thin Average User Rating: Website Blurbs: Why cutting carbohydrates out of your diet is the biggest mistake How eating more foods in certain ways can increase your metabolism by 20% The secret to timing your meals to keep your body constantly burning fat stores The strategy for working out to double your weekly fat loss Read Our Cheat Your Way Thin Review Visit the Cheat Your Way Thin Homepage
	Strip That Fat Average User Rating: Website Blurb: Why you need to be eating more fat Why your last diet failed miserably What and how to eat to burn maximum fat How to manipulate your body into becoming a fat burning monster How to lose more weight by eating more food Read Our Strip That Fat Review Visit the Strip That Fat Homepage

Muscle Building Workouts:

	No Nonsense Muscle Building Average User Rating: Website Blurb: My closely guarded muscle building ingredient (Don’t tell anyone!) The 9 bed rock principles for getting ripped muscles A  sneaky “tip” that works new, untrained muscle fibers! 5 methods for naturally exploding your Testosterone levels Read our No Nonsense Muscle Building Review Visit The No Nonsense Hompage
	Muscle Gaining Secrets Average User Rating: Website Blurb: The Top 7 Essential Muscle Gaining Factors Top 10 techniques for a faster recovery between training days A rare technique that is proven to increase muscle growth over 267% How to trigger your muscle’s natural “grow or die off” instinct to put on massive muscle. Read Our Muscle Gaining Secrets Review Visit the Muscle Gaining Secrets Homepage
	The Truth About Building Muscle Average User Rating: Website Blurb: The shocking truth about muscle supplements (you will be pissed!) The nasty secret about working out the “Pros” won’t tell you The lie you tell your body that can produce massive growth The # 1 Non-traditional method for massive growth! Read Our Truth About Building Muscle Review Visit the Truth About Building Muscle Homepage

Fitness Programs

	Turbulence Training Average User Rating: Website Blurb: “Following the Turbulence Training plan requires only three 45-minute belly fat burning workouts per week, while giving you more days off to enjoy your life, spend with your family, or to take part in other hobbies and activities.” Read Our Turbulence Training Review Visit the Turbulence Training Homepage
	Fit Yummy Mummy Average User Rating: Website Blurb: Workout in only 15 minutes No gym membership -Workout At Home Forget boring, long cardio sessions Get more energized Read Our Fit Yummy Mummy Review Visit the Fit Yummy Mummy Homepage
	The Fitness Model Program Average User Rating: Website Blurb: • Train like a Fitness Model™- Get max results in minimum time from working out smarter, not harder! • Look like a Fitness Model™- Not only will you turn heads, but you will break necks! • Create a beauty regiment like a Fitness Model™ • Learn how to banish cellulite forever- it is possible! Read Our Fitness Model Program Review View the Fitness Model Program Homepage

Other Tony Horton Programs

	Power 90 Average User Rating: Website Blurb: Fat burning Total-body sculpting Focused on abs, thighs, and upper body Predecessor to Power 90 Read Our Power 90 Review Purchase the Power 90 Program
	Power Half-Hour Average User Rating: Website Blurb: Ab Burner Thigh Trimmer Bun Shaper Arm Toner Stretch Read Our Power Half-Hour Review Purchase the Power Half-Hour Program
	10 Minute Trainer Average User Rating: Website Blurb: Includes 5 Incredible 10 Minute Workouts Resistance Kit – Includes Resistance Band plus Power Cardio Belt Customized workout calendar Rapid Results Guidebook & Tony Horton’s 10-Minute Meals On-the-Go Workout Cards & 10-Day Lean Jean Plan Read Our 10 Minute Trainer Review Purchase the 10 Minute Trainer Program

Turbulence Training Review

Our Rating: 4/5
Avg. Customer Rating: 5/5

Overall Thoughts: I really liked Turbulence Training as home fitness. I hate going to the gym (that’s why I’m here, right? ) but my biggest complaint about home fitness programs is that they are usually pretty boring! So when Dorian asked me to do a Turbulence Training review, I  knew it had to be fun to keep my interest.

I actually really liked the workouts. They were really creative and kept me on my toes most days. I’m a runner, I’m not big on resistance workouts and lifting weights.  So I really liked the body weight exercises since they kept my workouts interesting.

Click Here To Visit The Turbulence Training Homepage

There’s one other thing I look for in a workout routine and that is how it’s designed. I hate those “Ab rollers” and “Ab lounges” that you see on TV late at night because they aren’t based on real science. They promise miracles without any science behind them. I want real results.

To meet my expectations for this Turbulence Training review, TT was going to have to be super effective. I didn’t want to see any “fluff”. I wanted all muscle building and fat burning or I was going to throw it away (can you tell I don’t have a lot of patience for “fake fitness”?).

Did It Live Up To My Standards?

Surprisingly, it did. It’s a really solid, well designed program. But, just to keep this Turbulence Training review perfectly clear, I do have one warning.

Kevin’s Word of Warning: Turbulence Training is really well done, but you have got to work. It’s well designed but there is no wiggle room for skipping steps. You need to be willing to stick with your routine and see it through the end. This isn’t a program for those who don’t think they have the will power to see it through. It doesn’t promise magic, it’s just really well designed for fat burning and muscle building. So don’t expect to get out anything you don’t put in.

Click Here To See Turbulence Training In Action

So, that part out of the way, I know some of you have to be wondering:

Turbulence Training Review Downsides?

Yes, I had one complaint. There are so many different workouts and possibilities that come with it that sometimes it’s hard to find the proper structure. I don’t like a lot of options, I’m like a horse that needs blinders. If you give me too many options, I’ll want to do everything at once.

That might not be a big complaint for some people but I don’t need anything else overstimulating my ADD .

Turbulence Training Review Final Judgment:

I recommend Turbulence Training. I have to say, I liked it. It’s designed really well and comes with enough unique exercise routines that it’s hard to get bored. I had a good time doing the workouts and entertaining me with fitness is hard to do. I wish it were a little more concise with the way it’s organized, but the science is good and it’s a really solid program overall.

Final Rating:  4/5 Stars

Click Here To Visit The Turbulence Training Homepage

Next Page »