I am so excited for the next volume in the P90X series to be released this month! Why am I excited? Because Tony is taking everything that he has learned with Power 90, P90X, P90X2, and P90X3… and going back to basics with P90. P90 is a beginner program that is for BEGINNERS! The workouts are simple (ONLY 25 MIN), the nutrition is simple, ANYONE can succeed with this program. I can not tell you how many times I have talked to people that are intimidated by “X” for Extreme in P90X, but now you don’t have to be. This program is going to help a LOT of people!

HOW CAN I GET P90?

P90 will be available later this September, be sure to register here to be first to get your copy!

 

WANT TO SEE AN EXAMPLE OF P90 IN ACTION? (Notice the age range? You can do this!)

 

WHAT RESULTS CAN I EXPECT?

I must say the results I have already seen from the pilot are impressive! Jamie lost 47 pounds in 90 days!

Recently I have been studying personality types so I can make a better connection with my clients, and as part of this I took a personality test from the book Personality Plus. I am finding the study of personalities very interesting and helpful in understanding behavior. After reading through the book Personality Plus by Florence Littauer, there are four basic personalities. Our personalities are comprised of a mixture of these personalities, but there is usually a dominant and sub-dominant personality. After we took the personality test, I found the profile to be very accurate, and found myself relating closely to the description of my personality. The book is even accurate down to describing a few of my strong interest and hobbies!

The four personality types are Popular Sanguine, Powerful Choleric, Perfect Melancholy, and Peaceful Phlegmatic. The personality test and a brief description are provided below; however, I recommend reading this book to learn more about the personality profiles. I think you will find it very helpful in all interactions- work, friends, family, and your kids.

The four personalities as described here

Popular Sanguine:

The sanguine temperament is traditionally associated with air. People with this temperament tend to be playful, lively, sociable, carefree, talkative, and pleasure-seeking. They may be warm-hearted and optimistic. They can make new friends easily, be imaginative and artistic, and often have many ideas.They can be flighty and changeable; thus sanguine personalities may struggle with following tasks all the way through and be chronically late or forgetful. Pedagogically, they can be best reached through awakening their love for a subject and admiration of people.

Powerful Choleric:

The choleric temperament is traditionally associated with fire. People with this temperament tend to be egocentric and extroverted. They may be excitable, impulsive, and restless, with reserves of aggression, energy, and/or passion, and try to instill that in others.

They tend to be task-oriented people and are focused on getting a job done efficiently; their motto is usually “do it now.” They can be ambitious, strong-willed and like to be in charge. They can show leadership, are good at planning, and are often practical and solution-oriented. They appreciate receiving respect and esteem for their work.

Pedagogically, they can be best reached through mutual respect and appropriate challenges that recognize their capacities.

Perfect Melancholy:

The melancholic temperament is traditionally associated with the element of earth. People with this temperament may appear serious, introverted, cautious or even suspicious. They can become preoccupied with the tragedy and cruelty in the world and are susceptible to depression and moodiness. They may be focused and conscientious. They often prefer to do things themselves, both to meet their own standards and because they are not inherently sociable.

Pedagogically, they can be best met by awakening their sympathy for others and the suffering of the world.

Peaceful Phlegmatic:

The phlegmatic temperament is traditionally associated with water. People with this temperament may be inward and private, thoughtful, reasonable, calm, patient, caring, and tolerant. They tend to have a rich inner life, seek a quiet, peaceful atmosphere, and be content with themselves. They tend to be steadfast, consistent in their habits, and thus steady and faithful friends.

Pedagogically, their interest is often awakened by experiencing others’ interest in a subject.

People of this temperament may appear somewhat ponderous or clumsy. Their speech tends to be slow or appear hesitant.

 

Directions: In each of the following rows of four words across, choose the one word that most often applies to you. Continue through all forty lines; be sure each number is marked. If you are not sure which word “most applies”, ask a spouse or a friend, and think of what you answer would have been when you were a child.

 

STRENGTHS 1.____Adventurous 2.____Persistent 3.____Submissive 4.____Considerate 5.____Refreshing 6.____Satisfied 7.____Planner 8.____Sure 9.____Orderly 10.____Friendly 11.____Daring 12.____Cheerful 13.____Idealistic 14.____Demonstrative 15.____Mediator 16.____Thoughtful 17.____Listener 18.____Contented 19.____Perfectionist 20.____Bouncy   WEAKNESSES 21.____Blank 22.____Undisciplined 23.____Reticent 24.____Fussy 25.____Impatient 26.____Unpopular 27.____Headstrong 28.____Plain 29.____Angered easily 30.____Naive 31.____Worrier 32.____Too sensitive 33.____Doubtful 34.____Inconsistent 35.____Messy 36.____Slow 37.____Loner 38.____Sluggish 39.____Revengeful 40.____Compromising	____Adaptable ____Playful ____Self sacrificing ____Controlled ____Respectful ____Sensitive ____Patient ____Spontaneous ____Obliging ____Faithful ____Delightful ____Consistent ____Independent ____Decisive ____Musical ____Tenacious ____Loyal ____Chief ____Plesant ____Bold     ____Bashful ____Unsympathetic ____Resentful ____Fearful ____Insecure ____Uninvolved ____Haphazard ____Pessimistic ____Aimless ____Negative attitude ____Withdrawn ____Tactless ____Disorganized ____Introvert ____Moody ____Stubborn ____Lord over others ____Suspicious ____Restless ____Critical	____Animated ____Persuasive ____Sociable ____Competitive ____Reserved ____Self reliant ____Positive ____Scheduled ____Outspoken ____Funny ____Diplomatic ____Cultured ____Inoffensive ____Dry Humor ____Mover ____Talker ____Leader ____Chart maker ____Productive ____Behaved     ____Brassy ____Unenthusiastic ____Resistant ____Forgetful ____Indecisive ____Unpredictable ____Hard to please ____Proud ____Argumentative ____Nervy ____Workaholic ____Timid ____Domineering ____Intolerant ____Mumbles ____Show-off ____Lazy ____Short tempered ____Reluctant ____Crafty	____Analytical ____Peaceful ____Strong willed ____Convincing ____Resourceful ____Spirited ____Promoter ____Shy ____Optimistic ____Forceful ____Detailed ____Confident ____Inspiring ____Deep ____Mixes easily ____Tolerant ____Lively ____Cute ____Popular ____Balanced     ____Bossy ____Unforgiving ____Repetitious ____Frank ____Interrupts ____Unaffectionate ____Hesitant ____Permissive ____Alienated ____Nonchalant ____Wants credit ____Talkative ____Depressed ____Indifferent ____Manipulative ____Skeptical ____Loud ____Scatterbrained ____Rash ____Changeable

Personality Test Scoring Sheet

Transfer all your marks from the first sheet to this sheet and add up your totals. The words are in a different order on the profile and scoring sheet.

STRENGTHS Popular Sanguine 1.____Animated 2.____Playful 3.____Sociable 4.____Convincing 5.____Refreshing 6.____Spirited 7.____Promoter 8.____Spontaneous 9.____Optimistic 10.____Funny 11.____Delightful 12.____Cheerful 13.____Inspiring 14.____Demonstrative 15.____Mixes easily 16.____Talker 17.____Lively 18.____Cute 19.____Popular 20.____Bouncy   WEAKNESSES 21.____Brassy 22.____Undisciplined 23.____Repetitious 24.____Forgetful 25.____Iterrupts 26.____Unpredictable 27.____Haphazard 28.____Permissive 29.____Angered easily 30.____Naive 31.____Wants credit 32.____Talkative 33.____Disorganized 34.____Inconsistent 35.____Messy 36.____Show-off 37.____Loud 38.____Scatterbrained 39.____Restless 40.____Changeable TOTALS:_____

Powerful Choleric ____Adventurous ____Persuasive ____Strong Willed ____Competitive ____Resourceful ____Self reliant ____Positive ____Sure ____Outspoken ____Forceful ____Daring ____Confident ____Independent ____Decisive ____Mover ____Tenacious ____Leader ____Chief ____Productive ____Bold     ____Bossy ____Unsympathetic ____Resistant ____Frank ____Impatient ____Unaffectionate ____Headstrong ____Proud ____Argumentative ____Nervy ____Workaholic ____Tactless ____Domineering ____Intolerant ____Manipulative ____Stubborn ____Lord over others ____Short tempered ____Rash ____Crafty _____

Perfect Melancholy ____Analytical ____Persistent ____Self sacrificing ____Considerate ____Respectful ____Sensitive ____Planner ____Scheduled ____Orderly ____Faithful ____Detailed ____Cultured ____Idealistic ____Deep ____Musical ____Thoughtful ____Loyal ____Chart maker ____Perfectionist ____Behaved     ____Bashful ____Unforgiving ____Rensentful ____Fussy ____Insecure ____Unpopular ____Hard to please ____Pessimistic ____Alienated ____Negative attitude ____Withdrawn ____Too sensitive ____Depressed ____Introvert ____Moody ____Skeptical ____Loner ____Suspicious ____Revengeful ____Critical _____

Popular Sanguine ____Adaptable ____Peaceful ____Submissive ____Controlled ____Reserved ____Satisfied ____Patient ____Shy ____Obliging ____Friendly ____Diplomatic ____Consistent ____Inoffensive ____Dry humor ____Mediator ____Tolerant ____Listener ____Contented ____Pleasant ____Balanced       ____Blank ____Unenthusiastic ____Reticent ____Fearful ____Indecisive ____Uninvolved ____Hesitant ____Plain ____Aimless ____Nonchalant ____Worrier ____Timid ____Doubtful ____Indifferent ____Mumbles ____Slow ____Lazy ____Sluggish ____Reluctant ____Compromising _____

 

“Strength is seen on the outside, but built on the inside” -Chalene Johnson

How many times have you tried to lose weight with cardio, or gain muscle through strength training? How many times have you started, but then “life gets in the way” and you make a CHOICE not to go to the gym? I have to tell you a secret that I have never told anyone… I was the same way! The first time I started P90X, I was driven for about 6 weeks, then I started to miss a workout, and then two workouts. By the time I was completing my 90 days, I was missing more workouts than I was completing! My results were still good, but I was disappointed because I knew deep down that I could have done better. I then decided to move on to the Insanity workout, and again I started strong, but started to fall off the tracks again. I finally had to take some time and reflect on why I was not finishing the programs? Why was it that I was losing interest? About that time, I picked up a book called “The Slight Edge” by Jeff Olson. This book was recommended a few years ago, but I blew it off and added it to my “list of books to read someday”. Well, I finally decided it was time to read this book, not really knowing what it was about.

Let me tell you, this book changed everything for me, not just with my health. For those that can relate, I am naturally a Perfect Melancholy  personality, which means I tend to be skeptical by nature. I consider myself to be a perfectionist, which really is just an excuse for procrastination. As you can imagine, these traits do not go well when trying to achieve a goal, such as health, fitness, or in business. However, it is through this book that I learned about the Slight Edge. At a high level, the concept is that success is not some single heroic event. We all know you can not workout for a few days and expect to lose 30 pounds or walk out of the gym with the physique of Michelangelo’s David. Rather success is a series of seemingly insignificant decisions repeated daily over time. It is the small daily decisions that either put you on the path to success, or the path to failure. You are either moving up the path of success, or down the path of failure, there is no standing still allowed on this path! The problem is it is easy to do, and easy not to do. Skipping your workout today wont kill you… but that decision compounded over years will.

So what is it going to be?! In ALL things you either make a DAILY choice to take action… or not. Like it or not, both are a choice, both are easy, but only one will move you ever so slightly towards your goals, towards your dreams…

Ultimate Reset Cleanse Review Week 3

Yesterday marked the 21st and final day of our Ultimate Rest cleanse! I must say I have learned a lot in the past 3 weeks… I have broadened my cooking skills, introduced some new foods into my nutrition, and feel that I have taken my health to the next level. Now that’s not to say that this program is easy, in fact it is very challenging. Even though there are no physical workouts during the program, it takes a lot of mental discipline to stick with the nutrition and not allow yourself to give in. This is especially true if you have several vices such as coffee, sweets, or if you are a carnivore by nature, such as my case. However, if you approach this cleanse program with an open mind, are willing to dedicate 3 weeks to your health, then I think you will find the overall experience enjoyable and a great way to get out of a “food rut” and find new foods that you didn’t know you liked to eat!

The great part about the Ultimate Reset cleanse is that the meal plan does not leave anything to chance. The primary focus of the program is the nutrition, and the nutrition guide details everything you will be eating throughout the day. There is enough variety in the plan that I found I was never board and never hungry. In fact, the program has guidelines for snacks as well as larger portions should you find you are not eating enough.

Here is an example of a typical day on the Ultimate Reset cleanse:

Breakfast: Fresh seasonal fruit plate (up to 3 cups)

Lunch: Sweet Potato & Roasted Red Peeper Bisque, Greek Salad with home made Greek Dressing

Snack: Miso Soup & Edamame

Dinner: Quinoa-Lentil Pilaf and steamed broccoli with lemon juice

 

The Ultimate Reset cleanse also focuses on hydration and calls for drinking plenty of distilled water throughout the program. One thing that I found interesting is that distilled water is actually cleaner than purified bottle water. The distilling process strips out all impurities in the water, including necessary minerals. To add minerals back into the water, the Ultimate Reset cleanse includes a Mineralize supplement, which is added to the distilled water. Considering that distilled water is the cleanest water possible, I will continue drinking it after the program.

Summary

In summary, if you are wondering if the Ultimate Reset is right for you, I would give it some serious consideration. I feel that anyone could greatly benefit from the program possibly gaining energy, improved digestion and nutrient absorption, decreased allergies, and better sleep, just to name a few. However, it will take some dedication and everyone in the household needs to be on board. This is a great program, but there is a lot of meal prep that requires some time. I think it would be very difficult to stick to the program if you are making 2 different meals for people in the house, not to mention the temptation. Ideally, if everyone in the house is following the program, the preparation could be split amongst the team, saving some time. I found this to be a great way to spend quality time with loved ones, cooking in the kitchen towards a common goal. I will definitely repeat the Ultimate Reset each spring, cleansing my nutrition program, and restarting fresh with the season!

Find more on the Ultimate Reset here!

 

 

Cleanse with the Ultimate Reset, my personal experience.

Having just completed week 2 of the Ultimate Reset cleanse, I wanted to give those interested an idea of what to expect. Thus far, I have lost about 5 pounds, which really was not my focus as I am looking to maintain my weight at this point. I have noticed quite a difference in a steady energy levels throughout the day, which is a big deal for me. Usually, through the normal day, my energy levels dip around 10am and then again around 2pm. I typically have to drink between 3-4 cups of black coffee and sometimes take a 15 min power nap during lunch. Throughout week 2 my energy has been level through the entire day, without coffee or a nap! I feel that my sleep is a little more restful throughout the night, even though I’m not sleeping any longer, so I am sure that is a contributing factor. We have also improved our food preparation to where dinner and the next days meals usually takes less than one hour. Preparation is really important with this program as there is a lot of chopping! I do find that I still have some cravings on the cleanse that I have to suppress, such as chocolate, bread, or a nice steak!

For week 2 I was concerned about the detox cleanse supplement with the Ultimate Reset cleanse and how it would affect my digestion, The claim is that the detox is gentle on the digestive system, and indeed I found that to be the case. I did not experience any adverse effects. Thus far, I would say we have learned a lot about nutrition and different ways to cook with vegetables that make them more satisfying… this coming from a “meat and potatoes” kind of guy! We are excited to start week 3 and wrap up the Ultimate Reset cleanse!

For video on the Ultimate Reset, click here!

Detox Ultimate Reset Week 1 Review

My wife and I have just completed the first week of a detox program called the Ultimate Reset! The Ultimate Reset is a 3 week program that is categorized as a “cleanse” or “detox”. However, I really consider it to be more than that. It is really about removing all the bad habits that have crept into life over the years and start fresh. It is about giving your body a break from all the toxins it takes in daily. It is about learning how to cook and feed your body. Spring is a time of renewal and a time when life comes out from winter hibernation, so April-May is a great time to start fresh! During the Ultimate Reset the guide recommends removing all stimulants, such as coffee and sugar. I am a big coffee drinker, so about 3 week prior, I started doing a “coffee fade”, cutting back by one cup of coffee per week. On Monday, day 1 of the program I eliminated coffee from my morning ritual. Since it was a gradual cut back, I had a slight headache in the afternoon, but not bad.

As for energy level, I feel that the second and third day were the most difficult, and my energy was up and down while my system re-calibrated. However, by the end of the week, I feel that my energy was leveling out throughout the day. One thing that I did not anticipate with this program is the quality time I’m spending with my family! The Ultimate Reset has a laid out meal plan, so there is no guess work as to what to eat. However, as a result there is more cooking and meal prep that I first anticipated. Since my wife and I are doing the program together, we have been spending a lot of time together in the kitchen! If you are considering doing this program, make sure everyone in your household is on-board and that you have someone to do it with. After going through the first week, I would say that this is critical to succeeding in this program! During the Ultimate Rest, I have also been using the Tai Cheng workout. Click here for the review.

I’m struggling with pull ups… Help!

If you are reading this, then you are likely among the many that struggle with pull ups. You probably ask yourself, why are pull ups so hard for me, but others that are in similar shape can crank out 20 reps, take a break, and crank out 20 more?

Well, I am here to tell you that you are not alone! I too struggle with pull ups, it is not my strong point, and that is okay! All my life, even in school, I was the kid that struggled to get two pull ups during the physical fitness test. In 2011, I started my quest to do at least 10 perfect pull ups, no cheating… at that time I was able to do 1.5 from a dead hang, cheating for the .5! I am proud to say that at the time of this writing, I FINALLY completed 11 clean pull ups, no assistance!

So, what is the secret? A lot of advice will tell you “just never give up” or “just keep trying”… well that is great, but at some point you expect to see progress, right?! If you have been struggling for 3 months, and you are not able to do more than when you started, as was my case, then you need to try something different!

 

Here is the method I incorporated into my workouts to finally reach my goal!

1. Properly warm up! This is CRITICAL as pull ups recruit just about every muscle in your body and a proper warm up will lubricate your joints.

2. If you expect to make progress with pull ups, you MUST learn muscle control. By this, I mean that you must teach your mind that the very first muscle it need to contract is your back lat muscle. This is where the contraction needs to start or you will not get very far. This was my biggest mistake for years as I really wasn’t putting any thought into it, and was just trying to muscle up with all my might. The way I learned this control was to hang from a pull up bar, and then contract ONLY my lats, which I guess you could say would cause a quarter pull up motion.

3. If you are using a program like P90X, as in my case, start out the first reps unassisted and do the best you can. At the beginning of the workout, this is where you will have the most strength and energy. Don’t be afraid to pause the DVD, take a break, and then try and squeeze in one more rep, even if it is only a partial rep, or just learn muscle control described in step

4. If you are like me, the next set you probably will not be able to get much out of it, but give it a shot. Again, pause the DVD if you need to, and this time recruit a chair or a pull up assist device, such as the one below. At this point, I would often concentrate on the eccentric portion, or lowering part of the pull up, making sure to get 8-10 reps.

5. By the 3rd set, you should be pretty wiped out! At this point, I would start the set off with a pull up assist, do my best, and then switch out to using a band to finish out another 8-10 reps.

6. If there is a 4th set, I would typically use a band and do as many reps as I could until failure.

7. Lastly, as I got stronger, I pulled out the middle band of the pull up assist device, thus making the pull up just a little harder.

 

Keep in mind that there are many factors that go into the pull up such as technique, consistency,  and weight. In addition to muscle control, pull ups have a rhythm and mindset… when you are in rhythm, the last thing you want to do is stop and break rhythm. You also must have a positive mindset! If you start your pull up with “I hate pull ups, here we go, I will be lucky to get 2”, then that is EXACTLY what your mind will tell your muscles to do, two! Instead, get in the habit of competing with yourself… “last time I did 1, today is MY day, I’m going to crush my old record and get 2 reps!”

Second, consistency is king! If you are not consistently working on pull ups, then you can not expect to make progress doing pull ups twice a month. Say you are learning to play the guitar, but you only practice for a few minutes twice a month… would you expect to get very far? And if you stop and put down the guitar for 6 months, would you expect to remember everything? Pull ups are no different!

Another obvious factor is weight!  …Have you ever picked up a 20+ pound dumbbell? They are pretty solid and they start to get heavy pretty quick as you go up in weight, right?! Now imagine strapping that 20 pounds to you and trying to do a pull up, which you already struggle with. The more you weigh, be it fat or muscle, the more weight your lats and assisting muscles are going to have to pull… you can be 190 pounds and 10% body fat, and your back is still going to have to pull up 190 pounds vs 170 pounds, no matter the body comp.

Lastly, don’t take yourself too seriously! When I started out, I would get mad and discouraged, and only when I stopped caring did I finally start to progress! When you take it too serious, that is when negative thinking creeps in and progress stops. Everyone has their strengths and weaknesses… be proud of your God given strengths and CONSISTENTLY work to improve your weaknesses.