The Retrospective

With the announcement of the 2003 Beachbody® Awards last week, it seemed like a good time take stock for a moment. 2004 is going to be a big year at Beachbody.com™. We have a lot on our slate, foremost being P90X®, which we believe is going to change the face of home fitness forever. That and a new Yoga Booty Ballet™ series are just the tip of the iceberg. But before we step forward, let's take a look at where we've been.

Remember when Beachbody.com only had one workout program? This article, along with the posts that follow, are from the year we launched the Message Boards. We had no idea what to expect. We just needed a place to answer some of the most frequently asked questions we were getting once Power 90^® was launched. What we found instead was an entire community of people committed to changing their lives. In all my years in the fitness industry, it was—and continues to be—one of the coolest things I've ever been involved with. And these sentiments have been echoed by Tony, Debbie, Melinda, and Denis.

Hope your New Year's resolution is still intact—but even if it isn't, read on and you'll be ready to make a new one.
Happy New Year!

Steve

Get in the Arena
By Steve Edwards

"It is not the critic that counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles. Or where the doer of deeds could have done better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, and comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement. And at worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat." -- President Theodore Roosevelt, "The Man in the Arena," Paris, 1910

As we head towards 2002, we can't help but reminisce about what a wild 2001 it was: a chaotic presidential election, a crashing economy and, of course, September 11th. It was a year more volatile than anything since the 1960s: a year that permanently altered the course of modern civilization. A year marked with enormous loss, ghastly tragedy, but also a year that has come to a close with a glimmer of hope for the future. Our planet's future: a feeling that all this, in the end, will have been for a reason. That perhaps these actions will result in a more united world, one where people become more tolerant of each other, more understanding, more compassionate. And if this succeeds in unifying the planet, in opening impassable borders, in less hatred, less violence, and more freedom, then perhaps history will rewrite the long-term effects of 2001. Perhaps instead of being remembered as the year the world fell apart, it can become the year the world finally learned to stand together.

Joseph Campbell talks about how in saving yourself, you save the world. How each of us, in our own daily existence, be it ever so insignificant, plays a major role in the shaping of our planet, our society, and our future. At Beachbody.com, it has been such a year. In the midst of all the tragedy, we have seen much triumph; people who have overcome long odds to change their lives; to reshape not only their bodies, but their minds, their lives, and the lives of others around them.

A little more than a year ago we launched Power 90, and It's been less than a year since we launched the Beachbody.com message boards. To see the transformation and effect that one exercise program and a public forum can have on a group of people has been something far beyond what we dreamed possible. To see our fellow members commit to changing their lives has been inspirational. To see their success; to see their failures, to see them get up and get right back into the fight for self-improvement, has been an incredible experience. All along we wanted to give people an easy and cost-effective way to find the shape they once had or had always wanted to be in, and to discover the benefits that fitness has to offer. But what we have seen goes far beyond individuals doing some exercise and watching what they eat.

We've seen people change their habits for the better, for good. Not only in the way they look, but also in the way they feel and act. We've seen many people get back into shape like they were in high school or college. But we've also seen people who were suffering from serious illnesses get well, injured people regain movement they thought they had lost forever, obese folks actually get thin, and others who had never exercised in their lives find out that there is a whole new world of possibility when they take care of their body.

It's been a wonderful journey, and it's only just beginning. For 2002, it will be business as usual for us, trying to help folks realize that every day is an opportunity for even greater achievement. We'll provide the support, so there is only one thing standing in your way—you.

Now is the time to take that step, to realize your dreams, to get yourself into the fitness arena.

To help you into the New Year, we have gathered some inspirational work from some of the greatest leaders in the world. And where did we find this talent pool? From you, our fellow members. You are the ones that make this program work; and that is what makes this newsletter so meaningful. Thank you for taking a little journey with us. And keep it up! Our best is yet to come, because so is yours!

The 2001 Best of the Boards

Certainly we have missed many great posts. These were chosen for various reasons, mainly to show some different reactions to common situations. All of the posts below can be found in their entirety on the "2001 Best of the Boards" section of the message boards at Beachbody.com.

This is our letter of the year. It needs no introduction.

What Power 90 has done for me... Let me start from the beginning. I have always been overweight but I usually stayed close to the 300 lb mark. I handled my weight pretty well; it has never been too much of a problem for me. But then last year everything changed. I found out I had colon cancer. I can't tell you how I felt, I was only 35 at the time. Well to make a real long story short I had surgery and six months of chemo. After all was said and done, I found myself in the worst shape ever. I had gained about another 70 lbs. I felt horrible and I looked it. My body started to fall apart on me; there wasn't much I could do. Even putting on a pair of socks became almost impossible.

The chemo left me tired and weak. I wanted to do something but couldn't. I had to wait for my therapy to end and for my body to return to its normal state. In this time more health issues arose. I had sleep apnea, which caused me to fall asleep and be tired all the time. That did not help my situation. I was given a machine to help me breathe at night. I hated wearing this thing. I felt like I was losing control of my life. That is when I found Power 90 and decided to do something about my health.

I have just completed my 90 days and boy was it hard for me. When you're used to eating five cheeseburgers, a large fries and shake for lunch, this was a rude awakening for me. But I have stuck with the program the best I could. I am so happy that I did—I have lost 33+ lbs and 26 inches. But, more than just the weight loss, Power 90 has somehow transformed me on the inside. I found myself wanting to do things that I couldn't do when I was heavier. I have starting taking karate and I bought myself a bike. I haven't ridden a bike in over 15 years. O.K. I have to confess, I only ride at night; I'm still working on the day part.

I'm starting to feel good about myself and that's something that I haven't felt in a very long time. I have just recently quit smoking. I have a great fiancé who supports me in anything I do. Everything in my life is finally coming together. I no longer use that machine to help me breathe—that was one of my first accomplishments. That alone was worth the effort for me.

I would like to thank the people at Beachbody.com and Tony Horton for creating such a wonderful program.Starting this program was the best thing I have ever done for myself. Jon, I would also like to thank you for the emails you sent me—they really helped a lot. And last but not least, thank you to everyone in the Power 90 club who helped me tremendously. I could not have done this without your support.

Thank you all.
Alex (Astrabinick)
San Jose, CA

P.S. I am starting the program again for another round. Jon, save me a spot in your 2002 infomercial.

Since the posting below, we have had many similar ones. It's amazing how exercise can change your life. You substitute one habit with another. Just make sure it's a good habit and you're all set!

Power 90 Helped Me Quit Smoking... After smoking a pack a day for 10 years, I decided that the day my Power 90 tapes arrived would be the day I put down the cigarettes. And today, I am officially on day 33 of not smoking! Thanks for giving me an alternative addiction: working out! Nothing takes the edge off of a nicotine crave like winding yourself with exercise. So far, I am down from 197 pounds to 184. Quitting smoking will not make you gain weight if you're following Power 90. Now if I could just move up to the 3/4 tapes...:)

Scooter

Obviously, many people are skeptical about anything they buy off of TV. This post was from earlier this summer when we were growing so fast that we couldn't keep up with our customer service lines, probably making many people ever more suspicious:

You can't put a price on feeling good about yourself... Nobody wants to believe an infomercial pitch. We all wonder whether we're about to be ripped off when we call an 800 number.

And if you ever tried to get through to the Beachbody customer service line, you might wonder if even these people are legit. But, after around 50 days, all I can say is finally someone is selling an approach that gets results—rather than some bulls*** quick fix that doesn't work. And the way they say it in the book is right—if you do it, this program works. I did take the supplements and I am a guy, so I can't respond to your other questions, but if you've ever wanted a straightforward program to follow, this is the one. Supplements or not. After you follow the routines for a couple of weeks you'll have them memorized. I've actually started to work out at the gym again on strength training days because I feel good about myself. They sell bands that fit in a suitcase, so that should work perfectly for you. The diet program they describe is pretty limited—which is kind of good. All they're really telling you to do is make sure you burn more calories a day than you eat. (I've got my own system of eating cereal for dinner—but that's a whole other story.) I think the bottom line to this program is that, in around a half hour, you get a dose of exercise that hits everything. The trick is to stay with it (and around day 30, that got easier for me). I've never liked working with trainers or doing aerobics, but this program gave me the benefits of both without embarrassing me in a class situation or wasting my money on a trainer. I think if you asked other people on this board they would say the same thing. The key is how much effort you put into the program. But once you see the results, how much you spent on the program will be a distant memory!

Hope that helps.
Dennis

This is part of a great thread on discipline and diet. We chose it because it's about such a common problem and emphasizes the importance of being able to take things gradually. No one does all of Power 90 without struggles, without cheating, without falling off our plan at least a few times. Life isn't like that. It's more like: do your best, fail, get up and try again. That's what makes you successful at anything in life, and Power 90 is no exception. What we try and get across is this: what is failure, anyway? So you don't lose all the weight you wanted, you only increase your strength 20% instead of 30%, you get down to a size six instead of a four? Is that failure? Hardly! With Power 90, the only possibility of failure is to quit. It's the most win-win situation that you can imagine.

Wish we all had the answer to the diet question...

Bottom line, it is all about control. If I had control, I wouldn't be doing P90X. I too struggle with diet each and every day. I think the point is to do a little better every day. Turn down that cookie and walk away thinking that you are so proud of yourself because you just showed control. Lately, I have been asking myself if I really want that second helping of something; am I going to die without it? It is that drastic. The answer of course is always no and the urge soon disappears. If you decide to try something like the Formula or Michi's Ladder, don't bounce around; stick with it for at least a couple weeks to see if it works for you. I think my difficulty has been that with the payoff of exercising and being faithful, I think I should be able to eat the things I want. Not true. I am still working on telling myself that I want that apple instead of that bag of chips. You can do it. These boards are proof that it can be done. You fit in just like the rest of us.

Power On Miss NYC!!
Treana
P90+, Day 4 Rockytop
Wichita, KS

This is from a very different thread altogether. It shows a much more technical aspect of what we do. This guy used to run all the time and had a lot of trouble giving it up. It's a very common problem for many, trying to commit to something totally different from what they are used to. They do not like being out of their comfort zone. When it comes to exercise, many people are used to feeling a certain way. When they don't feel that way, they feel something isn't right. This man had such a hard time giving up running, yet look at the changes he went through once he did!

What a change NOT running has made...! It is amazing how much better I am doing in the circuit training now that I have cut back my running. For years I tried weight lifting but I would always give up after a couple of weeks because I just never had the strength or stamina to keep it up. All this time it has been because of the running!

Too much running! I have also found that this program has really helped me to focus on my eating habits and WOW have I learned a great deal. I am almost 6'5" and have a very active and physical job. At the beginning of this program I weighed about 185 (I am on day 30). I have actually gained weight (nine pounds) and I am feeling great. My clothes fit better, I am not fatigued which I have been fighting for years, and I just feel better overall. I have been keeping track of my calories and realized that I was eating (on my best day) only about 1,000 calories, mostly carbs! I was skipping breakfast and lunch and then eating a ton of carbs for the rest of the evening. This has been my eating routine for years. I am now having breakfast, lunch, dinner and some healthy snacking in between. I have some carbs still (a healthy amount) and I have even cheated once or twice. My energy has improved a great deal, no more fatigue, and I really do not miss the extra running. I read on one of these posts how many calories a person my size could consume and the light went off in my head. I have wanted to gain weight as long as it was going to be in proportion to my body, now it seems to be happening. My body is looking better after this first month and I am very optimistic about the next two Power 90 months ahead. I wish I had taken a picture of myself on day 1. I think day 90 will prove to be a real transformation. Thank you fitness advisor, I could have used you about 20 years ago.

Tuck
Columbus, OH

The boards are also rife with humor. This response was one of many to one of our most sarcastic threads, posted below. It is another that is beyond need of introduction!

Note: Below is a post from Gin, day 4. Wow! Anyone that's spent any time on our boards probably knows that not only has she lost far in excess of 100 pounds, but that she's become a bastion of fitness knowledge as well. Shoot, she even covers for me when I'm late for me chats. Thanks, Gin!

:( ARGH...

And here I thought I was actually going to get through the day without anyone making me laugh hard enough to spit soda on my desk!

Geeeeee thanks guys! ;)

Virginia
Anchorage, AK
P90+, Day 4 :)

Warning! Do NOT do this program...!

Let me explain.

I ordered the Power 90 program, the resistance bands, and some supplements. I did the program faithfully, and only skipped a few days because of the flu and some minor surgery.

Now, the program is over and I have some big problems with the results. They are as follows:

1. My Clothes Don't Fit Anymore

My pants are now so loose that they constantly slide down, even though I have my belt tightened as much as possible. If I'm not careful, I'll get busted for indecent exposure! My pants used to fit fine—well, I did have to suck in my gut a lot to snap them—but at least they weren't falling down.

That's not the half of it. I'm having problems with my shirts, too. Even though I'm 17 pounds lighter, my shirts are now so tight around the chest and shoulders that I hear little ripping noises whenever I stretch or raise an arm. Not good!

I have to buy a new wardrobe now! Thanks a lot, you guys! (That was sarcastic, in case you didn't notice.)

2. I Don't Like My Favorite Foods Anymore

I used to snack on candy bars and soda at work, because they were readily available from the machines in the cafeteria. Now, when I want snacks, I have to go to the store and get my own fruit and bottled water to bring to work! Big hassle, you guys!

The other day, I tried to eat a miniature candy bar and had to spit it out because it tasted too sweet. Do you know what I want for dinner now? Forget burgers and fries! Now, it's spinach, peas, and chicken! B-o-r-i-n-g!!!

Not only did you ruin my wardrobe, you ruined my taste in food! That's TWO strikes, buckos!

3. You Made Me Work Hard

You could have given me a jar of mystery chemicals that, when taken with a glass of water just before bedtime, would have magically burned off pounds when I slept and allowed me to sit on my duff all day and eat pizza, candy bars, and six-dollar burgers... but N-O!!!

You had to make me work for it! Yeah, I was so uncoordinated and out of shape when I started that I couldn't get through the level 1-2 cardio tape without frequent breaks, and now I can get through the level 3-4 tape and all 200 ab crunches with no breaks, but that's not the point! I wanted gimmicks and empty promises! I didn't want to hear "diet and regular exercise"! That's too simple!

Let this be a warning to you, all potential Power 90 customers. Do you want your clothes to fit funny? Do you want to get stuck with eating food that's actually good for you? Do you want to work like a dog almost every day for the next three months!

If the answer to any of these questions is "No," then don't order this program!

That is all.
Arnie