My Top 7 Single Guy Tips for Staying Happy

Just for the record, I am not an expert on this topic, I merely would like to give you tips that have worked for me, as well as for some of my friends who are living the single life by choice. What I mean "by choice", this simply means not relying on another person to make me or my single friends happy, and truly understanding that in order to be happy, again in my opinion...one must learn how to create happiness within themselves first.

SO LET'S DIG IN SHALL WE!

1.  Read Books - Now I know that this may seem unusual for some of you, and trust me when I say this, I was not the type of person that enjoyed reading as a child, but from my experience, this is something that always kept me busy, meaning it kept my mind occupied and at the same time, I was able to gain knowledge that help me towards my future projects and social skills. I do recommend only reading books that interest you, and believe me, you will know which books are for you or not. Start with 10 minutes or 10 pages a day, and then eventually one book a month =)

2.  Exercise - You're like, "I know this already", and I bet you do, but most people don't do what they already know which is why most single men are not happy. We all know what we have to do, but are we doing these things? From the beginning, I was always a self-motivated person, especially if I have a goal set, but if you are the type of guy that needs constant motivation, or you easily get bored, I would encourage you to find a workout partner, or join a gym. Unlike me, some people need that social environment to workout, and that's okay, just as long as you are working out and being active. There are a lot of free group fitness classes from Crossfit, to P90X, to Dance and even obstacle race training if that's what you're into. Just like reading, exercise will keep your mind occupied and also get you in shape and looking good just in case you end up finding your soul mate.

Hotel Gym Body Beast Workout

I use Beachbody on Demand to help me stay fit around the world, with over $6,000 worth of online workouts, I never get bored! Get a 14 Day Free Trial here!

3.  Find a Hobby - I know that sometimes we get all wrapped up into work and business that we forget about the things that we really love doing. Finding a hobby and doing this every week is something that always helped me get my mind off of the fact that I was single =). As long as your hobby isn't taking over your life or your business, and affecting your work life, then I highly recommend being consistent with it. Sometimes we get bored too, I know, so this is when it might be a good idea to bring  some friends into the mix, or find online groups or meet ups to mingle with others who have the same interests as you.

I started making OCR (obstacle course racing) videos on Youtube for fun back in 2011, now I travel and film races all over the world to benefit charity, watch my videos here

4.  Socialize - Now I wouldn't get too crazy with this one! I think the last thing that any single guy who is trying to be happy should be doing is bar hopping and "pretending" they are happy. Social drinks are always ok in my book, but once you get to the point where you feel that alcohol and drugs is the only way to make you feel happy, you will end up making it worse, and trust me......you will never achieve your goal of happiness as a single guy by going that route. I enjoy occasional drinks especially when I am traveling to different countries, and celebrating success of any kind with some adult beverages is awesome, but once it gets addictive, it will be much more difficult to become truly happy. If you think that you are not fun without alcohol, then maybe you need to find some new friends, just saying =)

Dinner with my friend Laura in Philly who I met traveling in Miami

5.  Eat Healthier - I found that the more crap that I put into my body, the more I felt like crap. Once I began to eat healthier along with daily exercise, something magical happened, I just organically started feeling better and really appreciating things a lot more. Of course if you are not used to eating healthy, it may take some time to adjust and learn, just like any change of lifestyle, it will be tough, but ask yourself this question, "how important is it for you to be happy?" Eating healthy helped me learn to be more creative, and what I mean by this, I had to learn how to budget more, and learn how to make certain ingredients taste good. Once my body adjusted, it was like a whole new world. There are a ton of clean eating and fitness groups to join to help you get started, that's what I did. I know that there are a lot of diet plans and nutrition information out there to easily get you overwhelmed, I recommend starting off by cutting down on your fat and sugar intake, and just take it from there.

Get Samples of the Superfood Shake that I drink daily

6.  Travel - I cannot begin to tell you what independent solo travel has done for me! I think I have learned 100X more by traveling over all of my years in public and financial education institutions. I learned so much about who I am, my talents, and what I am capable of just by traveling and exploring on my own. So many people think that solo travel is scary and boring, but let me tell you from my experience that the people that you meet will be some of your closest friends. I have met so many people from different parts of the world that I can literally call this planet my home. Now I know that solo travel is not for everyone, but how will you know if you don't give it a try?

Bridge Jumping in Ecuador

7.  Start a Business on the Side - I know what you're thinking, "I don't have the money to start a business!!!", well I'm here to tell you that you're wrong. 7 years ago, I started my business with only a $40 investment, and at the time, I only had maybe less than $50 in my bank account. Starting a business can be scary, but it can also be a fun way for you to turn your hobby into a paycheck. Creating an extra income on the side is a lot easier than most people think because get this,  you are in total control of the time that you spend building it. I remember working 3 jobs and starting my online business, I would go on my bathroom breaks and do email follow ups. If I only had 10 minutes to work my business, I simply took full advantage of those 10 minutes. For me, being happy has to do a lot about living life on my own terms. Some people can work a job for 40+ years, I just wasn't that type of person. If you're reading this, just know that you can do more than you think, and starting a small business is VERY possible, you just have to stretch your mind just a bit more. As with all of the above, starting a business will keep your mind sharp and active, and you never know, you may find that special someone.

Spending time with my daughter and working my online business

Connect with me

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So I hope that some of my tips will help some of you. And technically, I guess these tips could also work for some females, so feel free to soak it in girls =). And again, although I am not an expert by any means, and I am still single as I am writing this post, I will have you know that I am super happy and living my life! Yes, I do have my bad days, but the key is to try to stay consistent with the things that I mentioned above, along with surrounding yourself with positive and uplifting people.

There is nothing wrong with the single life. Whether you are single or taken, we are all still human, and it is up to us to create happiness, no one will do this for us, NOT EVEN A SOUL MATE. So go out and live your life!

How to Choose the Best Beachbody Workout for You

With 40 programs and close to 500 workouts worth well over $6,000, Beachbody on Demand, the online workout digital library can get pretty overwhelming. Whether you've been doing Beachbody Workouts for a long time, or if you are just starting out, I just wanted to give you some guidance and some helpful tips that can help you when choosing a Beachbody workout.

Of course there are a few factors that go into choosing the right workout for you to reach your goals. Things to ask yourself would be questions like: What is your current fitness level? What kind of exercise do you enjoy? How much time do you have to workout weekly? Oh and do you have a favorite trainer?

No matter where I am i the world, I will always be your own Personal Coach!

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Below I have categorized some most popular workouts for you according to different fitness levels. Keep in mind that with Beachbody on Demand, there are always new workouts added, so keep checking back, you will never get bored with your workouts ever again! =)

BEGINNER PROGRAMS: (click on title for more information)
- YOUv2 (dance, cardio)
- Country Heat (dance, cardio)
- 3 Week Yoga Retreat (10-30 min per day/21 days)
- Beachbody Yoga Studio (10-90 min workouts)

BEGINNER/INTERMEDIATE PROGRAMS: (click on title for more information)
- 21 Day Fix (cardio)
- PiYo (low impact)
- CIZE (dance, cardio)
- 22 Minute Hard Corps (cardio, strength, muscle building)
- P90 (cardio, strength, muscle building)
- Brazil Butt Lift (cardio)
- Active Maternity (low impact)

INTERMEDIATE PROGRAMS: (click on title for more information)
- Focus T25 (cardio)

INTERMEDIATE/ADVANCED PROGRAMS: (click on title for more information)
- Core de Force (cardio)
- Body Beast (strength, muscle building)
- The Master's Hammer and Chisel (strength, muscle building)
- P90X3 (strength, muscle building)
- Turbofire (cardio)

ADVANCED PROGRAMS: (click on title for more information)
- 21 Day Fix Extreme (cardio, strength, muscle building)
- Insanity Max 30 (cardio)
- Insanity the Asylum (cardio, strength)
- P90X2 (cardio, strength, muscle building)

So I hope this helps you when choosing your next Beachbody Workout. Remember, these are only a few of what Beachbody on Demand offers. BOD also offers what's called "Challenge du Jour" which is similar to a WOD (workout of the day). CDJ simply chooses a workout for you from the full digital library so you don't have to think about it, or get bored with just one certain program. CDJ (Challenge du Jour) is also totally customizable, so if you don't like what the workout of the day is, simply choose your own from the thousands of workouts!

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Live life on your own terms, help people with their goals!

So the next questions is cost? Well, you could purchase a single program which would cost you anywhere from $60-$120, or you get every single program AND every other new program that gets released in the future all for only one low price of $100. There is also a Free Trial so that you can try Beachbody on Demand for 14 days, absolutely free!

WHAT ARE THE BEACHBODY ON DEMAND OPTIONS? What next?
It's really simple, just click here and choose the best option for you - CLICK HERE! 

Most people ask me which option that I highly recommend, and I always say, "the option that is best for you!" But if you want the total package, I recommend the Beachbody on Demand All-Access Challenge Pack, you can check it out here - click here!

WHAT ABOUT FREE COACHING?
I'm glad that you asked =) As soon as you have chosen the best option for you, simply message me here and I can send you an exclusive invite to my Free Online Accountability Group via mobile app. This is a great way to stay motivated and accountable with others who have the same goals as you!

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Gym on San Juan Del Sur, Nicaragua

When I travel, I always try to make a point to look for a nearby gym to get my workout in. While in San Juan Del Sur, Nicaragua, I found a gym called "Fight Club Gym" located just passed the bus pick up and drop off area away from the beach. I don't have the actual address, but you can google it, and it will be easy to find. It's walking distance from anywhere on San Juan Del Sur.

The gym offers MMA training as well as your typical gym weights. They do not have a treadmill, but of course that is what the beach is for. The day pass at the time was only $3 US.

When you arrive, you have to go through the opening towards the back and go right up the stairs, you will then see the gym area which is like in a huge warehouse. There is no A/C so get ready to really break a sweat. I find that these gyms are the best ones to go to because they offer all you need, and nothing fancy, just the basic equipment with a great atmosphere.

I was able to get one workout in while at the Fight Club Gym, so I decided to do the Body Beast Total Body Workout, always a good one!

Other ways to get your workout during your stay in San Juan Del Sur besides surfing is hiking up the hills surrounding the beach. The best hike view is from the Jesus Statue overlooking the town. You can start on a run from your accommodation, and run through the beach and then up to the landmark statue, then back down. It's a very good morning workout.
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San Juan Del Sur, Nicaragua

Overlook from the Cristo de la Misericordia

There are also a few places that even offer yoga and Zumba classes, so there is a little bit for everyone. And as always, you can always workout on the beach or your hotel with Beachbody on Demand, can't go wrong with that!

Get a FREE Trial of Beachbody On Demand - Click here!
(Outside of USA and Canada? Contact me)

BEACHBODY SUPER WORKOUT - Coach Summit 2016 {Nashville}

Watch Quick Video Below

One of the most EXCITING things about attending the Annual Coach Summit Event is the BEACHBODY SUPER WORKOUT! Imagine taking over a city, and filling it up over 10 city blocks to workout with some of the top celebrity trainers in the world! That's what my coach team and I did, along with 25,000+ other Beachbody Coaches.

Broadway Street - Nashville, TN
July 30th, 2016

The Beachbody Celebrity Trainer list included:

- Chalene Johnson
- Sagi Kalev
- Joel Freeman and Jericho
- Shaun T
- Tony Horton
- Autumn Calabrese

Each of these trainers hosted a 12 minute workout showcasing movements from their latest programs including PIYO, Body Beast, Core de Force, Insanity, 22 Minute Hard Corps, and 21 Day Fix.

Join My Coach Team

Total SUPER WORKOUT time was roughly around one hour and 15 minutes. Check out the quick 3 minute video that I created from the event, and feel free to message me to learn how you can partake and join us for the next SUPER EVENT of a lifetime!

Beachbody Super Workout - Coach Summit Nashville 2016

Workout for FREE with Beachbody on Demand (30 Day Trial)

Need more FITNESS MOTIVATION? I can help, message me here! Looking forward to your success =)

Hammer and Chisel Challenge - Week 7

Week 7!!!!!! =)

Day 1, Week 7
Today was Total Body Chisel and 10 Minute Abs followed by a 2 mile cool down run. During week 6 I was taking it a bit easy and just listening to my body. Today I felt strong and lifted heavier than usual. I think that it is very important to listen to your body and not be afraid to modify. It is so easy to over-train during this workout, especially with your legs, so be extra careful with that.

Day 2, Week 7

Not sure if you've been noticing a lot of my posts, but I enjoy working out with nature. I typically just use the workout sheets and rarely use the videos. Now, I do not recommend this unless you are pretty familiar with the movements, and feel comfortable. Today was ISO Speed Hammer, and of course I did the workout at one of my favorite outdoor parks. It started to get a little warmer so the mosquitos were out today, but I solved that problem with spraying some Deep Woods =) Oh, and I need to get rid of some back fat, that's something that I struggle with. 

Day 3, Week 7

I took a REST DAY today =) 

Day 4, Week 7

Since I took a rest day yesterday, I did ISO Strength Chisel today. Not sure if I mentioned this to you, but I am hosting an online accountability group and we post daily assignments to keep each other accountable, which also keeps everyone in the private group motivated to keep moving forward. Today we were asked to share which exercise that we feel we have improved on, and I would say that it has been the "step up holds". It basically is 10 step ups on a bench followed by a 10 second ISO hold (like a pistol squat hold), and you do that 3X =). Legs are definitely being worked during this program, but if you pace yourself, and not go too hard every day, you will see results on the days where you are well rested. If you feel good, then go a little harder, but if your legs are tired, play it safe and modify, then go harder the next day. It sucks to get injured, so play it safe and you will get better results and eliminate set backs. 

Day 5, Week 7

Today I made things a little more interesting. Not only is working out outside with nature super fun, but during my Hammer Conditioning Workout today, I also incorporated a quarter mile run in between sets/rounds. One thing that you may want to know is that there isn't too much cardio with the Hammer and Chisel Program, but it definitely has a lot more than the Body Beast program. I mention this because if you are like me who enjoys endurance sports such as running and obstacle course racing, you may need to continue to run daily to ensure that your level of cardio stays on point. Just like most guys, I tend to start lifting heavier and building more mass (it doesn't take me long to build mass), and whenever that happens, I gain more weight which leads me to run a bit slower. So in order to keep myself lean, I run after or during my workouts to keep that athletic balance and endurance level. 

Click to Watch Video!

Day 6, Week 7

Speaking of CARDIO. Today was Chisel Cardio which is not like your typical cardio workout. When most people think of a Beachbody Cardio Workout, you think of something like INSANITY =) Well, this workout is more like a P90X3 CVX workout, a little bit of cardio, but with the added benefit of using weights, which I love! I think this workout is key because when you combine weight training with cardio, it's more functional. It's also perfect for obstacle course race training where some obstacles require running or some sort of cardio activity with lifting heavy objects.  You will also see in the video below that instead of a pull up bar, I used my TRX Force Suspension. Use what you have, and if you are outside like me, and you see a sturdy branch, go for it, just be super careful! 

Click to Watch Video!

Day 7, Week 7

Total Body Hammer and 10 Minute Hammer Abs today. I was pretty excited that I only had one more week left of Hammer and Chisel. It's been a great program, and my legs have gotten super strong, which is always exciting for me! The cool thing about these Beachbody Workouts is that it's catered to different fitness levels and goals. As for my goal for Hammer and Chisel, it is just to maintain my health and fitness so that I can continue to keep up with the best obstacle racing athletes when I travel on the weekends to film races. When you are running side by side with an athlete that runs 4-5 minute miles, then I have to definitely stay on point with my fitness (strength and endurance), so I thank Beachbody for allowing me to have the flexibility to do my workouts anytime and anywhere, on the go! Hammer and Chisel is definitely one of those programs where you can easily take to the gym, home, or even like I do...outdoors. It's also perfect to incorporate into any other type of training program like OCR (obstacle course race training). Whatever you do, just make it happen =) If you need Free Coaching, motivation and advice from me, feel free to message me, and I can give you some details on my next Hammer and Chisel Online Challenge. I'd love to help you! =) 

Get Hammer and Chisel Workout Sheets here!

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Hammer and Chisel Challenge - Week 1

Hammer and Chisel - Week One

I am documenting my Hammer and Chisel Challenge here on my blog. You can view day by day posts by following my IG or Facebook. This challenge has been everything that I had hoped for. I was looking for something that was similar to the P90X variety, and this falls right into it. The whole idea behind Hammer and Chisel is to get CHISELED. It's about strength and getting shredded. Now don't get me wrong, the program can be perfect for other goals such as: gaining more strength/endurance, becoming a better athlete, getting lean, losing weight, and maintaining fitness. I do not see this as a bulking type of challenge, although there is a lot of lifting weights. I can see how you can bulk easy by lifting more weight, but to be quite honest, so far it seems that there are a lot of reps, so using a lot of heavy weight wouldn't be possible for most people.

Beginners?
As I am going through this program, I am getting my butt kicked! There are modifications provided, but in my honest opinion, I do not recommend this challenge for people who are at beginner fitness levels. I would say that this program is for the hardcore intermediate to advanced. But again, this is just from my experience.

Runners?
As for any program for runners, it's best to do this during your off-season. Coming from Florida, there really isn't much of an off-season, it's more like you have to create your own off-season, which I feel is very important. Over-training is the worst feeling in the world, and I've done this many times. Sometimes you just have to put your ego aside, and just suck it up and take a break. Whether you are doing Hammer and Chisel during on or off season, I would recommend that you run 3-5X per week. I've been running almost everyday, but nothing too hard core. I normally do a one mile (sometimes 1 1/2 mile) warm up before my workout, then another mile or mile and a half afterwards. Depending on how my body feels, I may just do a run in the beginning, and not the end. I will do my longer runs on my Hammer and Chisel rest day which is on Thursdays.

Hammer and Chisel Workout Sheets - Click Here!

So let's go with how my first week went. Here is a quick run down on how my week went, and if you have any questions, feel free to connect with me here.

Day 1, Week 1
The workout was Chisel Balance, and it started out with pistol squats right off the bat which I'm terrible at! I struggled most with the Balance Row Pistol Squat and the Single Leg Dead Lift. It was a great first impression of what was in store for the week, and the next 60 days =).

I did a 1 mile warm up run, and a 2 mile run afterwards.

Chisel Balance - Split Squat Jumps

Day 2, Week 1
In my Online Hammer and Chisel Challenge Group, one of the things that was asked was "What was my goal for the challenge?" and I responded with to maintain my health and active lifestyle, but also work on my abs =) I am also training to gain strength and endurance for my upcoming trip to Nicaragua to film one of the toughest adventure races in the world called the Fuego Y Agua Adventure Run. Workout today was Hammer Plyometrics, another day of butt kicking!

I did a 1.5 mile warm up run, and 1.5 mile cool down run.

Hammer Plyometrics - Just a few exercises from this brutal but awesome workout!

Day 3, Week 1
ISO Strength Chisel was on the menu for today! I did this workout at the park with a fellow Coach and accountability partner Steven. I love the fact that you can do these workouts pretty much anywhere if you have the equipment. I'm traveling right now, so I've been working out at gyms and the outdoors. At home, most people use the workout DVD's and Beachbody on Demand Online Streaming, but I've been previewing the workouts the day before, and using the worksheets at the gym. Do what works best for you, and most importantly, make sure that you are doing the exercises correctly.

After the workout, we did a 1.5 mile run.

ISO Strength Chisel at the park!

Post Workout Meal

Day 4, Week 1
Today was REST DAY, so this is when I do more of my longer runs, but I was so sore from the previous workouts, so I opted to do a short 5K. As always, I believe in listening to your body. I have over-trained a few times during my journey, and trust me, it is not worth it. Put your ego aside, and play it safe, you'll get better results that way.

3+ mile trail run today:

Day 5, Week 1
Today's workout was ISO Speed Hammer. It was a very short workout, but man did it really pack a punch! For the ISO exercises, you basically do 10 reps of a particular exercise with on rep being 1 count followed by a 3 count ISO. After the 10 ISO reps, you finish it with 10 regular reps, which is pretty tough after basically doing the previous in SLO-MO.

ISO Speed Hammer - 10 Chin Ups after 10 ISO's 

Day 6, Week 1
Today was a challenge because earlier I filmed and ran 5+ miles at an obstacle course race called the Muddy Brute Challenge. I'll be honest, I was thinking about skipping out on my workout since I was a bit tired after running all day, but I was good, I took a little rest, then went to the gym later in that evening. If you want to check out the video that I created at the Muddy Brute Challenge, click here.

Chisel Endurance - Incline Press Video 

Day 7, Week 1
Total Body Hammer + 10 Minute Hammer Abs

This was a killer workout because I started getting used to the short workouts, and this one was double the amount of time as the other workouts, plus it was tough! On top of that, I had to do abs lol. I was glad to finish the week off strong. It was definitely a challenge, but that's why it's called a challenge right. Looking forward to week 2, feeling strong.

Total Body Hammer + 10 Minute Hammer Abs 

(Video on Side Delt Raises)

So that was a quick run down of my first week. I'm not sure if I can be as organized with the videos every week, but I will definitely do my best. As always, you can see my posts on IG and Facebook as well. If you would like to join me, or get in on my next Hammer and Chisel Online Test Group, feel free to message me here, and I'll get you started. 

Hammer and Chisel reminds me of P90X, but with all new exercises and a whole different structure in how they schedule the workouts. If you like P90X or even CrossFit style workouts, then you'll love Hammer and Chisel, especially if you opt to doing the workouts at the gym using the worksheets. I basically have the worksheets in my iBooks app, and I keep it handy with me along with a timer app. If you are more into bulking and lifting heavy, then I would go with the Body Beast Challenge. 

Looking forward to sharing more of my journey with you, stay awesome!

Related Links:
Hammer and Chisel Challenge, Week 2, Month One

Hammer & Chisel Online Test Groups Forming Now - Contact me! 

My Strength Marathon Training Program with P90X

My Strength Marathon Training with P90X

I started running back in mid-2011 at the age of 40 years old. Contrary to what some of my friends believe, I was actually never a runner! In fact, just the thought of running made me sick to my stomach. I was always active when I was young, and was involved in extreme sports such as skateboarding, surfing, martial arts, and mountain biking.....but never running!

Things change as you get older, and for people who are in my age bracket, you are either a couch potato or super fit, there really is no in between, at least from what I've seen in my network of friends.

I started running when my brother introduced me into the sport of obstacle course racing, but around that time, someone told me about this marathon in Boston where you had to qualify. After doing my first obstacle course race, I made a decision to make running part of my daily routine. I ended up doing a half marathon even before I did a 5K, and finished with a 1:36 time with an average of a 7:19 pace per mile. I was amazed what my P90X training has done for me because I have never ran before in my life. It's amazing what that program did for me!

I got heavily involved with obstacle course racing in late 2011, and pretty much forgot about my Boston Marathon goal. The main reason why I loved OCR (obstacle course racing) was because it didn't just focused on running. As an OCR athlete, you are required to have overall strength and endurance especially if you want to be competitive. After years of racing and even developing a project to help the sport grow, I am now focused on my Boston Marathon goal once again. I just want to mark it off of my bucket list =)

My passion for Obstacle Course Racing

I continue to be involved in obstacle course racing, and if it wasn't for my love of the sport, I would not have become a runner. I really owe it all to my success with P90X (thanks to my brother), and the sport of OCR. Now I am focused on the Boston Marathon.

I have started a 16 week marathon training program in which I will have run over 600 miles in 4 months. But I will not just be running, I will also be incorporating strength workouts from P90X, Body Beast, and some interval training from various Insanity programs such as Asylum and Max 30. The tricky part about strength training while endurance running is finding the balance. You can't build too much mass or else it will slow your running pace, but you don't want to just run or else you will lose your muscle mass and upper body strength, and that's something that I do not want to do especially if I plan to continue obstacle course racing as well.

I decided to try out the Marathon Training Program from Nike+. The coach programs are absolutely free, and it is very easy to follow. I live a pretty busy life as a Full Time Beachbody Coach, so I enjoy working out and having a program to guide me, so I can think about other things like family, travel, and business. The Nike+ Marathon Training Coach Program fits into my lifestyle, and so far it's doing well. If you are not training for a marathon, there are other training programs for 5K, 10K, and half marathons, so it's great for all fitness levels.

Run a Faster 5K using Beachbody on Demand - Click here!

I incorporate about 3 strength workouts into my week. For the most part, I will normally plan a LEG DAY (such as P90X Plyometrics, Body Beast Build Legs, X3 Triometrics etc) on Mondays. On Wednesdays I do an upper body workout (such as P90X Chest and Back, Body Beast Bulk Chest, X3 the Challenge etc) and then on Friday will will either do another upper body workout or full body interval workout (Asylum Speed and Agility, T25 Total Body, Insanity Max Interval Sports Training etc). On Thursdays which are normally a cross-training day, I will either mountain bike or do some sort of stretching workout (such as P90X X Stretch or X3 Yoga). On Sundays, I will do more stretching and just relax.

A sample of my 16 week Strength Marathon Training Program:
- Monday (Leg Day + Run)
- Tuesday (Run)
- Wednesday (Upper Body + Run)
- Thursday (Cross-train and/or Stretch/Yoga)
- Friday (Upper Body or Full Body Interval Training + Run)
- Saturday (Long Run)
- Sunday (Rest and Recovery/Stretch)

That's just a sample of what my week looks like with my Strength Marathon Training with P90X. I am always listening to my body, so if I am feeling tired or over-trained, I will take a rest day to ensure that I do not injure myself. Recovery is very important to me as I have overtrained in the past many times, and it doesn't feel good at all. Safety first guys! Nutrition also plays a key role (80%) in my training program and I will be drinking my Shakeology along with my normal eating plan of fresh whole foods, lean meats, whole grains, nuts, and lot's of greens, fruit and WATER.

I have never done a marathon before, so I am pretty excited to sign up for my first one after I am done with my 16 week program. After my first marathon, I will see how much I have improved, and then I will go into my 2nd marathon training program which will be a lot more intense with longer runs.

If you would like to join me on Nike+ or workout with me online with either my Free Fitness Group or my Online Challenge Group, feel free to message me, I'd love to run and workout with you! As always, stay active my friends! =)

Running and P90X

Combining Running with P90X

Running is one of the most popular forms of exercise in the world, and combined with one of the most proven and successful workout programs out there, such as P90X, it could be a game changer for any type of runner. This post is to help you create a program that gives you the benefits of P90X without compromising your ability to set your PR (personal record) in your local marathon and even your next obstacle course race and/or fun mud run.

Keep in mind, P90X is not training for running, but if you play your cards right and strategize correctly, it will help your running improve.

What is your type of running?
There are different types of runs and distances. This post will be geared towards the 10K to marathon running distances since the training can be very similar. This post is not intended to tell you what to do with your running, but to help you structure P90X around your current workout schedule.

The Perfect Schedule for a Perfect World
Having an off season is crucial for any athlete. Trust me because I've done this all wrong before with my obstacle course racing, which hardly has an off-season. I continued to train hard every month whilst running competitive. And while I did well for a few months, my performance eventually diminished because of the lack of proper recovery and of course, over-training. Most runners do P90X during their off-season with very little to no running at all. From there, it goes to early season run training with doing the maintenance schedule for P90X. As it gets closer to race season, you'd run into the phase where it would be mostly running and less P90X, then the final phase of just running. But for most athletes, it doesn't happen that way because of "life". This post is mostly about trying to look and feel good, and staying fit (for the beach or a wedding) while still trying to PR for an upcoming race.

Foundation
This is very important. As for anything in life, don't start something that you can't finish. For the most part, you've already started running. So structuring P90X into your running regime is part of your foundation. It's only recommended that you only begin the program if you can structure it properly. If it's to close to the time where you have a race coming up, it's best to wait and do P90X afterwards.

Periodization
Your run training should follow a similar approach to P90X as it should be laid out in phases. For the most part, your running should target your weaknesses well before your scheduled objectives, and then bring your strengths into form close to race time. Unlike the normal P90X schedule, which is highly recommended that you do once you have the time, the schedule below will sacrifice some of the ultimate goals of the Classic P90X in order for you to adapt more quickly and leave you with a lot more energy for the higher volume or running you'll be doing later in the program.

Recovery
The schedule below can get pretty intense depending on your level of fitness. Over-training can cause injury and set you back a few months, so always listen to your body and if it gets too tough, just take a step back or modify it to suit your level of fitness. I know how easy it is to go all hard core, but keep your ego down, and be smart while you're training. You can always go beast mode at the race =)

Putting it all together
The schedule below is just one schedule of many. You may need to adjust it to your schedule. Keep in mind that when you are run training, your speed will most likely decrease because you are creating muscle breakdown in order to improve your capacity to run faster later. This means that you may be a lot slower in the program, but that will all change once you recover and convert your new strength into running speed, you'll be faster.

The Schedule: (please note that you can intermix the P90X Classic workouts with similar X2 and X3)

BLOCK 1 (Weeks 1 - 3)
Day 1: Chest & Back and Ab Ripper X
Day 2: Plyometrics
Day 3: Shoulders & Arms and Ab Ripper X
Day 4: Yoga X
Day 5: Legs & Back and Ab Ripper X
Day 6: Kenpo X
Day 7: Rest or easy aerobic hike and/or X Stretch
Note: No running in the first block is by design. For aerobic work, keep your heart rate way below threshold.

RECOVERY/TRANSITION WEEK
Day 1: Core Synergistics
Day 2: Plyometrics
Day 3: Yoga X
Day 4: Legs & Back
Day 5: Core Synergistics
Day 6: Long aerobic hike or easy run and X Stretch or Yoga X
Day 7: Rest or easy aerobic hike and/or X Stretch
Note: Not a traditional recovery week. An endurance athlete tends to have a different base and should be stressed differently. While the intensity of the first month should be high, the volume is low compared to how much many people run.

BLOCK 2 (Weeks 5-7)
Day 1: Chest, Shoulders & Triceps, Ab Ripper X, and easy run
Day 2: Plyometrics
Day 3: Back & Biceps, Ab Ripper X, and easy run
Day 4: Yoga X
Day 5: Legs & Back and Ab Ripper X
Day 6: Long run and X Stretch
Day 7: Rest or easy aerobic hike and/or X Stretch
Note: The easy runs should be aerobic. The longer run can have some amount of tempo intervals, but should still be considered base mileage.

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RECOVERY/TRANSITION WEEK
Day 1: Core Synergistics
Day 2: Easy run and X Stretch
Day 3: Yoga X
Day 4: Easy run and X Stretch
Day 5: Core Synergistics
Day 6: Long aerobic hike or easy run and X Stretch or Yoga X
Day 7: Rest or easy aerobic hike and/or X Stretch
Note: This should feel like a true recovery week.

BLOCK 3 (Weeks 9 and 11)
Day 1: Chest & Back, Ab Ripper X, and run workout
Day 2: Plyometrics and recovery run
Day 3: Shoulders & Arms, Ab Ripper X, and run workout
Day 4: Yoga X
Day 5: Legs & Back, Ab Ripper X, and recovery run
Day 6: Run workout and X Stretch
Day 7: Rest and/or X Stretch

BLOCK 3 (Weeks 10 and 12)
Day 1: Core Synergistics and run workout
Day 2: Cardio X and run workout
Day 3: Ab Ripper X and run workout
Day 4: Yoga X and run workout
Day 5: Legs & Back and Ab Ripper X
Day 6: Run workout and X Stretch
Day 7: Rest or easy aerobic hike and/or X Stretch

Note: “Run workout” denotes whatever your coach or your own running dictates. It doesn’t necessarily mean a hard running workout. “Easy run” means subthreshold throughout. This should be followed with a true recovery period of yoga, stretching, and easy runs. Follow this with a rigorous running training block that ends with enough time so you can taper off for your event—usually 2 weeks.

P90X2 and P90X3 Options to replace P90X above:
Chest and Back 
- P90X2 Chest, Back, Balance
- P90X3 the Challenge
Plyometrics
- P90X3 Triometrics
Shoulders and Arms
- P90X2 Shoulders and Arms
Yoga X
- P90X2 Yoga
- P90X3 Yoga
Core Synergistics
- P90X2 X2 Core
- P90X3 Total Synergistics
Legs and Back
- P90X2 Base and Back
Kenpo X
- P90X Cardio X
- P90X3 Warrior
Ab Ripper X
- P90X2 Ab Ripper
- P90X3 Ab Ripper

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