ME ~ WE

The start of a new year brings a brand new outlook. A desire to change for the better. Optimism reigns while negativity cowers...temporarily. It's almost impossible not to have some sort of newfound hope and energy come January one. We look for ways to step up, so it's out with the old and in with the new. Bad habits and vices are put on hold, while plans to improve unfold. This ritual has been going on since the beginning time. We use the start of the new year to sweep our mistakes and shortcomings under the rug, so we can begin to work on becoming better people. We look at this fresh start as a means to become better humans. Happier, healthier more productive humans. Most New Years resolutions are personal. We look inside, search for flaws and make plans to improve ourselves. We want to exercise more because we know it the right thing to do. Some will stop smoking "for real" this time. You tell yourself that you're going to build that MDB business and become financially independent this year. These are I, me, mine resolutions.

Not that there's anything wrong with this, but most people's ME intentions and resolutions rarely get past March 1st. There are exceptions, and we've seen plenty of them right here in BeachBody Land. Hundreds of thousands of people have started their health and fitness journeys with Power 90 or P90X, and keep on going. Thousands are now reaping the benefits from building their MDB businesses. I salute you! I'd like to propose that you also try a little something else this year. I'd like you to consider being a better human being by helping other human beings. Instead of looking inward, how about going outside of the ME box and see if you can find someone or maybe a group of people to help. Rumor has it that altruism is the easiest and fastest way to find inner peace, happiness, joy and purpose. Serve others and in turn you serve yourself. When it's not about you, the pressure to change your life vanishes. Make this year's resolution count for something by helping someone other than you.

If you want satisfaction from your resolution then I recommend finding an organization that needs your help. I'm talking about getting involved with something other than fitness and your MDB business. Your business certainly helps your friends and family, but it's not charity work. Helping inform others about health and fitness can be tricky because it's critical that your advice is well received. Nobody wants health-help if they're not ready for it. Real charity work changes the world. When you change the world, you change yourself. It takes more than writing a check to www.TunaHAKI.org. I'm talking about seeking a cause and making contact with the people who need the help, or the folks out in the field doing the work. Everything from TreePeople (they plant trees) to church groups who help the homeless. Do you care about animals, the environment, clean local parks or rehab for Veterans coming back from Iraq? The really cool thing is that when you get involved with charities, you're not obligated 7 days a week like personal resolutions. Most organizations just need help 2 or 3 times a month. Do yourself and the planet a favor and see if you can focus less on ME and more on WE.

Peace,

Tony

What The World Eats

Germany : The Melander family of Bargteheide
Food expenditure for one week : 375.39 Euros or $500.07 Favorite foods: fried potatoes with onions, bacon and herring, fried noodles with eggs and cheese, pizza, vanilla pudding

United States : The Revis family of North Carolina
Food expenditure for one week : $341.98 Favorite foods : spaghetti, potatoes, sesame chicken

Japan : The Ukita family of Kodaira City
Food expenditure for one week : 37,699 Yen or $317.25 Favorite foods : sashimi, fruit, cake, potato chips

Italy : The Manzo family of Sicily
Food expenditure for one week : 214.36 Euros or $260.11 Favorite foods: fish, pasta with ragu, hot dogs, frozen fish sticks

Great Britain : The Bainton family of Cllingbourne Ducis
Food expenditure for one week : 155.54 British Pounds or $253.15 Favorite foods : avocado, mayonnaise sandwich, prawn cocktail, chocolate fudge cake with cream

Kuwait : The Al Haggan family of Kuwait City
Food expenditure for one week : 63.63 dinar or $221.45 Family recipe: Chicken biryani with basmati rice

Mexico : The Casales family of Cuernavaca
Food expenditure for one week : 1,862.78 Mexican Pesos or $189.09 Favorite foods: pizza, crab, pasta, chicken

China : The Dong family of Beijing
Food expenditure for one week : 1,233.76 Yuan or $155.06 Favorite foods: fried shredded pork with sweet and sour sauce

Poland : The Sobczynscy family of Konstancin-Jeziorna
Food expenditure for one week : 582.48 Zlotys or $151.27 Family recipe : Pig's knuckles with carrots, celery and parsnips

United States : The Caven family of California
Food expenditure for one week : $159.18 Favorite foods: beef stew, berry yogurt sundae, clam chowder, ice cream

Egypt : The Ahmed family of Cairo
Food expenditure for one week : 387.85 Egyptian Pounds or $68.53 Family recipe: Okra and mutton

Mongolia : The Batsuuri family of Ulaanbaatar
Food expenditure for one week : 41,985.85 togrogs or $40.02 Family recipe: Mutton dumplings

Ecuador : The Ayme family of Tingo
Food expenditure for one week : $31.55 Family recipe: Potato soup with cabbage

Bhutan : The Namgay family of Shingkhey Village
Food expenditure for one week : 224.93 ngultrum or $5.03 Family recipe: Mushroom, cheese and pork

Chad : The Aboubakar family of Breidjing Camp
Food expenditure for one week : 685 CFA Francs or $1.23 Favorite foods : soup with fresh sheep meat

Horton Holiday Travel Tips

People commonly fall off the fitness wagon during holidays. Don't do it! Prepare with these pre-trip tips to help you enjoy a healthy holiday celebration:

Pre Trip Prep Tip:
Pack Smart. Bring your resistance bands, a jump rope, healthy protein bars and a sturdy leak-proof empty (for security reasons) water bottle.

At the Airport:
Take the stairs often. Escalator schmescalator!!! Use the stairs whenever possible. If you’ve got a long lay over – climb a long staircase a couple of times or powerwalk through those terminals. Your legs will love the release after being cramped up, back in coach.

Fly the Hydrated Skies:
Pack the empty water bottle with your carry-on (you can fill it after you pass security). Airplane air is desert-dry. Much of the “jet lag” people experience is actually dehydration. So indulge in the H2O before, during and after your flight and you’ll be amazed at how much better you feel.

Pack the Protein:
Eating several small healthy meals througout the day is key to good nutrition, and almost impossible to do when travelling – unless you bring your own. So stash some healthy bars in your carry-on, and even if the flight is turbulent, your blood sugar won’t be.

While Visiting:
Sweat it out. Exercising at least 20 minutes a day is a great way to burn off the family stress. You can do plenty with resistance bands, your rope and a sturdy chair – so get creative! Can you say UML? It’ll keep your mood up and your weight down.

Check the Holiday Cheer:
Holiday drinks such as eggnog, peppermint schnapps, hot rum and the like are loaded with calories. If you treat them as deserts in liquid form, you’ll have fewer surpises the next time you step on the scale.

Get Jerky:
Healthy between-meal snacks may be even harder to find at your relatives than at the airport! So have plenty of those protein bars available and try stashing some natural Turkey Jerky in your parka in case of emergencies. Reaching for them before the chocolate or fruit cake will keep your appetite (and your mood) at an even keel.

Happy Holidays!

P90X+ Hybrid Workout

I was talking with the ripped wonder Mark Briggs today and he was telling me about his new P90X+ hybrid configuration. He shared it with some folks at an MDB event, and I asked him to send it to me so more of you could see it. Looks like P90X+ will be available just before Christmas, so with a little help from Mark you'll know how to mix and match it with P90X.

Thanks Mark!

The Warmup:
1. Burpee Salutations (6 cycles)
2. Side Lunge Reach Back (stationary feet loading dock w/Bella twist) 30 sec per side
3. Squat Rock and Reach (15 reps)
4. Walking Crescent Lunges (1 minute)
5. No Pushup Divebombers
6. Swimmer Sprints (belly to back, every 10 reps for 1 minute)
7. The Cyclone (tip toes - 30 sec. each direction)
8. Run - Jack - Twist (1 min. total - 20 seconds per phase)

The Workout:
1. Iso-Climber Pushup (hold plank/chaturanga/knee to forehead) 1 minute
2. Standing X-Crunch (10 per side)
3. Mr. Moon (switch front/reverse) 30 seconds per leg
4. Jab/Cross (30 seconds per side)
5. Pushup O’Crunch - 1 minute
6. Scorpion Plank w/Twist (10 reps per side) from plank or forearms
7. Sumo Chair - 1 minute
8. Hook/Uppercut - 30 seconds per side
9. Combat Pushup - (military iso - left/center/right) 1 minute
10. Banana Mason - 1 minute
11. Hortonhead Hammers - 1 minute (turn/touch the floor/jump)
12. Front Kicks - 30 seconds per leg

****************WATER BREAK - 45 Seconds**********************

13. Frog Pushups - 1 minute
14. Warrior Bow (10 reps per side)
15. Russian Rubel Squat (15 per side)
16. Briggs Kicks - 30 seconds per side (side speed kicks)
17. Spiderman Pushups - 1 minute
18. Spread leg banana cannonball - 1 minute
19. 4 Position Squats - (close/medium/wide/super wide) 1 minute
20. Surfer Twist Jumps - 30 seconds
21. Kid Play (2 reps per position) 1 minute
22. Cherry Bomb - 1 minute
23. Squat Knee Raise - 30 seconds
24. The Gladiator - 30 seconds per side (show mod. Without jump)

The Cooldown and Stretch: 5 minutes of light cardio and stretching