Follow Shane as he embarks on the next instalment of his “Naked Training” Series. Taking a detour off the less traveled roads and coming back on to the main throughway of conventional fitness, he undertakes: P90X. Join in as he ventures to more accurately answer questions he is often asked regarding the program and perhaps prove himself wrong of initial impressions!
I think it’s important to experience other formats, good ‘bad’ or indifferent.. I’ve had initial negative responses towards programs that appear unsavory that have turned out delicious.. a few have pleasantly surprised me. It’s important to understand what is being fed to the population ..beachbody distribution certainly gets the word out with a “check with your doctor before trying this and enter at your own risk”, but experiencing gives us info how/why/what people are drawn to pay for the promise of fitness or a hard body. I’ll be really interested to see your take on P90X.
I have a few certifications .. not because I am into collecting certs.. but because I can mindfully choose what I really want to teach with a real experience in knowing the developers and where they are coming from. I am currently condensing to what I really want to teach, but that doesn’t mean to stop learning and staying current. The last 28 years I’ve seen lots of stuff come and go and be improved upon, it’s all part of the evolution. Good luck, have fun, keep it real, you know how to take care of you (my motherly instinct, and kick some p90x butt!) 😉 Kath.
Kat, you are so bang on here and what you say resonates strongly with how I feel as well. What’s interesting for me is to come out of a self imposed 3.5 year intensive, where everything was CST/TACFIT. Diving deep, deep, deep (with so much more to go ; ). Along the way there have been many interesting opportunities and modalities that have peaked my interest. Alot of recommendations by others of things I should check out. I graciously thanked everyone (and my own thoughts of “Hmmmnn..maybe you should try this”), but declined. Not for lack of interest or because I thought everything else was lesser and not worth my time, but because for the first time in my life I was in the midst of pursuing a level of excellence in skill/system that I truly found immense value (I’ve been wanting to do that since I was a kid).
Then this summer, for the first time since, I could feel the shift. I’d reached the point where I had a solid enough grasp, that my continued deepening could progress while stepping outside the cave of intense study. That in fact now it was TIME to step back out. That doing so was integral to the continued deepening. Because, of course, anything in and of itself is amazing. Only when it can qualitatively interact with that which comes from without does it start to be taken to the next level. And with that a deeper understanding of what the masses continue to deal with in their challenges to attaining higher degree’s of fitness and becoming a more effective bridge for people to get there.
Thanks for your insights and sharing your thoughts Kath. I’ve come to know you as someone who truly does walk the walk and while blazing a trail unique to you, having the strength to avoid falling into the trap of the “sheep herd” of trainers that get caught up in the hype.*
*not a slight on my fellow professionals in the health and fitness industry, just an acknowledgment of a culture perpetuated by an industry that dictates what “fitness” is because of the resulting dollar value that will come from what they can get everyone to jump at. Something I hope more and more of us can continue to support each other in changing.
I sensed you had entered a deep reflection, growth and transition phase, need to step out of your element now… Your dedication to the evolution is so inspiring. I foresee rebirth!
and after all – infiltration, imminent! (in fact.. it’s already happening) 🙂
;D
Shane brother!
awesome challenge you’ve set for yrself. I guess the trick will be in not adjusting the program to CST methods, i.e. adhearing to the programs protocols.
Your attribute of ‘humility’ rings deep in that it will help you maintain that ‘beginners mind’ – another challenge as its all to easy to look thru CST eyes at a program and find it wanting.
I look forward to your report back.
Dean
Thanks Dean. : )
Yeah, haha. I think I knew going into this, my greatest challenge was NOT going to be the physical part of it all. It was going to be in trying to stay objective of the program I was going through, while not compromising my education and current understanding of optimal health and fitness (CST being a very big part of having shaped that)… while trying to stay objective and not turn this into a slashfest of P90X… while not locking the eyes through which I now see away, pretending the insights I would gain from them don’t exist… while not going commando on P90X… ;D
What makes it a little easier to do is knowing that any preconceived notions that were had are just that: preconceived notions. So in letting those go, because they’re founded only in a surface level of what I’ve seen and heard, I can move in as I explore the next level, which based on what I feel.
But I’ll fully admit here and now. It’s been challenging none the less. : )
Al Pacino’s “WhoooA” on you Shane! I am looking forward to see you Shaped Up or Shaped Off! :-))
Thanks Eve! 😀
Re: P90X, I too have always have had resistance to jumping into the program (overwhelmed by the marketing of it had its negatives), if for any reason (I didn’t doubt that I could physically handle it), I’m time-crunched because of job/family responsibilities. The beauty and joy of my CST and Tacfit training is that I have been able to fit it into my overburdened schedule. P90X involves a larger time-frame schedule.
Tony Horton is of course an enthusiastic promoter of his program (and why shouldn’t he be) and I’ve grown to respect the man, personally, if for any reason the few interviews I’ve seen of him either live or in print, he comes across, yes, a confident man but with some humility. In a recent interview, he stated, that if for someone reason tomorrow a governmental decree said that you could only practice one physical fitness or movement art, he chose yoga and this was controversial within his own “Beachbody” fans, many who adhere to the physique-first allegiance they have to P90X. And as yoga is my strongest discipline presently (CST and Tacfit are still there, of course, how could I ever shed that ‘skin’), I gained a newly found respect of Mr. Horton.
Admittedly, I do own P90X, but I also have if not all, at least close to all, the RMAX programs, your clubbell programs, Adam and Ryan’s stuff, Wolf and Co. and I studying the math intently think I could fit in P90X somewhere around the year 2025 or so.
Kudos to you for taking this on. I shall watch closely.
Thanks Kevin. That’s actually been one of the highlights of this program for me: Tony Horton. He’s got energy and charisma, most certainly a character. But I’ve had a chance to check out a few of his interviews. And what i respect is his seeming willingness to continue learning. That he draws from what’s around him in an effort to improve. I can’t fault anyone for that. And for all intents and purposes, he’s quite encouraging. I believe he is sincere in his efforts to bring fitness to the masses.
I can see why (despite any misgivings about the program and for all those who have had great difficulty with it) there are the numbers of those who have succeeded. He brought the right kind of energy to keep them moving forward.
My man, at this stage, if you waited until 2025, it will feel so archaic that you may never actually get to it. UNLESS, come that time, with all the experience you will have with everything else under your belt, you can modify it to work more optimally for you. But then… I guess it wouldn’t be P90X anymore, haha.
s.