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So you’re starting P90x, huh?  I bet you have a LOT of questions and I’m sure you’re feeling a lot of things like… nervousness, fear, and maybe some anxiety too!  Well, I’m here to put you at ease and tell you what to expect when starting P90x!

I asked the coaches on my team to give their thoughts on this because we have all been exactly where you are- not sure what to expect but ready to dive in! So here are there best pieces of advice and mine!

• You’re going to be sore. (This tip comes from Kate Erwin, one of my amazing coaches.) In fact you’re going to be really sore. Who needs to wash their hair anyway, right??? Haha. I’m kidding…. mostly! But this is the BEST feeling in the world because you are sore from working your booty off…. literally! It’s all going to be worth it though! And, think about trying Results & Recovery Formula! It’s really helpful in warding off some of that soreness! Here’s the thing… you’re going to be sore because you’re working muscles you haven’t worked before and that’s exactly what you want! This is how lean muscle is built and that’s what you want because MUSCLE BURNS FAT! So embrace the soreness!

• Don’t worry if you can’t keep up.  (This tip came from my girl, Mitzi Vines- check out her blog, she’s awesome!) Trust me, we all had parts of the workouts that we had to modify or do fewer reps, etc so you are not alone at all. Tony has a saying “Do your best and forget the rest.” And it is SO TRUE! There’s only one person that you’re competing with and it’s yourself! You don’t have to worry that you can’t lift as much weight as the gal on the screen or you can’t do as many reps as the guy, but you just focus on how many you did this week and know you’ll do more next week. If you have to do bicep curls with 2 pound weights or no weights at all the first time- that’s awesome. You may get confused with some of the moves and that’s okay too! If you could do everything the first time, you wouldn’t need Tony or P90x, so don’t get discouraged. Stick with it! Just do what you can! Do YOUR best and forget the rest!

• Modify, modify, modify! (This tip comes straight from my latest go-getter, Elizabeth Blackford) Some of the moves may be confusing or hard at first, but that’s okay!  Don’t let it get you down. The most important thing is to get moving. You may look silly, you may mess up, but guess what…. you’re in your living room and NO ONE is watching! Bust a move if you get lost- you’re still burning calories! I guarantee, 100% you’ll get the moves down, but it does take time and some practice. Every time you make it just a bit further, even if it’s only 1 more rep or 5 more seconds, celebrate that! You’re getting stronger, more fit and that is cause for celebration so pat yourself on the back!! The main thing to remember is that as long as you’re moving, you’re burning calories so KEEP PUSHING PLAY!!

• Nutrition is Key!  (Brandy Burns Carey, another of my fabulous coaches contributed this tip! You can read her blog here!)  You can work out all you want but unless you’re eating healthy and lean, you’re not going to see the best results. If you eat a double cheeseburger and then workout…. they don’t cancel each other out. I know… it’d be so much easier if they did! You have to commit to your healthy nutrition as much as you commit to pushing play. Those amazing success stories you see, they’re because they pushed play AND ate healthy and lean. It’s SO important! You have to fuel your body the right way so you can give it your all in the workouts. That means eating every 2.5-3 hours so your body never goes into starvation mode and so your body is always burning calories. The P90x Nutrition Guide is GREAT and there’s also some amazing recipes on Chalene Johnson’s blog as well, so check it out!

• There will be days when you don’t want to do it. (this tip is from me) Some days you are going to wake up and not feel like working out. We ALL have these days and these days are the ones when you need your workout the most. You’re going to give yourself excuses like you’re too tired, or don’t feel like it, but once you start your workout, you’re going to feel energized and have improved mental clarity and you’re going to be in a much better mood than when you started. You may also think you don’t have time to work out, but… we all have 24 hours in a day and we ALL can fit in a workout. DVR your favorite show, get up an hour earlier, stay up and hour later or do it on your lunch break- you can do it! The key is to schedule your workouts in advance. I LOVE Team Beachbody’s auto-scheduler. I’m starting P90x Oct 1st and I’m going to log in and have it auto-schedule all my workouts. I don’t have to think about it again, it’s just done. These are non-negotiable appointments in my day and I do not miss them! It’s an hour a day that I take for myself and that’s how you need to think of it too. You’re a better person, more efficient person and a nicer person when you get your workout in! If you’d like to create a free account so you can auto-schedule your workout, go here and click on “join”.

You are going to LOVE taking your P90x journey! It’s tough, it makes you do a gut check, and it feels so darn good to overcome this challenge! It’s most important to COMMIT to it. If you’ve decided you’re making a change in your life, you can do anything you set your mind to! Surround yourself with people who will support you and encourage you in this journey. Just remember…. YOU CAN DO IT!! Do your best and forget the rest!!