Get ready for another ego-ride as the media and all the so-called exercise experts begin to hammer away at P90X. What, you ask, am I writing about here? It's the Rep. Paul Ryan workout program, of course. Where have you been for gosh sakes? in the gym?
Surely you've had calls by now to get your professional view, as a certified personal coach, on Beachbody's P90X program. The Huffington Post's Janean Chun reports that Google searches, traffic to its website and week-over-week purchases have at least doubled since it was revealed that Rep. Ryan used the fitness program to get to 6 to 8 percent body fat.
The weekly talk shows are lining up expert evaluations as I write to either support Rep. Ryan's ripped abs or claim he is on steroids. I can see it now:
- "Mr. Ryan, rumors have it that you have been spending more time in the gym than you have been attending to the national interests."
- "Mr. Ryan, do you deny the rumor that one of your staff aides is a personal coach?"
- "Mr. Ryan, is it true that under a Romney/Ryan administration your will require mandatory P90X in all our public schools grades 1 to 12?"
- "Mr. Ryan, is it true that under a Romney/Ryan administration all citizens over 60 years of age that cannot do 10 or more push ups, and more than 50 P90X sit ups, will be dropped from Medicare.
Someone took a photo of the Republican VP designate with his shirt off and OMG, the dude is ripped! Uncle Sam is back! There is hope for America! (Hmm, I wonder if the Republicans could have had that photo touched up?) And the photo was reportedly taken six years ago, before he started P90X. Now he is, according to TMZ, “totally shredded with a killer 6-pack.”
Any guy who has a gut like that has to be able to tighten the fiscal belt, don't you think? He may have already have contributed as much to the national fitness effort as CDC and HHS combined, just by taking his shirt off.
Frankly, this fogey ole coach remains dubious of new exercise fads, equipment and diet claims. The pattern always seems the same. Some celebrity comes from behind the curtain with his or her midriff bared, or a so-called "candid" beach picture makes the cover page of a celebrity mag, and the coach and program become the get-fit-quick scheme of the day. TV talk show hosts will get down on the floor to demonstrate how to do P90X, maybe even flashing their abs in the process. (Now that's a scary thought, isn't it?). But after the testimonies sizzle on the evening news for a while, it'll be off to the next fad.
I know, I should just let this kind of thing slide, but a lot of people get sucked into "get fit" schemes. And then, when it doesn't work for them, or they seriously try it and can't get out of bed for a week, they think they are the one's that are flawed. If they just had the discipline and, well, they're so busy and it takes so much time.
"Nothing seems to work for me," they say to themselves. "I just can't do it."
Until the next brand of baloney comes along. The ole coach has seen them all, tried them all, and even invented a few of my own with super-sophisticated equipment to back 'em up. So, let me give you a brief analysis of P90X.
First I love the name. It raises my pulse rate just saying it! It must stand for some futuristic biochemical cellular reaction that melts fat and rips muscle. I can just imagine some mad scientist working late at night and finally discovering the perfect mixture of aerobics, strength and flexibility that, when used as recommended, rip abs, pump pecs, and OMG...gives you butts and boobs to die for!
I envision this having started with group of muscleheads having a good time, busting their asses in a gym somewhere trying to figure out how they could make a buck or two on their hobby/obsession. It's clear they knew that they key was branding. And they picked a dandy name and concept. Good names have power and sell. It won't move the dial in with the average American, but it could make the fit even more so.
I can only imagine the book stores and Internet orders. Lines pushing and shoving. Customers injuring their backs carrying multiple copies to their cars. Emergency room staff responding to chest pains. "PX90" T-shirts and nutrition products running off the assembly lines.
Will the Obama administration fight back with it's "Let's Move Campaign?" I mean how can "Let's Move" compete with "P90X"? President Obama exposed his lean abs during a Hawaiian vacation a while back but it hasn't led to pickup-basketball-game craze. How about a Romney/Obama pose-off in trunks—both smothered in baby oil—during the presidential debates? How about an Ryan/Bidan arm wresting match? Just some thoughts.
I'm looking forward to my first P90 workout today. Although, it looks very much like a high-repetition resistance program with stretching and cardio designed to enhance an all-around conditioning experience. Hmm, seems a little bit like my own Somadynamics, doesn't it? Oh well, I'm going to keep an open mind here. Besides, it's easy to miss the point of all of this.
There's nothing worse than a negative old coach who poo-poos every new idea claiming it's really not anything new at all. Just a another great brand name promoted by great PR to a fat, inactive public who, by and (very) large, still can't figure out how to do a sit up properly because it was never taught in school. Thank God they still teach reading. (They do, don't they?)
Watch this site for more as I give P90 a chance. Although I must warn you from the top: If you are like most Americans, fat and inactive, go easy. Sudden exertion with prolonged cardiovascular demand can prove to be dangerous for those with multiple risk factors such as being fat and generally sedentary. If you are in that category, you have a lot of company. But if P90X does nothing more than get you to consider your personal health and fitness and do something constructive, I vote for it!
What do you think? Let me know. Da Coach.