Nov. 18 (Bloomberg BusinessWeek) -- Tony Horton has trained senators, soldiers, and celebrities such as Bruce Springsteen and Billy Idol. In the past three weeks, the latter-day Jack LaLanne has been to six states to promote his grueling in-home fitness program, P90X. Soon, Horton is off to Japan and France for training sessions, his first book will be published in December, and he's shopping around a reality TV show. "The first five months of the year I slept in my own bed only 50 times," Horton says. "It's pretty crazy."
P90X, flogged countless times daily on cable TV, is an anomaly in direct marketing. Most of the pills and potions seen on infomercials seem to offer physical perfection with little effort. Horton, by contrast, has persuaded 3 million people to pay $140 for his 12-DVD program by promising three months of pain and perspiration in a routine that combines resistance training, yoga, boxing, weight lifting, and a strict diet.
At age 52, 5 feet, 11 inches, and 175 pounds, Horton can do 35 pull-ups, 100 push-ups, and climb a 25-foot rope upside down while barely breaking a sweat. In the videos, Horton combines the discipline of a drill sergeant with a touch of humor left over from a youthful flirtation with stand-up comedy. What Horton calls muscle confusion—a series of varied workouts targeting different muscle groups at different times—seems to work. Initially, "I would do the leg workout and wouldn't be able to walk the next two days," says Liz Beebe, a 29-year-old actress from Los Angeles. "But once you start, you get hooked."
Now that it has built a loyal customer base, Beachbody, the Santa Monica (Calif.) company that sells P90X, knows it needs to figure out what's next. It has sold $420 million worth of P90X DVDs since they were introduced in 2005, and buyers of the program will drive nearly half of Beachbody's $430 million in revenue this year. Problem is, P90X sales growth has slowed in recent years, from 85 percent in 2008 to about 30 percent this year. "Fitness is very much like fashion," says Carl Daikeler, chief executive officer of Beachbody. "The important thing is that the company continue to learn from the marketplace."
One thing Beachbody has learned is that P90X isn't for everyone. So the company is introducing programs for the elderly, teens, and the religious (Body Gospel, a program set to church music). Next year, Horton will star in a revision of a less intense P90X variant called Power90, as well as a tougher version for die-hard fitness nuts. And Beachbody has created Spanish-language P90X videos, something it plans to do for its entire product line.
The company is also stepping up a direct-sales initiative called Team Beachbody in which people market products to friends and get a share of the revenues (and a piece of commissions earned by other salespeople they recruit). The plan is paying off: Shakeology, a meal-replacement drink sold only by direct sales, is Beachbody's fastest-growing product.
Daikeler expects Team Beachbody revenue to reach $200 million in 2011, up from $35 million last year. "Long term, more people are likely to buy from friends and family members who got results vs. people who are going to buy from an infomercial," he says. Half of P90X buyers have never even seen a commercial for the DVDs, he says.
Finally, Beachbody is trying to broaden its appeal. The company's website sells P90X drinks, protein supplements, chin-up bars, and other spin-offs. "If you look at direct marketing folks that aren't on television anymore," Horton says, "what they didn't do is work on building their brand."
The bottom line: After racking up $420 million in sales of P90X DVDs, Beachbody is seeking to reduce its dependence on the smash-hit fitness program.
http://www.fitnessatlantic.com/tonyhorton.htm
Sunday, February 27, 2011
Tony Horton Appearance 2011
Tony Horton used to be a stand-up comedian. Now he's the front man for P90X and a millionaire exercise guru. So is he an infomercial salesman? Or a fitness savior?
By Joe Kita, Posted Date: December 18, 2010
P90X Principle 3
Find (and flirt) with the Line
The Line is your discomfort threshold. It's the one pushup beyond what you think you can do. It's that extra agonizing rep after you've finished a set. But it's not just the effort that's important; it's the desire to want to go there again and again. That's the secret to becoming fit.
And it's the reason Horton scoffs at walking, riding an exercise bike while reading, or doing any mild form of cardio as a sole means of fitness. "Walking is just a waste of time for most people," he says. "We're primates and we walk—that's what we do. And even though it's better than doing nothing, it's not enough. You have to find that Line in whatever you're doing and continually push it out."
P90X at your place Use Horton's discomfort scale to gauge where you are during your workout.
10 = so brutal, so awful, you're miserable.
9 = just short of the above.
7 or 8 = really hard, but you're maintaining form and hanging in there.
6 = it's not a 7 or 8, but you're working as hard as you can today.
5 = you can do more...but you're not.
1 to 4 = unless it's a recovery day, you're wasting your time.
The Line is at 6, 7, or 8 on the scale.
P90X Principle 4
Train resiliency, not vanity
Horton says that if a law were passed that limited him to one type of exercise, he'd pick yoga. And for once he's not joking.
"Yoga is resistance, it's balance, it's coordination, it's stamina, it's even cardiovascular, depending on how you do it....I can turn yoga into anything, and it's the reason I can do this"—he drops to the floor for clap pushups—"and this"—he hops back up for high leg kicks. "Ever see a 65-year-old guy run? That should be incentive enough."
Indeed, as you age, you lose your flexibility. That means by age 65, you'll practically be prepping for rigor mortis. "I put off yoga for 4 years because I thought it was silly," says Horton.
P90X at your place Swallow your pride and enroll in a beginner's yoga class taught by an instructor with at least a 200-hour certification. Flowing vinyasa styles, such as ashtanga, are more rigorous. Once you know the basics, you'll be able to practice on your own. (There's a good chance you'll be the only guy in a class of very fit, flexible women, though, so you may not want to.)
There's another advantage to yoga that is fundamental to Horton's exercise and life philosophies. Although it sounds contradictory coming from someone ironically nicknamed Tony Humble, he says that "externals," such as weight loss and muscle definition, should never be your primary motivators for working out. "Focus instead on the internals," he says. Are you less fatigued? Do you have more energy? Are you sleeping better? Do you feel stronger? Are you happier? Yoga helps you become more aware and mindful of all these things, and they're what will keep you working out long-term.
It's 2:10 A.M. QVC is now featuring the Stan Herman Collection. And Horton is finally looking a little tired as he sits on the stage steps sipping a smoothie. It seems like a good time to ask him a philosophical question: Tell us, Tony, what's the one thing fitness still hasn't brought you?
After an uncharacteristically long pause, he says, "Honestly? Nothing. Fitness and healthy eating have changed my life from soup to nuts. There's no area that it hasn't given me confidence in—physical, mental, emotional. I feel blessed that in some weird way I've been given this opportunity to help people...For me, fitness isn't about how long I'm going to live; it's about the quality of life right now. And let me tell you, man, I'm one happy dude."
http://www.fitnessatlantic.com/tonyhorton.htm
By Joe Kita, Posted Date: December 18, 2010
P90X Principle 3
Find (and flirt) with the Line
The Line is your discomfort threshold. It's the one pushup beyond what you think you can do. It's that extra agonizing rep after you've finished a set. But it's not just the effort that's important; it's the desire to want to go there again and again. That's the secret to becoming fit.
And it's the reason Horton scoffs at walking, riding an exercise bike while reading, or doing any mild form of cardio as a sole means of fitness. "Walking is just a waste of time for most people," he says. "We're primates and we walk—that's what we do. And even though it's better than doing nothing, it's not enough. You have to find that Line in whatever you're doing and continually push it out."
P90X at your place Use Horton's discomfort scale to gauge where you are during your workout.
10 = so brutal, so awful, you're miserable.
9 = just short of the above.
7 or 8 = really hard, but you're maintaining form and hanging in there.
6 = it's not a 7 or 8, but you're working as hard as you can today.
5 = you can do more...but you're not.
1 to 4 = unless it's a recovery day, you're wasting your time.
The Line is at 6, 7, or 8 on the scale.
P90X Principle 4
Train resiliency, not vanity
Horton says that if a law were passed that limited him to one type of exercise, he'd pick yoga. And for once he's not joking.
"Yoga is resistance, it's balance, it's coordination, it's stamina, it's even cardiovascular, depending on how you do it....I can turn yoga into anything, and it's the reason I can do this"—he drops to the floor for clap pushups—"and this"—he hops back up for high leg kicks. "Ever see a 65-year-old guy run? That should be incentive enough."
Indeed, as you age, you lose your flexibility. That means by age 65, you'll practically be prepping for rigor mortis. "I put off yoga for 4 years because I thought it was silly," says Horton.
P90X at your place Swallow your pride and enroll in a beginner's yoga class taught by an instructor with at least a 200-hour certification. Flowing vinyasa styles, such as ashtanga, are more rigorous. Once you know the basics, you'll be able to practice on your own. (There's a good chance you'll be the only guy in a class of very fit, flexible women, though, so you may not want to.)
There's another advantage to yoga that is fundamental to Horton's exercise and life philosophies. Although it sounds contradictory coming from someone ironically nicknamed Tony Humble, he says that "externals," such as weight loss and muscle definition, should never be your primary motivators for working out. "Focus instead on the internals," he says. Are you less fatigued? Do you have more energy? Are you sleeping better? Do you feel stronger? Are you happier? Yoga helps you become more aware and mindful of all these things, and they're what will keep you working out long-term.
It's 2:10 A.M. QVC is now featuring the Stan Herman Collection. And Horton is finally looking a little tired as he sits on the stage steps sipping a smoothie. It seems like a good time to ask him a philosophical question: Tell us, Tony, what's the one thing fitness still hasn't brought you?
After an uncharacteristically long pause, he says, "Honestly? Nothing. Fitness and healthy eating have changed my life from soup to nuts. There's no area that it hasn't given me confidence in—physical, mental, emotional. I feel blessed that in some weird way I've been given this opportunity to help people...For me, fitness isn't about how long I'm going to live; it's about the quality of life right now. And let me tell you, man, I'm one happy dude."
http://www.fitnessatlantic.com/tonyhorton.htm
Tony Horton Appearance 2011
Tony Horton used to be a stand-up comedian. Now he's the front man for P90X and a millionaire exercise guru. So is he an infomercial salesman? Or a fitness savior?
By Joe Kita, Posted Date: December 18, 2010
P90X Principle 1
Bewilder your body
Horton claims to have "exercise bipolar disorder," which means that although he works out regularly, the specifics of what he does each day depend on how he feels. So he may swap speed drills for strength work, chest for back, or even karate for Pilates. He often doesn't decide until 10 minutes beforehand, or improvises on the fly. He calls this approach "muscle confusion."
"Look at all the people who've been going to gyms for years and still look the same, or those who tried exercising and quit," he says.
"That's because they're doing mundane, myopic routines, and they're bored. Let's break the mold."
Before Horton became a celebrity himself, he says, he trained lots of celebrities in Los Angeles. He says one of his clients, Billy Idol, nicknamed him "Muscle Confucius" because of his varied approach to fitness. And there is wisdom in it. If you're training for life rather than a specific event, mixing it up will help you burn more calories, protect yourself from injury, achieve a balanced physique, and keep you motivated.
Your body doesn't respond to repetition, Horton says. It responds to novelty.
P90X at your place Schedule your workouts a month in advance, reserving exact times for each. (Horton blocks out 20 on his desk calendar at the start of every month.) Pencil in cardio, strength, speed, and flexibility days, but stop there. Let your mood determine your specific workout when each day arrives. Always be open to new things. If it's a cardio day, hop onto a different machine or into a kickboxing class. If it's a strength day, try using free weights instead of a Nautilus machine. "Your muscles shouldn't know what hit 'em," says Horton.
P90X Principle 2
Work your weaknesses
Here's some more Muscle Confucius: The more you dread doing something, the more value it holds for you. So if you hate stretching or intervals, that's probably because flexibility and speed are your weaknesses. Since no man likes to feel inferior, we avoid dealing with our weaknesses and end up training our strengths. Wrong move.
"The only reason I'm as fit as I am," says Horton, who used to be a spokesman for NordicTrack, "is because I kept doing things that were hard and that I couldn't do well."
P90X at your place Select one exercise or facet of fitness that you struggle with, and commit to improving it. Schedule an occasional "weakness day." Once you overcome the initial aversion, your improvement will be dramatic—and the success will motivate you to take on more of your weaknesses.
http://www.fitnessatlantic.com/tonyhorton.htm
By Joe Kita, Posted Date: December 18, 2010
P90X Principle 1
Bewilder your body
Horton claims to have "exercise bipolar disorder," which means that although he works out regularly, the specifics of what he does each day depend on how he feels. So he may swap speed drills for strength work, chest for back, or even karate for Pilates. He often doesn't decide until 10 minutes beforehand, or improvises on the fly. He calls this approach "muscle confusion."
"Look at all the people who've been going to gyms for years and still look the same, or those who tried exercising and quit," he says.
"That's because they're doing mundane, myopic routines, and they're bored. Let's break the mold."
Before Horton became a celebrity himself, he says, he trained lots of celebrities in Los Angeles. He says one of his clients, Billy Idol, nicknamed him "Muscle Confucius" because of his varied approach to fitness. And there is wisdom in it. If you're training for life rather than a specific event, mixing it up will help you burn more calories, protect yourself from injury, achieve a balanced physique, and keep you motivated.
Your body doesn't respond to repetition, Horton says. It responds to novelty.
P90X at your place Schedule your workouts a month in advance, reserving exact times for each. (Horton blocks out 20 on his desk calendar at the start of every month.) Pencil in cardio, strength, speed, and flexibility days, but stop there. Let your mood determine your specific workout when each day arrives. Always be open to new things. If it's a cardio day, hop onto a different machine or into a kickboxing class. If it's a strength day, try using free weights instead of a Nautilus machine. "Your muscles shouldn't know what hit 'em," says Horton.
P90X Principle 2
Work your weaknesses
Here's some more Muscle Confucius: The more you dread doing something, the more value it holds for you. So if you hate stretching or intervals, that's probably because flexibility and speed are your weaknesses. Since no man likes to feel inferior, we avoid dealing with our weaknesses and end up training our strengths. Wrong move.
"The only reason I'm as fit as I am," says Horton, who used to be a spokesman for NordicTrack, "is because I kept doing things that were hard and that I couldn't do well."
P90X at your place Select one exercise or facet of fitness that you struggle with, and commit to improving it. Schedule an occasional "weakness day." Once you overcome the initial aversion, your improvement will be dramatic—and the success will motivate you to take on more of your weaknesses.
http://www.fitnessatlantic.com/tonyhorton.htm
Tony Horton Appearance 2011
Tony Horton used to be a stand-up comedian. Now he's the front man for P90X and a millionaire exercise guru. So is he an infomercial salesman? Or a fitness savior?
By Joe Kita, Posted Date: December 18, 2010
It's 11:30 P.M., and a man steps off the elevator in the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Valley Forge, Pennsylvania. Tony Horton enters the lobby wearing black shorts, a black sweater, and despite the hour, dark glasses. But two guys in their 30s, who just left the bar, recognize him.
"You're Tony Horton!" says one in disbelief.
"Dude!" is all the other can utter.
Both men tell him they're following his P90X workout program, which is sold relentlessly through infomercials across America. They boast of their results, showing off supposedly flatter guts and bigger biceps. One claims to have the DVDs in his hotel room at this very moment: "I use 'em when I'm on the road!"
By the time Horton finally breaks away, he has signed autographs, mugged for photos, struck his signature forearm-crossed "X-Man" pose, and even done a handstand by the front desk. Finally he exits the hotel and settles into the backseat of a private car that's been waiting to take him to QVC headquarters, in nearby West Chester.
That's right. Horton is heading to QVC—the network darling of little old ladies in quilted housedresses—to sell his P90X workout program. ("Just two easy payments of $64.95, plus $9.43 shipping and handling.") He'll do an hourlong taping at 1 a.m. (right after Joan Rivers sells jewelry), grab a few hours of sleep in a back room, and then do more tapings at 6 a.m., 6 p.m., and 10 p.m.
It's hustle like this that has enabled Horton to hawk a reported 3 million P90X DVD sets, in addition to his fitness accessories, nutritional supplements, and other workout programs. Not bad for a 52-year-old former stand-up comedian and theater major who lacks a college degree or, for that matter, any type of fitness credentials.
"Hey, George Bush became president. What was his experience?" asks Horton. "A lot of trainers are certified up the yin-yang and live in rent-controlled apartments out behind convalescent homes because they can't make a buck. Sorry I have a sense of humor, sorry I'm not certified, but my philosophy is based on 25 years of training everyone from moms to Bruce Springsteen."
Indeed, what Horton and the company behind him, known as Beachbody, do exceptionally well is excite people. Meet Horton in a hotel lobby or watch his infomercial, and you'll start to believe—in him, in his program, and most important, in your own potential to transform yourself. It happens that quickly. QVC alone has sold 135,000 units since P90X debuted on the network in 2008. That equates to more than $17.5 million shelled out by customers.
Beyond the compelling marketing, there are two reasons why P90X is so popular. First, Horton is the perfect front man. At 5´10* and 180 pounds with 9 percent body fat, he is genuinely ripped. He says he can consecutively do 110 pushups, 80 dips, 35 pullups, and eight 260-pound lat pulls. Plus, he can hold a handstand for a minute and even do a backflip off a wall. To prove it, he often drops to the floor and pumps out a few reps of whatever exercise he's talking about. His motto, which he wears on the back of his shirt, is "Bring It!" Along with the brawn, he has a full head of hair and—even under the harsh QVC makeup lights—no telltale signs of any nips or tucks. And, to the delight of the housedress set, he's not married.
But second, and most important, P90X—unlike the garbage heap of other "miracle" infomercial products—can deliver results. That's because it's built on such proven fitness principles as consistency, intensity, and variety, and you don't need special gadgets—just a pullup bar and dumbbells (or resistance bands). Simply pop a disc into your DVD player, move the couch out of the way, and follow along with Tony and his gang. In fact, Horton's critics claim there's nothing new in his workouts; if you do anything 6 days a week for 90 days, you'll lose weight and build muscle at any age.
Horton says with a shrug, "You can't reinvent the pushup. Plyometrics has been around forever, yoga has been around for even longer, and Kenpo karate is nothing I invented...but the sequence, the pace, and the variety of my workouts is something that never existed before. P90X is hard. But do your best and forget the rest. If you're in trouble, hit the pause button. If you can't do this move, here are two ways to modify it. I just want you to show up, man. That's all I want you to do."
Regardless of whether you ever pick up the phone ("Two easy payments, nothing to lose, give us a call!"), the chief elements of Tony Horton's exercise philosophy can be incorporated into any workout.
http://www.fitnessatlantic.com/tonyhorton.htm
By Joe Kita, Posted Date: December 18, 2010
It's 11:30 P.M., and a man steps off the elevator in the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Valley Forge, Pennsylvania. Tony Horton enters the lobby wearing black shorts, a black sweater, and despite the hour, dark glasses. But two guys in their 30s, who just left the bar, recognize him.
"You're Tony Horton!" says one in disbelief.
"Dude!" is all the other can utter.
Both men tell him they're following his P90X workout program, which is sold relentlessly through infomercials across America. They boast of their results, showing off supposedly flatter guts and bigger biceps. One claims to have the DVDs in his hotel room at this very moment: "I use 'em when I'm on the road!"
By the time Horton finally breaks away, he has signed autographs, mugged for photos, struck his signature forearm-crossed "X-Man" pose, and even done a handstand by the front desk. Finally he exits the hotel and settles into the backseat of a private car that's been waiting to take him to QVC headquarters, in nearby West Chester.
That's right. Horton is heading to QVC—the network darling of little old ladies in quilted housedresses—to sell his P90X workout program. ("Just two easy payments of $64.95, plus $9.43 shipping and handling.") He'll do an hourlong taping at 1 a.m. (right after Joan Rivers sells jewelry), grab a few hours of sleep in a back room, and then do more tapings at 6 a.m., 6 p.m., and 10 p.m.
It's hustle like this that has enabled Horton to hawk a reported 3 million P90X DVD sets, in addition to his fitness accessories, nutritional supplements, and other workout programs. Not bad for a 52-year-old former stand-up comedian and theater major who lacks a college degree or, for that matter, any type of fitness credentials.
"Hey, George Bush became president. What was his experience?" asks Horton. "A lot of trainers are certified up the yin-yang and live in rent-controlled apartments out behind convalescent homes because they can't make a buck. Sorry I have a sense of humor, sorry I'm not certified, but my philosophy is based on 25 years of training everyone from moms to Bruce Springsteen."
Indeed, what Horton and the company behind him, known as Beachbody, do exceptionally well is excite people. Meet Horton in a hotel lobby or watch his infomercial, and you'll start to believe—in him, in his program, and most important, in your own potential to transform yourself. It happens that quickly. QVC alone has sold 135,000 units since P90X debuted on the network in 2008. That equates to more than $17.5 million shelled out by customers.
Beyond the compelling marketing, there are two reasons why P90X is so popular. First, Horton is the perfect front man. At 5´10* and 180 pounds with 9 percent body fat, he is genuinely ripped. He says he can consecutively do 110 pushups, 80 dips, 35 pullups, and eight 260-pound lat pulls. Plus, he can hold a handstand for a minute and even do a backflip off a wall. To prove it, he often drops to the floor and pumps out a few reps of whatever exercise he's talking about. His motto, which he wears on the back of his shirt, is "Bring It!" Along with the brawn, he has a full head of hair and—even under the harsh QVC makeup lights—no telltale signs of any nips or tucks. And, to the delight of the housedress set, he's not married.
But second, and most important, P90X—unlike the garbage heap of other "miracle" infomercial products—can deliver results. That's because it's built on such proven fitness principles as consistency, intensity, and variety, and you don't need special gadgets—just a pullup bar and dumbbells (or resistance bands). Simply pop a disc into your DVD player, move the couch out of the way, and follow along with Tony and his gang. In fact, Horton's critics claim there's nothing new in his workouts; if you do anything 6 days a week for 90 days, you'll lose weight and build muscle at any age.
Horton says with a shrug, "You can't reinvent the pushup. Plyometrics has been around forever, yoga has been around for even longer, and Kenpo karate is nothing I invented...but the sequence, the pace, and the variety of my workouts is something that never existed before. P90X is hard. But do your best and forget the rest. If you're in trouble, hit the pause button. If you can't do this move, here are two ways to modify it. I just want you to show up, man. That's all I want you to do."
Regardless of whether you ever pick up the phone ("Two easy payments, nothing to lose, give us a call!"), the chief elements of Tony Horton's exercise philosophy can be incorporated into any workout.
http://www.fitnessatlantic.com/tonyhorton.htm
Tony Horton Appearance 2011
Click Here: http://www.fitnessatlantic.com/tonyhorton.htm
Tony Horton "The Creator of P90x" Will Be At The Event at 10:00AM
Check Out His New Book "Bring It!" - Out In Stores NOW!
Tickets Will Be $30 Each
You must be in good physical shape and excellent health.
Bring a Yoga Mat
You must wear exercise attire which would include shorts or sweat pants, t-shirts, sweat shirt, sports bra or tank top, and sneakers. (no jean and no work boots)
No cameras or video taping allowed. A professional photographer will be taking attendees photos with Tony Horton during autograph session.
Doors Open At 9:00AM
Workout 10:00am
Speaking and Question and Answer Session 11am
Photos and Autographs 12am - 1pm
April 16, 2011
Click Here: http://www.fitnessatlantic.com/tonyhorton.htm
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
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