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.

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