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