Brian Cooks up Results!

I THOUGHT I’D BROUGHT IT

A LOT of people work out.  We don’t lack for initial effort.  Everyone wants to look good, feel good, and have that happy smile like the people in the clothing catalogs.  I was no different.  I thought that staying “in shape” (whatever that means), should be a part of any responsible person’s lifestyle.  I was never a star at team sports, but I love skateboarding and I spent years on the street with my friends that way.  I started spending time in the kitchen during high school too, making healthy recipes that I looked up.  There was a lit a love for cooking- the beginning of my apprenticeship.

Along came college- where I upped the intensity of my exercise regimen to include running and lifting weights.  I achieved better cardiovascular fitness, but I paired this with loose nutrition (Taco Bell, doughnuts, stuffed breadsticks… BG Ohio people, you know who you are!)

Then adulthood- I learned a thing or two about my body type and through intense lifting and average nutrition, I put on more muscle and strength than I’d ever had.  I thought, “I can do this”.  But being a professional chef is demanding of your time and energy, and after just one month of slipping I found myself drinking coffee 24/7 and eating simple/refined carbs predominantly for the quick boost.  I lost my gains and my energy, and there I stayed for 7 years.

I THOUGHT & BOUGHT IT

I had never seen the P90X infomercial.  I first heard it mentioned by a radio DJ in 2009, as part of his New Year’s Resolutions.  He said something about working out so hard that you puke.  Something about that lit a spark in my mind and stayed there, unnoticed, for 2 years.  I heard about it again on ESPN radio in 2011, and decided to look at the website.  Tony Horton seemed a little goofy to me at first, especially for a program that is touted as being so “extreme”.  The sales pitch was sound, but I still felt like it might make me feel weird doing a workout video.  “Guys go to the gym,” I thought.  But the structure was secure and others’ results didn’t lie.  After untwisting my own arm I clicked “check out” and waited for the mail.

I LEARNED TO “BRING IT”

Like I said, we don’t lack for initial effort.  We all get jazzed about things at first.  Where we fail miserably is in the follow through.  This is because we refuse to LEARN.  We are stubborn people by nature, and we like to learn things “on our own”.  Well I LEARNED really quickly that if I was going to make it through this program, I better do things as I’m told.  Day 1 Chest and Back punished my pride and pummeled my ego to a pulp (and I have to do this Ab Ripper thing too!?).

And Tony Horton is goofy, but he is the best leader you could have for this.  Like he says, “silly and extreme” work together.  But what he does on that screen always blows my performance out of the water.  The most important thing I learned from P90X was DISCIPLINE- for me that was what it meant to “bring it”.  It’s not about puking or getting sore or being the best, it’s about LEARNING your body’s limits and continually raising them (inch by inch).

THE FIGHT, I FOUGHT IT

I gladly made it through 90 days- and when the bell rang I was still standing.  The workouts never became easy, but waking up for them did.  Nutrition, I’ve realized, is the true catalyst for results.  I was very rigid, and probably vexed my family more than I should have (don’t do this, people!).  Now that I’ve dealt complacency a deadly blow in Round 1, I’m going to find a new balance, a new normal, but one that can be sustained.  There’s so much more to learn- just like in the kitchen, I’ll always be an apprentice.

Thank you to my family for you patience, love and support.  And thank you Coach Wayne for your genuine encouragement and accurate knowledge.