What I Believe I Do.

I'm a Beachbody Coach.

That just means I'm an online fitness coach for Team Beachbody. We're the people who create and distribute home-based workout programs like P90X, Insanity, Focus T25, P90X3, 21 Day Fix, and a host of others. Unless you've abstained from television for the last 5 or 6 years, you've seen the infomercials at all hours of the day and night.

So, yes, I sell fitness programs. We also have supplements, equipment, workout apparel and Shakeology, what I think is the best health shake of it's kind on the market today. (It's a dense daily dose of superfood nutrition, you know!)

But that's the surface of things. I was thinking about this a few days ago and then the other day read this quote by John Maxwell in his book "Everyone Communicates, Few Connect" - When you make a commitment, you create hope. When you keep a commitment, you create trust. That's a great quote. It's something to live by. But then I realized something -

I don't sell fitness products. I sell hope.

People come to me and want to get into shape. They want to get healthy. They want to feel better, have their clothes fit better, be more comfortable in their skin. I tell them they can. Not because I want them to buy some workout or drink, but because I know it. I believe it. I did it and, really, I'm nothing extraordinary (I am adorable, however) and I know that if I did it so can they.

It will take work on their part. I know they can do it. It will take sweat, a little confusion, a lot of swearing at the trainers on the tv but I know they can do it. I believe it.

I believe in them before they believe in themselves. I have hope. I have enough hope so that they'll begin to hope to. "That this time it will work." "This time I'll stick with it." "My coach believes I can do it." "He has hope...now I do to." "I trust him."

That's what I do. I sell hope.

And I just realized I'm completely wrong. I don't sell hope.

I give it away. And I think that makes me a pretty rich fella.

I Remember Why Insanity is called Insanity

I decided to do the Insanity workout again about a month ago, just before the 2014 Beachbody Coach Summit, so I could build up my stamina and endurance to keep up with those young whipper-snappers in the group workouts. It worked! I'm 54, felt 24, unfortunately I feel so good I think I still look 24, which explains the odd looks from the hot, young, fit, Beachbody ladies. (I'm sure they were wondering why is this guy as old as my dad talking to me like that!?!)

When I returned I decided to just keep on trucking and finish a round of Insanity. It's only 4 more weeks after all. Yes...4 more weeks of the MAX workouts. Each about an hour long. Each a sweatfest. Each trying to kill me.

I'm only a couple of days in and have burned a total of over 1900 calories. It's amazing to me that one can burn that many calories simply by being on their knees in their garage workout space, in a pool of their own sweat, repeating over and over, "I can't breathe!" Did I mention I'm 54?

Well...I'm in it now. I often say there's no quit in me. I realize that, while I may never be able to finish one of the workouts in its totality with out pausing it, watching the DVD with a "you want me to do what now who?" expression on my face, and stopping to get more water, at the end of this month I'll probably be in much better shape than I was at the beginning. And that consistency will pay off.

But I swear when I see Shaun T in person, I'm gonna smack him in the head!