Archives for March 2011

Beachbody Is Suing ICON Health & Fitness – Makers Of Rip:60

March 10, 2011 - Updated July 12, 2017

Beachbody filed a lawsuit against ICON Health and Fitness this week over allegedly making false and disparaging statements to promote its Rip:60 workout program. Looks like this legal fight started back in February between the two sides. Beachbody’s lawyers are saying the only reason why they are suing is because “”ICON’s ad campaign, unfortunately, is misleading consumers by falsely advertising that its product is superior to P90X and Insanity.” I had never heard of Rip:60 before so I went and did some searching. I understand why Beachbody is suing them. Take a look at their two biggest ads.

and

Have to agree with Beachbody on this one as it can’t be anymore clearer. Reading into the lawsuit a little bit more turns out that Beachbody is not afraid of a little competition but is more concerned with the entire paragraph in the second ad claiming that “In a recent study…rip:60 tested the highest…” Beachbody wants proof of that study.

I was trying to think of other industries that bash its competitors and the auto one came to mind since I live near Detroit. After watching some commercials and ads for the new F-150 I noticed they had their competitors in the ad with them. Of course they showed the F-150 going 0-60 faster than the Sliverado and Ram while towing a boat but the ad looked fair.

The small print on the bottom showed the different axles in the trucks for all the people with real knowledge about why the Ford was maybe faster. It seems like this is a common practice in the auto industry. You have to acknowledge that your competitors are there and that they make a good product but you have to show why yours is that much better. You can’t just say it.

I get the feeling that nobody who promotes Rip:60 has ever done P90X or Insanity. The one thing that always makes me laugh is when people say their program is “better” than yours. My reply is “I assume you did the other program to a T so you can give me a fair assessment of why yours is better. Go.” Of course, they never have and all credibility is lost.

From time to time I’ll have somebody leave a “CrossFit is better than P90X” comment on my site and when I ask the question above I get no reply. Yes, I am very involved as a Beachbody Coach and am addicted to their products but I add in non-Beachbody workouts frequently. Most of which are swimming, running, and biking but I know I would get my butt kicked doing something like CrossFit, Bikram Yoga, or even the Stripper Pole workout as I’ve never done those before.

Instead of using “better” I think fitness companies and people defending their program should use “different” in their campaigns if they are going to call out their competitors. Rip:60 shouldn’t say its clinically better than P90X in their ads when they should be saying its “Different than P90X because we use these band things that are not used in P90X but are a little different than the TRX band system.” People like and need different when it comes to their health and fitness. How many people say they get bored of their workout routines at the gym and need something different? Lots of them.

I think its silly when health and fitness companies bash each others products. What they should do is acknowledge that their competitors make a great product that is helping people get in shape and lose weight while turning on the salesmanship to get people to buy theirs. If I was Rip:60 I would not even mention P90X or the Insanity workout in my ads as all it does is build up more brand recognition for Beachbody. People are going to see those ads, go to Google, and type in Does P90X Work? After seeing the million or so success stories and the community behind it, that person will probably forget about what you were trying to sell them and end up buying P90X or Insanity. What do you think about all of this?

2010 Golf Recap

March 3, 2011 - Updated June 20, 2017

Its been 5 months since I put the golf clubs away but I always like to do a recap on how I played so I know what to work on for next year. I probably played more golf this past summer than I did in the previous 3 years combined. I don’t play on any golf leagues because I play softball at night but my mornings were wide open to play. With my Beachbody Coach business going very well I could move my schedule around to play.

How Many Rounds Of Golf Did You Play In 2010?

About 40. First round of golf was in mid April and my last one was in November. I was averaging about one round a week and sometimes two during June, July, and August because of my teacher friends looking for somebody to play with. The course I played the most was Rackham as it was closest to my house. I’ve played the other courses since High School with the exception of Boulder Pointe.

Did Your Golf Scores Improve This Year?

Not that much. I’m always shooting in the low to mid 40s for 9 holes and in the mid to upper 80s for 18. I did put up a 39 and finished the round with a 81(+10). Had to put together at least one good round at Rackham from playing it almost every week.

Why Did Your Golf Scores Not Improve?

Putting. Isn’t it the thing every golfer could work on to improve their game? That and having a “go for it attitude” instead of playing it smart. I never use to be able to hit the ball as far as I can now so sometimes I say screw it and go for it. Sometimes it works out and other times it goes into the woods. No cars, houses, or innocent bystanders were hit by one of my errant shots. Oh, and one of my jerk friends stole my 7 iron as part of a prank war that started back in college between him and I. He picked the right club to steal as the 7 iron is my money club. I use it on almost every hole for my approach shot. This forced me to hit a hard 8 or soft 6 iron into the green for my last 15 rounds of golf. Yup, he’s a jerk.

Did P90X, the Insanity Workout, and Tony Horton 1 on 1 Workouts Help Your Golf Game?

Yes. I was doing these workouts 5 days a week and getting much stronger in the upper body along with the core area. I probably put another 5 yards on my drive this year. That’s 35 yards gained over the past 3 years since I started doing Beachbody workouts like P90X and Insanity. I’m so much more stronger which lets me create more speed with the club head. I have the same Taylor Made Driver and Titleist DCI Irons as I’ve had for the past 3 years. My irons was where I improved the most as I don’t have to swing as hard anymore. My options are now open as I can make a couple different shots to get the ball there. The biggest gain I noticed this year in compared to last years was my strength would last for the entire round. I use to tire out a little on the back 9, but not this year. With me being as fit as I’ve ever been, my swing benefitted from it. I know your probably thinking that its golf and how can you get tired swinging a club. Practice swings, heat, and the occasional beer or two on the course adds up. Losing even 5 yards on a approach shot can be the difference of putting for birdie or ending up in the drink. I started bringing a P90X Protein Bar with me instead of eating a hot dog at the turn. Felt a little bit more energy from the protein bar.

What Do You Need To Work On For Next Year?

I really prefer not to hit 3 wood off the tee but I am pretty money with it and I hit it about 25 yards shorter than my driver. “Straight is great” as my dad says. Most of the golf courses I play at in South East Michigan are not that long anyways so its probably better to be in the fairway instead of launching one into the next fairway or rolling it under some trees. However, if its wide open then I’m ripping it.

I’d say my golf game is about as good as its going to get right now without going to the driving range or practicing on putting greens a couple times a week. Even though I’m only a couple shots away from breaking into the high 30s it really will take a lot of extra practice to get there and I don’t see myself doing that as I prefer to play softball three nights a week during the summer. If I was on a golf league or entering tournaments then it would be different.

2010 Softball Recap

March 2, 2011 - Updated October 27, 2017

Even though my softball season ended some 5 months ago I figured it was worth writing about as I played so much of it. My previous team was still playing our double headers and a friend asked me to play on a co-ed team with him and his wife. It was just one extra game a week and figured it would be a great way to get extra swings in for my mens league. However, playing on the co-ed league would lead into playing way more than I intended.

How Many Softball Games Did You Play in 2010?

I still cannot believe that I played in over 115 games. What’s crazy is some of my friends played over 150 as they also do tournaments on the weekends. My Wednesday night team plays at Baumgartner Park which is ran by the City of Sterling Heights. It only has two fields and the only people who show up are the players. My Tuesday co-ed team played at Liberty Park which is a very nice privately owned facility that has 11 fields and a bar to hang out at. It was my first time playing there and the fields are much nicer than the city owned parks.

While playing for the co-ed team I started running into some old friends who would ask me to sub after our game or that they were on another team on Thursdays and needed somebody to play. It was not every week but from April til August I was averaging 6 games a week. When the second season kicked in I was asked to play on a team and pretty much permanently subbed for my brothers other team.

It was kind of nice to only do two nights a week from August til early November. I still subbed occasionally on Thursdays. With my Beachbody Coach business going in full effect I could re-arrange my schedule to be able to play every night. I guess that’s one nice thing of running your own business.

Any Championships?

Unfortunately, no. I still do not know how my Wednesday team has not won it over the past 3 years. We are a very complete team but just cannot seem to get it done in the playoffs. The co-ed team finished second. Our girls improved over the season and it was fun watching them build their confidence batting and fielding. The teams I was not a official member of but played more than the guys who asked me to sub for them both finished in dead last.

Both teams problems were that everybody was trying to hit the ball out of the park and unfortunately it was an out if you do. Plus, we played with a ball that was softer so it would not fly out. Many balls that were hit would end up being pop-ups.

It was not uncommon for us to be mercied by the 4th inning. You have to be so good to place a ball on the warning track that its just not worth trying. My second season team did very well. It took us two weeks to get use to playing as a team but we went on a tear after that. Too little to late though as we finished in second place.

I also played in a co-ed and mens tournament. Co-ed team only won one game. The mens team won 2 games. Both were fun. The other tournament I played in was called Oktoberfest so some people dressed up in costumes.

A buddies team of mine dressed up like WWF Wrestlers and you even saw a team of Smurfs playing softball. It was a long day and the hour or two breaks in between games of course made time for beer. I lasted three games before having one but I could tell it took a little out of me. Never really liked playing sports where I have to run with beers in my stomach.

How Do You Think You Played?

I definitely improved through out the year primarily because of how much I played. Short stop was the place I played the most. Fielding was better this year than previous years and so was my batting. My goal was to get on base more than half of the times I got up. Singles and doubles were my bread and butter and most of the time I’d hit it. Having new gear definitely helped.

Bought a pair of Boombah turf shoes and pants to look more “official” as my brother would say. I used to use an old set of soccer cleats (which killed my knees) and shorts before. I hated sliding and my teammates would get on me when it was a close play and I did not slide. I told them I would only try to get an extra base if I knew I was going to get there.

I was gunned down 2 out of the 20 or so times I tried. The shoes kept my knees from hurting and the pants surprisingly kept me cool even on the 95 degree days we played on. For some reason I like to slide head first so bloody knees don’t usually happen that much.

Any Highlights?

Did hit my first over the fence home run at Liberty Park. As soon as I hit it I was like oh man get down. When I rounded first base I heard it hit the bushes and was instantly booed from my teammates as it was an out. Sad thing was that it happened on my co-ed team and none of the guys from my mens team got to see it. Cleared the 300ft sign by at least 10 feet. Probably hit the fence 3 times through out the summer. Its not apart of my game though and I only try to do it if I see the outfielders are playing in on me after hitting singles on my previous at bats.

Had an interesting game where we were down by 9 runs in the top of the last inning, scored 10, and held them scoreless for an amazing come from behind victory.

Did P90X, the Insanity Workouts, and Tony Horton 1 on 1 workouts help your play?

Yes, big time. I had just finished the P90X and Insanity hybrid workout in Jan. 2010 and continued that until March when I bought the Tony Horton 1 on 1 Vol.1 workouts. I really liked the Plyo Legs, 30 / 15 workout, and Killer Abs from the 1 on 1 series. Man were those tough. Killer Ab was my ab workout of choice for at least three months. A normal week for me was working out 5 days during the week around noon and then playing double header softball games Tuesday through Thursday night. I mixed in workouts from those programs over the summer along with at least one day of P90X Yoga X a month. I noticed much more strength in my arms and shoulders. That home run (out) I hit over the fence would not of happened two years ago. I’ve gone from hitting 260 foot pop ups to hitting that one 310 feet. I also felt like I had a little extra juice when throwing to first from short stop or making a relay throw. I never really got tired either. My brothers other team has a lot of guys who are 25-28 on it and some are out of shape. One of the guys came up to me and asked me if I was 23 years old because I never looked tired. When I told him I was 30 he was shocked. “What do you do to stay in shape,” he said. “P90X, ever heard of it,” I replied. It’s just more enjoyable playing when you are in shape. Even if it is just a beer league.

What Do You Need To Work On For Next Year?

I’ve already put on another 5 pounds of muscle since the season ended so I’m right at the weight I want to be at. However, speed is always been a enemy of mine. My brother always says I look like I should be able to run faster then what I do. I had success with Insanity and could do it again but I am really excited for the Insanity Asylum workout that is coming out in March 2011. It looks like it will be the exact workout program I need. Not saying I could not do more with P90X or the Insanity workout again, but its time to switch it up. My goal is to be quicker on the base paths and also in the field. There were a number of times that I could have knocked down a ground ball if I had just been a little bit faster. I’m also going to be practicing on hitting to the opposite field. Need to cut down the 2 beers after the game to just 1. It adds up when your playing three nights a week and then going out on the weekend.

All in all I had a great 2010 playing softball. Made a lot of new friends and caught up with some old ones. I did not turn into angry softball guy either. Going to continue to work on my health and fitness so I can enjoy playing softball in 2011 and beyond.