IamA Tony Horton, creator of the extreme fitness program P90X, Im BACK! AMA!

Tony, you and your brother Tim Horton have taken very divergent paths in life. What are family get togethers like?

Tim - that sad, fat, pathetic family outcast! Donuts be damned. I will destroy him. He kills, I give you life.

When you taped P90x3 were you told to just "be yourself"? (I'm really asking if you are as wacky as you act. You weren't as wacky in P90x) Also, I apologize for any and all profanity directed at you via my television. I'm sure you are not nearly as bad as I think you are.

Edit:Clarity/Spelling

From "onemaddawg" to "onekrazykat", let me tell you this girlfriend, I'm all that. Exercise sucks. Being uncomfortable sucks. Being shitty at things sucks. The journey is a bitch. If you can't have a couple of yucks along the way, then there is no way you're gonna stay. I'm not 24 hour moopy goofy crazy whacky, but I'm pretty damn happy and fired up most of the time.

Hi Tony,

What type of soup do you have in Karen's world famous pot stirrer today?

I have a Halloween Pumpkin Pie soup with elk.

How was it working with Jack Douglass?

I LOVE THAT GUY. Not in a I wanna make love to that guy way. Not that there is anything wrong with that. He's just a sweet, authentic, present new-thinker. He deserves all the success in the world. I am so thrilled that he and his girl Erin committed to a 90-day P90 test group. He lost 400 lbs in his face alone. As smart and as talented and as funny as he was - look out world, post P90, he'll be all that and more.

I had a roommate who did that. (I called it Peanutty X. No reason, just always sounded like peanutty X whenever I heard her mention it.)

Anyway, whenever she did it, it sounded like she was having sex; how does it feel knowing that you brought that weirdness into my life?

If it ain't weird, it ain't worth doing Mantis. I'm thrilled you found some freaky in P90X.

Tony, first off I want to say thank you. I have chronic lung disease and used to spend countless days at home sick and even in the hospital receiving IV antibiotics 6 times before I was 19 years old. Since starting P90X a few years back (then X2, X3), I haven't been to the hospital at all. SO THANK YOU! I hope to meet you one day and shake your hand! You've changed my life. Question: when should I use R&R formula? After cardio routine or strength routine? Or both?

3 cheers Billy! I'm going to post that story on my fan page today because that's what these programs are about. We train far too often with the hope that some body part that we are unhappy with today in the hopes that it will look different today. The real magic comes from a story like yours... sick, having to go to the hospital to survive and then using my programs so that you can thrive and kick ass. REDONKULOUS! Results & Recovery should be taken after any and all workouts, whether it be cardio, resistance, MMX, where you feel depleted, wasted, crushed. You have an hour window where the ingredients in results & recovery help your body heal. You never, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever want to drink it before... or as a mid-day treat. R&R is post ass-kicking only!

Hey, Tony. Your motivation is contagious. Seeing your attitude and your drive makes me want to give up unhealthy food forever and exercise religiously. But with that said, do you ever just take the occasional day where you sit on your couch and surf the net and eat Kit-Kats (or whatever)?

I do have the occasional day where I'm just chilling. But, because my healthy diet is consistent and I work out 5-7 days per week, my energy levels are always pretty high. So, it feels weird to not want to be productive. At 56 years old, I've discovered that this ride called life is shockingly short, so I try to stick to the program so that most days rock. If you aren't exercising and you're eating garbage than there is a greater desire to wanna loaf. But, when you do the two things you and and only you can control 1) What you put in your food hole and 2) What you do with your ass - you won't want to surf the internet, you'll want to surf the North Shore on the Big Island so you can say that you lived a life that mattered.

Hi Tony. I have a question regarding the yoga; as much as I enjoy it now (I HATED it initially) I still find myself struggling with flexibility. Are we supposed to "push through the pain" or should we back off and allow the flexibility to come more gradually? My wonky shoulder thanks you.

The more you do, the better you get. The more you do, the better you get. The more you do, the better you get. The more I say this, the more it will sink in. Yoga is the perfect practice because you're working on strength, core, flexibility, balance, and mindfulness all at the same time. There is no other form of fitness that does that. None. Zilch. Nada. Yoga! YOGA! Side tip - think less during your practice, breath more. The inhalations and the exhalations when they're full will allow those muscles, ligaments, and tendons to open up to a place that you haven't seen since 1984, or the lifetime before.

Do you think you telling people to "Get [their] butt in the air" during P90X led to the advent of twerking?

Real question, what do you think about people who simply follow the fitness routine but ignore the diet recommendations?

Hey "Azn" - There is no question in my mind that I inadvertently discovered/invented twerking and I want to apologize right here on Reddit.

Exercise = fitness. Food = health. There are some fairly fit people who aren't as healthy as they could be and that is where the diet comes in. The food fuels the fitness, especially as you get older.

Huge fan. How do you really feel about okra?

I'm a huge fan. I like it. I'm also a fan of quinoa, kale, and carrots.

Why is your head always photoshopped on my body when you do photoshoots?

Because I know you dig it.

Hey, Tony. I need some motivation. I'm not it horrible shape, but I don't work out either. I know once I get started it will be easier to keep going. Can you offer some nuggets of wisdom to help push me off the cliff, as it were? Help light a fire under my ass.

Here's the fire, "What". Life is filled with choices dude. You can move and get better or do nothing, "which is were you are" and stay the same. Look in the mirror and ask how that feels. The answer is probably shitty. So do you want to survive or thrive? Just like with brushing of your teeth, eating of your food, sleeping of your sleep, working of your work -- you need to train to make all of it easier, better, and awesome. I made P90X3 a half hour. I made it easy. I made P90 doable for excuse killers like you. So step up, shut up, and get busy, and I mean that in the nicest possible way.

What do you eat on an average day? And what's your overall favorite food?

I try to eat five meals a day and I would say two of them are shakes. Most mornings start with lots of eggs and lots of veggies. I use to be vegan, but no more. Now, it's chicken or fish, or free range critters for lunch and dinner. The least processed, the better. I try to eat like my great, great, great, great grandparents.

Favorite food nutrition wise: Kale Favorite food taste wise: Blackberries

Hey there Tony, I have a buddy who did P90X and another buddy who started a lifting program during that same time and they were huge influences on my deciding to start lifting so even tangentially the P90 program is doing some good things. My question is this: What do you think the most important issue in modern fitness is?

Anyone who writes tangentially is alright with me. Awesome question. I am deeply in love with this question. I wanna marry this question. If I could I would have sex with this question. And why I am so enthralled tangentially with this question is because the planet should know that the key to overall fitness success comes from 3 things: Speed, Balance, and Flexibility. Not to say that power and strength and cardiovascular fitness are not important, it's just that I believe the fountain of youth comes from those three.

Tony, what's your favorite story of someone changing their life due to one of your fitness programs?

Also, P90X is great - thanks so much for all the effort you and the crew put into the program!

You're welcome Paper. My most recent favorite story has nothing to do with my programs, but my book, "The Big Picture". I was doing a Tony Horton Fitness video on YouTube (have you subscribed yet? if not, why? http://youtube.com/tonyhortonfitness). The dude I was collaborating with told me that his Mother read my book and went cold turkey on booze, which kind of blew me away.

Hey Tony,

Me and my roommates did P90x for like months before springbreak a couple years back to try to pick up chicks on the beach. Didn't go so well. Any tips for picking up chicks?

Hey apg - Get a personality. That's where the money is, brotha. It ain't how you look. Be smart, be thoughtful, be patient, be funny, be purposeful. Stop caring about what other people think of you and focus on your purpose, on your "raison d'etré".

Tony, just wanted to say thanks for cracking a funny joke when I need it to get through a workout. I'm a 2 time x3 grad.

What does "that's the grotton" mean from ab ripper x?

Hey BJ - I have no flipping idea. Here is some inside baseball for you: In the moment of shooting stuff just comes out of my face hole and it disappears into the wind. Of all the P90X3 workouts, I've only seen 4, and of the P90 workouts, I haven't seen one. When you work on something for a year to make it just right after it's done, it's weird to watch myself.

Good afternoon, Mr Horton. My question pertains to proper eating. Do you have suggestions for someone on a fixed/limited income? I know that a proper diet is just as important as proper exercise, but can you shed some light on ways to achieve this on the cheap? Thank you for talking with us today. Stay awesome.

Great question. I was a very poor man for a very long time. But, I understood that I had to eat better. When I ordered pizza I got it with super low cheese and loaded with vegetables. When I went grocery shopping I bought lots of frozen vegetables. I got off the soda pop and sports drinks and drank more water. I figured out how to make an omelette and when I ate restaurants for poor people (me), I would get the chicken, brown rice, and the veggies, and stay away from dessert. Anybody at any income level can do that.

What percentage of a year do you spend shirtless?

At 56, I'm not as shirtless as I was at 26. But, typically after a chest/back routine I strip down and go into a pose down for about 35 minutes, lol.

Hi Tony, just started P90X3 and am loving it so far. My question for you is what sparked your interest in fitness enough to make a career out of it?

I was lame. I was a loser. I was sad. I was depressed. I looked like poop and I didn't like any of those things and fitness fixed it.

Tony, I am a huge fan of P90X3 and have also done P90X as well. My question is would you suggest adding a cardio workout (running, biking, etc) every week to go along with P90X3 or do you feel its unnecessary really with your workouts if my goal is to attain your fitness level?

If you want to attain my fitness level? You go buy P90X2. P90X3 is the perfect program for anyone that can't finish X and X2 - and that's a lot of people. We've had a greater success rate with X3 than anything and it got people in kooky awesome shape. But, if you want to be a badass, buy X2.

Mr. Tony Horton,

Huge fan. When are we going to see Tony Horton Kitchen on the shelves of 7-Elevens in Texas?

If you live near the San Fernando Valley, right now on my Facebook fan page and on Instagram (@TonyHorton) you can win a signed P90, P90X, or P90X3 if you take some weird photo of you purchasing two Tony Horton Kitchens. Now, you may be asking yourself, "Well, Tony, I live in Texas? How does that help me get THK?" We are having this contest in our first test market so that we can spread the word, get people excited, and start selling THK in Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas. Which would be the next area of the country to get THK. Get on your pals in Southern California to help promote healthy food in a convenient way so that you can too, sooner rather than later.

Hi Tony.

I'm a grad of the previous version of P90. What are the differences between the new version of it and the previous one?

The original "Power 90" was based on good old-fashioned circuit training that was popular at the time. It worked then, it works now. But, the new "P90" still has some of the basics of the original, but the main difference is that we've modernized it with 3 phases, 3 ab rippers, and a Saturday special routine that churns and burns. The original had 4 workouts, this one has 10. Each and every workout is brand new.

Tony, do you think Arnold could do P90X? I've tried it, and it's one helluva workout!

Arnold was more of a bodybuilder. X, X2, X3 are fitness programs. There are aspects of all my programs where Arnold would excel, but the variety of my programs would probably rock his world.

Tony! Just about made it through P90X (the first one) but the workouts were too long for a busy schedule. Thinking about P90X3, is that what you would recommend?

Also, I could fill in as your replacement if ever needed. I have all the Tony lines memorized. Favorite - "AB Ripper X, I hate it... but I love it."

Thanks for making it fun!

Here's the deal. If you get yourself in ridiculous shape, you can take my gig and I'll move to Jackson Hole, strip off all my clothes, lay in a field and stare at the snow. But, to do that I would say X3 or P90 is the way to go. X3 is P90X short, but fast. P90 is broken up into 3 ramping phases from month 1 to month 3. The goal is to finish the race. X3 and P90 are designed to make that happen. Hurry up because I can't wait to lay in that field.

Hi Tony. I saw you at the Santa Monica promenade not too long ago giving a bunch of money to a street artist performing there. Who was that? And why were you giving her fat stacks?? Thanks for being awesome.

Why didn't you come over and hug me? If you see me in the promenade again, come shake my hand and tell me a story. It was actually a YouTube collaboration (Tony Horton Fitness on YouTube) video we were shooting and the female performer had no idea it was going to happen. We just picked her out of the blue and gave her about 80 bucks. It was fun to see her reaction.

I just started p90x 3 and I have trouble doing all the pull ups. Should I lift weights during the time left in the segment? Just read your book btw it was fantastic!

Thanks for reading "The Big Picture" VeganChik. That's the book I always wanted to write. I think those 11 laws will help even more folks understand how to get the most of their life, too. I would keep a bench/chair/box under your pull-up bar and after you run out of gas then just tip-toe one foot on that bench/chair/box and crank out as many as you can.

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Deus - why did you try to build Rome in a day? With 10s of thousands of Romans it took many years to build the coliseum, but you wanted to be Hercules in an hour. It's best sometimes when first starting out to train at 75-80% for the first 30 days. This way you feel energized and not pulverized. I don't want to sound all pluggy, that's not what Reddit is about, but that is the exact reason why I created P90. The first 30 days are just getting you going, and it builds. By the time you get to day 90 of P90, you can jump right into P90X and not hurt your arm while sleeping. It's about patience, dude. I hurt my shoulder and I made myself do P90 type workouts, which allowed me to stay fit and stay strong and not aggravate the injury. Now, I'm back to my P90X and X2 routines.

I just want to give you a big thank you for everything you've done for the fitness community and myself. Back in 2009, I'd never so far as picked up a weight or done jump squat.

Then I did p90x and it literally revolutionized my life - I did 3 rounds of p90x, 2 rounds of x2, and a bit of X+. Today, I still incorporate lots of p90x type moves into my workouts, and I consider it the foundation to my fitness. About once or twice a week, I'll still pop in plyocide, interval X, or a killer cardio work.

Thanks Tony.

Now for my question:

Have you ever done any kind of olympic style weightlifting? It's very technique driven, but I'd love to hear your opinion on it.

Transparent Bicycle - there is nothing transparent about your awesomeness. You are my new favorite story to tell. To hear that you truly went from a zero to a hero through my programs brings a twinkle to my heart. So proud of you!!! A story like that is the reason why I love my job. When I am in Jackson Hole, there is a facility called Mountain Athlete/Warrior Athlete. When I was there last time we went through a complex called Quadzillas. BRUTAL! At Warrior Athlete and most Crossfit gyms across the country, they incorporate Olympic style lifting. With the right coach and the right techniques and at the right time, for the right people, it's a phenomenal tool to get you in some pretty sick shape. With the wrong coach, poor technique, too much ego for the wrong people, it can be a disaster. The first time I walked into a Mountain Fitness, looked a trainer straight in the eye 5 seconds after walking in the room and said, "Your job is to train me, not hurt me." After a long pause, he looked at me and said, "Okay, got it." I got my ass whipped, but I didn't get hurt. That's how it should be every time you train. Great question.

Hey tony, thanks for doing the ama I've been doing X3 for a a month now and it's kicking my ass haha. Just wanted to know what your inspiration for creating tony Horton kitchen? And if your venture in food is a success is a possible cookbook on the horizon?

Some of you may or may not know that Tony Horton Kitchen started out as a fresh food home delivery service. The meals averaged between $9 and $14. If you had a little extra income that is affordable. But, for a lot of folks $14/meal was steep. It sure would have been for me back in the day. We had limited results, but the home delivery service ended up being a stepping stone to the relationship established with 7-Eleven. 7-Eleven convenience are smack dab in the middle of food deserts all over the country. It was a huge risk for them. They do very well with hot dogs wrapped in bacon, donuts, and slurpees. But, some of their young guns in the company realize that things are changing. They saw my success at Beachbody with P90X, X2, X3, 10-Minute Trainer, and now P90, and thought, "Hey, let's see if we can part of the solution." Kudos to them for having the balls to do the right thing. With that said, I am in early discussions with Harper-Collins about a THK cook book. Keep your fingers crossed.

What is your current stance on Gluten-free foods as well as foods that are whole grain?

My current stance on whole-grain and gluten-free foods is to eat them, that is if you're not gluten intolerant or have Celiac Disease. There is a lot of hubbub about gluten. Advocates of gluten-free foods have eliminated a myriad of health issues. Others think it's a big hoax. I love when people have opinions about other people they've never met who have issues they don't have. Good luck with that keeping your stress down for the rest of your life. FLASH. If you don't have issues with gluten, you can still enjoy gluten-free products. Other folks who do have Celiac Disease really do have to avoid wheat products. I was in Montana last Winter looking for something to eat while skiing. I ran into this cookie called The Hunger Buster in the local health food store. It's made by a small family owned company called Gluten Free Prairie. High in fiber, zero gluten, crazy yummy and better than 99.4% of factory food bars. I can eat all the wheat I want, I just eat this thing and many of their other products because they taste good. Long answer, hope it helps.

Tony, do you have any plans to put together a book / video targeting health for folks who over 40 / 50 or so who are working out ...and what do you think is a big difference for someone over 40 to keep in mind improving fitness?

Bidet - Awesome username dude. Cause you gotta be a dude. Are you a plant? Do you work at Beachbody? Cause if that doesn't sound like a planted question to get me to plug P90, I don't know what does. If I could think of 400 answers that weren't P90, I'd give you one. Alright, person who doesn't work at Beachbody, wink, wink, nudge, nudge, you're over 40. I'm 56. What do we want? We want to feel like we're 26 and 36. Is that impossible? No. When you're young all your parts are new. When you're old(er), all you're parts need assistance in staying younger. So if you train your power and your strength and your flexibility and your quickness and your balance regularly (5-6x a week) then you can have what folks have who have new parts. I make fitness programs. I make fitness programs based on what people need and want. Your job is to figure out which one is appropriate for you and to do it no matter what. NO MATTER WHAT. No matter how bad the traffic is, no matter how tired you are, no matter how much your family is giving you shit. No matter what crazy noise inside of your head wants you to do nothing, you just do it. P90, for example, PHASE A - cardio on one day, resistance on the other. PHASE B - same thing, only a little longer. PHASE C - last month, more of the same, but a little longer. 3 Ab Rippers. That's right, 3, not 1. And of course, Saturday Special. Feel free to do that on a Thursday or any other damn day that works into your schedule. Do it. It works. Don't bitch more. Now go get it! Peace, love, and harmony. Yippee Yi A, Kiate, Mother Lover. OUT.

TONY YOU ARE A FITNESS GOD!!!!!

Now that I have your attention hopefully, I wanted to ask what you recommend for someone who had a C-section and has hardened ligaments. I made it through one month of X3 but then fell off because I was a sad loser. But even after that month, my ligaments were still popping, particularly during YogaX.

Any recommendations for getting my core strength back?

Also, I am a Behavior Analyst by career, but I can't figure out how to self-manage my own behavior. How do you develop discipline when your a 30-year old? Isn't it too late???!

About that God thing, you are so right :-) Isn't it funny that we often have to learn what we teach? I'm not your doctor, you need to go see one first, but from me to you through a screen via the internet... back off, back down, slow down, chill out. Start easy. There is no question in my mind whatsoever that you are not the perfect P90 candidate. I hate sounding like the guy is trying to sell his stuff on Reddit. The thought of that makes me throw up in my own mouth. But, if you want an answer to your question that will work, I don't know what else to tell you. So behavioral therapist, find a purpose, make a plan, surround yourself with like-minded badasses or create some from scratch and go finish this thing. BTW, did I mention it's important to do your best and forget the horse hockey inside of your brain preventing you from being awesome?!?

What is some advice you have for people really out of shape who tried p90x and said screw this? Something to keep people from bring demotivated if they felt p90x was too difficult.

The obvious answer is Zumba. The second most obvious answer is anything and everything that takes up less time and is less of a butt kicking. Gosh, I wonder why my last two programs were exactly that. I got the message, you loved P90X, but some of us can't finish it. X3 and P90 were designed to give you the confidence to keep going so you could get the results you couldn't being inconsistent with P90X.

Tony!! I'm a big fan!!

In one of your videos you said that we shouldn't say we couldn't do something but that we currently struggle with that something.

What is something you initially struggled with that you can now do? (Could be exercise related or not.)

There are dozens of things where I struggled early on. My whole life was a struggle early on. I couldn't speak in a straight sentence without stuttering or stammering. I had the aerobic capacity of a 90-year old cigarette smoking grandmother. There was no way on God's earth I could get up in front of a bunch of people and give a presentation. I was like a lot of people today who are still just limping along. I took a weight lifting class in college my sophomore year that changed everything for me. I'm talking above and beyond the physical changes. Every single one of us on this Earth are productive based on a couple of things:

Confidence and energy. Regular fitness and proper fuel automatically change your attitude about what you're doing and where you're going. It gives you the CONFIDENCE to problem solve in your life. If you're exhausted because of a lack of exercise and poor diet, there is no way you'll have the energy to get it done, to move forward, to be productive, to solve problems, to get ahead. You can get that in a 25-minute P90 workout.

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WOW! Congrats to those 3 pullups for your wife, brother. When a woman can do just 1 pullup, it's extremely impressive. Men have 40x the testosterone that women do, so they have to work 40x harder. They earn every single pullups. Some of my cast members were full-time fitness instructors from the get go, but as far as I know these were lawyers, nurses, dental assistants, salesmans, moms and dads, many in the original test groups pulled off the street who got fit, stuck with their gig and just kept going.

Hi Tony.

First, thanks for making P90X. I've been using it off and on for a few years now (along with X3).

Second, as a native-born Rhode Islander, I'm curious, how often do you get back there? And what do you like to do when you go?

Third, when you're working out, do you like to cycle through different versions of P90X (2, 3) or do you prefer one over the others? Or do you do something even more intense?

Go Rhody! I try to get back every 4th of July and what a shock, I spend a lot of days training and heading down to Misquamicut Beach. For me, it's a mixed bag. A little X2, a little X3, and some original P90X. But, I never do any of them the way you would. In 15 years I've worked out to myself maybe twice so I follow the basic formats, but instead of pullups I'll use a lat pull machine, or instead of push ups I'll use a bench press, instead of tricep kickbacks, I'll get on my dip bar. I'm always integrating brand new movements that force me to work on a weakness. I like, scratch that, I love, being bad at things.

If you could only do one bodyweight exercise for the rest of your life, what would it be?

I would never do that. Because it serves no purpose. But, I know you want your question answered so it would be pull-ups.