I think I got him...
Hagerstown Personal Trainers Kat and Chad Smith went to Wallingford, CT to cover the Fitness Atlantic Bodybuilding Championships for FTNS Radio… The first internet radio station dedicated to only fitness. While they were there, they had the uniquie opportunity to interview Tony Horton of P90X Fame.
Over the course of the past 3 decades, fitness celebrity Tony Horton has not so quietly become one of the most successful professionals in the fitness industry. His best known product, P90-X has an almost cult like following that stretches even into the White House where President and Mrs. Obama reportedly use the best selling program. When Kat and I were asked by FTNS Radio to represent the station at the Fitness Atlantic Bodybuilding Championships, we were excited to discover that Tony would be leading a P90-X workout with a sold-out crowd.
I have personally never done a P90-X workout, I’ve never even SEEN a full workout apart from the bits that I’ve watched on home shopping channels. I wanted to meet this guy, and see him in action so I’d know if he was the real deal, or all gimmick.
The minute Tony hit the stage, it was like a big ball of electricity hit the crowd. People were jumping, punching, kicking, pushing, pulling, having the experience of a lifetime. Most of all, they were getting exactly what they wanted, a good whuppin. It didn’t take long for Tony to come off the stage, and work his way through the crowd, coaching, and motivating as many people as he could to work harder, push more, and do better. By the time it was all said and done, the crowd was spent, but smiling. Tony stayed on staged, and offered some words of inspiration. For the next hour or so after that, he signed autographs, and posed for pictures with the crowd, continuing to add to the experience. When he finally retired to the VIP Lounge, I asked his super cool PR Rep for an interview. Coming in after ESPN, I didn’t expect a positive answer, but I got the interview.
Try to corral THIS guy...
We met Tony, and we soon found out that the Tony Horton on the videos, and tv commercials, and on stage is the exact Tony Horton you get in person. He revealed to us that he actually pursued a comedy career before he got into fitness, and it was eveident as he had us rolling for the entire interview. The guy is hilarious! I was glad he wasn’t some uptight “diva” who would treat us like he was barely tolerating our presence. No, Tony was a welcoming class act throughout, answering all our questions. We also found that his basic fitness philosophies mirror many of ours.
Here are a few “nuggets we picked up from the interview:
- Many fit parents don’t have fit kids, because they don’t want to fight with the kids
- Childhood obesity can be done away with if parents start taking control of their household fitness culture
- Presenting fitness to the masses simply, and with humor is HIGHLY effective. Make it FUN!
- No supplements can replace what works: consistency, and hard work
What's the chance that I'll slow down? About thaaaat much...
We had a great time with Tony and his crew, and got to look “behind the curtain” with this fitness superstar. We found Tony to be a sincere, very down to Earth professional with a passion for what he does. I have no doubt that this is one of the reasons for his tremendous success. He IS the real deal. Fake people get exposed quickly, and will get pushed to the wayside. With over 30 years at the top of his game, he’s seen many, MANY so-called fitness celebrities come and go, but here he still stands, the reigning King of Fitness. I’m probably never going to be a P90-X “guy” , but after hanging with the man behind the program, I will say that I am a new Tony Horton fan.
Visit Tony’s Facebook fan page HERE
Chad Smith is a Hagerstown personal trainer, and co-owner of Home Team Fitness Training with his wife, Kat. He has a weekly fitness column in the Herald Mail newspaper that is read by thousands weekly. Visit his website http://www.hometeamfitness.net, or find him on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/hometeamfitness. You can also listen to “Jumpstart” with Chad and Kat live weekdays at 12 pm EST on FTNS Radio http://www.ftns.co.
