15 Years of Continuous Learning

15 Years of Continuous Learning

Working in IT continuous learning is a way of life. I was recently encouraging members of my team to pick 1 hard skill and 1 soft skill course to add to their goals for this year. I logged into Pluralsight to share some ideas. I was surprised when I saw that I had 579 hours of training and 264 completed courses. I recently completed the LinkedIn Learning course: Gaining Skills with LinkedIn Learning by Oliver Schinkten, and it got me thinking about learning over the years. 

I have loved Pluralsight, and especially courses by Jason Alba, I wrote a piece on why I enjoy Jason’s courses so much and an overview of Pluralsight many year ago. Back in 2013 Pluralsight purchased IT Training Network TrainSignal, which I had access to since 2010, And the learning history was brought in. So, I have 579 hours and 264 courses over 15 years across the platform. Many great skills, technologies, soft skills and sometimes just a refresher.

An example of how I used Technology training from a past job. Many years ago, when I moved from Service Desk to the Senior team one of my first task was to build a VMWare VDI Environment, I watched the course beginning to end, watched it again taking specific notes, then built out the environment without any issues. 

What I love about IT and now management is the need for continuous learning. I often state if I ever came into money the first thing I would do is go back to university. I have an uncle who is 93 and takes courses every fall and winter semesters at UW and Laurier, he has added 3 degrees since retiring. Back in 2006 I believe he was the oldest active student at UW and wrote about him for the student paper; Possibly the oldest active student at UW - Lucien Guillaume. I spent over 20 years as an undergraduate because I was not sure what I wanted to do with my life and just loved learning, I wrote a piece called; 20 Years After - Reflections on Life, the University and Everything. It was always my fall-back because of a natural talent, and it has provided lifelong learning opportunities. I now have access through work to LinkedIN Learning and have completed 8 courses over the last 6 months on that platform. I am grateful that most of my corporate career I have been at employers that support and encourage learning. And I am thankful my current employer is passionate about it. Even curating thematic content every month for us.

No matter where you are in your career or what your job is I encourage you as I did my team this year, pick a course or 2 to learn and grow. The benefit personally, and professionally is well worth the time and effort. And here is to the next 500 hours of learning!

The Promise Anna The Prophetess - Anna Watkinson Barnum

THE PROMISE

My father’s name was Phanuel;

From the tribe of Asher he came.

In Hebrew, “Face of God” 

Is the meaning of his name.

I am his daughter Anna.

My name has meaning too.

The “grace” of God, and also “favour”

In my life have proven true.

I was married only 7 years.

I really wished for more!

But God had a different plan for me.

And now, I’m 84!

This temple has become a home

To this prophetess who prays,

And fasts, and worships.

Through all the nights and days.

Never have I lost the hope

That someday I would see,

The Promised One....Messiah!

Our redemption He would be.

This Roman occupation

Has been going on for years.

The oppression in our country

Can bring my soul to tears.

“My Father, we need a Saviour!

Oh hear my plea once again!

Send the Messiah soon I pray,

To deliver us from Rome...and our sin!”

Simeon, my friend, is a prophet.

(I think he’s much older than I!)

And as elders in our culture,

Regard for what we say is high.

In Israel, the firstborn son,

Is  consecrated to the Lord.

This fulfills an ancient law

That is written in the Word.

Today, as the temple routine began,

(T’was a day like any other),

I saw a little family come in...

A baby boy, with father and mother.

When I saw Simeon speaking to them,

I went close so I could hear.

As he prophesied over this family,

All became wonderfully clear!

This child of Joseph and Mary,

Presented to God today,

Is truly the long-awaited One!

“Thank You” was all I could say.

And to all who were looking forward,

To that promise made long ago,

I spoke of this child called “Jesus”.

I had to let them know!

No words can really express how it feels

To be so happy and blessed.

I am content. I am at peace.

Perhaps now I can rest.

     Anna Watkinson Barnum 2023

     First presented as part of a series of reflections during Advent. 

“And there was a prophetess, Anna, the daughter of Phan'uel, of the tribe of Asher; she was of a great age, having lived with her husband seven years from her virginity, 37and as a widow till she was eighty-four. She did not depart from the temple, worshiping with fasting and prayer night and day. 38And coming up at that very hour she gave thanks to God, and spoke of him to all who were looking for the redemption of Jerusalem.” 

     Luke 2:36–38 – Ignatius Study Bible

“There was a prophetess, too, Anna the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was well on in years. Her days of girlhood over, she had been married for seven years before becoming a widow. She was now eighty-four years old and never left the Temple, serving God night and day with fasting and prayer. She came up just at that moment and began to praise God; and she spoke of the child to all who looked forward to the deliverance of Jerusalem.”

     Luke 2:36–38 – NJB

My mother-in-law wrote and presented this. It was part of a senior’s event at their Pentecostal Church. The other parts were: Elizabeth, innkeeper’s wife, a shepherd and a Wiseman. Appropriate scripture will be read; the character gives a “firsthand account” of things, then a carol. When she practiced it for our family after a movie night I asked if I could poste it. So here it is I share it with you.

Cubing @ 50

Cubing @ 50

If you were to ask my wife or kids, and they would tell you I have become addicted to cubing. And it really was not anything I expected. I remember when the first Rubik’s Cube came out when I was released worldwide in 1980. And back then as kids we often solved it by popping it apart and putting it back together. And later I saw friends try and remove the stickers and put it back solved. With a dual form of dyslexia that affects both coordination and fine motor skills I never really expected to be able to solve these puzzles.

Then in 2020 there was covid 19 and social distancing, lockdown, … Fortunately working in IT I was able to transition to working from home. My son had several cubes and had always liked them but could not solve them. He had 2x2, 3x3, 4x4, the Void, and a few variations on the 3x3. I had tried learning a few times over the years via books or videos. But now I figured it was time to learn and at least help him get to solving the 3x3. 

I stumbled across the videos from JPerm, and had quick success. I used his videos and learned how to solve the 

2x2

3x3

4x4

Within a week I had taught my youngest two children, ages 9 and 12, at the time, the 2x2, 3x3, and 3x3 Pyraminx. And I was doing the 5x5. Soon we each had our own set. My wife was the next to learn and was happy to stop at the 3x3 and 2x2. Then my oldest at 13, wanted to learn. And she is getting fast. She can do from 2x2 to 5x5 now. And we have races. She wants to compete once events start happening again.

On my work desk I have:

2x2 to 9x9, 3x3 and 4x4 Pyraminx, a 2x2x3 and 2x3x3. And my latest addition is the Skewb. (since writing this I have added the Double Skewb, Square-1, 3x3 Twisty, a Fisher Cube, an Axis Cube, and a Windmill Cube.)

On my bedside Table I have Carbon fiber 2x2 to 5x5s. 

And on my personal desk I have 3x3 to 5x5.

I love working with a nice fresh new Carbon Fiber cube, but once the stickers start getting jagged, I do not enjoy it as much. My cubes are mostly QiYi which I love but they do not yet make really large cubes. My 8x8 and 9x9 are both YuXin. My kids think I should stop, but I really have my eye on 11x11 and 13x13 but waiting to see if they come down in price. My youngest daughter loves the QiYi Jelly Cubes, and my son prefers the Cyclone Boys cubes.

If you are in Canada the best prices, I can find are from Cubing Out Loud. Their prices and service are amazing. Not counting the larger cubes I already have a half dozen items on a wish list.

Now I know I will never be competition fast. But I love solving cubes. I do the ones on my bedside table and most of the ones on my desk at least once a day. Sometimes when working through IT problems I just pick up and play with a cube, either mixing and mixing it, or solving it over and over again. I love that it is something the whole family enjoys. So I would encourage you, if you have always wanted to learn but never have, give JPerm’s videos a try and if you become addicted consider purchasing from Cubing Out Loud. JPerm has a video comparing older and younger cubers, that is well worth checking out. Because if I can do it, I am certain you can as well.

(My oldest daughters and inje for when we compete. we do one set then switch.)

Note: I am not an affiliate or sponsored by Cubing Out Loud, I was just really impressed by their service, the prices, and that they are Canadian. And since writing this I have added a Double Skewb and a Square-1.

The Tablet Wars

Many people believe that the iPhone is winning the Smart phone race, and that Android devices are fast gaining second. But as yet, neither is very suited to the corporate market; they are both hard to secure and manage en masse. Now the tablet wars are heating up. The iPad2 has been on the market for a few months, the BlackBerry Playbook and Motorola Xoom device have both just hit the market, and there is a variety of Android-based devices to choose from. In this week's Tech Talk we will do a head-to-head comparison between 4 tablet devices. So let's put the VPad, Playbook, iPad2 and Xoom through the paces and see what comes up on top.

As can be seen from the chart, there are a number of differences between the 4 devices, from OS, to Screen size, resolution, inputs and outputs. In fact the only the only things these four devices have in common is that they were each 32GB size, each supports Wi-Fi connectivity and each is a tablet device. So I will give a brief overview of each device - its pros and cons.

Viewsonic - View Pad 10
To be honest, this was the least favourite of the four devices tested. It is very heavy. Both operating systems seem clunky on the device. The battery life was less than projected even with minimal applications running. The only real saving grace for this device is the dual boot so that you can have Windows 7 professional on the device and secure it in a corporate environment. The touch keyboard on the Win7 side was very unruly, and not much better on the Android side. It has the lowest resolution camera and no video recording capability. All in all, not a bad paper weight but not worth much else.

Motorola - Xoom
This device is in the middle of the pack, it is fairly new to the market and with some OS updates it might move up. There seems to be no shortage of these devices, unlike iPad2 which are hard to lay your hands on, or the Playbook which is selling really well. Not a bad device to work on. It only has one rear facing camera, and can output to 720p display. Decent functionality - it is just up against good competition.

Apple - iPad2
The second generation device from Apple has a lot going for it. A huge app store, great popularity and by far the largest market share. But there are some drawbacks. First, it is very heavy compared to the Xoom and Playbook. Second, it is hard to secure and manage, especially in a corporate environment. This device has two cameras both front and back facing, and can record video at 720p. For the most part, it is a device to play on. It is great for that but based on the price point not ideal, especially for work.

RIM - Playbook
The drawback of this device currently is that it has a much smaller selection of apps in app world than the iPad2. The big plusses - it is much faster, than any of the competition, it is more responsive. It can output natively to 1080p and can also do 3D content output. It also can record 1080P video, the only one with this specification in the group. Once the application market heats up, it will be hard to beat. This device has both front and rear facing cameras. Both are pretty decent. Most of the marketing around the playbook has been to the end user, the consumer, not corporate market. It can be secured but still has a long way to go. It currently cannot be managed and administered through a BES (Blackberry Enterprise Server) but rumours indicate that is not far away.

I am fortunate in working full time in IT in a technology company. Because of that I get to play with a lot of different devices and models of laptops and desktops. Having had the chance to configure and play on each of the four devices above, I have come to the conclusion that if I had but one for personal use I would go with the Playbook; if I were to have a second one in the house I would go with an iPad2. Yet in the end, most of it comes down to personal preference. I encourage you to try different devices either in store or from someone you know who has one. Don't just follow the media hype. Find the device that will do what you want to do best, and go with that. Those are my opinions and advice coming to you from the server room!

(First published in Imprint as 'Tech Talk: Choosing your weapon in the tablet wars' 2011-06-17.)

Mac Vs PC an IT Guy's Perspective

Mac Vs PC an IT Guy's Perspective

Are you a Mac or are you a PC? Those commercials from Apple seem to have polarized this question and issue even more. If you believe the commercials, if you prefer Macs, you're young, hip and cool. If you prefer PCs, you're older, (middle aged), and a nerd. I recently heard a story about an IT guy wearing a Windows 7 T-shirt and someone ran up to him in the street and yelled in his face, "I'm a Mac, PCs suck." And then he took off. Apple users do seem to be a little more militant or fanatical about their preference. What I hope to do in this article is look at the argument of Mac Vs PC from an IT perspective, supporting both the hardware and users in a corporate and personal environment.

A reader might be inclined to ask what my credentials are to talk about this topic. I currently hold 30 computer certifications, a mix of Apple, Microsoft and CompTIA designations. I have 5 years corporate experience supporting environments with upwards of 10,000 computer clients and users. I also privately support some small businesses, not-for-profits and individual clients. Last fall I was asked to take over support of Macs at work and got my first MacBook Pro. I have configured and set up about a dozen MacBook Pros, Mac Pros and Mac Minis in an active directory domain environment, about another 20 for use for product testing, development and proof of concept use, and have configured another handful for personal use. I have been building PCs doing sales and service and support since the late 80's when a student at Queen's University.

I will be examining the question of Mac VS PC from a few different angles:
1. Ease of set up
2. Ease of use
3. Hardware comparisons
4. OS upgrades
5. Ease of repair
6. Hardware upgrades
7. Cost comparisons
8. An overall comparison
So join me as we embark on this quest to answer the question of Mac VS PC.

I must admit, a Mac right out of the box is easy to set up and use. There seems to be fewer issues with drivers or compatibility even to generic peripherals. On the other hand, Windows 7 seems to be very compatible, though sometimes you need to install generic drivers and update the drivers once you're installed and logged in. Ease of set up with current hardware is a pretty close call, but with a slight edge going to Mac.

Ease of use is a very tricky question to tackle. I know numerous people who have bought Macs for home use, and constantly get frustrated because they are so different from Windows. A few do everything they can to tweek the OSX environment to be as close to Windows as possible, using such add-ons as Total Finder, FUSE NTFS, and more. Others take the time to learn OSX and work back and forth between OSX and Windows. Others give up and install Bootcamp, or a virtual machine using such software packages as Parallels or VMWare Fusion to run a Windows machine on top of OSX. But to the native Mac user switching to Windows it is just as frustrating. Having run both side- by-side for the last 8 months, there are things I like and appreciate in OSX. The mouse on the MacBook Pro, and scroll functionality on it or the Magic Mouse is amazing. Getting comfortable with Command+Q to close programs, I now do this every day or so in my Windows environment. As far as ease of use, it will come down, to some extent, to personal choice, adaptability and preference. Mac wins this but at a cost - adding the add-ons or VM costs more money.

The biggest surprise I have encountered since beginning to support Macs is the hardware comparison. Macs seem to be a generation or two behind PCs. Most people I ask about this state that it is because Mac OSX is a flavour of Linux and requires fewer resources. The problem with it is that when it comes time to upgrade you have fewer options, especially since OSX does a hardware check and will not let you upgrade beyond a certain point forcing you to purchase new hardware. PCs are nice and for the most part so generic you can build whatever you want and/or need. You can spend big bucks and get cutting-edge and hold onto it for years or spend less and still have a good system or upgrade later. PC wins this round hands down.

OS upgrades for Mac users can become very frustrating. Apple seems to block older hardware that will support the OS. I know some guys who create Hackintosh media, OSX Disks that will install on any hardware, Dell, IBM … and if a retail version of OSX fails, the hardware check prevents install of the new version of OSX and won't install, then these older Macs can be upgrade with these hacked versions of the OS. The nice thing is you can do an in-place upgrade that seems to work very well when supported. This has never really worked well in a Windows environment and in fact discouraged. With that being the case, Apple wins this battle.

Ease of repair for both hardware and software is a big question. Many Mac users will say you seldom need to repair the hardware or the OS. I have encountered numerous situations where either or both have been needed.

Macs are harder to take apart and do repairs on. Both MacBook Pros and MacPros take more effort and skill to upgrade. Windows-based laptops and desktops, for the most part, are very componentized and easy to physically upgrade. And when you do want to upgrade a Mac you have to buy official support Mac hardware which always costs more than comparable PC hardware. A second problem is that Macs often require the original OS disks from purchase, in order to reset FaileVault or Master password, to reinstall the OS and more. These disks are machine and generation specific. Recently at work we had 2 MacBook Pro 17" laptops bought less than 3 months apart. One user lost his OS disk, and the disks from the other could not be used to rebuild the machine and a replacement set needed to be ordered. With either Dell or IBMs I have been able to use almost any system disk that came with a system to repair any other system; in fact I only keep one per OS and use it across models and platforms. A recent example to upgrade a MacBook pro top 8GB DDR ram was more than twice the cost of upgrading a Dell laptop to the same speed 8GB ram. Again PC takes this round.

Cost comparisons - there is really no comparison. Macs cost more - if you need to run a VM of Windows also, a lot more. You end up paying more for the Mac out of the box, pay for the VM software, pay for the licence for Windows, and pay for any applications installed on each platform. I currently have Adobe Acrobat Pro Installed on both OSX and my Windows 7 VM because some applications cannot pick up the cross platform PDF printer. Macs cost more to buy, more to support and more to upgrade.

Conclusions: I love both OSX and Windows. I am a PC but I am a PC that is learning Macs to support them. I would never pay the extra money to own one personally but enjoy learning and working on them. Macs, and to be honest, almost any Apple product to some extent, is just a status symbol. A few weeks ago I walked through a Starbucks and 90% of the computers present were Macs. I then went to the Second Cup down the street and only one computer was a Mac and about a dozen were PCs. Is there anything you can do on a Mac that you can't do on a PC? Not really, with the right hardware or software. So the decision comes down to the size of your wallet and personal preference. I like running my Mac with Windows 7 running in Unity mode via VMWare Fusion, see screen shot. I can do anything in either OS, but it was an awful lot more money to get it set up. If I had won a Mac a year ago I would have sold it and built 2 PCs. Today I would keep it. But no matter what your preference don't be obnoxious about it. Now admittedly, I did not touch upon other flavours of Linux or Unix in this piece, which here at UWaterloo might seem a little strange. We can have that discussion next time.

(Graphic by Ian Renato Cutajar.)
(First published in Imprint 2011-06-02 as 'Mac VS PC'.)

Kobo VS Kindle

Kobo VS Kindle

Head to head, what is the best device for reading eBooks, the Kobo or the Kindle? Looking at comfort, support, ease of use and overall, what device is the victor? I have been reading eBooks since the late 90's and using the old Microsoft reader .lit format and various Palms and Sony Clie as designated eReaders. But the last of my Clie's died a few years back and I was in the market for a designated eReader. So I have put both the Kobo and Kindle through the paces and will share with you the good, the bad and the ugly of both devices and as they go toe to toe round after round, we will see who comes out champ.

In order to write this article I have now read over 30 books on the Kobo and have read 6 on the Kindle. I used two different Kindles - 3 books each on a Kindle 2 and Kindle 3, but have limited comments to the Kindle 3 unless specifically mentioning the Kindle DX. I get Digital review copies from NetGalley and synced the same books with both Kindles and with the Kobo to do some direct side-by-side comparison.

The first thing I looked at was comfort. How was it to hold the device? Weight, feel, and other factors were considered. The Kobo is 26gs lighter than the Kindle 3 Wi-Fi 3G model. Now that might not seem like a lot of weight, but it is more than a tenth of the weight of the Kobo and reading continuously it does make a difference. Second is comfort to hold and use. The Kobo can be held with one hand and pages turned very easily. This cannot be said for the Kindle. Also the Kobo has a quilted, padded rubber back, which is very comfortable to hold and use. The Kindle on the other hand has an aluminum front and a plastic back with a wide gap around the seam. I found this often caught the skin, especially while trying to read one-handed. The Kindle 3 uses the new micro USB jack and it is not noticeable at all. The Kobo still uses a mini USB and it is a little knobby and needs to be avoided when holding the device. Less important to some, but the Kindle only comes in white or graphite; the Kobo comes in porcelain, onyx, metallic silver and pearlized lilac. But overall comfort goes to Kobo.

Next let's examine ease of eBook Library management. Both devices can sync wirelessly with their proprietary book stores. Both can sync with Adobe digital editions. You can use third party software to connect to both and convert and sync DRM free eBooks in an appropriate format, such as Calibre eBook Management software. But the biggest advantage goes to Kobo for its use with local libraries. I have checked numerous local libraries, specifically the Kitchener Public Library and the Kingston Public Library, and both will allow borrowing eBooks to your Kobo but not to your Kindle. Both of those libraries and many more in Canada use Overdrive for its eLending, and they support almost any device except the Kindle. Both support Magazine and Newspaper subscriptions to an equal extent. Capacity is another concern. The Kobo comes with 1GB internal memory and about 900mb available for content, and the Kindle comes with 4GB internal memory and about 3GB available for content. But the Kobo has an SD Card reader and can support up to a 32GB expanded memory. I currently have 179 books on my Kobo and still have almost 800MB free space. I also tested with an 8GB micro SD card and moved the library to it with no discernable performance issues. For management of eBooks and device syncing, the round goes to the Kobo again.

Finally, let's look directly at use of the device. The Kindle OS is much more responsive and page turns or menu selection is much faster. Also, on the Kindle you have the option of rotating the text and having a wider screen to read on. The Kobo OS is a little more user friendly - the menu selection, sorting options and navigation are more intuitive and straight forward. I have a feeling the Kobo response time will improve with OS updates or the next generation or hardware. Both devices have a wide range of font selection and repaginates books in response to your selection. What I like about the Kobo is that it tells you what page out of total pages. The Kindle tells you page in section out of total sections. So that round would be a tie.

As life becomes more and more digital, the need to know what devices to use becomes paramount, as otherwise we spend time and money on something only to switch and learn a new system in a short time. As the proliferation of eBooks is continually expanding and many first-run books now simultaneously release as physical books and eBooks, and the eBook is often cheaper, the decision to use an eReader as a primary form of literary entertainment becomes more important. But in reality there are numerous devices that can be used for reading eBooks - the iPad, a BlackBerry and even the BlackBerry Playbook comes preloaded with the Kobo app, the Nook, the Sony reader and more. At my last count there were over 20 eBook formats and over 50 different eReaders and various models released since 2007 alone.

Shortly after Kobo entered the market, Amazon dropped the price of the Kindle. And Amazon dropped its price again after Barnes and Noble dropped the price of the Nook Book Reader. Recently Kobo announced a price drop to $129CDN.

Also to be considered, Amazon does have a Kindle DX which is a larger screen, thinner body. It is used at some schools now as a sole textbook. If you were going to be annotating texts, making notes or using it as a technical manual, the Kindle DX of Kindle would most likely be the way to go. If you are using the device primarily for leisure reading, or fiction, then I would state go with the Kobo. Kobo is also owned in majority by Canadian shareholders, and just dropped the prince to $129. Yet with all that being said, best bang for your buck and comfort to read, the Kobo wins with a KO over the Kindle.

(Top graphic from PD Gillismith, bottom graphic by Ian Renato Cutajar.)
(First published in Imprint 2011-05-06 as 'Kobo versus Kindle: an e-reader rumble'.)

Note: Last year I wrote a review of the Kobo just before it hit the Market, you can read it here.

Fitness Options for the Student Lifestyle

Want to be in better shape, feel the need to de-stress? If so, in this article we will look at the pros and cons of three fitness programs from Beachbody.com and how they can work with your student lifestyle. This article is a follow-up and continuation of my four-part series on my personal lifestyle change using P90X. We will examine 3 different programs from Beachbody and how they can be used to continue P90X or on their own to help bring a greater level of fitness to your life. We will be examining One on One with Tony Horton, P90X+ and the 10 Minute Trainer. As a disclaimer, I have not done the full program for these series but I have done each of the workout videos at least once.

All three of these programs are hosted by International fitness sensation Tony Horton. Last year at one point, P90X and 10 Minute Trainer were both in the 50 top-selling infomercial products; currently P90X is number 1 after 6 years on the market according to industry tracker IMS (Infomercial Monitoring System). Tony has, over the last 20 years, established himself as one of the premier personal training experts. He has worked with such stars as Tom Petty, Billy Idol, Sean Connery, Annie Lennox, Jason Scheff, Rob Lowe and many others. He is a little quirky and a little verbose but his workouts get the job done. The workouts are hard enough that you can get great results, but enjoyable enough that you keep hitting play. At the writing of this, I have hit play over 100 days in a row and worked out with Tony through his DVDs.
One on One With Tony Horton
This is a fantastic series that can be purchased in two different ways. It can either be a subscription service and you get billed and receive a new video each month in the mail, or you can just buy specific workouts that appeal to your personal taste. They started the year Tony Horton turned 50. The advantage of the subscription service is they send out freebies and gifts from time to time such as bonus workouts, a special holiday workout, a jump rope and more. The cost is about the same at about $20 each. The workouts in this series so far are:
To find out more about this series or other workouts in the collection follow the links below. I have created a random workout generator that uses 1 on 1's and P90X if your interested.
Volume 1, Disk 1: Plyo Legs
Volume 1, Disk 2: Power 90® Road Warrior
Volume 1, Disk 3: Killer Abs
Volume 1, Disk 4: Just Arms
Volume 1, Disk 5: 30-15: The Upper-Body Massacre
Volume 1, Disk 6: Fountain of Youth
Volume 1, Disk 7: Super Cardio
Volume 1, Disk 8: Mammoth UML
Volume 1, Disk 9: Bun ShaperVolume 1, Disk 10: Medicine Ball Core Cardio
Volume 1, Disk 11: Recovery 4 Results
Volume 1, Disk 12: Diamond Delts
Volume 1, Bonus Disk - Holiday Workout
Volume 2, Bonus Disk - Pay It Forward
Volume 2, Disk 1: Cardio Intervals
Volume 2, Disk 2: Core Ball Sandwich
Volume 2, Disk 3: Patience "Hummingbird"
Volume 2, Disk 4: 10-Minute Crusher Pack
Volume 2, Disk 5: Butt and Belly (I Dare You)Volume 2, Disk 6: Back and BellyVolume 2, Disk 7: On One Leg
Volume 2, Disk 8: Iso Abs
Volume 2, Disk 9: Cardio Confusion - Mason's Choice
Volume 2, Disk 10: 100/30/20
Volume 2, Disk 11: On One Leg 4 legs
Volume 2, Disk 12: Upper Body Balance
Volume 3, Disk 1: Chest, Back & Balls
Volume 3, Disk 2: ARX2 (Ab-Ripper X 2)
Volume 3, Disk 3: Shoulders and Arms MC2Volume 3, Disk 4: Base and Back
Volume 3, Disk 5: MC2
Volume 3, Disk 6: Plyocide
Volume 3, Disk 7: Stretch And Recovery
Volume 3, Disk 8: V Sculpt
Volume 3, Disk 9: Core Synergistics MC2
Volume 3, Disk 10: UBX
Volume 3, Disk 11: PAP
Volume 3, Disk 12: Total Body X

The advantage of this series is you can buy just a few to start and add to your collection over time, or join the subscription service and get a new one each month for less than I spend on coffee in a week. These are heart intense workouts - just Tony in his home gym or on the road, doing the workouts he does to stay in shape. My favorites are Just Arms and Diamond Delts. These advanced workouts are for those already in shape and some require more equipment than P90X. But they are worth it. Most of the workouts come in between 40 and 60 minutes. They are filmed with 2 still cameras and 1 camera man following Tony through his routine and interacting with him. They are a lot of fun and full of new exercises or variati ons from other exercises in Tony's cannon.
P90X+
To be honest, I was very disappointed in this series. Having graduated from P90X I thought this would be a great way to take it to the next level. It adds 5 more workouts to your collection and they become the core, and the original 12 workouts from P90X supplement this regime. The new workouts are Interval X Plus, Kenpo Cardio Plus, Upper Plus, Total Body Plus, and Abs Core Plus. The problem is you absolutely ne ed a chin-up bar for some of these workouts and for a few exercises you need Beachbody's specific chin-up bar. Nowhere on the product website does it have any information stating this. If you did P90X using exercise bands, you're out of luck or need to figure out the modifications yourself. The other disappointing thing about this series is this: in the original P90X Tony works out with 3 other people in each video and most people are in 2 of the 12 videos. For P90X+ it is the same 2 people for each of the five video s. Where are Pam, Dreya, Joe, or some of the others? My final criticism is the feel of the videos. They feel like infomercials; you are constantly being sold the Tony Horton Power Stands, the Chin-up bar, Bowflex Select Tech dumbbells (which Tony uses and raves about in this series but in his home gym on the One on Ones he uses traditional dumbbe lls), and then the supplements. However these are good workouts. Th ey are intense and do take P90X up a notch, but I really think a better continuation of P90X could have been done, by using more workout partners, by offering modifications like in the original P90X and by being less sales oriented.

10 Minute Trainer
After doing P90X these videos seemed a little cheesy, but after doing each of them I have an even greater respect for Tony Horton. He packs a lot of punch into 10 minutes. These videos can either be done alone or stacked. I have met some people online who do one in the morning and one in the evening. If you use the warm-up on the videos you are looking at under 15 minutes. If you do your own you can cut it down a little. Yes you can achieve results in just 10 minutes of hard exercise a day. You basically do 10 exercises for a full minute; most of the exercises are selected to work multiple muscles at a time. The Abs program crushed me my first time through.

When you buy the kit it comes with an exercise band and a door attachment so you have everything you need. It also comes with workout cards so you can do the workouts on the go without the videos, rapid results guide, 10-minute meals and more. I have met people in the teambeachbody.com forums and chats who have lo st up to 60lbs using this program and the nutrition guide that comes with it. For the extremely busy student this might be a great choice, especially if you cannot squeeze 60 to 90 minutes from your day for P90X. All in all it is a good workout series but not my cup of tea. The other really nice feature is, on Tony's blog every so often, he posts up the exercises to create a new 10 Minute workout.

Tony has created numerous 90 day boot camps that can be done in your home. He is acclaimed as a fitness expert and based on the stars and athletes who have used his programs he is definitely a success. But what matters most is that you make a choice to live a healthier lifestyle, learn to make better choices and start moving with one of the workouts outlined above. It will help give you a start at a lifetime of learning to be healthier and to get fit.

Tony Horton Timeline:
1998 Great Body Guaranteed (with Debbie Siebers)
2001 Power 90 (P90)
2002 Power Half Hour
2003 Tony and the Folks! (with Judi Williams)
2003 Tony and the Kids! (with Judi Williams)
2004 Ho' Ala ke Kino - Awaken the Body
2004 P90X
2005 Power 90 Masters Series
2007 P90X+
2008 10 Minuite Trainer :
2008 Tony Horton - One on One Volume 1
2009 Tony Horton - One on One Volume 2
2010 One on One Volume 3 The Making of P90X MC2

(First Published in Imprint 2009-11-13 as 'Fitness Options for the Student Lifestyle'.)

P90X Articles in order Phase I, Phase II, Gear, Phase III, Fitness Options.
(Disclaimer: I am asked frequently if I am a Beachbody Coach, no I am not, I am just some one who has used their products, P90X, 1on1 with Tony Horton and more and liked them and achieved good results. I am not paid by Beachbody or any of their affiliates. You can see my full disclaimer here.)
Other Fitness Articles:Fall 2011 Programs
Workout program March 2012
My Gear February 2012
Fitness My Retrospective

TRX Articles:TRX an Introduction
TRX Force
TRX Force Tactical
TRX Essential Flexibility

My P90X Series:Phase I, Phase II, Gear, Phase III, Fitness Options, P90X at 120 Days Out
Health & Fitness Book Reviews:The Primal Blueprint 21 Day Total Body Transformation - Mark Sisson
The Ten Commandments Of Lifting Weights - Jared Zimmerer
Toadally Primal Smoothies - Todd Dosenberry
Caveman Resurection - Jeff Pickett
40 Days to Optimal Health - Dr. Scott Morris
Eat Stop Eat - Brad Pilon
The Primal Blueprint - Mark Sisson
The New Rules of Lifting - Lou Schuler and Alwyn CosgroveBench Press by: Sven Lindqvist
Sly Moves by: Sylvester Stallone
Fit for Eternal Life: A Christian Approach to Working Out, Eating Right, and Building the Virtues of Fitness in Your Soul by: Dr. Kevin Vost
Body for Life 12 Weeks to Mental and Physical Strenght by: Bill Phillips Lose Fat Not Faith by Jeremy R. Likeness
Living The Good Life: Your Guide to Health and Success by: David Patchell-Evans
Dump your Trainer by: Ashley Marriott and Marc L. Paulsen

The 90 Days of P90X is really just the beginning.

Upon reaching the end of a journey, or achieving a goal, we often realize it is not in fact the end but really just the first step in a new journey. I started feeling that part way through P90X. At some point late in phase II or early in phase III, I stopped counting down the days until my 90 days were done and started counting up a number of completed days of being more active and living a healthier lifestyle. That was a big mindset change and I am not sure specifically when it happened but it was a very importa nt shift.
P90X is an amazing program. If you follow Beachbody's motto: "Decide, Commit, Succeed", it is possible to start a transformation that can last the rest of your life. My transformation surprised me; in the last 13 weeks I have worked out 90 days straight. I achieved 11 of 13 goals for the fitness test and I have reached 9 of 14 goals on the fitness level (see chart). But what the chart doesn't show is the body transformation. I lost 56lbs of bod y fat, gained 23lbs of lean muscle mass and lost 33lbs on the scale. I went from a 46 inch pants to a 38 being loose, and from a 3XL shirt to a L. I have succeeded in establishing working out each day as a habit in my life. As well I have started creating patterns of healthier food choices.

There have also been some unexpected benefits and changes. First m y asthma seems to have drastically improved. I have used my inhaler only once in the last 60 days. Also for the last few years I had been having problems with heartburn at night and sometimes it would trigger a coughing attack and I would have to get up, sip some warm liquid, use my inhaler and sleep propped up. That has completely clear ed up. Finally, as I gained weight over the last few years I started snoring - the more weight I gained the worse it got, bothering my wife and sometimes waking myself up. That has completely cleared up also. Those things combined were unexpected benefits contributing both to greater health for myself, and as for the snoring, for my wife also. That combined with how much better I feel, the fact that I have more energy, and I am sleeping better and the sleep is much more restful and restorative, makes this journey well worth the effort.

After the first 4 or 5 workouts I did not want to miss any days. Hitting play was hard a few times when I did not get to begin my workout until 9 or 10 pm because of life, but I managed to do it every day. The hardest part for me was the nutrition. My biggest temptation was pizza - almost every week I wanted pizza. My problem was, in the past, I would often eat all or most of a pizza in a single sitting. I was able to avoid this temptation for most of the 90 days; I did have 1 medium slice part way through and one of my first meals after finishing was pizza, but I limited myself to a reasonable portion. It was also hard to give up pop and carbonated energy drinks. I went the full 90 days without either. I have started drinking a lot more water, and find myself choosing green, red or herbal teas. I still have my one coffee a day at work each morning. I am not prepared to give that one up yet. I also avoided alcohol for all but Thanksgiving Day. Speaking of Thanksgiving, that weekend was a blow-off. Only about half of my meals would have been P90X approved, but I had great times with friends and family.
For a number of years now I have written a journal, often answering the following questions from Crusade a Babylon 5 spin off Science-Fiction TV Show. Each episode began with these questions:

Who are you?
What do you want?
Where are you going?
Who do you serve?
Who do you trust?

In part they have become my own personal driving questions. At the beginning of each term I would journal and answer each question. Those questions were also guided by daily goals, which were:

1. To get enough sleep.
2. To eat right & exercise daily.
3. To refuse to be a perfectionist.
4. To carefully control finances.
5. To ask for help when needed.
6. To pray and read the Bible daily.
7. To not pressure self into planning my entire life today.

I can say that in the last 7 years I had lost discipline in all areas of my life. My personal dream or personal mission statement would be: "To learn to live life to the full, while finding balance between body, mind and spiritual development." What doing P90X has helped me to do is achieve discipline in the physical area of my life, but that discipline has been carrying over into the other two areas of my life.

Since I started this journey I have known about 15 people who have also now started it. So far only 2 are still following the plan. I have also encountered about 20 people who ask about my weight loss, and when I say I am doing P90X they have said that they started it, but did not make it out of the first week, or first month. Many have said they wish they had the commitment to start again and see it through. One even said they would have to find the disks. In order not to be in that category I have accountability - the two men I email after each workout to say it was completed, and the Beachbody online community. The forms and online chats have been very motivational.

Yet as this 90 day, 13 week journey ends where do I go from here? First, for the next few weeks I will be experimenting with some other workouts from Beachbody. I will be trying the workouts from Tony Horton's One on One. Also 10 Minute Trainer and P90X+. I have also borrowed some kettlebells from a friend and am going to try some weight routines for them. My goal now is to decide on another plan and do another 90-day challenge, to maybe reach some of those long-term fitness goals. What program that will be is yet undetermined but I will be starting on November 9th. All I know for sure is I will continue to push play, and work out every day, and try each day to improve my food choices. Therefore the journey continues or begins again.
(First Published in Imprint 2009-10-30.)
(Graphic's courtesy Peter N. Trinh.)
P90X Articles in order Phase I, Phase II, Gear, Phase III, Fitness Options.

(Disclaimer: I am asked frequently if I am a Beachbody Coach, no I am not, I am just some one who has used their products, P90X, 1on1 with Tony Horton and more and liked them and achieved good results. I am not paid by Beachbody or any of their affiliates. You can see my full disclaimer here.)

Other Fitness Articles:
Fall 2011 Programs
Workout program March 2012
My Gear February 2012
Fitness My Retrospective

TRX Articles:
TRX an Introduction
TRX Force
TRX Force Tactical
TRX Essential Flexibility

My P90X Series:
Phase I, Phase II, Gear, Phase III, Fitness Options, P90X at 120 Days Out

Health & Fitness Book Reviews:
The Primal Blueprint 21 Day Total Body Transformation - Mark Sisson
The Ten Commandments Of Lifting Weights - Jared Zimmerer
Toadally Primal Smoothies - Todd Dosenberry
Caveman Resurection - Jeff Pickett
40 Days to Optimal Health - Dr. Scott Morris
Eat Stop Eat - Brad Pilon
The Primal Blueprint - Mark Sisson
The New Rules of Lifting - Lou Schuler and Alwyn Cosgrove
Bench Press by: Sven Lindqvist
Sly Moves by: Sylvester Stallone
Fit for Eternal Life: A Christian Approach to Working Out, Eating Right, and Building the Virtues of Fitness in Your Soul by: Dr. Kevin Vost
Body for Life 12 Weeks to Mental and Physical Strenght by: Bill Phillips
Lose Fat Not Faith by Jeremy R. Likeness
Living The Good Life: Your Guide to Health and Success by: David Patchell-Evans
Dump your Trainer by: Ashley Marriott and Marc L. Paulsen