In my previous book, Core Performance, we issued a challenge to readers to send us their feedback about the program. The greatest reward of writing that book was that I got to hear from folks who used the Core system to overcome pain, lose weight, increase flexibility, and install a plan of high-performance nutrition and exercise for long-term health and success.
You’ve heard from some of those people in this book. We brought others out to our Athletes’ Performance training facility in Tempe, Arizona, for a special week of training so they could share with me firsthand how the Core program has impacted their lives.
Thousands of people have joined our online high-performance community at www.coreperformance.com. Each week, we answer their questions about the Core program and provide them with the latest scientific information on nutrition, fitness, and performance. I hope you’ll join this growing community of people who have made the commitment to a lifetime of high performance.
This is an ongoing process. You’ll notice that we did not put a time frame on this program. There was no “12 Weeks to a Better You” slogan, no “6-Week Plan for Success” subtitle. We presented Core Performance as a 12-week plan because, well, that’s what everyone in the world of fitness book publishing tends to do. We found that most people wanted more. They didn’t wish to repeat the 12-week cycle or the latter stages; they were looking for more progression.
We assembled this program with the goal of using as little equipment as possible. We wanted to eliminate excuses for not working out, while providing an efficient program that will allow you to succeed regardless of your financial resources. By following this program, you will achieve great results.
But perhaps you have a little more money to spend. And, if you do, there are some tools we provide that can help you train even more efficiently to thrive in the Game of Life.
This book’s Web site, www.coreperformance.com, is the home for the products and programs we have developed and tested that will complement your Core training program.
First, check out our online Core Store. We have assembled several tools, based on the book, that are great resources for the Core Performance Essentials program, whether you prefer to work out at home or in a gym. I know many of you have told me that you love our workouts, and wish I could be there to lead you through them. Well, along these lines, we have created a Core Performance Essentials DVD series, in which I lead you through the various 30-minute workouts right in your living room.
Alternatively, you’ll find in the Core Store a set of laminated cards featuring each level of the workouts with exercise pictures. These cards are a great tool to remind you of proper form as you work out at home or the gym.
Also in the Core Store, we have assembled several packages to create a Core Gym at home. I know that you are incredibly busy, and maybe a gym membership is just not feasible, or maybe you have a membership but are never able to use it for lack of time. A simple Core home gym lets you build the Core program around your life.
Maybe you’re thinking, “Sure, that would be great, but I don’t have the time or space for elaborate equipment.” The beauty of this is that the equipment is compact and easy to use.
Our equipment partner, GoFit, has teamed with us to compile several, affordable packages of equipment that you can purchase with a single click in the Core Store. Of course, you also can purchase individual pieces of equipment to fit your needs.
Once you’ve checked out the Core Store, you will notice a whole world of Core Performance programs available on the Web site. If you’re new to the Core Performance community and just getting the hang of taking charge of your body and your life, I want you to focus on this book and mastering the program. We tried to make this book all-encompassing, and indeed, if you just keep trying to pack more and more into your 30-minute workouts, this book might be all you ever need.
But if you’re someone who wants to commit a little more time, or if you’ve caught the Core “bug” and want to take your game to higher levels, check out the programs available.
These programs include the original Core Performance book (now in paperback) and the supplemental CD-ROM, along with sport-specific DVD training systems for golf, soccer, tennis, football, and baseball. Each of these DVDs contains a program with more than 60 exercises designed in a program to help you prepare to thrive in each of these sports. These are great products if you’re a competitive or recreational athlete, and I have even recommended them with great success to professional athletes who cannot join us at our Athletes’ Performance facilities.
I also recommend that you check out our powerful interactive platform, which can be accessed from www.coreperformance.com. We created this platform based on feedback from readers of the original Core Performance who were looking for more progressions to the workout. This interactive platform features Core Performance programs for every level of fitness and every major sport. My staff and I assembled these programs in a powerful database, all customized to your goals, interests, and life’s demands based on simple questions that you answer.
There is a complete nutritional system that complements your customized training program, providing you with recommendations on meal timing and food choices as part of your customized “Perfect Day” routine. We have effective visual tools that let you track and monitor your progress. There are video clips of every exercise. And I try to provide you with daily tips and world-class content that reflect the constantly evolving research and development we do at Athletes’ Performance every day.
In short, www.coreperformance.com is the next best thing to being here in person.
Ultimately, I want you to be members of the Core Performance online community for life, which is why we have made a full-year membership available for less than the monthly cost of a daily cup of coffee. This means that for the cost of a personal training session, you will have progressive programs that are based upon your accomplishments and that can change with you as your goals and demands change.
Even better, because you already have made a commitment to joining the Core community, I am providing you with a free 3-week trial to try out the site. From www.coreperformance.com, simply click on “Enter Your Access Code” and type in the following code: CPE20495. You’ll have 3 weeks to sample the programs, check out all of the amazing tools on the site, and decide whether you want to become a member.
A further benefit of your interactive Web site membership—trial or actual—is that you can access our Video Library and view video clips of every exercise that is in the Core Performance Essentials program. For those people who are visually oriented (and I’m one of them), these videos will help you to see the proper form of every exercise from two different angles. And as you know, it is important to do these exercises correctly to maximize the gain.
However you proceed from here, I hope you do so as a centered self. Operate with core values, with long-term health as your first priority, and you’ll find that your body will become the vehicle for your success with family, at work, and in everything you do. Remember to think of yourself as an athlete competing in the Game of Life.
Don’t look at this new lifestyle as a short-term solution. This is not a home renovation, something with a beginning and an end.
By making this investment in yourself, you improve not only your health but also your mental and spiritual outlook. You become a better spouse, a better parent, a better sibling. That means the lives of your loved ones improve as well.
Earlier in the book, you heard from Janet Oja, who said that this program allowed her to “dream bigger.” By mastering movements, eliminating pain, boosting energy, and fueling your body properly, you’ll walk with a little more swagger and confidence. You’ll glide through life, feeling like you can master anything.
For Janet, that meant rappelling into canyons and climbing out by whatever means necessary. What’s the equivalent of that in your life? What challenge would you like to meet?
I’ve had great success supporting people in the pursuit of their dreams. Some of them are prominent sports figures, but many of them are people just like you who have reached spectacular goals. What I love most is being able to build my clients, to see them evolve and reach their goals.
We tend to keep score in this country with money. Whoever dies with the most toys wins, right? Wrong. The winner is the one who dies at a ripe old age, while still living an active lifestyle, having elevated others and built deep relationships along the way. I hope you’ll keep score of your success within this program—whatever your definition of success might be—not just by how much weight you’ve lost or how you look in the mirror, but by how the quality of your life has improved. You’ve heard from people in this book who have lost weight, but the most important thing was that they found more energy for their children and significant others. And at Athletes’ Performance, we’ve heard from others who have gained the confidence to pursue entrepreneurial endeavors, travel the world, or simply pursue a sport or physical activity that they never dared try before.
I’m excited about this book because I will get to hear from more people like you, and that inspires me. So many of you have become vocal advocates for this program, and I can’t tell you how much I appreciate that.
I’m blown away when I hear someone like Mike Dixey tell me that he’s used this program to overcome something like vertigo. Mike concluded his note with, “Mark, you have truly made a significant impact on my life. Anytime you have a bad day or need a lift, please pull out this letter and read it.”
You bet I will, Mike.
I want to hear how this program has transformed your life—and not just from a physical standpoint. Tell me how it’s enabled you to meet challenges and fulfill your dreams. I want to hear about what you’ve overcome and the roadblocks you’ve navigated. Tell the entire Core community how taking a proactive approach to life has made a difference.
Please share your stories with us at mark@coreperformance.com. We’ll pick the most inspirational submissions, the ones that touch us the most, and bring the authors of those remarks to Athletes’ Performance to train in person with our staff, alongside some of the best athletes in the world.
Let’s help each other stay motivated through the Web site, where I will track your progress based upon your goals. You will empower me through your achievements and courage. You can share with me personally how you’ve transformed your life to meet your goals, motivating me even further.
We can’t bring everyone out, unfortunately. I hope you join our online community and interact with the growing number of people dedicated to treating each day as an athletic event and properly preparing themselves for the competition that is the Game of Life.
Welcome to the Core.
Your coach,
Mark Verstegen
