Fitness Carter: Tony Horton unveils P90X3 workout DVD and shares healthy-diet principles

P90X creator Tony Horton just released his latest workout DVD, P90X3 ^[1] , which combines yoga, Pilates, plyometrics, and mixed-martial arts into a rigorous 30-minute workout that he promises will melt fat.

"These workouts have modifications so anybody can do them," Horton told US News ^[2] Dec. 10. "It's for people who are in their sixties, people who are overweight and people who are just starting out."

Tony said 39 out of 40 people shed one-third of their body fat by doing his P90X3 workout program. Horton, who previously called yoga the fountain of youth ^[3] , said he's excited to add Pilates into his new workout program.

"I'm a total convert to Pilates," he said. "It challenges me. I'm not great at it. That was the workout I was most nervous to shoot, and I put in three times more rehearsals as I did with the others."

Tony also stressed the importance of a healthy diet that includes a wide variety of foods. In an exclusive interview with me ^[4] last month, Horton said he's a former vegan who eats Paleo meals, as well as vegan and vegetarian foods. He's not wedded to a specific diet, and thinks it's silly to label or limit oneself.

"I now eat vegan, vegetarian, Paleo and 'flexatarian' meals; all healthy, but with more options," Tony told me. "The only constant is that I still stay away from shellfish and cow, and as always, I still avoid fast food and processed food filled with sugar, salt, and chemicals."

This is an exciting time for Horton, who's also releasing a new book in February called The Big Picture: 11 Laws That Will Change Your Life ^[5] , a self-help book that will people to become their best selves, physically and emotionally.

Tony said changing your body or your life requires strengthening the mind first. "I learned long ago that changing physically requires a series of steps that inspire and motivate people to be committed to a lifestyle of health and wellness," he said. "You have to be willing to change your mental and emotional state before you can begin a fitness program and dietary shift."

Horton, who has become rich and famous thanks to his bestselling P90X fitness empire, said his primary motivation has always been to help people realize their full potential.

"My goal is, and has always been, to focus on helping as many people as possible with real and authentic techniques that will change their lives," he said.