There is something troubling me. Last week the media was agog with R&B star Chris Brown’s latest outburst. For those of you who don’t follow pop culture, Chris Brown is the R&B singer/dancer who notoriously beat up his then-girlfriend pop star Rhianna two years ago. I think everything that can be said about Chris Brown has already been said. He’s a young man who clearly has anger management issues, is immature and in desperate need of a strong, positive male figure in his life. I feel for his mother who must be distraught over the constant turmoil her son seems to invite into his life. I thought hip-hop journalist and activist Kevin Powell eloquently and movingly reached out to Brown in an open letter entreating him to get his act together and confront his demons. Even more powerful was Powell’s contextualization of the struggle that young African-American men face in our society that cannot reconcile its discomfort with race.

Seeing the non-stop coverage on Brown’s Good Morning America appearance and reading Powell’s letter got me thinking about my own son. D2 is not yet a year and a half old and already I worry about him. It may seem irrational but I watch the news and read the papers and am struck by the persistent negative images of black and brown boys. Just the other day on my commute to work I saw inmates picking up garbage on the side of the road. As far as I could tell, they were all black or Latino with the exception of one. Often young black and brown men are portrayed by the media as violence-prone “thugs” coming from broken homes and distressed neighborhoods. They are deemed lost causes before they have even come of age. With this constant drumbeat of negativity, how can any young man possibly feel his own self-worth? How can I arm my son with self-confidence, self-mastery and a vision for his life to help him traverse the difficult road that lies before him? I want him to understand and believe he can become anything he sets his mind to be. I want him to look at the long history of powerful Black men who have paved the way for him like Thurgood Marshall, Nat Turner, Gabriel Prosser, Frederick Douglass, Hiram Revels, W.E.B. Dubois and Martin Luther King, so many great, great men who suffered but triumphed through intellect, an unrelenting vision for their lives and a warrior spirit. I want him to claim the sword and shield of faith coupled with wisdom and self-knowledge.

I want D2 to learn the lesson that  Chris Brown has yet to fully understand: the world is different for black and brown young men. That neither fame nor wealthwill exempt him from the double standard that exists where  the Charlie Sheens of the world get a free pass but the Chris Browns will be made to relive their mistakes over and over (made worse by his own self-destructive behavior). That he will never receive the same level of forgiveness for his transgressions that others may get. That he must take responsibility for his actions and admit his mistakes – then learn from them. And when he feels hurt and rage, to let those twin emotions propel his self-actualization and God-given purpose rather lashing out, hurting others and engaging in self-defeating behaviors.

I am fortunate to be married to an amazing man who take his role as a father very seriously. Dr. D. and I talk about what we need to do as parents to raise D2 into a strong man.  I feel confident that we can do this but still I can’t shake this nagging worry. My friends with sons tell me to get used to it because it doesn’t go away.

The other night D2 was tucked into bed between us. I don’t know what awakened him but just for a moment he opened his eyes, threw a chubby little arm around my neck, kissed my face several times, sighed and fell back asleep.  I know I can’t protect him forever but I’m going to do everything in my power to prepare him to meet the world head on and succeed on his own terms.

$1400. This is approximately the amount I paid my gym last year to not work out. Now I sort of had a good excuse because last year was my first full year as a new mom. Still, despite all of my good intentions, I think it made to the gym all of 10 times last year. That’s not to say I didn’t work out – just not at the gym. Late last year Dr. D. and I decided to get rid of our gym membership for a year to see if we could create a fitness routine at home. We’ve accepted that our days of 90 minute workouts are pretty much over now that we are parents. Over the next few posts I’ll share with you some of the equipment and DVDs I’ve tried out. My personal goal is not just exercise but to really get and stay in top shape. My criteria for a good work out DVD  is that it’s challenging, works all of my major muscle groups, can be completed in an hour or less, and has high-production value. My newest find is TurboFire and it’s replaced Zumba as my go-to workout out right now.

TurboFire is a high-intensity work out that is based on boxing, plyometrics and hip hop dance. Creator Chalene Johnson, developed a workout system that combines long high-intensity work outs, short (15-20 minute) High Intensity Interval Training (referred to as HIIT) and sculpting and stretching classes. The system is very much geared towards working all of the major muscle groups in the body. The shortest workout is 15 minutes and the longest is 55 minutes. If you follow Chalene’s system, you’ll work out six days a week with a day of rest mid-week.

TurboFire at a Glance:

Degree of Difficulty. Moderate to Very Difficult. I consider myself to be in good cardiovascular shape and this workout really challenged me. There is a lot jumping, kicking, jabbing and squatting and not a lot of rest periods. There are one minute “fire-drills” where you will go all out to boost your metabolism.

Fun Factor. High. Chalene Johnson has great energy and presence and the music is fantastic.  You really do feel like you are in class with her and the other class participants. She’s one part drill instructor –”You are a MACHINE. You can DO THIS.” and one part cheerleader “You are in the home stretch. Dig deep!” This might be annoying for some.

Production Value. Excellent. The studio the class takes place in is well lit and clear audio makes it easy to follow Chalene’s instructions.  She breaks down new routines to give you a chance to pick up the moves before moving into high gear. On the stage with her is one person doing the high-intensity routine and another doing a lower-impact modified routine. The music is great if you like techno and house music. Each DVD comes with the option to boost the music volume in the background once you’ve mastered the routines and need less verbal instruction.

Cost. About $150.00. The TurboFire system includes eight instructional DVDs, two exercise bands, a getting started guide and a nutrition guide. You may be able to find this system for cheaper on E-bay or Amazon as well.

Don’t Do TurboFire if…you have any kind of joint problems, including back, neck and knee injuries or if you are injury prone.  Also avoid TurboFire if you are pregnant or have just had a baby as your joints are still going to be jangly after giving birth. If you are not into club music, dance moves and lots of disco “woot” shouts you might also want to give this DVD a pass.

Overall, I’d rate TurboFire a four stars on a scale of one to five. I’ve withheld one star because I would like to see better low-impact modifications for people who are less fit. I love the variety of workouts on the DVDs, the music and the quality of the instruction. The work out is fast and intense and I love that I can get a full-body workout in less than an hour. If you follow the workout plan and modify your diet you will see results.  I’ve been doing the routine now for two weeks and have lost an inch off my waist and a half inch off my hips. So far so good.

Do you have a favorite exercise DVD? Do share!