• Bloomberg BusinessWeek, Friday, November 19, 2010 10:54 AM

Tony Horton is an anomaly, Esmé E. Deprez reports, not only because his 52-year-old body is capable of climbing a 25-foot rope upside down but also because his Beachbody infomercials are the diametric opposite of most pitches of the get-toned ilk, which tend to offer huge rewards for minimal effort.

"[Horton] has persuaded 3 million people to pay $140 for his 12-DVD program by promising three months of pain and perspiration in a routine that combines resistance training, yoga, boxing, weight lifting, and a strict diet," Deprez writes. Horton's P90X routine is based on what he calls "muscle confusion" by targeting different muscle groups at different times.

The company is stepping up an affiliate marketing initiative called Team Beachbody and Shakeology, a meal-replacement drink sold only by direct sales, is its fastest-growing product. Its website sells drinks, protein supplements, chin-up bars and other merchandise. "If you look at direct marketing folks that aren't on television anymore," Horton says, "what they didn't do is work on building their brand."

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