Everyday Moves for a Strong Core

hey - have you used the Ultimate Core video that is a part of the 3-Day melt program? it says it's based on how our core moves in everyday living. that sounds particularly smart. strengthening your core muscles will give you a 6-pack if you're super focused on it. but it also just makes sense for good health and a toned body.

3 Day Melt's Six Pack Abs Plan

Dream it, live it, and get it. That’s the Gold Medal Fitness motto, says Mitch Gaylord. I just did the Rapid Results Ab Workout… and my abs are still clenched! That is the most intense crunchless abs workout I’ve ever done, bar none. If you want the rock-hard six-pack abs that gymnasts have, you’ve got to work seriously hard. There’s no easy way to achieve gorgeous sculpted abs – you’ve got to put in the time and reps. You can have nice, toned abs, I’m sure, with a less strenuous regimen. But if you want chiseled abs, you’ll need a video like this one. Mitch leads you through various straight-forward exercises, many using the G-ball. None of them are complicated. But there certainly are a couple on there that he makes look so easy, and then I tried it and couldn’t even get my body to do what I was telling it to do. I think it was the pike-up. Wow. I like having something to work toward – you know, when you do the same workout over and over and feel yourself mastering the moves more precisely each time. You are going to feel the burn in every abdominal muscle you own. And also in your thighs – inner thighs, especially, but also your quads. And your butt even gets a workout, and so do your arms. But most especially, your entire core is going to thank you.

Invest in Yourself

As a fellow user of Melt it Off with Mitch, I want to encourage you to push yourself as hard as you can. And then push a little harder. Generally speaking, I’m an absolute wuss about physical challenges. But an encouraging trainer works wonders for helping me push through that extra mile. Mitch Gaylord is just such a personal trainer. He’s super encouraging and he drives home this point: When you take the time for fitness, you are doing something so great for yourself. You’re making an investment in your body and your health that will endure as long as you continue to pay attention to your nutrition and your exercise. As we get older, it takes more work to maintain muscle tone and keep those pounds off of our troubled areas. So, if you’re starting before any real issues develop, you’re way ahead of the game. And if you’ve already accumulated some extra pounds and lost some muscle mass like me, then you’re taking the right steps by getting yourself in a good routine – it’s never too late! And in a very short time, you will start feeling the fruits of your labor, even if you don’t immediately see them. You’ll feel muscles wake up that you didn’t realize were sleeping. And that alone is a great feeling. They start helping in everyday movements. Of course, there will also be those days after you’ve really pushed yourself when you feel tired and your grateful muscles want a day off – and that’s ok, too! That’s me today! Focus on forming the good habits. Big picture. Investing in yourself. You are soooo worth it.

How Do YOU Fuel Before Your Workout?

How did you do with the holiday weekend? I did a nice session of cardio late yesterday morning that really made me feel so good. Doing cardio increased my energy and lifted my mood. Usually I’m paying close attention to instructions and whatnot during my workout. But this time I trusted that I knew what I was doing, and I put my earbuds in and played some of my favorite upbeat music. Wow. That made the workout so much more fun! I’m excited to experiment with other albums to see which artists make great workout soundtracks. What are your favorites? I might have to make some workout mixes. Oh my goodness, they could be tailor made for different workouts. Have you tried that? Varying tempo and mood. That sounds like a fun project. For a challenging cardio workout, try Mitch Gaylord’s Cardio Burn & Sculpt Workout. It will get your heart pumping and your muscles burning! I’m still trying to come up with the perfect schedule for myself, to maximize energy and productivity in relation to when I eat what foods and when I have my morning coffee. That’s right, I’m still drinking my morning cup of joe. I haven’t figure out yet why sometimes I feel a little drowsy soon after a workout and other times I feel energized for hours afterward. I’m guessing it has a lot to do with the fuel I’m putting in my body (or not). Do you have any tips on this subject? I’d love to hear. Thanks!

Exercise Combats Stress

Do you ever wake up in the middle of the night and think the best way to get back to sleep might be to work out? I had this thought for the first time ever at about 3:30 a.m. this morning. There was some sort of domestic dispute happening outside my bedroom window that woke me up. Once I got over the idea that something terrible was going to go down that would require my calling 911, I was relieved, but wide-awake. I mean, completely awake. I had that post-alarm adrenaline coursing through my veins. It seems that the best way to flush that feeling out of the system is physical exertion. I’ve heard tell that this is an evolutionary relic of our days as prehistoric people, when we had to flee from predators. Interesting concept. The idea is that when we experience stress of any sort, our bodies still want to run away from it. Or confront it. But in either case, it’s a physical response, a call to action to deal with it. Hey, maybe that explains all those people with anger management problems. Whoa. Anyway, so, it’s the middle of the night and I get a fright hearing people arguing outside my window, and I want to reach for my Melt It Off with Mitch video and G-Ball and flush the adrenaline out of my system. Why didn’t I, you might ask. Well, because I’ve recently moved to a second-floor apartment and I rather doubt my neighbor would appreciate those jumping jacks and high kicks. Just a guess!

10 Easy Minutes Works Your Whole Body

Mitch Gaylord's 10-minute workout consists of 10 moves that wake up your whole body. It's quite different from other workouts I've tried. While most exercise videos seem to focus on a specific muscle group (or what we think of as a body part,) the Melt it Off 10-minute workout has this generalized feel. This is a GOOD thing. I have to say that this all-over workout makes the 10 minutes fly by - it goes so fast when you're not assaulting one set of muscles over and over. And yet, at the end of the 10 moves, my arms feel truly worked out, my hips feel opened, my legs are warmed up from lunges and squats, my core is activated, and my blood is pumping. This makes it a great morning exercise routine. It’s surprising to me that using a 2-pound ball can make my arms feel shaky and challenged. But it’s true. It doesn’t take much weight at all – it’s the repetitions that really tone up your arms. And what could be simpler than a lunge or a squat? You can easily adjust the intensity of these moves to suit your flexibility and fitness level. They are classics for a reason. The weight of your own body is the best tool you can use in your workout!

Melt It Off for Yourself

There’s a funny thing about making time for exercise first thing in the day. So often it seems that there just isn’t enough time for it. But when I take that little chunk of time in the morning to do what is good for my body and my mind, it gifts me extra time and energy throughout the day. I have better focus, better endurance, and a better outlook because I’ve gotten the day off on the right foot. In the Melt It Off with Mitch program, Mitch Gaylord talks about this idea of doing something for YOU. The time you take to exercise is time you’re investing in you – both your present and your future. And that is so important. No one else can do it for you. In addition to the exercise, fuel your body with healthy meals – check out the Melt it Off menu for great ideas. These foods will give you energy to propel you through the day regardless of what comes your way. These meals also won’t weigh you down with unnecessary fats or empty calories – they’re just good for you inside and out.

Now maybe morning isn’t your ideal time for exercise. I find that a short workout in the early afternoon can also totally save my day. Instead of reaching for a cup of coffee during that afternoon slump, I can reach for the 3 Day Melt DVD. Just 10 minutes and my energy is restored. If you haven’t tried this, you are in for a huge treat. All of that oxygen and movement will make you feel like you’ve got an entire day’s worth of energy at your disposal. You’ll feel so much better than you would have if you had reached for that coffee or soda.