Exhale Core Fusion Lean & Toned DVD Review and Giveaway!

As some of you know by this point, Exhale Core Fusion is my favorite way to get the body in tip top shape in the least amount of time. Once you get stronger and are able to do all the moves, you will get more and more excited about maintaining your tone with this routine! The first DVD I will review is Exhale Core Fusion Lean & Toned. It seems like the toughest of the series so far, with moves that definitely have to be worked up to!

Like all Core Fusion DVDs, it is broken up into 5-10 minute workouts so you can do one or more depending on your time allowance. If you continue to do these short, yet very effective workouts you will get stronger and you will see your body change. It is, of course, very helpful to stick to a healthy diet, to achieve absolute maximum results!

Workout 1: Upper Body Tone & Stretch

Phew, I just did this section and my arms are like jelly! Should have thought of that before I thought of the bright idea to do each section and immediately follow with a review! Slowly, I will type this…

Starting with the traditional Core Fusion warm ups for 60 seconds. Then strong with several varieties of pushups including some with lifting up to do leg lifts to work glutes. Then triceps backwards plank pushups with knees bent and taking one foot to other knee and as we lower into triceps, straighten that leg to sky(8 reps and then other side). Already we’re tired, then get up to start the standing hand weights portion. Here we work a lot of shoulders, biceps, triceps and it works!

We follow all this with a nice stretch, of course! Now next section!

Workout 2: Thighs Tone & Stretch

Ok, at least my circulation is back in my arms so I can type! So, we really work every muscle in the thighs in this one! We start standing arm’s length width from the chair with hands lightly on chair. This, obviously followed a warm up for 60 seconds. We put heels together to make a V with the feet and then lift the heels and start to plie down all the way to the ground and up for 8. You really have to watch your form and alighnment in this one and concentrate! We do variations on this and then rest. We then proceed to place feet in V shape again and then lift the right leg out parallel to the floor and hold. Then lift down to ground and up to hip height, pointing toe….8 times, with several variations. Then turn to side with one hand on chair and do lunges! Stretching after and this is a total leg toner for sure!

Workout 3: Flat/Round Back Tone & Stretch

This is by far the toughest ab workout I think I’ve ever done! But again, the beauty of this amazing workout is that it’s only 10 minutes in each section.

So, warm up again in typical Exhale Core Fusion fashion! Now, we go down to the floor with bottom pushed back against the wall- legs out slighty bent, hips width apart…with bottom against wall. We lean toward our knees and plug our fingertips into floor and on either side of thighs (with shoulders down) and start tap legs in eight times,then lifting legs in above ground and tapping in and out again 8 times. The point is to hold the very core tightly in making a C curve with the abs and work them more so than the thighs. But, you are working the thighs and the shoulders as well! You do several variations, tapping legs in twice and out 8 times and then above ground 8 times…After that, bicycles pushing legs out one at a time 8 times and then above ground 8 times. Burning!

That’s the first part and then you repeat this section 3 times but with hands reaching further out each time! So difficult, but will make your abs so toned!

The next part of that workout is bringing your more of your upper back against the wall with the waist down more so it’s not pressed against wall at all. The glutes will be on ground and you bring your legs straight up parallel to wall to stretch the hams. You will proceed to do variations of lowering legs and lifting to work the abs. It takes a lot focus, breathing and pulling those abs in tight to bring the legs back parallel to wall with toes pointing up at ceiling. Then you stretch out the abs….another workout completed and it feels good!

Workout 4: Gluteal Tone & Stretch

I absolutely love this workout to really tone and shape those glutes for a nice round bottom! So we start (after warming up) standing arms width from the wall. Reach out and put hand on wall about chest height. Your body will be in one line from hands to top of head to torso and right leg pointing out-all parallel to wall. Your left leg will be straight on the ground with knee soft. You will start by bending right knee and then starting to left the leg, a little higher than the hip, slowly 8 times. Then take leg a little further out and push back for about 16. After that round, you straighten right leg and turn it out and start to bring leg all the way to ground and up to hip 8 times. Then turn leg parallel and do 8 more. Some balancing and then the needle pose in yoga or standing split. You lift leg 8 times and then 8 more but on ball of feet of standing leg. On to other leg…then stretching nicely after to really lean! Awesome!

Workout 5: Pretzel Core Tone & Stretch

This is such a good workout for that back side of the waist that you don’t normally think about working. It also gets the glutes and hams a bit as well…

You warm up, then go down to your mat for the pretzel. Sit with left leg bent 45 degrees in front of your hip and your right leg back behind your hip. The leg is extended out diagonally behind you with toe pointing back. You have to focus on bringing that right hip forward in this. Then you taken your right hand to floor in front of you with fingers in ground. The left hand will be lifting straight, parallel to floor. Pushing the right hip forward, start to lower that arm to the ground and up. You will feel that work in your back side for sure. Then we do a few variations of that as well, both hands with fingers into ground and lifting the leg up for 8, pushing it back for 8 and with the left arm raised up lifting the leg for 8.

After that set, we do a round of curls for the abs in between. This is a signature Core Fusion workout and will give you an eight pack, as Fred and Lis say! You work those abs hard and then go back to the pretzel on the other side. After a round of the pretzel core again you will go back to some ab curls again. Then finish with stretching at last!

Workout 5: Bonus: Stretch

Love a nice stretch and so good for you! We do some ham stretches with splits. Then go to the wall and lay down with bottom against wall and legs up on wall..doing variations of leg/hip stretches. Blissful!!!

There’s a bonus section of course that you have to either buy or win the DVD to find out about!

Go to www.exhalespa.com or www.acaciacatalog.com