Thanks for your great reaction to my Core Fusion Challenge! I am really excited to begin this weekend. I will also be meeting with Exhale’s health counselor for “before” measurements and photos, as well as nutrition guidance.

I know it was a strange time to have a giveaway, with so many people off work or away and not reading blogs. If you missed this giveaway, don’t worry — there might be another in the future . . .

With that said, the winner of the Core Fusion DVD giveaway is . . . MelissaNibbles!

Melissa said: I’m in! I Netflix’d Core Fusion, but I really want to own the dvd! I’ve recently become “skinny fat” and it’s got me down a little bit. I’m ready to work on my core and this seems like a great challenge. Thanks Dori!

Ah yes, I am quite familiar with “skinny fat.” Melissa, please email me and send me your address. I am excited for you to participate in the challenge with me. I really think you’ll love it.

For those of you who did not win the giveaway but want to participate, the Core Fusion Body Sculpt DVD is only $12 on Amazon or $9.99 on Tower Video. It is eligible for free shipping if your order is above $25 on either site. AND it comes with a free class at Exhale Spa. This is a really great deal, especially considering one regular class is $35.

If you’d like to get it on the challenge, please find the details here: Core Fusion Challenge

You can begin at any time, just let me know when. I plan to send out an email to all participants soon. Still not sure? Check out this trailer of the Body Sculpt DVD:

I plan to schedule out my classes each week ahead of time so I am always prepared. I already planned out next week’s! I will discuss that soon. I am SO excited to commit to improving my core, my strength, my body and my mind in 2010!

HI!

I’m back. For good. I even wrote my 10K Race Recap. It includes the best playlist ever, I suggest you check it out.

Last week, I alluded to a challenge. While initially the challenge was created for myself, I realized it would be much more fun and more motivating if you would all take part in it with me!

If you’ve been reading my blog for awhile, you know how much I love Core Fusion classes at Exhale Spa. I love how Core Fusion is a full body strength workout, because I can’t seem to ever do any strength training on my own. I love how Core Fusion teaches you to stretch after working each muscle  group, because stretching creates long, lean muscles. I love the music; I love the teachers; I love the studio space, particularly at the Central Park South location. While I don’t love how much my muscles burn during the class, I do love how I feel as soon as it is finished —  like I did something really great for myself.

All this information brings me to the Core Fusion Challenge.

After discussing my goals with Core Fusion co-founder Fred DeVito, he came up with a challenge that will help me reach my goals.

What does my Core Fusion Challenge entail?

• 4 – 5 Core Fusion classes a week
• Documenting the challenge on Dori’s Shiny Blog about 3 times a week

This can include any Exhale class offerings. I will likely do a combination of the following (read about them in detail here):

• Core Fusion (this will be the bulk of what I do)
• Core Fusion Sport (focuses on combining cardio + strength)
• Core Energy Flow (a combination of yoga and core work)
• Yoga (I am new to this but enjoyed the beginner class I took at Exhale recently)

Core Fusion classes are HARD. During class, my muscles burn. Sometimes I want to cry. Sometimes I have to take a break from the moves. This is why I am glad there are other classes to try in addition to Core Fusion. That said, Core Fusion will be the majority of the classes I take. Every teacher teaches a little differently and no two classes are the same, so it will never get boring. I’m going to keep my NYSC membership during this time as well and try to get in some cardio sessions as well.

Here’s what I hope to improve:

• Knee Bursitis & Patella Femoral Pain Syndrome
• Shoulder AC Joint Osteolysis
• Recent weight gain
• Terrible flexibility
• Weak core
• No arm definition
• Soft abs

In addition, I will be working with Exhale Spa’s health counselor, Catherine. I had to fill out a comprehensive health history form for her that even asked for examples of what I ate as a child! Mmmmm, Velveeta. I’m going to meet with Catherine after the holidays to do a “before” session — measurements, weighing, photos — eek! We will also discuss food, although due to my unique GI illness, I don’t expect her to be able to advise much that (1) I don’t already know and (2) I can actually physically do. But, maybe I’ll be surprised and she will have tons of suggestions for me! At the very least, she will hold me accountable. While I do eat cleanly most of the time, it will be good to keep on track with her help.

So now I get to devote a whole lot of time to working on my specific strength & muscle issues while improving my overall health! You’re probably thinking this is great for me, and maybe you’re even a little jealous (I would be!). Here is where you come in.

I want you to participate in the Core Fusion Challenge with me.

It doesn’t matter where you live or if you have access to an Exhale Spa (locations here), because Core Fusion has  really wonderful DVDs. My favorite — and the one most like a Core Fusion class — is Core Fusion Body Sculpt. This DVD consists of five 10-minute workouts, divided into the following groups: upper body, glutes, thighs, abs and stretch.

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The other DVDs are Pilates Plus, Thighs & Glutes and Pure Abs & Arms. I don’t know where they found the models for these DVDs, but maybe all our butts can one day look like the one on the cover.

Core Fusion Body Sculpt DVD is only $12 on Amazon or $9.99 on Tower Video. It is eligible for free shipping if your order is above $25 on either site.  AND it comes with a free class at Exhale Spa. This is a really great deal, especially considering one regular class is $35.

I’d love for you to all get the DVD and participate with me. I have this DVD and I love it. It’s actually pretty funny because I would do this DVD in my apartment having absolutely no idea that the people I was following and cursing on the screen (Fred and his wife Elisabeth) were  just two floors above me in their own apartment. What a small world!

While Body Sculpt certainly is challenging (OMG THE ABS SECTION), Fred and Elisabeth give modifications for each exercise so you can work your way up. It works out so many parts of your body to exhaustion in such a short amount of time.

What does the DVD challenge entail?

Required: Four to five days a week - full length Core Fusion DVD (Body Sculpt will cover the most. If you use one of the more targeted DVDs, please allow rest days in between) – for one month

Recommended: Yoga (Polly’s videos are great & free, ExerciseTV has free yoga and YogaDownload has free options as well)

Recommended: 30 minutes cardio, three days a week

All I am requiring is your commitment to the Core Fusion DVD. I included my recommendations because I think you will greatly benefit from adding those, but even if you only do the minimum Core Fusion requirement, I am sure you will see amazing results. If you’d like to take before/after photos and measurements, go ahead! I’ll be doing that myself and documenting my improvements here.

If you have a blog and decide to participate, let me know and I will link to your posts about it! If you don’t have a blog, feel free to send me content to post here. If enough people decide to participate, I will create a Core Fusion page in the top navigation of my blog and will include information about Core Fusion classes, links to everyone’s blogs/posts and any valuable resources that might help.

Giveaway!

Want to participate in the challenge? Want to get started with a FREE Core Fusion Body Sculpt DVD?

Here’s how to enter:

1. Leave a comment on this post about why you want to strengthen your core.
2. Tweet this contest: RT @dysterious Take the Core Fusion Challenge: Enter to win a Core Fusion Body Sculpt DVD http://bit.ly/8rHHLt
3. Encourage people to take part — post a note about this contest in your own blog

You will get one entry for each. I will select the winner randomly on Tuesday, December 29.

The challenge will begin around January 2. I will confirm with you all next week. Please let me know if you plan to participate in this challenge — I’d love to hear from you.

I am excited and nervous to begin! This will be so hard — but so worth it.

Edited to add – You can start this challenge at any time, just keep me updated! I will put together a group email and send updates throughout the challenge. We will motivate each other and share our experiences.

Yes, you heard me right! I have not one, not two, but THREE prizes up for grabs. And they are amazing prizes. As you might know, I love me some Lotte Berk-type classes. Core Fusion, Physique 57, etc. They are the only strength training workouts I’ll even do. I am highly addicted to them, I love them, I crave them, I jumped on an online sale to get myself 30 Core Fusion classes at a discounted rate — which I am excited to be using!

And I am very excited to offer three of you a DVD from these classes. Here are the prizes:

1. Classic 57 Minute Full Body Workout
2. Core Fusion Body Sculpt
3. Core Fusion Pilates Plus

I have taken classes at both studios and they are AMAZING. You will seriously strengthen and sculpt your body if you stick with these and the time tends to go quickly. I own the Core Fusion DVDs and they are tough but great. And if you have doubts, just look at Kelly Ripa. She is obsessed with Physique 57! Lots of celebrities go to both Core Fusion and Physique 57, which is pretty cool.

I get a good amount of traffic to my blog by people searching Physique 57 and Core Fusion in their search engines. So hopefully you searchers are reading this, because you might get your questions answered if you win.

About the Physique 57 classes and DVD:

Physique 57™ is a focused and proven cardiovascular program of isometric exercises and orthopedic stretches. Physique 57™ tones your seat, abdominals, thighs and arms; strengthens your legs and back; and improves posture to produce a beautiful, sexy body. Our interval training sets use your own body weight for resistance, and through dynamic exercises your muscles are targeted and overloaded to the point of fatigue, then stretched for relief. We call our process Interval Overload – overloading the muscle to create long, lean sexy muscles.

Get rapid results in a few short weeks with the Classic 57 Minute Full Body Workout.  DVD features: * Bonus Moves * About Physique 57™ * Client Testimonials

About the Core Fusion classes and DVDs:

Core Fusion® is a Pilates-infused transformational fitness experience allowing you to work from the inside out as it consistently delivers results. This highly publicized mind body class is proven to give you washboard abs, a tighter and higher backside, and a perfectly toned body. This one-hour class fuses the disciplines of Lotte Berk fundamentals, core conditioning, Pilates, and yoga to produce long, lean muscles, a flexible, youthful body and a sense of peace and relaxation.

Experience total body transformation with Core Fusion! Featuring Elisabeth Halfpapp and Fred DeVito, co-founders of exhale spa’s proprietary class Core Fusion®, the first two DVDs — and Core Fusion™ Pilates Plus and Core Fusion™ Body Sculpt — are segmented into five focused workouts of just 10 minutes each providing you the opportunity to continue exhale’s transformational mind body class experience at home.

You can read more and watch clips of the Core Fusion DVDs here and the Physique 57 DVD here.

Okay, now that all that good stuff is out of the way, I hope you’re curious to find out how you can win one of these babies.

I need help from all of you. I am working on a project and I would love it if you could fill out a quick, 15 question survey for me. It shouldn’t take up more than 5 minutes of your time.

The survey is about one of my favorite topics — exercise. The survey is basically anonymous, but you will find a spot to enter your email address. This is used ONLY to confirm your entry. Otherwise, anyone can comment and tell me they did the survey when really they didn’t, which wouldn’t be fair to those who did. I promise your results will never be tracked back to you.

I will use the random integer generator to choose 3 winners. Each winner will get one DVD. If you have a DVD preference, feel free to let me know in the comments, but be aware that I can’t promise you will get your preference if you win.

You can get more than one entry. Here are the ways to enter:

How to Enter

• Complete this survey:  Dori’s Shiny Exercise Survey (comment to let me know)
• Tweet the survey! Paste the below message into your Twitter status:
  RT @dysterious: Enter for a chance to win a Core Fusion or Physique 57 DVD http://bit.ly/pLjMO
  (You can tweet it one time each day for multiple entries)
• Post a link to this entry in your own blog
• Post a link to this entry as your Facebook status or as a note, and comment or email to let me know!

You have two weeks to get your entries in. I will announce the winners on Tuesday, October 13.

I really appreciate your help with this survey. The more responses I get, the more this will help me out. Thank you!