Search - Mindy Mylrea: All About Abs on DVD

Challenging yet lots of fun!

Red Panda | Australia | 06/23/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Mindy Mylrea, the queen of functional fitness, presents three advanced-level 15-minute ab workouts on this DVD. The first one uses a medicine ball, the second uses a balance ball, while the third uses your own bodyweight. There is also a bonus 10-minute segment using Mindy's own "gliding disks".

You start the medicine ball workout by tossing the ball from hand to hand at waist height, then raising your arms higher as you keep tossing the ball from hand to hand. I wouldn't have thought of this as ab training, but as Mindy points out, "You'll notice that your abs are firing." Then you pass the medicine ball under each leg in a figure-eight pattern (it's handy to have a small medicine ball for this bit) then circle it around your body. Then you move to the floor where you repeat the same movements. As Mindy points out, "When you take your legs out of the equation, your abs fire a little bit more". This is lots of fun - it feels more like playing with a friend than doing an ab workout. This is followed by some Pilates-inspired moves and crunches using the ball for added resistance. Then you do split push-ups with one hand on the medicine ball, followed by pushups and planks with both hands on the ball. This is tough!

The balance ball workout is the most challenging - and the funniest. If you like seeing super-fit people falling off their balance balls, you'll enjoy this workout! It starts off with planks and pushups with both hands on the ball, then moves to one-legged planks with your elbows on the ball. A reprieve follows with opposite arm and leg lifts, and reverse crunches on the ball. Then things get really tough with pushups and pikes with one leg on the ball and the other in the air. Then there are long lever exchanges where you lie on your back with the ball held between your feet and crunch up to transfer the ball to your hands, roll ups using the ball for resistance, and side planks with the ball clutched between your feet as you raise your arm up in the air then tuck it under your body. At this point Mindy falls over. "I just did that to show you what it would look like!" she laughs. This is followed by some very tricky balance work on the ball, as Mindy falls off once again. "Just practice that on your own!" she says.

The bodyweight workout starts with a series of killer crunches followed by some Pilates-inspired moves. This is followed by Mindy's own variations of side planks, planks and pushups - she sure has a way of "toughening up" traditional exercises! After all this, you get a well-deserved stretch.

This is an advanced workout, but don't be scared off if you're at the intermediate level. One of the background exercisers, Susie, demonstrates modifications.

Mindy is an engaging, inspirational instructor who always seems to be having a blast. By the time you can make it all the way through this DVD you, too, will have abs of steel!"

Nice ab variety

L. Smith | Yountville, CA | 08/16/2008

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I love Mindy. She just seems like one of those fitness instructors that is very "real". She's not like the usual "happy happy" in your face type of instructors that starts to get annoying after a while. Just as the previous reviewer stated this DVD is composed of several mini workouts. I bought if for the medicine ball abs routine. I wanted something different. There really is something for everyone in this DVD. All levels are addressed. Mindy kicks some major butt performing some really advanced moves but I love that all levels are represented so you can grow with the DVD. Would I reccomend it, yes. I also would reccomend if you don't own them already any of her gliding disc DVD's. There is a segment in this DVD using the gliding discs, you just feel your core working all over the place when you use them."

Review on Mylrea's all about abs

Anne Brooks | Florida | 03/08/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I am a personal trainer so I am a fairly advanced exerciser. I thought this DVD was well-done. It gives you 3 different mediums of working out the abs. I thought the body weight section was the easiest, the stability ball section in the middle and the medicine ball segment the most challenging. All of the sections were pretty creative and challenging. The dvd is well-cued and easy to follow and understand. I would definitely recommend it."