Wedding Season Week 10:

“Nothing takes as long as you think when you put your heart and mind to it.” (unknown)

Tip: Snacking before a workout is extremely important. By doing so, you will provide your body with enough fuel or energy to get through a long hard workout. Keep it small and simple, then grab a good healthy meal right after. A few quick healthy pre-workout snacks are fruit, granola, protein bar, egg whites, or a vegetable.

Week 9 Wedding Fitness Plan (Self-Massage):

Self-massage, or self myofascial release, is used for relieving pain or tension, increasing the range and motion of the body, improving posture, relieving stress, and helping to prevent future injuries. I have discussed self myofascial release in a previous article, but I believe it is such an important topic and must be covered again.

Self myofascial release is intended to trigger the fascia, which is web-like connective tissue that covers the muscles, organs, and skeleton. By slowly rolling over each body part or muscle group with a foam roller the fascia receives pressure and simply “unwinds” itself. This helps increase blood flow and restores optimum performance of the body. Below are a few of my favorite exercises. Again, slowly and gently roll each individual muscle group over the foam roller several times. Good luck!!

See Matt’s entire 10-week wedding fitness plan and other bridal diet resources here at DietsInReview.com.

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10 Week Wedding Fitness Plan: Week 10

Wedding Season Week 9:

“Whatever you can do, or dream you can do, begin it. Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it. Begin it now!!” (Goethe)

Tip: Remember to listen to your body, it knows when enough is enough and when to push it.

Week 9 Wedding Fitness Plan (Self Stretching):

Assisted stretching is a great way to wind down a tough sweat-filled workout and to relieve a little more stress that runs our lives these days. Again, stretching has so many benefits and an assisted stretch just adds to the list of them. These benefits range from improving sleep patterns to increasing energy levels.

Like I mentioned above, assisted stretching is a great way to cool or wind down, reach the parts of the body unattainable by yourself, and stretch deeper to increase your flexibility level. I have put together a list of stretches below that I perform on my clients after a nice hard workout. I recommend holding or maintaining each stretch for two 20-second counts with a five-second relaxation period between them. Good luck!!

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10 Week Wedding Fitness Plan: Week 9

Wedding Season Week 8:

“Learn to relax. Your body is precious, as it houses your mind and spirit. Inner peace begins with a relaxed body.” (Norman Vincent Peale)

Tip: Remember to warm-up and cool down before and after your workouts. I understand that it takes time away from the actual workout, but it’s worth it.

Week 8 Wedding Fitness Plan (Self Stretching):

Stretching is a very important topic and I strongly recommend that you stretch before and after your workout routines. Stretching has been proven to reduce the risk of injury, increase joint range of motion, reduce muscle tension, increase circulation of blood throughout the body, and increase energy levels. These are only a few of the benefits of stretching though.

Below are a few of my favorite stretches and I recommend that you hold or maintain each stretch for two 20 second counts with a five second count of relaxation between each 20 count.

See weeks one through seven of Matt’s 10-Week Wedding Fitness Plan.

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10 Week Wedding Fitness Plan: Week 8

Wedding Season Week 7:

“If you think you can or think you can’t; you’re right!!”

Tip: Be sure to drink plenty of water throughout the day and during your workout. Try to avoid sugary sports drinks or high sugar/carbohydrate fruit drinks. These drinks are only necessary when you are working out for extended amounts of time and your electrolytes are depleted, otherwise water is the only necessary fluid to put into your body. Try to intake 80 to 100 ounces a day if you exercise at a moderate to high intensity level.

Week 7 Wedding Fitness Plan (Core Stability Blvd):

Core stability is absolutely huge. I can’t emphasize this enough. Every thing begins and ends with a strong and stable core.  I have covered the basics about the core in a previous article so I am not going to go into much detail, but the core consists of your entire front and back sides; not just your abdominal muscles.

Below are my favorite core stability exercises and I recommend performing two or three sets of 20 to 30 repetitions or hold each position for at least 30 seconds if required. Remember to get your cardio (30-60 minutes) in as well. Have fun!

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10 Week Wedding Fitness Plan: Week 7

Over the past few weeks we have discussed several different styles of exercises and I understand that it may be overwhelming, but hang it there. Again, hard work will pay off; I promise.

Wedding Season Week 6:

“It all comes down to decisions, choices, and focus!” (Jackie Warner)

Tip: Keep it simple. It is those that get injured or give up that make exercising too difficult. Stay motivated, but keep it simple. Find something that you can consistently do week in and week out.

Week 6:

The focus for week six is on Olympic lifts. These may not be “simple” at first, but you will eventually get the hang of them. I used to do every single one of these lifts back in high school; if teenagers can perform these movements, so can you.

The key to being successful with these movements is proper technique. Use little to no weight and just get comfortable with the movements. They are total body movements so they will increase your heart rate as well as increase coordination, power, stability, and stamina. I recommend performing two or three sets of 15 to 20 repetitions. Good luck and remember to hit the cardio as well.

Check out weeks one through five of the 10 Week Wedding Fitness Plans and other bridal fitness programs.

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10 Week Wedding Fitness Plan: Week 6

Wedding Season Week 5:

“There are no shortcuts to any place worth going!! Pain is temporary, results are forever; why not strive for perfection!!”

Tip: Every “body” is different; you have to find what works for you!!

The human body is very difficult to understand and finding the perfect workout takes time. Something that works for your friends may not work for you. Keep searching until you find the key to your success.

Week 5 Wedding Fitness Plan:

Week five is geared toward isometric exercises. Isometric exercises are a form of exercise that involve a static contraction of specific muscles without movement. In other words, holding or maintaining a specific position for a certain amount of time without moving. Basically using your body weight for the exercise. These exercises are good for building strength, endurance and rehabilitation.

Good luck with the following exercises and remember to get your cardiovascular training done as well (30-60 minutes).  I recommend holding each exercise for one minute then immediately move to the next exercise; repeat three to five times (hold the squat and lunge in the isometric position).

Check-out Week 1, Week 2, Week 3, and Week 4 of Matt’s Wedding Fitness Plan.

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10 Week Wedding Fitness Plan: Week 5

Wedding Season Week 4:

“A strong outside strengthens the inside”  (Selene Yeager)

Tip: Focus on inches lost instead of weight lost. I understand that this is a very touchy subject, but you will find it more motivating if you keep track of how you feel and the inches lost. When you exercise, your body retains water (fluids) and the scale does you no justice. I recommend measuring your biceps, chest, waist, hips, quad, and calf; just the right side of your body though. By only measuring one side, you can more accurately track your progress. Measure weekly and track your progress.

Week 4 Fitness Plan: This week’s emphasis is on combination exercises. Combination exercises are referred to as performing multiple exercises at one time. For example, performing a squat and shoulder press at the same time. This really increases the heart rate and helps shed inches quicker than anything. The main goal of a combination exercise is to keep the heart rate up the entire time, which destroys calories. It is also great for developing coordination, balance and stability, and strength and endurance. Remember to get your 30-60 minutes of cardio in as well. Good Luck!!

Brides looking to get in shape can also check out Buff Brides and Bridal Bootcamp.

Check-out Week 1, Week 2, and Week 3 of Matt’s Wedding Fitness Plan.

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10 Week Wedding Fitness Plan: Week 4

Wedding Season Week 3:

“The difference between the impossible and the possible lies in a person’s determination.” (unknown)

Tip: When exercising, you should always start with the larger muscle groups first and then work your way to the smaller ones. For example, start with chest and back then move to biceps and triceps; for lower body do a leg press then into leg curls or calf raises. The smaller muscle groups help during the performance of the larger muscle group exercises, thus it is important to not tire them out early in your workout. This helps maximize the results!!

Week 3: Focus is on dumbbells. Dumbbells are more advanced than machines or cables due to the fact that you (the lifter) control every degree of the movement and it is totally up to you to perform the correct technique. Dumbbells are perfect for the gym, the home, or the road. Remember to get your 30-60 minutes of cardio in as well. Good Luck!!

Brides looking to get in shape can also check out Buff Brides and Bridal Bootcamp.

Check-out Week 1 and Week 2 of Matt’s Wedding Fitness Plan.

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10 Week Wedding Fitness Plan: Week 3

Proper technique is crucial while using cables, so please use the correct weight and pay attention to the correct form from the videos below. Again, I recommend performing two sets of 20 repetitions from the exercises listed below and follow them up with a sweat-filled cardiovascular exercise for 30 to 60 minutes.

Wedding Season Week 2:

Quote — “Pain is weakness leaving the body!” (Marines)

Tip — Lazy people take the escalator, elevator, or bus; be different and burn a few extra calories by taking the stairs or walking a few extra blocks!!

Brides looking to get in shape can also check out Buff Brides and Bridal Bootcamp.

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10 Week Wedding Fitness Plan: Week 2

Wedding Season Week 1

“A person too busy to take care of their health is like a mechanic too busy to take care of his tools.” (Spanish Proverb)

Tip: Try to stay away from processed foods as much as you can. Processed foods are foods that have been altered from their natural state and can lead to certain health risks. Lung cancer is at the top of the list and studies have been shown that processed foods that contain inorganic phosphates that may lead to a form of lung cancer. These foods are usually frozen or canned.

Fitness Week 1: Focus is on Machine Weights (two sets of 20 repetitions followed by 30-60 minutes of cardio)

Brides looking to get in shape can also check out Buff Brides and Bridal Bootcamp.

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10 Week Wedding Fitness Plan: Week 1