Program Review: Morning Meltdown 100

Morning Meltdown 100 consists of one workout per day for 100 days. The workouts are arranged in 10-workout blocks—so for example, day 1 is cardio, then you cycle through nine other types of workouts, and come back to cardio for day 11, day 21, etc.

The fact that there are 10 different workout styles makes this program extremely diverse and varied. Coupled with the fact that you won't repeat the same workout for the entire 100 days, this makes the program perfect for people who get bored easily.

(There are also alternative calendars that allow you to take one rest day per week by doubling up for a longer workout, or to finish the program in 60 days by doubling up every day but taking one full rest day each week.)

Rest days are not built into the program per se—at least not if you're following the calendar of one workout per day for 100 days—but every fifth workout is an active recovery (dynamic flexibility) session. One of the workouts (day 5, 15, 25, etc. resembles flow yoga and the other (day 10, 20, 30, etc.) is more of a tai chi style.

The program combines strength and cardio sessions with Jericho's signature core work and martial arts flavor. In general, the strength work in this program uses lighter weights and higher reps, and focuses on sculpting the smaller muscles that often get neglected in lifting programs. The cardio sessions are heavy on plyometrics, but the entire program has low-impact and lower-intensity modifications shown for every single move. In fact, I think this would be an excellent program for recovering after surgery or beginning to get back to workouts after having a baby, because it does start out on the gentler side and does offer such accessible modifications in the event the full-intensity move is too much.

The other distinguishing feature of the program is DJ Jesse Blake, who scores each workout as it happens. Rather than pre-recording the music or dubbing it over the top afterwards, the soundtrack for this program was created as the cast was filming. Jesse would have an idea of which songs he was going to use, but Jericho would ask him to increase or decrease the tempo depending on the difficulty of the move. Just as there are 100 original workouts, there are 100 new and different soundtracks—one for each session. This has been one of the most fun parts of the program for me, and anyone who loves music will definitely appreciate this feature.

This program had a certain intensity about it with all of the plyometrics and HIIT work, but it definitely wasn't the most challenging program I've done. That being said, it helped me lean out and created some really nice definition in my core. For me, this program is a "sweet spot" of being challenging enough to boost my metabolism and help me tone up, but not being so crazy intense that my muscle are constantly inflamed and swollen and my appetite is off the charts to support my body's muscle repair calorie needs. What I'm learning is that sometimes dialing back the intensity actually produces better results!

Program length: 100 days (just over 14 weeks), with an alternate calendar to get through the program in 60 days

Workout length: 20-30 minutes (double the time if you're using the 60-day calendar or doubling up to allow a complete rest day each week)

What equipment is needed: You will need free weights for the Upbeat Strength, Downbeat Strength, Core Inferno, Total Body Badass, and Meltcon sessions. I used a range from 3 lbs up to 40 lbs for this program. No equipment is needed for the Cardio Meltdown, Lit Cardio, Fight Club, Freestyle Flow, or Re-Vibe sessions.

How is it structured: The program does not go according to days of the week. You follow the same sequence of workouts, 1 through 10, so you repeat each type of workout every 10 days. So you start on day 1 with Cardio Meltdown, then Upbeat Strength on day 2, then Core Inferno, Total Body Badass, Freestyle Flow, Lit Cardio, Downbeat Strength, Fight Club, Meltcon, and Re-Vibe. Then you start over with Cardio Meltdown on day 11! Within each workout, the structure varies from one to another. Many of them include a single move, then a second move, and then a combo that puts the two moves together. Some of the sessions (for example, Upbeat Strength and Downbeat Strength) have three combos like this, and then the whole sequence repeats. Meltcon has 10 individual moves for one minute each, then the whole sequence repeats. Fight Club doesn't repeat at all. So there is variety in the format, as well as the style, of the workouts in this program!

What kinds of moves are involved? It's really difficult to sum this up in a succinct way since the program is so varied. In addition to the usual suspects (squats, lunges, bicep curls, triceps extensions), this program has many interesting combos—including lots of plyometrics (biceps curl combined with a sumo squat, jumping lunges combined with plyo jacks). It also has some signature moves that I haven't seen anywhere else (firecracker burpee, lightning bolt, "Braveheart"). These moves are carried through several of the different sessions to provide a unifying thread and bring a strength aspect to the cardio workouts or vice versa. For the plyometric moves, the modification will typically follow the same timing and footwork pattern so you can train your brain to work up to the full-intensity move while practicing the low-impact one.0

Low-impact? The full-intensity moves are very high-impact, but there is a low-impact modification shown for every single move, and it is absolutely possible to get a good workout following the modifier.

Appropriate for beginners? Yes, it is absolutely appropriate for beginners when following the modifier. The unmodified program is very challenging even for a seasoned athlete, so I would say this program does a great job of serving all levels.

Wanting to give it a try? The first step is to take this quiz to match you up with the best option for reaching your goals with the program. After you take the quiz, I will reach out to you with a recommendation (no pressure and no strings attached). Also feel free to check out my video review to learn more about the program!

Before you go, check out these transformations from the small group of coaches that were part of the live test group during the filming of the program!