When I first started TurboFire, I had just completed ChaLean Extreme and loved using my Bowflex Selectec dumbbells. I was surprised that I would come to love using Beachbody’s B-Line resistance bands in TurboFire. Yes, I miss using weights but I am learning so much about the use of resistance bands.
Chalene Johnson uses resistence bands in both her Sculpt 30 and Tone 30 Turbo Fire classes. They were optional in ChaLean Extreme, and I opted not to use them. There are several advantages to using resistance bands instead of weights.
First, resistance bands are inexpensive and take up little space. You can easily put them in a drawer or closet, hang them on a hook, or throw them in a suitcase. You really only need one band because you can control the tension and resistance by how you position the band. To increase the resistence, you shorten the band. To reduce resistence, you lengthen the band. It is that simple.
Second, for a beginner, bands cannot be beat. Not only are they inexpensive and take up little space but they are easy to use. You can start with very little tension and increase gradually as your strength increases.
Third, if you are not a beginner, bands are good for lengthening your muscles. When you work out with dumbbells, sometimes we do not have great form throughout the set. This causes us to incorporate other muscles than the ones we are targeting which can make the exercise less effective and increase the risk of injuries.
Bands maintain resistance on the targeted muscle throughout the whole movement. This increased muscle tension works the whole muscle. You can really feel the tension which keeps your mind focused on the muscle you are working.
Finally, bands are great for traveling. Once you learn some basic movements, you will no longer have an excuse for not working out when you go on a trip or take a few days of vacation. It does not take long to get a full body workout with bands once you learn a few basic moves.
That is what I really like about the Tone 30 TurboFire class. Chalene teaches you how to use resistence bands to work all the muscles in your body. It is not too hard to figure how to do bicep curls with a band, but now I can work my quadriceps, hamstrings and glutes with bands. I know how to do pectorial fly and a few variations of a row for my back. I even know a new tricep and abdominal move. Thanks to TurboFire, I am ready to take my workouts on the road! Keep pressing play. You are awesome.
So, Turbo Fire is coming and you are caught between lure of a cardio intense home workout program and the challenge of P90X. I cannot guide you one way or another because you are the one who will ultimately have to decide what fitness goals have a higher priority for you and which program will help get you there. My goal in this post is to help you compare Chalene Johnson’s new Turbo Fire program with Tony Horton’s P90X.
P90X is primarily a strength training program designed for athletes. Although modifications can be done with most of the exercises, you will get the most out of P90X if you actually take the fit test and pass it before taking on the grueling routine of boot camp style fitness training.
P90X has a lot of push ups and pull ups. You will do a variety of each one of them and develop a love/hate relationship with them over the course of 90 days. Ab Ripper X and Yoga X are probably the two most talked about workouts.
Ab Ripper X is a challenging ab routine while P90X Yoga X is a 92 minute power yoga workout. Both of these workouts are difficult to complete even as you near your 90 day mark. Is it the suttle challenge of finishing that keeps you motivated to keep pushing play day after day? Afterall, each workout is about 55 minutes in length and you are working out six days per week.
P90X is divided into three possible combinations. Most people choose the classic version and then, wonder why they did not lose a lot of weight. The “doubles” version follows the classic version but adds more cardio. The “lean” version on the other hand, takes out some of the strength training workouts and replaces them with more cardio. If you are doing P90X and want to lose weight, I recommend doing either the doubles or lean version. The added cardio will help you lose weight.
If you are trying to lose weight for the summer, I think you will find your fastest results with a cardio intensive program such as Turbo Fire. Turbo Fire will be released on June 18th. I plan on starting the program myself on the first Monday after I receive it which will probably be the last week in June or first week in July.
Strength training builds muscle and muscle burns more calories. Unfortunately, it is a slow process. If you want to see faster results as far as weight loss, cardio is essential. (Your nutrition plan is also critical, but that is another conversation.)
When a person lifts weights, muscle tissue is damaged. The body tries to protect the muscle from further damage and to help it repair by surrounding the damaged tissue with fluid. This is a necessary process that may actually cause you to gain a little weight when you first start lifting. So many people get discouraged and say a program is not working because they do not understand the process their body is undergoing.
When you feel discouraged, don’t give up. Please use the Beachbody message boards and take advantage of the free coaching and fitness tools that are available to you. Remember that as you change, your goals may change.
I am currently working out with ChaLean Extreme and absolutely love the program. I have cuts in my arms and shoulders now. I can see ab muscles. My legs are not where I would like them yet, but I am even starting to see muscle definition there. Now, it is time for me to lean down. To peel off a layer and see what is hiding underneath that last layer of stubborn fat that seems to stay with me no matter what I do.
I am looking forward to Chalene’s High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT). I know it will feel like boot camp or athletic drills. I hear some of the classes are only about twelve minutes long. I also understand that this type of training is actually nine times more effective than traditional cardio workouts.
I know I will struggle to get through each workout but completely elated when I do. I know more positive changes are around the corner for me. I am ready for a cardio intensive workout program for the summer. What about you? I can hardly wait to write my reviews as I work through my first Turbo Fire program.
Chalene Johnson, creator of ChaLean Extreme, takes your cardio to new heights with High Intensity Interval Training, a science proven to burn up to nine times more calories than traditional cardio routines. View Details
Turbo Jam fans will not be disappointed with Chalene Johnson’s new Turbo Fire. Think it is just another Turbo Jam program? Think again. Chalene Johnson really turns up the heat in Turbo Fire with the science of HIIT (high intensity interval training).
Chalene created Turbo Jam with the intention of making workouts fun. With a total of seven fat-burning workouts ranging from twenty to fifty minutes, she choreographs eleven signature moves she calls the Elite 11 to dance music.
Turbo Jam is a combination of kickboxing and body-sculpting. It comes complete with a fitness and nutrition guide, exercise flash cards, weighted gloves and one of the most upbeat, motivational trainers in the fitness industry.
I had a little difficulty with Turbo Jam though because it is dancy. I am not too coordinated with dance. Sometimes, I found my focus on how to do a move and keep up with the class rather than on form and burning calories. If you love dancing, Turbo Jam is probably the program for you. If you are like me, Turbo Fire promises to deliver an butt-kicking cardio workoug.
Turbo Fire incorporates the science of high intensity interval training. Chalene puts you in an aerobics class atmosphere. Her personality alone would “bring the party” but Chalene created the music mixes for this program that will keep you pushes harder.
HIIT classes are shorter in length than traditional cardio workouts. According to research, high intensity interval training burns up to 9 times more calories than classic cardio workouts such as running on a treadmill. That is because your body is called on to exert as much energy as possible in a very short period. A short recovery period follows before another high intensity cardio interval is done.
I will not go into detail about what is included in the Turbo Fire program (see previous Turbo Fire posts), but I will say that you are getting an incredible program compared to what comes with Turbo Jam. By the way, did I mention that Turbo Fire is not dancy?
Expect to see some kickboxing moves (that girl loves boxing) and some exercises that have a hint of the Elite 11, but it will not be a choreographed dance sequence. There will be new moves in Turbo Fire and some cardio drills similar to those in Chalene Extreme.
While Turbo Jam is a program suited for those just starting out, Turbo Fire is more like an advanced cardio program. It can be used by all fitness levels thanks to the use of an exercise modifier in every class; however, it is designed to take your cardio workouts to an athlete’s level. For this reason, P90X and ChaLean Extreme owners will want to add Turbo Fire to their Beachbody workouts as a way to increase their cardio routines and create a hybrid program substituting Turbo Fire in on cardio days.
Hey guys, Beachbody is giving away a dvd from Turbo Fire to subscribers of Tony Horton’s One on One through June 2nd. The May One on One workout is called One on One 4 Legs. Getting free preview dvds and other free gifts is one of the cool things about having a subscription to One on One.
Tony’s One on One series was designed for P90X graduates to variety and continued training from Tony Horton himself. Each month, a new workout dvd arrives in your mailbox. The workout is filmed in Tony’s gym and no one else is working out with him. It is like being right there and working out with him.
What are the workouts like? If you have experienced P90X, you will appreciate the challenges Tony throws at you. I think only Tony could think up some of the stuff he does. Take a look at this video. It is a peak at the One on One 4 Legs dvd.
If you subscribe before June 2nd, you will get the free full sample Turbo Fire dvd along with your One on One 4 Legs dvd. Turbo Fire is scheduled for release on June 18th. It promises to be a hard hitting cardio workout that will compliment the P90X and ChaLean Extreme programs.
Although Turbo Fire is a high intensity cardio workout, Chalene Johnson designed it with every fitness level in mind. She uses what she calls a modifier, a person working out next to her that modifies exercises to keep them low impact and lower intensity so you can build up as your body’s strength and endurance increase. That makes this a great follow up program for Slim in 6, Hip Hop Abs, and Turbo Jam.
I hope you take the time to watch one of the Turbo Fire video clips. It looks like a fun workout that will melt fat, boost metabolism and take your fitness to new heights. I plan on ordering the Turbo Fire program when it is released and starting on July 1st. I hope you can join me.
One more program that will soon be released is Body Gospel. It is a new workout program that works out the body, mind, and spirit by using gospel music and prayer throughout the workout. Fitness trainer Donna Richardson Joyner is well known in the fitness industry and was the trainer for Buns of Steel and the Sweating in the Spirit workout video series. I will let you know when this program is available. I have not personally seen any home fitness workout video program designed with worship in mind.
Do you hear the excitement and anticipation of Chalene Johnson’s latest fitness program? It is a 90 day extreme cardio workout that incorporates the science of HIIT – high intensity interval training. Turbo Fire is scheduled for release on June 18, 2010.
If you are not familiar with Chalene Johnson, she is a Beachbody trainer who has taught fitness classes for over twenty years. She is the creator of Turbo Jam and my favorite home workout program, ChaLean Extreme. I like the interval training she does in ChaLean Extreme and hope to see more of the same.
What makes Turbo Fire different from any other workout is Chalene herself. She mixed the music for these workouts to ensure the music was unique, upbeat, and motivating. Chalene keeps you focused on your workout and form. If you do not get a good workout and results from following one of her programs, you are probably not fully following the program. She incorporates her personal style and the most modern fitness science available into her signature training programs.
Chalene wants everyone to get results. That is why Turbo Fire has a modifier. A modifier is someone working out in the class that is modifying the workout to keep it low intensity. This is important for beginners and those with physical limitations. If you are following the modifier and getting a great workout, awesome! If you are getting stronger, you can increase your intensity by watching Chalene and the other participants in the class.
Oh…the class. Turbo Fire takes a unique perspective with the camera crew. Normally, a workout video is filmed so you are watching the class and instructor facing you as if looking in a mirror. Turbo Fire does something different. Your camera view is actually in the front and center of the room, right at the stage where Chalene teaches a live (ok, it’s recorded now) cardio class. You will have the same perspective of other participants in the class.
Turbo Fire consists of twelve classes on ten dvds. You will workout about thirty minutes per day. Because of the science of HIIT, you will get the benefits burning up to nine times the calories and fat you would burn on a treadmill or doing some other form of cardio. HIIT uses short burst of cardio drills – less than one minute in length – to maximize your after burn and totally ignite your metabolism.
The Turbo Fire programaaaa also has a Get Fired Up DVD where Chalene teaches you how to correctly perform each exercise, so you feel comfortable the first time you attend one of her fitness classes. In keeping with all Beachbody workouts, you will also get a Nutrition Guide to help you properly fuel your body.
Turb Up the Burn is a Fitness Guide that explains the science of HIIT. It also guides you in how to use the program. The Turbo Fire Class Schedule lays out a fitness plan that helps you know what workout to do and when.
You will also get a lower body band to give you a little more resistance. And, if you really want to kick start your Turbo Fire experience, Chalene has included a 5-Day Inferno Plan.
The Deluxe kit will include five advanced classes on four dvds, resistance bands, a food and fitness journal and other advanced resources. The Deluxe increases the Turbo Fire program from 90 days (three months) to twenty weeks (five months).
You are starting to hear whispers of a new Beachbody workout program called Turbo Fire. It is a twelve week intensive cardio program put together by Chalene Johnson, creator of both Turbo Jam and ChaLean Extreme. You guys know how much I love ChaLean Extreme. I am counting the days until Turbo Fire is released.
Turbo Fire is officially scheduled for release on June 18, 2010. In the meantime, I plan on writing a series of articles to tell you as much as I can about the program before actually being able to write about my own experiences.
What are my thoughts so far? I am excited. Turbo Fire focuses on cardio. It incorporates the science of HIIT (high intensity interval training). P90X had limited cardio. It focused primarily on military style strength training. Insanity was on the extreme side as far as cardio. I thought it was a bit too much cardio for me. Turbo Fire is less intense than Insanity from what I understand but will deliver Chalene’s mix of music, fun and cardio drills.
I love the ChaLean Extreme workouts. One of my favorite workouts is the Extreme Intervals dvd which is one of the upgrade workouts. The basic ChaLean Extreme program comes with two cardio workouts. Over time, I think you start looking for a change. That is one of the reasons I am so excited about Turbo Fire. I will have a whole lot more of Chalene’s cardio training.
As you know, I would not choose Turbo Jam as my favorite program to do over and over again. The reason for this is because of the dance moves. My workout focus is lost on trying to keep up with choreography. From what I understand, Turbo Fire is not a dancy program. The similarity with Turbo Jam is probably in the DJ flair of Chalene. New music, mixes made just for Turbo Fire, keep your mind off exercising and on having fun while you are taking care of your body.
For the Turbo Fire program, Chalene used a live cardio class. She mixed her own music and put the camera in the front of the class. This means we will have a front and center perspective of the class just as if we were actually right there with her.
Again, Turbo Fire is scheduled for release on June 18, 2010. I plan on beginning my journey on July 1st. Will you join me? Keep checking back for more information on TurboFire. This could end up being one of the best home fitness workout videos ever made!
Extreme Intervals is one of Chalene Johnson’s workouts that comes in the ChaLean Extreme Deluxe dvds. It is an interval training workout that incorporates the use of a stability ball.
In keeping with Chalene’s other interval workouts, cardio drills are mixed with strength endurance exercises to bring your heart rate down again before moving to the next cardio set. The use of the ball adds additional resistence and causes you to engage the core muscles to balance your body.
I really liked using the ball for some of the moves we have done in other interval workouts. For example, using the ball while doing skaters really works your oblique ab muscles. Counter balancing squats with the ball actually makes them seem easier. Maybe it is just the distraction, but for someone who avoided lunges and squats, I actually enjoyed doing them with the ball.
I also found that I could get a nice stretch at the end of the workout by using the ball. My back, shoulders, and legs received a stretch so good I felt like I had just received a full body massage. It is so nice to feel good at the end of a workout session!
Extreme Intervals is about 40 minutes long. If you are thinking about getting the ChaLean Extreme program, I hope you will consider getting the Deluxe dvds. I have really enjoyed the variety of the seven additional workouts that come with the Deluxe dvds:
Fat Burn Challenge
Get Lean Intervals
I’ve Got Abs
Lower Body Extreme Zone
Extreme Core Circuit
Extreme Intervals
Dynamic Flow Yoga
I think interval training has been key for me. I feel like I am getting better results as a woman from Chalean Extreme than I did with the P90X Extreme Home Training System. I love Tony Horton and the intensity of the PX90 workouts. Once you have worked out with Tony Horton, you are hooked.
A lot of people start off with one Beachbody workout and eventually try another program. Then, they may mix a couple of programs to create their own “hybrid” fitness routine. I know people who have mixed P90X with Insanity because they wanted to increase their cardio challenge by substituting Insanity high itensity interval training for the P90X cardio training dvds.
Chalene’s new exercise dvds, TurboFire, are supposed to be released toward the end of June. I think I am going to mix TurboFire with Chalean Extreme. I may work in some P90X, Brazil Butt Lift, and One on One fitness dvds either once a week or as an off week to break from my normal schedule. What can I say? I love Beachbody workouts!
What is your favorite PX90 workout? Is it the killer Ab Ripper X dvd, Plyometrics workout or challenging 92 minutes of P90X Yoga X? Ok, I am kind of laughing now because I just listed what I believe are the most challenging, extreme workouts in the P90X program.
I am P90X graduate, and I have read quite a few PX90 reviews. The favorite P90X workout seems to be the Kenpo X. It was probably my favorite as well. I mean, how could I not like a fun workout where you are punching and kicking. How could I not love a P90X workout that is only about 45 minutes long? How could I not love the fact I made it through the whole Kenpo X dvd the first time.
If you are a P90X affiliate, you know what I am talking about. The words of Tony Horton (”do your best…forget the rest) helped me get through many challenging fitness routines that I might have given up on in the past.
P90X was the beginning of my journey. It has been almost a year now since I since I joined the Beachbody team. I am now a big fan of Chalene Extreme and continue to be a big fan of Tony Horton’s One on One dvds. What can I say? I love Beachbody workouts.
Ok P90X graduates, if you are not currently subscribing to Tony Horton’s One on One’s, this is the time bring it! One on One is a monthly workout brought to you by Tony Horton. Tony works out in his gym in his own crazy style and brings you along as a workout partner. Enjoy this One on One video to learn more about Tony’s workouts.
You can purchase individual One on One workouts, but subscribers get a few surprises now and then. This past year, I received a preview dvd of the Rev Abs series. I also received a refrigerator magnet with Tony Horton and his quote “abs are made in the kitchen.” I think I received a bonus One on One dvd to pass along as a freebie to someone else. I also received a jump rope to add to my gym stuff.
The cool thing about a subscription though is a new dvd comes to you every month to keep your routines anything but routine. Signing up for the One on One series anytime between now and June 2, 2010 will also allow you to get a free preveiw dvd of Chalene Johnson’s Turbo Fire.
Turbo Fire is a highly anticipated high intensity interval training (HIIT) program that is due for release at the end of June. Shaun T’s Insanity is also a HIIT program, but it looked like it was too advanced for me. After training at home with my Tony Horton and Chalene Johnson dvds, I think Turbo Fire is going to compliment Tony Horton’s strength training routineds with some awesome cardio.
I like the interval cardio workouts in ChaLean Extreme. They are different from the workouts she does with Turbo Jam which is a dance based program. I am predicting a combination of Chalene’s best moves plus a number of new moves. Beachbody says that Turbo Fire can burn up to NINE times more fat and calories than in a traditional cardio workout. Great news for me because I am not a cardio nut.
HIIT workouts help you set your metabolism fire ablaze and keep it burning in the hours following your workout. Yeah baby! Turbo Fire will have 12 cardio classes. Chalene is on stage and your spot is front and center! You will feel like you are right there in class with the program’s participants. After your workout, you can go to the chat room in the online supergym and talk to others live.
Ok, so you can wait until the end of June to get turned on to Turbo Fire…. or you can sign up for Tony Horton’s One on One before June 2, 2010 and get a preview of Turbo Fire for F R E E.
I keep hearing people ask which program is better, P90X or ChaLean Extreme? That’s like asking which parent is more influential in a child’s life. Which parent is more influential and which program is better depends on an individual’s unique experiences and views.
I personally believe that any fitness regimen will help you lose weight and improve health, so what you must do is find something that you will do consistently. After over 25 years of gym memberships and putting together a home gym second to none, I finally discovered Beachbody fitness workout programs actually do more to keep me motivated, accountable and consistent (see my story).
I am a P90X graduate and appreciate the discipline it takes to dedicate an average of one hour per day, six days a week to a strenuous fitness routine and follow an eating plan that is almost alien to most American families. Although I have heard people say that Tony Horton’s quirky comments grate on their nerves after a while, I found them to be motivating. By the way, if Tony’s antics get on your nerves, you can turn off his voice prompts. You can even turn off the music and play your own tunes.
As a woman, I think ChaLean Extreme is bringing me better results. With an average of around 35 minutes per workout, Chalene’s routines are easier to fit into a busy lifestyle. The workout schedule is set up for five days out of the week instead of six. That worked better for me. Unlike Turbo Jam, ChaLean Extreme is based on strength training with three days of weight lifting and two days of cardio.
By the end of my second month of P90X, I was starting to get bored. At the 60 day mark of ChaLean Extreme, I was looking forward to starting the Lean Phase. I was already starting to think of how I would continue working out with ChaLean Extreme after my first round was completed.
P90X involves a countless number of pushups and pull ups. I was starting to get good at most of the variations of pushups (even on my toes) but I was only able to get my chin above the bar one time by the end of my P90X journey.
There are no pull ups (zero) in the ChaLean Extreme program. Chalene uses rows and core exercises to strengthen the back muscles. I can see a difference in the definition of my back muscles since using Chalene’s program.
As far as pushups? Yes, you will do push ups in the ChaLean Extreme program, but it is a reasonable amount. The most you will do at one time is twelve. You do them pretty slow, so do not be surprised if you find yourself doing most of them from your knees.
I love talking about the P90X Extreme Home Fitness System and ChaLean Extreme exercise programs. I want you to choose a program that will keep you motivated and working out. If you need a boot camp, train with P90X. That is what I needed to get my butt in gear. If you do not like push ups and pull ups, train with ChaLean Extreme. You questions and comments on either of these programs are welcome.
I am sitting here writing this post trying to recover from Chalene the Machine – huh, I mean my ChaLean Extreme workout. I missed a few workout days. I will not make excuses. Sometimes, it is work or family or friends. Sometimes, the weather gives us spring fever. Sometimes, we are sincerely sick or otherwise physically incapacitated. The bottom line is most of us do not work a perfect program.
To get the results we want, we need to push ourselves. We need to follow our fitness plan as closely as possible. If we miss a day, we need to double up and catch up right? Although this may help out with guilt. We may be setting our bodies up for injury and failure by trying to double up workout sessions with programs such as P90X and ChaLean Extreme.
These programs are designed to challenge your capabilities with each sesssion. I was thinking about this today as I moved through my Get Lean Intervals routine. At first, my shoulders burned. Later, my butt and thigh muscles screamed. I thought about doubling up and trying to do Push Circuit 1 after this workout. I came to my senses when as each muscle in my body was pushed without trying to lift heavy on top of it.
Push Circuit 1 has a lot of bicep, tricep and leg exercises in it. Although my arm muscles were not overworked, I am sure my leg muscles need some recover following Get Lean Intervals. My crazy mind then jumped to Push Circuit 2. That would not work either as it focuses on shoulders (ouch!), back, and legs. Ok, you get the picture.
Muscle recovery is crucial for increasing muscle strength and endurance. If the muscle tissue does not have a chance to recovery, it cannot work as hard the next time. If I try to double up on a ChaLean Extreme workout without a recovery period, I will not be able to push myself the way I should to get the results I want.
I do sometimes double up when I have a day off from work. I might do one ChaLean Extreme fitness routine in the morning and another one in the evening. This gives my body a little bit of time to recovery in between.
If you want to double up two workouts together in one day, try to add a cardio from another Beachbody program, take a walk, jump on an elliptical or treadmill in addition to one of the ChaLean Extreme strength training circuits. I do not advise trying to double up on Chalene’s workouts though. The cardio workouts use interval training that incorporates the whole body and works the muscles to increase endurance.
I think a lot of thought went into how the workout sessions are scheduled. I think I will try to follow the program as closely as possible. When I fall off track, I will get back into action. I will try to remember every day to do something to keep myself moving. I will blog to keep my self accountable and maybe even encourage someone else to push play.
I am considering the question of what ChaLean Extreme home fitness workout I like the best. I like the feeling of power I get when I am done working my biceps in Push Ciruit 1. I like the relaxed, fully stretched feeling I enjoyed after Dynamic Flow Yoga. I even like the burn in my butt after Push Ciruit 3 but only because I know this home workout program is working!
Since I started using Beachbody fitness programs, I enjoy my workout at home more than ever. I have a lot of workout equipment and machines in our house as we have built a solid home gym over the course of 10+ years. I thought equipment was the answer to my distaste for gyms and lack of results I experienced…primarily due to my own inconsistency and lack of knowledge.
ChaLean Extreme is a great women workout. As a woman, I am seeing better results with ChaLean Extreme than I did with P90X. I struggled with pull ups all the way through P90X. My back looks great now, thanks to Chalene Johnson.
My workout schedule is only five days in length rather than six. The
workout routines are only about thirty five minutes in length rather than about an hour. Sure, I modify my schedule to fit “life”, but I have find I stick to the general essence of the program. I am seeing results and will post a pic sometime around the end of May when I officially complete the whole program.
Oh, by the way, I really like Get Lean Intervals. That could actually be my favorite Chalene Extreme Home fitness workout. I guess I like any routine that challenges me, makes me feel like I am getting closer to my goals, and does not totally tear me up.
I finished Push Circuit 1 just before starting this post. My biceps still have a slight burn. I wonder if my biceps and triceps will be a little sore tomorrow.
Have you started ChaLean Extreme? If you are researching this home exercise video program, I can honestly give it two thumbs up. Contact me with your questions. Save 10% as a club member. Save 25% as a coach. Free account for free fitness tools and a coach to help you along.
I have a new love hate relationship with one of my Beachbody workouts. It is called Dynamic Flow Yoga. It is one of the additional programs that can be purchased for ChaLean Extreme. It is just under forty minutes, so it is quite a bit shorter than P90X Yoga X. I think Chalene was trying to make this workout as grueling as Yoga X though. She designed it to be done with weighted gloves!
I have never heard of doing yoga with weighted gloves, and I did not know what to expect so I did my first round without the gloves. I think I will actually go through another round without adding the weight.
Chalene combines yoga and pilates. I liked the focus she puts on breathing. This is one of the things that I think was missing in P90X Yoga X. Tony would remind you to breathe, but if you are new to yoga, you have no clue as to when to breathe in or out.
I felt like I was playing my P90X dvd when we starting going from plank, to chattaranga, to upward facing dog, to downward facing dog….move the right foot up between your hands and into warrior 1. That was really the only time I smiled during this routine.
There was one fantastic back stretch that was new to me. You lay face down similar to superman in P90X Synergistics, but you have your arms and legs wide forming an X shape. Then, you pull your arms back like a parchute jumper does in a jump and bend your knees while pulling up your legs and crossing your feet at the ankles. Every muscle in your back is stretched. Nice.
Each exercise seemed to have a standard yoga element (i.e. warrior 1 or warrior 2) modified with pilates breathing and arm movements challenged your shoulder, rotator cuff, and tricep muscles. I felt my shoulders even without the added weight.
If you have P90X but not ChaLean Extreme, I recommend getting this add on routine to supplement or occassionally replace your Yoga X routine. It will give you some additional variety, keep you stretched, and not beat up on you like 92 minutes of Tony style power yoga can do.
This is definitely a tougher routine than the Recharge yoga workout that comes with the basic program. I cannot really compare it Tony’s One on One Patience Hummingbird. The styles are totally different.
I do think that when it comes to yoga, it is a good idea to have a few workouts on hand. Variety in your flexibility routines is as important to consistency and results as having variety in your strength, core, and cardio training.
I lifted heavy today working out with Beachbody’s Chalene Johnson and her awesome Push Circuit 3 strength training routine from ChaLean Extreme. As with all of Chalene’s weight lifting routines in this program, Push Circuit 3 consisted of nine different exercises along with some breakdown sets.
This workout targeted the legs, chest, and back. My back muscles are screaming right now as I write this post. Chalene constantly pushes you to lift heavy enough during this phase to fail between six and eight repetitions. That sounds easy, huh? Well, Chalene’s reps are slower than any I have ever done working out in the gym.
Lifting weights slowly and with purpose causes you to do a few things. First, your mind is totally focused on the muscle that you are lifting. When you pull weights in a rowing exercise for instance, your mind is on the muscles flexing your shoulder blades together. In the past when I have used a pulley system or back machines for rowing, I thought about my hands gripping the weight, my arms pulling the resistence and depending on the rowing machine, I might have even used the momentum of my upper body to force the weight back. Ugh!
That brings to mind the second reason I have learned that lifting slowly is helpful. When you lift slowly, you visualize perfect form in your mind’s eye. You can be your own personal coach and ensure your back is straight and your shoulders are up throughout the pulling movement.
The third reason that just comes to mind without even thinking is your muscle fibers stay engaged (contracted) for a longer period of time. Chalene teaches you to hold at the top of a movement and not to let the weight come all the way to a rest at the bottom of the movement. That means the muscle you are exercising works harder because it stays engaged not only through a single rep but through the entire exercise.
There are many lifting techniques out there. There are numerous exercise programs, exercises, and trainers. Pick up a copy of Muscle and Fitness or Fitness Magazine and you cannot help but agree that the variety in fitness training keeps them publishing new material month after month.
I like Tony Horton’s famous words in P90X. He said that we should keep mixing it up to create muscle confusion. When our muscles adapt to their current workload, they need something to change to continue to get stronger. In ChaLean Extreme, Chalene teaches that “muscle burns fat”. She wants you to go heavy to keep the workload changing as your muscles get stronger.
I love both P90X and ChaLean Extreme. They are so alike and so different. I saw results with Tony Horton. I am seeing results with Chalene Johnson. Muscle does burn fat. Muscle confusion is important. Keep pressing play!
I am a little late in posting my workout routine from last week. I guess this is because I had just recently decided to post each workout to keep myself accountable and to show my readers that workout schedules can be modified to fit into your lifestyle. We are not a 9-5 society anymore. Most of either work some sort of shift work or have some in the family who does. Here is what I did last week:
Sunday – ChaLean Extreame Burn Circuit 3 and Tony Horton’s One on One Cardio Confusion: Mason’s Choice
Wednesday – Yard work and ChaLean Extreme Push Circuit 1
Thursday – ChaLean Extreme Get Lean Intervals and Recharge
I started writing my workouts on a wall calendar. I like seeing what I have done so far for the week. It pushes me not to let too many rest days bump into each other.
This past week, I started doing the Push Circuits and moved away from the Burn Circuits. I have thought lately about trying out the cardio intensive Insanity program. I guess I might just like to do it to have that accomplishment under my belt. I guess each challenge becomes like earning a new girl scout badge!
I am waiting to hear more about a new Beachbody workout program with Chalene Johnson as the trainer. It is called Turbo Fire. I have seen a short video clip. I would like to see a little bit more about how she designed the program.
In Turbo Jam, Chalene uses seven signature moves. She combines a little Hip Hop and Kickboxing. As you know, anything that takes coordination in the way of dance is hard for me. If the cardio is more like the Get Lean or Burn Interval workouts in ChaLean Extreme, then bring it! I am ready for the challenge.
I hope you sign up as a coach before you get hooked on Beachbody programs so you can enjoy a 25% discount on all products and programs. I paid full price for my first program. I wish I would have known about the discount ahead of time. I also wish someone would have told me about the Showcase Pack that only coaches can purchase.
It is a complete package of six of Beachbody’s most popular programs. P90X, Power 90, Turbo Jam, Hip Hop Abs, Slim in 6, and Yoga Booty Ballet. A coach can get all this for $200. The price for P90X or ChaLean Extreme alone is $119.85.
I like to keep things simple, so I am posting my top ten thoughts on weight loss. The first tip I will give you is to follow Chalene Johnson’s advice and balance the amount of calories you consume each day against the amount of activity you engage in to burn calories.
#10 Top Ten Tips for Weight Loss Balance Your Caloric Checkbook Daily
I love to eat! I also like to spend money. So, I really understood the analogy Chalene Johnson uses in her Extreme Motivation dvd from ChaLean Extreme. She reminds us of how crazy it would be to keep spending without ever balancing a checkbook. That is what we all try to do with our caloric intake and expenditures. Have we not all tried to lose or maintain our weight without even trying to balance our caloric “checkbook” everyday? Make that change starting today!
#9 Top Ten Tips for Weight Loss Do Not Accept Your Gene Pool as the Reason You Are Overweight
Although your genes and family history may affect your predisposition toward being overweight, you can reverse negative trends. When I was growing up, we always “made room for seconds” when our favorite dish was served. We “saved room for dessert” or ate until we were stuffed. Sound familiar?
We learn other eating behavior from our family and friends as we grow up. We gathered to eat for every holiday, birthday, wedding and Sunday. Then, we got together for pot-lucks, pitch-ins, and cook outs just to bring family and friends together. Do not stop getting together over a meal. Just think about the food you prepare for your friends and family…and be selective when someone else is the host.
#8 Top Ten Tips for Weight Loss Pack Your Lunch But Know What You Are Taking
This sounds simple, but I am amazed at the Twinkies and other stuff people pack in their lunches. A friend of mine at work brought in a microwaveable dish of garlic mashed potatoes. They looked good. They smelled good. He made the mistake of leaving the box on the table while it was cooking though. I am an avid nutrition label reader.
I asked him if he was aware that fat and calories in his potatoes. He did not seemed too concerned about the 250 calories. I would not have been too concerned for him either except that he is a big guy….and the package had FIVE servings in it!
#7 Top Ten Tips for Weight Loss Eat At Least Five Times Per Day
It is true. If you eat 5-6 smaller meals per day, you will rarely get hungry. You will fuel your body as it was designed to be fueled. You will keep your metabolic engine running smoothly. Your body will not have periods of famine where it instinctively converts calories to stored fat.
You must know how many calories you need for your fitness goals each day. Then, you will spread that out over at least five meals. I like to eat breakfast (about 300 calories), snack (100-200 calories), lunch (400 calories), snack (100-200 calories), and dinner (300 calories). Then, if I have a workout or find myself a little hungry in the evening, I might add another 100 calorie snack such as popcorn. It works.
#6 Top Ten Tips for Weight Loss Strength Training and Cardio Work Together
Most people understand the importance of cardio exercise in their quest for weight loss. The basis of most of our Beachbody workouts is interval training which attempts to keep the heart rate up throughout the workout period. Slim in 6 and Turbo Jam are nice programs for getting cardio if you are new to fitness. If you need something more challenging, try P90X Plyometrics, a Cardio Confusion, or ChaLean Extreme Burn Intervals or Get Lean Intervals.
Strength training plays a vital role in losing weight and maintaining your desired weight. Chalene Johnson says it in three simple words “Muscle Burns Fat”. What does she mean? Muscle burns more calories than fat. The more muscle tissue you have, the more calories you burn. Burning more calories than you consume requires calories to be released from the caloric stores in your body. That translates to weight loss folks!
#5 Top Ten Tips for Weight Loss Buy Measured Plastic Containers for Lunch
Get some two cup, one cup, and half cup containers to use for your lunch bag. This will help you control your portion sizes. My lunch box is generally loaded with two 2-cup containers (one for soup and one for salad) and one 1-cup container (yogurt and cottage cheese mixed together). I also use the snack packs plastic bags to take cut up fruit. If it is cut up, I will usually eat it.
Using containers in this manner shortens the amount of time it takes me to think about what to put in my lunch bag. It also keeps me eating about the same in terms of calories everyday. I try to ensure I have a vegetable (soup), fruit, dairy, and protein in every lunch preparation. I normally eat my dairy for mid-morning snack and my fruit as an afternoon snack.
#4 Top Ten Tips for Weight Loss Eat Dairy for Your Morning Snack and Fruit for Your Afternoon Snack
As previously mentioned, I like to mix cottage cheese and fat free yogurt in a one cup container for my mid-morning snack. I eat it like clockwork around 10:30 each morning. If I miss it, my body lets me know!
I have found that the small amount of protein in a cup of dairy is enough to keep me going without that awful full feeling. I feel satisfied, and because whey protein digests slowly…I stay satisfied throughout the rest of the morning.
I eat my afternoon snack around 3:30 in the afternoon. I like to eat fruit because the fiber keeps me from getting hungry before dinner. The natural sugars and easily digestable carbohydrates give me an energy boost which I naturally need at about that time of day.
#3 Top Ten Tips for Weight Loss Do Not Diet or Fall Prey to Weight Loss Pills, Potions, or Powders
Getting fit and staying fit – no easy pill, potion or powder folks! And, dieting usually does not work in the long run unless you change your eating behavior, lifestyle and thinking patterns.
#2 Top Ten Tips for Weight Loss Add Color
Your plate should always have color. To eat a nutrionally balanced diet, all you have to do is try to incorporate as many colors as you can each day. Here are some examples:
GREEN – Green leafy salads, green beans, asparagus, green peppers, broccoli, peas, limas, soy beans
PURPLE/BLUE – Blueberries, grapes, raisins
WHITE – Potatoes, oats, onions, celery, cauliflower
BROWN – Whole grain bread, brown rice
RED – Apples, tomatoes, red peppers, raspberries, cherries
ORANGE – Carrots, orange peppers
YELLOW – Corn, yellow squash
and finally…
#1 Top Ten Tips for Weight Loss Don’t Drink Your Calories…Unless It’s a Nutritional Shake
Give up specialty coffees, alcohol, sugary colas and any other drink high in calories and low on nutrients. Nutritional shakes such as Beachbody’s Shakeology on the other hand, can help you control hunger and caloric intake while ensuring you get the nutrients you need while working toward your fitness goals.
Well, I hope my top ten help you reach your goals. Do you have a tip that has helped you or someone you love lose weight? How about Beachbody’s tagline? Decide. Commit. Succeed.
Last night, my ChaLean Extreme workout was Get Lean Intervals followed by Recharge. Recharge is a short yoga routine that is part of the original ChaLean Extreme program. Get Lean Intervals comes with the ChaLean Extreme Deluxe dvds along with Fat Burn Challenge, I’ve Got Abs, Dynamic Flow Yoga, Lower Body Extreme Zone, Extreme Intervals, and Extreme Core Circuit.
Although the ChaLean Extreme program has 15 workouts, I wanted the seven additional workouts to mix up my routine. I am glad that I added them to my library. The Get Lean Intervals workout was awesome. I was out of breath (a good thing in cardio) by the end of the second exercise.
Get Lean Intervals is similar to Burn Intervals in that an exercise is performed for a short time before moving on to something else. You heart rate is brought up and then, you get a recovery period although you are still moving.
This Interval session is significantly different in the fact that no weights, even light weights are used in the session. Only one exercise uses a toning band to work the inner and outer thighs. You can perform the exercise without it, but I like the added challenge.
By the time I finished Get Lean Intervals, I was pumped! I was tired in a good way and sweating like it was August. I decided to follow this routine with the Recharge yoga routine. Recharge is only about twenty minutes so it was a great follow up.
I would not have had the energy to put in my P90X Yoga X workout. That workout is 92 minutes of solid power yoga. When you do Yoga X, it better be the only thing on your workout calendar. Xer’s know what I mean.
Recharge is a yoga routine I think anyone could use. It feels more like good stretching but has more yoga based positions than P90X X Stretch. I think I actually found a good combination and may keep this double routine on my weekly calendar this month.
Tonight’s workout combo will be ChaLean Extreme Push Circuit 2 and I’ve Got Abs. We are taking our motorcycles to Nags Head tomorrow. Part of me wants to take a rest day Saturday because we are leaving so early. The other part of me knows that even a little workout will rev my burning ability for the day, give me energy, and help stretch out my muscles for the ride. I will have to let you know what happens. Keep pressing play!
I decided I wanted something different for cardio today, so I pulled out my new dvd – Cardio Confusion: Mason’s Choice. This is a anther great thirty minute One on One workout from Tony Horton’s gym.
Graduates of P90X will recognize a lot of the exercises. Subscribers of One on One will also see a few familiar moves. This whole workout is based on taking what you know and mixing it up with a non-stop random selection of cardio exercises performed at 30-60 second intervals. Mason literally pulls the next exercise out of a hat and Tony does whatever is pulled.
The nice thing about this cardio session is you get to work your whole body but with enough variety that you do not get bored. I think this idea was actually born with the success of P90X Kenpo X. Most Xers really like Kenpo. Maybe this is because it is over before you realize that you are actually working out and not just playing around. Cardio Confusion is somewhat like that. You will know you are working out, but you will not know what is coming in thirty seconds. That makes it fun.
The Tony Horton One on One workout dvds can be ordered individually or as a set. Each workout is roughly thirty minutes which is about half the length of P90X workouts. Tony and Mason put out a new workout each month, so there is always something new…something to look forward to arriving in your mailbox. You might even want to think about subscribing to the One on One series which will automatically send you the newest release each month.
I am currently working with ChaLean Extreme as my primary program. When I want to throw in an extra workout or substitute a cardio workout, I often turn to my Tony Horton One on One collection. Graduates of P90X who continue to use P90X as their primary program do the same thing. It allows them to work out with Tony’s intensity and bizarre sense of humor while bringing an extra challenge and a lot a variety to their living room gym.
Do you need equipment? You do not need any special equipment for Cardio Confusion: Mason’s Choice. Most of the One on One series does not call for equipment other than a pull up bar. Yes, Tony does still make you attempt (I am honest here) pull ups in some of them. By the way, I know you may be wondering who is Mason…he is the camera guy who keeps Tony Horton company while taping Tony’s personal workout.
Are you using Shaun T’s Insanity? If you read my blog, you may wonder why I do not write much about this program. What you have heard me say over and over again is the most important thing you can do for your fitness is find something you like and will stick with. Insanity does not seem like the right fit for me, but it may be an incredibly awesome program for you.
Insanity is a high intensity interval training program that pushes your endurance and cardio capacity as far as you can get them. I do not like running, elipticals, treadmills, stairclimbers, rowing machines or anything else that makes me drip with sweat for any length of time. Yes, I do cardio workouts but I cannot see myself staying motivated enough to stay with a 60 day cardio intensive program. I would not try out for the high school football team, so why would I be compelled to train like a football player?
Now guys, I know this could be the perfect fit for you. If you think back to your high school days and doing all those push ups and three point drills. Well, Insanity can take you back to the fit days on the field but may even take you to the highest fitness level you have ever experienced.
I do see a lot of guys who finish P90X go on to Insanity. They usually add Insanity to their routine though. P90X or some other form of grueling strength training continues to challenge these Insanity athletes. If you are using Insanity, feel free to share your comments. If you have questions about this program, I can help find answers for you through our team of Beachbody experts as well as my coach who uses a hybrid workout that includes P90X and Insanity.
In every Beachbody workout program, you will hear the trainers tell you to modify your workouts to fit your current fitness level. You may be able to carry out perfect form and keep up with the trainer for one exercise, but have to work slower or do less reps with another exercise. You might have to use bands if you do no have weights or even do the exercise without weights to compensate for your fitness level or to accommodate an injury.
Fitness is about listening to your body. It is about properly fueling your body and getting the most out of your strength, endurance, aerobic capacity, and flexibility. Improvements in these areas are proven to improve your health and quality of life as well as help prevent future injuries and illness.
You will always hear me say that you need to find an activity you like and will do consistently. Consistency was my mountain. You can read about my story to learn more about my personal struggle with consistency.
I am writing today to tell you about another type of modification. You have probably noticed that some Beachbody coaches do “hybrid” workouts. All this means is they are mixing up different workouts. I do this as well to keep things interesting. Variety helps keep muscle confusion working on your behalf.
If you are new to Beachbody workouts, I highly recommend going through the entire program as written in your guide. Follow the eating plan as well as the fitness calendar. It may be hard, but you will learn how to eat like an athlete to fuel your body for a fit and healthy lifestlye. You will also gain consistent habits and learn how to incorporate all aspects of fitness into your life, including cardio, strength training, core, and flexibility.
Once you have finished a program like Tony Horton’s P90X or Power 90, Chalene Johnson’s ChaLean Extreme or Turbo Jam, Debbie Sieber’s Slim in 6 or Shaun T’s Insanity…you may be ready to mix up your own hybrid. I highly recommend subscribing to Tony Horton’s One on One workouts if you are a P90X fanatic. Many people like to combine P90X for strength training and Insanity for the cardio challenge.
I like mixing up ChaLean Extreme with One on One or Brazil Butt Lift workouts. I still like throwing in one of the P90X dvds and getting a little crazy with the crazy man himself. What am I doing right now?
I am generally following the ChaLean program but I am working it around my work schedule. Not everyone has a 9-5 Monday – Friday job, so the standard schedule is harder for me. I thought I would start including a weekly snapshot of what workouts I did for the week, since I generally do not write a new review of a workout I have already written about.
This will give you a good idea of what I am doing to stay fit. As always, it will help me stay accountable and consistent. This is what I did this past week:
Sunday – Rest day. Spent the day riding motorcyles with friends.
Monday – Yard work. This is not my favorite form of exercise. I would have to put it at the top of the list for my mother though. She stopped gardening after six hours in the yard only because she ran out of daylight. Arrrrgggh!
Tuesday – ChaLean Extreme Burn Circuit 2
Wednesday – ChaLean Extreme Burn Circuit 3
Thursday – Rest day. Chicken pizza.
Friday – ChaLean Extreme Burn It Off! and Burn Circuit 1
Saturday – Today’s plan is ChaLean Extreme Recharge and I’ve Got Abs in the morning. In the evening, I plan on pressing play with ChaLean Extreme Burn Circuit 2.
Sunday – Sunday’s plan is ChaLean Extreme Burn Circuit 3 in the morning and ChaLean Extreme Burn Intervals in the evening.
Stay fit. Fuel your body. Keep pressing play. Ask questions. Share your experiences.
