Turbo Jam vs. Turbo Fire Review – Chalene Johnson Turns Up the Heat with HIIT
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.
Lifted Heavy Today – ChaLean Extreme
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!
Cardio Confusion: Mason’s Choice
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.
10 Minute Trainer Cardio
My workout tonight consisted of a combination of Chalene Johnson and Tony Horton, two of my favorite Beachbody trainers. I started off with the ChaLean Extreme Burn Circuit 3 workout and followed it with Tony’s 10 Minute Trainer Cardio session.
I had really thought about doing some Brazil Butt Lift tonight but I guess I had forgotten how much the Burn Circuit 3 works your legs and butt. My lower body was wiped by the time I completed the ChaLean Extreme session. I was feeling pretty good though, so I turned to my 10 Minute Trainer series. This was one of Tony Horton’s programs in the years prior to P90X.
The basic 10 Minute Trainer series includes five workouts: Total Body, Lower Body, Abs, Cardio, and Yoga Flex. I knew Lower Body and Total Body were out! These ten minute workouts are good to have in your video collection for a many reasons. Here are some of my reasons:
1. You can use the 10 minute workouts individually if you are short on time. This is me in the morning before work! I like to do a little something to wake up, but I do not like doing a full workout in the morning.
2. You can use the workouts together to form a stand alone program to reach your fitness goals. In other words, you can do more than one workout in a day. Do them together or break them up throughout the day.
3. You can use a specific ten minute workout to supplement another workout which is what I did tonight.
4. If you are not feeling well physically or just can not seem to get yourself motivated, you can use a ten minute workout to brighten your attitude and promote well-being.
The girl in the Cardio workout uses a band fastened to a door to give her resistence in her running, jumping, and lunging moves. That looks like something interesting to try some time in the future, but I was a able to get a good cardio workout just using my own body’s resistence.
If you are not familiar with the 10 Minute Trainer series, it makes a good starter program for those new to fitness. I say this because each routine has a “trainer” track where Tony Horton talks a lot about form and how each exercise should be performed.
When you are not a novice any longer, keep the 10 Minute Trainer in your library. I think you will be surprised at how effective these workouts can be even though they are only ten minutes in length. Hey, we are talking about Tony Horton afterall. He would not dare let you out of the gym with a little sweat equity!
Back to CLX Burn Ciruit 1
I am going back to the beginning of ChaLean Extreme (CLX). I had to stop for several weeks following a back injury. I think I am ready to put myself back into action. Tonight, I pressed play with CLX Burn Circuit 1.
I had forgotten how the post exercise burn of my posterior deltoids (back shoulder muscles) and the deep tissue burn in my butt from lunges and squats felt. It is a good uncomfortable feeling though. I know I had a good workout and was able to break down the muscle tissue to force growth.
Why is muscle growth important? Well, for starters, I am in my mid-forties. As we age, we lose muscle mass. This causes the amount of calories we naturally burn (metabolic burn) during the course of the day to support bodily functions, to decrease.
When our bodies burn less calories, we have to burn more calories through cardio activity or eat less. If not, we suffer from excess calories and weight gain…FAT!
Weight training helps you reverse that trend. When you increase muscle tissue (notice I did not say bulk up), you increase the number of calories needed to get through the day without doing anything extra. Wow!
Cardio is still important because that is the type of exercise that supports heart health and ensures your body can adequately carry the oxygen and nutrients throughout your body. Increasing muscle tissue means I do not have to work out several extra hours each week to create a caloric deficit to lose weight. I like that idea!
It also means that I can eat to fuel my body rather than starve it with a DIE-t. Hey, I admit it…I like to eat. So, what I have found that is important for my body is ensuring I have a solid strength training program.
Strength training has another cool benefit while I am on the subject. It helps you gain and maintain flexibility. Just ask any person suffering from Fibromyalgia or Arthritis how it feels to bend over to tie their shoes and you will get a quick understanding of why flexibility is important.
Tomorrow morning, I plan on doing the Bum Bum workout from Brazil Butt Lift. That is a good cardio workout to start my day. Tomorrow evening, I will unwind with Burn Circuit 2. Find a system that works for you. Then, press play. This one thing I know – it works if you work it, and it won’t if you don’t.
ChaLEAN Extreme Push Circuit 1
Hello phase II! ChaLEAN Extreme has three phases: Burn, Push, and Lean. In the Burn phase, we used a weight that put our muscles in failure at 10-12 reps. In the Push phase, we increase the weight and decrease the reps to a failure range of 6-8.
Push Circuit 1 focuses on biceps, triceps, glutes, and hamstrings. Unlike the Burn phase, Push concentrates on one muscle group at a time rather than stepping through a compound exercise which engages the lower and upper body at the same time.
An example of this is the standard bicep curl. Bicep curls were also used in the Burn phase but they were joined with a variation of squat to work on the lower body at the same time. If you think this makes the Push phase easier, think again! My triceps and biceps were shaking and burning by the end of this routine.
Chalene continues with the breakdown reps we came to know in the Burn phase. This time, however, she adds more of them to the routine. Muscle fibers twitch, your mind gets really focused, and you accomplish more than you thought possible. Cool.
Tony Horton uses the 6-8 rep range in P90X. There are at least three key differences between the two training styles though. In P90X, Tony uses a superset series. He moves through a series of three muscles groups (biceps, triceps, shoulders), takes a short break and repeats the set. The reps are done in good form but at a faster rate.
Chalene puts your focus on one muscle group (i.e. biceps). The reps are super slow which keeps your muscle engaged and working for a longer period of time. Then, when your muscle seems exhausted, you take about a ten second break and somehow find the engery to do a breakdown set of three ultra slow reps.
I think both methods bring results. One of the things I love about Beachbody workouts is the variety of training techniques. It is important to have variety in your routines.
I have read over and over about getting bored after doing a certain workout program week after week. That makes sense. As much as I love pizza, if that is all I ate meal after meal…day after day…I wouldn’t like pizza so much anymore.
I recommend starting with a Beachbody workout that sparks an interest for you and will help you stay committed. Then, add in something like Tony Horton’s One on One or 10 Minute Trainer workouts which will add variety and keep pushing play. Please feel free to contact me if you need help choosing your first program or a supplemental program.
Keep pressing play!
ChaLEAN Extreme Burn Circuit 2
Burn Circuit 2 of Chalene Johnson’s ChaLEAN Extreme workout program burns through nine compoud strenght training exercises. Since this workout is in the “burn” phase of the program, Chalene asks you to use the heaviest weight you can to reach failure between 10 and 12 reps. If you can make it pass 12 repetitions in an exercise, you didn’t lift heavy enough. If you couldn’t make it to 10 reps, you lifted too heavy.
Burn Circuit 2 works the entire body with a concentrates on triceps, back, and biceps. You’ll also hit your legs pretty good with sumo and bowler squats, dead lifts and lunges worked in conjunction with the upper body moves. You naturally work core and abs with this type of a workout, too. And, just so we don’t miss anything….Chalene ends the routine with triple threat push ups.
Triple threat push ups are actually three different forms of push ups done in sequence and repeated until failure. The first push up is a tricep push up. The second one is a stand push up with the hands should width apart. The third and final push up in the sequence is a spider push up where the legs are spread wide.
Triple threat push ups work the triceps, shoulders, chest, abdominals and core muscles. If you do this routine enough, you’ll learn to love push ups. Don’t worry ladies. Chalene allows you to do them on your knees if you need to modify but asks you to keep good form and push through what you can.
I like using the Bowflex SelecTec dumbbells because they don’t take up as much room. They’re also easy to go from one weight another. I’ve found, however, that I like putting my ChaLEAN Extreme (CLX) dvd in my computer rather than watching it on my television set. This makes it easier for me to select pause when I needed to change weights.
I got my SelecTec weights used from someone selling them on Craigslist. I believe you should always buy the best you can afford. When it comes to weights and gym equipment in general, used equipment is perfectly functional and fine as long as it is a quality product in the first place.
I’ve used a generic set of selectable weights in the past. They’re not worth it. The Bowflex brand is definitely the way to go. I don’t make a penny on the new or used sale of any Bowflex products, so this is a from the heart testimonial.
ChaLEAN Extreme moves quickly from one exercise to the next. While I used a standard set of dumbbells when I was doing Tony Horton’s P90X Extreme Home Fitness program, I like being able to adjust quickly in CLX.
I just watched an infomercial for Shaun T’s Insanity program. It looks amazing if you’re looking for high intensity cardio interval training. Let me tell you how you can save 25% on ChaLEAN Extreme, P90X, and Insanity. All you have to do is
Happy Holidays! Get in the best shape of your life in 2010. Shop at the Beachbody store to get started now.
Muscle Burns Fat ChaLEAN Extreme Day 1
As you’ve probably read in previous fitness articles in my Beachbody Workout reviews, I’ve been wanting to go throught the ChaLEAN Extreme program to compare the training differences between the two programs and trainers Chalene Johnson and Tony Horton. Last night, I started my 90 day fitness journey with ChaLEAN Extreme by pushing play on Burn Circuit 1.
Since I am a P90X graduate, I have high expectations for any program with the word “extreme” in its title or description. So far, I believe Chalene has earned the right to use that word. My posterior delts were burning by the time I got done with this 35 minute workout.
Chalene Johnson is a concerned trainer who keeps you inspired to keep pushing but reminds you of form throughout each exercise. Don’t be put off by the fact that this strength training routine is only 35 minutes while the P90X Extreme Home Fitness program averages an hour for each workout.
You can accomplish a lot in 35 minutes by using compound exercises, using slow reps, heavy weights, and a breakdown set. Each workout session consists of nine compound exercises that work 2-3 muscle groups at one time.
For P90X fans who love push ups, Chalene has her own version to add to all those varities Tony Horton punished us with. It’s a standard push up followed by a right leg raise from the plank pose. Then, you do another push up followed by a left leg raise from the plank pose. You continue until your form starts to falter. You’ll use your abs in this one!
I’ve also got to say that I love the warm up period because Chalene gets you moving and the blood pumping at a good pace before picking up weights. And, because she uses compound movements, the warm up doesn’t take up 15 minutes of the routine. As you know, if you’re going to do P90X, you’ve got to have a chunk of time available six days a week. With ChaLEAN Extreme, it looks like 35 minutes per workout and only five days a week.
Because I do like Tony Horton and the P90X exercises, I am a subscriber of Tony Horton’s One On One workouts. A new DVD comes to my door every month with Tony working out alone for 35-40 minutes. These routines are designed for P90X graduates. They’re not a break down of P90X sessions. They’re extreme workouts in Tony Horton style…and for a shorter duration than P90X.
I’m excited to take on the ChaLEAN Extreme challenge. Before I go, I want to point out one major difference between P90X and ChaLEAN Extreme (CLX)…CLX does not use a chin up bar ladies! You will not be struggling to do pull ups, but you will be working just as hard to get in the best shape of your life!
