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.
ChaLEAN Extreme Burn Intervals
I’ve written about interval training in several articles on my website because all Beachbody fitness programs incorporate some form of interval training. Why? Because it’s effective at increasing your heart rate and metabolism and brings variety into your workout routine.
I was looking forward to the ChaLEAN Extreme Burn Intervals workout. I expected high intensity cardio intervals mixed with a lower intensity cardio interval to let me catch my breath and recover. Well, I was surprised…
Burn Intervals does use high intensity cardio intervals; however, the recovery interval is resistence training with a new twist. I’m used to doing either 6-8 repetitions with heavy weights or 10-12 with a slightly lighter (but still heavy) weight for resistence training. That’s the regimen for P90X and is the standard in most gyms.
Chalene’s Burn Circuit routines use a rep count of 10-12 with the heaviest weight you can use to get to failure in that range. The Burn Intervals takes you in the opposite direction. Chalene asks you to use a light weight. I used five pounders, and I’m glad I listened to her! My shoulders were screaming and my triceps were shaking because we did so many reps that we didn’t even count them.
By the time your muscles were really burning, it was time to go on to the next high intensity cardio interval. The cardio exercises are plyometric in nature and could easily fit into a P90X program. Both the P90X Extreme Home Fitness and ChaLEAN Extreme workouts put you in the mindset of training like an athlete.
One of the things I liked about Chalene’s program is only one round of each exercise is performed. Tony likes to do two rounds of each exercise, usually in a superset. I really like the variety, and I stay motivated to push a little harder because I know I’m only doing that exercise (no matter how difficult for the moment) one time. When it’s done, it’s done.
ChaLEAN is a positive trainer. Her attention to detail in form is very helpful. She is mindful of the need for proper nutrition and keeping your time, life, and emotional health in balance as well. I think most women will relate better to Chalene than Tony although both are champion trainers in my book.
Mountain Hike to Crabtree Falls
Yesterday was a chilly day. It was raining as we started our three mile trip to the mountains for fresh apples. We wondered if we should’ve chosen another weekend for this annual event, but it’s hard enough to get a few friends together on the same day.
By the time we got to the orchards, the rain had stoppped and the sun was trying to come out. The ground was wet, but we were happy that the rain had stopped. The brisk air promised a great fall adventure.
We loaded up some apples from a favorite orchard. (The smell of apples in season is simply heavenly.) Then, we headed for Crabtree Falls to do some hiking.
I’m not sure how long we hiked, but we did see the falls. I appreciated the morning rain as we passed creeks, brooks, rivers and falls. The water was rushing because of the morning rain which created a magical sound that took me back to my childhood when our family took day trips. We laughed and hiked and had a wonderful time.
I’m a little sore this morning as I write this entry. I’m not used to walking up and down steep mountain trails. It feels good in a way though. It reminds me of how good it feels to incorporate fitness with friends and family. It also reminds me of how mixing up your routine keeps your muscles challenged.
I think that’s why you see people who work out regularly but don’t get the results they desire. It’s not because they’re not trying. It’s because our bodies adapt to the stresses we put on it. If we don’t mix up our exercise routines, we don’t ask our muscles to do anything different. If you want the same results, keep doing the same things you’re doing now. If you want different results, mix it up.
Tony Horton’s P90X Extreme Home Fitness and One on One series for P90X grads follows this philosophy. You’ll never get bored working out with Tony. He mixes in strength training, cardio, core, stretching, and yoga. You’ll learn how to work out with simple things like a chin up bar and bands or a few dumbbells as well as how to use your own body weight as resistence. As a matter of fact, the best tricep exercise I’ve ever done I learned from Tony.
This tricep exercise doesn’t use a machine, band, or weights. It doesn’t use a chair or bench if you were thinking about chair dips. It just uses your own body weight by lying on your side and lifting your body by extending your arm from a bent to straight arm position. It was difficult for me to get the right form in the beginning because I hadn’t seen this exercise, but now I love it. I played the dvd until I got the form right. It was like having Tony as a personal trainer right here in my living room.
Well, whether you work out with a Beachbody workout video today or take a hike up to Crabtree Falls, I hope you do something to get and stay fit today. Play some ball with your kids, walk around the block with a friend, go to your gym, dust off your yoga matt…get your fitness on!
Stability Ball Plank Crunch & Side Arm Crunch
I pushed play on Core Ball Sandwich (CBS) tonight. It’s a Tony Horton One on One workout that I wrote about recently. Tonight, my body felt two exercises in particular, so I thought I’d write about them.
This workout routine is only about 35 minutes long after the warm up. It consists of two rounds of ten exercises that focus on strengthening the core muscles. It’s a killer ab session that will leave your abdominal muscles screaming!
The exercises that really hit me tonight were the Stability Ball Plank Crunch and the Side Arm Crunch. The side arm crunch is performed from a side plank position. You pull your elbow and knee toward each other in a side crunch while maintaining a side plank. That took a lot of focus, stability, and determination for me tonight.
The Stability Ball Plank Crunch obviously involves a stability ball. You begin in a plank position with your feet on top of the ball. Then, you move your knees into your chest while rolling the ball forward. Tony puts the balls of his feet on the ball, but I had to modify this one.
My ball is larger than it should be for this exercise. Therefore, I put the top of my feet on the ball rather than using the balls of my feet. That helped ensure I didn’t take a header. It’s ok to modify any exercise as long as you’re still working the intended muscle groups without the danger of injury or over compensation from another muscle group.
Tony’s new One on One 10-Minute Crusher Pack should arrive in about a week. It sounds like it’s going to be some old school cardio. Beachbody is sending a free speed jump rope with the DVD. You can get this DVD, Core Ball Sandwich or any other DVD on this series either separately or as a monthly subscription.
These programs were designed to keep P90X Extreme Home Fitness graduates challenged. They’re not designed for beginners. I would highly recommend trying out one of them if you want to get feel for how this trainer motivates and pushes all of his students.
They say that when the student is ready, the teacher will appear. Are you ready? (Don’t forget that as a Club Member you’ll save 10% off the retail price and as a Team Beachbody Coach, you’ll enjoy a savings of 25% even on the more expensive P90X program.)
P90X Yoga X – More Calm, More Storm
P90X Yoga X made it to my dvd player today. I hesitated before pushing play because I haven’t done this 92 minute power yoga workout in about two months. I looked forward to the workout, yet I dreaded some of the poses. I wondered if the workout would be as difficult this time around. I decided that I would commit to the first 45 minutes of the routine. I pushed play and set out to do my best.
Guess what? It’s still a difficult workout, but it’s better in the second round of P90X. I’m stronger now, and I know what’s coming. I used to shake a lot in upward dog and side plank. My core muscles are much stronger now. These yoga poses are no longer mastering me and kicking my butt.
On the other hand, the half moon sequence still causes a lot of shaking! At least I’m not stumbling, losing my balance, and falling to the floor in the half moon series any longer. So, the good news is I’m stronger and more flexible. The bad news is that to gain more calm….I’ve got to experience more storm.
I tell everyone that there’s nothing easy about the P90X Extrme Home Fitness program. You’ve got to really commit yourself and work all aspects of the program. You have to remain accountable to yourself and above all esle, be willing to fail and try again. That’s been my experience with P90X Yoga X. I commit to do my best. I struggle. I fall. I try again. I get stronger. I gain flexibility and balance. I master one move and still struggle with another. Calm. Storm.
I’m waiting on this month’s Tony Horton One on One to arrive. It’s his new yoga routine named “Patience Hummingbird”. It’s only about half the length of Yoga X. I know it will have it’s own challenges as Tony’s One on One program was designed to keep P90X graduates motivated with new extreme fitness workouts. I’ll write a review this week after I get a chance to experience the new calm and storm.
Power 90 Sweat! Cardio 3-4
Nice workout! With Beachbody’s Sweat! Cardio 3-4 workout of Power 90, I did just that – sweat. The workout was like the Cardio 1-2 workout; however, it was just a little longer and faster. Instead of doing three rounds of a group of exercises, Cardio 3-4 takes you through three rounds. The exception to three rounds is the kicking series which only has two rounds.
I think that most people can do Power 90 and get results if they are consistent in working out. It takes a lot of work to get the results you want. Finding the right exercise activity and then, staying motivated enough to do it is only part of the equation. You also have to get yourself educated about nutrition and then, eat to fuel your body and your goals.
If you’ve mastered Power 90 and would like to take your fitness to the next level, you’ll want to consider Tony Horton’s P90X Extreme Home Fitness. P90X isn’t an easy program. There are 13 different workouts that consist of some tough strenth training, power yoga, stretching, balancing, and aerobics. Most of the P90X routines are an hour long. The Yoga X is 92 minutes long and will make you sweat as much as any aerobic program.
I started my journey with P90X. As I worked through the program, I realized that not everyone could start with such a challenging and extreme fitness workout program. That’s why I’m incorporating some of the less intense programs into my fitness reviews. I want to know first hand what programs to recommend to the people I coach based on my own experiences.
Of course I won’t be able to try out all the Beachbody workouts, but I will give a personal account whenever I can. My two favorite programs are P90X and Turbo Jam. I love P90X because of the intensity and challenge. It’s a well-written program that gives you a 90 day plan to keep you on track. I love Turbo Jam because it’s fun. You really forget that you’re working out. Power 90 will remain in my library as an alternative when I need a lower intensity workout on a rest day or a day when I’m not 100%.
Power 90 Sweat! Cardio 1-2
I wasn’t feeling well this past week, so I took it easy with my workout schedule. I tried to keep my eating fairly clean although I have to admit that I did enjoy an authentic Italian pizza with a few of my friends. I think it’s ok to back off from your exercise routine every once in a while and have a meal that isn’t as strict. What’s important is to remind yourself of the delicate balance between nutrition, food, and fuel for the body. If you have a day you don’t work out, adjust the amount of calories you’re eating that day to compensate for the reduced calorie expenditure.
I felt like doing something different today, so I pushed play on Tony Horton’s Power 90. Power 90 was produced by Beachbody prior to P90X and was the foundation used to design the P90X Etreme Home Training System. Power 90 consists of six workout routines – two cardio, two strength training, and two ab routines.
I started my workout with the Sweat 1-2 dvd. As you might’ve guessed by the name, it’s a cardio routine. The one and two refer to phase one and phase two of four phases in the Power 90 program. I think I like the three phase system (30 days for each phase) in the P90X program better than Power 90’s four phase system which relies on the participant to decide on when to move from one phase to the next. I’m more motivated by a program which has a beginning and end already set.
Sweat 1-2 is just under 36 minutes in length. I didn’t work up a lot of sweat, but the workout felt good as a transition back into working out after having a few days off. I think this program will be good for those new to exercise or those who need a slower pace due to weight or health. It’s an excellent preview to P90X.
Sweat 1-2 begins with stretching and then progresses to power yoga. The routine also pulls in some plyomtrics and kenpo karate. Tony uses a series of three exercises he calls a round. Once you go through the first round, you repeat the same exercises for a second round. After the second round, a new set of three exercises are introduced and repeated for a total of five exercise groupings.
This method allows you to feel the exercise the first time around and adjust your intensity up or down during the second round. It’s kind of nice knowing what’s coming in the second round, too. Tony uses this technique in his P90X program as well. Although P90X is a more intense exercise program (13 dvds & hour long workouts), Power 90 lays the foundation for the methodology and exercises.
I was familiar with front and side kicks, knee ups, punches, power yoga, and some of the other exercises in Power 90 because they were done in different variations in P90X. If you don’t know if you’re ready for P90X, you’re probably ready for Power 90. Try Power 90 for thee months. When you’re ready to go to the next level, P90X is your program.
I like mixing up different Beachbody workouts, and I like being able to tell you about these workouts because I’ve actually done them. I plan on doing all the Power 90 workouts and will write about them for you. Two last thoughts on Sweat 1-2…
I think this workout would be good for morning cardio. The stretching at the beginning and end is excellent. It’s only about 36 minutes long and gets your heart rate goind without putting you in overdrive. In other words, it will help me wake up while doing something good for my body.
My second thought is that it is such a good summary of P90X that it makes me want to do another round of P90X! Yes, that is in my future. I know I’m going to do another round of P90X because I just love that program. And, when I do press play on the X again, I just might do Power 90 on my rest day or on those occassional days when I need a less intense program. Click on Power 90 to learn more about what comes with this program and it’s 90 day money back guarantee.
Turbo Jam: Ab Jam
When I first looked at this dvd, I thought twenty minutes was an incredibly long time to be working on my abs. I’ve got to tell you that the time just flew by. I’m not sure what it is about Turbo Jam or Chalene Johnson, but each workout is fun. Fun means you’ll keep doing it. Fun means you get through the workout before you realize you’re exercising…just kidding.
Keeping with the trademark of Beachbody workouts, Ab Jam uses cardio interval training to keep your heart pumping. You’re going to sweat, burn calories, melt fat, and pump up your metabolism.
The first half of the workout is standing. If you’re used to working your abs with crunches, a ball, or ab machines, you’ll be surprised at how many different ways you can work your abdominal muscles standing up.
You may not be comfortable doing standing ab exercises. Give it a chance and work through it. It’s probably just new to you. Some of the standing ab exercises are similar to those in Debbie Sieber’s Slim in 6. I also noticed some similarities with Tony Horton’s P90X Extreme Home Fitness System.
The second half of the workout moves to ab exercises on the floor. I learned some new moves. I was expecting something in between Slim in 6 and P90X’s Ab Ripper X or Yoga Belly 7. My favorite floor exercise in Ab Jam involves sitting on the floor with your hands on the floor behind you. Your knees are bent…feet off the floor. You then lean back and touch your knees to the left until they hit the floor. Then, your bring them to the right until they hit the floor, etc. This works the lower abs really good!
I’ve got a few more ab routines to review for you, so you’ll have plenty of information on how to get yourself a tight, flat set of abs. Still coming up: Turbo Jam Booty Sculpt & Abs, Tony Horton’s One on One Core Ball Sandwhich, and Brett Hoebel’s new 90 day ab solution Rev Abs.
Rev Abs isn’t available, yet. This Beachbody workout won’t be released until the fall; however, I have a preview dvd. It’s the first dvd in program. Getting free preview dvds of upcoming releases is one of the benefits of being a Beachbody Coach. Speaking of previews, I have an extra Tony Horton One on One Cardio Intervals dvd.
Here’s all you have to do to get it. Click here to sign up for a free Beachbody account. When you sign up for your free account, Beachbody will let me know that you signed up from this website. I will then send you an email to make arrangements to get the dvd to you. If you’re not the first to sign up, don’t worry. I will personally make sure you get a dvd for free just for visiting my site and signing up for your free account. (Of course I won’t be able to extend this offer forever. You must act by August 31st, 2009.)
Do you know the benefits of getting your free Beachbody account? They’re amazing…
1. Access to the WOWY (workout with you) online supergym. Here, you’ll be able to schedule workouts and track your progress. You’ll also be able to connect with other people in the supergym with you and be eligible to win cash and prizes of up to $1000 per day.
2. You can compete for the $25,000 grand prize in the Million Dollar Body Game.
3. Your own personal coach (me) to help guide you to the support, tools, and motivation you need to reach your goals.
4. Workout buddies to help keep you motivated.
5. Access to the Beachbody message boards and cool down chat room.
6. Weekly Beachbody newsletters where you’ll learn about nutrition, exercise, and more.
Go ahead, sign up here! You’ve got nothing to lose except all those extra pounds.
Raising the Intensity of Slim in 6 & Other Beachbody Workouts
After doing 90 days of Tony Horton’s P90X Extreme Home Training System, you’d think that I’d be ready to take a break. The fact of the matter is that once you start seeing your own results, you get hooked on Beachbody workouts. I’m in the middle of Debbie Sieber’s Slim in 6 slim training workout program for weight loss at the time of this writing.
Each new workout in the Slim in 6 program challenged me in the beginning, but I knew that if I wanted to continue seeing the results I wanted that I had to raise my intensity level. It’s important to keep your heart rate in a working zone throughout your workout. That’s where you burn fat and calories. So what did I do? I put on some kickboxing type of hand weights. You can get a pair right from the Beachbody store. Chalene Johnsons’s Turbo Jam workout comes with a pair of these weighted gloves. You’ve probably seen her use them in the Turbo Jam infomercial. The gloves help increase the intensity and increase the burn.
Other things you can do to increase the intensity of a workout if you have extra energy on a particular day or if you don’t feel like you’re working hard enough to get the results you want include adding movements that raise your legs or knees higher, going deeper into lunges and squats, and/or raising your arms above your head. You can also do more reps than they are doing on the video. For example, I can do far more push ups from my P90X experience than the number Debbie’s team does in Slim in 6.
What’s my point? Every workout program has to be personalized. And, you’re the only one who can do that. If you’ve read any of my articles on P90X, you’ll notice that I often had to modify the other way. Heck, I still can’t do even on pull up, but I’m still working on it. I did what I could with each P90X workout and kept it as intense as I could. I often had to modify until I got stronger or had more endurance. As I look back, it must’ve been a pitiful sight to watch me do my first couple of rounds with P90X Yoga X!
I like the intensity of the P90X training program and the personality of Mr. Tony Horton who is the fitness expert, trainer, and author of the program. To stay in touch with that energy, I subscribed to Tony Horton’s One on One program which allows me to get a new P90X level training program every month. Each workout focuses on one area such as cardio or abs or delts. The workouts are shorter (20-40 minutes on average) than they were in P90X. The P90X workouts were about an hour long….unless you did the Yoga X…a grueling 92 minutes!
If you’re a graduate of P90X, here are a few options for keeping your workouts new and challenging. Try the One on One automatic shipment or try P90X+ which was developed for P90X grads who just couldn’t get enough of the X. You can also try Tony’s 10 Minute Trainers which are intense short workouts that you can fit into those tight schedules. But, if you want to try an intense workout, and you’re up for a 60 day cardio challenge, you might be ready for Shaun T’s Insanity.
I’m not ready for a cardio program that intense, yet. My personal coach is doing this program and loving it though. I’m ok with not being right there at the starting line as Insanity takes its hold on the world. It was just released this month, so extreme fitness fanatics everywhere are ordering this program. Shaun T’s program has a unique offer with the program if you’re one of the few, the proud…oh, wait a minute – that’s the Marines…if you’re one of the insane, crazy people who think they can do this heart pumping, sweat pouring 60 day program. If you graduate the program, you’ll get a cool Insanity T-shirt if you send in your before and after pictures. How cool is that?
You know what’s really cool about Beachbody workouts? You’ve heard me say this before. There is a Beachbody workout that is right for everyone, every body, every fitness level. Beachbody’s philosophy is to get you moving and help you live a healthy and fit life. So, what are you waiting for? “Change your body. Change your life.”
One on One: Cardio Intervals
I’m really hooked on Tony Horton and the P90X Extreme Training System. After going through this grueling 90 day program, I decided to take a break from building muscle and focus on losing a little weight. To accomplish this task, I turned to Debbie Siebers and her Slim in 6 workouts to burn fat.
I still have the P90X bug though, so when Beachbody offered the July DVD of Tony Horton’s One on One: Cardio Intervals for one penny, I had to get it! I figured that it was a cardio program so it would support my current fitness goal of dropping 15 pounds. I knew it would be good because it was Tony’s workout…read more
