CALLANETICS CHALLENGE MARCH 2008

[lisabinil]

Originally Posted by MountainGirl

Hey all,

I have discovered a BIG problem with Callanetics!





I don't want to take any time off from doing it!
Seriously! I did an hour early this afternoon and I was sitting here wishing I could do it again tonight!

Is this what it's like to be ADDICTED?

Yup you know it girl! This is Marsha the Callan Pimp's fault!

[callaneticsteacher]

Originally Posted by MountainGirl

Howdy Y'all!

Finished 1 hour of 10/10.

What I am findIng is:

My neck hurts quite a bit, especially during the stomach exercises. I place my hands behind my neck instead of straight out.

I absolutely CAN NOT do the hip and behind exercises. Every time I get into position, my left leg goes into charlie horse cramps. Is there anything I can do to substitute?

Are any of the newer DVD exercises different and might be of help in the areas I cannot do?

Hi MountainGirl,

For hips & bum positions try to place a blanket or pillow under your torso, and use your forearm as a support (elbow under shoulder). If you can't maintain this position, try to work with your whole body lying on the floor, or try the standing positions. As you strengthen your muscles, you will be able to work in a standard position. I don't think that the kneeling positions will work if you have cramps. Another suggestion is to try Callanetics Evolution as the positions are different.

For stomach exercises you can try leg waves instead of the standard workout. Place a folded blanket under the sacrum to elevate the pelvis. Be careful about not taking the legs lower than your abs can handle (if you feel your lower back lifting up, it is too much). You must work in your own range of motion which is 100% abs and 0% back work.

Here are a couple of samples of leg waves:
Lying on the floor, bring knees into the chest, one at a time, and then extend them upward.

1) Slowly lower the legs toward the floor and then bring them back up to the start position. The legs can be bent or straight (knees can be bent and angle out to the side, and ankles crossed). Repeat as many times as you can, take no longer than the standard abs exercises.

2) Lower one leg, tap the floor with the toes. Bring that leg up and lower the other leg, simultaneously, making a scissors-effect.

Swap back to the standard stomach exercises as soon as you can. The stronger and smaller the abs, the more you will be able to curl up, and your neck won't be in an angle where it's very difficult to hold and bring the chin down. Always try to relax the shoulders.

Agnes

[MountainGirl]

Agnes,

Thank you SO much! Oh my goodness, I appreciate your help very much. I will print out your suggestions and use them on my next seesion! You're awesome! Thank you!

[callaneticsteacher]

Originally Posted by MountainGirl

Agnes,

Thank you SO much! Oh my goodness, I appreciate your help very much. I will print out your suggestions and use them on my next seesion! You're awesome! Thank you!

You are very welcome, good luck! Let us read about how you are getting on.

Agnes

[lildragonfly]

Your doing so great MG!!Your feeling the "magic"

[Danipower714]

Reading through this thread tonight was truly inspiring and I've just ordered 10 in 10 from Amazon. I can't wait for it to arrive and join you all in Callanetics!

[MountainGirl]

Originally Posted by lildragonfly

Your doing so great MG!!Your feeling the "magic"

Hehehehe! And it's all y'all's fault you know!

Ummm, seriously...would there be anything wrong with doing an hour TWICE in one day? Or doing an hour and then another 1/2 hour? (Oh man, I MUST be addicted!!)

[callaneticsteacher]

Originally Posted by FreeingMyself

Marsha- my upper inner thighs are not toning a much as I would like either

Freeing and Marsha, and everybody,

few suggestions for intensifying/modifying the inner thighs squeeze:

1) A couple of my students call this the leg war : Try to get somebody to do the inner thigh squeeze with you. Preferebly a person with stronger legs than yours - boyfriend the best! Ask him to follow the instructions precisely, so he will do the exercise safely (for lower back) as well. Ask him to sit in front of you the same way as you do and use his legs instead of the chair. Place your feet between his feet with your ancles supporting, feet turned upwords. Your job is to try to close his legs, and his job is to try to open your legs even more. After a count of 100, feet swap positions, and you will compete the opposite way for another count of 100. Try to laugh as little as possible , and focus on relaxing your shoulders and upper body!

2) Use a different technique every time. For example: place your heals on the chairlegs (feet and knees facing outwords in an angle) instead of the arches of your feet, or place the arches of your feet a few inches above the floor on the chairlegs.

3) Hold for more than a count of 100 (it's 300 in the 10/10 book's advanced exercises).


Some others:

1) Master the pelvic circles and the scoop. With the pelvic scoop, after you curled up and are ready to bring the upper body back, intensify the exercise by bringing the arms up and then pull your torso up using the inner thighs. Close your knees (if no knee problems) and hold them together if they tend to open when coming up.

2) Stand even higher on your toes when doing the leg strengtheners, and try to do 20 plies. The slower you do these exercises, the more they work.

3) Do the Evolution waist away stretch to strengthen thighs while stretching the waist.

Please let me know how you get on if you try these!

Agnes

[ThyckeCutie]

Great tips Agnes. Thanks. My inner thighs and hips are my hardest to tone. Well I hate my thighs period. Im going to follow your tips. If callanetics can reshape my thunder thighs, im with it for life!!

[callaneticsteacher]

By the way, just an encouragement, I recommend to get the Callanetics Evolution DVD to everybody who hasn't got it, and vary the programs. The Evolution DVD gives you lot's of valuable information about the concepts which everyone needs to understand to master the traditional program too. It's good to vary the exercises and the way of toning. I think one is just as powerful as the other, traditional or evolutional, they both are created by women of genius!

[mevluvmark]

1 hrs completed this morning.............i just lovveee callanetics........my dh loves it too.........he just loves how it is reshaping my body


Mev

[callaneticsteacher]

Originally Posted by ThyckeCutie

Great tips Agnes. Thanks. My inner thighs and hips are my hardest to tone. Well I hate my thighs period. Im going to follow your tips. If callanetics can reshape my thunder thighs, im with it for life!!

The way to improve faster on the problem areas is being patient, and focusing even more on the techniques. The results are coming through the technique first of all and not the number of repetitions. 10 repetitions done consistently is worth of 50 if done inconsistently.

[mevluvmark]

Hey callaneticsteacher, i have been drinking alot of water and i believe that water is the key for me..........along with clean eating i can tell the difference already, and it's only has been about 5 days now.


I'm so glad you are here to help us...........looking at your pics, you know you look good..........i can't wait to look like that. Have you alway been tone like that? You probably never have had a weight problem before.

To all my callan friends, I believe my melons are turning into peaches

Mev

[happyladi]

I second Callaneticsteacher's suggestion of CallaneticsEvolution. I've mentioned that a friend and I had been doing Callanetics together to get her in shape for her wedding. We started with 10/10, then did the Quicks, then when I got Evolution, we tried it and that was her favorite and the only one she wanted to do. She got busy and we didn't exercise together for 11 days, and during that time, I went back to my old standby, 10/10. A few days ago, we got together for the first time and did Evolution and it was tough, tough, tough! Really demonstrated to me it's tremendous usefulness and a "must-have" for anyone addicted to Callanetics. It's almost like Callan "super-tweeked" her marvelous invention.

[ThyckeCutie]

Mev how many hours have u done? That's great!! I can't wait to see results. Soon I hope

[Lucky Stardust]

Originally Posted by oxymoron

Hi everyone,
i'm new here, read about callanetics and just had to give it a try. I just did my 2nd hour tonight.

I really struggle with the lower back stretch as i have hyperlordosis/swayback. Im really hoping callanetics will help me with my posture. Also im quite short 5'2 and i bulk up really easily, so i want a leaner look.

Question, I have quite bulky calves, will callanetics target this area and stretch it out?

Welcome!
I have the same problem with swayback and I have to tell you that the backpain subsided FAST and my posture has improved tremendously. I feel a lot straigter and actually taller
Lucy

[WATCH-ME-SHRINK]

Originally Posted by callaneticsteacher

Use a different technique every time. For example: place your heals on the chairlegs (feet and knees facing outwords in an angle) instead of the arches of your feet, or place the arches of your feet a few inches above the floor on the chairlegs.

Hold for more than a count of 100 (it's 300 in the 10/10 book's advanced exercises).

Master the pelvic circles and the scoop. With the pelvic scoop, after you curled up and are ready to bring the upper body back, intensify the exercise by bringing the arms up and then pull your torso up using the inner thighs. Close your knees (if no knee problems) and hold them together if they tend to open when coming up.

Stand even higher on your toes when doing the leg strengtheners, and try to do 20 plies. The slower you do these exercises, the more they work.

Agnes

Just wanted to say that all of the suggestions mentioned above are what I've been doing -- I guess mostly since I switched from 10 in 10 to Super Callanetics -- and the form on these is what has helped my inner thighs tremendously.

Agnes, great for pointing these out!

Agnes, about Evolution: Since I've been doing Super C 3 x a week (now up to my 257th hour of Super, having done 60+ hours of 10 in 10), I don't want to waste time/money doing Evolution if most of what's in it is already incorporated in Super C. What can you tell me about that?

[Lucky Stardust]

Originally Posted by MountainGirl

Hey all,

I have discovered a BIG problem with Callanetics!





I don't want to take any time off from doing it!
Seriously! I did an hour early this afternoon and I was sitting here wishing I could do it again tonight!

Is this what it's like to be ADDICTED?

Hey Mountaingirl!
Way to go!
Your enthusiasm is contagious!
Keep up the good work!

[betty112filip]

Hello I have a question. Can callanetics help with slightly bow legs?

Betty

[callaneticsteacher]

Originally Posted by WATCH-ME-SHRINK

Just wanted to say that all of the suggestions mentioned above are what I've been doing -- I guess mostly since I switched from 10 in 10 to Super Callanetics -- and the form on these is what has helped my inner thighs tremendously.

Agnes, great for pointing these out!

Agnes, about Evolution: Since I've been doing Super C 3 x a week (now up to my 257th hour of Super, having done 60+ hours of 10 in 10), I don't want to waste time/money doing Evolution if most of what's in it is already incorporated in Super C. What can you tell me about that?

I think you should try it, and that it wouldn't be waisted time or money. The exercises work differently to what your body is used to. First of all, there are 3 different ways of pulsing techniques to chose from (one is the traditional), and three levels to work on as well: the exercises are demonstrated on beginner's level, intermediate level and advanced level. You can use weights following the advanced exercises, and really intesify your workout for upper body and arms. I think it would give your muscles - and the advanced positons your balance - a new challange.

I love both traditional and Evolution. I love the idea of working on my muscles different ways. I apply the new pulsing techniques on some exercises in my traditional classes too. The two new pulsing techniques introduced allow you to exercise the muscle in its evolutionary natural way in all three dimensions. You work on the deep layers of the muscles supporting the entire skeletal frame. The outer layer of the muscle is trained and shaped from within. As by book says: "the result may well be called designer fitness or physical architecture".

You would love it, honestly!

Agnes

[callaneticsteacher]

Originally Posted by betty112filip

Hello I have a question. Can callanetics help with slightly bow legs?

Betty

Betty, and everybody,

Focus on proper alignment of the feet, knees, hips ans shoulders.

1) Feet - Feet a hip-width apart, align the big toe and the outer heel. If feet are falling inword place a marble or any small and solic ball in the arch of the feet, or ground the joint of the big toe if feet are falling outwords.

2) Knees - Align your knees straightforward. If inwardly rotated, rotate knees out from about 2 inches above knees, if outwardly rotated widen gently at the snaps. If knock kneed, widen from the snaps, if bowlegged, bring knees inward from the snaps.

3) Hips - Align hips over feet and knees. If the pelvis appears swayed, lengthen from the waist to the tailbone. If pelvis appears curled, lengthen up through the spine form the pelvic floor.

4) Shoulders - bring shoulders up, to the back, widen them, and press them down.

5) Crown - Stretch your spine upwords from the crown of your head, maintaining spaces between the vertebrae.

Acquiring the proper alignment is a matter of practise, and might feel strange at first, so be patient.

Agnes

[Snuckles]

Originally Posted by callaneticsteacher

Hi Snuckles,

that's a very interesting point you got to. First of all, don't be afraid, just think simply. What is happening is not that you are getting smaller and smaller until you are gone! Your body is transforming. You are not just getting smaller, but getting smaller at one area, rounding at another, and lifting at another at the same time. Your body is getting to be it's "ideal" shape, however, the preferences are individual. You might want to swap your routine to the 20 minutes programs for stomach and legs for a while. Once the tummy has cought up, you can do the hour program again to keep you fit (maybe just twice or once a week). I would like to warn you about weights though. A women's thighs are the area that can be overdeveloped in no time. Too much contraction, or the use of weights can result in bigger thighs and bulky, protruding muscles. My advice is that for thinner thighs, definitely do the Callanetics leg exercises only.

I tell you my experience. As I was slim, I thought I wouldn't get smaller when I started to exercise during my training after some lazy years. I didn't want to get smaller and I was scared to have smaller hips as I always had small hips and therefore never a nice waistline. My problem was being lose, I felt that I had no muscles. As I was exercising, I started to look as if I had lost weight because I became slightly smaller. For a while people were saying that I should stop losing weight because I'm getting too skinny. Then I discovered my waistline that I never had before. I stopped worrying then and just kept exercising. Now, people say that I have a very nice body. I'm just as slim as before, but shaply.

Even if you get a bit slimmer than you wanted, you always can try to put on some weight again. If you are happy with your shape, just target what you still want to change.

I hope I could be useful, don't stress!

Agnes

Hi Agnes,

Thanks for sharing your experience. I think I'm going to follow your advice as it makes sense. I am happy with my shape but would like to continue to work on my stomach and legs. Ahhhhh, if only my stomach would catch up.

[missmattie]

1 hour Callanetic Evolution done this morning. I'm taking the suggestion of Agnes and Noreen and am going to rotate Evolution with 10/10, as well as vary the pulse types. Thanks everyone for the tips and inspiration!

Twyla: I bet you will like the Evolution DVD, especially if you follow the advanced portion which shows how to incorporate hand weights. Who knows, you might find that Callanetics in all its various forms is all you need.
Kathy