CALLANETICS CHALLENGE JUNE 2008

[siamesegirl]

1 hour Super C down!

[Antonya]

Second hour 10/10 done!!

I'm loving it!

[missmattie]

I like the whole Evolution DVD, but I especially like the way it's divided into different chapters so you can design your own program. My question is if I split the program up throughout the day, for instance do the warm up/upper body and abs chapters in the morning and the rest in the afternoon or evening, when I do the rest do I just do those chapters as is or do I need to also do the warm up chapter all over again too? If I do need to do some of the warm up section do I need to do the whole thing or just parts of it and if so which parts? It seems like each chapter has some stretches in it to warm up the muscles you will be working before the actual exercises, but I'm not sure if that's sufficient. Some days I might even need to split it into thirds: some in the morning, some when get home from work and finish up before bed. Is that okay or do you get the most benefit from doing everything all at once?
Thanks. Kathy

[missmattie]

Noreen,
Good luck with your final DVD, I know it'll be great! I'm looking forward to seeing your name on the Callanetics.com website under "find a teacher."
Kathy

[NenaP]

another hour of 10/10 done

[mrs lightyear]

QC hips done

[sky115]

I can't believe I am still struggling with the hip/thigh exercises. I've read all the tips by Sandrahanna and I tried the method suggested but it felt even more awkward and I couldn't feel my hips/thigh area working at all. I feel like I'm doing them wrong every time, I feel little to nothing while doing them, no muscles working. When I try to do it using the barre method I feel like I'm holding my torso wrong and I can't relax my body without losing the form. And I still feel like no muscles are working. I'm getting frustrated because I have a feeling that nothing is getting worked there and I will have no results. IDK why I can't get the hang of these moves!? I keep practicing to try to get the hang of the form but it's useless.

[planetbenjamin]

Originally Posted by Sandrahanna

Oooh yummy!!!! Wow, Ben you have good taste your man is very yummy - I had to stop and pause at this one before proceeding

Back to being professional - his technique is really good. However, I would encourage him to relax his arms more. If he softened them he would transfer this energy in to his abs to work them deeper.

Another point, I can't see this properly but check that his legs are also relaxed and heels not pressing together. The legs should be parted and again lengthened up with sit bones lengthening down to floor. Lower back should be resting and melting on floor, no curling up. IF the heels press together this transfers in to the low back and creates tension so the legs must always be parted.

He has such wonderful muscle definition but do check that he's not contracting his quads or legs in any form. Utilising the counterpull between the sit bone and heel creates isolation of the legs but no active contraction of leg muscle must occur.

Also, get him in to position and pulsing then tell him to activate just 10% of his pelvic floor to feel the difference. Encourage him to lengthen out from the PF when he does this.

Sandra x

Oh Sandra you are soooooooooo amazing. I didn't realise that with the legs pressed together it puts pressure on the lower back. It's funny, I've always done that exercise with my legs slightly apart but I thought I was cheating! Now I understand why my body naturally wants to keep my legs slightly apart. I'm learning so much here. I love it!

I love the concept of relaxing the entire body so all the energy can be transferred to the muscle group being worked. Thiago (my partner) always carries a lot of tension in his body. It's hard to get him to relax. I'm going to get him to read your advice to see if he understands that concept more.

Oh, and I just received a video tape I ordered from ebay called "The Secrets Of Callanetics". It's fantastic! It's from 1994 and is basically a 40 minute interview with Callan talking about how to get the most out of Callanetics. I'd never even heard of it before. There is something so special about Callan and the way she talks. It's so motivating and inspiring.

[wazo]

1 hour completed

[ThyckeCutie]

1hr of Super Callan done!!

Im still having trouble doing the pelvic waves. I still cant do all the reps without stopping. These are tough

[jessiekayq]

finished one hour of evolution... unfortunately I flaked on my callanetics workouts for the last five days

[dimond]

Took the weekend off, but jumped back in today...7/10 of 10/10 in June!

[Mary_M]

Originally Posted by Yllenia

I have been doing 10/10 and am ready to move on, what would you suggest? Super Callanetics or Evolution? I'm more inclined towrads Evolution ... Thank you!

Personally I am doing both. I think they are a nice compliment to each other. If I had to choose, however, I would recommend Evolution. JMO.

[gibster]

Another hour of Evolution done!

[onaisland]

1 hr 10/10 done!

[buckeyechic]

anyone doing these exercises back to back? if so, have you seen faster results from doing it that way? I know Twyla says you should leave a day in between, which is what I read all the time from other experts. But I was SUPER fast results! Don't we all?

[LowCarbRachel]

I am doing it daily, except I skipped Saturday. I am not having intense soreness in my muscles and the stretching and stress relief is good for me. I don't want to skip a day. I don't know if I am seeing faster results from doing it this way, but I am already seeing results at day 6. I weigh the same as I did a week ago, but my body shape is already starting to change. I can only imagine how I'm going to look six weeks from now. Plus how much more relaxed and calm I will be.

[jessiekayq]

I've been considering doing callanetics daily. After completing an hour early in the day by the afternoon I'm often wanting to do another hour of callanetics cause I just feel so great doing it! But I've been trying to do it every other day but by the time my next scheduled day comes around I then find myself finding excuses to put it off...

[buckeyechic]

Ok, just completed another hour of Evolutions and I feel soooo good and relaxed right now. And, I could even feel the muscles working this time around! I finally took Sandra's advise and stopped trying to compete with the students in the video. I took my breathers, and got back into peak position and then felt as the muscles were working. Oddly enough, I could totally feel my ugly saddlebags lifting up!! Now, if only I could wake up tomorrow morning and they were gone for good! Haha!

Evolutions is my favorite, for sure!

[Sandrahanna]

Originally Posted by missmattie

Noreen,
Good luck with your final DVD, I know it'll be great! I'm looking forward to seeing your name on the Callanetics.com website under "find a teacher."
Kathy

Ditto

[buckeyechic]

Oh, but I forgot to mention something funny that that happened while doing Evolutions. I was in a stretch where you're standing with one hand on your knee, the other hand on your back. Anyway, my dogs were wrestling behind me over a toy and they literally knocked me over from behind!! I was in such a deep stretch with my eyes closed and then BAM! Into the floor, face first! I laughed, then yelled at them. Hehehe.

[LowCarbRachel]

7 hours of 10/10 done!!

[Sandrahanna]

Originally Posted by sky115

I can't believe I am still struggling with the hip/thigh exercises. I've read all the tips by Sandrahanna and I tried the method suggested but it felt even more awkward and I couldn't feel my hips/thigh area working at all. I feel like I'm doing them wrong every time, I feel little to nothing while doing them, no muscles working. When I try to do it using the barre method I feel like I'm holding my torso wrong and I can't relax my body without losing the form. And I still feel like no muscles are working. I'm getting frustrated because I have a feeling that nothing is getting worked there and I will have no results. IDK why I can't get the hang of these moves!? I keep practicing to try to get the hang of the form but it's useless.

Hi,

I'm sad to read this. and feel for you I'm going to post a pic of the resting the arm position.

Maybe you are trying too hard. When we want to change an area or determined to get results, we can put too much energy and effort in to the exercise, in Callanetics this defeats the purpose.

When I see a student who has this determination and is getting frustrated, I tell them to step right back and try and change their approach to the exercises.

Try to approach each exercise as though it's easy and effortless. Make a decision that for your next workout you are only going to do 30 - 50% of each exercise but in the best manner possible, thereby taking the stress out of the workout.

Move into the positions as relaxed as you can following the instructions. Assume 'your' best position.

Take deep breath and try to relax in to this position and then start to pulse. Count your pulses; always do a couple more then you think you can and take a breather.

Bear in mind that the stronger you are the deeper you'll feel the muscles working. In the beginning, if muscles are very weak, it's a case of believing and thinking that it's working for you.

How do you feel after a workout? Do you feel pulled in and tighter? Have you checked to see if your shape is changing - has there been a lift?


If you can, and you're comfortable with this, put a pic of yourself in position on here or send privately to me at:

info@callanetics.net.au

and I'll have a look at your position and maybe able to help more.

I'd hate for you to give up and everything comes together eventually.

So, for now reduce your pulses - make each pulse in your best position even if it's only 10 pulses.

Sandra x

[Sandrahanna]

Originally Posted by buckeyechic

anyone doing these exercises back to back? if so, have you seen faster results from doing it that way? I know Twyla says you should leave a day in between, which is what I read all the time from other experts. But I was SUPER fast results! Don't we all?

If you can handle some back to back classes go for it. You wouldn't want to or need to do this all the time though but only when you wanted to get quicker results or preparing for a special event.

Whenever I get back into a routine of working out reguarly, or have something special coming up for the weekend, I always start out with a daily workout. I would do 3 -4 back to back to get in my best shape then I reduce to maintain the results. In an emergency (only one day for an event) I'll do one hour in the morning and another in the evening. Next day I feel amazing. I wake up and I feel sooo unbelieveable tight all over.

Back in the 80's, when I first started Callanetics with the book and 10/10 I used to do it every day when possible except Sunday. My body just couldn't get enough Callanetics, I was a certified Callanetics junkie!

Sandra x

[Sandrahanna]

Originally Posted by buckeyechic

Oh, but I forgot to mention something funny that that happened while doing Evolutions. I was in a stretch where you're standing with one hand on your knee, the other hand on your back. Anyway, my dogs were wrestling behind me over a toy and they literally knocked me over from behind!! I was in such a deep stretch with my eyes closed and then BAM! Into the floor, face first! I laughed, then yelled at them. Hehehe.

You must have been pretty relaxed in the position - well done

One point though, make sure you don't rest your hands on your knees during any exercise. It's always above or below the knee depending on your flexibility.

Also, when you're in the position focus on improving your stretch :

Deep breath, engage PF deeper, which provides you with more room for length and stretch and then, lengthening thru crown allow your torso to double. Stretch your sit bones up to ceiling and heels down with knees soft.

When in position for a stretch or exercise we can always improve our stretch or training by following this pattern of engaging deeper and using this to improve our stretch or a deeper isolation of muscles we are training.

Sandra x

[Sandrahanna]

Originally Posted by LowCarbRachel

I am doing it daily, except I skipped Saturday. I am not having intense soreness in my muscles and the stretching and stress relief is good for me. I don't want to skip a day. I don't know if I am seeing faster results from doing it this way, but I am already seeing results at day 6. I weigh the same as I did a week ago, but my body shape is already starting to change. I can only imagine how I'm going to look six weeks from now. Plus how much more relaxed and calm I will be.

This is a great way to see what the program can do for you. It's also the quickest way to addiction though

I'm not sure what DVD you're working with but as soon as you feel that things are slowing down and not working for you as well it'll be the time to change something. So come back and let me kdnow when this happens so I can give you something else to work with.

The body thrives on challenge and variety so it's always good to create muscle confusion by tricking the muscles and doing something different. Changing the pulsing action is a good start.

Sandra x