CALLANETICS CHALLENGE JULY 2008

[shrinkingaway8]

I have a question for you experts. First of all I loooove the results I am getting from doing Callanetics consistantly since June. My body is going through a lot of changes. Everybody is noticing the changes. The bad part is that I am having numbess in my arms while sleeping. And I am noticing it in my legs too. I do mostly 10/10, but I do have Evolution. I do 10/10 mostly because I know the moves without using the DVD, and I work the night shift, so when I get home, I do 10/10 at least three times a week or four. I am also on the computer at work for charting. I do have a lot of tension in my shoulders, so I think when I do the ab work from 10/10, the combination of work/ab work are the culprits. I am going to schedule massages at least once a month to help with the tension in my shouders/body, but in the meantime what alternative moves I should do to continue
Callanetics?

[WATCH-ME-SHRINK]

SA,

Way to go on the commitment to Callanetics...sounds like the magic is working for you as it should. As for the tension, the massages could help a great deal. Another suggestion would be to take a warm/hot shower or bath right before bed, or right after work to relieve some of that tension in your shoulders.

Try to remember to relax as much as you can all other body parts while doing the ab work. "Don't invite your neck to the party," so to speak -- quoting Jillian Michaels. Callan tells us to ROUND, ROUND, ROUND, and by doing that, we're taking the pressure off the neck and shoulders and allowing the energy to be concentrated on the abs.

Hope this helps a bit. Let us know how the massages go.

Keep up the great work.

[ddr]

Hi gals!
I'm on my 11th hour of Callanetics and been reading most of your posts and finding you all very inspiring!
Hope I can carry on the good work and notice the changes like you, so far it's been more of a feeling of satisfaction from sticking to the routine, not so bad already.
My goal is to get thinner around the hips and upper thighs, and hopefully get a nice smooth and taut tummy, although it's something I've practically given up on over the years! But reading your posts makes me hopeful again...

The reason why I'm posting today is that, even after my 11th hour, my neck aches when I do the tummy exercises. I reposition and start again, or put my hands behind my head and that helps, but I'm sure I must be doing something wrong and there has to be a way I can manage to do the exercises normally and not ache!
I try to relax my shoulders but obviously not doing it properly, and in the end I spend the whole exercise trying to ease the pain in my neck when I'd rather be concentrating on my tummy.
I think I'm following Callan's instructions, what is wrong with me??!
Have any of you had the same problem? How did you manage to solve it?

I must add that I've done many tummy exercises over the last 10 years, and have never managed to do any pain-free without holding my neck with my hands...

[WATCH-ME-SHRINK]

DDR

That's perfectly normal. Believe it or not, the more you do the ab work of Callanetics, the stronger your muscles will become, but until you reach that point, you should definitely support your head with your hands to take the pressure/tension off THAT part of your body to let the energy be focused on the muscle group that's being targeted. Don't worry about that, it's okay. Just keep supporting your head, and allow the abs to strengthen. Focus on your abs, your form, not your discomfort in your head/neck, and it will all happen eventually for you.

Keep up the great work! Glad to have you with us.

[WATCH-ME-SHRINK]

Just finished Hour 306 of Super.
I feel incredible.

This workout stands alone.

Nothing holds a candle to it.

[shrinkingaway8]

Originally Posted by WATCH-ME-SHRINK

Just finished Hour 306 of Super.
I feel incredible.

This workout stands alone.

Nothing holds a candle to it.

Great Job!!!


Thank you for the advice. I do need to relax more. I do find myself not relaxing while doing some of the moves. The showers/massages should do the trick.

[Ladybugg]

Good day everyone!

I just completed my 10th hour of 10/10 today. I noticed something weird in my stomach today. My pooch is starting to get a dented line across the belly button area, like it's separating into 2 rolls. Does that mean that this is working, could I be losing the fat?

[Mary_M]

Originally Posted by shrinkingaway8

The bad part is that I am having numbess in my arms while sleeping. And I am noticing it in my legs too.

Have you by chance recently started consuming splenda or have you recently increased your splenda comsumption? The reason I am asking is a few years ago when splenda was new on the market, I started using it in low carb recipes. I also started noticing numbness and tingling in my arms and hands while sleeping. I decided to cut out the splenda and the numbness went away. For some reason my body couldn't handle the splenda. I have recently re-introduced it into my diet, and I haven't had any problems. But I am careful to use it only sparingly.

HTH!

[luckylychee]

Hey guys!! I didn't do callan last night. I decided to go for a change and a mile jog and a mile booster by Leslie....I don't know her last name. I know they're really not a mile each but it was pretty fun.

Tonight it's back to callan! I'm going to take a pic of myself tonight and see if there's any differnce cause honestly, aside from my waist being a lil smaller (maybe an inch?), I don't think my body has experienced the "magic" yet.

BUT I'M NOT GIVING UP!

[siamesegirl]

1 Hour Callanetics Evolution!

WOW it felt great!

[anitka]

Originally Posted by ThyckeCutie

I can let you borrow my spare copies if you want to check them out

Which ones do you have? That would be great!

[notaginggracefully]

When/where does one sign up for the August callanetics challenge? I haven't found my way around the forum yet.

[kimfin]

Sandra - I'm reposting this because it was posted while you were away. Plus it's a great question and would love to know the answer! Hope that's ok lillianflower?

Originally Posted by lillianflower

Well, I'm a lurker who's fallen off the callanetics bandwagon and I'm back as I have the summer off and have no excuses.


Sandrahanna,

I hope you don't mind me asking, I've just purchased Callanetics Evolution (very excited, btw), do you follow a particular diet plan? Are you naturally thin, or is it a direct result from callanetics? Do you do anything in addition? I'm just saying this because your figure is fabulous!

[ThyckeCutie]

Originally Posted by anitka

Which ones do you have? That would be great!

10/10, Super C, Quick Hips/Behind & Callan Evo

[ThyckeCutie]

Originally Posted by notaginggracefully

When/where does one sign up for the August callanetics challenge? I haven't found my way around the forum yet.

Twyla will probably start it thursday night or Friday then you will be able to join

[Maria627]

Although the standing plie work is tough, but I have done tougher...my legs shake uncontrollably during the standing leg work? I have to actually stop.
I know some have said this happens during certain Call hip/ behing exercises but that hasn't happened to me yet. Any input??

[Sandrahanna]

Originally Posted by shrinkingaway8

I have a question for you experts. First of all I loooove the results I am getting from doing Callanetics consistantly since June. My body is going through a lot of changes. Everybody is noticing the changes. The bad part is that I am having numbess in my arms while sleeping. And I am noticing it in my legs too. I do mostly 10/10, but I do have Evolution. I do 10/10 mostly because I know the moves without using the DVD, and I work the night shift, so when I get home, I do 10/10 at least three times a week or four. I am also on the computer at work for charting. I do have a lot of tension in my shoulders, so I think when I do the ab work from 10/10, the combination of work/ab work are the culprits. I am going to schedule massages at least once a month to help with the tension in my shouders/body, but in the meantime what alternative moves I should do to continue
Callanetics?

Congratulations on your results it's very empowering when you see the body change. I find once the results start setting in students become more confident and start relaxing more in to their positions and then....the results come even quicker

It sounds like you do have a great deal of tension in your neck, shoulders and probably mid back also. Massages are great for this and I would really recommend adding some of the rotational stretches from Evolution.

Generally our computer sitting, driving and more sedentary daily habits are resulting in more tension in the upper body so the rotational exercises deal with this.

When you are working with 10/10 try to replace the first hamstring stretch with the stretch on Evolution where you rotate to the side of the leg. Really focus on stretching the spine out first before you add the rotation. This should help in releasing tension.

Also, Twyla's recommendation of bath or shower is good also. A 10 min warm soak in the bath is great for relaxing the muscles.

Also, maybe you'd like to replace the ab work with the first exercise from Evolution. You can always add more sets for a deeper longer workout.

Keep us updated how this works for you. If the matter doesn't resolve please go and talk to your doctor or specialist.

Sandra x

[Sandrahanna]

Originally Posted by ddr

Hi gals!
I'm on my 11th hour of Callanetics and been reading most of your posts and finding you all very inspiring!
Hope I can carry on the good work and notice the changes like you, so far it's been more of a feeling of satisfaction from sticking to the routine, not so bad already.
My goal is to get thinner around the hips and upper thighs, and hopefully get a nice smooth and taut tummy, although it's something I've practically given up on over the years! But reading your posts makes me hopeful again...

The reason why I'm posting today is that, even after my 11th hour, my neck aches when I do the tummy exercises. I reposition and start again, or put my hands behind my head and that helps, but I'm sure I must be doing something wrong and there has to be a way I can manage to do the exercises normally and not ache!
I try to relax my shoulders but obviously not doing it properly, and in the end I spend the whole exercise trying to ease the pain in my neck when I'd rather be concentrating on my tummy.
I think I'm following Callan's instructions, what is wrong with me??!
Have any of you had the same problem? How did you manage to solve it?

I must add that I've done many tummy exercises over the last 10 years, and have never managed to do any pain-free without holding my neck with my hands...

Hi,

Have you ever had a neck injury? Are your abs particularly weak or have you experienced ab muscle separation during pregnancy?

For beginning students who have very weak abs and feel tension and pain in the back of the neck I place a support under their mid back to help them stay rounded up, this takes pressure immediately off the neck.

Actually, I never do this immediately I get them to take a few classes first to understand the concept of using the abs only to create the movement and then I introduce the support for a short period. You can use a firm pillow for this purpose, you may like to experiment with this. Even thick rolled up towels can be good.

Although the ab exercises are primarily for toning the abs they also strengthen the supporting neck muscles and help to eliminate a double chin and help to keep the neck muscles toned and skin tight. I'm thinking that after all this time that maybe you are still using your upper back and neck muscles to pulse.

Round in as much as you can, pause and immediately relax your neck and shoulders then take you focus to your abs (which are melting down in towards your spine) and then start to pulse creating the pulse from below the rib cage. Do as many as you can - even if it's only 5 - then bring your hands back to legs take deeeeeep breathers and start again. Gradually building up your reps.
I really would suggest following this and not worrying about 'getting in your reps'. AFter all this time it's time to check your positions and pulse only in your best position.

Good luck and hope this helps, let me know if it doesn't and we'll work on something else.

Sandra x

[ThyckeCutie]

Super Callanetics Complete

[Sandrahanna]

Originally Posted by kimfin

Sandra - I'm reposting this because it was posted while you were away. Plus it's a great question and would love to know the answer! Hope that's ok lillianflower?

Hi,

I used to have a weight problem in my early 20's and carried most of the weight around my butt and thighs - I had very chunky legs. I was constantly fasting and on weight loss diets and then eating the wrong foods. I used to go on the Limits biscuit diet to quickly lose weight.

I lost weight when I was 24 and just married. I didn't diet to lose weight at all, in fact I started eating normally...three meals a day. My metabolism changed for some unknown reason and then I found I just couldn't put on weight regardless of what I ate. I think it was stress related.

Anyway, I had lost so much weight that I had little muscle tone in my butt. It was flat and soggy. I just couldn't get it to tone up and lift regardless of exercise. I became a gym junkie and did yoga, aerobics etc but nothing worked. I remained skinny with little muscle tone. 1987 I found Callan's book and that was when my body started to become stronger and my butt changed.

I'm in better shape then I was at 20 and stronger.

Also, I don't do anything else other than Callanetics. I want to be able to tell my students that only Callanetics gave me this shape and it's easy to maintain and keep the results even though I'm 52.

I have to say; and I think Noreen made the same comment; that my butt and thighs really changed dramatically once I started to incorporate the pelvic floor in to my workout, especially with the hip and behind exercises. A strong pelvic floor is the key to a youthful, lifted behind and lean shapely legs.

My diet isn't totally pure - week days I eat lots of wild alaskan salmon (which I get tinned from US) and salads. Also I marinate chicken breasts in herbs, oil and lemon and have with salads and blanched broccoli, beans etc. Weekends I eat what I like, drink wine eat out and nuture the rebel in me.

Apologies for the lengthy reply - I've just realised that I turn everything in to a manuscript

Sandra x

[dimond]

Final session in for July. I didn't make goal. But hey, I came close! 11/12 of 10/10 in July; W2D2-100PUC completed.

Cheers!
-Di

[CallanFan]

Originally Posted by Sandrahanna

My diet isn't totally pure - week days I eat lots of wild alaskan salmon (which I get tinned from US) and salads. Also I marinate chicken breasts in herbs, oil and lemon and have with salads and blanched broccoli, beans etc. Weekends I eat what I like, drink wine eat out and nuture the rebel in me.

Sandra x

let's hear it for nurturing the rebel! woo-hoo!

[luckylychee]

Finished another hour of 10/10. I took some pics of my body tonight. I'm going to do a comparison after a month.

[betty112filip]

Hello, thank you very much Sandrahannna. I think I still dont get it right and still cant get my body relaxed but I do my best and try and try.. I hope one day it will come automatically.


Once again thank you

Betty

[annanna]

Thanks for all your input, especially Sandrahanna!

I've done five hours of 10/10 and I'm realizing what I'm doing wrong, I think, but I haven't yet managed to do this right:

In both hip/behind exercises, whenever I start to lift the leg up from the floor, my weight automatically shifts to the other side and that side I'm NOT working on tries to do the work. I can feel it getting all tense and there is no way I can get it to relax.

I do feel my butt doing something during those exercises, but I think the majority of the work is done on the other side (don't ask me how though!).

I'll definitely keep trying, but maybe you also have some pointers as to how to avoid