CALLANETICS CHALLENGE JULY 2008

[CallanFan]

hi, sandra --

i would love to see your demonstrations. i also vote for the hip & behind exercises, clarifying how high the knee should go up, whether we roll the hip forward in evolution, and what the alternate pulses look like. also, for the standing leg exercises (with all the ladies around the triangle thing), i'd like to see some clarification of leg/foot position: since we start out with our heel up against the opposite arch, do we maintain that angle as we slide the foot out to the side, for instance, or is the knee more facing forward? the camera work didn't really show that.

and i knew there'd be a good reason for doing the abs last ...

[siamesegirl]

1 hour Callanetics evolution down.

BY NEXT WEEK I WILL REACH MY 200th HOUR OF CALLANETICS!!!!!!! I'AM CATCHING UP TO YOU TWYLA

[sunrise lady]

1st hour of evo for the month!

[sunrise lady]

Sandra, I don't think you have to film this, but I'm trying to figure out in some of the warmup stretches, maybe it's the hammy stretch (I'll make a better note next time I do it), are your legs supposed to be straight? I can't bend very far at all if they have to be straight, I bend them (at the knees), but still let myself get the stretch.

As for filming, I'd be interested to check the one where you're kneeling with one leg forward and holding your foot behind you (in the air), where you curl up the pelvis and stretch out the front of the thigh and the hip flexor.

I'll make a note of any other Qs next time I do Evo in the next day or two...

what a generous woman you are!

[Danipower714]

I'm in for July...at least 12 hours!

[Comma]

2nd 10/10 down.....

i watched the super dvd..... it'll be a while.

[luckylychee]

Hi guys,

I started doing callanetics again today, after over a year of not touching it.

I have two questions, one, my daughter keeps interrupting me so it's very hard for me to finish one session all in one go. How bad is it if I broke it up during the day?

Also, when doing the ab work outs, it's really painful for my neck to be in the air the whole time, what can I do about that? Would it be less effective if I put my hands underneath my head for a lil supporot?

thank you!

[lowcarblulu]

Originally Posted by luckylychee

Hi guys,

I started doing callanetics again today, after over a year of not touching it.

I have two questions, one, my daughter keeps interrupting me so it's very hard for me to finish one session all in one go. How bad is it if I broke it up during the day?

Also, when doing the ab work outs, it's really painful for my neck to be in the air the whole time, what can I do about that? Would it be less effective if I put my hands underneath my head for a lil supporot?

thank you!

I know in the Evolution DVD, Sandra does say it's OK to put your hands under your head as long as you don't bring the elbows too far forward. This modification works for me!

[Maria627]

I'm in for 12 hours this month. 3 X a week alternating w/ spinning.
also do pelvic rotations ever get easier?

[WATCH-ME-SHRINK]

Super Hour 296 today. Felt incredible afterwards.

[Wasabell]

First hour for July is done! I've committed to 15 hours for the month (every other day). Its my 5th hour total.

I'm using the 10 in 10 DVD. For the hip excercises,I have a question. I cant seem to wrap my mind around "roll your hip forward(I can do that), tip your pelvis up(thats the part I cant figure out) I can tip my pelvis for all the other excercises, but not when I'm kinda lying on my side (propped up with my elbow).

Can someone give me a hint?

Jan

[missmattie]

Originally Posted by luckylychee

Hi guys,

I started doing callanetics again today, after over a year of not touching it.

I have two questions, one, my daughter keeps interrupting me so it's very hard for me to finish one session all in one go. How bad is it if I broke it up during the day?

Also, when doing the ab work outs, it's really painful for my neck to be in the air the whole time, what can I do about that? Would it be less effective if I put my hands underneath my head for a lil supporot?

thank you!

I can answer the first question because I asked the same thing myself a few weeks ago. Yes, it's okay to split the exercises up throughout the day, Sandra just recommended doing some of the warm ups again to get the circulation going.

[CallanFan]

Originally Posted by Wasabell

First hour for July is done! I've committed to 15 hours for the month (every other day). Its my 5th hour total.

I'm using the 10 in 10 DVD. For the hip excercises,I have a question. I cant seem to wrap my mind around "roll your hip forward(I can do that), tip your pelvis up(thats the part I cant figure out) I can tip my pelvis for all the other excercises, but not when I'm kinda lying on my side (propped up with my elbow).

Can someone give me a hint?

Jan

i remember when i first started this seemed impossible for me, too -- the rolling and the tipping seemed like two mutually exclusive moves. it's quite natural now. just keep trying, keep thinking it, and somehow it comes.

[Sandrahanna]

Originally Posted by ThyckeCutie

Sandra,

From your post, does that mean I am engaging my PF too hard if my legs contract? Its really my upper inner thighs that contract

You definitely don't want to be contracting your quads - you'd never need to do this in any Callanetics exercises anyway.

However, when you engage your pelvic floor is does create a stretching of the inner thighs as well as the lower abs. The stronger your pelvic floor activation the more aware you'll feel the inner thighs stretching; especially when your counterpulls are in place, meaning you've stretched out of the pelvic floor thru the crown and lengthened the leg out from the hip socket and the counterpull from the sit bone to heel is in place.

It sounds like you have a strong pelvic floor TC. Are you noticing this more now then you did, say, a few weeks ago? If it is your pelvic floor strengthening so you are feeling the inner thighs stretching more it means you now need to start focusing on relaxing and letting go of all your other muscles to take your workouts to another level and work deeper.

Another thing, when you engage the pelvic floor and the inner thighs stretch this creates that outward rotation/turning of the leg, this may feel like a contraction to you, especially if your quads are strong and I suspect, from all the workouts you do, that your quads are strong.

It is recognising the difference between a natural isolation of the muscles thru the position and you deliberately contracting your muscles. Just know that you never need or have to deliberately contract any muscle regardless of what muscle group you are training.

With Callanetics exercises you let the postion and pulse do all the work. All you have to do is utilise the CallaneticsConcepts and get in to your peak/best position.

Advanced students of Callanetics relax even the muscles they are training. It really is a total letting go of your body and muscles and allowing your body to open up and relax naturally. Thereby taking all the effort out.

I hope this answers your question. From your previous post about your dress and shape change I'm thinking you are going great guns. Give yourself another goal this month and I'm suggesting focusing on relaxing more in to your positions.

When you first experience 'letting go' while working out you'll feel almost that you've become weaker. I know I did when I first experienced this in my ab workout. I felt as though I'd gone backwards. I couldn't hold the position for as long or do as many reps. Everything felt so deep but the results speeded up and my shape changed even quicker.

It's an awesome and impowering feeling when you experience this and it is totally achievable. Just know that it will come when you are ready and always just stay at 'working at your own pace' but set yourself goals at the same time.

Sandra x

[Sandrahanna]

Originally Posted by CallanFan

hi, sandra --

i would love to see your demonstrations. i also vote for the hip & behind exercises, clarifying how high the knee should go up, whether we roll the hip forward in evolution, and what the alternate pulses look like. also, for the standing leg exercises (with all the ladies around the triangle thing), i'd like to see some clarification of leg/foot position: since we start out with our heel up against the opposite arch, do we maintain that angle as we slide the foot out to the side, for instance, or is the knee more facing forward? the camera work didn't really show that.

and i knew there'd be a good reason for doing the abs last ...

Thanks for your input. I will be doing the hip and behind and the leg exercise you mentioned first as this seems the most frequent request and where the most difficulty lies.

Answering your question though. Yes you do maintain that angle. You'll notice that when you move the leg forward that the leg is turned outwards with the heel facing the ceiling. This positioning provides the outward roation of the leg that we want when we pulse.

I plan to cover this exercise quite fully in my filming. It is such an amazing exercise and reshapes legs and inner thighs as well as a great butt workout. So it's worth doing it correctly.

I hope this answers your question and helps

Sandra x

[Sandrahanna]

Originally Posted by sunrise lady

Sandra, I don't think you have to film this, but I'm trying to figure out in some of the warmup stretches, maybe it's the hammy stretch (I'll make a better note next time I do it), are your legs supposed to be straight? I can't bend very far at all if they have to be straight, I bend them (at the knees), but still let myself get the stretch.

As for filming, I'd be interested to check the one where you're kneeling with one leg forward and holding your foot behind you (in the air), where you curl up the pelvis and stretch out the front of the thigh and the hip flexor.

I'll make a note of any other Qs next time I do Evo in the next day or two...

what a generous woman you are!

Are you talking about the stretch right after the wide format leg plies? If so, you leg does want to be straight but without locking knees. If you can't hold the position with straight legs follow the beginners position or you can rest your hand on a firm pillow or book or something that allows you to straighten your leg.

Let me know if this works.

Sandra x

[Sandrahanna]

Originally Posted by luckylychee

Hi guys,

I started doing callanetics again today, after over a year of not touching it.

I have two questions, one, my daughter keeps interrupting me so it's very hard for me to finish one session all in one go. How bad is it if I broke it up during the day?

Also, when doing the ab work outs, it's really painful for my neck to be in the air the whole time, what can I do about that? Would it be less effective if I put my hands underneath my head for a lil supporot?

thank you!

It's fine to break up your workout during the day. Try to warm up your muscles though before you commence exercising with the beginning warm up exercise.

The ab exercises also strengthen the supporting neck muscles so that discomfort should decrease in time and as your abs strengthen. For now though it's okay to place your hands at the back of your head and neck. Ensure that you don't pull your elbows forward. Keep the elbows out to the side and allow your heavy head to rest in your hands.

You can also, place a firm pillow under your mid back to bring your back up more and take the strain off your neck.

Hope this helps and keep checking in to this thread. This is where you'll get your motivation and inspiration to keep going with your workouts. Everyone here is happy to share their experiences and advise.

Sandra x

[Sandrahanna]

Originally Posted by Wasabell

First hour for July is done! I've committed to 15 hours for the month (every other day). Its my 5th hour total.

I'm using the 10 in 10 DVD. For the hip excercises,I have a question. I cant seem to wrap my mind around "roll your hip forward(I can do that), tip your pelvis up(thats the part I cant figure out) I can tip my pelvis for all the other excercises, but not when I'm kinda lying on my side (propped up with my elbow).

Can someone give me a hint?

Jan

Hi Jan,

The tipping your pelvis is a gentle little curling of your pubic bone in towards your navel. The purpose is to ensure that you aren't arching your low back. It is a very small movement, a tiny scoop from the base of the behind. It's basically invisible to the eye but you will feel is smoothing out your low back.

I just reread and saw that you do this lying on your side. In this position you actually don't need to curl so much if you are engaging your pelvic floor and stretching out thru your spine and knee or heel. As long as your back isn't arched and you are feeling the muscles working at the back of leg and base of behind. Just make sure your low back is relaxed and no pain or discomfort.

Hoping this helps please let me know if you need more explanation.

Sandra x

[LowCarbRachel]

1st hour done for July!

I told myself I'd just do part of the dvd but then I got to the stuff that I like, so I kept going. I wish there was a second version of the dvd without the demonstrations and without all the talking and extra stuff. I'd prefer to work right through it without hearing about Midge and the furniture and the bottom line, ha ha.

[dimond]

1st session in of 10/10...1/12 in July.

-Di

[onaisland]

1 hr 10/10 done

[PrincessNutznBoltz]

Hey everyone
I actually started callanetics in May, as a way to help with my chronic muscle pain (which, it DID!!) Unfortunately I had to undergo rather serious surgery so I was out on my ass for a good month, well I've just started up again, (two hours) and I've already noticed a difference! I'd love to join in the July challange

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

[shrinkingaway8]

Completed Evolution x 1 tonight. Boy did it kicked my butt

[PrincessNutznBoltz]

1 hour completed, I did 6 hours before my surgery and it's amazing to see how my muscles haven't relapsed! I was a bit wonky on my second behind & hips exercise, but I did all the reps. I improved BIG TIME on my pelvic rotations, underarm tighter and waist stretch! Unfortunately, I still completely suck at the stomach exercises and can't do many, but not to worry I'm sure I'll improve I'm so psyched! I LOVE CALLANETICS!!!!

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox

[sreichfeld]

1 hour 10/10 done - 1 of 12 in July

[KJ-43]

I hr of 10/10 for July completed
kj