CALLANETICS CHALLENGE JULY 2008

[Antonya]

PrincessNutznboltz - I see you're doing South Beach...you should come on over to the weekly check-in thread and hang out with us South Beachers. Several of us do Callanetics and it's just a really fun, supportive group.

I see you're only 15?! Wow - I wish I had your moxie when I was your age!!

[ThyckeCutie]

Originally Posted by Sandrahanna

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

Yes I do notice that my PF is much stronger. Before I couldnt notice it at all but now I definatly feel when I engage it. Maybe I am feeling my inner thighs stretch. My quads do not contract. When I do engage my PF I do see my inner thighs go outward so I guess I am doing it right I am going to practice on relaxing more. Last night I moved my center table and just layed down on my area rug and tried totally relaxing and just engaging my PF. I was trying to follow your meditation you posted earlier. Hopefully soon I will get this down pact so I can take my workout to a higher level

[Antonya]

9th Hour of 10/10 done!!!

#2 for July!

Hoo-ah!!!

[CurveControl]

Thinking~
I might divide the workout. so the 1st part one day, the next the second.

OK? Harmful? Less effective?

[Comma]

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.

haha! That's when I lie on my back and stare at the ceiling. Alternatively, the search function on your remote can flip you to the start of the next excercise- I soo love having the chaptered dvd instead of the old VHS! Careful with the stuff at the end though. I am much quicker than the group with rotations and scoop, but you have to fast forward to get to the inner thigh- it's not chaptered in between.

When does the pf turn your inner thighs outward? Can the pf actually get that much stronger? How do you notice?

[LowCarbRachel]

I do the DVD on my laptop, and I do skip as much talk as I can. I know people who turn the sound off, but I like to hear the music so I don't have to look at the screen to know where I'm at.

But, I am tired to hearing the instruction so many times. Like, I just want to do the exercises, LOL. When they are doing the leg exercises at the barre, I'm just like, hello, I've done this fifty times already, and you're still talking about the position? I don't care that Midge is doing quite well or that Eve just stretched up two inches higher than she thought she could.

Oh well, I do like the exercises and the results. I should probably just let my mind wander during the talking and just consider it a break between the working out parts of the dvd.

[Comma]

we should do a contest, who can cite the longest passage by heart....

I had a phase like that, but now I don't mind anymore. Good for Midge. I like her.

btw, Justin is doing it quite well, except he has his hip out a little bit too much

[Comma]

though, just noticed ...the leg at the barre I just count myself to 50....so much quicker, that one does have too much interruption. I also count the rotations, scoop and thigh stretch myself because I don't want to wait. True, true.

[Maria627]

Do pelvic rotations ever get easier? This is the one exercise I can't bear. I do them but for some reason they just stay tough. I do however LOVE the figure eights!

[Comma]

Yes! I think so anyway. Maybe not go up quite as high with the bum to make it easier until you are stronger?

[LowCarbRachel]

That Justin and his hips, LOL.

I don't mind doing the pelvic rotations. I thought I didn't like them but what I actually don't like is all the talk leading up to them and all the setting up in the right position.

I wouldn't mind little comments like "make sure your hip is rolled forward" during the exercises. Little things that would help me check *my* form would be excellent.

Anyway, I do love the workouts!!

Rachel

[RealFoodLiving]

Back in after an absence.
I'm hoping to complete 8 hours in July.

[nola baxter]

Hi SandraHanna

I while back you posted some pictures on alternative ways to do plies and pelvic wave. I have found them really good for working the legs and butt without knee strain. Better than the original callanetics versions.
I was wondering if I can post the links for the pics on another forum- "serious female fitness" - because I have been telling a couple of the ladies about these exercises for working the muscles without knee strain.

nola

[CallanFan]

Originally Posted by Comma

we should do a contest, who can cite the longest passage by heart....

I had a phase like that, but now I don't mind anymore. Good for Midge. I like her.

btw, Justin is doing it quite well, except he has his hip out a little bit too much

has anybody ever figured out what is happening when she says "We ALL DO THAT! It's HARRIBLE! You HAVE to LEARN!" I'm always deep into the stretch and can't twist my head around fast enough to figure out just what is so HARRIBLE.

[LowCarbRachel]

Oh, it's horrible that we don't keep our shoulders relaxed!
We've just GOT to keep our shoulders relaxed.

[Antonya]

What about that English school marm accent Callan gets when she's showing the barre leg stretch, and she says, "It's only a quarter of an inch"? ("It's aownly a quattah of an inch")

Or "Anne", the one in the yellow leotard, who is very pretty but seems completely vacant, like she's a china doll?

For some reason, I find looking at Midge's leg with it's hose and little ballet slippers really irritating. I'm also annoyed by her hair.

Some more faves: "Round! Round! Round!" "Don't lock knees! Never lock knees!"

I like the workout too, and I find Callan very endearing - I don't really mind the quirkyness, I guess!

[LowCarbRachel]

I love her quirkiness. I wish I could have taken classes from her in person. I am just tired of hearing the same things 16 times. I can only imagine how I will feel when I get to hour 200.

Do any of you "pros" do the exercises without playing the video?

[CallanFan]

Relax your shoulders! You've just GOT to relax them! Relax them even more...

[wazo]

1 hour of evolution completed

[LowCarbRachel]

LOL that cracks me up!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I am going to think of that when I'm doing Callanetics tomorrow, and it's going to make me like wax!!

[Antonya]

LoCarbRachel - You should definitely get the 10 years younger in 10 Hours book - there's a great section on Callan's journeys, and there are just gorgeous photos of her doing the exercises in her amazing penthouse studio, plus lots of pics of her students, men and women of all ages and a surprising diversity of size and ability - I got a hardcover version from eBay for $8.00!

[Comma]

it took me and my husband half a year to figure out that Anne doesn't actually have completely white legs...

i don't know, i love that video. It's like you actually are in a class with normal people...i can't bear those hyped types from my mini trampoline tape, hu.


and this is how a person with a bad back would do it more or less....

[Antonya]

"You're like wax, dripping into the floor!"

[Antonya]

Okay, okay, last one:

"When the teacher does that you're in deep trouble!"

[Sandrahanna]

What a laugh you all gave me this morning. I loved reading your Callan impersonations. When I used to do the video back in the 80's my little boys used to do great impersonations of her and had all her 'sayings' off pat and perfect, accent an' all.

It really did make the video very unique though.

Sandra x

[shrinkingaway8]

I do 10/10 without the video, but still watch it to remind me of my form.

[ThyckeCutie]

Cardio Evolution Done..

[ThyckeCutie]

What Ever happened to FreeingMyself.? She was doing so well...I think I read she moved or something.