CALLANETICS CHALLENGE JULY 2008

[kelley17]

Rachel and Noreen - you both look great!

Wazo - i think i see a little more definition in those legs!

I just finished 3/10 for July. I'm still having trouble with my neck on the stomach exercises and it says on the tape it should be better by the 4th hour (today was my 4th hour total). Is this normal, how long did it take everyone else before they were able to do the stomach exercises without hands?

I've enjoyed reading about the tips for the pelvic floor - think i'm going to hold off until i get the workout down and feel stronger. At least today I got through the hip/behind exercises without a charlie horse!

[ThyckeCutie]

Super Callan Done

[ThyckeCutie]

Originally Posted by Sandrahanna

Wow, you are doing well I can tell by what you are experiencing

You will find in the beginning that the pelvic floor will release on the way down for the leg exercises - just engage before you move back up and focus on the sole force of the pelvic floor moving you up - feel as though you are drawing energy up from below and also, as you move up. feel the crown of the head lengthening skywards.

Check that your knees don't roll in or out and that your weight is balanced over outer heel and joint of big toe.

For the lying down stomach exercises just engage to move in to position and then don't worry about the pelvic floor. It's important that your buttocks and lower back are totally relaxed; infact everything relaxed, including your abs, your navel and deep abs are drawn down in towards your spine.

Then while you are pulsing and you feel your body is relaxed engage just 10% of your pelvic floor, check your position again ensuring that you are still relaxed and you haven't tightened your buttocks. It's only a gentle tightening at the base of the behind. Then just keep engaging deeper and allow your spine to stretch out through crown and lengthen through heels.

For the first stomach exercise in Evolution you will need to keep the pelvic floor engaged. But just keep checking as you train that your pelvic floor is still engaged.

Keep up with the fantastic work Tc. Alos, I'm filming tips today for the hip and behind and leg exercises in Evolution and that should be up on my website next week.

Sandra x

Yes!!! Im soo happy I am finally getting this. Thanks Sandra and Noreen for all your help. I will take you advice on the leg exercises and try that on my next session. I cant wait to see you filming tips. Really looking forward to it

[onaisland]

I tried Super Callan today. Uhh...I thought I was quite flexible in the stretches and can get my head down flat against the leg but I cannot raise my arms behind me quite as high as Callan...in fact hardly high at all. She is Gumby in disguise.

[CallanFan]

Originally Posted by onaisland

I tried Super Callan today. Uhh...I thought I was quite flexible in the stretches and can get my head down flat against the leg but I cannot raise my arms behind me quite as high as Callan...in fact hardly high at all. She is Gumby in disguise.

gumby! i can see it!

[missmattie]

Originally Posted by siamesegirl

This was taken today, as you can see the sundress is too big on me!

Noreen, you look beautiful!!

[dimond]

Another hour of 10/10 in...2/12 in July.

-Di

[Comma]

I did another hour yesterday...today we had a plumbing problem and the time is gone....I feel really dissapointed!

kelly, as for the neck, I think it is meant as in: four times in a row, or only a couple of days in between? Otherwise, you get tense again or are still tense, I would think.

You look good Noreen! And that dress is big on you.

Wazo, do you think you might have to work on the positions? I can see a difference too, but when you say the pulses are kinda easy, maybe you need to relax more or something. When I relax, the excercise tends to get much much harder, and often I can only relax well toward the end of the excercise becasue I don't notice I was tense before.....then I do a few extras while she talks about pennys between the knees. Works good so far- only the belly doesnt seem to make any progress whatever.

I'll try the zipper. You zip end to front and then up as in midsaggital? I'll try that...I love reading all your questions and those great answers, thanks so much!

[PrincessNutznBoltz]

I've been bad I didn't do Callanetics in two days because of the 'worse before it gets better' phase. I know everyone said it goes away quickly but I was distressed. Anyway, I decided to attempt the stomach exercises (w/o video) and I did EVERY REP!!! I took a break about every 30-50 (HUGE improvement for me) So I'm back on track and will do Callan later today and attempt to ignore the changing in my body. I suppose because on the 20th my boyfriend is coming to visit, and....I don't want my tummy to be bulging worse and my cellulite worsened. Should I hold off until after he comes? Or will the 'ugly phase' be done by then?

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox

[thomas_london]

Hey there - a newbie from London.

I am joining in. I exercise professionally and have been a fan of callanetics since the 80s. Currently do the original callanetics and super callanetics - I also take Lotte Berk classes.

My goal is now to do either of my callanetic dvd's every other day, and will start this afternoon

[NenaP]

12th hour done

[sunrise lady]

hey, a familiar face, ummm name! hi thomas!

Yes, everyone thanks for the continued PF descriptions! I like the zipper because it helps me engage the back more. At the moment I'm kinda doing a merging between the zipper and Sandra's bud turning into a flower which opens the pelvic bones! When I really get it (I've been doing it on the train and when sitting down), and I then also relax it, I can almost feel a kinda vibration (bad word but best I can describe) somewhere inside the pelvic bones as they relax but I guess are energized! I'm finding the fine line between the tightening at the back and not specifically tightening the butt hole! (or at least not tightening it without tightening the sit bones area too, if that makes any sense!).

Happy filming Sandra!

[sjaschen]

Noreen, you look great! Impressive!

[ThyckeCutie]

Originally Posted by siamesegirl

This was taken today, as you can see the sundress is too big on me!

You look great Noreen

[whalefrozentoes]

holy crap you guys I'm on hour 4 for july and I swear my butt is beginning lift off already, lol!

I'm also spinning about 6x a week, and some taebo....

I'll take some photos when I get a new camera. Mine died on the weekend.


This thread has so much information, it's hard to keep up!

[Antonya]

11 Hours done!!!

[planetbenjamin]

Originally Posted by siamesegirl

This was taken today, as you can see the sundress is too big on me!

WOW!!!!! You look FANTASTIC!!!!

[planetbenjamin]

Originally Posted by thomas_london

Hey there - a newbie from London.

I am joining in. I exercise professionally and have been a fan of callanetics since the 80s. Currently do the original callanetics and super callanetics - I also take Lotte Berk classes.

My goal is now to do either of my callanetic dvd's every other day, and will start this afternoon

Arrrhhhhhhhh!!!! Someone else from London!! Lets get together!

[ninajane]

Hey, I'm a newbie from Manchester, 22 and I've put on about a stone since I graduated and got my car!

I got the 1989 Callanetics book and I started yesterday, got about 45 minutes done before I was called away.

I'm finding the hip and behind exercises really difficult, my leg strength used to be really good in Tai Kwon Do and my climbing but I've lost it all, plus the added weight hasn't helped! I can't even lift my leg off the floor like this:

Position

although I'm trying it as demonstrated in the book with the barr. The kneeling and sitting down variation are equally impossible for me, I'm just not getting it. Any tips?

I can't find any classes locally to ask these questions, although I'm still looking.


I'll post some pics when I get my camera out and start my gallery!

[kelley17]

Originally Posted by ninajane

Hey, I'm a newbie from Manchester, 22 and I've put on about a stone since I graduated and got my car!

I got the 1989 Callanetics book and I started yesterday, got about 45 minutes done before I was called away.

I'm finding the hip and behind exercises really difficult, my leg strength used to be really good in Tai Kwon Do and my climbing but I've lost it all, plus the added weight hasn't helped! I can't even lift my leg off the floor like this:

Position

although I'm trying it as demonstrated in the book with the barr. The kneeling and sitting down variation are equally impossible for me, I'm just not getting it. Any tips?

I can't find any classes locally to ask these questions, although I'm still looking.


I'll post some pics when I get my camera out and start my gallery!

If you get the 10/10 tape they have you hold on to a bar for the hip/behind exercises and to lean over as much as you need. I don't have a bar but use my kitchen chair.

Good luck and welcome - I'm a newbie this month too!

[ninajane]

Originally Posted by kelley17

If you get the 10/10 tape they have you hold on to a bar for the hip/behind exercises and to lean over as much as you need. I don't have a bar but use my kitchen chair.

Brilliant, I thought the further I leant over the more I was doing wrong!

[Comma]

yup, just lean over all you need. You'll be able to lift that leg in no time, and I'm speaking from experience.

I think my butt is pulling up...before it just kind of melted over into the thigh, now it looks like a string cuts in deeply between butt and thighs....sort of....
My legs are doing really well, arms too, I think....belly...oh well. Can't have it all.

Another hour done!

I feel mentally better as well when I do these...don't know why, its definitely more than just working off the not-excercising guilt.

[kelley17]

Originally Posted by ninajane

Brilliant, I thought the further I leant over the more I was doing wrong!

On the tape she says as long as you roll your leg forward and tip that pelvis up you are OK- but hopefully Ben, Sandra or Noreen will verify - they are the experts!

Hopefully I'm doing it right because I want that sweet little peach of a behind.

[Antonya]

Re: hip and bum exercises...in last month's thread Sandra demonstrates how to do these without using a barre or chair. You just lean on your side and support yourself with your forearm - much less awkward! See if you can find those posts in the June thread.

Comma: oh my heavens, I have that string/bum thing too! My DH took my 10 hour pics last week and when I saw my behind I was like, what is that?! Gosh, I hope it does mean lifting is happening, because boy I need it back there.

[siamesegirl]

1 hour of Callanetics Evolution done!

[ThyckeCutie]

I think doing the hip/behind exercises in Evolution is easier. It seems like you are pretty much in postion when you are on your forearm w/counterpulls in place. It seems like you just lift the knee. Why is it so different in 10/10 & Super C? It seems like you have to turn to the side, roll hip forward, tighten behind, which brings knee down, then lift knee.....whew Doesnt it basically bring you in the same position as Evolution? I still get confused by this exercise. It seems like each video is explained a little different