February 2009 Callanetics Challenge

[Sandrahanna]

One session of pulsing down nine more to go

[Sandrahanna]

Originally Posted by earthling

Hi Sandra,

You look fantastic! Thank you for helping and inspiring us newbies on our Callanetics journey. I have a couple of questions which I will try to make short:

I had a hard time last year with the hips/barre exercises and wasn't sure if I was getting any results; I will still go on with them but can I do butt clenches, squats, etc. along with the Callanetics...or will I end up with a very strange looking derriere?

I also do some beginner pilates every now and then (just 20 minutes). Is this okay to do before Callanetics?

I read in Callan's book that the whole hour 10/10 must be done together, but I've read posts where people break it up during the day - I'd like to do upper body and lower body on alternate days. Will this still be effective?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thank you so much!

Thank you for the lovely compliment :blush:

I don't think that you'd get a strange looking derriere unless you already have one to start with

You can do Callanetics with any other exercise program quite safely. Although I can't imagine why you'd need to other than maybe some extra upper body work if you were after a more buffed look. Or you're addicted to exercise.

The only problems I come across with students, especially beginners, who want to continue with other methods, mainly gym though; is that Callanetics requires you to use your own body strength which requires you to completely relax and let go while working out. This can be difficult if you haven't mastered Callanetics and the concepts in the first place.

You can divide the workout to suit. Try to split it up in to body parts if you can. Or half the workout in the morning and the other in the evening.

[xbumblebeex]

Originally Posted by Justme_Natalie

Just found one online at ebay for you bumblebee, but I'm sure that I only paid a few pounds so you might want to look around:

Callanetics DVD - **NEW & Sealed** on eBay, also, DVDs, DVD, Film TV (end time 22-Feb-09 16:55:29 GMT)

Thank you very much! I'll have a wee shop around and see what I find. I'd like to get some of the other dvds too to mix things up a bit so i'll see if I get spot any bargains on them too!

Thanks again!

[Sandrahanna]

Originally Posted by sreichfeld

:blush::blush:

Hi Sandra!

Have a question for you :blush:

can you please suggest good hip strech exercise that I can do additionally to Evolution or 10/10? i have very 'tight' hips, meaning when I am on the floor cross legged in front of me, my knees are far up from the floor.. like in a V shape..

thanks a lot in advance

Sylv

Hi Sylv,

This is one of two things. One, your muscles are tight and need to be stretched more. If this is so you'll feel the tightness of your muscles.

Or, it due to compression, which is caused by the shape of your bones, which means no amount of stretching will make a difference to how far your knees go out and down to the floor.

However, try this stretching exercise. Of course you need to do this daily for the full benefits but it definitely helps open up the hips.

Sit on Floor with back resting against a wall. Bring the soles of your feet together with your knees out to the side. Stretch our spine up.

Place your hands on your knees. Your arms need to be straight so if you need to you can draw your shoulders up to your ears.

Just hold this position for a while to allow the muscles between your legs to relax.

Now, while still pressing the knees down, press the knees upwards in to hands. This is counter pressure movement. Hold for a slow count of 10. Now, inhale then exhale slowly while relaxing the upward counter pressure of the legs and at the same time pressing the knees gently further down to the floor. HOld this stretch for 10 counts.

You should feel the legs opening and widening and the knees going that little bit further to the floor.

[Sandrahanna]

Originally Posted by Sydneyemma

Just to give those who need that little bit of encouragement! Finally this is doing what the experts (ben, Sandra etc) have all been saying would happen! trousers are looser, hips looking better and so excited! I know I am far from perfect and would love proper lessons. I am in Cheshunt Herts so if any one knows about lessons! it would be great. I do enjoy Callen and love that I can now see changes. Am still power walking and doing a bit of running at the weekends! Lets just hope it continues to work out....!
But keep it up. I felt like giving up when my hips got bigger and I thought I was going in the wrond direction.....but it works! Tho still working on the inner thigh and front of them!

Em

Congratulations and thanks so much for posting this It's these postings that keep everyone motivated and on track.

[Sandrahanna]

Originally Posted by ellenalesa

I posted this in January, and didn't see a reply, so I"m bringing it over.

I'm back! I've been layin' low for a couple of weeks..fighting off one of the nasties going around. I've been sleeping a LOT but it seems like I"m thru the worst of it.

Anyway, I went to the studio for the first time in about 2 weeks. We used a ball to engage the PF. On our backs, we had our heels in the center of the top of the ball, and rolled it to and from our bodies. We were instructed to engage on the inward movement and release on the outward movement, and then reverse it. The ball bouncing would indicate the PF was activated.

I am PF challenged, apparently. I never know what I'm doing.

I tightened up something...it felt kinda like I was doing a Kegel. The ball bounced, so I assume I was doing it correctly.

Any instructions? I would like to engage/disengage at will...but I don't FEEL anything. Are you supposed to?

Thanks.

Ellen

Hey Ellen,

You do engage/disengage at will many times during the day without you even thinking about doing it. Just keep thinking that you're tightening all the muscles that you use to go to the toilet. Feel it as a drawing in and lifting up in to the pelvis. When you do this correctly you should feel the lower abs stretch and the hip bones will open and widen.

You can practice this sitting, standing or lying down by placing your hands over your lower abs. Squeeze the muscles between the sit bones and then focus on lifting the muscles up in to the pelvis. Then allow the muscles to open like a beautiful flower or a hammock. If you have your hands over hip bones and lower abs you'll feel this movement.

Remember that you don't need to tighten your buttocks. Only the base of the behind will tighten.

Some teachers (not Callanetics) tell students to visualise the pelvic floor as a lift and the lift rises upwards narrowing. However, the pelvic floor does open when it's fully activated. I do a meditation at the end of my class and I generally encourage my students to visualise the flower. A beautiful bud at the base of the behind between the sit bones and then it opens up to full bloom as it connects with the middle and outer layer of the pelvic floor muscles.

I hope this hasn't confused you further

[Sandrahanna]

Originally Posted by vfCookie

1 hour of 10/10 done tonight.

Sandra - hurry up and visit Paris! If ya do, I'll take the TGV up and act as your personal translator... not that you really need one in Paris, but still I will use whatever excuse I can to get in on the personal training offer.

Next visit to UK I will try and spend more time and get some travel in. Paris will definitely be on my list.

[sreichfeld]

Originally Posted by Sandrahanna

Hi Sylv,

This is one of two things. One, your muscles are tight and need to be stretched more. If this is so you'll feel the tightness of your muscles.

Or, it due to compression, which is caused by the shape of your bones, which means no amount of stretching will make a difference to how far your knees go out and down to the floor.

However, try this stretching exercise. Of course you need to do this daily for the full benefits but it definitely helps open up the hips.

Sit on Floor with back resting against a wall. Bring the soles of your feet together with your knees out to the side. Stretch our spine up.

Place your hands on your knees. Your arms need to be straight so if you need to you can draw your shoulders up to your ears.

Just hold this position for a while to allow the muscles between your legs to relax.

Now, while still pressing the knees down, press the knees upwards in to hands. This is counter pressure movement. Hold for a slow count of 10. Now, inhale then exhale slowly while relaxing the upward counter pressure of the legs and at the same time pressing the knees gently further down to the floor. HOld this stretch for 10 counts.

You should feel the legs opening and widening and the knees going that little bit further to the floor.

Sandra!
Thanks a lot for the advice! I will try this out tonight.

[WATCH-ME-SHRINK]

Originally Posted by SpaceCowgirl

1 hour completed last night.

I have a question: I started callanetics 4 days ago and have done 3 hour long sessions. Before adding the callanetics, I was doing cardio 4 days a week and Atkins and losing very steadily. Since adding the 3 sessions of callanetics, I've gained 4 pounds. What gives? I know I'll probably get the standard "muscle weighs more than fat" answer, but how long until I can expect the numbers to start going back down?

Thanks in advance!

Edited to add: I've also measured and broke even.

Be patient and allow your body time to adjust to a new routine. Our bodies need adaptation time. Let the magic work for you with consistency and dedication. Don't be a slave to the scale; it's way too deceiving and is the worst measure of success.

Why The Scale Lies

[xbumblebeex]

Great link Twyla! Thanks!

[mary761]

Callanetics AM done this morning. I am feeling stretched and good, and thankfully less sore than yesterday. I'm enjoying the posts. Thanks for all the motivation and information!

[WATCH-ME-SHRINK]

Originally Posted by xbumblebeex

Great link Twyla! Thanks!

[COLOR="DarkOrange"]Glad to have you back with us!
[/COLOR]

[coll79]

Only made it halfway last month! 8/15...... So, I will try to be a little more realistic and go for 10 this month!

We'll see what happens!

[JeanB]

Good morning everyone.
I hope you don't mind if I jump in late. I LOVE Callanetics. I used to do them faithfully until about October. Then for some reason, I fell away from it so I need to get back to it. I like the strength I get in my legs. I like to jog and it really helps with that. I am going to commit to doing 15 this month. I used to always do these in the morning but I have read that some of you think you sleep much better. That is reason enough for me to change to an evening schedule. Also, I have a question, how long should I wait after dinner to do the exercises?

Jean

[catcookie]

Hi!
I did the am part of am/pm callen and will do the pm tonight after
my dance class tonight.
I've been away from atkins and gained back the weight following
lowfat/high carb. Not anymore! come friday (payday because I don't have the right foods in the house) it's back to induction.

Mel

[Justme_Natalie]

Hour two now completed.

...so that's 2/14 for this month

[Romy@callan]

2nd out of 12 done, feeling tired now, will have an early night i guess :blush:

Have a good day everyone !

[sweettooth]

Today I did my third hour of SuperC.
After 35 hours of callanetics since mid November I thought it was time to take some measurements just to check my improvements.
Here's the results:
waist: from 72 cm to 67 awesome!
hips: from 101 cm to 103
legs: from 47 to 49

I tried to be as accurate as possible, so I'm quite sure I didn't make any mistakes.
I think I am entering the "muffin top" stage.
My butt is definetely higher, and this is proved also by the facts that my left saddlebag seems to be higher than my right one. I converted my stats so they should be 5 08" for height and 119 pounds for weight. I think that my flesh is going up,I can't find any other explanation to this...
I think it's taking long because I've always had my greatest amount of fat just around my hips and over my legs.
Well, it's not exactly the results I was expecting, but they still are the proof that something is moving...

[sweettooth]

Originally Posted by WATCH-ME-SHRINK

Don't be a slave to the scale; it's way too deceiving and is the worst measure of success.

Why The Scale Lies

Great article! It says clearly that not all pounds are created equal...
But, at least for me, it's hard to fight the desire of reading that number on the scale :blush:, even if I know that it's just a number and it doesn't say anything about my body

[vfCookie]

today was a squeeze day in lieu of callanetics... But I noticed today that, after having done 10/10 last night, I was standing straighter and just felt more pulled in today. Tomorrow is Evo! Woohoo! I know it is a challenging workout that gets great results, so why do I count it is an relax day? (And CardioC is my "massage in motion")

[tryinitout]

Hey all, past my goal of 10 hours last month and got in 12.
So I'm going for 11 hours of 10/10 this month!

[xbumblebeex]

Well done to everyone who got some callanetics done today! I didn't do any today - my legs were sore!lol

[sreichfeld]

1 hour of 10/10 completed

[Skinny Panda]

Okay so I spent every day last week doing Am/Pm Callantics. Was having some problems understand the pulsing and other movements. (Thanks to Twyla and Sandra for answering my queries.) But on Sunday I decided to do the 10/10 and suddenly it made A LOT more sense. And I found it a better work out for me, more time consuming, but I guess I was just trying to ease into it and kind of "trick myself" into the habit. I think the 10/10 is what I need.
Am I too ambitious to want to try and 20 sessions in February? I am planning on doing 5 times a week. Already down three. And am absolutely determined to see results : )

[WATCH-ME-SHRINK]

Originally Posted by Skinny Panda

Okay so I spent every day last week doing Am/Pm Callantics. Was having some problems understand the pulsing and other movements. (Thanks to Twyla and Sandra for answering my queries.) But on Sunday I decided to do the 10/10 and suddenly it made A LOT more sense. And I found it a better work out for me, more time consuming, but I guess I was just trying to ease into it and kind of "trick myself" into the habit. I think the 10/10 is what I need.
Am I too ambitious to want to try and 20 sessions in February? I am planning on doing 5 times a week. Already down three. And am absolutely determined to see results : )

SP, based on your stats, you can't be too far away from fabulous already!

But look at it this way: It's an experiment. You spend 5 days a week in the month of February on Callanetics. (Hopefully you've measured and taken pics when you began). Throw in a few days of cardio now and then when you can, and you should have some pretty amazing results.

If you get to a point where you feel your form is suffering, maybe your muscles need a break, so take a day off, then resume.

Go for it. You can be a Callanetics Poster Child.

[KlingonBabe]

I have no desire to do anything other than Callanetics in this weather. Not even the elliptical holds any lure for me. Do I really need to do cardio, or will a few Cardio Callanetics sessions help me?

[SpaceCowgirl]

2/12 hours complete for February.

I feel great!

[Mademoiselle23]

Does anyone know of a Callanetics studio in New York City?

[Ceibhfhionn]

I think this month is not going to be lucky for me. I'm totally sick . I hope I'm going to be ok until next week and begin my February challenge.

[mina_h]

just looking at this thread makes me want to go exercise! unfortunatly this is my "rest" day so my muscles can repair themselves....its funny i've never been this excited to exercise before!