July Callanetics Challenge

[CallanFan]

Originally Posted by Phoenix_Rising

Hi All!

I'm new to your board, but I've been reading the posts for a few weeks about Callanetics. Amazingly, I'm 38 years old and I have never heard of Callanetics before! Where have I been?

Anyways, I've done about 3 hours of Callanetics Evolution and maybe 2-3 sessions of CardioCallanetics and I'm really frustrated because I can't seem to activate the pelvic floor and do the exercises AT THE SAME TIME.

I can activated my pelvic floor when reading the boards, or watching TV or driving. (If that's what I'm actually doing anyways. ) But when I try to exercise and do the pelvic floor, it's hopeless. So then I get frustrated because if I'm not doing it right, then the whole process won't be effective and I won't get the results that you guys are getting.

I'm feeling the stretches where I need to be feeling them, and most times I can feel the muscles working that are suppose to be working, but it's that darn pelvic floor thing that's driving me crazy. I need help. I've got a 20 year high school reunion coming up in 4 weeks that I would like slim down for. Do Callanetics still work even if you're not doing it 100% right?

Thanks for any and all advice.

P.S. Anybody in Denver, Colorado who know if there are any Callanetics classes available? Thanks!

I'm sure some of the experts will jump in here, but I think a lot of us started out the same way, unable to activate the PF while pulsing. It comes with time. But as Callan says on one of her tapes, just do the exercises as best you can as you understand them and they'll work for you. Good technique comes with practice -- and the helpful hints of our certified trainers and experienced experts here on this board.

Good luck!

[laurakitty]

1 hr. 10/10

[ellenalesa]

My goal is 10 hours for July and I have completed 4 so far.

[Sandrahanna]

Originally Posted by Phoenix_Rising

Hi All!

I'm new to your board, but I've been reading the posts for a few weeks about Callanetics. Amazingly, I'm 38 years old and I have never heard of Callanetics before! Where have I been?

Anyways, I've done about 3 hours of Callanetics Evolution and maybe 2-3 sessions of CardioCallanetics and I'm really frustrated because I can't seem to activate the pelvic floor and do the exercises AT THE SAME TIME.

I can activated my pelvic floor when reading the boards, or watching TV or driving. (If that's what I'm actually doing anyways. ) But when I try to exercise and do the pelvic floor, it's hopeless. So then I get frustrated because if I'm not doing it right, then the whole process won't be effective and I won't get the results that you guys are getting.

I'm feeling the stretches where I need to be feeling them, and most times I can feel the muscles working that are suppose to be working, but it's that darn pelvic floor thing that's driving me crazy. I need help. I've got a 20 year high school reunion coming up in 4 weeks that I would like slim down for. Do Callanetics still work even if you're not doing it 100% right?

Thanks for any and all advice.

P.S. Anybody in Denver, Colorado who know if there are any Callanetics classes available? Thanks!

Hi,

Yes you will still get results if you're not doing the exercises 100% correctly. You can only do what your body will allow...at this time.

The more workouts you complete the more understanding you will gain of the CallaneticsConcepts and you'll be able to intensify the workout by focusing more on the concepts as you pulse or hold a stretch.

As far as keeping the pelvic floor activated while exercising; it is normal in the beginning to lose the isolation and that's why it's reiterated so much during the workouts. This too is absolutely normal and it's best not to stress about it. If you lose the sensation of the pelvic floor or find it difficult to keep activated, just tighten the base of the behind. As the pelvic floor strengthens you'll find it easier to keep engaged and in time you'll know when you've lost the engagement as the exercise or stretch won't feel anywhere near as intense.

We activate the pelvic floor as the first step in our set up as it protects our bodies as we move in to position. Once we're in position most beginners have released the pelvic floor...this too is normal. So, once you start to pulse, or just holding a stretch, start to tighten your pelvic floor but do this in a relaxed manner and maybe only using 10-20%. So it will feel like a gentle squeeze. You can then continue to tighten deeper and deeper as you train to intensify the exercise. If it releases just re-engage

Remember, activating the pelvic floor is the sensation of holding in wind and wee at the same time. Try to keep the low back lengthened and relaxed when you engage and avoid curling or tipping the pelvis at the same time as you engage. It's important to trust your bodies natural instinct when you engage...it knows what to do...it's your brain only that gets confused about this

Check out Callanetics to find a teacher near you.

Happy Pulsing

[CallanFan]

Originally Posted by Sandrahanna

Hi,

Yes you will still get results if you're not doing the exercises 100% correctly. You can only do what your body will allow...at this time.

The more workouts you complete the more understanding you will gain of the CallaneticsConcepts and you'll be able to intensify the workout by focusing more on the concepts as you pulse or hold a stretch.

As far as keeping the pelvic floor activated while exercising; it is normal in the beginning to lose the isolation and that's why it's reiterated so much during the workouts. This too is absolutely normal and it's best not to stress about it. If you lose the sensation of the pelvic floor or find it difficult to keep activated, just tighten the base of the behind. As the pelvic floor strengthens you'll find it easier to keep engaged and in time you'll know when you've lost the engagement as the exercise or stretch won't feel anywhere near as intense.

We activate the pelvic floor as the first step in our set up as it protects our bodies as we move in to position. Once we're in position most beginners have released the pelvic floor...this too is normal. So, once you start to pulse, or just holding a stretch, start to tighten your pelvic floor but do this in a relaxed manner and maybe only using 10-20%. So it will feel like a gentle squeeze. You can then continue to tighten deeper and deeper as you train to intensify the exercise. If it releases just re-engage

Remember, activating the pelvic floor is the sensation of holding in wind and wee at the same time. Try to keep the low back lengthened and relaxed when you engage and avoid curling or tipping the pelvis at the same time as you engage. It's important to trust your bodies natural instinct when you engage...it knows what to do...it's your brain only that gets confused about this

Check out Callanetics to find a teacher near you.

Happy Pulsing

Sandra, what are you saying here about tipping the pelvis? Do you mean not to tip up before you engage the PF, or do you mean don't tip up at all if you're going to be engaging the PF?

[Phoenix_Rising]

Originally Posted by CallanFan

I'm sure some of the experts will jump in here, but I think a lot of us started out the same way, unable to activate the PF while pulsing. It comes with time. But as Callan says on one of her tapes, just do the exercises as best you can as you understand them and they'll work for you. Good technique comes with practice -- and the helpful hints of our certified trainers and experienced experts here on this board.

Good luck!

Thank you! It's good to know that I'm not the only one.

I'll keep practicing.

[Phoenix_Rising]

Thank you, Sandra, for such a thorough reply. I will keep practicing and hopefully it will start to get better for me.

Thanks again!

Originally Posted by Sandrahanna

Hi,

Yes you will still get results if you're not doing the exercises 100% correctly. You can only do what your body will allow...at this time.

The more workouts you complete the more understanding you will gain of the CallaneticsConcepts and you'll be able to intensify the workout by focusing more on the concepts as you pulse or hold a stretch.

As far as keeping the pelvic floor activated while exercising; it is normal in the beginning to lose the isolation and that's why it's reiterated so much during the workouts. This too is absolutely normal and it's best not to stress about it. If you lose the sensation of the pelvic floor or find it difficult to keep activated, just tighten the base of the behind. As the pelvic floor strengthens you'll find it easier to keep engaged and in time you'll know when you've lost the engagement as the exercise or stretch won't feel anywhere near as intense.

We activate the pelvic floor as the first step in our set up as it protects our bodies as we move in to position. Once we're in position most beginners have released the pelvic floor...this too is normal. So, once you start to pulse, or just holding a stretch, start to tighten your pelvic floor but do this in a relaxed manner and maybe only using 10-20%. So it will feel like a gentle squeeze. You can then continue to tighten deeper and deeper as you train to intensify the exercise. If it releases just re-engage

Remember, activating the pelvic floor is the sensation of holding in wind and wee at the same time. Try to keep the low back lengthened and relaxed when you engage and avoid curling or tipping the pelvis at the same time as you engage. It's important to trust your bodies natural instinct when you engage...it knows what to do...it's your brain only that gets confused about this

Check out Callanetics to find a teacher near you.

Happy Pulsing

[Danipower714]

Phoenix Rising! I love your name!

[AprilW]

Hour 6 done.

[sweettooth]

posting my 8th lower body session, 4 more to go!!!!

[Phoenix_Rising]

Originally Posted by Danipower714

Phoenix Rising! I love your name!

Thanks, Dani!

I'm just hoping that I'll keep Callanetics in my life. In the past, I would start an exercise routine, then quit. But I'm determined to not do that with Callanetics.

Thanks again.

[bsbarlow]

4 hours of 10/10

[HighlyFavored]

Hello All,

I hope everyone is well.

Monday: 10/10 hour 5 (kneeling hips & behind)

Tuesday: 30-Day Shred (Level 2)

Wednesday: 10/10 hour 6 (kneeling hips & behind)
Cardio Max (Level 2)

Thursday: BFBM

Friday: nada

Saturday: Cardio Max (Levels 1 & 2)

I have been really taking my time with pulsing and taking breathers, as opposed to rushing to finish the video.

I haven't been having a desire to exercise lately, but I continue to push through. I think of the way I want my body to look, how much better I have been feeling and that darn avatar to the left and I start exercising!!! As you can see...I did no exercise on Friday - but I made up for it Saturday which is my rest day. I may have over did it Saturday because I was sore on Sunday .

I am experiencing the whole "belly fat" thing that is to be expected with Callanetics...but I'm working through it (literally & figuratively) !

I'm thinking of either (a) going on Induction for 2 weeks or (b) trying out the BFC (Belly Fat Cure). I'll keep you posted on what I decide.

My waist and hips are still pulling in nicely ! Who would have known there was a beautiful hourglass figure underneath the fat !!! It is my hope to put the cardio in overdrive this week !

to all newbies!

We have less than two weeks left...stay strong everyone and hang in there .

[HighlyFavored]

Sandra,

I value your opinion and this has been bothering me for about a month or so now...

I notice that when I do the kneeling hips & behind from the book I feel it more in my behind and my hips (with both the knee bent & extended)...
however, when I do the sitting hips and behind from 10/10, I don't feel it nearly as much (with the knee bent or extended) as I do with the kneeling!

On a scale of 1-10 (1 being the least and 10 being the greatest)
Kneeling - 10
Sitting - 1.5

My pelvic floor is engaged and the hip is rolled

Thanks for any feedback !!!

[HighlyFavored]

Originally Posted by zinny

Did an hour of 10/10. That's 8/15 hours of Callanetics for July, right on track.

I am really not liking that I am back up to size 14--I am very motivated to get back down to 12 as soon as possible and then down to 10. I know that this has got to come partly from sticking to a cardio routine as well. I've done Cardio Max 1 a couple of times this week.
HighlyFavored, when you do 3 dvds on one day do you do them all back to back or spread them out?
Sandra, thanks for answering my stretch questions!

Hello,

When I do 3 dvd's on one day, I do them consecutively! I get it done in the morning and it's what works for me !

Great job sticking to a cardio routine !!!

Are you enjoying Cardio Max?

Thanks for bolding that or I would have missed it!

[Sandrahanna]

Originally Posted by CallanFan

Sandra, what are you saying here about tipping the pelvis? Do you mean not to tip up before you engage the PF, or do you mean don't tip up at all if you're going to be engaging the PF?

You don't want to curl or tip up the pelvis when you engage the pelvic floor. Engaging the pelvic floor requires no other muscle contraction.

If a curl is required for an exercise

1. Engage the pelvic floor

2. Stretch up out of the pelvis/pelvic floor

3. Then curl the pelvis


Callan instructed to curl or tip the pelvis for many of the standing exercises because it provided a lengthening of the low back, she also always instructed to stretch the spine up for protection and further isolate the muscles.

However, now that we utilise pelvic floor muscles, along with counterpulls, curling isn't always necessary as the spine will be lengthened and protected by the engagement and counterpulls.

So in class when we are doing say the neck stretches; I don't instruct curl up the pelvis but have the low back and tailbone lengthened down and the crown of the head along with the spine stretched up. However, if a student has a very prominent sway back I will encourage her to add a curl.

Does this make sense? If not let me know.

[HighlyFavored]

Originally Posted by jaminator

I did the 30 day shred level 1 last night. Do you like BL's Cardio Max better?

Hello,

I'm impartial...I 30DS, but I notice more inch loss as opposed to fat loss on the scale. It was the first dvd I purchased after tons of research and it can do no wrong in my book .

For me the 30DS is circuit training with the focus being on strength mixed in with a little cardio and abs. It's around 20 minutes or so too, so it's incredible!!!

As opposed to Cardio Max, where it is all cardio...even though Bob uses weights for some exercises on Level 1...I still consider it all cardio. I purchased this one in addition to the 30DS because I needed more cardio. Originally, this video was purely purchased as a supplement for the Shred. I would do a level of the Shred, plus a level of Cardio Max...almost a match made in heaven (in my eyes) !!! 30-40 mins (depending on which level of CM) and I'm done .

However, Cardio Max comes in really handy when I need to get some cardio in and I don't feel like doing anything else . For example, this past Friday I didn't exercise at all but I took comfort in knowing that Saturday I could just pop this in, customize it and do Jillian's Level 2, which is only 10mins . However, I was feeling so good...I added in Level 1 for good measure !

I like them both, but they meet different needs & serve different purposes for me !!!

Now that I've found Callanetics ...I have versatility in applying the Cardio Max to either Callanetics or 30DS. It's great because it's only 10-20 mins and a great addition to my Callanetics 10/10 video.

I hope this helps.

[sky115]

Hi everyone! I have posted periodically in the past. I've been doing callanetics in spurts throughout the year, I fell off the bandwagon in the last couple of months due to life issues.
I am always inspired when I come on these forums to read the posts when I am trying to motivate myself to start up again. I have 10-15 pounds I would like to lose and am hoping to utilize callanetics to do so, I could even not lose weight if I could change the shape of my legs. I am always battling these last vanity 15 pounds, mostly because of my diet and emotional eating issues that always get in the way of me being where I feel comfortable with body wise (I was at a lovely weight a few weeks ago before my emotional eating kicked in mysteriously, ug). I am not overweight, I just think I don't look so good.
My upper body is thin, but my legs/thighs store all my fat. I am pearish- but I have small hips, my legs are just thick (I have a spot on waist/hip ratio), my thighs don't taper down and my knees are quite chubby/thick, and I have larger bulkier calves then I would like. I mostly wear loose pants because I don't like my leg shape. My Butt is even small but my leg muscles just look so bulky and unappealing to me.
I am sure this has been asked before, even by me- but I will try to be specific-
Can callanetics change the shape of the muscles so it will be less bulky? My upper thighs aren't even that large its just my thigh is kind of the same size down to my knee, it doesn't taper. I don't even have saddlebags... Can it really create a 'tapering' effect on my middle thigh to knee area? I feel like my legs are genetically wired to be thicker and no matter what I do they will always be shaped this way, this is my depressing hopeless feeling... I don't want to give myself false hope that this exercise program will magically change this because I know this is setting myself up for disappointment. I also read a while ago Sandrahanna mentioned she found Callanetics had a thinning effect on her calves/ankles, I would like to know if I can see the same results and if so how dramatic they will be? I am really curious about that. I do the 10 in 10 program, not evolution, and I try to apply the advice she gives.

[Sandrahanna]

Originally Posted by HighlyFavored

Sandra,

I value your opinion and this has been bothering me for about a month or so now...

I notice that when I do the kneeling hips & behind from the book I feel it more in my behind and my hips (with both the knee bent & extended)...
however, when I do the sitting hips and behind from 10/10, I don't feel it nearly as much (with the knee bent or extended) as I do with the kneeling!

On a scale of 1-10 (1 being the least and 10 being the greatest)
Kneeling - 10
Sitting - 1.5

My pelvic floor is engaged and the hip is rolled

Thanks for any feedback !!!

It would seem that your buttocks are quite toned and strong as you probably wouldn't be feeling it so intensely in the kneeling hip and behind...so yay to this

I think you just need to intensify the sitting position to get the max out of it. I still love this exercise but really have to place a lot of focus on intensifying so that I get intensity between 7 and 10.

First try relaxing more in to position. So breathe deeply and let go and relax all your other muscles. You even want to master relaxing and letting go of the muscles you're training. When I do this it feels to me like soft flowing energy emanating from my pelvic floor/pelvis through my legs and torso. But I'm still stretched out of course and not collapsing. My muscles are taut throughout the exercise.

Before you lift your knee or leg...focus on lengthening the leg out of the hip socket and keep tightening your pelvic floor muscles and you'll start feel the foot or knee lift up off the floor. This will prevent you from using your upper buttocks or hip to lift and will isolate the buttocks even deeper.
Keep your pelvis absolutely stable don't let it rise up or shift when you lift the knee or leg.

Instead of pulsing the knee back or the leg up and down try making little outward circles. This will change the feel for you and tones slightly differently. It's important to keep doing something different to create muscle confusion and keep the results coming in so changes, even small ones, are beneficial.

[HighlyFavored]

Thanks a million, Sandra

I feel like I felt it the first few times of 10/10 but after the 10th or 11th hour last month...nothing !

I will definitely try and implement this tomorrow !!!

[vessel of prayer]

hr eleven for July, four more to go. whoo hooo.

[HighlyFavored]

Way to go vessel of prayer !

Keep up the great work !!!

[enjoy]

Did 10/10 for 7/15, I have been draging lately, I have to work on meeting my goal.

[Kaimi2008]

Originally Posted by HighlyFavored

I'm in!!!

Not sure how many hours, yet. I also hope to order Evolution so that I can diversify my Callanetics workout!!!

Highlyflavored ~ I was going too ask if that was YOU in the avatar?

[HighlyFavored]

Originally Posted by Kaimi2008

Highlyflavored ~ I was going too ask if that was YOU in the avatar?

Very funny Kaimi...If that was me in the avatar I would not be on this board !

She is simply a body inspiration that makes me work very, very HARD!

That's why I put that disclaimer in my signature...so there would be no confusion & to give her the credit she deserves for such amazing work .

[Kaimi2008]

Originally Posted by HighlyFavored

Very funny Kaimi...If that was me in the avatar I would not be on this board !

She is simply a body inspiration that makes me work very, very HARD!

That's why I put that disclaimer in my signature...so there would be no confusion & to give her the credit she deserves for such amazing work .

Well, it could be you if you were maintaining or at goal weight.

Never heard of her before so I'm off to do a search -

Oh, my bad on the typing error! It was very early for me when I posted.

[WATCH-ME-SHRINK]

Just finished up an hour of Super Callanetics.

There are some days that nothing else --

N O T H I N G......E L S E

takes the place of a kickbutt Callanetics workout.

I can tell my day is gonna be all right.

[eggshell1970]

Im late bloomer starting, but I want to be in on this. Hope to get in 3 sessions a week.

[Qzzznne]

Didn't someone make a Facebook for Callanetics???? I want to become a fan and I just made a Facebook to drive my kids nuts. They said I was to old but I have found alot of people "my age" have one. What the heck!

[planetbenjamin]

Originally Posted by Qzzznne

Didn't someone make a Facebook for Callanetics???? I want to become a fan and I just made a Facebook to drive my kids nuts. They said I was to old but I have found alot of people "my age" have one. What the heck!

Here you go: Callanetics | Facebook