ChaLean Extreme Challenge

[3tikes]

It was odd, because in Push Circuit 3, Chalean actually says during the cool down that many people are starving and can't get enough to eat. She stresses how important it is to eat every 2-3 hours. Which I know because when I have things prepared and can grab quick, I do fine. I made a healthy tuna salad today and cut up some veggies. I also made the oopsie roll things. I'm just feeling sorry for myself I think.

[LadyBeloved]

Originally Posted by 3tikes

Why are you rethinking P90X?

Sorry. I forgot to answer this question.

I've been reading Alwyn Cosgrove and I'm becoming a convert.

[3tikes]

Now I had to google the name.............interesting..........

[LadyBeloved]

Ileen recommended a couple of books and I dashed to Border's downtown ... Ileen has street cred, lol.

Anyway, I have been reading his no-nonsense, no bs style and also Lyle MacDonald.

I was reading Alwyn's book on the train this morning and LOL several times during the trip. I mean belly laughs. A woman looked at the book and said, "What on earth can be funny about weightlifting?"

He did take a few swipes at women in the gyms heading over to the pink Malibu Barbie 5lb hand weights, completely thinking 50 reps on each arm will build biceps.

[3tikes]

I have Lou Schuler's book as well, "New Rules of Lifting for Women". They have a workout plan in there, but I really like the dvd thing right now. It takes all the guess work out for me!

[porkfatrules]

I'm finishing up week 3 of the Burn circuit -- can't believe how much heavier I'm lifting! On some of the lower body exercises, I'm using 25 pounds plus a 10 pound weight belt. For me, this is a lot!

[LadyBeloved]

I have New Rules for Lifting, too.

How does a weight belt help? It seems a weight belt would just stabilize your body?

I now have a barbell and plates. A guy in my office is a personal trainer and he told me this would assist greatly in balance and isolating muscles. He's right. Lifting the bar while also keeping good form and holding in the abs and keeping myself upright ... whoa! It is definitely, definitely challenging.

[porkfatrules]

Originally Posted by LadyBeloved

How does a weight belt help? It seems a weight belt would just stabilize your body?
:

With the combination moves in the Burn circuit, it can be hard to challenge your lower body with the weights that you can handle for your upper body. So, a weight belt helps load the lower body (for the squats, lunges, etc.) while you use a weight that you can handle for the flyes, rows, etc.

[LadyBeloved]

Originally Posted by porkfatrules

With the combination moves in the Burn circuit, it can be hard to challenge your lower body with the weights that you can handle for your upper body. So, a weight belt helps load the lower body (for the squats, lunges, etc.) while you use a weight that you can handle for the flyes, rows, etc.

Oh, I see. For the rows, try to push yourself a bit. You use those muscles in that manner almost every day. I'm betting you can probably do a lot more than you think you can.

The flies are definitely challenging. I remember being in an aerobics class a few years ago and barely being able to do shoulder work using more than 5lbs with good form. If you'd told me I would be doing shoulder work now with 15lb and 20lbs, I would have very hard.

[Pleiades]

I just did 6 months of NROL before starting ChaLean. I was going to return to it after this, but I think I'm going to do Turbulence Training instead.


I did Burn It Off and Recharge today. I hate burpees. That is all. Oh, and DH said he wanted to jump my bones while I was going recharge.

[3tikes]

I did the burn it off and rcharge as well. Men are too funny! Obnoxiuos at times yes, but what would we do if they didn't want us? Did you notice big changes with NROL? Was it more or less challenging then CLX?

[Pleiades]

I think it was hard to determine the changes with NROL. I didn't feel like I gained a ton of strength, and I couldn't see a clear progression because they way the workouts are setup, you're changing sets and reps every time you workout. Some days it was 3X15, some days 4X10, and others 5x5. I wouldn't call it more or less challenging - just different. It was faster paced, which I liked. But after doing Bulgarian split squats and lat pulls (because I can't do pullups) for 4 months, I was so over it! LOL I'll finish the second half of it some day, but probably not until after Turbulence Training.

[porkfatrules]

Originally Posted by Pleiades

I did Burn It Off and Recharge today. I hate burpees. That is all.

Burpees are evil. They are almost as bad as Triple Threat Pushups. Ugh!

[Pleiades]

I don't lose my lung doing the pushups, at least. LOL Oh, and any of the "basketball" drills.

[jbird3]

You all are crackin' me up.

Meanwhile I'm on my 3rd week of Chalean, I'm totally diggin' it, but I have to make myself lift a little less than I really can because of the pregnancy but I'm still usually within 5lbs of what Chalean is using. I run on the treadmill for a half hour after. What I don't get is...how come we only have "real" abs once a week... I mean that just doesn't seem like enough. I mean I know we can tighten the abs up while doing all the other stuff but it's not the same in my mind. Anyway I feel great and for being pregnant I can already notice some tightening up in my thighs and arms....Thank God.

I'm hoping I'll be able to stick with it the whole pregnancy. I figure when I can't lift heavy anymore, I'll just squeeze my muscles really hard on the reps, it will still be better than nothing. I can't wait to see myself trying to do push-ups once my belly is huge. :0)

Good luck everyone. I did Burn Circuit 3 today, and I'm surprised everyone is using a weight belt......I just go as low as I can on all those squats and squeeze everything for all I'm worth and it is challenging. I think to P90X and you barely use more than your body weight on any of the entire Leg workout. Your body weight can do a lot and if you are squeezin all those muscels you should be feeling it big time. Though I do have to say p90X know matter how many years I've been doing it the leg workout NEVER fails to make me wince in pain the next day an the day after....you know the kind where you can't even sit on the toilet without...cryin'....ha.

[NikisMom]

You ladies are doing great !!!

I still haven't gotten the weight belt but I plan to go looking for it tomorrow. We are going into our last week of Push. I did much better this week on food, more protein and less carbs. My husband and I went out of town and I had a planned splurge, it was awesome and I am back on the wagon.

You ladies are lifting heavier than I am I really need to get the weight belt because I am not failing on my legs....I am failing with my arms.

I can't remember who asked but I noticed more of an appetite increase in the Push phase then I did in the Burn phase. Eating more often does help a lot.

[LadyBeloved]

Originally Posted by jbird3

I'm surprised everyone is using a weight belt.

I don't use one.

I do remember working my lower body so hard I actually dreaded going to the bathroom.

[LadyBeloved]

Ok, so I've added some techniques to CLX from Alwyn Cosgrove. I know, I know, tweaking isn't always a good thing but these adjustments are just in the small things that are going to give big results:

Cosgrove cannot abide "gurlie" pushups. He had given a few adjustments so that strength is being built over time so that you never take the focus off the core. When you do them on your knees, you're not working from your core. So I've done that this morning and yikes. Yikes.

My elbow is much better. I worked through the pain last week, using lighter weights and I'm so glad that I did.

I skipped the recharge day because my elbow really did need to recover so this morning, it was business as usual.

[3tikes]

When I started CLX, I could barely do ONE push up. Now, I can honestly say I can do 5 with great form. Then I have to go to "gurlies". When I used to see a trainer (too much money now), he was also against "gurlies". I really believe I have gained the strength to do them....also with Chaleans help in having me squeeze my legs and butt really helped too! I am really tired today so I'm glad it was my day off, it's also TOM so I'm pretty crabby too!

[porkfatrules]

Originally Posted by LadyBeloved

Cosgrove cannot abide "gurlie" pushups. He had given a few adjustments so that strength is being built over time so that you never take the focus off the core. When you do them on your knees, you're not working from your core.

Can you give more details about this? I've been doing them girl-style -- I can do one from my toes, and then I collapse!

[LadyBeloved]

Originally Posted by porkfatrules

Can you give more details about this? I've been doing them girl-style -- I can do one from my toes, and then I collapse!

This is from New Rules of Lifting for Women:

"Alwyn doesn't like it because it takes the core out of the movement. Your midbody muscles get a break when you cut yourself off at the knees. When your weight is resting on your toes and hands and everything else is in play, your core muscles have to do the work they're designed to do."

So you begin with 60-degree push-ups like a counter that allows you to form this angle and when your chest is at the edge of it and your feet are perhaps 36" back. Your weight is balanced on your toes and hands with your bobdy forming a straight line from your ankles to your neck.

Then you move to a 45-degree angle and your feet will be a little farther back because of the angle, then you move to a 30-degree angle.

Once you've completed that, you'll be ready for full-out push-ups. This is what I've been doing and I'm sweating more than I ever did doing them gurlie style.

3tikes, that's outstanding!! How long did it take you to get from -0- to 5 perfect form push-ups?

[3tikes]

6 weeks. I could probably do one crappy looking one at the beginning. But honestly, it can't compare to how I feel that I can do them now. I feel very strong when I do them. These are the best quality I ever felt I could do. Don't get me wrong, they are HARD, but now I know I am doing them right.

[NikisMom]

How many push-ups I can do is relative to when I am doing them On Push Circuit 1 you do push-ups at the end....after 35 minutes of arms. Last night I did 7 out 8 on my toes and then 2 of 3 extremes. I am surprised that there isn't more push-ups in this phase but I have a feeling that will change a lot in the Lean phase

[LadyBeloved]

Originally Posted by NikisMom

How many push-ups I can do is relative to when I am doing them On Push Circuit 1 you do push-ups at the end....after 35 minutes of arms. Last night I did 7 out 8 on my toes and then 2 of 3 extremes. I am surprised that there isn't more push-ups in this phase but I have a feeling that will change a lot in the Lean phase

I'm sure. My friend Dorth told me P90x ... nothing but push-ups and pull-ups on one of the workouts. Lovely. Can't wait.

[NikisMom]

My husband and I are going to do P90X after CLX. We are going to wait about 4 weeks though and do some prep work at the gym. I am lucky that we workout together, he corrects my form when I need it and gets to push just a little harder than I would probably do on my own.

[porkfatrules]

The push-up advice was great -- I did 7 killer ones on my toes, leaning on my dresser, this morning in BC1. I can't wait to do real pushups on the floor!

[LadyBeloved]

Originally Posted by porkfatrules

The push-up advice was great -- I did 7 killer ones on my toes, leaning on my dresser, this morning in BC1. I can't wait to do real pushups on the floor!

7!!!

This method guarantees you will be on the floor doing them because you are actually keeping the pressure on your core even while assisted by a counter or dresser. Remember, each time try a lower angle until you're practically on the floor.

[porkfatrules]

It feels like it's less about my core than it is about upper body strength. Having so much weight to lose (a bunch of it in my, ahem, chest), my poor arms are lifting a lot!

[Pleiades]

I can do 6 on my toes, 6 on my knees, if the set is early on. Later, I can probably do 1 or 2. The extremes, I can do 1 on my toes. This is really the first time I've ever tried good push ups, so I'm pleased.



I messed up my shoulder today, doing the double posterior fly in Burn 1. I don't know what happened - I think the weight was too heavy, because I added today (from 5 to 7.5) and I must have jerked up on the movement. I feel like I can only really do these in perfect form without weights!! I'm not new to lifting - why am I having such trouble with all of these moves? Well, not the overhead stuff, but the posterior and lateral raises kill me. Anything with those really small muscles. Bah!

[NikisMom]

Originally Posted by Pleiades

I messed up my shoulder today, doing the double posterior fly in Burn 1. I don't know what happened - I think the weight was too heavy, because I added today (from 5 to 7.5) and I must have jerked up on the movement. I feel like I can only really do these in perfect form without weights!! I'm not new to lifting - why am I having such trouble with all of these moves? Well, not the overhead stuff, but the posterior and lateral raises kill me. Anything with those really small muscles. Bah!

Oh no!! I hope it heals quickly