ChaLEAN Extreme Challenge
 

I have recently started doing the ChaLEAN Extreme program and have been looking for anyone else to join me in a challenge to help the motivation up! Angieand2girls has also started the program so we are doing the challenge together.

If there's anyone that would like to join us please feel free to post your results or challenges with the program below!

"Go Heavy or GO HOME!" :lifter:

I was so happy to learn about this program on this forum. I have been searching, searching and searching for a series of strength-training workouts I can do in my own home. When I tried the first video I knew I found what I have been looking for!

Up to this point I have completed 4 videos...Burn Circuits 1 - 3 and Burn Intervals. I'm not a big fan of Burn It Off, but I may attempt it one day however. I am not completing the videos in the order as suggested. I have take a class on Monday nights so I work my schedule around it:

Monday: My one hour strength-training class
Tuesday:
Wednesday: Burn Circuit 1
Thursday:
Friday: Burn Circuit 2 & Ab Burner
Saturday: Burn Intervals
Sunday: Burn Circuit 3

I'm still trying to figure out where to add Recharge, but as long as I get it done I will be happy. :)

I am using 5 lb and 12 lb weights and I will be purchasing 20 lbs weights soon.

I am interested to see how you do with ChaLEAN Extreme. I am doing some beachbody workouts. Her more simple one, Turbo Jam. I have several of her Turbo Jam DVDs. It has a sculpting portions as well. So I will do cardio and strength. Anywho, after sticking with those I want to either do ChaLEAN extreme or some other Beach Body Workout that is more aggressive. That is my goal for 2013. I am excited to hear of your results!!! Hopefully someone else will chime in to encourage you because you are encouraging me!! :D

So far I am loving Chalean Extreme too! Thanks for starting this challenge, SunnySide99, maybe others will join too. :)

I am in Week 2 of Burn Circuits right now. I feel like I'm seriously getting stronger already. I only do the 3-day-a-week circuit videos (and not any of the other videos that come with the program) because I do other things for cardio. I purchased the Selectech weights like the ones used in the videos. I'm pretty strong so I need the heavier weights, so it was a good investment. Tomorrow is Burn Circuit 2 again and I'm looking forward to doing it! :)

Ann - if you're looking for an agressive beachbody workout, I'd reccommend Insanity. It is totally INSANE lol! But I love it! I'm doing it simultaneously with Chalean Extreme (Insanity in the AM, Chalean in the PM) and it's been going GREAT!

I still have 2.5 weeks of Insanity left, but I'll likely be staring CLX after that! I think my body will need a break from the intensity and I get bored easily, so I think it's a good idea to switch it up a bit!

Angie, Thanks! I am looking for something to get me started for 2013. So would you start with Insanity OR ChaLEAN Extreme?? I am going to invest in one of those because I like Shaun T (from my Hip Hop Abs) and Chalene (from Turbo Jam). I LOVE their personalities!! :D

Hi everyone!

I saw this woman in the grocery store last night in her workout clothes. She looked GREAT. She was tall and had the most beautiful arm and back muscles. She was a big inspiration to me...she wasn't big and bulky, but feminine and toned. I burned an image to my head and thought to myself "Summer 2013 baby!" lol

RoyalAthena - Thank you so much for letting me know that I am encouraging you. I have to admit it sounds a bit strange to me (nothing to do with you, but to hear someone saying that about me!) but I am so glad to hear that! I'm not going in to the program based on their claim of burning up to 60% of body fat in 3 months however, I just want to get firmer and stronger.

angieand2girls - Hi there and thanks for joining! I hope others will join too. I know I am getting stronger too and believe it or not I am seeing and feeling results. This just morning I was brushing my hair up into a bun and I saw small muscles on the sides in the mirror and I wasn't flexing! So crazy! How many pounds are you using?

By the way you are inspiring me to give Insanity a try. Even though I believe I'm in good enough shape to complete the moves, I'm just concerned about reinjuring my lower back and I'm also concerned about my knees (I don't have bad knees but I always keep them in mind for when I get older). We'll see though, as I am content with my current workout plan!

strutter5150 - Switching things up is a great idea to keep you from being bored and to confuse the muscles. How did Insanity work out for you?

For any woman that is concerned about lifting heavier weights, please don't be concerned about looking like a wrestler. I know I used to be worried about that. Women don't produce as much testosterone as men and lifting heavy weights will promote strength not size. I would also like to recommend a book called "The New Rules of Lifting for Women", it helped changed my mindset.

I can also say that I've been lifting heavier weights for the past 2 months and I am actually getting smaller and tighter.

Ann, I started with Insanity because I hadn't discovered Chalean Extreme until I was about 2 months into my journey. I think Insanity conditioned my muscles significantly to be able to start off with heavier weights with Chalean Extreme. In the end, it's personal preference of course, but I was also interested in losing some fat first, before I got into weight training. :D

I use the same amount of weight that Chalean uses when she calls out how much she picks up for each exercise. There are a few exercises where I go 2.5lbs under her, but I can fatigue between 10-12 reps doing the amount she does. I've always been pretty strong though.

As far as Insanity, I had the same concerns as you (back and knees). I had weak back muscles prior to losing weight and starting Insanity, but I stayed conscious of how I performed the moves/excercises until I got stronger and could handle more. I modified pratically every exercise when I first started. Now I can do them with proper form with no problems. Insanity seems intimidating, but only if you let it lol. Start at your own pace and work your way up. You should try it! :D

I really like it when I thought I wouldn't! lol Shaun T is awesome--not condescending or annoying like some people in home workout programs! ;)

I've lost 11.5 inches since my last measurements two weeks ago. Pounds wise, I lost 2 and then gained them back so I'm at a wash. I'm trying to not focus on the scale so much but it's tough!

I have tried Turbo Jam as well but I quit that within a week. Maybe I shouldn't have but I just couldn't get the footwork down. :(

NICE!!!!!!! I hope to get to that point after I complete this month. I definitely need heavier weights for the lower body exercises however. 12 lbs is nothing to me but I can make it feel heavier.

I hear you about Insanity...mind over matter huh? :)


11.5 inches lost is wonderful so don't hang your head too low okay? :)

I did Burn Circuit 2 today and had a great workout. I love, love, love doing the bicep curls really slow and the tricep overhead really slow (a problem area). Next up is Burn Intervals and Ab Burner tomorrow. No excuses!

Hope things are coming along nicely for you Angie!

Hi everyone!

SunnySide - yes things are still going great! I just did Burn Circuit 2 yesterday and I also LOOOVE the bicep curls. My biceps are pretty strong and it feels so good to work them out. I do have a problem stabilizing myself when I have the band around my leg and doing the leg lift at the same time. Are you sore the next day every time you do the circuits?

Tomorrow is Burn Circuit 3! Can't wait! :D

That's great to hear Angie! Are you engaging your core when you lift your leg? I find that helps me me with balancing the heavy weights.

The next day I feel a good sore. Not the point where I can't walk or lift anything, but when I move I know I worked out great the day before. I hope that make sense.

I had a great workout with Burn Intervals and Ab Burner! I'm taking a break from this for a couple of days (will be doing WATP and my strength-training class) but will be back at it on Wednesday!

Yeah I know what you mean SunnySide. I feel that too....not quite sore, but sore, but a tightness or something. Glad to hear your workout was great! Mines was too. Lifting heavy rocks! :D

Hey Angie! I couldn't stay away...was planning to take a day off (Burn Intervals doesn't make me sore the next day), but I decided to go ahead and get Burn Circuit 3 done! I actually look forward to lifting and power walking (my other workout). Have a good night!!

I did Burn Circuit 1 today. Great workout! I think of all of the circuits this is my favorite one. I sweat and I'm out of breathe more in this one compared to the other 2. My favorite move is the bench press while lifting the legs on and off the floor.

How are things coming along for you Angie?

Hi SunnySide! Wow, that's my favorite move too!! I LOVE that one! I also like the sumo squat with bicep curls (Burn Circuit 2) because I love working my biceps.

Things are still going great for me with Chalean. I am in Week 3 and tomorrow I do Burn Circuit 2. I actually get excited to do my heavy lifting! So far so good! After one more week, I get to move on to a new phase! :D

Nice! Glad to hear things are still going well! How much do you lift with your biceps? I wonder what's the heaviest I can go.

I am a couple of days behind you. I start the next phase on the 21st! So excited!

Thanks again for joining...it's really nice to have someone to chat with while completing the program!

I have a ton of energy today so I may try to squeeze in Burn Intervals this afternoon, but I'm on to Burn Circuit 2 tomorrow.

I lift 20lbs with my biceps. It's a good weight for me because anything less and I won't fatigue between 10-12. Although I fatigued around 12, I don't feel soreness in my biceps hardly ever lol. Weird.

I'm glad to have you to chat with too!! I've been REALLY loving lifting. I had no idea that it could make me huff and puff and sweat like cardio! It's great! And I love feeling so strong. I'm doing Burn Circuit 3 tomorrow and I'll have one more week of Burn Circuits!

Are you noticing any changes in your body yet?

Hey Angie!

20 lbs for bicep work is quite impressive!!!

Same here - I had no idea I would be sweating and out of breathe just by lifting!

Changes in my body since starting the program:

I am getting smaller all around with a tigher torso, my neck/collarbone area is looking great and "athletic-like" and my neck muscles are stronger, there's a reduction in my love handles/back fat (almost gone!! yay!!!!!), I'm building lovely visible muscle in my upper back, arms and legs.

Also I have lost an inch in my right arm in 3 weeks and .75 in my left arm and lastly...I CAN DO PUSH UPS! I've never been able to do 1 push up on my toes in my entire life! Now I can do 6 or 7 in row!

I am doing other workouts in conjunction with this program. Those helped/are helping me to burn layers of fat on my body, but I feel lifting is bringing everything together and really shaping and changing my body. I can't wait to see where the Push Phase takes me!

By the way I'm up to 15 lbs handweights now and used them for the first time yesterday (I can really feel the difference!) I'm getting 20 lbs for the next Phase and I'm looking forward to when I can get to that point!

Have you noticed any changes in your body?

Wow! Those are GREAT changes!!! You are doing awesome! I'm noticing that my waist is coming in a lot. I also see obvious definition in my arms (the bicep and triceps) and my shoulders are really firm! I can't see any muscles in my thighs yet (they carry most of the fat on my body it seems), but I feel them and they are smaller and feel stronger.

I couldn't believe it when I did my first plank push up too! I remember when I started Insanity back in July, there was NO WAY I could do one. The progress I've seen has been tremendous!

We are kicking butt! :D

Hey everyone! I have this week left of Insanity and I'll be on board! :) I am wondering if I should invest in some new weights? I currently have 3, 5, 8, and 10 lb sets, of which I know I'll probably be starting with the 8 if not the 10...possibly more. I haven't picked up my lighter weights in at least a year.

Are any of you using adjustable dumb bells? The clutter that more sets of weights is going to make might just drive me more insane than Insanity did. :) I'm trying to weigh out (pardon the pun) the options and the prices between investing in a few more heavier individual sets or biting the bullet and buying the adjustables.

Thanks Angie! I'm glad you are noticing some changes. We are doing great and most importanly being consistent! I remember reading reviews on other sites and it seems like most reported that their waist was one of the first places they saw a difference. Maybe pushing the heavier weights causes the core to engage which leads to a smaller/tigher waist? By the way I need much more work in my triceps. There is a great move in Burn Intervals I'm going to start rewinding and repeating.

Hey strutter! Angie uses adjustable weights. I have 3, 5, 12, 15 and soon to be 20 lbs weights and I double up the 3 and 5's to make 8 lbs. If I didn't already have the weights I would have just invested in adjustables.

I think you're going to need at least 2 heavier sets to get through the entire program. 10 lbs will not be enough to make you fatigued with some of the moves. There are some lower body moves where you will be surprised by how much weight you can push.

Looking forward to you joining us! :)

Hi strutter! Welcome to the Chalean club! :D I also do Insanity too ;)

Like SunnySide said, I have the adjustable weights. I LOVE them! I believe they were a great investment. I have the Selectech ones which cost me $300 but I think there are some other brands out there that are cheaper. But these are great! I also think you will need heavier weights than 10 lbs. You probably won't feel a thing when it comes to the lower body moves, especially since you've been doing Insanity. For lower body Chalean moves, I need at least 25 lbs in each hand.

Great job for making it this far with Insanity!!! :D

I'm still going strong. I'm starting Phase 2 on Wednesday and I can not wait. I never thought I would ever be this excited to workout. LOL

I went through all of the circuits last night and it looks really good and challenging. :)

Thank you! :) Are you able to keep good form doubling up? I've done that with other programs but with the slow lift, I wasn't sure if I'd make it. The last time I did a leg press at the gym I was pressing 90 lbs (could do 100 but lost form too quickly) so it sounds like maybe I'd better suck it up and spend the money! lol

Thank you! :) I am in a mix of shock and pleasure that I am actually going to finish! lol

Those are the ones I was looking at! Hopefully Santa is nice to me this year! ;) I figure by the time I buy the additional sets I need, I might as well just invest a few bucks more and get everything I need at once because I WILL need even heavier when this is all done!! :D

Hi everyone!

So I finished my 4 weeks of Burn Circuits today! Yay! Next week starts PUSH!! I'm so excited! For some reason, when I was doing Burn Circuit 3 today, I sweated more than ever. It was crazy! It looked like someone had dumped a bucket of water on my face and upper body LOL! But I felt sooooooo good afterwards.

I hope you ladies are hanging in there! :)

Hey strutter - yes my form is good now that I am stronger. I have long fingers though, so I think that makes things easier for me. lol Maybe there will be sales on the adjustable weights this weekend or on Cyber Monday? Try to keep your eyes open. :)

Angie - that's funny you mentioned this. I too finished Burn Circuit 3 yesterday and it was more intense than usual. I think it's because my legs are stronger so I'm able to go further with the lunges and squats than before and there are a lot of squats and lunges in that program.

Let us know how the first day of the second phase go for you!

Your posts inspired me to purchase the program. :D

I found the Selecttech weights on Amazon for $279 so I grabbed them! They shipped earlier than expected and will arrive Monday, just in time for me to start the program! Can't wait!

I hope you all had a wonderful holiday! :)

Yay!!! I'm going to be starting on Monday. I really don't think either of us will be disappointed with the investment! :D

Hey everyone!!

I am half way through my first week of Burn. I did burn intervals today. It kicked my butt! I prefer strength training over cardio, but I did do cardio on my rest day as I have read that this program works best when you add more cardio. I wasn't a huge fan of how long burn intervals was but I made it through it!

Yay new faces! Welcome BrownEyedVeggie and Candeka! :D

Candeka, how are you liking the Burn Circuit so far?

BrownEyedVeggie - let us know when you start or if you have any questions. :)

I'm so happy you found some adjustables Strutter! Let us know how it goes on Monday!

So I started the Push Circuit on Tuesday and I LOVE it although I found myself yelling at Chalene a couple of times during the extreme sets. lol The bowler's lunge give me problems with my lower back so I modify those and the hammer bicep curls was my favorite.

The weirdest thing for me was that I wasn't sore for the entire day on Tuesday (I really did push and fatigued). It wasn't until I woke up the next morning and I felt it unlike any feeling during the Burn Phase. I think I'm going to cut back on the cardio and focus more on CE.

For the heavier weights (15 and 20 pounders) I need to start wearing weight lifting gloves so I'm going to try and find some pink ones. lol

I went grocery shopping and the coolest thing was being able to lift a 20 lbs bag of potatoes effortlessly. It was so empowering! :)

This totally cracked me up! lol I can completely relate. I really grab on to those NSVs and run with them because I really didn't realize how much being overweight hindered me until those "little things" became so significant.

My sweetest NSV to date is having the seat belt in my truck actually retract itself every time. Usually it was pulled out so far that it either tangled somehow and didn't want to go back up or I ended up shutting it in the door. Resizing my rings was a close second, but the seat belt thing is my favorite because no one really gets it unless they've been there! :D

LOL! I felt like such a bada$$. lol

That's great you needed to resize the rings! I bet that felt great! Are you done with Insanity?

That is wonderful! You are going to LOVE it! I am seeing some nice definition and it's unbelievable how much firmer my muscles have gotten. I used to flex my bicep and touch it and it was soft. Now my biceps, triceps, and shoulders are MUCH more firm! It's amazing!

AWESOME!! I am in love with the Selectechs. I feel like a weight lifting warrior! LOL! I can't wait to get your feedback when you start! :)

I feel like I need weight lifting gloves too! I don't have callouses yet (sorry if spelling is wrong) but my hands hurt when I'm done. I think I'll get some this weekend.

I'm also noticing how EASY it is getting to lift things! It's crazy! And my muscles are actually getting hard! It's bananas! I actually have triceps! LOL!

Keep it up ladies! We are turning our bodies into powerhouses! :D