I did the first workout, and it makes sense now. She tells you which weights to use before each workout. It's hard with the bands though, because I have to pause it to make sure I have the band right before I start doing the workout. Then I have to hop around to un-pause it. It's quite hilarious, actually. :)

I think I'm going to like this. I can't get totally into it until I finish Insanity, but I'm just going to do some of the workouts to get the hang of it in the meantime.

I want to be LEAN!

I'm so glad I found this forum, it's so helpful to talk to other people who are doing the same things as me :carrot:

YAY my weights are here! I'm gonna play around with them and the DVDs but officially start the rotation on Saturday!

I'm starting a blog if anyone wants to follow it. I'm officially starting this Saturday, the 23rd so that my rest days can be on Sundays and Fridays.

It should be in my signature. I'll try to update here as well. Good luck everyone! :carrot:

Yay Ginny! :carrot: What a good idea. I'll be reading it.

I'm starting my rotations today! Day 1 and soooo excited! :D Chalene told me (via Facebook) that the best results are when you combine TJ and CLX!! I'm only going to do ChaLEAN this first week, but next week I'll add up some TJ cardios on the routines. Maybe 3x a week.

Let's see how that goes. In a couple of hours I will take my measurements, photos and log my reps for the 1st week. :)

Kristyjoy, I was curious if you also use weights. I will be starting soon and do not have weights (just 3 lbs!) so I was considering the bands because I am sure they will be easier on my budget. Do you think I should just go ahead and get weights or is it doable with bands?

I had great results when combining TJ and CLX. I typically added a short TJ onto the weight days and then a longer cardio 2 to 3 times a week. Sometimes it was TJ or something comparable.

catgeraghty, thanks for the tip! I'll be adding TJ next week. I wanna see how my body behaves only with CLX.

I did my first routine today, Burn Circuit 1. Oh my legs, my poor legs! They are still shaking and I'm loving it! :D I did the routine with my 3lb dumbbells (the only ones that I have) and I know that I could have gone up to at least a 5lb. My arms are a bit shakey too, but I did my 12 repetitions and could've done another 2 or 3, but no more than that.

I'm super excited to commit to this 90 days program. I mean, if I can't do this, what else can I commit to in my life? I love Chalene to death! :)

I hear you - I didn't add the extra cardio until near the end of the first round, and even then extra cardio was sporadic. I was pretty out of shape when I first started. The second round was much better.

I picked up a weighted vest to help add resistance (much cheaper than buying more weights) during squats, etc. I had also found a pair of adjustable weights (I think they're Reeboks) on Craigs List for almost 75% off regular price. You will see yourself getting much stronger pretty quickly.

Do any of you know if I use the resistance band, if I'll get the same result as the weights? Becausa I have only one concern right now, is the fact that I'll have to keep on buying heavier dumbbells. If I could switch to the bands and have the same result, that would be nicer.

What are you opinions about this: is it better to use resistance bands or dumbbells?

If I could also quote MJKiddo's last post, I would, but I don't know how to do that, haha.

Bands, when used correctly, are just as effective (some say more so) as free weights. Because free weights are gravity-dependent, you can only get resistance in one plane, but with the bands you get resistance in all planes. It's harder to figure out how to target specific muscle groups with the bands, but luckily with Chalean Extreme, they have done that for us (watch Band Basics).

Anyway, I got this set of bands at WalMart for under $15. Seems like they are similar to the ones you get with Chalean Extreme:

http://img188.imageshack.us/img188/9994/p00897.th.jpg

And here is an article regarding free weights vs. bands:

http://www.associatedcontent.com/art...g2.html?cat=50

kristyjoy, thank you for your reply!! I was worried that if I choose do to the whole program with the band, I wouldn't get the same result as the weights. 'Cause I'm planning on doing this right! :D

I did some research of my own and people also say that if you use the bands correctly, the results are just the same. So I'll be giving the bands a try. I'll buy them tomorrow.

And kristyjoy, thanks for the WalMart tip. That's the first place I'll look on to. :)

I'm feeling SUPER motivated today! I haven't actually done anything yet (I'm having my coffee first), but I sure feel like I could conquer the world. AND I have seven hours before work, so surely I will accomplish SOMETHING. :)

Chalean Extreme day 2 today, and Insanity day whatever. Haha, two workouts, with house-cleaning in between. Should be fun, I'll check in later :)

EDIT: I did it! BOTH workouts, and my house is sparkling. I'm so proud, haha.

I just bought my resistance band and I'm really excited on trying it on tonight. I'll see how it goes. :)

kristyjoy, congrats on your full and exciting day! :D And you did both workouts... I'm impressed! :D I'll be thinking about your motivation every time I feel too lazy to workout. :P

I'm on day 3 of the Burn Phase, but it's the second workout. :D Next week there won't be 2 rest days, and I'll fill my 6 days with Turbo Jam!!! :D :D

Hey guys, just popping in! Way to go MJKiddo and kristyjoy for doing your workouts! :cheer:

I'm on rotation 2, nearing the second week of the Burn phase. Did Burn Circuit 3 today and I am so psyched about how strong my shoulders are becoming! They are MUSCULAR!! I'm going to weigh myself and measure inches lost again this coming Saturday, so I'll let you know how that goes when it happens.