ChaLean Extreme - Burn It Off

Day 7.  First off, I've gotta say that I loved this workout overall.  It was a cardio workout incorporating lots of ST moves.  The main thing that I didn't like about it was that it was too short.  It was only half an hour.  I know that I was supposed to do the Recharge workout after it but honestly, I was all revved up and yoga was the last thing I was in the mood for so the plan is to do it tomorrow, which is theoretically a rest day and then I start the whole thing again.

I have to look at the exercises for the Burn Circuit workouts to see which one has the most TnT (tighten 'n tone) exercises for my BLC challenge that is every Thursday and do that one instead of whichever one I'm supposed to do.   I don't think it will make that much difference as long as I do one of the Burn Circuits.  I'm used to doing workouts that have lots and lots of reps and ChaLean Extreme focuses more on lifting heavy and slowly and not so many reps.

I'm not going to list all the exercises in today's session but just mention a couple things about them.

First of all, Chalene has us do 5 back-to-back exercises and then a one minute rest period which largely consists of us just walking around, drinking water, toweling off, etc. and then 6 back-to-back exercises and then the cool-down (as I said, it's short).

The only ones that I did any major modifications to were the burpees which I did with my hands on the exercise bench and not the floor and the planks where I also used the bench and not the floor.  It just seemed like a lot of effort to get down to the floor for the one exercise (planks) and then have to get back up again for the next exercise so I didn't.  Next time, I might.

ChaLean Extreme - Burn Circuit 3

Day 6.  I've gotta say that this burn circuit is my least favourite one for 3 reasons:

1. It was hard on my knees and shoulders, my two weakest body parts
2. I didn't get the calorie burn that I got with the other two
3. There was a lot of repetition (overhead press twice, lateral raises twice, etc.)

That said, here are the exercises with the weight I used and how many reps I could do:

1.  Sumo Squat w/Overhead Press - 5 lbs, 12 reps

2.  Lunge w/Calf Raise - 10 lbs, 12 reps - this was hard on my knees but I could really feel it in my butt

3.  Squat w/Lateral Raise - 5 lbs, 12 reps

4.  Lunge w/Frontal Press (same as Overhead Press as far as I could tell) - 5 lbs, 12 reps

5.  Squat w/Calf Raise - 10 lbs, 12 reps

6.  Sumo Squat w/Delt Raises (same as Lateral Raise?) - 5 lbs, 10 reps

7.  Squat w/Double Overhead Press - 5 lbs, 10 reps (but then we had to do Extreme so I had to do 3 more extra slow overhead presses)

8.  Lunge w/Lateral Raise - 5 lbs, 12 reps

9.  Extreme push-ups were next but I weenied out and just did them against the wall because it seemed like a lot of bother getting down to the ground and back up again for just 3 pushups.

10.  Sumo Squat w/Calf Raise - 10 lbs, 12 reps

Workout Time - 40 mins

Calories Burned - 165

ChaLean Extreme - Ab Burner

So, today was Day 5 of the ChaLean Program and I decided to start with a cardio-based ab-focused workout first and then do ChaLean's Ab Burner.  The cardio-based ab-focused workout I chose was Gilad's Abs on Fire and then instead of doing his cool-down, I loaded up ChaLean's workout, got out my exercise mat and got ready.

The workout started with a moving cat/cow stretch which you were supposed to do on your hands and knees.  I can't go on my knees due to the two types of arthritis in them so I modified this one by standing and leaning over my bench with my hands on the bench.

And, then I sat on my recliner and slid down to the floor for crunches.  I haven't done crunches on the floor since I got RA in 2004.  If I need to do crunches, I either do standing ab-work like the Gilad video or I use my stability ball on my recliner (using the ball on the floor doesn't work because it's too hard on my knees).

So, I thought my core was pretty good overall since I haven't "not" being doing ab-work; I've just been doing it the best way I can.  But guess what?  My core isn't as strong as I thought it was.  This was the way I looked through a large portion of the floor work (without the smile):

Oh well.  If I keep at it, I'm sure it will come.

Most of the ab exercises were crunch variations but then she moved to a reach and tuck position (Bird Dog), which was once again on hands and knees so I got off the floor and incorporated my exercise bench again.  But then, of course, she wanted me to get back down on the floor for the finishing exercises and stretch but honestly, I can't just get up and down as much as she'd like me to so I ended it with the Bird Dog and then did some stretching on my own.

I also found it hard on my lower back lying like that so I'm making a mental note to put a small pillow or rolled up towel under me next time I try these.

ChaLean Extreme - Burn Intervals

This new program is going slowly as my knees and shoulders are kicking up a fuss but I'm still plugging along but I'm thinking I'm going to revamp the workout schedule to suit my needs somewhat. Perhaps as I go along, it will get easier and by the time I start the Push phase, I'll be able to do the workouts as scheduled.

This morning, I did Burn Intervals which according to the schedule is my Day 4 (including the Day 2 rest day).  Chalene suggested using no heavier than 5 lb dumbbells as the ST intervals were to build endurance rather than strength.  I started with 5 lbs but had to drop down to 3 lbs for some of the exercises.

All of the ST exercises were high reps and used different speeds and/or angles.

Although, there was no tracking sheet for the workout, this was the workout I did with relevant comments.  Please note that if the cardio was pretty straight forward, I didn't provide any comments.

1. Warm-up

2.  The first cardio interval was Jump Rope drills.  No problem here.  I followed the modifier and basically just bounced up and down on my toes.

3.  Bicep Curls - 5 lbs

4.  Speed Skate w/out toning band around my ankles

5.  Overhead Shoulder Press - 3 lbs

6.  Kickboxing Drill

7.  Stationary Lunges w/Knee Lifts & no weights

8.  Lunges w/Jump Shots - no weights

9.  Bent-over row - 5 lbs - alternating arms and then both arms

10.  Plyometric Bowler's Lunge - Here's that darn Bowler's Lunge again but I found it easier to do in this workout because they were alternating lunges and not all on one leg like in Burn Circuit 2.

11.  Bent-over tricep extension and then overhead - 3 lbs

12.  Kickboxing Drills w/out toning band

13.  Lateral raises - 3 lbs

14.  Sumo burpees - 20 - I had to do the modified burpee even more modified than what the modifier was showing.  Burpees just kill my lower back so instead of putting my hands on the floor, I put them on my exercise bench.  This morning, I did them the way the modifier was doing them except for the floor/bench thing but I'm going to try to do the burpee by jumping back and forward while using the bench in the future and maybe someday, I'll even be able to do them the real way!

15.  Bicep Curls (the 3-part curl - half-way up, out, curl) - 3 lbs

16.  Alternating Plyo Reverse Lunges - no weights

17.  Weighted Standing Crunches (I love standing ab work since I hate getting down on the floor) - 5 lbs

18.  Kickboxing Drills

19.  Squats - 5 lbs

20.  Jumping Jacks, High Knees w/out toning band - I did the modified exercise

21.  Lower Body Blast w/out toning band - standing leg extensions forward, rear, side, squats

22.  Cool Down

Workout Time - 50 minutes
Calories Burned - 323

I was supposed to do the Ab Burner workout as well but I'd had enough after the interval workout.  I'll try the Ab workout tomorrow and if it's too difficult, I'll substitute one of my ab-focused cardio workouts like Jazzercize's Dancin' Abs or Gilad's Maximum Abs or Abs on Fire.  Heck I might even do both just to get my FM up there since the Ab Burner is only 15 minutes long.

Chalean Extreme - Burn Circuit 2

Technically, Day 2 was yesterday and it was a rest day.  Initially, I wasn't going to take the rest day and was going to do some light cardio but my shoulders were screaming with achiness during the night so I decided to not push it.

However, today was Burn Circuit 2 and I've gotta say, it felt a lot harder to me than Burn Circuit 1 did.

First of all, I think it felt harder because I felt that I was making better weights' decisions.  There was only one exercise where I felt I should go lighter.

The other reason I thought it was harder was because it involved a lot of lunges and with the osteoarthritis and the rheumatoid arthritis in both of my knees, lunges (and squats) can be difficult.  However, that said, here are the exercises that I did today with the weights I used and the number of reps:

1.  Sumo Squat w/Bicep Curl - 8 lbs, 12 reps

2.  Lunge w/One-Arm Tricep Extension - 5 lbs, 12 reps

3.  Dead Lift Row - 10 lbs, 12 reps

4.  Sumo Squat w/Overhead Tricep Extension - 10 lbs, 8 reps (This is the one that I'll go lighter on next time.)

5.  Dead Lift w/Double Row - 10 lbs, 11 reps

6.  Bowler's Lunge w/Single-Arm Row - 10 lbs, 10 reps (I didn't make it to 12 because of the actual lunge not the weight that I was using.)

7.  Bicep Curls w/Abductor Balance - 8 lbs, 12 reps

8.  Forward-Lean Lunge w/Double Row - 10 lbs, 12 reps

9.  Triple-Threat Push-Ups - 3 reps (Triple-Threat Push-Ups are tricep, wide hands and wide feet.  Where I did 6 push-ups 2 days ago, I actually did 9 today since each push-up set is made up of 3.  I did all of them on my knees.)

Workout Time - 45 minutes
Calories Burned - 234

Tomorrow's workout is Burn Intervals and Ab Burner.  Sounds tough but I'll do my best as I always do.

ChaLean Extreme - Burn Circuit 1

So, I did the first workout (Burn Circuit 1) in the ChaLean Extreme program this morning.  Some of it was tough and some not so much.  Here are the exercises I did with the dumbbell weight, number of reps and comments:

1.  Sumo Squat w/Hip Lift - 15 lbs, 8 reps - much too heavy.  Chalene says if you can't do a minimum of 10 reps, go lighter.

2.  Lunge w/Posterior Fly - 5 lbs, 12 reps - did 12 reps per side and found that 5 lbs was too light on the right but was fine on the left.

3.  Push-Up w/Leg Lift - 6 reps on knees, no leg lift.  I can barely put any weight on my knees as it is so the leg lift was definitely out of the question.  However, I have to do the pushups on my knees until I can build up some arm strength to do them the proper way.  Up to ChaLean, I've just been doing wall push-ups.

4.  Dead Lift w/Posterior Fly - 5 lbs, 12 reps - I chose 5 lbs because of the posterior flyes but I'm going to try 8s next time.

5.  Lunge w/Core Rotation - 15 lbs, 12 reps - This one felt too heavy.  I'll try 10s next time.

6.  Bench Press & Lower Leg Lift - 10 lbs, 12 reps - I didn't do the lower leg lift because I do the bench press on my bench and I'm always afraid I'm going to fall off unless I keep one foot on the floor and the other on the bench.

7.  Squat w/Side Bend - 15 lbs, 11 reps - I found the 15s too heavy for this one as well; I'll try 10s next time.

8.  Forward-Lean Lunge w/Double Arm Posterior Fly - 5 lbs, 12 reps - I'll try 8s next time.

9.  Chest Fly w/Hip Lift - 8 lbs, 12 reps - As with #6, I didn't do the hip lift thing.

Workout Time - 45 minutes
Calories Burned - 209

Tomorrow's supposed to be a rest day but I may do some light cardio if I get up early enough.

ChaLean Extreme - Before Photos & Fit Test

BEFORE PHOTOS

BEFORE MEASURMENTS

Weight - 212.7 lbs

Neck - 14 inches

Chest - 41 inches

Bicep - 13.5 inches

Waist - 38.5 inches

Belly Button - 48 inches

Hip - 47 inches

Thigh - 23 inches

Calf - 14.5 inches

FIT TEST RESULTS

Pushups - 7 on knees

Crunches - 10

Squats - 40

Forearm Plank - 7.8 seconds

Overhead Shoulder Press - 8 reps using 8 lb dumbbells

Bicep Curls - 12 reps using 10 lb dumbbells

Flexibility - 8 inches