ChaLEAN Extreme 4 weeks Review - Burn Phase Killed!

 

So, about 4 weeks ago I started ChaLEAN Extreme!  I had already done P90X so I knew what Beachbody products were all about and how amazing it was going to be!

Chalene Johnson, Life Changer, motivational speaker. Creator of Turbo Jam, Turbo Kick, ChaLEAN Extreme, TurboFire, TKB, Hustle and PIYo. Diet and fitness professional who believes your relationships are more important than the number on a scale.

I just complete the 4 weeks of Burn Phase. It incorporates heavy lifting, some plyometrics and even some yoga. You workout 5 days and get 2 days of rest (not in row, sorry!) Its all about slow movements and controlled lifting. You lift and release slowly. The slower the better. Burn Phase you are seeing how heavy you can go and for how long. The reps are 10-12 and you HAVE to make it to a least 10. She wants you "failing" at 10 and now before. I went for 12 each time :-) 

I have noticed that in the 4 weeks I have done this workout, I am already seeing more definition.  I noticed as well by the end of week 4 I need to go out and buy heavier weights! 15lbs is definitely not cutting it anymore!  I especially love that there is a lot of squatting in this workout! I need to work that booty!  You will be so happy and surprised by this workout.

ChaLEAN EXTREME & WHAT YOU GET:

The whole ChaLEAN Extreme system is big. It comes with 7 discs (learning DVDs including weight training, band training, and kitchen makeover, 5 workout DVDs, and a motivational CD), a training book ("Muscle Burns Fat (tm) Guidebook"), and a diet book ("Fat Burning Food Guide"). And when I say "book," I mean a book with glossy pages, photos, no typos, and thick. It also comes with calipers to measure your body fat. Also included is a resistance band (which is NOT intended for anything but added resistance for lower body work).
 

Also, the Guidebook gives you a place to mark your weights and number of reps so you can keep track as you progress. You can also go HERE and print one out if you do not have the book or just prefer print outs.

Chalene's broken down the three months into three phases: Burn, Push, and Lean.

In the Burn Phase your goal is to "fail" in 10-12 reps and you work both upper and lower body in combo exercises. The Push Phase you attempt to fail in 6-8 reps and only one body part at a time is focused on. And last, the Lean Phase combines upper and lower body work with core work. The claim is the Lean Phase is where dramatic fat loss is witnessed. Lean for Life shows you how to maintain all your hard ass work.

Some people have complained that Chalene's "cheerleader" like enthusiasm in her Turbo Jam workouts was a turn off, but rest assured that in her ChaLEAN Extreme routines she's far more "down to business." She does a great job in educating you about your position and what not to do. She also sets a great tone to keep your motivation up.

HOW MUCH TIME?
Circuit workouts are approximately 30 minutes each and are the meat of the system. The Burn Intervals & Ab Burner/Extreme Abs workouts total about an hour, as do the Burn it Off! & Recharge combo. Burn Intervals is a combination strength- and cardio- training that alternates bursts of intense activity with intervals of lighter activity. Ab Burner & Extreme Abs are 10 minute workouts that uses weights to work your middle. Burn it Off! is high intensity with light weights and approximately 30 minutes long and Recharge is a yoga-esque streching routing that lasts 20 minutes.
 

HOW TO GET STARTED!

1. Buy weights. In the Muscle Burns Fat (tm) Guidebook there are some guidelines for weights (you can either get bands or free-weights), but the bottom line is buying weights/resistance bands is another investment. You can go weightless for a time, but I'd assume only if you're at the very lowest of your strength levels. Currently I have 3 lbs, 5lbs, 8 lbs, 12 lbs, and 15 lbs weights and I consider myself at intermediate level and needing heavier than 15 lbs.
2. Watch the Burn Basics DVD.
3. Get a pen and your Guidebook or rep sheet.
4. Grab a towel and some water.
5. Pop in Burn Circuit 1 DVD and go!

A typical week in the Burn Phase looks like this:

• Day 1 - Burn Circuit 1
• Day 2 - Rest (this is critical because of the intensive weight training of Circuits 1 & 2 - you can add a cardio here, but don't do back-to-back Circuits)
• Day 3 - Burn Circuit 2
• Day 4 - Burn Intervals & Ab Burner
• Day 5 - Burn Circuit 3
• Day 6 - Burn it Off! & Recharge
• Day 7 - Rest

(The Push and Lean Phases are identical in schedule.)
 
BURN PHASE CONCLUSION

I find the weekly schedule to be easy to keep up with I do have a full time job and a 21 month old. So NO EXCUSES! I really like how each Circuit (hard weight training) is broken up by either a rest day or a different kind of workout. And the like I said before, Its an ASS kicker!

I find the Burn Interval workout to be the "hardest" only because it's more aerobic and plyometric and the Recharge a welcome recovery. During anything that uses a weight I usually find myself super happy afterwards! I feel stronger and proud that I just finished a great workout. You do NOT have to be super fit to do this workout Just DEDICATED and MOTIVATED. You do not have to even use weights. You can use the bands that the workout comes with. Everyone starts somewhere!