ChaLEAN Extreme Review: Lean Phase - Not a miracle worker, just a great program

Yeah... not so much.

I'm getting a lot of hits from people searching reviews of this program. If you find my review helpful in anyway, please leave me a comment or ask me more questions if you have them and go here if you'd like for me to respond. Thanks!

Here's my Burn Phase Review.
Here's my Push Phase Review.
Here's my Turbo Jam Review.

Phase 3 of the three phase ChaLEAN Extreme program is the Lean Phase. This is the phase where you combine upper and lower body exercises to also engage your core. In other words, this is where you work your ass off and sweat profusely.

This has been a long time coming and I finished it the end of August. Sorry for such a late update!

:: OVERVIEW OF LEAN PHASE::

There are 9 exercises in each circuit, just like in the Burn and Push Phases but instead of trying to reach failure between 6-8 reps, you're back to the 10-12. There is also a break down set (a.k.a. Extreme Set) after each exercise, so these workouts are closer to 50 minutes long.

A week in the Lean Phase looks like this:

• Day 1 - Lean 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 - Lean Circuit 2
• Day 4 - Burn Intervals & Extreme Abs
  
• Day 5 - Lean Circuit 3
  
• Day 6 - Burn it Off! & Recharge
• Day 7 - Rest

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 stretching routing that lasts 20 minutes.

::TIME::

Now we're back to 9 exercises with 3 Extreme Reps so the workout length is closer to that in the Burn Phase (35-40 minutes long) for Circuits 1, 2, and 3.

The Burn Intervals & Ab Burner/Extreme Abs workouts total about an hour, as do the Burn it Off! & Recharge combo.

::TO START::

Because I had become stronger during Burn and Push and had purchased more weights (5lbs, 10lbs, & 20lbs) for Push I didn't buy any more for Lean. I might have needed maybe 5 lbs more on my heaviest weight, though, so I will probably buy another set for Round 2 meaning I have a total weight count of 3 lbs, 8 lbs, 10 lbs, 12 lbs, 15 lbs, 20 lbs, and 25 lbs.

::CONCLUSION::

Lean Phase is where you're supposed to see all the amazing effects of your efforts. It wasn't the case for me AT ALL. I loved the exercises, felt amazingly strong and healthy, but I only lost 5 lbs of the 10 lbs I put on at the start of the Burn Phase. I purchased the BodyBugg half way through the Push Phase and I think that's what helped me lose the 5 lbs that I did, not the exercises.

Having said that, I never really altered my eating, kept drinking alcohol throughout the program, and didn't do one exercise more than what was laid out in the guidebook. Therefore, I blame myself for the lack of results, not the program.

Even so, the Lean Phase was by far my favorite phase. Even after 4 weeks there were sets I still couldn't get through entirely and I loved that sense of a challenge. I also wasn't very good at doing the ab workouts assigned; skipping those entirely most weeks and so a weaker core may have contributed to my inability to complete some sets.

Towards the end of the program my back began hurting and then I injured it terribly the beginning of September. I've maintained my 5 lb weight loss since then, but am only now feeling well enough to start over again. Which is my plan.

So, even though I don't have an amazing "after picture" to share, I'm still a huge fan of this program. I'm going to restart it next Monday all the way from Burn on through again. I'll continue updates on how my second time through goes.

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ChaLEAN Extreme Review: Push Phase - aka Ahhnold's in da house

If you find my review helpful in anyway, please leave me a comment or ask me more questions if you have them. Also, please go here and follow the directions if you'd like for me to reply to your comments. Thanks!

Here's my Burn Phase Review.
Here's my Lean Phase Review (includes final results).
Here's my Turbo Jam Review.

Phase 2 of the three phase ChaLEAN Extreme program is the Push Phase. This is the phase where you "go heavy or go home!" as Chalene likes to say and she's not joking.

:: OVERVIEW OF PUSH PHASE::

There are 9 exercises in each circuit, just like in the Burn Phase, but instead of trying to reach failure between 10-12 reps, you're aiming for failure in 6-8.

A week in the Push Phase looks like this:

• Day 1 - Push 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 - Push Circuit 2
• Day 4 - Burn Intervals & Ab Burner
• Day 5 - Push Circuit 3 (with the exception of Week 1 which is Burn Circuit 3)
  
• Day 6 - Burn it Off! & Recharge
• Day 7 - Rest

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 stretching routing that lasts 20 minutes.

::TIME::

You might think that you'd finish faster because you're doing the same amount of exercises, but with less reps, but it's actually the same because you do more Extreme Sets (a set of 3 extremely slow, concentrated reps) than in Burn, so the work out times are approximately the same (35-40 minutes long) for Circuits 1, 2, and 3.

The Burn Intervals & Ab Burner/Extreme Abs workouts total about an hour, as do the Burn it Off! & Recharge combo.

::TO START::

Because I had become stronger during Burn, I had to go purchase more weights (5lbs, 10lbs, & 20lbs), and I'm glad I did. Currently, I'm in Week 2 and I've already used my 20lb weights and might need to buy a set of 25lbs to finish the month.

::CONCLUSION::

Push Phase is no joke, but I actually like it better. I like the shorter sets and I really feel accomplished after lifting so heavy. Chalene is relentless in reminding you to support your back via ab contractions and protecting your knees with proper knee/ankle position.

The music is great, sometimes a little dramatic, but whatever. If I let myself get into the groove, I kinda dig how hard core it all is.

I haven't gained any more weight since Burn, so that's good, but others are seeing more results. My husband even made a great comment about how my butt's getting rounder and how that's a good thing! But, I also haven't lost anything. I've read that the Push Phase is when a lot of women gain their weight, so at least I'm not alone in this. And even though I gained mine in Burn I'm trusting that I just need to keep at it.

I'm surprised at how challenging Burn It Off (BIO), Burn Intervals (BI) and Recharge continue to be on my non-circuit days. Because I'm working harder during the circuits, I'm much more fatigued and so have to push myself even harder, thus getting a terrific workout.

........................................................

7/9/09 Update:
Currently, I'm about to finish Week 2 and I'm still at +10lbs. I've been reading that some people need to add more cardio on their circuit days in order to see weight loss. I think I'm one of those people. I have Jillian Michael's Making the Cut (which I've never done since I didn't have the equipment or gym membership), but she's got some interesting advice in there. Particularly about afterburn, which means you burn calories not only during exercise, but after. So, if you split up your workout into two, then you get two separate afterburns. Combining this idea of adding more cardio to my week AND afterburn, starting next week I'm going to do a separate cardio workout on my circuit days at another part of my day to maximize my calorie burn.

I've also started calorie-counting again. Oh joy. I'm within my goal, but that's never really been enough, so I'm also on the wagon. Oy. I LOVE wine, so this is going to be hard. I'll just have to pretend I'm pregnant again.

I'll update at the end of Push Phase.

8/1/09 Update:
By the end of the Push Phase I hadn't lost any weight. Nor had I stopped drinking wine. I did lose 5 lbs the first week I used the BodyBugg, however, so I can attest that eating better does gain you results while on this program.

ChaLEAN Extreme Review: Burn Phase - no air humping

I'm getting a lot of hits from people searching reviews of this program. If you find my review helpful in anyway, please leave me a comment or ask me more questions if you have them and go here if you'd like for me to respond. Thanks!

Here's my Push Phase Review.
Here's my Lean Phase Review (includes final results).
Here's my Turbo Jam Review.

This workout series is NOT for the faint of heart. It's an ass kicker.

After 5 weeks of the Turbo Jam workouts which are mostly all cardio I decided I needed to add some weight training to my regimen. My body was responding well to the TJ routines in as much as I had become pain free, but I wasn't losing any weight (that could also be due to my diet, but that's another topic for another day) and I know from my past as an athlete that I respond really well to resistance training.

Enter another lazy Sunday afternoon and another well placed infomercial. (I've never bought anything off the TV before all this. I'm beginning to feel like a royal sucker.)

::SYSTEM OVERVIEW::

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).

:: One of the things I am enjoying most about this system is that it lays out my workouts for the next three months (90 days), so I never have to wonder what happens after that first month (like I did with Turbo Jam). There's also a guide for maintaining your results.

Also, the Guidebook gives you a place to mark your weights and number of reps so you can keep track as you progress. WoWY.com also has a .pdf file you can download to track your weights/reps, as well.

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.

:: 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.

:: TO START::

1. Buy weights. It wasn't clear to me what kind of equipment I needed right off. 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, 8 lbs, 12 lbs, and 15 lbs weights and I consider myself at above a beginner level, not quite fully intermediate. As I get stronger I will have to fill in the gaps with the 5 lbs, 10 lbs and + 15 lbs weights, which sucks for the pocket book, but I guess I'm willing to do it. It's cheaper than a gym membership.
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 challenging, but also doable. 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, it's an ass kicker.

:: I find the Burn Interval workout to be the toughest and the Recharge a welcome recovery. During anything that uses a weight I usually find myself laughing at the end of a set because I really can't move my legs or my arms. And because of this, I don't suspect that just anybody could do this workout. I'm about 20-25 lbs overweight, but I consider myself fairly strong and I seriously struggle to do many of the exercises. If I were +75 lbs overweight I don't know that I could safely do the routines without risk of serious injury. But I could be wrong. I'm not a trainer, it's just my own thought on it. So, if you have a significant amount of weight to lose, you might want to start with her Turbo Jam series to lose a few pounds and gain some core strength, then graduate to this program.

I just completed Week 1 and I feel great. I experienced some really intense soreness after the first couple of days, but I expect this week to be a little less sore in general. I'll update again at the end of the Burn Phase.

...........................................................

6/28/09 Update: After completing the Burn Phase I am totally pain free. I am considerably stronger and I feel tighter. Week 1 was by far the most painful soreness-wise. After Week 1, I experienced soreness, but it was manageable. By Week 4, I had increased all of my weights and was able to do certain exercises (like the "Free Throws") to completion, whereas in the beginning I could get to about 17 and then had to stop. I was also able to add a "on my toes" push-up each week each time we had push-ups, but was never able to do all of them in that position.

And here's what you really want to know: I've gained 10 lbs over the last month (not something I usually do - I'm a 1-2lb kind of girl). And nothing in my life has happened other than this workout. I'm eating the same, stress isn't bad, health is tip top (I just had a physical), so I have to assume that it's muscle. I have to PRAY that it's muscle under my fat! I can see more definition in my thighs and my arms, I just can't see any other muscle due to my fat sticking around.

My clothes are actually fitting a little tighter, too, so it's not just the scale. My mom and husband have both commented that I seem "curvier," which is fine, but it'd be nice to be slimming down, too. But, like I've said before, I'm going to be VERY patient and just wait for the end of the 90 days. I've done a lot of research online and lots and lots of women have had the same experience: no weight loss, then it melts away in the Lean Phase.

It's important to note that in Week 3 I started watching what I ate more closely, eating every 2-3 hours if I could, but I wasn't all that consistent with it, and I was also drinking wine regularly. I should be eating 1400-1600 calories a day, but I was probably averaging closer to 1600-2000. My eating habits may have contributed to not losing any weight. We'll see as I progress and shape up my diet in the coming weeks.


[Ed. note (5.6.10): For those of you curious about how this all ended up, go to my Lean Phase Review for results. Also, I started it all over again and am currently in my second week of Push, and still loving it! This time around I have NOT gained 10 lbs, due mostly (I think ) to really watching what I eat. No significant weight loss, however, just amazing muscle tone in my arms and feeling firmer all over. I can do push-ups like nobody's business this time around. I'll post a re-cap post in 7 weeks or so when I complete the Lean Phase again.]

Air humping (a.k.a. Turbo Jam) review

Woo! We're having fun!!

If you find my review helpful in anyway, please leave me a comment or ask me more questions if you have them. Also, if you want me to reply to your comment, please go here to find out how to make that possible. Thanks!

Other reviews:
Here's my ChaLEAN Extreme Burn Phase Review.
Here's my ChaLEAN Extreme Push Phase Review.
Here's my ChaLEAN Extreme Lean Phase Review (includes final results).

Those of you following me on Twitter might have seen me recently tweeting about air humping in the early morning hours (you'll see what I mean in the video below).

In the past four weeks or so I've endeavored to get my life in gear (read: healthier) and that includes exercise and my diet. Since simply watching what I eat gets me zero results I've finally admitted I gotta get my biscuit moving, too. What luck I had to turn on the TV one quiet Sunday afternoon and see Chalene Johnson stumping (and humping) for her Turbo Jam program!

I'm not exactly sure what it was about the infomercial, but I was mesmerized.


And then minute 5:25 happened. And still, I was mesmerized. And undeterred.

Instead of calling the number on the screen I went directly to the website. As I navigated through countless additional offers I finally saw where they make their money. Not on the $60 program, but on the additional monthly recurring things I could have signed up for. I was steadfast in my buying control and managed to leave the site with just the program advertised. And I felt good to be doing something about my health.

When you buy Turbo Jam you get a nifty little guidebook which includes an overview, an intro to "your crew," one month schedule of workouts, Elite 11 Turbo Jam moves flash cards, an eating plan and calculator, and a dining out guide. Also included are these cool weighted gloves for "sculpting." As I understand it they are not for beginners. There are 6 different workouts including a bonus "Punch, Kick, and Jam" DVD. This is all only $60 (or 3 [easy] payments of $20 - which is what I opted for).

:: Mine arrived last Friday and I started the following Monday with Learn & Burn. Learn is where Chalene goes through her Elite 11 Moves one by one, followed by Burn where the biscuit gets worked for 15 minutes. I did that for two days, per the schedule, then did two days of the 20 Minute DVD. I can honestly say it was the fastest 20 minutes of jumping around and flailing my arms I've ever experienced. I'm not sure at what minute mark it was, but she includes a nuclear-bomb-warning-like siren to signify an anaerobic period where you run in place and bounce around frantically. I rather liked it.

:: Now here's the thing: I'm not a dancer. I'm horrible at it. I've also never done martial arts of any kind. My dance history includes my Jane Fonda and Kathy Smith videos and my kickboxing is limited to my Tae Bo DVD. I think I can say with some authority then, that Turbo Jam is doable for anyone. It's better than my aerobics videos because I can actually keep up with the moves. Chalene gives great direction and there's enough repetition that if you miss one set you can still get back in the groove and it's not too "dancey." Nary a peep is uttered about a "grapevine," "box-step," or "ball change."

(Even Anthony joined me on one of the days and he said he was sore the next day.)

Of course, I've only done two routines. I'll keep posting on this until I've done the full month of routines.

It also claims to be able to burn up to 1000 calories in a single workout. I don't really give a shit about that, I just want to get toned up and stop my constant back pain. If you're really into burning 1000 calories, then they might be bullshitting you, I don't know.

I've read a bunch of reviews on this workout and they're mostly all positive. There are a couple that are disparaging, but for whatever reason it was mostly due to the music (which I find leagues better than most digital soundtracks on workout DVDs). But I like dance music.

:: So far what I like most about this program is that it's honest about it being hard work, yet it somehow makes it fun. We'll see if my tune changes once I hit the 45 minute long Cardio Party DVD.

By the way, I've totally lost count on my 21 Day makeover. I think I'll just restart and say I'm on Day 5. I'm LOVING the recipes, too. It's my goal to stick with this. I'm Queen Quitter-of-Things. I always start out strong then peter out - don't we all?

I think I can. I think I can. I think I can....

:: 4/16/09 Update: I'm about done with week 3 and I have done all the routines (all 5 basic ones). The Ab Jam routine consists of 10 minutes standing and 10 laying down. It's a fast 20 minutes and you really feel it the next day without feeling absolutely TORTURED during it. I'm still trying to figure out the "tuck" position. I'm thinking that with more muscle development it will come more easily to me.

:: The Cardio Party is 45 minutes long and, again, is fast. I don't know how this woman does it, but she makes tedious jumping around in your living room actually bearable. She has a counter on the bottom of the screen and the time is broken up into several different segments. Both cardio routines (the 20 Minute and Cardio Party) have an anaerobic set a little bit past the half-way point. The remainder of the workout is recovery and it feels really, REALLY good.

:: Turbo Sculpt requires small weights (which you don't find out about until you push "play," and I found that irritating) and is all about slow control. It's also 45 minutes long, with a brief time spent laying down at the very end. Despite the slow movements, it also went quickly.

:: I haven't seen any visible results and I've been religiously doing routines for 3 weeks. But I'm not all that surprised. It usually takes at least 5 weeks of consistent work for anything to happen to me. I DO feel stronger and my back is waaaaay better. So despite not losing weight or anything, I'm still motivated to work out because this seems to be helping me be pain free - yay!

I'll update again in a week. I have no idea what I'm supposed to do after the month of suggested workouts and I don't want to have to pay for more...

:: 5/30/09 Update: It's been several weeks since I started this program and my back pain is virtually gone. HOWEVER, I haven't lost a pound. My mother insists that I look more toned, but I don't really believe her (she's my mom, she has to say that, right??). I was an athlete for years and cross-trained and therefore I'm thinking I need to add some serious weight training to all this cardio. I think if I did the Turbo Sculpt routine over and over I'd start seeing some figure-changing results. As it stands today, that's not the case.

:: This isn't to say I think the Turbo Jam series doesn't work. On the contrary, it does work! I'm a lot stronger, pain free, and I feel better over all. And I really stand by this statement: I just bought the ChaLEAN Extreme program and will be starting tomorrow. I'll link up to this post at the end of Week 1 (June 8th).