ChaLEAN Extreme was the first program I ever started with and boy, was it the right one for me! It challenged me just enough to the point where I had to work hard, but I didn't struggle through the DVDs. In this post, I'm going to give you an overview of the program, my thoughts and then share my results with you.
From the product description, ChaLEAN Extreme is described as a fat burning workout that will boost your metabolism and help you get lean. It states that the more lean muscle you have, the more fat you burn AND you can lose up to 60% of your body fat in this 5-day per week, 90-day program. the program comes with the Muscle Burns Fat Guidebook that includes a calendar for the program, a thigh toner band, a body fat tester and 4 FREE gifts: the Fat-Burning Food Guide, an Extreme Motivation audio CD, the Healthy Eats and Kitchen Makeovers DVDs and a pro-grade resistance band.
The trainer, Chalene Johnson, has this program structured into 3 phases: Burn Phase, Push Phase and Lean Phase. During these phases, you focus on cardio exercises and resistance training. Before you even start, in Burn Basics and Band Basics, Chalene teaches you proper form and technique for the resistance moves you'll be doing throughout the program whether you're using weights or bands.
The first phase, Burn Phase, has 3 DVDs: Burn Circuit 1, Burn Circuit 2 and Burn Circuit 3. During this phase, you start your resistance training and your own pace and start to break down the fat in your body. These workouts are moderate and you'll use both upper body and lower body muscle groups. You'll also have Burn Intervals and Ab Burner in this phase in order to have some intense cardio and strength-training incorporated into your workout. You will start to use your guidebook here because one thing Chalene always says, is to "track your progress". This will help you each week to determine if the amount of weight or the resistance band you're using is right for you and you can make adjustments as you move forward in the program.
The next phase, Push Phase has 3 DVDs: Push Circuit 1, Push Circuit 2 and Push Circuit 3. During this phase, you are going to leave your comfort zone and start to build muscle. You'll increase the amount of weight or the resistance band you use but do less reps at a slower pace than Burn Circuit. You'll still have Burn Intervals and Ab Burner for the first 2-weeks incorporated for the cardio and strength-training but then the ab workout will kick it up a notch with Extreme Abs.
The last phase is Lean Phase and also has 3 DVDs: Lean Circuit 1, Lean Circuit 2 and Lean Circuit 3. This is the phase where the fat really melts off. You'll have new routines and more dynamic moves and you'll see drastic changes to your body. During this phase, you will go back to more reps so you can decrease or remain the same for the amount of weight or resistance band you use. This entire phase you'll have Burn Intervals and Extreme Abs incorporated for your cardio and strength-training workouts.
For me, this program was easy to follow and fun to do but definitely challenging. Chalene Johnson is a great trainer because she makes the workout fun, keeps you motivated and reminds you to always pay attention to your form which is effective to helping your body transform. There were times during the program when my body was sore but that is because I wasn't used to lifting weights at all. I did get discouraged a few times because of this but that is part of my own personality (I'm a perfectionist at heart)...but I did not give up on the program. I stuck to it and as I went along, I started seeing differences in the progress I was tracking. I was able to lift more and get through all the reps over time.
My results were truly eye-opening for me. On Day One, my measurements were:
Waist: 32"
Hips: 36.5"
Abductors: 34.5"
Chest: 36.5
Right Arm: 10.25"
Left Arm: 10.25"
Right Thigh: 18.5"
Left Thigh: 18.5"
Weight: 123.2 lbs
Body-Fat: 27.6%
On Day 30, my measurements were:
Waist: 31"
Hips: 36"
Abductors: 34"
Chest: 34"
Right Arm: 10"
Left Arm: 10"
Right Thigh: 18"
Left Thigh: 18"
Weight: 119 lbs
Body-Fat: 16%
On Day 60, my measurements were:
Waist: 30"
Hips: 36"
Abductors: 19"
Chest: 35.5"
Right Arm: 11"
Left Arm: 11"
Right Thigh: 16"
Left Thigh: 16"
Weight: 118 lbs
Body-Fat: 16%
On Day 90, my measurements were:
Waist: 32"
Hips: 35"
Abductors: 34.5"
Chest: 35"
Right Arm: 10.5"
Left Arm: 10.5"
Right Thigh: 18"
Left Thigh: 18.5"
Weight: 119 lbs
Body-Fat: 14%
I had lost a few pounds, lost some inches but the biggest win for me was that I reduced my body fat by 13.6 points! That's nearly 50% of my body fat...GONE...off my body!!!! To me, that was a transformation! What I've learned since completing this program is that it's not about the number on the scale, but more about the inches and fat on your body and even more importantly how you feel.
One thing to keep in mind when choosing this program is that even though it comes with a resistance band, a band is not for everyone. I chose to purchase weights from my local sporting goods store because I didn't feel comfortable with the band. In the program, they recommend you purchasing the Bowflex SelectTech Dumbbells weight system but for me, this was out of my price range. Instead, I purchased a simple plate system that I could adjust based on what I could lift that day. I did have a hard time with these on some days because I could only adjust them so far but I did make it work. If you can afford the Bowflex SelectTech Dumbells weight system, definitely make the investment because it will make it easier for you to adjust the amount of weight you're lifting. These are definitely on my wish list!
I would would recommend this to anyone wanting to build muscle and decrease their body fat especially because it can be customized and modified to fit your body and what works for you. It's a great place to start for beginners and a good place for those who are already fit and want to continue building muscle, burning fat and keep that metabolism moving!
For more information on this program, you can contact me by visiting my site through the link above.
