I have to admit that I have been patiently waiting for the 2nd month and the Push Circuit of ChaLEAN Extreme. When my copy was delievered by UPS, I poured through the guides, and read everything I could read. The setup for the Push Circuit was right up my alley. Chalene Johnson, the trainer on ChaLEAN Extreme, asks you to lift even heavier weight this circuit. You should be failing between 6 and 8 reps. On the burn circuit, you were failing at 10-12 reps. Since you are dropping reps, you should be raising the weight appropriately. Remember, you want to fail, with GOOD form. Once you start to lose form, you’re done.

ChaLEAN Extreme Push Circuit 1 is approximately 33 minutes. You have the standard 4-5 minute warm up as always, and then at the end you have about a 2 minute cool down. So if you are like me, you may do the quick math, and say, that’s not a very long workout! I was even thinking, maybe I will add some more sets in once the regular workout is over. I finished the workout this morning, and additional sets was the LAST thing on my mind. For beginners through advanced, I think this is a great workout! Now I may add something later, but I wanted to see how I felt after the regular workout first. So now, on to the workout itself:

Standard Bicep Curl. This isn’t the standard bicep curl you see in the gym. No swinging, you’re not arching your back to lift the weight, no rocking, and all that other stuff typical of gym rats. But I should say that cautiously, I know some gym rats (I use to be one) where control and form was rock solid. But in this set, you are lifting slow and steady. Isolating your biceps to do ALL the work.

Standard Squat. Again, focus on form, keep your chest up, and your head up. Lower yourself slow and controlled, keeping your knees over your ankles, and then raise yourself slow.

Single Arm Bent-over Tricep Extension. Be careful on this one. You don’t want to get too much weight and lose your form. If you are lifting this weight slowly, and contracting at the top, you don’t need a lot of weight to make this work!

V-Pres Bicep Curl. This one was tough for me. I’m still working through some soreness in my shoulder/bicep area. You are lifting into a standard bicep curl, but you stop halfway. You then angle your arms outwards, an then press upwards. You lower back down, then turn to the front and lower again. You might have to see this one to see how it actually works, but it’s a tough exercise, and you can tell it works!

Extreme Biceps. It’s now time for the first of MANY extreme sets. You get a little spoiled in the Burn Circuit, where you do 2-3 extreme sets. If you are lifting heavy at the regular set and “failing” between 6 and 8, when it’s time to do the extreme sets, you should be very close to muscle failure. Meaning you can’t lift anymore.

Single Leg Squat. This is another challenging exercise. By isolating one leg at a time, you can really make your leg work. I had to really focus in to complete this set.

Extreme Single Leg Squat (each side). The regular set was bad enough! Next we had to do an extreme set of the same thing. I barely made it through the regular set! As Tony Horton says in P90X, “You gotta get your mind right.” I’m curious to see how my legs feel after this workout. I judge my workouts on how I feel immediately after, and how I feel two days later when the soreness starts to set in.

Overhead Tricep Extension. On this exercise, a good rule of thumb is to take the total weight of your single arm tricep kickbacks, and then reduce the weight slightly. This was the perfect amount of weight for me. Excellent set!

Extreme Triceps. Again, another extreme set.

Hammer Biceps. Very similar to the standard bicep, except your thumbs are pointing upwards. Chalene cautions us during this DVD, to think about your grip, don’t squeeze the weight so hard that you fatigue to quickly. Focus on the biceps.

Extreme Hammer Biceps. Another breakdown extreme set. I love these extreme sets, you have to imagine the muscle growth you are promoting when you breakdown these muscles, forcing them to get stronger. I love it!

Heel Squat. Just like your standard squat, with the exception of focusing in on your heels. You want to take all the weight off your toes and put them back in your heels. Because of this, you want to lighten your weights down from the standard squat.

Extreme Heel Squat. Need I say more than I already have. Time to get Extreme Baby, as Chalene would say.

Standard Push-Up. Your goal is a total of 12 slow and controlled push ups. When you can no longer stay on your toes, drop to your knees. If you can’t maintain good form before 12, stop. But keep working on your goal of 12. Then after a short 10 second break, you do an extreme set of push ups, and then you are DONE.

When I finished my workout, my arms were fatigued! I have a routine in the mornings. I get up first thing, and workout. After my workout, and cool down, I mix up my recovery drink, and head to the office to work through emails. This morning, I was so tired, and my arms so tired, that I had to take breaks from my email. lol. If you work hard during this 30 minutes, and you lift heavy, fail between 6-8, you can not help but to get a GREAT workout.

Thanks for reading my ChaLEAN Extreme Reviews. I hope you will come back again and again, for more articles and reviews, and please subscribe if you like. I’m very approachable, so please feel free to contact me by email or comments. Have a great day!

Anyone who has ever tried to lose weight and get into shape knows how much of a struggle it can be. First, it seems that not one action will do the job. It takes a combination of the right foods, exercise regimen, and emotional strength to truly succeed in achieving your best body. Thankfully, though, there are some products out there designed to make it easier for you to live a healthy life. One of the best is the ChaLEAN Extreme diet system. By following this program, you are guaranteed to look and feel better fast. Plus, you won’t need to spend a fortune on prepackaged meals or intoxicate your body with dangerous diet pills.

When you receive the ChaLEAN Extremesystem, you get an all-inclusive program packed into the Fat Burning Food Guide. This book contains more than 100 pages of recipes and meal plans that are simple enough for even the most amateur chefs to follow. It also explains, in clear terms, the ChaLEAN Extreme three-phase program. You begin with the “burn phase.” Then progress to the “push phase,” and, finally, you finish with the “lean phase.”

During the “burn phase, the ChaLEAN Extreme program aims to rev your metabolism and burn those first pounds off fast. It works by significantly restricting your fat and carbohydrate intake. With the focus on fresh produce and protein, you will be fueling your body for muscle growth, which increases your daily calorie burn and helps you shed pounds quickly. This phase also emphasizes lower calorie meals to help you achieve the calorie deficit needed for weight loss.

In the “push phase,” you get to add some more variety and calories to your meals. There is also an increase in protein to support the new muscles you are building. After this, you can move on to the “lean phase.” Here, your meals become even higher in calories as you have bolstered your metabolism and are burning more each day. However, after going through the first two phases, you will be used to eating less and are unlikely to overeat even when provided with more food.

Once you finish the ChaLEAN Extreme phases, don’t worry about a weight gaining relapse. The program includes a special maintenance guide to help you keep a steady weight. Plus, the recipes included with ChaLEAN Extreme are varied enough to keep you eating great for months and years to come. Recipes include everything from a healthy cheeseburger to chicken parmesan. What more could you want in a program? Get started today and give your body the nutrients you deserve.

Perhaps the most innovative part of the ChaLEAN Extreme system is that it is specifically designed to work with your exercise program. This means that, unlike other diets, you will never skimp on fitness because you are hungry or under-nourished.

When your mother told you to get your beauty sleep, she may have been on to something. From babies to adults, studies show that the amount of sleep a person gets can directly affect his or her diet and overall health. While individual sleep needs vary, most adults need about 7 to 9 hours of sleep a night consistently, while school-aged children need 9 to 12 hours. According to the National Sleep Foundation, about one third of adults regularly get 6 hours or less of sleep a night. How do you know if you’re getting enough sleep? A good way to tell is if you feel alert during the day and feel satisfied with the amount of sleep you are getting. And there are myriad reasons to make sure that happens. Here are five reasons to get enough sleep.

1. Reduces the risk of depression. Getting enough sleep is essential for functioning both mentally and physically during the day. Not getting enough can lead to dramatic mood swings, which can increase the risk of depression. Do you have a moody teenager in the house? Pediatricians recommend that teenagers get from 8 to 10 hours of sleep a night. While pulling an occasional all-nighter is not likely to make much of a long-term difference in our health, research shows that consistent sleep deprivation—getting less than 6 hours of sleep on a regular basis—can have lasting effects that can’t be reversed. These effects can include high blood pressure, negative moods, and a decrease in productivity. Good sleep habits lead to better moods at work as well as better moods in our social interactions and personal relationships.

2. Helps maintain an optimal weight. In a culture that encourages us to work and play 24/7 and fuel fatigue with caffeine to keep going, it’s easy to see why so many of us are frequently tired. But did you know that getting too little sleep can cause weight gain? Studies have shown that sleep deprivation can lower proteins in the body that suppress our appetites, causing people to want to eat more than they would if they had gotten enough sleep. And when we’re tired from lack of sleep, we tend to overeat to refuel our bodies—to replace the energy we’ve lost. Unfortunately, we’re more likely to reach for our favorite comfort foods or foods that give us a quick burst of energy, and those foods tend to be high in calories and carbohydrates. People who don’t get enough sleep might also feel too tired to keep up a regular exercise routine, making it harder for them to maintain a healthy weight.

3. Increases the ability to think clearly. A lack of sleep not only makes us drowsy and unable to concentrate, it can also lead to impaired memory function and job performance. When we’re well rested, we’re likely to be more alert, physically stronger, and better able to perform well at our jobs and at creative problem solving. A lack of sleep in schoolkids can lead to poor concentration and behavior problems in school. Sleep deprivation has also been shown to decrease hand-eye coordination and reaction times, especially when driving. When we do get enough sleep, we’re able to think clearly and react to situations quickly.

4. Reduces stress. It’s no coincidence that as a society we’ve cut back on sleep over the past few decades by 1 to 2 hours a night, while studies show that more of us are reporting higher levels of stress than in past years. According to the National Sleep Foundation, 35 percent of adults report that they don’t get enough sleep, with women feeling the effects of sleep deprivation more than men. Unfortunately, many adults accept their lack of sleep as a way of life and turn to caffeine to combat the fatigue they feel during the day. Aiming for at least 7 hours of sleep a night—along with exercise and a balanced diet—will minimize stress.

5. It’s good for the heart. When it comes to getting a good night’s sleep, there are significant health benefits for people of all ages. Research has shown that consistently skimping on sleep can weaken our immune systems, making us more vulnerable to sickness and disease. Several studies have shown that a lack of sleep, or getting less than 6 hours of sleep a night regularly, can lead to an irregular heart rate as well as higher blood pressure and increased cholesterol levels, which are both risk factors for heart disease. So the next time you try to short yourself on a good night’s sleep, think about all the health benefits you’re missing by staying awake for that extra hour or two.

Strategies for a Better Night’s Sleep

• Maintain a regular bedtime and wake-up schedule
• Establish a regular bedtime routine that includes such things as reading or taking a bath
• Sleep on a comfortable pillow and mattress
• Avoid activities like paying bills or working (even exercise, for some people) right before bedtime
• Maintain a regular exercise schedule

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A personal note. I know how hard it can be to get a good night’s sleep, numerous things can keep us busy, I know two small children (for me) will always make sleep a challenge! If we make a conscious effort maybe we can all improve our amount of sleep. Even if that means we have to cut down on our quiet time, or for me television after the kids are in bed. I think the two most important things to remember, is sleep improves recovery and muscle growth, and since I workout with P90X and ChaLEAN Extreme, I need all the recovery I can get!

If you workout regularly, then you know that exercise alone does not yield results. Rather, it is a combination of nutrition and fitness that can truly give you the body you desire. Unfortunately, with all the unhealthy options staring us in the face each day, it can be hard to make the right decisions regarding workout enhancing foods. If you haven’t tried the P90X Peak Performance Bars, you really should!

The key thing to remember when it comes to food specifically aimed at enhancing the benefits of exercise is timing. You cannot get ideal results from a workout if you are not properly fueled beforehand. Similarly, you will be unable to recover quickly if you do not eat something appropriate after a tough fitness session. However, a big meal that fills your stomach can cause cramping before a workout and not meet the nutritional demands after a workout. These same large portions take a long time to digest, making them less than ideal for post-workout recovery.

With this in mind, there are a number of alternatives you can eat before, during, or after a tough workout session. For many, the ideal solution is to choose a protein shake or recovery drink that can be easily swallowed. Some of us, though, prefer to chew our food and enjoy the taste and texture of something more substantial. That’s where workout bars come in. These are not your average granola bar, instead, they are specially designed with key nutritional components that can boost your performance.

Some bars claim to be ideal for exercise, yet fail to contain enough protein to rebuild and strengthen muscles. Ideally, you should look for a bar with at least 10 grams of protein, although closer to 20 grams is best. At the same time, you want to avoid options with high amounts of fat. Unfortunately, some companies make protein bars with so much fat, it is like eating a candy bar. Fat takes time to digest, adds unnecessary calories, and can prevent you from achieving a toned, muscular physique. Instead, try to find a bar with some fiber. Fiber helps regulate your metabolism and keep energy levels from dropping.

So, which edible options are best for enhancing your workout? There are several brands out there, but the P90X performance bars are among the best in the business. With 18 grams of protein, they are well within the ideal range for boosting muscular growth. Plus, these bars are low in fat and high in fiber. They are also low in sugar. Sure, sugar gives you a temporary energy boost, but then it causes you to crash. Many so-called energy bars are little more than sugary substitutes for real nutrition.

Ultimately, though, you want a bar that tastes good. After all, you work out hard, you deserve to eat delicious food. Want to know what flavor bars are best? Many companies advertise chocolate options that mimic candy, but many of these fall short on taste because they are ultimately using fake flavorings. Instead, check out bars, like the P90X ones, with natural tastes like berry, mocha and chocolate peanut butter.

Before you head out to your next sweat session, be sure to pack your gym bag with a powerful protein bar. Remember, not all bars are the same, so you’ll want to pick the one with the ideal blend of nutrition and taste to suit your needs. Don’t be fooled by claims made by cereal or granola bars, for a real workout, you need a real performance enhancer. Another thing to keep in mind, even if you don’t use these bars before or after exercise, they are an absolute must have for snacks. You can easily take them with you, they are the right amount of calories for a “small” meal. Ideally you are already eating 5 or 6 meals a day, and these bars are perfect for one of those meals, don’t get stuck without a nutritious snack, try the P90X Peak Performance Bars.

The ChaLEAN Extreme basic program comes with two great cardio workouts, Burn Intervals and Burn It Off. Both of these workouts are great, I’m especially fond of Burn Intervals. But being a firm believer in cardio, and always wanting to keep things interesting, I decided to invest in the ChaLEAN Extreme Deluxe DVD. I know this can be confusing, which ChaLEAN program do I need?  If you are looking to buy a ChaLEAN program, and have yet to buy, take a look at this article I wrote about choosing the best ChaLEAN Extreme program. This will explain what comes with each package, and which one is right for you!  Personally, I started with the basic program, and then upgraded to the ChaLEAN Extreme Deluxe DVD.

So, let me say, if you don’t have the Deluxe DVD, get one. If you want variety, and if you want a cardio workout that is quick and effective, you need this one, it’s a must have. I take cardio seriously, and I had my doubts that I would get a good workout in 30 minutes, but you will be surprised. The dvd actually has three workouts. Two cardio routines and one ab routine. After doing the Fat Burn Challenge, I am equally excited to try the other two and will review them also.  (Stay tuned or subscribe to the blog)

Here are the details. The program is 32 minutes and 30 seconds.  During this time, I burned 436 calories, with an average heart rate of 151, with my highest heart rate hitting 179!  You start off the program with the traditional ChaLEAN Extreme warm up for just under 5 minutes.  For some strange reason this morning, I came into this workout with explosive energy.  I was determined to work hard, and burn some calories.  I didn’t want to be disappointed at the end of 30 minutes, thinking I didn’t work hard enough.  At the end of 30 minutes, there was no question, I got something accomplished!  So the warm up was done, and you move straight into the first of 12 moves.  Some of the exercises below have names that are fairly self explanatory, and I will move quickly past those.

1.  Jump rope drills, 2 minutes.

2.  Jumping Jack Drills, 3 minutes.

3.  Plyo Lunges, 2 minutes 25 seconds. This consists of stepping into deep lunges, the deeper the better. I always strive to get my lead leg into a 90 degree angle to the floor. Nice and deep, and the deeper, the harder it is!

30 second break. Move around, but don’t sit. Get a drink of water, and catch your breath.

4. HIT, 1 minute 12 seconds. This was hard, and FUN. Can you have FUN in a cardio workout? You bet. Think football practice. You get in a squat stance, and start running in place. Chalene calls out left, right, and HIT. You either move in the direction she calls, or on the HIT, you drop to the ground in a push up stance, jump up, and keep running. This one will get the blood moving, as if it wasn’t already!

5. Plyo sculpting, with or without the toner band, 3 minutes. This move has you side stepping side to side, and Chalene alternates with a standing thigh toning exercise. So you lunge side to side, then stop and raise one leg to the side working the thighs.  Then back to lunges etc.

6. Modified Burpee, 1 minute. This move has you in a wide stance, you drop to a push up and then stand back up. You do 16 total burpees.

30 second break. Don’t sit!

7. Moving Prisoner Lunges, 2 minutes. You step forward to a lunge, then step to the right (3 o’clock) for a second lunge. Then back to the front for another lunge, and continue. This move is modified by moving your hands from your hips during the lunges, to behind your head, and then straight up in the air. Then you’ll switch sides and do the opposite leg.

8. Crosses and Zig Zags, 2 minutes. This is true Turbo Jam style. Cross punches, mixed in with zig zags (for the obliques), and some knee lifts. Great stuff!

9. Squats/Sumo, 1 minute 24 seconds. You alternate from a sumo squat to a regular squat. Jumping in and out.

10. Giant Leaps, 2 minutes 30 seconds. Leaping from side to side.

11. Squats, 1 minute 30 seconds. Think football again. You go from a regular squat to a 3 point football stance, back to the squat, continue to football stance etc.

12. Lateral Lunges, 1 minute 30 seconds. From a wide sumo squat, you will lunge to one side, then reach up to the sky, then repeat, then switch legs.

You made it to the cool down which is 3 minutes.

I can not say enough, how much I love this workout. It will be a favorite for quite some time! If you are short on time, and need a quick cardio workout that will do the job of a longer 45 minute to 1 hour workout, get this one and get going! Remember you will need the Deluxe DVD.

Thank you again for reading my ChaLEAN Extreme Reviews. Please subscribe if you haven’t already, and I invite you to post your own comments as well. We’re in this together, eating right, getting in shape, staying in shape. Stay positive, stay strong. See you in the next review.

Probably the most common question I get when I release a new exercise program is, “Help! I’m gaining weight! Am I doing something wrong?” This is a common phenomena with any new exercise program, Turbo Kick, Turbo Jam, Hip Hop Hustle, you name it! It’s especially common (and temporary) with intense strength training programs like ChaLEAN Extreme or Tony Horton’s P90X.

The motivation to start a new exercise program is almost always to lose weight loss. However, what most personal trainers know and most at-home exercisers do not, is that a new exercise program often can cause an immediate (and temporary) increase on the scale. (Notice I didn’t say weight gain! I’ll explain.) This common increase in the scale is also the reason why perhaps millions of people start and then quickly quit their resolution to get fit.

The temporary weight gain explained: When someone starts a new exercise program, they often experience muscle soreness. The more intense and “unfamiliar” the program, the more intense the muscle soreness. This soreness is most prevalent 24 to 48 hours after each workout. In the first few weeks of a new program, soreness is the body trying to “protect and defend” the effected or targeted tissue. Exercise physiologists refer to this as delayed-onset muscle soreness, or DOMS.

This type of soreness is thought to be caused by tissue breakdown or microscopic tears in muscle tissue. When this happens the body protects the tissue. The muscle becomes inflamed and slightly swollen with fluid retention. This temporary retention of fluid can result in a 3- to 4-pound weight gain within a few weeks of a new program. Keep in mind that muscle soreness is not necessarily a reflection of how hard you worked. In fact, some people feel no signs of muscle soreness, yet will experience the muscle protection mechanisms of water retention and slight swelling.

Most people are motivated enough to put up with this temporary muscle soreness. Yet, many, especially those who really need immediate weight loss to keep them motivated in those first couple of weeks become discouraged and quit!

When I worked with a group of 70 test participants during the development stages of ChaLEAN Extreme, this happened. Who was the most upset and discouraged? You guessed it… the women! I’m happy to report with absolutely every single woman (and man) in our group, the weight increase was temporary and never lasted more than 2 weeks before they started to see a major drop in the scale. However, these people had the advantage of working with someone who was able to explain to them why this was happening and assure them the weight would come off if they stuck to the nutrition plan and stayed true to the program.

For those of you who are following the ChaLEAN Extreme phase plan, keep in mind that when you start each phase, your body will be “in shock” again. Don’t be surprised or discouraged if you experience a temporary gain on the scale the first week of each phase.

My own personal example of this is running 10K’s. I don’t do it very often, maybe 1 or 2x a year. Even though I run on a regular basis, when you run a race you push much harder. It’s natural for me to be “insanely” sore the next day. Its also very common for me to see the scale jump 4 pounds the next day from forcing fluids post race and the resulting DOMS. Even though I know the cause of it, it’s still a bummer. We’re all human and hard work should mean “results”. Hard work equals results, but our bodies are amazing machines and they know how to protect us from hurting our selves. Soreness forces you to give those muscles a break Ultimately you will lose the weight and you will change your metabolism in the process.

The key is understanding that this is a normal and temporary and stick with the program!!

When to be concerned: If you experience a significant weight gain (exceeding 5 pounds) which does not begin to decrease rapidly after the second week, guess what it is??? I’ll give you one hint… you put it in your mouth and chew it. You know it! You’re food (or calorie laden beverages). Newsflash friends.. exercise doesn’t make you gain weight. Consuming more food than you burn makes you gain weight!

So if after two weeks you are not losing weight, have gained weight that’s not coming off, it’s time to take a close and honest look at your food intake. It’s time to find out what youre burning in calories each day. Have your RMR or BMR tested. This can be done for less than $50 and the information is invaluable. It takes out the guess work. Google “hydrostatic body fat testing _______ ” and insert the name of the big city you’re closest too. Companies that do HBFT also do BMR testing. Knowledge is king.

I’m gaining weight, but I’m sure it’s muscle: Possibly, but if you’re following ChaLEAN Extreme correctly, you should be losing fat and gaining muscle and the fat loss should be much more substantial than the rate at which you can physically put on muscle. This is even true for they guys.

Of the 70 plus people in my test group, every single one of them lost body fat and gained muscle and not one of them gained weight. I believe the average weight loss after 4 months was 28 pounds with many people losing 40 plus pounds. Even the men, who as you can see put on a lot of muscle, were seeing huge drops in the scale. We tested their muscle composition at the beginning and at the end and 100% of the participants maintained or gained muscle while achieving substantial weight loss. That’s the key to keeping weight off long term, i.e. muscle. Muscle burns fat. But you’ve heard me say that before.

Moral of the story: Be patient young grass hopper. You’ll be lean and mean in no time!

Want to get in shape without a lot of complicated exercises? It is possible. Unfortunately, many people buy into the idea that you need to learn a bunch of difficult moves just to build some muscle. Others spend hundreds, or even thousands, of dollars on gym memberships and home fitness equipment because they think working out requires a lot of different tools. This, too, is a myth. In fact, you can sculpt the body you want with a few key exercises that can be done by almost anyone, anywhere.

One of the best moves you can incorporate into your exercise routine is the chin up. Perhaps the best part of chin ups, though, is that you can do them with minimal equipment. All you really need is a strong horizontal bar. To get this at home, consider investing in a door frame chin up bar. These pieces are easy to install and support at least two hundred pounds of weight. Plus, most can be used without ever damaging your door frame.

To do a traditional chin up, hold a bar with hands facing you. Let your body hang down, then, simply pull yourself up until your chin is above the bar. This works your entire upper body, with special focus on your back and bicep muscles. Specifically, a chin up will target your latissimus dorsi (lat), brachialis, brachioradialis, bicep, tricep, teres major, teres minor, posterior deltoid, lower trapezius, pectoralis, and more. Very few other exercises can boast such an extensive list of utilized muscles with such a simple movement.

Not strong enough to do a traditional chin up? Don’t worry; you can reverse the regular movement to boost your arm strength. Using a chair, let your legs assist in getting to the top of the chin up motion. Then, simply lower your body down as slowly and with as much control as possible, without the chair. Over time, these so-called negative chin ups will help you build muscle and endurance so you can upgrade to a full chin up. You can also do negative chin ups at the end of your workout to push your muscles past the point of exhaustion and promote faster growth.

Once you’ve mastered a regular chin up, you may want to try some simple variations. By flipping your hands, so palms face away, you can switch to an overhand (sometimes called a pull up) pose. This puts greater emphasis on your elbow flexor and forearm muscles. If you switch only one arm to an overhand position, this variation is called a mixed grip. A mixed grip chin up is ideal for stronger individuals who need a new way to challenge their muscles. Remember, though, you want to work both sides equally with this exercise. So, do an even number of sets and switch hands each time.

In addition to changing hand positions, you can also opt for a wide or narrow grip chin up. In a wide grip chin up, you simply move your hands as far apart as you comfortably can. In this position, your muscles, including your lats, teres major, biceps, and rear deltoids, have to work considerably harder. Meanwhile, during a narrow grip chin up, you move your hands closer together, which helps lengthen your lat muscles.

In addition to building a strong upper body, you can also use your chin up bar to work your abdominal muscles. Simply hold onto the bar and lift your lower body by contracting your abs. For an additional variation, consider getting some ab straps that can help you support your arms during the lower body movement.

For an ideal chin up workout, try incorporating several variations into one routine. This way, you will truly work your upper body from every angle. Also, you should focus less on number of repetitions and more on reaching muscle exhaustion. As any weight trainer knows, you cannot build muscle without “maxing out.” So, after one or two sets of each variation, you may want to do a final set where you work until you cannot do another chin up.

Ultimately, doing chin ups is a great way to reshape your body. Not only will you boost all the muscles mentioned here, but you can also improve your posture and core strength. Remember, though, as with any exercise proper technique is necessary to get the most from your chin ups and prevent injury. The right chin up bar can help you master your form and make getting in shape quicker and easier than you ever imagined.

Let me give my personal recommendation to a perfect chin up bar solution. I live in an area where I just did not have room for a traditional chin up bar. Especially one of those free standing chin up bars for the corner of a room. So instead I opted to try the P90X Chin Up Bar, and I have been very impressed. I have used the same bar for approximately 3 years now. It works great today, the same as it did when I first started using it. It also works great if you are working out with P90X, where chin ups are done frequently.

When starting a new workout program, one of the most frequent questions I get asked: How long are the workouts? Or, How long do I have to work out? I personally like the length of the ChaLEAN Extreme workouts. As you can see below, the longest workout, Burn Intervals, is just barely over 45 minutes in length. Followed next by Lean Circuit 1, at 45 minutes.

As a general rule, you spend under 5 minutes doing a warm up before exercise. And then approximately 3-5 minutes for a cool down. The main part of the workouts are around 30 – 35 minutes. You can do anything for 30 minutes! In all the ChaLEAN Extreme workouts, Chalene Johnson targets multiple body parts, thus effectively combining muscle groups. This in turn shortens the workout to a near perfect length.

If you find yourself wondering during a workout, “How Much Longer?”  Just look at the bottom right of your television, there is a count down timer.  Better yet, if you are keeping up with Chalene Johnson, your rep count is also displayed.

So if you’re just starting out, ChaLEAN Extreme is a perfect choice. You are not expected to last through an hour or longer, grueling workout session. And now that the workout length of each workout is shown below, you can effectively plan your day and schedule, knowing in advance how much time you will need to get in that workout!

On the flip side, if you are a fitness fanatic, and are looking for a change, you can rest easy. Since I have personally completed Power 90, P90X (eight times), and P90X plus. Throw in a few Turbo Jam workouts, 10 Minute Trainer, One on One with Tony Horton, and about everything else Beachbody has on the market, I proclaim myself as a self proclaimed fitness fanatic. I am in my first round of ChaLEAN Extreme and love it. Nothing says you can’t do more, you have options. But I wholeheartedly believe, that doing the ChaLEAN Extreme program as written, will get you in great shape!

Burn Basics, 22 minutes

Burn Circuit 1, 36 minutes
Burn Circuit 2, 38 minutes
Burn Circuit 3, 32 minutes

Push Circuit 1, 33 minutes
Push Circuit 2, 35 minutes
Push Circuit 3, 35 minutes

Lean Circuit 1, 45 minutes
Lean Circuit 2, 39 minutes
Lean Circuit 3, 38 minutes

Burn It Off, 27 minutes
Recharge, 21 minutes
Burn Intervals, 46 minutes
Ab Burner, 10 minutes
Extreme Abs, 16 minutes

My ChaLEAN Extreme workouts start at 5:30 am.  This mornings workout was no different.  What would make this mornings workout more challenging, was that my 2 1/2 year old son felt like he needed to wake up at all hours of the night!  Well, there is nothing I can do about that, my choices were: 1) Tough it out, and get out of bed for my daily workout, or 2) Sleep in and regret it the rest of the day.  I chose number 1, I didn’t feel like beating myself up over it all day long.  So I tossed back the covers, went the kitchen, downed a sugar-free Red Bull (I’m such a cheater sometimes), and pushed play on the ever familiar ChaLEAN Extreme.  Sometimes working out is a workout mentally as well as physically.  On those days you just don’t feel like working out, those are the days you have to stand strong, fight those little voices that say “don’t do it” and just DO IT.  You’ll be glad you did, and the more of those little “battles” you win within your mind, the easier it becomes to get in great shape!

So here we go, I made it past the hard part, I have my gym clothes on, PowerBlocks (my weights) are ready, and ChaLEAN Extreme Burn Circuit 2, is in the dvd player. 

The workout is approximately 38 minutes in length, and you start this workout with an approximate 4-5 minute warm up.  Always take more time, if you need more time.  Take care of yourself, warm up as you need to.  12 total moves, with 3 extreme moves.

Sumo Squat with Bicep Curl. Very basic starting exercise. Select your weight, and assume a stance that is double shoulder width apart, feel slightly pointing out. You are holding your weight directly in front of you, just as you would for making a bicep curl. You drop slowly into a squat, and raise back up, then with elbows touching your side, do a curl. Your movements are SLOW. Slow squat and a slow curl. When you hit the top of your curl, squeeze that bicep.

Lunge with Tricep Extension, single arm. Using only one weight and one arm for this exercise, step forward into a lunge, raise the arm with the weight as if you were going to do a tricep kickback, but hold this position. First you want to drop into the lunge, then raise up. After the lunge, perform the tricep kickback. Keep your elbow back, and kick it back slow, control the weight, pause slightly at the top, and then lower again. Chalene is wanting you to go slow, with no swinging motion to make the rep. If you can’t go slow, you’re done. If you didn’t get at least 10 reps, drop down in weight the following week.

Dead Lift Row. Standing with your feet shoulder width apart, hold the weights with one in front of each leg. Your hands, or palms, will be facing you. Please be careful with this workout, don’t hurt your back with too much weight. Error on the side of caution, if you do okay for 12 reps, then add some weight. This is a great move for strengthening your lower back and hamstrings. So from this position, lower the weights down your legs towards the floor. Keep your back flat and straight! Slow and controlled, never fast in the ChaLEAN Burn Circuits. Raise back up, part way, hold, and perform a row. Then stand back up. Repeat. This is one of the exercises that really has me struggling. The right weight, and the proper form, with slow reps….. I need oxygen!

Sumo Squat with Overhead Tricep Extension. I’ve already explained the sumo squat above. You are using one single weight for the triceps. I look at my single arm triceps from the previous exercise, and try to go double, but not quite. So for example, I used 20 lbs each above for the single arm triceps. For the overhead, I went up to 35 lbs total. I failed at 10 reps. So I could go down, but I probably won’t. Next week, I will try to get 11 reps. This is an example only, and works for me. With the weight over your head with both hands, perform the squat, and hold. While at the bottom, drop the weight for the triceps. Raise your arms back over head, and then raise out of the squat. This is another great great exercise. Keep your elbows in tight, don’t let the elbows drift out when doing your triceps.

Dead Lift with Double Arm Row. This is similar to the dead lift row above, with a few minor differences. First you hands will be palms out away from you. Then from here it’s the same but intensified. You drop into the dead lift, keeping your back straight, lower all the way down, then raise all the way back up. Then you will lower part way, and do the double arm row, then raise back up. That’s one. Only eleven more to go. This one, same as above, should leave you huffing and puffing. Chalene says, “Lift Heavy or Go Home.” But lift heavy and keep GOOD form.

Bowler’s Lunge with Single Arm Row. This exercise is using a lunge, in a slightly different stance. Imagine rolling a bowling ball. One leg is straight forwards, and the other is behind the front leg, extended straight out. Hold this position, and drop down into a single leg lunge, the back leg is for balance. At the bottom of the lunge, do your row, and raise back up. This move gets my legs a little shaky. But that’s a good thing. Work through it, get a minimum of 10 reps, 12 if possible.

Bicep with Abductor Balance. Your using your thigh toner band on this one. After you have it in place, you lift one leg out to the side, and balance on one leg, as you make your bicep curl. You can modify this move with no band, and balance. I have to be honest. I started using the band my first two workouts. I was so busy holding my leg out and balancing, I didn’t feel my biceps getting worked as much as I would like. So this workout, I skipped the band, and did 10 extreme bicep curls. I really miss working the biceps. I know it’s a guy thing. So after I failed at 10 reps. I took my 10 second break, then you move straight into the extreme set.

For the first extreme set, it was 3 slow (8 count, up and down) bicep curls. I have to say after the 10 reps above, my biceps and arms were DONE.

Forward Lean lunge with Double Row. This move is back to the double row. You step forwards into a single leg lunge, hold the lunge, perform the double arm row, then lower an inch into the lunge and stand up. Do this a total of 6 times, then switch legs for 6 more. If you get the lunge right, and drop an inch each time, you can get a great leg workout here.

Now it’s time for the second extreme set. This time it’s a double row, but no lunge. Go slow, remember, 8 count down and up.

Triple Threat Push Up. On this set, you are doing basically 4 sets of 3 push ups. The first push up is a narrow push up, concentrating on the triceps. Keep your elbows tucked in, and back. The second push up is a standard push up. And the third push up is wide, hands wide, and legs wide. Repeat this for a total of 4 sets, and 12 push ups. Do your best. Try to get as many as you can on your toes, drop to the knees when you can no longer keep your back straight, and then finish on your knees. I like to use the Power Stands for this exercise, and get deep into the push ups.

Last move, your third extreme set. Narrow push ups. Three total push ups, narrow stance. 8 counts down, back straight, and 8 counts up again. Let’s get three.

At this point you go into a 3 minute cool down and stretch. But remember that “guy thing” I mentioned above. I decided, I would let the dvd go into the cool down, and I would get a drop set for biceps. Essentially, you select a weight, and perform 8 bicep curls. Then you drop your weight 5 lbs, and get 8 more reps. Drop again, 8 more reps, and then last drop in weights, for 8 more reps. So it’s a total of 4 sets, 8 reps each. I started today at 35 lb. and dropped respectively from 35, 30, 25, and 20 lbs. So now my personal bonus round was complete, remember at 5:30 am I was debating about not even working out. Then at the end, I’m doing extra! It works that way sometimes. I’m always glad I got in my workout.

So while I’m cooling down, the regular dvd program is over, and the after workout information is showing on the screen, as I cool down and stretch. First thing after the workout, is a small tidbit about teambeachbody.com. TeamBeachbody.com is the place to go for logging your workouts into “WOWY” and online gym. It’s a calendar of sorts, where you can log a workout, find workout buddies all over the world doing the same workouts. Best of all, it’s free to use, and they give away daily prizes. So check that out too. You could go to teambeachbody.com and sign up and get assigned a random coach, which is also free, or you could specifically request me. To do that, go to: ChaLEAN Extreme Reviews, and be sure to subscribe and catch all my reviews. Have a great day!

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