ChaLEAN Extreme, Month 3 (LEAN Phase) in Review

(Check out the Month 1 (BURN Phase) Review)
(Check out the Month 2 (PUSH Phase) Review)

So here it is! Month 3 of ChaLEAN Extreme. Were there any big surprises? Well, yes and no. The format was the same (three days of weight training, one day of Cardio + Abs, and one day of Cardio + yoga) but the difficulty was ramped up significantly. Like. A lot.

For one, the weight training portions REALLY focused on the arms. Sure, there were some compound movements (arms and legs) but each routine made sure to hit your arms in some way. And there were push-ups. Lots of push-ups. Push-ups on their own don't really bother me. But when you try to do them ridiculously slow after already fatiguing your arms with other routines...It's a challenge. But challenge is good! We want challenge. Similarly to Insanity, "failure" is success.

Like in Month 1, each routine is back to 12 reps, but Chalene really wants you to fail anytime after 10 reps. And remember in Month 2's review, when I complained about the "Extreme" reps at the end of the last few routines? Well, you'll be doing these extra slow, extra painful bonus reps at the end of EVERY routine in Month 3.

The weight training isn't the only thing that's gotten an increase in difficulty this month. The mid-week Cardio routine (which, if you remember from Month 1's review, has some weights intermixed throughout the workout) is very challenging. I've been using the resistance bands with ChaLEAN Extreme, and those things make this exercise really tough. Resistance bands, unlike free weights, increase in resistance the further you extend them. It just so happens that there are a LOT of long-extension routines in this workout. I've been starting out with the red (~12lb) band, and on occasion switching down to the green (~8lb) band. Keep in mind, that at a 3x stretch, the "~12lb" band is closer to 20lbs, and if you're using the band with both ends in one hand, multiply that by two again...

Donna (60 years old) put me to shame several times during ChaLEAN Extreme.

The end-of-week Cardio routine was also a lot tougher than previous months, and after the first time doing it, my legs KILLED the next day. (Apparently those muscles had yet to be used throughout ChaLEAN Extreme?)

Once again, I replaced the "pseudo-yoga" with an additional ab routine. This one was called "I've Got Abs," but in all honestly, it was probably on-par, if not easier than the previous month's ab routine. Nevertheless, it's important to switch up your routines so your body doesn't get accustomed to a certain regimen and plateau.

So, overall, what did I think?

I think ChaLEAN Extreme is a great introduction to weight training. While I definitely feel more shapely and toned, I probably didn't get the most out of the routine due to personal hiccups and holiday distractions. It's a challenging time of year to maintain a workout regimen. As exercise is apt to do, ChaLEAN Extreme really started to drive my hunger. That's a problem when Thanksgiving leftovers and Christmas cookies are lying around. The advantage of doing a cardio routine is that you burn more of those calories during your workouts. With weight training, you just get hungry but don't burn as much. (That was my experience, anyway.) That means you need to be incredibly careful about what you're putting in to your body. That's my weakness. As I've mentioned at least once, I love food. Especially Chipotle. Moving on.

The other thing is that the regimen is clearly aimed at women. I mean, they have a token male (like many regimens do) but it seemed like the entire time Chalene was talking about fitting into your jeans or bikini, or impressing the boys at your high school reunion. Her chatter doesn't really bother me much, but I could see how it could be annoying to some.

Overall, this is a great workout for those looking for something that isn't too intense, but will keep you working out. If you're curious about weight training, I'd definitely give it a go. If you don't have free weights and don't want to spend a lot of money, try those resistance bands - they're cheap and travel-friendly!

That's all for now... Until next time, nerds!

-Clive