Today I’m starting week 4 of Chalean Extreme! It’s my last week of the Burn Phase. Next week, I start Push. I am really loving this program so far.

Weight Lifting Portion: Three days a week you’re doing intense weight lifting . The 3 Burn Circuit DVDs are between 32 – 38 minutes each. My first thought when I saw the times was that it wouldn’t be hard enough. But it is SO hard! I break a sweat every time. I’ve wanted to give up on a few of the reps…but Chalene Johnson is always pushing you with positive thoughts. She is a really great instructor! I definitely feel stronger with every workout. Here is the basic schedule for the Burn Phase, which lasts for 4 weeks. (I’ve had to alter it a little when going out of town, but I always make sure I get in all the workouts within the 7 day period).

Mon: Burn Circuit 1 (37 minutes)
Tue: Rest
Wed: Burn Circuit 2 (38 minutes)
Thu: Burn Intervals (44 minutes) Ab Burner (10 minutes)
Fri: Burn Circuit 3 (32 minutes)
Sat: Rest
Sun: Burn It Off (27 minutes) Recharge (23 minutes)

Cardio & Stretching Portions: These DVDs stay the same throughout the whole 12-week program. Burn Intervals and Burn it Off both have very similar cardio activities. You do alot of plyometrics that get you out of breath fast. The main difference between them is that Burn Intervals also includes recovery segments where you are lifting light weights. Burn It Off technically only has a 1 minute break around the 10 minute mark where you walk around the room a bit to recover. It’s a great workout! I was huffing and puffing the whole time. This type of cardio (high intensity intervals or HIIT) has been proven to be the most effective at burning fat. The Recharge DVD is the Yoga DVD which you do once a week. It is not easy! I was pretty uncomfortable doing most of the poses…but I know I’ll just keep getting better!

Top 3 Tips:
1. Invest in a set of adjustable dumbbells. Chalene uses Bowflex Selecttech dumbbells, which are about $400! I bought 2 25-lb adjustable weights at Target for $59 each. They go adjust in increments of 5 lbs. I know it still seems a little steep…but it’s cheaper than buying 5 sets of dumbbells. You can use bands also, but they seem too time consuming for me.

2. If you want extra cardio, add it only once a week. Some people get a little scared when they there is technically only a little over an hour of cardio a week. But the program was made that way, so it obviously works! I’ve played racquetball a couple times…but that was more for fun than just exercise. Your heart really gets pumping during those weight training segments….so even though your not doing “cardio” you’re still burning tons of calories.

3. Stretch and rest! Make sure you take at least 1 full day off so you’re body can fully recover. Also, don’t do the lifting segments back to back. It will put too much strain on your muscle. When doing the lifting, your muscle breaks down. It’s the resting part that rebuilds and adds muscle! Definitely do all the stretching portions too. I used to skip stretching…but now I know it’s benefits. It prevents injury and really helps the recovery process.

Click Here to see a video preview of ChaLEAN Extreme!