JenniferM | On 31, May 2012

In the midst of all my dental issues, I totally forgot I had promised to do a Chalean Extreme Review when I got back from vacation almost two months ago!  This will be a very broad overview, but I will say up front that because I got such awesome results from the program in such a short time, I just can’t say enough good things about it!  I will try to come up with some “cons,” but that list will be incredibly short.  Also, this review is only based on the Chalene Extreme standard package.  I did purchase the deluxe package midway through, but I needed some equipment that came in that package and didn’t use any of the workouts from the deluxe package this go-round.

There are three phases to the program and you change up your workouts every 30 days.  Workouts are to be performed 5 days per week and you will have 2 rest days per week if you choose.  Although I will say that about 6 weeks in, I added an additional day of cardio, so for the last half of the program, I worked out 6 days per week with only 1 rest day every week.  Three of 5 days are weight training workouts and 2 days are cardio interval days.

The Phases

Burn Phase:  The Burn Phase is the first phase of Chalean Extreme and the workouts are Burn Circuit 1 (36  min.), Burn Circuit 2 (38 min.), and Burn Circuit 3 (32 min.)  Most of the exercises in this phase are combinations that work both upper body and lower body.  For example, one of the exercises is a Dead Lift Row, so you perform a dead lift, then a row as one rep.  The goal is to do 10 to 12 reps of each exercise.

Push Phase:  After the Burn Phase comes the Push Phase and push you will!  This is what I call the “heavy” phase because the goal is to lift heavy and as Chalene says, “Go heavy or go home!”  Push Circuit 1 (33 min.), Push Circuit 2 (35 min.), and Push Circuit 3 (35 min.) are also performed every other day.  During this phase, your goal is 6 to 8 reps of each exercise because you should be lifting heavy.

Lean Phase:  The Lean Phase is what I call the “intense” phase.  This is the phase which is where you will really start seeing great results as far as getting lean.  Again, the goal is to 10 to 12 reps of each exercise and these are also combination exercises.  The workouts during this phase are a bit longer, not much, with Lean Circuit 1 being 45 min., Lean Circuit 2 is 39 min., and Lean Circuit 3 comes in at 38 min.

The Cardio

The cardio workouts for Chalene Extreme are interval training.  Burn Intervals (46 min.) is a combination of cardio intervals while using light weights during your “recovery.”  During Burn Intervals, you’ll elevate your heart rate to its max during the short burst of cardio exercise, then bring your heart rate down a bit during the light lifting during recovery.

Burn It Off! is the other cardio interval workout.  It’s only about 26 minutes, but it’s intense!  You do 5 cardio exercises in a row, pushing yourself as hard as you can, take a short rest and then complete 6 more cardio interval sets.

Another cardio workout included is Get-Lean Intervals, which you can use to mix things up even more by replacing the Burn Intervals with this workout.  I used it a couple of times, but I like the Burn Intervals better, so mainly stuck with it.

The Abs

The 2 abs workouts in the Chalene Extreme Program are Ab Burner (10 min.) and Extreme Abs (16 min.).  The workout calendar suggests working your abs with either workout on the day you do the Burn Intervals workout.  I actually started working my abs 3 days per week after my weight training workouts.  The Ab Burner is more of a beginner ab routine, while Extreme Abs is a bit more advanced, so you may want to work your way up to it like I did.

The Stretch

One day per week you do the Recharge workout after Burn It Off.  Trust me, you’re going to want to stretch!  Not just to help with recovery, but because it feels so good!  Recharge is only 21 minutes and is a combination of beginner yoga and stretching.

Pros:  The workouts are very short and if I can find 4o to 45 minutes per day to spend on myself, then anyone can!  I loved how much strength I gained by the end of the program.  Chalene’s positive “get it done” attitude helps you get through those “tough spots” during the workouts.  Even though she’s not physically in your home with you, sometimes it certainly feels like it!  I love the physical results I got with Chalene Extreme, but the emotional results I got are priceless.  I was not only so proud of myself for completing this program, but Chalean Extreme helped me tremendously with my anxiety.

I also love the fact that Chalene Extreme “prepared me” for P90x.  When I bought P90x years ago after it first came out, I tried it and it was incredibly difficult for me, even though I had been lifting during the time before I bought it.  So difficult I could barely get through the workouts and most of the time didn’t make it all the way through or modified to the extent it was pointless.  This time, however?  I was totally ready to “Bring It” and am having no problems making it through the workouts (even though there are times I want to lay down on the floor and say “forgetaboutit”  LOL!).  Going through the Chalean Extreme program definitely helped make P90x more doable and more pleasurable since I can actually DO the exercises!

Cons:  The only con I can come up with is that the warm-up and cool-downs are the exact same with each workout.  Although they’re both good for getting the body warmed up or cooled down, it’d be nice to have a change in that area every 30 days as well.

Remember, check with your doctor before starting any new workout program!