P90X vs Chalean Extream vs Turbo Jam

fitnwhole

I'm thinking of taking my workout up a notch. Which program do you think would be better for a "Beachbody" beginner? Can you tell me something about the videos?

missmaya24

It really depends on what your goals are and your current level of fitness. I personally love anything that Chalene Johnson does. Turbo Jam is a kickboxing style workout. Chalean Extreme is weight training with some cardio and stretching mixed in. P90X is weight training, cardio, yoga, a little bit of everything. It's a great complete workout but may be too intense for a beginner. Good luck on whatever you choose!

fitnwhole

I'm trying to lose weight any way I can. I know I probably need more cardio. I'm not the biggest fan of kickboxing I like simple powerful moves like in the 30 day Shred.

edorice

If you've completed levels 1,2, and 3 of thirty day shred you can do P90X. As a matter of fact, if you can do 40 minutes of levels 2 and 3 back to back of 30 Day Shred then you're ready for P90X. Since your man used to do bodybuilding this is a program that the two of you can do together. P90X has several cardio DVD's in the 12 DVD pack. So they will help you slim down, while the other DVD's help you tone up.

runcdizzy

Chalean Extreme is a great workout. There about 35-45 minutes long. You'll notice the difference within a week. I felt stronger had more energy and feel toned.

mmtiernan

I love, love, love anything Chalene Johnson puts out - but I have to say the Chalean Extreme is my all time fave workout and even if I'm doing something else for cardio, I continue with the weighted workouts in Chalean Extreme!! I love the strength training - it builds your metabolism, builds your strength and tightens everything up. I did my first Chalean workout last spring and have been doing it ever since - I love the results!

TurboJam is an absolute blast, however if you are choreography-challenged you may be frustrated at first. It does incorporate kickboxing as parts of the workout, but it's not completely kickboxing. Chalene is very, very upbeat and fun which helps keep me motivated and I definitely work up a good sweat!

There's a lot of folks online here who have also tried TurboFire, which is Chalene's latest workout, who absolutely love it. You could do a quick search for TurboFire and see what they have to say in those forums. TurboFire is on my list next - but I'll still keep up the weighted workouts of Chalean Extreme!

Good luck!

valeriedent2

I haven't done P90X or Chalean Extreme, but do have TurboFire and Power 90, and just ordered Turbo Jam.

Personally, I like Chalene's instruction style much better than Tony Horton's. She's fun, super high energy, and she talks to you to keep you motivated! Even though you know she can't see you, she'll say stuff like "You're doing great!" or "You can give me more!". I just find it to be a much better, more motivating approach. Don't get me wrong, Tony has his phrases, too. I just prefer Chalene.

She bases a lot of her moves in kickboxing, but they're dancey. You'll punch and kick and all that, but the music is pumpin'! She takes a lot of pride in her music selections for her workouts. And as someone else said, you won't get it the first time. Or even the second. It might take 3-4 workouts until you're comfortable with the routine.

Either way, I know with TurboFire it's a lot of cardio, but she does integrate toning, strengthing, core and stretching. I'm guessing Turbo Jam is probably similar. But if you're looking to boost your weightloss, I'd recommend a cardio intense program, with some strengthening incorporated.

Good luck! And have fun!!

PJilly

My favorite Beachbody programs are the ones by Debbie Siebers. She does Slim in 6 and Slim Series (the follow-up to Slim in 6). I prefer her training style to Tony Horton's (he's a little too corny and self-absorbed for my taste) and her workouts to Chalene Johnson's (too much dance for my two left feet). Slim in 6 has three different levels (Start It Up, Ramp It Up, Burn It Up). It's cardio plus light resistance, and the hardest level is pretty intense cardio-wise. Slim Series is six different workouts, and it's more intense strength-wise than Slim in 6 while still giving a great cardio workout. You can customize your program, and it comes with a guide that gives suggestions on how to do that depending on what you want to focus on. I do the most difficult one, which is all six workouts, six days a week for four weeks, followed by a recovery week of less intense workouts (light cardio and lots of stretching). I like this very much. I continue to make improvements in strength, flexibility and cardio health while doing workouts that don't make me feel like I'm on the verge of risking an injury (my last round of P90X was hell on my joints — shoulders and elbows specifically).

telcochik

Lots of good advice from all the respondents on this thread. I've done almost all of the Beachbody workouts, except SI6, YBB, Project You, and BBL. I personally love Chalene the most, although Tony's instructor style is also great. Personally, my most favorite program has been Turbo Fire. I've lost 15 lbs in 16 weeks (I only had 20 to lose when I started) and combined with MFP, it's been a great ride for weight loss.

I'm going to do a TF/Chalean Extreme hybrid after I finish straight TF because now I think I'll be able to actually see muscle definition. Whatever you decide, you need to determine what style of workout most appeals to you and what type of instructor would motivate you to push play every day. If you go to the Beachbody website you can watch preview videos of all the programs to get a better feel for what each one offers.

Good luck!
Sharon