gxm17

There's so many and I never get tired of them. Some of my faves (from all her programs, not just CLX): "This isn't sweat on my legs. These are tears; my legs are cryin'!" "Don't ask less from yourself, ask more from yourself." "This is what we affectionately call the Sooooooooole Tap" and my absolute favorite: "Mistakes…

I do a hybrid of the two. IMO, they work really well together. For CLX, I bought a pair of PowerBlock SportBlock 2.4 adjustable dumbbells that go up to 24lb.s. They've been great but I'm hoping to outgrow them this year.

I know it sounds counter intuitive, but I found that working out in the morning energizes me. And I'm not a morning person either. The hardest part is getting out of bed. I agree with the other commenters. It sounds like you may need more food. But I've read that carbs are best pre-workout and protein is best post-workout.

I started with Turbo Jam so I picked it up rather quickly. With Turbo Jam, it took a couple of weeks. Don't get discouraged if it takes you a while to get it all down. As Chalene says: Mistakes burn calories too! I've been doing Turbo Fire for a year now, and I still often zig when I should've zagged. :D

You can flatten your stomach outside of the kitchen if what you are trying to achieve is a flatter stomach and not washboard abs. People always confuse the two. I've had two c-sections plus a naturally round belly, and I was able to change the shape of my stomach through core-based exercise. I don't have washboard abs, but…

I had two c-sections ages ago (my kids are adults) and found I was able to flatten my naturally round belly with regular core-focused work. (And all I do in the kitchen is eat.) I don't have washboard abs but that's not what I was after. IMO, with c-section recovery you need to make sure you hit the lower abs and your back…

I had a terrible time with my knees when I first started working out and found that the static lunges in yoga really helped.

It's a great program. I love Turbo Jam and did the workouts for over a year. Then I moved on to Turbo Fire and Chalean Extreme. But I still return to the Turbo Jam Live workouts because they are so much fun. I hated cardio until I started doing Turbo Jam. Chalene's cardio workouts are the only ones I've been able to do…

Great article. Refreshingly honest, nonjudgmental, and informative.

I love the CLX ab series (Extreme Abs, Ab Burner, You've Got Abs) because she includes core work. IMO, a very well-targeted set of ab routines.

Heavy is purely subjective. It's what is heavy for you. If you feel challenged and reach failure then you're good. If you are beginning to feel less challenged and don't reach failure then it's time to move up. Currently, I'm using 9lb. to 15lb. (each) dumbbells for upper body and 18lb. to 24lb. (each) dumbbells for lower…

Wow. Great success story! I'd say keep doing what you're doing. It's certainly working.

YMMV, but all I know is that I didn't start losing weight until I started eating more.

I find that aerobic exercise helps the muscle soreness. You can always dial it back a little if you find the intensity is causing more pain. Don't be afraid to stop or take a short break if you need it. You're the best person to judge how you're feeling so if you feel you need a rest day, by all means, take it.

I do pretty much the same as you, strength training three days a week and cardio/HIIT + yoga two times on the days in between. If I'm feeling particularly energetic and have the time, I'll do cardio or yoga on the weekend. There's no way I could do strength and HIIT back to back.

I have a naturally round belly and was able to change the shape of my stomach through core-focused exercise. I don't have "washboard" abs, but that's not what I was after. IMO, the trick is to work your entire core.(Of course it helps to love core work.)

I do a Turbo Fire and CLX hybrid and I love it. They work really well together.

Pilates toe taps are a great exercise for the lower abs, and very gentle too. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hlnfZBQwPaA

I usually shop at the discount stores (Ross, Marshalls, TJ Maxx). You can find great prices on high quality name brands, like Prana, Under Armour, Marika, Moving Comfort, Champion, etc. But my absolute favorite brand is Lululemon which I've never found on discount so my husband gets it for me as gifts.

I would recommend adjustable dumbbells. The PowerBlock SportBlock 24 is adjustable from 3 to 24 pounds (in increments of 3 lbs.). They aren't terribly expensive especially when compared to buying eight separate pairs of dumbbells. I love my PowerBlocks and wish I'd bought them sooner.

LOL. I think you have me wrongly pegged. And, FTR, I was not attacking the OP, I was agreeing with her.

But the thing is that you can say that about every form of exercise, none of it is truly "necessary." It all really depends on what one is after. Cardio is good for your heart. Strength training is good for your bones. Stretching is good for increasing your flexibility. And on, and on. I went from around 21% body fat to…

I guess you missed the "running makes you fat" thread monolith.

I totally get what you're saying. They also lie about BF% and that in order to look ripped, most women will lose their curves unless they get cosmetic surgery. And, IMO, augmentation + low BF% is positively freaky looking. But that's all part of the "cardio is bad, lifting heavy is good" tunnel vision.

That's like asking why do you strength training, or why do you do cardio training. Stretching increases flexibility and in conjunction with strength and cardio, it can help you avoid injuries or develop problem areas like lower back pain. Whenever I've been to PT they always include strengthening and stretching exercises.…

About 10 years ago, I lost 20 lbs doing mostly yoga and steady-state (cycling) cardio. I was NOT skinny fat, and was very happy with my body composition which was lean and toned. In the past 9 to 10 months, I've lost a little more than 16 lbs doing heavy (for me) strength training, mostly HIIT for cardio, with some…

I wear an HRM and log my strength workouts under cardio by using the "create exercise" on the My Exercises tab. Then I write what I did in the note section of the Exercise Diary.

I'm 54 and, for the first time around, had the same problem with the exercises done while leaning forward. The second time through has been easier. It sounds like you're using your back too much in the exercises. Try decreasing the weight, and focus on the muscle you're working and perfecting your form. Once those muscles…

IMO, what you'll want to do is incorporate core-based exercises into your workouts three times a week. I was able to reshape my naturally round belly through core workouts and maintaining enough body fat so that my stomach looks flat, not chiseled. Everyone has different genetics at play, but this has worked for me. My…

I have a naturally round belly plus I've had two c-sections and I was able to change the shape of my stomach (from round to flat) through core work. Just use a varied approach that hits everything, abs and back, and be consistent by adding core-targeted routines to your workouts three times a week.