Back in 2009 I was blasting through rounds of P90X and Insanity. One day a package from Beachbody shows up at our house with ChaLean Extreme in it. Andrea ordered it.
She had been watching me do P90X and Insanity and was not into the whole extreme hour-long workouts. From time to time she would jump in and do a workout with me but those were not her thing.
Andrea did the smart thing after ordering ChaLean Extreme. She went to her friend’s house after work and did all 90 days with her. It worked out great for both of them as her friend had been doing Chalene Johnson workouts for a couple of years (Turbo Jam) so the two of them had fun. At the end of 90 days I could tell she toned up and put on some muscle.
The days she would not workout with her friend she would workout at home. And from time to time I would jump in and do workouts with her. Occasionally I would do ChaLean Extreme workouts when she wasn’t around. I’ll admit it.
And that’s where this review picks up. I started writing this in 2009 and saw an unfinished post in 2018 needing to be finished. A little late but thats okay. But let’s get to know more about ChaLean Extreme first.
What Is It
The ChaLean Extreme workout is a 90 day at home workout program. What makes ChaLean Extreme work is it incorporates cardio, nutrition, and most importantly resistance training. It is proven that resistance training is the key to burning fat. So make sure you have a good set of adjustable dumbbells or resistance bands as you will need them.
ChaLean Extreme teaches people that cardio is not the key to dropping weight as your body will plateau. Weight training is what the body needs to burn the calories. ChaLean Extreme is made for men and women but women especially like it as they can relate to the trainer, Chalene Johnson.
Don’t be fooled by this thinking that this is a “girly workout.” ChaLean Extreme will challenge anybody who tries it. People who do this workout like it a lot because most of the workouts are less than 45 minutes making it very easy to work into anyone’s daily schedule.
Phase 1 – Burn Phase – You will be lifting weights to start breaking down your extra fat.
Phase 2 – Push Phase – Lifting heavier weights than normal to build muscle to burn ever more fat
Phase 3 – Lean Phase – Burn away any last remaining bits of fat.
During each phase you will be doing “Extreme Cardio” and “Core Power” to tighten up those abs.
What You Get
With each ChaLean Extreme kit you get the following items.
Muscle Burns Fat Guidebook
Body Fat % Tester
Thigh Toner Band
Fat Burning Food Guide
Chalene’s Extreme Motivational Audio CD
Kitchen Makeover DVD
Resistance Band
Cost
If you absolutely want to buy ChaLean Extreme in DVD format in 2018 then you are in luck.
15 Extreme Workouts
Cardio & Resistance Training
Popular With Women. $89.85
22 Intense Cardio & Resistance Training Workouts.
Weighted Gloves. 3 Resistance Bands. Stability Ball
Save more than $55 with this package deal for $179.70
ChaLean Extreme Deluxe Upgrade
7 New Workouts.
2 Resistance Bands. Weighted Gloves. Stability Ball
$89.85
Stream
With it being 2018 you probably do not buy dvds anymore. And for good reason. So what I recommend you do is get a Beachbody On Demand membership.
You will be able to view ChaLean Extreme wherever you want whenever you want. There is a 14 day free trial to get started and is $40 every quarter up to $99 a year. Cancel whenever you want.
Included with Beachbody On Demand are the workout guides and calendars. This is what you want.
Summary
I’ve never done an entire round of ChaLean Extreme. It’s not to say I wouldn’t. From doing a number of workouts with Andrea to doing a few on my own I can say this is a very good workout. I never felt bored doing these workouts which is important.
I’d say its the best workout made by Chalene Johnson.
It has just enough of everything to keep it well-balanced but challenging at the same time because of all the resistance training. Is the exercise not tough enough? Add more weights. It’s really that simple.
With the workouts being around 45 minutes it feels like it’s just the right amount of time needed to feel the burn without going into exhaustion.
Just because it says “Extreme” in the name does not mean its extreme. Those labels go to P90X, Insanity, and The Asylum. If you do those types of workouts you might not like ChaLean Extreme.
And that’s ok because what ChaLean Extreme really is…is a great workout.
When people ask me what workout they should start with if they have not worked out in awhile or know they don’t want to power through an extreme workout I recommend ChaLean Extreme or Power 90. Both are a great starting point for fitness.
All you have to decide is if you want Tony Horton’s jokes or Chalene’s perky personality.
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