ChaLean Extreme - Week 9 - Monday

I'm starting the last phase of ChaLean Extreme today! Four more weeks and I'll be done, and starting 30 Day Shred/Biggest Loser workouts. From everything I've read, the Lean phase is very challenging, and most people have had to drop the weight loads quite a bit. To sort of not deal with that, and because I don't want to buy more weights to create the different sets I'd need, I'm going to use resistance bands for this phase. I've never really used resistance bands for strength training before, so I'm eager to see how it works out. It will be nice not having to swap out plates all the time! When I reviewed the workouts again yesterday, I did go back and forth, trying to decide if I really wanted to use the bands. Since I've never used them before, that was the deciding factor. I need to know how they work, and appreciate how hard they make you work for myself.

But you know what they say about plans. I started with the bands but they were so uncomfortable for me. I got through the first 3 exercises then started over with weights. I couldn't get the bands to feel right, and I wasn't working as hard as I should have been. I am VERY glad I went back to using weights. This was the most challenging workout I've had so far, and I loved it.

Also based on what I've read, I'm changing the order of the circuits, to ease the stress on the shoulders. In order, a lot of people complain about the shoulders being overworked.

Lean Circuit 3 - 1 set of 12 (or at least 10) to failure of the following:

squat w/ cross-body chop (+1 set of 3 squats, super slow) [15 lb dumbbell]
reverse lunge w/ Arnold press(+1 set of 3 presses, super slow) [15 lb dumbbell]
chest fly w/ hip lift (+1 set of 3 hip lifts, super slow) [10 lb dumbbells]
kneeling overhead press w/ center crunch (+1 set of 3 presses, super slow) [10 lb dumbbells]
push up w/ side plank (+1 set of 3 push ups, super slow) [6 on toes, 6 on knees, 3 on knees]
dead lift w/ frontal press (+1 set of 3 presses, super slow) [15 lb dumbbells] - I failed at 11
traveling push ups (+1 set of 3 triceps push ups, super slow) - all on my knees
chest fly w/ abduction (+1 set of 3 flies, super slow) [10 lb dumbbells]
Army crawl (+1 set of 3 planks w/ leg lifts per leg, super slow) - these are fun

Before this workout, I took a 4 mile walk with my friend Sara. I was tired going in and that, with the attempt with the bands, might be why I failed at 11 for the one move, and why I couldn't do all of my push ups on my knees. I was completely drained by the end.

Monthly pics are up on my progress page, at the bottom - you can just click on the Updated link in the top right to take you to the new stuff. I don't think you can really tell, especially since I was so full from dinner when I took the pics. Hopefully next month's pics will look leaner and not so bloated.

7:50 AM - apple & cottage cheese

10:15 AM - Cheerios w/ skim milk, banana

12:20 PM - turkey bacon, scrambled eggs w/ onion, green pepper, salsa & pepper jack cheese, coffee w/ half-and-half & Splenda

1:40 PM - Quaker True Delights granola bar; I got a free sample in the mail and I was just staving!

4:00 PM - chicken salad

7:30 PM - stuffed (w/ ground beef, pinto beans & homemade tomato bacon dressing) cabbage

Calories - 1876
Carbs - 168 (25 fiber)
Protein - 144
Fat - 71
C/P/F Ratio - 35.6/30.5/33.9