Lean Phase of CLX

[Kathryn]

I enthusiastically did a CLX rotation through Burn and Push phases, then did 2 Lean workouts and gave up on it. I didn't like the way the moves felt (and I thought I would from preview), or maybe I was just burnt out on Chalene?

[tigger]

I wasn't totally in love with CLX, and I didn't lose any weight or inches at all from it , but I did like some of the workouts a lot. The only results I did get came during the Lean phase. I liked Lean 1 & 3 (although I thought they were really tough), but wasn't crazy about Lean 2. To me, it felt like an entire workout of lateral raises.

[PeakFitness]

Originally Posted by desderata

I dunno -- if all I did was work my shoulders for 3 months how come I got so much definition in by chest, biceps, abs and quads? How come I lost so many inches in my waist, thighs and hips without changing my diet? .

I didn't say every single exercise was shoulders, obviously that's not "all you did." I'm only saying they are over-emphasised for no good reason.

And I don't know why you had those results. I'm happy for *you* but I sure didn't get those results.

[PeakFitness]

Originally Posted by Debbie S.

Why is it wrong to have two different shoulder workouts in the Lean phase? In workout #2, the exercises are all isolation shoulder exercises, and in workout #3 they are all compound exercises consisting of shoulder presses. It is quite normal for a workout to contain both isolation and compound work for any body part. Chalene just so happens to split the two. I see absolutely nothing wrong with it.

Because you have a few short workouts, so what is the benefit of focusing a huge percentage of your very few exercises on the relatively small muscles of the shoulders? Why not focus on the larger muscles? The legs don't get much of a workout except in Push. 2 of the 3 months they are secondary to the shoulders. Since there is a shoulder workout (Lean 2), what is the point of working the shoulders again.

One of the cardio workouts (Burn it Off?) has *one* move with weights, and guess what it is, that's right, shoulders. So if you do Burn it Off you are actually working shoulders 3 days a week. What is the point of that?

You said it is possible to do shoulers 3 days a week, and I agree that you "can", I just don't know why anyone would want to. Why do a 3 day split and include such small muscles in 3 workouts? That time could be wiser spent. That's all I'm saying.

Lastly, it's not my job to try and get someone to buy a product, and to especially try and sway someone against buying a product, unless I think the workout is unsafe.

It's not my job either, and I'm not sure what you're getting at. But there are a lot of reviews (some at VF, some elsewhere) about people getting shoulder injuries from this set. I also remember when it first came out a LOT of VFers where saying all the leaning forward was aggrivating their backs. A lot of people would call that unsafe.

[melfitz]

Originally Posted by PeakFitness

Why not focus on the larger muscles? The legs don't get much of a workout except in Push.

I got the best leg muscle definition using CLX, better than anything else I've used including Cathe. I definitely think the legs are thoroughly worked in CLX. Chalene's advice of putting all the weight on the heel for the squats/lunges and squeezing your thighs together for the plies is probably the best legs instruction I've ever gotten. I've done endless leg work before. But, really focusing the weight on my heels really makes a huge difference.

Lean is my FAVE phase of CLX. I LOVE all the plank work especially the 1-arm ones. I LOVE the balance challenges. I love the combination of exercises she chooses. AND, I LOVE all the shoulder work. Who doesn't want defined shoulders? Lean, really doesn't leave any muscle untouched, even the legs. (BTW, Chalene's tip of transferring the weight to the forward heel in the lunges make a world of difference in it's effectiveness. It's so much harder. So, instead of pushing back with your back foot from a lunge, you're using your front leg to get you back. You're back foot doesn't do any work.)

[Debbie S.]

CLX is a sound program. It's not perfect, but there isn't any program out there that is perfect.

All workouts can potentially cause an injury. That's why there is always a huge disclaimer during the credits. My first injury was during a Richard Simmons walking workout. It happened 4 months after my second lower back surgery. This injury laid me up for a week in bed. My second injury was during Amy Bento's Slow & Heavy workout. But, I would never blame the two workouts. Both are sound workouts. My body mechanics led to the injury, and as innocuous as Richard's workout is, it caused a serious injury.

CLX is not a haphazard program that was thrown together without any knowledge behind it. It's a solid program.

Yes, there is a lot of emphasis on shoulder work. Yes, there have been people who posted who hurt their shoulder and even their lower back. So for anyone contemplating CLX or any other workout, please take your body mechanic into account, any weaknesses, etc.

As I already stated, I did have to modify a couple of the exercises in the Lean phase, because my lower back started talking to me. I also can not lean as far forward as Chalene during some of the exercises in the Burn phase.

There isn't a single program out there that clicks with everyone. But, it's always great when you do find a program that is near perfect for you.

Anyway, Marika, enjoy the rest of your rotation.

For the others who are contemplating this purchase, please take your body mechanics into account.

[laurajhawk]

Maybe I liked CLX because of all the shoulder work. I have big ol' hips and always will, and I really liked that CLX added muscle to my shoulders which made me look more balanced (hourglass rather than pear silhouette).

[icebergslim]

Sound advice, Debbie S.

I have not found one workout that is perfect. Most I have to modify for my knee and my injury was doing tuck jumps on Cathe's Kick Max. I surely did not blame Cathe, but myself for not protecting my knee properly, not having the proper matting (which I do now) and not landing properly.

CLX, P90X, STS, Insanity, etc., all these workouts/programs will have bits and pieces that you don't like, but you modify and move on. Then if it is too cumbersome, hard, not hard enough, that is when you get rid of it and start over.

In the land of workout videos, we always start over....

[Debbie S.]

Originally Posted by laurajhawk

Maybe I liked CLX because of all the shoulder work. I have big ol' hips and always will, and I really liked that CLX added muscle to my shoulders which made me look more balanced (hourglass rather than pear silhouette).

Chalene did say that she added a lot of shoulder work for pretty much this reason. The direct quote is posted somewhere. I do have big shoulders from my bodybuilding days, and I thought that I would drop some of the shoulder work, because of course, I didn't need all that shoulder work. CLX really defined my shoulders very nicely.

The Burn and Lean phases are based on combination and compound moves. Both burn a lot of calories. Again, a lot of programs are turning to this method of lifting, because it is time efficient and the results are good. No need for pre exhaust sets.

icebergslim, very true. Thank goodness we have a lot to choose from.

[Blackadar]

Originally Posted by PeakFitness

I didn't say every single exercise was shoulders, obviously that's not "all you did." I'm only saying they are over-emphasised for no good reason.

With all due respect, that was the clear inference from your post.

She doesn't have a clue how to pick the right exercises to fully work the body. It's shoulders, shoulders, shoulders, shoulders, shoulders, shoulders, shoulders.

So if anyone wants my opinion of whether it's worth buying: do you want to spend $120 to work your shoulders for 3 months?

She does work the shoulders extensively, but then again many people need that to offset their hips. Also, shoulder work will also give you more lift through the chest. Working pecs without shoulders can lead to rather droopy breasts, so you have to offset the pectoral work with shoulder and back work.