Sunday, September 03, 2006

Tips to Hit Fitness and Weight Loss Goals Faster!

"Help! I've hit a plateau!"

There are two areas we can attack when we hit a plateau. The first is what we're eating and how much. The second area is what we're doing (or not doing).

This Summer I hosted the First Annual Camp Turbo Kick for fitness instructors and fans of Turbo Kick alike. Now, for those of you who don't know, Turbo Kick is the program I created for health clubs nearly 10 years ago. It's basically the same "dealio" as Turbo Jam, except that with Turbo Jam I have a bit more creative freedom. That, and of course, Turbo Jam was created for the at-home exerciser! Great music, great moves...party central.

Well....several of the folks at camp this was their very first "live" class. Can you imagine? Your very first live class and you decide to do it with 150 strangers from all over the country, plus the people you workout with in the videos? Pretty brave on their part! Camp was in Newport Beach, CA this August. (Well do it again next year and to eliminate the questions... 1. There will only be one. 2. It will only be in Orange County. 3. It will be in August 2007) As is often the case, many commented that they noticed they had not been working nearly as hard when they were doing the workout at home. Most all agreed the experience changed the way they do Turbo and were excited to apply the tips to their "at home" workout regimine! Very cool. I think the main reason is that when you put a workout to DVD it becomes two dimentional. It looks flater and lower energy than what we're doing in person. When you experience it live you feel that energy and can better see the subtlties in form that result in higher energy.

So if you missed Camp Turbo Kick this year or if you too have been wondering what is the difference between working out live and in person and an at-home workout here's what you'll learn...

SHORT WORKOUT = USE MORE INTENSITY: When we are working out by ourselves, with no one BUT ourselves to be accountable to when it comes to intensity. Our intensity might be lower than we think. Especially for those of you who love the "quick" workouts, i.e. the 20 and 30 minute workouts, high intensity is a must. The harder you exert yourself, the greater your calorie and fat burn. Putting in the time is not nearly enough. When you kick up your intensity you speed up the results! That means it's also very important to 'go for it' as soon as you push play. With a short workout, consider that every minute counts!

LOWER, WIDER, HARDER AND FULLER: So how does one kick up the intensity? Simple, if you're not opposed to jumping, add some impact to your workout. Bounce around a little bit more. But if impact and your joints just don't get along, then the best way to add intensity is to get in a much lower and wider stance. Check out this photo.
It demonstrates how you're supposed to stand.

Notice, her feet are much wider apart, toes turned out, knees slightly bent, and leg muscles engaged. This stance alone does two things, 1. It's easier on the knees because the feet are wide and toes turned out for easier pivoting 2. You burn more calories because you engage the muscles of the lower body! 3. You sculpt long lean muscles in the thighs, like a dancer.


BIGGER RANGE OF MOTION: Next, get in the habit of punching much harder, and using fuller range of motion. When you watch the DVD;s notice how high I reach overhead on the knee strikes, how long each punch reaches, and how full the range of motion is for nearly every on camera exerciser. Beginners of course are encouraged to use smaller range of motion and take it easy. But once you mastered the movement and you've become comfortable, it's time to go for more! Watch your own reflection. Can you reach higher? Punch harder? Get lower? Stand wider? Lift you kneess higher? Can you do more? Do more and you'll burn more!

WEIGHTED HAND GLOVES: If you haven't heard, the long awaited second shipment of the Turbo Jam weighted hand gloves have just arrived. How would you like to slip on a pair of gloves and burn 15% more calories? Why not? Word of caution... these gloves are serious business. Don't expect to slip a pair on and be able to do the whole workout the first time. Start by wearing them just for the warm-up. Each time you do the workout, try to go another 5 minutes. In no time you'll be doing the whole workout with the gloves on. Let me just say that when you get used to wearing the gloves, taking them off to do a Turbo workout just feels like you're cheating. Wow! Find them at http://www.beachbody.com/jump.jsp?itemID=82&itemType=GATEWAY The gloves are one pound each and perfect for cardio workouts.

HIT REWIND: Everyone knows the toughest part of any Turbo workout is the "Turbo" section.... highlighted by our signature siren. Why do just one? When I'm teaching a live class, I give everyone about 45 seconds to "walk it off", keep moving and bring their heart rates down a bit, then I hit rewind and we do it again! So go for it! How many can you do today? Try Fat Burner, it's 30 minutes of Turbo's back to back to back to backl! It includes a free pass to eat whatever you want for dinner!

HEART RATE MONITOR: Heart rate monitors are great way to monitor your intensity. It takes out the guess work of "how hard am I working?" If a heart rate monitor is not in the budget (found at NIKE.com or Fogdog.com) then the next best way to monitor intensity in my humble opinion is to ask yourself how hard you're working on a scale of 1 to 10. 1 should represent how hard your working when you're casually walking from one short point to the next. 8 would be hard, 9 very hard and 10 very, very, hard... near your maximum exertion and not something you could maintain for more than a two minutes. In general, when you do a "Turbo" section, you should feel like you're at 9 or 10 and during the other portions of the workout, you should slide between 7 and 9. If you're feeling too comfortable, you've probably slipped to a 5 or 6. Kick it up baby!

MATCH US! When you're in a live class you often try to match the energy of the person next to or in front of you. You find someone whose effort level is something you hope to obtain. You watch them and work to match their movement. When they lift their arms you work to lift yours as high. When they bend from side to side you look to see that your squat is as low and your bend is as deep. Do the same when you watch a video. Pick a person, Jenelle, myself, Holly, or your favorite person and work to match their energy. Match their movement. Are you as low? Are your punches extending as long as theirs? Are you kicking with the same intensity? Pick your person and match their movement!

We'll talk about breaking a plateau from a food perspective next. Stay tuned!

XOXOX

29 comments:

ellen said...

Chalene.. thankyou for the tips, you are so right about the camp, by going we really amped up our workouts... i see it in myself every class i take with robbie:) today i tried a hr monitor for the first time.. my hr avg was 154, max 169.. that is 88% and 99.5% since i am 50(shhhhh).. i think i worked pretty hard.;) but i know i can do better :D

my camp experience gave me more insight into what i can/ can not do.. for the moment. it showed me what i need to work on.. not just in tk or tj, but in my present state of life... believe me, it is a big job lol but i promise you.. i will be there at camp next year, and will hopefully not be so shy this time to give you proper thanks for all you and your programs have done for me.

thank you for showing me the way .

hugs,
ellen.

Anonymous said...

Thanks for this Chalene! I know those days that I know I'm taking it easy - I feel like I've cheated myself afterwards. It's always good to have to reminders to push yourself beyond what you think you can do! Thanks!!! You're amazing and I thank you for everything.

Anonymous said...

Hey hey.
I will SOOOO be there next August in the "O.C."

One other suggestion to help those who work out to the tapes or DVDs; I usually watch them first a couple of times just as entertainment. It helps me check out the choreography, timing, etc... Then, when I do work out, I am more familiar with the routines and I can give more energy.

I love Turbo Jam! Thank you!

Stacey Chatman said...

Chalene

Excellent tips for ways to break our plateaus...can't wait for the "gloves".....

~Stacey Chatman~

Unknown said...

Love ya, Chalene! Will pass all of this on to my clients who also have and love Turbo Jam. Thanks!

Anonymous said...

Wow! What perfect timing for this post! I guess I have just been putting in my time. I'm ready to ramp it up! What's so fun, though, is that my 3-year-old has been putting in time with me. When she gets up in the morning, she is ready to "esercise" with "Turbo Lady!" Cardio Party 3 is her fav because of the skirt you are wearing in it. Thanks for bringing this amazing program to the home exerciser! -- Kendra

laura1952 said...

Chalene

As we "Fall Into Fitness", I want to thank you one more time for your inspiration blog to make me give it what it takes to get the best result I can for my time. Why waste my time and energy doing a half a$$ed job when I can get more calories burned for my time?

Time is just too precious to waste on not giving it your all.

Wave to California for me. I really do miss it!

Laura

Anonymous said...

Chalene,

As always your insight is wonderful!!!

Shelly said...

Thanks for the adivce!! I'm starting TurboJam now and love it. My favorite part is where the inensity goes up. I never thought to rewind it!!! You're great!!! I think I'll try it tomorrow!!!

Anonymous said...

Great tips! and anyone can be successful even by implementing one at a time until you've injected the whole she-bang into your workout!

Laura.J (NH)

Anonymous said...

I just wanted to let you know you and your team inspire me so much, I've only been doing turbo jam for a week but I can feel the difference, I just wanted to say thank you for turbo jam, I usually do my cardio then target my abs on one day and to a complete body workout the next! I follow mindy and anna rita everytime I need low intensity and you when I really wanna feel the burn, I just wanted to say thank you for making a major impact on my life, I feel like a whole new/ better person with a bigger smile and more energy! which is awesome when I'm running around after my 14 month old son! thank you so much!

Anonymous said...

Chalene,
I can't say it enough; I feel like a stalker sometimes b/c I'm always talking about, doing or finding out about TJ/TKB and the crew. TurboJam and TurboKick have changed my life--it's direction, it's focus, etc. Camp was amazing and I've already told my hubby that I'm going next year...no matter what! :) You and your team have a gift and your help at camp with the exercise ideas and changes in behavior helped me with my plateau. Thank you thank you for everything SO FAR! Can't wait for the new videos! Also, I've been teaching Round 27 and it is the best 3 hours of my week! Big hugs, Heidi

Anonymous said...

Hi Charlene, I am new to your blog and had a question off the subject. I see that you do the IDEA conference in Cali, is there any chance you guys would be doing the SCW Fitness Convention as well? I would so love to see ya'll here in Texas. Also, just want you to know what an inspiration you are to me. I love, love, love Turbo Jam man. You rock my socks!!!!
Sonjia

Anonymous said...

I want to go to one of the Turbo Jam classes. I have the tapes and they are fun to work out with. It beats going to the gym when I do not want to lift or run. Where in the OC can I do a class? Are there a pay as you go classes?

Unknown said...

Great Post! Thanks Chalene! I have printed this out so I can read it again and again!

Anonymous said...

Chalene, thanks so much for this article. I'm going to do CPR and Booty Sculpt in a few minutes and I will use your suggestions to kick up the workout. I've recently found that there are five TK instructors in my area so I will check out a live class very soon. I know the competitor in me comes out in live formats, so why not at home? Again, thank you. And see you at Camp '07!!!!

Anonymous said...

Wow - i'm going to be the first to comment here! I can't believe there are 0 comments on this oh so important subject. Maybe something is wrong with my access, or computer. I've been out of the loop for a bit - still jammin' hard - but not reading so much on the boards/blogs. These are such important concepts to learn and implement. You know how Chalene always talks about form, perfecting form, and how she still needs to think about pushing harder, keeping abs tight, pelvis tucked, squatting a bit deeper, protecting knees. The main thing that I love about Turbo Jam/Turbo Kick is that there is ALWAYS someting to work on. ALWAYS something to improve upon. ALWAYS ways to push harder and not get bored. We are capable of doing much more than our minds limit us to. I don't think I've reached a plateau with this program - and I don't think I will. One thing always leads to another for me. And therein lies the beauty :).

Anonymous said...

How do I become a certified Turbo Jam instructor? I live in Evans, Ga right outside of Augusta. Not sure if there are any here. THanks, April

Unknown said...

I LOVE IT! Thanks for taking the time to blog! I love reading about what you have to say!
~A

MsEbonyLuv said...

You've given me hope with your tips!! Just following your steps will bring alot of success!! Thank you Chalene!!

Anonymous said...

Chalene,

I just got your lower body jam and cardio party mix 2, and i ABSOLUTELY love them!! The lower body jam really gives you a great workout, and I've been a hard-core workout-aholic for about 5 years now, and I get an awesome workout from both those videos, i find myself really getting into it with the great music and such high-energy people to workout with on your videos! You sure know how to pick 'em! Keep those videos coming, and I'll be sure to be a loyal fan of yours for years to come!! Thanks for making such great stuff for those of us who dont like to kill their knees at an early age with running or other really high-impact sports. I'd like to stay away from getting a knee replacement by age 50, and I'm certain if I keep doing your videos, I'll be just fine, and still be in shape!

Anonymous said...

I love turbo jam but your salespeople are liars and have taken, without my approval, so much money from my bank acount that I have been charged overdraft fees. Promises were made for refunds that have not taken place. I would like a response from you or I will believe you approve of this shady behavior. dorirb@cox.net

Anonymous said...

I love turbo jam but your salespeople are liars and have taken, without my approval, so much money from my bank acount that I have been charged overdraft fees. Promises were made for refunds that have not taken place. I would like a response from you or I will believe you approve of this shady behavior. dorirb@cox.net

Anonymous said...

I just wanted to stop in and say thank you for your wonderful Turbo Jam workout dvds. Although I've only been doing them for 2 months, they've helped me overcome my plateau. I suffer from a few medical problems related to my weight and if this weight loss keeps up, my doctor will let me go off all my medication! Thanks again and keep up the good work. BTW, my husband now does Turbo Jam with me!

Anonymous said...

We need more TJ workouts. I love all of them but want some newer ones! Please! Oh Please

Anonymous said...

How do I get the weighted gloves. They are not available at beachbody.com/jump It says you cannot order them and that you need to visit the updated site, but when you do they are no longer in the fitness gear categories, or anywhere on the site. Please help???

Anonymous said...

Hi Chalene! Ok I am wondering how I would start a turbo class here in pittsburgh and be trained as a Turbo Jam instructor. I love it and it has changed my life and I want to help others do the same!!!

my email is catechap@gmail.com. Thanks!!
Cate

Anonymous said...

Chalene- I want to thank you for creating Turbo Jam. This is the first workout I have been able to stick with and I've lost 25#, 3 sizes and my cholesterol/trigylicerides are at normal levels (they have always been high). I tell everyone I know about Turbo Jam. I would love to teach a Turbo Jam class one day.

Anonymous said...

Chalene.. your workouts are FANTASTIC. I absolutely love your energy & enthusiasm! I have danced since I was 2 and started taking kickboxing when I was 14. When I was 17, I had my son. He will be four this year & until your workout, I took a very long break from the whole exercise thing! I have been bouncing back & forth trying to decide which career path I would like to take. You have absolutely inspired me! Seeing you have so much fun doing what you love amazes me. I live on the Mississippi Gulf Coast & haven't heard of any Turbo Jam instructors in this area. I was planning on getting certified to be a kickboxing instructor but Turbo Jam is so much more fun.. it just adds that extra something, you know? Is there any process I would have to go through to become an instructor? Please email me & let me know its lesleemaricia@yahoo.com Thanks so much & God Bless.