ChaLEAN Extreme Home Fitness

Since writing my P90X Review, I've continued to investigate other fitness programs offered by Beachbody. Needless to say, compared to the extreme intensity offered by P90X, many other DVD workouts have lacked a certain something. I thought Hip Hop Abs with Shaun T was a joke. And while Chalene Johnson's other popular DVD set, Turbo Jam, had some good cardio material, it lacked the comprehensive system and progressive results I've learned to crave in all my workout endeavors. Her newly launched ChaLEAN Extreme fitness program, however, seems to be more promising.

ChaLEAN Extreme comes packaged in 15 workouts on 6 DVDs. Like P90X, it's advertised as a 3-phase system that sheds body fat with a combination of high intensity cardio, and resistance strength training. Packaged neatly together for easy access, there's no real mystery behind obtaining proffered results. Simply put, building lean muscle burns more calories over time, allowing people to get toned bodies and to keep the weight off over a longer period.

Although it's exciting to see another exercise program that looks to help home-fitters take their workouts seriously, it's hard to deny the obvious parallels between ChaLEAN Extreme and P90X. The newer DVD set's catch phrase "lean phasing" is no different from Tony Horton's "muscle confusion". You can already purchase a ChaLEAN Extreme Deluxe version just like P90X Plus (the follow-up to P90X). There is also the shared time frame (3 months), and almost identical goals for each one-month phase.

On the surface, it seems as if this new product from Beachbody may lack a certain amount of originality. It makes me curious to know if I'm missing something more, and why Beachbody has chosen to launch something so similar to P90X. It occurs to me that Chalene Johnson as a trainer may appeal more to women, whereas P90X has that hardcore edge that attracts proportionally more male consumers.

Then again, maybe originality doesn't matter as long as people get what they paid for? If ChaLEAN Extreme succeeds in reaching people that P90X can't and shows them great results, then who am I to be a Debbie Downer about it!

I plan to continue my investigation of ChaLEAN Extreme, hoping to begin the program in January. To follow up on my experience with ChaLEAN Extreme and my other fitness exploits, you can visit my personal blog at robgetsripped.com.