Hammer and Chisel - "Total Body Chisel"

Good afternoon!  Welcome to my blog!  I am SO EXCITED to share with you about the NEWEST PROGRAM about to be released by Team Beachbody!!!  "The Master's Hammer and Chisel"!  I just completed one of the routines currently available as a sneak peek through Team Beachbody Club/On Demand.  I am writing this blog entry to talk about the program in general but to also give you a detailed review of the "Total Body Chisel" routine. 

First, here are some general details on the Hammer and Chisel program!

- 12 Workout Routines on 6 DVD's (routines are 30-40 minutes in length)

- available through coaches on 12/1! "On Demand" streaming of workouts is also immediately available to you following your purchase

- the kit will include the 7 color-coded portion control containers from the 21 Day Fix plus a nice shaker cup (this is my own favorite water bottle!)

- a 10 Minute Ab Workout from "the Hammer" (Sagi) and "the Chisel" (Autumn) will also be included!

- our exclusive Test Group will begin prep week on 12/7!! This is a 60 day program and the group will run for all of that time

With The Master's Hammer and Chisel, you'll use SSP Training, which stands for Stabilization, Strength, and Power. Combine all three phases—the way Sagi and Autumn do—and this comprehensive resistance-training method will chip away fat, carve powerful muscle, and refine every inch of your body for results that are a true work of art.

I really, really enjoy lifting and have found this to be a very effective way to change my body and significantly improve my strength and that is so rewarding! This program focuses on strength training with weights and also has some creative cardio aspects as well. Should be fantastic!

As far as who this is for?? A wide range of ability levels and goals can tackle MHC together! That is something so neat about working with weights - different people could use 5, 15 or 40 pounds on the same move, depending on what is their own best fit. It is also exciting to track personal progress from one week to the next!

Today I did the routine called "Total Body Chisel".  This one features Autumn Calabrese (creator of the 21 Day Fix) as she is the "Chisel".  Sagi of Body Beast is the Hammer.  Check back here tomorrow for a review of one of his Hammer routines!

Total Body Chisel is 36 minutes in length, including the warm-up and the cool-down.  I have to say that the moves in the warm-up were a unique arrangement and they felt very good!  And when you reach the final few minutes and Autumn tells you to go and sit on the bench for the cool-down???  Well, let's just say that I did NOT have to be told twice!  The 30 minutes of active workout time have you working for total body, no doubt!  In this routine you have Autumn, a guy (Ryan) on the left, Cocoa in the back and Kate (the modifier using the stability ball) on the right.

Those who have done the 21 Day Fix programs (original and/or extreme) are familiar with how Autumn likes to work in rounds.  Today's Total Body Chisel routine follows that format.

You have three rounds in this routine.  Each round has three moves included and you are doing 10 reps per move.  Two of the 9 moves total involve 10 per leg.  You cycle through those three moves three times each to complete a round.

Today I used weights in the 12-25 pound range.  I am fairly strong after a lifetime of working around horses and also spending the past 26 months doing home workouts as I have transformed my health, losing 60 pounds along the way.  :)  Eight of the nine moves in this routine incorporate weights.  The final move ("Bench Dip") does not.

I happen to have access to my husband's weight bench already located conveniently in my usual basement workout space.  If you do not have a bench, you can follow the modifier who is using a stability ball and the floor for each of her moves.  I will say that as a klutzy individual myself, the bench is very nice to have.  

Round 1

Squat (traditional, on the ground) 

Bench Press (using the bench out flat)

Reverse Grip Row (standing on the ground)

*repeat round twice

Round 2

Lunge (10 each leg on the ground)

Incline Fly (using the bench at a 45 degree angle)

Lat Pullover (using the bench out flat)

*repeat round twice

 

Round 3

Step Down Cross Back (10 each leg using the flat bench or a step) 

Incline Curl (using the bench at a 45 degree angle)

Bench Dip (using the bench out flat) 

*repeat round twice

In this routine, you are focused on lifting a weight that is "heavy" for you.  You are not doing a ton of reps.  There is a little break between each round.  Other than that, Autumn is Miss Efficient and she keep you MOVING.  She talks a LOT about form and safety along the way.  It is reassuring to know "where you should be feeling it" and to have an ongoing conversation on how to do each move.   

I am really, really looking forward to the release of this new program!!  It will be available through coaches (like me!) beginning on 12/1!  I will be leading an exclusive Hammer and Chisel test group which will kickoff on December 7th!!  Complete the application below if you are interested in joining us there! 

Fill out my online form.

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