The Master's Hammer & Chisel: Week 1 Overview

It's time to get Hammered and Chiseled!! I was so very excited last year in late fall/early winter when Beachbody announced that they were about to release a new program called The Master's Hammer & Chisel. I have done programs by both trainers (Autumn Calabrese of the 21 Day Fix/Extreme and Sagi Kalev of Body Beast) and was looking forward to seeing what kind of program they would create together! Well, it is now here, and I am digging in!

Where do I begin? This program is challenging, but after each workout, I feel invincible! So many people who started before me kept mentioning that the program was challenging but doable, challenging but doable, and I had seen in my research that the program is not for beginners, so I was prepared for a challenge.

The meal planning is the same as the 21 Day Fix and 21 Day Fix Extreme, which I am familiar with. Meal planning is always a challenge at the beginning of a program, though. I always want to try new recipes, and putting together all of the meals is like a puzzle. However, after the first week, I find that sitting down to write out a plan is easier. I know what foods I like and what works best for me, my grocery store, and my schedule. For this program, I am going with the second calorie bracket (1,500-1,799 calories/day).

Fail to plan, plan to fail!

Workout Schedule:
Monday: Chisel Balance
Tuesday: Hammer Plyometrics
Wednesday: Iso Strength Chisel
Thursday: REST DAY
Friday: Iso Speed Hammer
Saturday: Chisel Endurance
Sunday: Total Body Hammer & 10 Min Ab Hammer

Chisel Balance: Phew! In this workout, you do 15 reps of each exercise--twice! Since it is by reps and not by time, I had to pause the workout during almost every move so that I could get in all 15 reps. At this point in time, I cannot go as quickly as the people in the DVD, but my goal by the end of the program is to be able to keep up with them and not to have to push pause! I don't mind pushing pause, but I mean, I want to be able to keep up! And the workout really does focus on balance. It definitely engages the core in every move!

Hammer Plyo: When I first started this workout, I was like, "Eh, this won't be too bad." Then I had to take back what I said because it sure is a workout! I was sweating and breathing hard by the end. There is quite a bit of jumping, and I need to work on making my landings a little bit softer to protect my knees and feet.

Iso Strength Chisel: In this workout, you do 10 reps of a move then hold the position for 10 seconds...3x each! Even with lighter weights, my muscles were burning by the end of each exercise--especially the lunges where one leg is behind you on the bench. My lunging leg was on FIRE! Oye.

Iso Speed Hammer: This is similar to Iso Strength Chisel in that you do each exercise for 10 reps, but then instead of holding the pose, you do 10 more reps as quickly as you can while maintaining proper form. And you only do each rep for one round, not 3.

Chisel Endurance: Each move lasted for 1 minute. I was breathing hard by the end of each 60 seconds, but it was a good workout, and I enjoyed it. Any time my muscles fatigued, I reminded myself of my goals and pushed through the burn.

Total Body Hammer: Now this is the workout I think of when I see Sagi as the trainer. It is purely lifting. It does have a cardio component just because each exercise is difficult and makes your heart work, but in it you lift heavy for 10, 8, and 6 reps of an exercise with a short rest in between. You do 3 different exercises and then repeat. So there is a total of 9 different exercises.

My Progress So Far:
Thus far, after just one week, I have lost 4.5 pounds and 2.5 inches in my waist, thighs, and butt! I honestly love the workouts. They really are difficult but doable.

Whenever I do workout programs, the exercising isn't the big challenge (I mean, the exercises themselves are very challenging, but it's not difficult for me to get up and exercise because I enjoy it!), meal planning and sticking to the nutrition guide is. So my goal for this program is to really stick to the guide and take control of some bad eating habits! Here's to week 2!

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