Yay! I finished it!  For those of you that don’t know, I recently completed the Master’s Hammer and Chisel program by Beachbody.  Below I will give an overview of the Hammer and Chisel program and my results.

 

What Is Hammer and Chisel?

Hammer and Chisel is one of the newer Beachbody program released in December 2015.  The trainers are Sagi Kalev (from Body Beast) and Autumn Calabrese (21 Day Fix).  The original program lasts for 60 days where you alternate between Master Hammer (Sagi Kalev) and Master Chisel (Autumn Calabrese) programs. Each program lasts for 30-40 minutes. There are also separate Chisel and Hammer Ab programs that are 10 minutes each. The nutritional program is following with the 21 Day Fix meal plan.

The idea of the program is to create the optimal athlete including power, strength, and agility by building muscle and creating lean muscle tone.

The Workouts

As I mentioned earlier the programs range from 30-40 minutes.  Below I will talk about each of the separate Hammer and Chisel routines, but there is also a “The Master’s Cardio” routine.  This program is a back and forth “competition” between Sagi and Autumn where they challenge each other with cardio moves.  It is one of the shortest videos.  For most of the programs you will need:

1. A cushioned mat.  I used my yoga mat.
2. Free weights ranging from light to heavy.  This is person specific, but at the end of the program I was using 10# as my light, 15# as my medium, and 20# as my heavy.
3. A pull up bar or a band.  I do not have a pull up bar so I have a resistance band (50#) anchored into the door frame.
4. A bench or an exercise ball.  I do not have a bench or an exercise ball.  In the programs when a bench is needed there is always someone adapting the exercise.
5. WATER!  I sure did drink a lot of water during these programs.
6. Towel.  I like to feel the sweat so don’t use a towel, but if you are using a bench you will need one to dry off the sweat so that the bench is safe.

The Hammer Specific Workouts

Hammer programs include:

• Hammer Power (power lifting)
• Max Hammer Strength
• Hammer Conditioning
• Hammer Plyometrics
• Iso Speed Hammer
• 10 minute Ab Hammer
• and Total Body Hammer

If you purchase the Deluxe kit (this is $100 more), you also get Hammer build up and 15 minute leg Hammer. I can’t speak to these because I did not buy the Deluxe kit)  Originally I was worried about doing the heavy lifting Hammer routines because I didn’t want to bulk up too much.  In the end, they were some of my favorite programs!   I will warn you though, his method of encouragement is annoying (at least to me).  In one program he asks one of the demonstrators if he is a hammer or a nail….like 10 times!?

The Chisel Workouts

The Chisel programs include:

• Chisel Balance
• Iso Strength Chisel
• Chisel Endurance
• Chisel Cardio
• Chisel Agility
• 10 minute Ab Chisel
• and Total Body Chisel

The extra programs with the deluxe kit are Power Chisel and 15 minute Glute Chisel.  Chisel Endurance is similar to a body pump class where you perform one exercise for 1 minute and then go on to another. I really dreaded Chisel Cardio routine.  But like most people, I have a love hate relationship with cardio:  I hate to do it but love how I feel after.  My favorite Chisel routine by far is the Total Body Chisel.  Autumn gives frequent encouragement in the same manner as during 21 day fix.

My Results After Completing Hammer and Chisel

After completion of the 60 day program I definitely developed more muscle tone.  I didn’t lose much weight (only 1 pound), but I wouldn’t expect to lose much since I am building muscle!  I saw the biggest change in my biceps and back.  I can also tell I have so much more definition in my quad muscles.  Overall I lost 7.5 inches!  I didn’t get as much definition in my upper arms as I had wanted, but there’s always next month. 🙂  My husband has noticed and frequently comments on how strong I look.  Actually he has started doing more push-ups because he said he doesn’t want to look weaker than me. HaHa!

I should be honest too.  I didn’t stick strictly to the eating program.  I have definitely changed my habits and decreased my consumption of carbs and tried to eliminate all white sugar.  I did find myself drinking more coffees (the kind made at home, not the expensive, fattening Starbuck’s ones), eating a small piece of chocolate, and maybe a bite here and there of the kids french fries.  The last week of the program I participated in a group meal plan.  This was great and was the first week in a long time I really stuck to the containers.

What’s Next After Hammer and Chisel?

I am going to start the Chisel program after a short (3 day) “break”.  I have been exercising daily, with great determination and not missing a day, since I started 21 Day Fix on August 24, 2015.  I just feel like I need a “break.”  So I decided to return to the 21 day fix yoga and pilates programs for these 3 days and then start the Chisel portion of the Hammer and Chisel program.

Once you finish the initial 60 days they offer a 30 day Hammer program and a 30 day Chisel program.  These use the same workouts as the complete program it is just specialized for each Master.  Beachbody suggests if you want to “focus on building muscle, strength, and power” to complete the Hammer program.  The Chisel program is suggested “to achieve greater endurance, stabilization, and maximum definition.”  And with beach time coming…I want some more definition! 🙂