Strength Routines

kshadows

I'm trying to figure out a strength routine to get into. I did SL 5x5 for 4 months in the spring and saw really good progress compared to what I was getting with cardio only. I had an injury and had to stop lifting for awhile and have been slow trying to get back into it. My problem with SL is that I just got BORED. The same things over and over and over just weren't doing it for me.

So now I'm considering NROLFW or Starting Strength or Strong Curves. Any opinions or recommendations one way or another? (Stats are: Female, 25, 140 lbs (down from 180), 5'5. Goal:~130-135ish but mostly focused on looking leaner, regardless of scale numbers.)

kshadows

Bump. Anybody?

natecooper75

The popular opinion when it comes to questions like this is to just pick a program and stick with it. What you will be asked a lot of times is if you have maxed out on the program you are currently using. It is typically advocated that you get everything you can out of your current program before changing. Boredom is typically cited as a poor reason. It comes down to a classic case of "if it ain't broke, don't fix it."

Since you are starting back again after an injury, maybe you can get a pass. Not sure on the more female oriented programs, but Starting Strength will probably create more boredom for you.

Make sure you take advantage of linear progression while you still can. The road is much harder after you can't add 5lbs to the next workout or even the next week for that matter.

philwrightfitness

I think four months of one programme is enough to drive anyone crazy, the question is were you still making progress? To liven it up you could lighten the weight do more reps say 8 to 10 but do each exercise one set then move on in a circuit to the next, this will give you more of a pump and increase the cardio component of the work out. To better advise you it would be helpful if I knew what your goals were. Is it just to increase strength?

acampbe2umd

I like to consider myself an experienced lifter (been doing it in various form for roughly 20 years) and I have to say I tried NROL4W a few years ago to change up my routine as well and I was eh on it. I think its a good routine for a newbie because its very detailed and provides a lot of good base information, but I didn't really need that information. I would guess you would end up feeling the same way. I don't follow a set program, I went back to basics and changing out accessory lifts for a comprehensive plan and then I don't get too bored. I would recommend that or if you're set on a program, Jamie Eason's live fit looks good.

jemhh

I started NROLFW a few weeks ago but switched over to All Pro's. I didn't like how NROLFW has you start with higher reps and work down to lower reps, with no real instruction as to how to pick your starting weight. His comment on that is something like "I would tell a man to pick a lower weight than he thinks he should use and tell a woman to pick a higher weight than she thinks she should use." Not all that helpful, IMO. I feel like it is better for somebody who has never really lifted or has only lifted very light weights. I'd already been lifting for awhile but didn't want to be one of the people who pick a program but don't actually follow it so I went ahead and picked heavier weights and it was too much for 15 reps. Then some of the exercises, like pushups, I had already been doing for quite awhile so progressing to fewer reps (even with harder variations) would have been a kind of deloading of sorts. The workouts just felt like a waste and it just wasn't for me. Of course, it's a YMMV thing--other women may feel differently. I like that All Pro's starts with your 10 rep max, which is a more concrete concept than "heavier than you think."

cwolfman13

My wife did both NROLFW and Strong Curves and liked them both...though she enjoys Strong Curves more. At this point she uses the templates from New Rules Supercharged and applies exercises from both of those aforementioned routines as well as Supercharged to kind of come up with her own thing...but the template keeps here balanced and prevents her from over or under working certain things while having a large variety of exercises to be able to turn to. She maintains the basic template but switches up the exercises on the template every 4-6 weeks or something like that.

jacksonpt

My guess is that if you got bored on SL then you'll get bored on SS.

I guess I never understood why people lift with the mindset of having fun. I lift because I need to in order to reach my goals. The process isn't fun, but the results are.

If you're goal is to have fun, then go dancing or hiking or whatever else you enjoy. If you want progress/improve, then put your head down and do the work.

jemhh

Different strokes for different folks. Lifting is fun to me. Saying that lifting isn't fun but the results are is like saying playing football is not fun but having a SuperBowl ring is. It doesn't seem like many people would devote hours/weeks/years to something like that if only the end result provided enjoyment.

jacksonpt

jemhh wrote: »

Different strokes for different folks. Lifting is fun to me. Saying that lifting isn't fun but the results are is like saying playing football is not fun but having a SuperBowl ring is. It doesn't seem like many people would devote hours/weeks/years to something like that if only the end result provided enjoyment.

You're missing the point.

Whether or not you do something shouldn't be based, at least not entirely, on whether or not it's fun. If it is fun, then that's a bonus. But if it's not, and you still want the end result, then you suck it up and do it anyway.

I don't like doing dishes or doing laundry or lifting, but I do them all anyways because not doing them basically isn't an option.

OP said she liked the results she was getting, but got bored on the program. She's welcome to try some different programs, but most boxed lifting programs are pretty stagnant. Either her desire to progress will outweigh the boredom or it won't. If it does, then she'll keep lifting and keep progressing. If it doesn't, then she'll find something else to do and have to be happy with the results that program/activity gives.

jemhh

Not missing the point at all. I just have a different opinion about whether or not lifting is fun. (And, now that you mentioned it, laundry--my favorite household chore.) Different people like different things. We're all unique and special snowflakes. Tralalalala and all.

jacksonpt

Then I'm clearly missing yours.

OP... back to your regularly scheduled program.

itsfeast4dabeast

5,3,1 is a popular choice. Personally I use Sheiko templates. If you want the spreadsheets pm me. Also write my own at times

Lofteren

Lol Sheiko is the ultimate in boring. I would recommend 531 because you can get in amd do your "work" very quickly and then do whatever assistance lifts you think are "fun".

SnuggleSmacks

I've done most of those, OP.

I was doing Strong Curves, and felt that it might have been a little glute-heavy. I felt as though I was neglecting the rest of my body. I understand the theory behind it, but still felt that I needed something more well-rounded.

I'm halfway through phase 1 of NROLFW and I'm much happier with it. The first phase is super fast, too, and you definitely work your whole body. Its goal is to primarily build muscle rather than increase strength, so keep that in mind. I specifically wanted more muscle, and while I made gains doing Strong Lifts, I wasn't seen the visible results I wanted.

If you go with NROLFW, do a search for workout logs. There's an excellent Excel spreadsheet already made up which will help a lot in understanding and tracking the routines.