If I knew then what I know now....

gatx

I am on my first week of NROL4W. I am looking for advice from those of you who have already started/completed/on your 2nd+ time through.

What words of wisdom do you wish someone had shared with you when you started?
* What worked for you?
* What didn't work for you?
* Any tips/tricks that helped you?
* Did you follow the nutrition guidelines? Why/why not?
* Any warm-up/cool down advice?
* What other workouts, if any, did you do in combination with this?
* Just general advice--something you 'figured out' at stage 3 you wish you knew at stage 1?

(Background for me, I want to lose BF, get stronger and look awesome! My weight is okay but I'd be happy to lose a few more pounds... but I really want to lose some inches and maybe gain an inch or two in the right places. I have done workout DVDs in the past--Jillian's Body Revolution and Chalean Extreme--but am now trying to focus on a weight lifting routine.)

Thanks!

lavendy17

Skipping workouts is a no-no.
If I don't go 3x a week consistently it halts my progress.
Unfortunately, I did have to miss it with my busy schedule, but on the bright side it made me see that there's a big difference when I DO keep up.

BarbellCowgirl

Yep, consistency is key.
Also, if an exercise is too hard and you can't do it with proper form, don't do it. The two main exercises I think of are the prone jackknife(I would substitute mountain climbers) and DLs from a deficit(I would do them now that I'm much more flexible, but I had no business doing them when I was obese and out of shape). Substitute a similar exercise that you can do with correct form.
Hitting 30% on protein always made me feel better and my workouts better.
As someone who was obese, I wish I would've added a few minutes of HIIT after every workout beginning in Stage one.
Adding steady cardio made my lifting suffer and hindered my fat loss. Don't know why- it just did.

gatx

Thanks.... I started on a Saturday and wondered if I'd be better wtih M/W/F instead of S/M/W but I think it will work for now. I have not run into a skipping workout scenario yet but can see it happening during the summer with traveling. I'll need to plan.

Good to know about the steady state cardio. I have a few 5ks coming up but will do a few more HIITs rather than jogs.

I appreciate the feedback!

catdevrandom

Just to mention that I loved the question and the answers! I'm still half way through stage 1 and I'm thinking about adding the HIIT right away after reading the advice here... Mostly because I love running (even in the treadmill) and I'm missing it

Cheers to all!