Stage 2
Replies
-
Did 2B tonight
It is just full of weird exercises isn't it?
Is it just me or is the prone cuban snatch a hellacious exercise? I had to stick more of my body than I cared to face down on a stinky incline bench and then, to add insult to injury, had to use barbie weights because my poor arms refuse to raise up near my ears. I see what you were saying earlier, Mrs. Rip.
Also, the flexion exercise? I mean really, people already think we are strange because we insist on putting our legs up on benches or boxes, or balancing on one leg...so now we do this strange torso twist and cockeyed leg lift? I was a bit self-conscious.
NOT complaining. Love the new challenges. Just think they will take some getting used to.
Question about the reverse lunge with forward reach. Are you supposed to go up in weight or raise the step to make it more challenging?0 -
Finished the last A workout tonight. Thank GAWD. I was so bored and just counting down the time to get through it.
I shudder at the thought that we'll be doing a repeat of this stage in 4 except with more sets and a couple less reps. Hmmm.
Anyway, here is my lame progress. :grumble:
Front squat push press: started with 45 --> 65 lbs for 8 reps, then 60 lbs for 2 more sets of 8 (dunno why I broke it up like this in the end but I did and I didn't figure it'd matter too much since I was doing a few more than what was required)
Step-Ups: started with 60 lbs --> 65 lbs (woopity wooo...it's about as much as I can tolerate holding up after doing that FSPP with my wrists hurting)
DB 1pt Row: started with 20 lb DBs --> 25 lb DBs (don't have larger DBs than 25 and wasn't sure how else to modify to get heavier weight)
Static lunge rear elevated: 25 lb DBs --> 25 lb DBs (again, don't have higher than 25 pounders and wasn't sure if using a loaded BB was a good idea?)
Push-up: on toes as written (still can't believe I can do push-ups back to back like that! WOOOHOOO! Felt like it took forever to get to this point!)
Plank: 60 seconds --> 60 seconds. Tried to go to 90 secs and just couldn't do it - mentally I think I blocked myself. :grumble:
Woodchops: used bands around a pole for first workout --> realized I could use a DB on the floor and modify, so 25 lb DB0 -
Question about the reverse lunge with forward reach. Are you supposed to go up in weight or raise the step to make it more challenging?
I think if you go up in weight you are gonna be really giving your shoulders a good workout. I raise my arms up pretty high (to shoulder height or a bit higher) so I can get those good and worked out in that exercise...the lunge in itself is a great stretch so any weight really is gonna be awesome. I don't think raising the step up is a great idea due to the angle of your feet/toes, maybe? I dunno. You could certainly try it, can't hurt, and if it doesn't feel right, go back to the default height.0 -
Hi Hischild! The workout really gets the heart pumping doesn't it!
Austelle, I use the barbie weights AND i have to stand because of a shoulder/neck nerve damage. I can not raise my arm at that angle.0 -
Lol @ Austelle I feel on the weirdness! I felt totally weird doing that flexion majig or whatever! HA! And yes, I'm so on the barbie weights on that on! Shoulders are sore for sure today! Actually, I'm all sore today! Which feels good since I wasn't sore in stage 1 except for maybe the first couple workouts. Which...could be the case again now but so what! I'm happy to be sore
Hey manic - it really does. I'm ok with 2A tonight. I didn't sweat so hard with that one Have a great Friday all! 0 -
I was supposed to do my final B workout today and I was totally lazy and slept in. I'll have to do in on Monday or Tuesday when we get back from camping.
Jen (mrs rip) - great work, those are some great numbers. I've got to get some more dumbbells, mine only go up to 10 lbs, so I will hold two in one hand to get up to 18 lbs, but that's as high as I can go right now.0 -
Finished Stage 2 last night!
Deadlift from box: 85# -> 105#
Split Squat: BW -> 25# plate
Underhand Lat Pull: 40# -> 60#
Reverse Lunge: 5# -> 15#
Snatch: 5# -> 10#
Swiss Ball 10# Medicine Ball overhead 10 reps -> 10#OH/25 reps
Reverse Crunch: 10 veritcal -> 20 vertical
Cobra: 45 sec -> 90 sec
HIIT: was able to get the treadmill up to 7.5 last night.
I am excited to take pictures and measurements after the next stage. I can really see a difference in my arms already.0 -
Just did 1B tonight. For the most part it was OK, except:
- Deadlift from box - I didn't have a lot of room to work with, and for some reason I couldn't wrap my mind around being on the step and picking up/putting down the barbell on the ground. I was using two 25lb plates with an Olympic bar (95#), maybe the plates were just too small but I didn't like it, so I just did the regular deadlifts as in stage 1, with a wide grip, and was only able to do 8 reps still. This is going to take some getting used to.
- Reverse lunge from box - I did this on a step with 4 risers and 10lb DB's. I was able to complete all my reps but I just didn't feel that safe stepping back up and was super wobbly. Considering going down to 3 risers for 2B
- Cuban snatch: holy hell, how awkward was that! everytime I got on the bench I had a vision of falling forward onto my face, the bench felt so little and short ("women's size" equipment I think) and rotating my arms up was surprisingly challenging!
Also I sort of love the lateral flexion. At first I thought it was silly and didn't work, but then I focused on rotating my thigh and not just lifting my leg, and actually felt the burn. I also did 15 minutes of intervals on the spin bike.0 -
Hi All,
I am currently in stage one and starting to research stage 2. How long are your workouts in stage 2? It seems like it is a lot more than stage 1. I do not mind more, but I only have an hour and fifteen minutes to get the workouts done before work. Thanks for any info.0 -
Hi All,
I am currently in stage one and starting to research stage 2. How long are your workouts in stage 2? It seems like it is a lot more than stage 1. I do not mind more, but I only have an hour and fifteen minutes to get the workouts done before work. Thanks for any info.
Typically, workout A is 40ish minutes and workout B is an hour (including the HIIT). I take my 75 second rests.0 -
Hi All,
I am currently in stage one and starting to research stage 2. How long are your workouts in stage 2? It seems like it is a lot more than stage 1. I do not mind more, but I only have an hour and fifteen minutes to get the workouts done before work. Thanks for any info.
Typically, workout A is 40ish minutes and workout B is an hour (including the HIIT). I take my 75 second rests.
Wow! You get it done! It takes me about 80 minutes. Of course, I have a lot of swapping weights around because I'm at home and am still using a standard bar. Which is totally not going to cut it anymore. Loaded up to 85lbs it barely fits on my rack. Anymore and it won't. I'm going to buy a oly set this week. But, that's another story.
As I was saying, it takes me longer than that. :-P0 -
Hi All,
I am currently in stage one and starting to research stage 2. How long are your workouts in stage 2? It seems like it is a lot more than stage 1. I do not mind more, but I only have an hour and fifteen minutes to get the workouts done before work. Thanks for any info.
Typically, workout A is 40ish minutes and workout B is an hour (including the HIIT). I take my 75 second rests.
Wow! You get it done! It takes me about 80 minutes. Of course, I have a lot of swapping weights around because I'm at home and am still using a standard bar. Which is totally not going to cut it anymore. Loaded up to 85lbs it barely fits on my rack. Anymore and it won't. I'm going to buy a oly set this week. But, that's another story.
As I was saying, it takes me longer than that. :-P
I am a member at a VERY good gym. It is owned by the local hospital and it has every thing imaginable . Plus, I TRY to workout at non peak hours so there isn't time wasted waiting on machines or moving around people.0 -
Did my first Stage 2 workout today 1A. I didn't mind it. Had to make some adjustments as I am using dumbbells, but it's all good. I was able to hold the plank for the 60 sec tho I was sure shaking toward the end.
I decided to do the intervals after workout A instead of B since it isn't as long. I only have 50 min so I gotta make every min count. Yea for super sets!0 -
Did Stage 2 1A today as well.
I was exhausted from these exercises! They seemed more cardio-intensive than stage 1. Squat push press, step-ups and lunges all get my heart rate going.
Whew!
I found out my gym does not have a cable that pulls from the middle for the chop. I'll read the instructions again and try the alternative later.
Plank was awesome - I can hold it for 60 seconds but it's tough! I think my core is quite strong and it's my shoulders that are weak... always have been. Still struggle with pushups below 45 degrees and anything overhead is hard (squat push press).0 -
Ya'll have no idea how excited I am to get over here and post my FINAL B workout stats - because that means THIS STAGE IS OVER! hahaha (You've listened to me whine enough about it, LOL!!)
Deadlifts: start 115# --> 135# and I was feeling really beastly so I did 3 sets of 10 reps of 135, RAWR, hahahahah! (Actually I got over 11 hours of sleep last night and felt well-rested and well fed so I think that helped)
Bulgarian squat: 20 DB --> 25 DB (don't have heavier DBs and my plates aren't the kind you can get a hold on, wahh, oh well, the 25 lb DB still provides one heck of a good workout with this squat as the legs are stretched real good)
Underhand pulldown: 85# --> 105+13#bar (not gonna lie, felt very strong doing these and loved every second!)
Reverse lunge w/reach: 10 DBs --> 12 DBs (maybe coulda pushed it to 15 DBs but my shoulders burned by the 8th rep on each leg as I was lifting up to shoulder/face height)
Cuban snatch: 10 DBs -->12 DBs (hate hate hate this one due to the awkward feeling on my bench)
Ball crunches - I just did sets of 25 as the movement makes my motion sickness kick in and I get nauseous. Silly, I know.
Reverse crunches - love these, just did sets of 25 too
Lateral flexion - did 'em the first workout and decided they were a waste of time, so did prone jackknife on ball instead
Prone cobra - 90 secs all the time, these feel good and I love ending the workout with them
See you girls in stage 3.... HOLLA!!!! *fist pump*0 -
mrsrip, you did great!
I haven't worked out since last Wednesday and that workout frustrated me. I could not keep my balance. SOOO, instead of finishing my last workout B, I would like to complete my last workout A with a bang before I move on to the last B. (sorry if this is a repeat. I THINK I only posted on my wall that I would repeat workout 4A).
And this is one of my unscheduled breaks from lifting. We were on the road Thursday-Saturday, church yesterday, and gym closed for the holiday today.0 -
Yay for graduating from stage 2 MrsRipdizzle!
I did 2A tonight and it went so much better, knowing which weights to go with for which exercise. Ended the FSPP with a 40lb barbell, next workout it's back to the Oly bar, I think my form and grip will improve some more too.
I'm frustrated that I still haven't made it to the floor for my push-ups, I'm still barely making it to 10 on the bench pushups, and everyone else seems to be on the floor at this point
0 -
I am not on the floor. I can barely do them on the bench. My back bows even on the bench level.0
-
I struggle on the bench too, I think I'm only going down 2/3 of the way, but I wonder if it's also some sort of mental block, because I never thought I would be the type of person who could actually do real pushups lol. Hopefully we'll both hit the floor soon!0
-
Congrats on finishing Stage 2, Jen and Manic! That went by fast!
Those of you struggling with pushups...me three! I wonder if there are supplemental exercises we can do to strengthen the triceps? I have made barely ANY progress with these.0 -
I finish Stage 2 tomorrow and go right in to Stage 3. I need to get some more dumbbells since mine only go up to 10 lbs and it looks like Stage 3 uses a lot more DBs in the exercises.0
-
Ladies who are struggling with push-ups - what are you using to lean against? I have a smith machine that is busted - the only thing it was good for was for me to adjust the bar up or down to do push-ups. LOL (It was part of a package deal that we got when building up our home gym). Anyway - I started with the bar pretty high up in the notches and each workout, I'd lower the bar a notch or two...obviously the lower it got, the harder the push-ups were and the more I felt it the following day. I finally got to a point where it was as low as it was gonna go and I knew it was a mental block at that point. So I moved my butt to the floor and just DID the damn thing. It helps to tighten up your abs and butt - I mean really squeeze that butt in - and pushhhhhh. Try to do one or a few on the floor BEFORE going to your angled push-up spot. Even if you only get one or a few out on your toes....that's progress! Then next workout, do 2nd, 3rd, 4th one on your toes and when you think you can't push anymore - go back to your angled spot. You have to just keep trying! Before you know it one turns into ten. I promise!0
-
Congrats on finishing stage 2 ladies!!!! you rock and inspire!
Question - am I the only one with little energy to do my intervals after workout B?0 -
Mrsrip, you are right. I need to do that. Thanks for the "push'.
Hischild, NO! my legs feel like jello but the ab workout seems to help me get some of my energy back before the HIIT. Plus, I am at the end of the stage so I feel like I progressed in that area and it isn't so bad now.0 -
Congrats everyone on finishing stage 2!
Did workout 2A yesterday and today I am FEELING those split squats, I can barely sit down! AWESOME! :flowerforyou:0 -
Finished 2A today. Um...I looked like a total idiot doing the 1 leg pointed row! Wow! I like the challenge though. Ima get that shiz down dang it! I liked everything in this workout. The push-squats were harder than I thought too...:)0
-
Congrats everyone on finishing stage 2!
Did workout 2A yesterday and today I am FEELING those split squats, I can barely sit down! AWESOME! :flowerforyou:
whoops got mixed up. I meant 2B haha0 -
Jen, I started on the smith machine. Second notch from the bottom in Stage 1. I can now do 5 reps on the bottom notch but that is it. I am thinking of adding in some dips or cable press downs to try to strengthen the triceps more.0
-
That's great advice for the push-ups, thanks. I was using the squat rack and doing them against an Oly bar, but I felt like the way I was gripping the bar was putting a lot of stress on my wrist, so I moved to the bench, where I can do all 10 pushups but I feel like they are sort of half-assed. Doing dips is also a good suggestion, I might add those0
-
I repeated 4A today since last week was a total frustration. I honestly can say I feel like I got a workout today. :happy:
I still can NOT keep my balance on the one point dumbbell row but I did manage to get them in. (2 then almost fall over, balance again, 2 or 3 more LOL)
AND drumroll please.......
I did SIX pushups on the floor each time . woohoo woohoo dance dance0
This discussion has been closed.