New Rules of Lifting For Women (NROL4W)

Join

Stage 4

Options
1…1011131516…27

Replies

  • ellie78
    ellie78 Posts: 375
    Options
    I find the wide grip easier as well. I do wear gloves so I will try the mixed grip next time and see how that works. Thanks!
  • samntha14
    samntha14 Posts: 2,084 Member
    Options
    I use a switch grip and I will regrip the bar bewteen reps if I need to. You should basically be hitting the floor anyway.
  • mstawnya
    mstawnya Posts: 450 Member
    Options
    Finally joining the ranks of Stage 4. Like a fool, I forgot to bring along or even review my Stage 2 stats (was going to use them for starting weights)so I ended up going a bit higher for the FSPPs and lower for everything else. Oh well! Onward & upward. :)
  • dandelion39
    dandelion39 Posts: 514 Member
    Options
    I was soooo happy to kiss the 120 minute planks goodbye today (yes, it was my 4th A workout, yahoo!). I felt good--I went up on all my weights. I'll finish the last B workout Thurs or Fri and will post my starting/ending weights then. Perfect timing, because I'm leaving for a week's vacation Saturday. Hello rest week!

    I've been not so great about my diet for the last several days. These summer weekends are really hard. I'm going to try to be on point for the rest of the week, then control myself while on vacation...but I'm not going to log. I won't know if I've gained weight, because I haven't been weighing... Plan is to just get going with S5 when I get back and get back on the deficit plan then. Tricky, because I really do have better strength in the gym when I'm eating more. And yet, I have at least 10 lbs of fat to lose. Frustrating trying to get everything done at once.
  • samntha14
    samntha14 Posts: 2,084 Member
    Options
    Hate to be the barer of bad news but the 120 planks continue in Stage 5.

    Have fun on vacation. I'll be on vacation this coming week too :)
  • ellie78
    ellie78 Posts: 375
    Options
    I used the wide grip with the mixed grip and ditched the box so I could easily set the weights down and that made a huge difference! I got through three sets at 95 tonight no problem so I'm going to up to 100 next time and see how it goes!

    On the downside I really seem to have strained my left quad. It hadn't been bothering me until I started the split squats tonight and then it was instant pain! Guess I'll give it some rest and see how it feels later this week. Hopefully just a strained muscle that will go away quickly.
  • dandelion39
    dandelion39 Posts: 514 Member
    Options
    Ouch, Ellie, I hope the quad heals quickly. I didn't use the box for this stage--too much of a pain to set it up, and wide-grip DLs are hard enough already. I found that the mixed grip made a huge difference, too.

    Oh no, more 120 planks in 5 Sam??? I guess I need to read up on the next stage. I was already dreading the BWM, but I'd forgotten about planks.
  • jnh17
    jnh17 Posts: 838 Member
    Options
    Ouch, Ellie, I hope the quad heals quickly. I didn't use the box for this stage--too much of a pain to set it up, and wide-grip DLs are hard enough already. I found that the mixed grip made a huge difference, too.

    Oh no, more 120 planks in 5 Sam??? I guess I need to read up on the next stage. I was already dreading the BWM, but I'd forgotten about planks.

    Ol Alwyn is trying to get me to give up on health and fitness and be obese with these 120 second planks. Worst thing ever!
  • dandelion39
    dandelion39 Posts: 514 Member
    Options
    Yay, finished with S4!

    I felt great this stage--in part, I think, because I upped my calories a bit (especially at the end, when I was kinda out of control, unfortunately). Here's my progress:

    A workout
    FSPP: 45>65
    Step-up: 12k each hand>18k
    Dumbell 1-pt row: 25 lb each hand>30 each hand
    Static lunges: 12k each hand>18k
    Push up--no change, all 8 on floor all 3 sets
    Plank, hated 'em the whole time but did 3 x 120
    Wood chop: 60 lbs > 65 lbs

    B workout
    Widegrip DL: 115 > 125
    Bulgarian SS: 35 lbs > 45 lbs
    Underhand lat pulldown: 85 lbs > 92.5 lbs
    Reverse lunge: 20 lbs each hand > 25
    Dumbell Prone Cuban snatch: 8 lbs each hand > 12 lbs
    Swiss ball crunch: 15 lbs overhead to 20 lbs
    Reverse crunch (did jacknifes): 3 x 8
    Lateral flexion (did windshield wipers) 3 x 8
    Prone cobra (boring!) 3 x 120

    Week off (vacation, yay!) then on to S5, and a MUCH stricter diet. See you there...
  • samntha14
    samntha14 Posts: 2,084 Member
    Options
    YAY Dandelion! Impressive numbers, you the WO-man. Now get over there to stage five. Mary and I need company lol.
  • jnh17
    jnh17 Posts: 838 Member
    Options
    YAY Dandelion! Impressive numbers, you the WO-man. Now get over there to stage five. Mary and I need company lol.

    Yall will be onto bigger and better stages by the time I'm over there :(. My last Stage 4 workout is Wednesday and I'll start Stage 5 the following Wednesday giving me a week off since I haven't had one since the first week in June. I don't want to...but I think I should!
  • worthyofchange
    worthyofchange Posts: 165 Member
    Options
    Hi! Ready to start Stage 4 next week.
    I was away on vacation for 2 weeks so I'm a bit afraid of Stage 4 but I know I need to just get in there and do it!
    My plan is to lift 2x a week - I can't seem to get 3 lifts in per week because of the family schedule. Instead of feeling bitter about it I'll just expect to lift twice and get in an extra run or cycle.
  • mstawnya
    mstawnya Posts: 450 Member
    Options
    Hi! Ready to start Stage 4 next week.
    I was away on vacation for 2 weeks so I'm a bit afraid of Stage 4 but I know I need to just get in there and do it!
    My plan is to lift 2x a week - I can't seem to get 3 lifts in per week because of the family schedule. Instead of feeling bitter about it I'll just expect to lift twice and get in an extra run or cycle.

    I'm switching to 2 days of lifting this week too and will see how it goes. I'm having a hard time building in recovery and my body is rebelling. Time for a little break. Plus, the thought of doing each workout only once each week is kind of appealing to me. :)
  • cpa8198
    cpa8198 Posts: 154 Member
    Options
    Hi! I will be starting Stage 4 over the weekend. Quick question: The book says "2-3 sets" for each workout. Is everyone going for three sets? I'm wondering why there is an option, per say.

    Thanks!
  • jnh17
    jnh17 Posts: 838 Member
    Options
    Hi! I will be starting Stage 4 over the weekend. Quick question: The book says "2-3 sets" for each workout. Is everyone going for three sets? I'm wondering why there is an option, per say.

    Thanks!

    I wondered that too (and asked in the stage 3 thread I think). I also thought about asking Alwyn directly in his facebook Q&A but I do 3 sets except *sometimes* on the 120 second planks. Sometimes I literally can't do a 3rd set worth anything so I've done 2 on 2 of the workouts and 3 on 2 of the workouts. I do still wonder why the option is there.
  • ellie78
    ellie78 Posts: 375
    Options
    I'm the same way, sometimes I just can't get through a third set so I stop at two. I assumed the reason was to encourage us to push ourselves on the weights and not feel like we had to grab something lower to get through three sets.

    Gym was super crowded last night and I had to split my workout up and do the whole thing out of order. I hate that. On the up side I've only got two workouts left and on to stage 5!
  • karensoxfan
    karensoxfan Posts: 902 Member
    Options
    Hi! I will be starting Stage 4 over the weekend. Quick question: The book says "2-3 sets" for each workout. Is everyone going for three sets? I'm wondering why there is an option, per say.

    Thanks!

    I was just wondering the EXACT same thing. When I start next week, I think I'm going to try for 3, but if I can only handle 2, that will be OK too.

    Another question -- when you all start, are you able to use the same weights as you ended with Stage 2? Or were you able to go heavier? Or did you have to go a little lighter & build back up?
  • jnh17
    jnh17 Posts: 838 Member
    Options
    Hi! I will be starting Stage 4 over the weekend. Quick question: The book says "2-3 sets" for each workout. Is everyone going for three sets? I'm wondering why there is an option, per say.

    Thanks!

    I was just wondering the EXACT same thing. When I start next week, I think I'm going to try for 3, but if I can only handle 2, that will be OK too.

    Another question -- when you all start, are you able to use the same weights as you ended with Stage 2? Or were you able to go heavier? Or did you have to go a little lighter & build back up?

    I was surprised to go UP basically an incriment on every lift. I thing a lot had to do with finally gaining some balance. For instance, my Stage 2 dumbbell 1 pt row, I ended at 15lbs but was able to start stage 4 at 25lbs (finished my last A workout at 27.5).
  • jenniet04
    jenniet04 Posts: 1,054 Member
    Options
    It's really a preference and what your body can handle. I did 3 sets because I wanted to push myself. Also, I started with the weights that I finished with in Stage 2, but if they were too easy then I upped them on the next set. I was able to go up on all the lifts from Stage 2.
  • hypallage
    hypallage Posts: 624 Member
    Options
    Hello,
    I will be starting stage 4 next week - not overly looking forward to it as I struggled with a lot of the lunges & split squats in stage 2. Quite looking forward to deadlifting again though :)

Categories