Stage 1
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here's a link to a set of worksheets i created from a sheet a friend created lol
you are welcome to save as your own and modify as necessary...
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AmsRzs_p1FWddFljcmVJQ1NHLUtTLWg4cTJFZmtrT0E
Thanks so much for the graphs. I'm really horrible with excel. I'm so excited to have a visual! Now, to try to figure out how to modify it...lol0 -
First workout was a success. Loved it. I could probably do a bit more weights next time though.
Squats- 90 lbs
Row- 40 lbs
Did real military pushups! No modifications needed. Woot Woot!!
Then followed the workout to the T.
Tonight is workout B. I'm looking forward to it.0 -
Question about push-ups!
So, I've reached the point where push-ups aren't a challenge for me. I've started elevating my feet for my sets by 12 inches, but that's not going to be challenging any more once I move on to Stage 1 part 2 (10 and 8 reps).
Has anyone been in this same situation, and what did you do to increase push-up difficulty? I could always raise my feet higher, but it seems a little silly and I'm looking for alternatives. (And the book alt of the T push-up really does nothing for me).
ALSO -- Congratulations, Devlynn323, on your first NROLFW workout! Workout B is my favorite! (Well, not while I'm doing it, but afterwards....)0 -
Question about push-ups!
So, I've reached the point where push-ups aren't a challenge for me. I've started elevating my feet for my sets by 12 inches, but that's not going to be challenging any more once I move on to Stage 1 part 2 (10 and 8 reps).
Has anyone been in this same situation, and what did you do to increase push-up difficulty? I could always raise my feet higher, but it seems a little silly and I'm looking for alternatives. (And the book alt of the T push-up really does nothing for me).
ALSO -- Congratulations, Devlynn323, on your first NROLFW workout! Workout B is my favorite! (Well, not while I'm doing it, but afterwards....)
Push ups are kind of hard for me, so I still do them with toes on the floor. But I was thinking you can use a med. ball under one arm or two, use TRX-feet on, or hands on the TRX. If all those are not challenging, you can try a hand stand against a wall and do push ups this way.0 -
Thanks Dreamhazer. It was great. My friend that is working with a trainer is starting to think she has overpaid. lol0
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Question about push-ups!
So, I've reached the point where push-ups aren't a challenge for me. I've started elevating my feet for my sets by 12 inches, but that's not going to be challenging any more once I move on to Stage 1 part 2 (10 and 8 reps).
Has anyone been in this same situation, and what did you do to increase push-up difficulty? I could always raise my feet higher, but it seems a little silly and I'm looking for alternatives. (And the book alt of the T push-up really does nothing for me).
ALSO -- Congratulations, Devlynn323, on your first NROLFW workout! Workout B is my favorite! (Well, not while I'm doing it, but afterwards....)
I'm on stage 4 but push ups have been easy since stage 1. I started out doing regular decline push ups but now I do decline pushups with my feet on a swiss ball. Much more challenging! It's good because you get some core work in addition to your chest and back.0 -
Hi ladies! I'm finishing week 3 of stage 1! So far I love it!
I am going to post this as a new topic as well but I thought I'd ask those who are in stage 1 with me. What is your calorie deficit? So far mine is at 1lb loss/week (so 500). I know the author discourages this and encourages more calories, is it a necessity to change it?? I definitely want to get the best results that I can and I also know that I may not lose weight but I can, wait, I WILL lose inches. Is it wise to change it to .5 lb/week for a 250 cal deficit??0 -
Is there a reason you want to do a different kind of squat that just the back squat?
Well I have heard that a Smith machine takes a lot of the work out of the squat when compared to using a free standing squat bar. There is no free weight squat rack in my gym and I don't just want to take the bench press bar out in the middle of the weight room and start trying to do squats, so I was looking for alternatives.
I have to clean and press my bar for squats because my gym doesn't have a squat rack either. This has definately made it harder for me to increase my weight as I've gone through the first few weeks. My gym doesn't have a smith machine either so I'm stuck at 30kgs at the minute.
TheSmith machine helps ensure proper movement throughout the whole squat. You can load it with weights.
Although Smith machines are better than nothing, freeweight ones give you more for your money, because you use your muscles to balance, and gaining muscle is the whole point, no?
I also greatly see the appeal of smiths machine vs taking the benchpress bar. (which I would never be able to. My upper body is beyond weak at the moment)0 -
At this point after I've used the Smith machine more, I think it works just fine. It's a little unfortunate that I don't get to work the muscles I would with a regular squat rack (that whole balancing thing), but as someone who's pretty new to weights still, the Smith machine is fine.0
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Doing workout B of week 4 tomorrow! I definitely feel like I am getting stronger. Not going to pay attention to the scale for a while and worry about eating well and lifting heavier!0
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I'm starting to get a little nervous about stage 2 because I'll be starting it the week after next (Monday is when I'll finish stage 1, and then I'll take about a week off with the special workout thrown in somewhere). What are you all planning on doing when you finish stage 1? Are you going to take a week off or will you continue with stage 2?
Stage 2 seems to be quite a bit different than Stage 1. I'm not familiar with the majority of the exercises which makes me a little nervous, and then I'm scared about the HIIT... because I hate doing interval training. I really enjoyed almost exclusively lifting during stage 1. I'm hoping though that if I follow the plan laid out in the book for HIIT, it won't be so bad. In the past, I think I've pushed myself too much and worn myself out... and in the process convinced myself that HIIT is the worst, most exhausting thing ever.0 -
i planned on a week off and then actually decided to hold off on starting stage 2 until 12/26 which ends up making it about a 3wks rest from lifting...i was stressing myself out about getting the more intense stage 2 workouts done in addition to my christmas shopping and decorating and it just was not worth pushing myself and my sanity.....i'll be starting on 12/26 with stage 2 three times a week....hope i have some others working with me then....
denise0 -
Hi All!
I wanted to swing by and say hello. I'll be finishing week 3 tomorrow, and so far, I LOVE THIS PROGRAM! I don't have a decent gym nearby, so hubs found me a STEAL on a weight set from a local trader's paper...a bench/rack combo w/cable-station & leg developer, curl bar and olympic bar, plus 580# in plates along with storage trees, for ....wait for it....TWO HUNDRED DOLLARS!!! I was going to buy new, one piece at a time, if necessary, but he saved me enough to get a power cage too! I kicked our teenage sons and their video games out of our multi-purpose room, and it is now a SINGLE-PURPOSE ROOM!!
My struggle is currently with calories. I want to follow the plan. I want to eat enough to build lean muscle. But it feels so much like sabotage. I change my goals every other week, depending on how I feel about calorie surplus at any given time (in other words, if I like the way my jeans look, I eat more. If I'm feeling "pudgy", I eat less. Iron-willed, that's me! HA!)
Same goes for cardio. I miss my cardio, but I don't want to do anything contrary to my strength training goals. I may add some to my off days, but I'm still mulling it over. The book seems on the fence about it. Any suggestions??0 -
Hey i am in week 2 of the 1st stage i wondered how hard is this supposed to be? were you all dying by the end of it and i supposed to be sweaty? As i am working with fairly low weights ( 30kg deadlift, 20kg squat, 8kg shoulder press) and although i am tired after each set i could still do the workout at least once more through... is this normal? i want to get the best from the program0
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Hey i am in week 2 of the 1st stage i wondered how hard is this supposed to be? were you all dying by the end of it and i supposed to be sweaty? As i am working with fairly low weights ( 30kg deadlift, 20kg squat, 8kg shoulder press) and although i am tired after each set i could still do the workout at least once more through... is this normal? i want to get the best from the program
I felt I could've done lots more week 1, because I lifted fairly light. I wanted to focus mainly on form. I was working hard enough that I was just a little sore the next day, and increased the weight a bit every time. This week (just finished week 3) I have increased my weight and difficulty level enough that I am seriously struggling as I finish the final few reps of the last set. I don't think we're supposed to try to blow out; just challenge ourselves each session. Do more today than you did last time, even if it's just a little more.0 -
@maddamekat: I wouldn't say I was dying at the end, but by the end of each third set, I definitely felt pretty tired. That's what the 60 second rests are for! Also, for the first 2 weeks, I was still kind of figuring out what weight was challenging for me, so I probably wasn't lifting as heavily as I could have been.
I also sweat like crazy when I'm lifting. I keep a towel with me. It's a great workout!
@jarrettd: I'm not a big fan of cardio to begin with, but I mainly focused on strength training for the first two weeks. I ran a mile to warm up for the lifting. A bit later in Stage 1, I reintroduced some fitness classes I was taking before I started lifting (yoga, Pilates, and Zumba). I just wanted to give my body time to get used to the diet and exercises changes before I started doing everything I was doing before plus lifting.
That's about it though, I don't really do a whole lot of cardio. There is HIIT in Stage 2 of the program though so you can definitely get some cardio there.
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Day 1: The Super Sad beginnings of Shlobee.
I should say up front that my planned first day of this workout was also my hardest PMS day. I realize that it was a bad combo but I didn't want to put off starting any longer.
I didn't have my sh** together. Things I'd normally have planned and figured out went out the window, my mind Here's the cut and dry so I'm not weeping the full story out to you all:
-forgot my sweater (the gym is kept pretty cold) and I never quite warmed up
-forgot to do the warm-up exercises after the treadmill and before the full-range motion (ie squats w/out weight)
-used a smith machine because I'm not ready for the free 45 lb olympic barbell yet
-20 lbs was way too easy, changed up to 40 lbs immediately - got through 10 reps
-lowered to 35 lbs got through 3 reps, lowered to 30, got through another 5 reps.
-did well doing push-ups on the seated row bench
-did well doing the seated row
-need to do step ups more slowly and methoidcally - I have knee problems and tend not to engage the proper muscles if I go too quickly
-Utter. Complete. FAIL on the prone jackknifes. I'm going to have to build up some better confidence to attack those again.
Still, I'll be there on Tuesday for Day 2.0 -
-Utter. Complete. FAIL on the prone jackknifes. I'm going to have to build up some better confidence to attack those again.
Still, I'll be there on Tuesday for Day 2.
Don't stress it. Those are BEASTLY! I had some prior experience with them from Supreme 90, and I still struggled. I think there's already plenty of muscle fatigue when you get to them, and they are designed to finish you off!0 -
You definitely did not fail because you went to the gym and you tried it! Now if you had read the book and said, "hmm, that prone jackknife looks hard, I'll just skip it," that would be a fail!
I'm starting stage 1 today, can't wait to see how it goes.0 -
Day 1: The Super Sad beginnings of Shlobee.
I should say up front that my planned first day of this workout was also my hardest PMS day. I realize that it was a bad combo but I didn't want to put off starting any longer.
I didn't have my sh** together. Things I'd normally have planned and figured out went out the window, my mind Here's the cut and dry so I'm not weeping the full story out to you all:
-forgot my sweater (the gym is kept pretty cold) and I never quite warmed up
-forgot to do the warm-up exercises after the treadmill and before the full-range motion (ie squats w/out weight)
-used a smith machine because I'm not ready for the free 45 lb olympic barbell yet
-20 lbs was way too easy, changed up to 40 lbs immediately - got through 10 reps
-lowered to 35 lbs got through 3 reps, lowered to 30, got through another 5 reps.
-did well doing push-ups on the seated row bench
-did well doing the seated row
-need to do step ups more slowly and methoidcally - I have knee problems and tend not to engage the proper muscles if I go too quickly
-Utter. Complete. FAIL on the prone jackknifes. I'm going to have to build up some better confidence to attack those again.
Still, I'll be there on Tuesday for Day 2.
Sounds exactly like how day 1 should go (except for forgetting a sweater ... that stinks). The program is really designed to allow you to be figuring things out as you go, such as how much weight to use, how to properly engage muscles and execute with good form, etc. With a sweater and some warm-up sets, you'll be doing even better on day 2!0
