Stage 1
Replies
-
I completed B1 today and did a much better job at choosing my starting weight than I did with workout A. I completed all the reps but the last few were a struggle. The only thing I found particularly easy were the Swiss ball crunches. So my question for B2 is, do I increase the reps or add a weight?
Overall, the workout was a challenge and it felt good completing it, but I can already tell that I'll be cursing it tomorrow. :-)0 -
Just completed workout 1A. I must have done something wrong because it only took me about 20 minutes. I will up the weights next time because I was barely sweating when I was done.0
-
Done with Stage 1!
Squats 45lbs -> 110lbs
Rows 40lbs -> 115lbs
pushups 30 degrees -> floor
step up 10lbs -> 30lbs
deadlifft 45lbs -> 105lbs
press 10lbs -> 15lbs (15s got easy, but I could not get the 20s up on my shoulder)
lat pull 20lbs -> 60lbs
lunge 10lbs -> 60lbs (barbell)
crunch BW -> 10# ball over head
All in all, I am satisfied with everything except the shoulder press. I did not progress as much as I would have liked. And the ab work was lacking for me, I ended up doing extra crunches at the end of most workouts.
Measurements to follow before I start Stage 2 next Tuesday.0 -
I completed B1 today and did a much better job at choosing my starting weight than I did with workout A. I completed all the reps but the last few were a struggle. The only thing I found particularly easy were the Swiss ball crunches. So my question for B2 is, do I increase the reps or add a weight?
From what I've seen other places, add a weight. Hold it on your chest and if thats to easy hold a dumbell above your head0 -
Peeew. I just did 3A...
What's the best way to ramp up the jacknife? I have my lower legs mostly straight at this point and butt in the sky, so I think shortly I'll require a more advanced one to make them hard enough. Right now, getting those legs straight at the top of the pike is enough.. but it wont be in a minute.
I'm sorry for asking questions every day. I really like Stage One. I hope the other stages are as delicious. I'm going to have to peek ahead just to confirm it will be the best ever
squats 55
rows 85
step ups 50
push ups - counter height.
Also, these push ups were rough. I suck at them, really bad. Man, I FEEL GOOD THOUGH. NROL! NROL. *chants, squats, cheers*
Hi Funbun someone posted this link on one of the other pages that might help challenge you with your jack knives.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a6q7k_D6DGQ&list=PL4CE51ED9E54AA7C3&index=2&feature=plpp_video 0 -
realrayne - great job finishing Stage 1! Your numbers are awesome! I'm ALMOST halfway through Stage 1 and I have a feeling I won't be able to add much weight for the shoulder presses either... I've started at 10, and even for the decrease in reps for my 3B workout tomorrow I don't know that I'll be able to add any weight. I tried doing 15 lbs and I think I got through about 2 reps!
nickm - thanks for that video! I was doing the pike jackknives and not really finding them to be enough of a challenge and I think the way he does them in that video (with the ball starting closer to his knees) will be a good way to add some challenge.
My 3A numbers:
Squat: 70 lbs
Push ups: T push-ups with BW. I don't find the actual 'push-up' part to be super hard with these, but rather maintaing my balance while I turn onto one hand. I've fallen over a couple times! So I have to do them really slow which is quite hard haha.
DB Rows: 18.5 lb DBs
Step-ups: 28.5 lb DBs. I really need to find a higher step at home for these, but I'm so short that almost everything is TOO high! lol
Pike jackknives: 10
I think that after I'm done with 4A and 4B I will start doing my workouts at the gym instead of at home. Since I'm starting to up my weights I need more options & supervision! Haha. I'm looking foward to my B workout tomorrow - for some unknown reason I just prefer the B workouts. Hope you all are well!0 -
Haven't made an update all week...
Finished A3 (M) and B3 (W) ... planning on A4 tomorrow and B4 on Sunday.
Push-ups with elbows in are killing me... I'm still on the bench.... maybe I'll try a set on the floor (or part of a set) tomorrow.
Prone JK are challenging so I've been adding two reps per workout... so I'm at 12 instead 10...
Lat pulldowns are up to 60, but very difficult by the 7th rep... so I'll probably keep 60 for the next workout (esp since the next wgt is 70-yikes!)
Ball crunch - 20 reps w/ 15lb db overhead
Everything else is going well... steadily increasing weight!0 -
Hey all,
I just started Stage 1 - 1A today. I have definitely chosen not enough weight. So will start with more on 1B straight away.
However, I can see running into trouble as the gym I go to (a hotel one) doesn't have an olympic bar and dumbells just up to 25kg each.
Guess I will have to start looking around for a nice gym with a good free weight section.0 -
Officially finished stage 1!
Squats: body weight and 5lb dbs>>> 45lb bar
Push ups: on the door frame >>> on my 3rd step of stairs
Bent row: 8lb dbs>>> 17.5lb dbs or cable row 37.5 lbs
Step ups: 2 risers and 8lb dbs>>> 4 risers 15lb dbs
Prone jackknife: kept rolling off the ball>>> no problems
Deadlifts: 10lb standard bar (switched to RDLs in w/o 4) >>> RDLs 85lbs
Shoulder press: 5lb dbs >>>15lb dbs
Pullover: 10lb standard bar >>> lat pull down 62.5
Lunges: body weight >>> 15lb dbs
Swiss ball crunches: body weight >>> 15lb db0 -
Jessica, I finished stage 1 Wednesday. Are you doing the AMRAP? I think tomorrow I will do 2 sets of A & B exercises along with using my starting weights as warm ups (just to feel the difference) :happy:
Our numbers look pretty similar.0 -
Jessica, I finished stage 1 Wednesday. Are you doing the AMRAP? I think tomorrow I will do 2 sets of A & B exercises along with using my starting weights as warm ups (just to feel the difference) :happy:
Our numbers look pretty similar.
I don't think I'm going to do the AMRAP. I am supposed to take next week off, but I don't know... I only lifted twice this week, and I think it has really helped the fatigue. I'm going to stay with 2 lift days a week for a while. Hopefully, I'll be able to go back to 3 soon.0 -
Jessica/Manic --- great job and congratulations on finishing up Stage 1.0
-
Finished 5A and finally used the Olympic bar for the squats! So glad I took the time to work up to that and practice my form. It was not too bad actually and next time I'll add a bit of weight... probably 5 lbs on each end
I could really feel it in the top of my quads, on the outside. Will be stretching those out a lot today.0 -
So I did 5A today. When I was getting the weights ready for my squats I accidentally looked at my B workout log (at the deadlifts, 105 lbs) instead of my A workout log (squats, 75 lbs) and I squatted 105 lbs 3x10 today! I figured it out after I was done with all three sets.... I was wondering why it felt SO incredibly difficult!0
-
Great job to those who finished!
I did workout 3B today
Barbell dead lift 65lbs (need to get more plates!)
shoulder press 15lbs
have to modify on the bench with a pullover for the lat and did 10lb barbells in each hand
lunges 12lb barbells
abs- added a 20lb weight to my chest. I'm going to try overhead next time.0 -
Completed A2 today. Did a much better job at getting to the right weight? It was much more challenging than the first time. I did forget to alternate the push-ups with the seated rows so I needed up doing both sets of push-ups and then my rows. I kept the weight the same on my squats and concentrated on getting my legs as close to parallel as possible. It was definitely a challenge. Increased weight on everything else.
So I need a good routine of streching afterwards, but I'm kind of at a loss. Any suggestions?0 -
Hey all! I'm new to the group. Started NROL on 4-21. Finished S1W3B yesterday. I love it (so far!). I try to add in a little HIIT or SMALL amount of cardio or walking on days I'm feeling it. But if my body says rest, rest I do. Upped my calorie from 1540 to 1720 when I started. Though the scale sucks and shows a major gain since 4/21/12- I feel great and I'm enjoying the program. So I'm staying the course and keeping at it.
Tomorrow will be S1W4A and I'm looking forward to the squats baby!!0 -
Hi Ladies,
Well, I was hoping to do one more B workout (instead of AMRAPs I did an extra A, then wanted to do an extra
but I had a cortisone shot in my foot...which put me into a forced rest week. So, guess I won't do that last B, and will just rest, then start Stage 2 as soon as my foot feels better. Hopefully soon! Thought I'd post my results:
A
Squat: 65 lbs. > 110 lbs.
Push-up Step plus three risers > floor
Seated Row: 40 lbs. > 75 lbs.
Step-up: 15 lb. dumbell > 27.5 lbs.
Prone jacknife: More of a pull-in > good form
B
Deadlift: 85 > 115 lbs.
Dumbell shoulder presses: 10 lbs. > 15 lbs. (shoulder injury)
Wide-grip pulldown: 50 lbs. > 70 lbs.
Lunge: 15 lbs. > 27.5 lbs.
Swiss ball: 25 lb. plate on chest > 12 lb. medicine ball over head
During this phase, I lost 2 lbs and several inches. I ate 1550 cals plus exercise cals throughout, and the only cardio I did was a 10 minute elliptical warmup and around 20 minutes on the stationary bike afterward lifting--sometimes Tabatas. Occasionally, I'd throw in a walk, but not often. In Stage 2, I'm hoping to add a little more cardio. See you there!0 -
Hi everyone...
Complete A4 last night.
Tried going to the floor with elbows in... could only complete 6 on the first set and 3 on the 2nd set. Adjusted elbows out for the rest. I'll take it back to the bench for A5.0 -
B4 yesterday... shoulders super sore today. I had to do my shoulder press sets in a row because MuscleMan was hogging the lat machine. I had to find another lat machine for that set... not quite the same, but it had to do.
It was quite comical to watch MuscleMan "lift" the weights he had set... he had to literally lie all the way to get the weights up.0 -
5B today!
So tired... I can tell that this is such a different way to work out than running 5-10k. 30 minutes of this program puts me on my *kitten*!
I'm trying to eat more protein but I still haven't made it up to 120g/day. I do my darnedest to hit 100g. getting closer to 120g is my goal.
Deadlifts... tried 95# but couldn't get the bar off the ground
settled on 75# (with bar of course) and it was good. Next time I'll do 75 for the first set again and then add 5# on each end and see if I can do it.
Lunges still suck.0 -
So, is everyone doing the warmup exercises and sets? I keep forgetting to do them. Does it just help prevent injury or does it actually help you lift more weight?
Also, what is the deal with overhead presses and pushups being so tough? I am progressing fairly well in all the other excercises but I still so weak when it comes to these exercises. I do pushups on the smith bar (second notch from the bottom) and overhead presses with 15 lbs. I can complete half a set with 20's but that's it. I'll be doing 6B tomorrow.0 -
Yeah, pushups are still the hardest thing for me in stage 1! I am still doing them on a 45 degree and don't see that changing anytime soon
Today I tried moving from 10# to 15# for overhead presses but it was too much. I found 12# weights on the shelf and they were just fine. Next time I'll do a set with 12# and then try the 15# again.
As for warmup exercises... not really :ohwell:
I do a few leg stretches before I start the squat or deadlift. I also use the recumbent bike for 5 minutes before I start lifting.0 -
Wow.. I read this thread from the very beginning there are some great links to excel worksheets and video's on proper form.. I found out i was doing the Romanian Deadlift instead of just a deadlift. Will correct that pronto, and that my step up step should be higher.
I have been randomly lifting for a few weeks now following some of the suggested exercises, actually read the book about a month back, but just decided to commit to the program this week, as my cardio is sidelined due to a glute strain that's slowly healing.. I was running (10k training) and Muai Thai Kickboxing 3 days a week.
I just did Stage 1 Workout 1B today, but in fact I read the wrong page and ended up doing stage 2 workout B by accident.. Oh well.
In any case, Im loving it. I'm currently eating at TDEE-15% (and losing weight) so ladies make sure you are fueling your body. I know it seems scary to jump from low call to close to 2000 or more, but our bodies need it!!
If anyone is close to the same starting point as me, feel free to add me.0 -
P.s.
Starting out stage 1:
Squats - 25lb weight behind my neck - haven't tried the smith machine yet.
Seated Row - 75lbs
Push ups - on knees, but full range of motion
Step ups - Was using shin high step at 20lbs dumbells
Prone Jackknife - very wobbly
Deadlift - 65lbs
Dumbell shoulder press - didnt do this one becasue i did 2B instead of 1b by accident
Wide lat pull down - 75lbs
Lunge - 20lbs dumbells
Swiss ball crunches. - body weight.0 -
Hi all,
I completed workout 2b today.
Dead lift - 30 lbs, I'm really concerned about form here and really afraid of hurting my back as I have a weak back to begin with.
Shoulder press - 10 lbs increased from 8
Lat pull downs - 45 lbs up from 30
Lunges - 30 lbs (15 lb dumbells)
Swiss ball crunch - with 10 lb weight (much more of a challenge)
Some one asked about a warmup. I do a warmup but not the one on the book. I do squats, lunges, some lower and upper back stretches and jumping jacks to get my heart pumping.
Ok so for workout 3A the idea is to increase weight, while decreasing reps, right?
And one side note, I was watching a lady do squats on the Smith machine today. Her form was better than mine, so I think I might give it a try. Anyone use it, that has any tips.0 -
I did stage 1 5a yesterday and finally felt like I busted a/ss in a workout (not that the others weren't hard, I just have that kill-myself cardio mentality). It makes a BIG difference adding that 3rd set! I finally got the squat rack at the gym today (it's been occupied FOREVER so had to do the hack squat). I did 95lbs but couldn't see my form very well -- just from the front mirror. I don't think I went down far enough. I think I'm going to reduce to 75 lbs and see if I can get my butt low. I think it's more of a flexiblity thing than a strength thing.0
-
OW.. are my thighs ever hurting from the accidental weighted split squats i did yesterday..0
-
Hi ladies,
I'm kinda new here as well. I just finished B4 last night. I love the program so far, but I don't have access to some of the equipment since I've been doing this at home. It looks like I may have to head into the gym to finish out this stage.
This is what I've done so far, I also have a weak back so I've have started off slow with the squats and deadlifts. I plan to increase all weights when I can for workout 5.
Stage 1: 4A
Squats - 20lb dumbell total > 40lb dumbell
Seated Row - I do inverted row 20 lb dumbell > 40 dumbell
Push ups - 45 degrees > 30 degrees
Step ups - 20lb dumbell (24") > 30lb dumbell (24")
Prone Jackknife - wobbly > getting more stable
Romanin Deadlift - 30lb curl bar > 40lb dumbell
Dumbell shoulder press - 20lb dumbell > 30lb dumbell (I can only do 10 with two 15lb dumbell)
Wide lat pull down - I do dumbell pullover 10lb dumbell > 15lb dumbell
Lunge - 20lbs dumbell > 30lb dumbell
Swiss ball crunches. - 10lb dumbell > 20lb dumbell0 -
I'm introducing a co-worker to the program tomorrow. I will teach her 1A while doing my 2A.
I hope she wills tick it out with me, but actually I'm not too confident she will.0
This discussion has been closed.