Stage 1
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Did my last stage 1 B workout today. Feels great to finish this stage and move on to the next one.
Results were
Deadlift 27.5lb to 137.5lbs :noway:
Shoulder press 13lb DB to 26lb DB
Lat pull down 88lb to 110
Lunge 13lb DB to 26lb DB
Crunch BW to 26lb KB over head
Now for tons of cardio for a week, will do measurements before starting stage 2!
BEAST. Man. That's awesome. So impressed! Vast improvements with everything. MAN OH MAN!0 -
8A done! Definitely feel like my muscles are bigger. I went haaaaaaaaard today!0
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OK heres the deets ladies!!
Today: Stage 1B AMRAPS
Deadlift - 65 lbs - 35 reps
dumbbell shoulder press - 10 lbs 3o reps
Wide lat pulldown - 75 lbs - 26 reps
Lunge - 30lbs(2 15's) - 20 reps (1 rep includes both sides)
Swiss crunches with body weight only - 63 reps.
Stage 1 is complete!!
My Final progress for Stage 1
Workout A
Squat - Start: 25lbs - End: 115lbs
Push Up - Start: on knees - End: On weight bench
Seated Row - Start: 75lbs - End: 105 lbs
Step Up - Start: 20 lbs dumbbells(40 lbs) - End: 27.5 lbs dumbbells(55 lbs)
Prone Jacknife - Start: Difficult and wobbly - End: Im a pro.
Workout B
Deadlift -Start: 65lbs - End 115 lbs
Dumbbell shoulder press - Start: 10lbs dumbbells - End: 15 lbs dumbbells
Wide lat Pulldown - Start: 75 lbs - End: 90 lbs
Lunge - Start: 15 lbs dumbbells(30 lbs) End: 20lbs dumbbells (40 lbs)
Swiss crunches - Start: with body weight only - End: With 25lb plate
What did i learn from Stage 1?
I love squats and deadlifts!
On to stage 2!!!!!!!!!!!!
wow, thanks for sharing. You have encouraged me. I just started this program Thursday and the prone jack knife about killed me. I could not stay on the ball to save my life. I hope to be a "pro" soon too!0 -
Ok, I have a question. I upped my weights today for my deadlifts. On each side of the bar I had 20kgs (44lbs) but I don't know how much the actual bar weighs. Any ideas - just approximately?0
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Finished! Will post results when I have them. Not as big an improvement as I've seen some people have, but we're all different. 0
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Ok, I have a question. I upped my weights today for my deadlifts. On each side of the bar I had 20kgs (44lbs) but I don't know how much the actual bar weighs. Any ideas - just approximately?
If it's an olympic bar (the one used in squat racks and bench press) it'll be 45lbs.. or whatever that is in kg Iamastupidamericansorry.0 -
mariepaul, I believe an olympic bar would be 20kgs. That's some major lifting you're doing!
I am doing 4A today and am planning on pushing myself a little more. I think I underestimate what I can do. Been a victim of the "Barbie" weights too long.
My stats from workout 3 last week:
Squats: 45lbs
Seated rows: 80lbs
Push-ups: a few real ones, the rest from the weight bench
Step-ups: 40lbs(20 each hand)
Prone Jackknife: These are getting easy and I'm actually starting to like them.
Deadlift: 85lbs
Dumbell shoulder press: 17.5lbs
Wide Lat Pull Down: 90lbs
Lunges: 40lbs (20 in each hand)
Swiss Ball crunches: 10lb plate
How many of you do cardio on your off days? I wasn't planning on it, but I've found I have more energy now. I'm just worried about how that will affect my calories? Do you eat back your exercise calories when you do cardio?0 -
Right, here are my results!
A
Squats - 17.5lbs to 47lbs (all front/goblet squats)
Pushups - 45 degrees to 40 degrees (I injured myself the first day which meant I couldn't do these for the first three weeks!)
Bent-over Row - 18.75lbs (total) to 54.25lbs (total)
Step-ups - 17.5lbs 12" to 35.25lbs 15"
Prone jackknife - 8 to 15 with improved form
B
Deadlifts - 45lbs to 76lbs
Shoulder press - 22lbs to 33lbs
At home lats - 10lbs to 17lbs
Lunges - BW to 35.25lbs
Sprinter sit-ups - 8 to 15
If the weights look a little funny it's because I've converted from kilos. Doing an extra two workouts so my friend can catch up, don't think I've lost any inches or weight but I think I've put on a little bit of muscle, so here's hoping!0 -
Right, here are my results!
A
Squats - 17.5lbs to 47lbs (all front/goblet squats)
Pushups - 45 degrees to 40 degrees (I injured myself the first day which meant I couldn't do these for the first three weeks!)
Bent-over Row - 18.75lbs (total) to 54.25lbs (total)
Step-ups - 17.5lbs 12" to 35.25lbs 15"
Prone jackknife - 8 to 15 with improved form
B
Deadlifts - 45lbs to 76lbs
Shoulder press - 22lbs to 33lbs
At home lats - 10lbs to 17lbs
Lunges - BW to 35.25lbs
Sprinter sit-ups - 8 to 15
If the weights look a little funny it's because I've converted from kilos. Doing an extra two workouts so my friend can catch up, don't think I've lost any inches or weight but I think I've put on a little bit of muscle, so here's hoping!
Great progress! I hadn't lost any weight with stage 1 either but I will re weigh after my rest week before stage 2, maybe some water weight will go
See you in stage 2!0 -
I've been noticing that most people have higher weights for the deadlifts vs. squats and I'm starting to wonder if I'm doing something wrong. I'm lifting 95 lbs. for squats (including the weight of the bar) but only 65 lbs for deadlifts (including bar weight) and I'm actually not sure how much more I can up that next time, if felt pretty heavy.
How are you all doing your deadlift? You're bending your knees right? I tend to baby my lower back so maybe that's why I haven't progressed as much. Anyway, any advice/info would be helpful thank you!!0 -
I did WO1A yesterday (and half of WO1B) yesterday and I can't freaking walk! Yipee!
I went through the workouts with a trainer as I have a lower back weakness/injury that I would like to not re-injure. She advised that I do hamstring curls instead of the deadlift. At least for right now. Maybe that helps.0 -
I've been noticing that most people have higher weights for the deadlifts vs. squats and I'm starting to wonder if I'm doing something wrong. I'm lifting 95 lbs. for squats (including the weight of the bar) but only 65 lbs for deadlifts (including bar weight) and I'm actually not sure how much more I can up that next time, if felt pretty heavy.
How are you all doing your deadlift? You're bending your knees right? I tend to baby my lower back so maybe that's why I haven't progressed as much. Anyway, any advice/info would be helpful thank you!!
I like to think of it as pulling it up with whole body. Squat (so yes, bend your knees), tighten your hamstrings, gluts, core, shoulders, back. Then pull the bar straight up. I've hurt my back in the past, but I don't have any problems with lower back soreness if I focus on using my legs and shoulders and core to pull the bar up. But I'm only lifting 85lbs right now. Hope that makes some sense.
Finished 4A today. I realized that the seated row machine I've been using isn't quite as hard as the one in the free weights section. So I switched to the "real" one and am still at 80lbs..bleh. Hope to increase that next week.0 -
I've been noticing that most people have higher weights for the deadlifts vs. squats and I'm starting to wonder if I'm doing something wrong. I'm lifting 95 lbs. for squats (including the weight of the bar) but only 65 lbs for deadlifts (including bar weight) and I'm actually not sure how much more I can up that next time, if felt pretty heavy.
How are you all doing your deadlift? You're bending your knees right? I tend to baby my lower back so maybe that's why I haven't progressed as much. Anyway, any advice/info would be helpful thank you!!
Deadlifts always feel hard to me, kind of. Like, "Oh man, bending down.. and PICKING THIS UP", even my warmup sets I'm like, "God, deadlifts are hard", but I just increased until I felt the right kind of fatigue at the end of my sets. I also have a back injury, so I am a babier, too, but I can honestly say I've never though, "oh man, that's an easy *kitten* set of deadlifts", even at 50% of my 1 rep.0 -
I finished 5A yesterday, and man was it hard doing 3 sets! I'm also not moving up in weight the way I'd hoped, but that's mostly because I'm doing the workouts at home without a spotter or squat rack, so I'm limited in my squat weight by the amout of weight I can swing up over my head. And I feel like I've made ZERO progress on push-ups. I'm not sure what I'm doing wrong, but I started out doing them at 45 degrees, and I'm still unable to do more than 2 any closer to the floor than I started. It's a bummer. I was really hoping to be able to do real push-ups on the floor by the end of stage 1.0
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I've been noticing that most people have higher weights for the deadlifts vs. squats and I'm starting to wonder if I'm doing something wrong. I'm lifting 95 lbs. for squats (including the weight of the bar) but only 65 lbs for deadlifts (including bar weight) and I'm actually not sure how much more I can up that next time, if felt pretty heavy.
How are you all doing your deadlift? You're bending your knees right? I tend to baby my lower back so maybe that's why I haven't progressed as much. Anyway, any advice/info would be helpful thank you!!
I like to think of it as pulling it up with whole body. Squat (so yes, bend your knees), tighten your hamstrings, gluts, core, shoulders, back. Then pull the bar straight up. I've hurt my back in the past, but I don't have any problems with lower back soreness if I focus on using my legs and shoulders and core to pull the bar up. But I'm only lifting 85lbs right now. Hope that makes some sense.
Finished 4A today. I realized that the seated row machine I've been using isn't quite as hard as the one in the free weights section. So I switched to the "real" one and am still at 80lbs..bleh. Hope to increase that next week.
That is how I am doing them but I think next time I'm really going to concentrate on tightening everything and see if that helps. I'm going to up my weight a bit and see if I can manage. I think I should invest in some weight lifting gloves because my hands kill after DLs!0 -
loving weightlifting, I completed 2B last night and 3A won't be until thursday as I have soccer training inbetween. I workout at home and have ordered myself some squat stands as I'm reaching my limit of what I can clean on a bar from the floor without the OH being around to help 0
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I've been noticing that most people have higher weights for the deadlifts vs. squats and I'm starting to wonder if I'm doing something wrong. I'm lifting 95 lbs. for squats (including the weight of the bar) but only 65 lbs for deadlifts (including bar weight) and I'm actually not sure how much more I can up that next time, if felt pretty heavy.
How are you all doing your deadlift? You're bending your knees right? I tend to baby my lower back so maybe that's why I haven't progressed as much. Anyway, any advice/info would be helpful thank you!!
Deadlifts always feel hard to me, kind of. Like, "Oh man, bending down.. and PICKING THIS UP", even my warmup sets I'm like, "God, deadlifts are hard", but I just increased until I felt the right kind of fatigue at the end of my sets. I also have a back injury, so I am a babier, too, but I can honestly say I've never though, "oh man, that's an easy *kitten* set of deadlifts", even at 50% of my 1 rep.
I find DLs to be the hardest exercise out of all of them, I like squats a lot better. I feel like I'm not doing them properly even though I met with a trainer and everything to go over form.0 -
I finished 5A yesterday, and man was it hard doing 3 sets! I'm also not moving up in weight the way I'd hoped, but that's mostly because I'm doing the workouts at home without a spotter or squat rack, so I'm limited in my squat weight by the amout of weight I can swing up over my head. And I feel like I've made ZERO progress on push-ups. I'm not sure what I'm doing wrong, but I started out doing them at 45 degrees, and I'm still unable to do more than 2 any closer to the floor than I started. It's a bummer. I was really hoping to be able to do real push-ups on the floor by the end of stage 1.
Aw man, EC, that sucks! I usually like to start out on the floor and then just increase height as needed until I'm done with my sets. I'm not all the way down on the floor for the entire time yet, but I think I would be if my wrists weren't so twitchy.
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I finished 5A yesterday, and man was it hard doing 3 sets! I'm also not moving up in weight the way I'd hoped, but that's mostly because I'm doing the workouts at home without a spotter or squat rack, so I'm limited in my squat weight by the amout of weight I can swing up over my head. And I feel like I've made ZERO progress on push-ups. I'm not sure what I'm doing wrong, but I started out doing them at 45 degrees, and I'm still unable to do more than 2 any closer to the floor than I started. It's a bummer. I was really hoping to be able to do real push-ups on the floor by the end of stage 1.
Aw man, EC, that sucks! I usually like to start out on the floor and then just increase height as needed until I'm done with my sets. I'm not all the way down on the floor for the entire time yet, but I think I would be if my wrists weren't so twitchy.
yeah them pushups are difficult, before I started NROL4W i was doing a programme called 100 pushups, I could do barely 1 and by week 4 I was doing 10-12 full pushups, but stopped it when I started this. I say do as funbun suggested and start out with the full pushup then switch to knees, then use a low bench if you need to finish the set. Just try and push that extra one full pushup everytime you do a set 0 -
For deadlifts - my gym doesn't have a squat machine, so I either use the smith machine or a FreeMotion Lift machine:
https://www.freemotionfitness.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?catalogId=10002&langId=-1&productId=136773&storeId=10001&krypto=BQkyzV9qandc8HFGjdxu2VRJPkx2lNVfhwAVW8pYEn31fbW/eD7cBaDbgSxdGLOY
I find I can lift more with the Lift machine - I can lift 60 pounds on the smith machine and 100 pounds with the Lift machine.
Do you all think its OK to use the Lift machine?
Thanks0 -
yeah them pushups are difficult, before I started NROL4W i was doing a programme called 100 pushups, I could do barely 1 and by week 4 I was doing 10-12 full pushups, but stopped it when I started this. I say do as funbun suggested and start out with the full pushup then switch to knees, then use a low bench if you need to finish the set. Just try and push that extra one full pushup everytime you do a set
Yeah, I started 100 pushups before my back pain increased (way before NROL4W) and I have to agree it was an awesome pushup increasing program! Do you think you could do it with NROL? I was wondering, since I would love to get my pushups up!0 -
yeah them pushups are difficult, before I started NROL4W i was doing a programme called 100 pushups, I could do barely 1 and by week 4 I was doing 10-12 full pushups, but stopped it when I started this. I say do as funbun suggested and start out with the full pushup then switch to knees, then use a low bench if you need to finish the set. Just try and push that extra one full pushup everytime you do a set
Yeah, I started 100 pushups before my back pain increased (way before NROL4W) and I have to agree it was an awesome pushup increasing program! Do you think you could do it with NROL? I was wondering, since I would love to get my pushups up!
I lift Mon, Thurs, and Sat and have soccer training on weds so I do the 100 pushup (i have the app) on tuesday nights, it only takes about 5 mins but its good to try and increase them pushups 0 -
Did 5A yesterday. I am finally able to do the jacknifes I have been just doing reverse crunches until this point. I'm still not sure the form is quite right but I'll continue to work on that now that I can actually do them.0
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Did 5A yesterday. I am finally able to do the jacknifes I have been just doing reverse crunches until this point. I'm still not sure the form is quite right but I'll continue to work on that now that I can actually do them.
heres a vid of a prone jackknife, helps if you have a mirror nearby to check you are looking ok
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x6MVzqlJFJM&feature=related good luck 0 -
I started workout 5 this week and it was definitely a lot harder doing 3 sets! I'm kind of scared to do Week 5 deadlifts today!0
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I added 20 lbs to my deadlift today, clearly I was just being a baby. It was fine, heavy but fine!0
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I added 20 lbs to my deadlift today, clearly I was just being a baby. It was fine, heavy but fine!
Good job! I always feel like a badass doing deadlifts!0 -
I added 20 lbs to my deadlift today, clearly I was just being a baby. It was fine, heavy but fine!
Way to go:) isn't it fun when you discover you're much stronger than you thought?0 -
I added 20 lbs to my deadlift today, clearly I was just being a baby. It was fine, heavy but fine!
Way to go:) isn't it fun when you discover you're much stronger than you thought?
yeah, its as the book says, choose the heaviest weight you think you can lift and add 25% lol0 -
What is everyone's hardest exercise?
Mine are the squats. I'm only doing 50 lbs (I think its 25 lbs plus the bar I use, which I think is 25lbs) because they don't have a squat rack. But the real reason I hate them is I can NOT squat to parallel. If I have no weight and put my arms out (or have dumbells and hold them straight out) I can balance to get all the way down but with weight on my back or even nothing without putting my arms forward I just can't do it. I feel like I have started getting a bit lower but no where near good form.0
