Stage 5 Questions
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Wow, am i the only one on stage 5 here?!?
5B is ok, I cut down the 120 sec breaks. Adding weight to the things I haven't before, like partial squats and back extension (on swiss ball).0 -
Wow, am i the only one on stage 5 here?!?
5B is ok, I cut down the 120 sec breaks. Adding weight to the things I haven't before, like partial squats and back extension (on swiss ball).
No, I'm here too Jen! I should have done 5A again this evening, but I'm just too tired, so will get back with it tomorrow.
Congrats on your development - sounds like you are doing really well. We share the bench press issue, and interestingly, we are at about the same weight. 3 x 120 planks is amazing - well done! I'm doing better with the single dumbell overhead squat thing, although I couldn't say what made the difference for me - it just happened! And yes, those 120 second breaks seem ridiculously long!
OK, will report back after tomorrow's effort. Glad you are here!0 -
Halfway thru stage 5 now, and realised I have totally customised the 5B ab section! It just seemed a bit futile doing only 4 crunches or inclines etc then waiting 2 mins... so instead, I do 3 big sets of:
15 prone jacknives
10 reverse incline crunches
10 each swiss ball side and front crunches
120 sec prone cobra
and i only stop when i have to and not for 2 mins!
That's the only way i can get it done in 1 hour before the HIIT. The rest of the moves i do 4 sets as per the book, no messing.
Really looking forward to stage 6, looks interesting, but longer with 10 workouts. Is everyone else doing it?
Edit to add I see the stage 6 workouts are pretty short time-wise too, which is nice, can add some HIIT.0 -
Sorry Jen, it's only me again!
I've had a cold this week and have been feeling a bit under par altogether, so I didn't do the full workout yesterday, just the big moves. Still hard though.
Yes, I'm going to do Stage 6: Why not, I reckon? I'm not working to any deadline, and I am interested in building strength not just weight loss. But do you think there will be anyone else there??!!0 -
I reckon it'll be just us Maggie! And i think you'll get there first as i'm only lifting approx every 3 days. How many more stage 5s do you have? I have 4 to go. might do one tonight after work if I can relocate my weights in front of the tv for the match!0
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I reckon it'll be just us Maggie! And i think you'll get there first as i'm only lifting approx every 3 days. How many more stage 5s do you have? I have 4 to go. might do one tonight after work if I can relocate my weights in front of the tv for the match!
I've got 4 to go too. However, I felt like I benefited so much from my recent 10 days off, that I may have a short break; not a whole week, but maybe 4 or 5 days.
Do you have British channels, or will you have Arabic commentary?0 -
Do you have British channels, or will you have Arabic commentary?
We have Al Jazeera Sport, which is a big sport network in this part of the world, so luckily English commentary. Hope they'll be showing the olympics and Wimbledon too! Shame they don't show F1, I have to watch that in Arabic...
Enjoy your rest, you'll catch up with me soon enough
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Is there anybody else in the whole wide world doing Stage 5 apart from Jen and myself? It's beginning to feel oh-so-lonely in here
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I'm hearing an echo..... :indifferent:
2 workouts left for me, 1st one tomorrow. Are you nearly there Maggie?0 -
I've got 3 to go. Should've done one this evening but got home a bit late, so will do it tomorrow. Then Monday and Wednesday, I think.
And then you're away - Eeek! I'll be talking to myself!0 -
Correction: It's the last A now, the last B on Monday. Going to give it my biggest effort!0
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ooh we're on the same sched! I just did the last A and planning B on Monday.
I'm not going away till Aug, but i wanted to get 7 done before then.
I managed to up all my weights today, not as high as you i'm sure, but one arm dumbell snatch 13kg was a struggle and i nearly launched it! Managed 2 sets 10kg db bench presses, but then had to revert to 9kg.
Bought some 15kg plates the other day so i can deadlift from a good height and not use every tiny plate i have to make up the numbers!0 -
Hey, that's a coincidence! No, you are lifting more than me on some things. I felt like I'd actually lost some strength today; I've had a bad cold recently, and I wonder if that has sapped my energy a little. I managed 12.2kg on the DB snatch (excuse these decimals - I have to add on the weight of the bar I screw the weights onto), which was the same as before but really difficult - I almost couldn't get the thing above my head. I used 14.7kg for the DB single leg Romanian DL, my bb bent over row was 36kg, the DB single arm overhead squat was 7.2kg and 13.2 (not an exact double, I know, but the best i could do), bench press stuck at 9.7kg which feels really easy now but had no spotter and my wrists can't get the weights in position otherwise!
Managed 2 planks at 120 secs, and a third at 90. Not finding those parts of the programme very convincing actually - bring on stronglifts! On that subject, I tried to register with the stronglifts website yesterday, but they are supposed to send you an email for you to click on a link but I didn't get the email. May go and look at starting strength instead. Part of me wants to do another DVD where someone tells me what to do though!
Good idea about the 15kg plates. I've just had a look at stage 6 and am wondering how I'm going to do the underhand-grip lat pulldown; the book only has pullovers as the at home alternative, so I s'pose that's what I'll do.
OK, let's reconvene on Monday evening!0 -
Even 9kg db bench presses were a struggle!
Did you notice in the book for the one leg romanian thing it says 'light dumbells'? I just spotted that today after i got it up to 13kg each side!
For the lat pulls i've been doing assisted chin ups on my doorway-mounted bar- VERY assisted! Feet on floor, so hard to measure.
Monday night and we're done :drinker:0 -
Yeah, I started light with the Romanian thingies, but didn't feel like they were doing anything so increased to the point where I could feel it.
I'll try the assisted chin ups - thanks for that.
Can't wait for Monday night!0 -
i'm just getting ready to start here tomorrow and it looks like everyone will be done!
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i'm just getting ready to start here tomorrow and it looks like everyone will be done!
Oh, don't worry - I'll pop back in to keep you company if you like - don't think there will be anyone in Stage 6 so I'll be glad of someone to talk to!0 -
Done with Stage 5 - phew! Here's my progress (or lack of):
BB Romanian DL / Bent over row: From 33.5kg to 37kg
Partial single-leg squat: From 13.7kg DBs to 16.2kg
Rows (sub for lat pulldown): From 13.7kg DBs to 16.2kg
Back extension: Just on swiss ball, but did 12 each set
YTWL: Started at 3kg, went up to 5kg, then back down to 3kg (form at 5kg was useless, and don't have 4kg weights, LOL)
Skipped the rest - I honestly didn't feel they were doing anything, and I'm getting the same sort of stuff from workout videos. But I confess I just hate the prone cobra so much I think I would rather stick pins in my eyes than do more of those 2-minute jobs! OK, slight exaggeration, perhaps, but you get my drift.
Anyway, bring on stage 6!0 -
Great numbers Maggie!
Here are my highlights:
DL/row 32 to 26kg
Back extension up to 8kg db
YTWL 3kg up to 4kg, crap form.
Kept the partial squats to 8-9kg, the rest of it wasn't really weight-y. lat pull down was an assisted pull up, feet on floor.
Stage 7 looks really good, lots of squats and DLs, I missed the big moves. Wish i could do stage 6 first, but i'll come back to it!0 -
Just started stage 5 last night. I am not a fan of the 4 reps! I don't feel like I'm lifting to failure for most of the moves at all, but I don't think I could go heavier based on the balance required for some of the moves, or the lifing over the head. Like the bench press -- I just can't seem to get beyond the 20 lb dumbbells because I have trouble getting them up the first time. The one armed snatch, which I really like . . . . did 30 lbs. the first set, and then couldn't do it on my left side the second time and had to go back to 25 lbs. I'm not resting 120 seconds because that seems like way too long, and I don't think waiting longer (than 60-90 sec) would make a difference in how much I can lift. Any suggestions or modifications that anyone has used?0
