Stage 5 Questions
Replies
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Ladies, I have ONE more workout and I am D U N. I bailed on BWM and did HIIT for 20 minutes. Cardio is what I need to lose fat and it was my last BWM so I figured it wouldn't hurt to skip it one time. :bigsmile:
My weights did not progress from the last WOA. A little bummed about that but that just means I didn't wimp out on this stage like previous stages.
I'll take a week break after Friday's workout before I bust stage 7 wide open. LOL I am really dreading the 4 sets of 15 and 30 seconds rest.0 -
Ladies, I have ONE more workout and I am D U N. I bailed on BWM and did HIIT for 20 minutes. Cardio is what I need to lose fat and it was my last BWM so I figured it wouldn't hurt to skip it one time. :bigsmile:
My weights did not progress from the last WOA. A little bummed about that but that just means I didn't wimp out on this stage like previous stages.
I'll take a week break after Friday's workout before I bust stage 7 wide open. LOL I am really dreading the 4 sets of 15 and 30 seconds rest.
4 sets of 15?! Whoa! (I never read ahead b/c then I stress
).
I started Stage 5 today. I was pretty pumped about my strength gains since Stage 3. Plus, I eeked out 4 reps of 30lb dumbbells (60 total) of the incline press and it was the first time where I truly felt I could not do ONE.MORE.REP. It's good to be reminded what that feels like.
The BWM made a wuss out of me today. After my 2nd one, I swear I didn't think I was going to be able to make it to the locker room and then back to my car without passing out. I think I'm a tad under the weather so hopefully I won't feel that way EVERY time.
Oh and I still suck at planking. :grumble: I need someone to waive their magic planking wand over me so I can be a planking rockstar.0 -
Yeah, I don't know about all those reps. I may do the first few with that many reps, but I have a feeling I'll be cutting them in half real quick. I hate doing that many reps!!
Planking just sucks. Period. and I don't know how he can expect us to do them at the end when we've used all our core muscles for all the other work first. I think I could do them better if I did them first.
Mary - I'm with you on the cardio. It's really the only way I lose weight and I'm determined to lose this last 10 lbs. So while I'll continue to lift, I'm definitely going to be adding in more cardio.0 -
OH, in the ABs book ,don't quote me , but I don't think any are held any longer than 60 seconds. I have not read past phase 1.
SOOO, in my workouts in NROL4W, I do not do any longer than 60-75 seconds now. He explains in previous books it doesn't mean he was wrong but new studies prove different things and he would be crazy not to implement new ideas. So, I am taking that with me in NROL4W. If he says no need for longer planks then I am RUNNING with it. LOL0 -
Woo hoo to 60 second planks!!! I hate those 120 second b*tches. And gotta do 'em tomorrow.0
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Hi everyone! Starting stage 5 tomorrow after taking a few days off. I'm really excited to tackle this stage! Stage three nearly broke my NROL4W spirit and I'm determined to put a better show in this time around.
Ugh, the planks. I have to admit I've almost just stopped doing them as well as the cobras. I get plenty of core work with yoga and other exercise so I figure with all of the other ab work in the program I'm covered. I usually only get through one full one each workout.0 -
I'm all for 60 second planks!
ellie - I have quit doing the prone cobra, for quite a while now, and I only do a couple planks occasionally.
Workout A3 done today. I was not able to go up in weights at all again. Don't know if it was because I was up half the night with a puking kid, or because I've been doing afternoon workouts this whole stage and today I had to do it this morning because I won't have time this afternoon. I also did something to my quad. It didin't hurt at all while I was doing the one arm snatch, but when I went back to it after my rest, it was hurting. Really have no idea what I could have done to it - I wasn't off form or anything.0 -
Alright, workout A done! I really improved by time on the BWM over stage 3, something must be working with all of this.....
So tonight I decided to just go all out and marched myself right up in front of the mirrors and the free weights and did my entire workout right there in the middle of the boys. I have say, my shoulders are looking good! I never usually work out close enough to the mirror to see my muscles move while I work out, particularly when it comes to moves that use DBs. I usually just take what I need and park myself in a spot in the back and return it when I'm done. I'm feeling quite accomplished this evening.
Jennie, hope your quad feels better!0 -
Way to go Ellie!! Show those boys how it's done.0
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Jennie, I hope that quad's feeling better.
Ellie, welcome to stage 5. I've only done the first two workouts, but I was happy to see strength improvements on almost everything (except the stupid YTWL--that still kills me). I've stopped doing prone cobras, too. And I cut down to 60 planks yesterday--still hated every darn second. I modified the rest of the ab work, too, to 3 sets of 10 reps each of incline crunches, Swiss ball crunches with a 15 lb. medicine ball held in front of me, windshield wipers, and back extension with a 10 lb. plate held out in front of me. For once I felt like I got a pretty good ab workout.
Oh yeah, I also don't do the intervals because I'm doing C210K on at least two of my "rest" days.
I only lifted 2x this week--hope I can get to the gym 3x next week and finish up this stage the following week. I'm looking forward to those short S6 workouts (though I'm scared I won't be able to do pull ups, ever).0 -
I've been skipping the intervals if I have other cardio near the workout as well. I'm looking forward to giving workout B a go tomorrow! I'm going to head to the gym in the middle of the day and its usually a ghost town on Saturdays so I should be able to take all the space and time I need. All of the sudden I'm feeling excited about this again!
So I'm curious, how many of you are planning to do stage 6? It seems to be a pretty even mix, but after reading through the stage 6 thread on here it sounded like it may be worth it. And maybe a nice "break" from all these little moves and more complex combinations before moving on to the last stage.0 -
stage 5 DONE! I really pushed myself but I didn't get to increase weights. Must be as strong as I can get right now.0
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Way to go Mary!!! that's a hard stage to increase weight on.0
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Ellie, I'm planning to do Stage 6. I guess I just want to do the program as designed--and though I have serious doubts I'll be able to do pull ups or chin-ups, I'd love to get there.
Mary, congrats on finishing S5! Amazing! I think it's hard to raise weights on this stage, too. I was happy when I went up in weight from S3 for the first S5 workout, but today on my 2nd A workout I couldn't raise weights on anything (well, only for one set, then had to drop back down). I really wish dumbbells came in 1 or 2 lb. increments--jumping up 5 lbs is too much for me right now. I almost dropped a dumbbell on my head when doing incline bench press! I'd need a spotter to go any heavier on that one...
Sam, great new picture! You look fantastic.0 -
I'm going to skip Stage 6. My goals are fat loss at this point (bikini for 7 days in 2 months). When I circle back around and do the program again, my goals (hopefully) will be different and I will do Stage 6. I need to get over there and read the thread anyways. I still would be pretty apprehensive about doing the negative pull ups at my gym. Where I'd be doing them is the epicenter of the gym! I'd have to claw my way in (which is fine) but I sure would have to swallow the ol pride to do something I know I'm weak at...0
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thanks dandelion.
JNH the negatives aren't that bad. You just get up and slowly let yourself down, trying to stay as still as possible. Most people are impressed that your even on the apparatus. I love being stronger. Comes in handy when I have to pick up the kids, carry groceries, or move furniture.0 -
Ellie - great job just getting in there and getting your workout done!
So the baby is finally feeling better, but I wasn't feeling well on Saturday (along with hubby and my 9 yo) so I missed my workout. Thankfully it only lasted one day for us and not 4 like it did for the baby.
Thanks everyone - my quad is feeling better, but now I've done something to my shoulder. It hurts to even lift it up away from my body, so don't know how my workout will go tomorrow. I should finish S5 this week and can start S6 next week. Hoping I won't need to postpone it with how my shoulder feels right now.0 -
Decided to get my workout in today because Saturday may be sketchy with my 9 yo in a soccer tournament this weekend. I was able to up most of my weights.
deadlift/row - 45 lb dumbbells
single leg squat - 30 lbs
lat pulldown - 115 lbs (nautilus machine)
back extension - skipped this one, don't have the proper equipment
YTWL - 12.5 lbs (same as last time) didn't go too bad considering my shoulder.
Incline reverse - did 10 reps each set
skipped all the other ab stuff0 -
thanks dandelion.
JNH the negatives aren't that bad. You just get up and slowly let yourself down, trying to stay as still as possible. Most people are impressed that your even on the apparatus. I love being stronger. Comes in handy when I have to pick up the kids, carry groceries, or move furniture.
It's getting in the up position that worries me. The grips in my gym are WAY high in the air (in between the cables)!0 -
Did my second A workout last night and seem to have suffered some type of over use injury on my inner thigh muscles. I don't know what happened. I went down in my first squat to do the one arm dumbbell snatch and it was instant pain. I was able to gingerly make it through the rest of the workout but I had to skip the BWM. Both of my legs were just burning when I got home and they are still very sore this morning. I had a similar type muscle pain in stage 4 in my quad. Seemed that resting it was the only solution, but has anyone else had this happen? I would like to know what it is so I don't keep repeating this. I don't feel like I've been over training. I did my workout B on Saturday, went for a jog on sunday and yesterday was a rest day.0
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ellie - are you doing any warmups with lighter weights before you get to the actual weight you're working with?0
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I had been using the elliptical as a "full body" type warm up as that was what I has seen a lot of people doing, but I was thinking that not being warmed up enough may be part of the problem. In reality, though, I was only squatting with a 20 lb db so I would have considered that light for the squat part at least! Could be a lingering problem for not getting properly warmed up and cooled down for awhile, though. I will try a better warm up next time and hopefully this won't keep me out of commission for too long.0
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Hmmmm Ellie, that's too bad. Warming up more might help, or really controlling your motion. I've had inner-thigh tightness during squats and I just watch my position and make sure I'm not torquing out to one side--that seems to help. Hope you feel better quickly!
I'm really enjoying the B workout this go-round. I think it's all the ab work. I love the incline crunches (now that I've finally gotten up the courage to climb up on the bench and do them right in the middle of the weight area!). And I like being sore the next day, like today.
Total rest day for me today, yay!0 -
Finished workout A4 yesterday. Here are my results
Snatch - 25 < 40
single leg DL - 25 < 40
db Bent over row - 40 < 40
one arm squat - 15/25 < 20/45
db incline press - 25 < 30
plank - I could only get 90 to start, then just started doing 60 and then just started skipping them
wood chop - 20 lbs on floor, never increased and started skipping these also
BWM - same as Stage 3 - just over 2 minutes and had to skip them most of the time because I only have an hour at lunch and didn't have time to do them.
I like workout A much better. I really dislike all the ab stuff.
ellie - I do a 5 minute warm up on the elliptical, but still do warm ups with lighter weights before I start going heavy. And 20 lbs might not seem heavy, but if it's heavy for you, then it would be considered heavy.0 -
Hey Jen! You will be finished in now time!
I almost bailed on my ab workout last time but I didn't. Figured the exercises are in there for a reason.0 -
I only had to skip them most days because I didn't have the time. I was doing 4 sets of everything. Maybe if I'd only done 3 sets, I would have had time to get them in. The gym at work has heavier dumbbells than I have at home, but that only gives me an hour the get it all in over my lunch break.0
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I opted for more sleep this morning instead of my 3rd A workout. So...won't be done with this stage for another week and a half. Oh well, no hurry to do the BWM again!0
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Hi,
Thought I would jump in here - I started Stage 5 last weekend. I'm finding it really hard to get motivated, all the repeat of exercises is starting to get a bit repetitive. In saying that, I've had fantastic results so far, and bought my first pair of (shortish) shorts today - my thighs have always been my problem area but they're not looking too bad now thanks to NROLFW I've got a beach holiday booked in a months time so that will be my motivation to get through Stage 5!
I think I'm going to just do 3 sets of each, not 4. Back to the gym tomorrow.0 -
Hi Febgirl, and welcome! I'm feeling rather unmotivated, too. I don't know if it's the repeat exercises or if I'm tired of lifting/working out in general, or just needed a break, but I skipped all my workouts at the end of last week. I *must* go to the gym tomorrow morning, but right now I don't feel like doing anything!! Weird...
Anyway, I"ll check in tomorrow. Hopefully to say I killed my S5 WOA3....0 -
Hi,
Thought I would jump in here - I started Stage 5 last weekend. I'm finding it really hard to get motivated, all the repeat of exercises is starting to get a bit repetitive. In saying that, I've had fantastic results so far, and bought my first pair of (shortish) shorts today - my thighs have always been my problem area but they're not looking too bad now thanks to NROLFW I've got a beach holiday booked in a months time so that will be my motivation to get through Stage 5!
I think I'm going to just do 3 sets of each, not 4. Back to the gym tomorrow.
4 sets is definately rough!0
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