Stage 5 Questions
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I finished Stage 5 last Friday, but forgot my log sheet at home and not sure if I can remember where I started/ended on everything. I just know I wasn't able to go up much, only about 5 lbs on each exercise.
On to Stage 6 today.0 -
Good luck, Jennie! Maybe I'll see you there...
Finally managed to drag myself to the gym for my S5 A3 workout today. Only good thing about it is that there's only one more BWM left! Actually, that's not really true. I did go up on the rows, split-arm squats (or whatever they're called), bench presses, and wood chop. I really don't think I'll ever be able to go beyond 30 lb dumbbells for the Cuban snatch--my left arm just can't handle any more than that. After 1 rep I'm in danger of braining myself with the weight. Oh well...
I'm getting pretty fast on the BWM. Hate that sucker though!
I'm going to try my bestest to get three workouts in this week and finish S5 next Monday.0 -
Hey, thought I'd pop in to say hello! I just did stage 5 workout A and want to keep tabs on what others are saying about Stage 5.
Oh, and everyone deserves a high five for making it this far!0 -
WO B3 down...just two more to go. I'm feeling pretty good at this point! But nervous about S6...0
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I've got two S6 workouts under my belt and they were great. Honestly the negative chin ups give me the most apprehension, but they weren't that bad. Now that I know I can do them, I just have to work on getting up to 20 seconds on the let down.0
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Just remembered how much I hate the YLWT exercise - did B1 yesterday and ouch!
Funnily enough I really enjoy the body weight matrix!0 -
Jennie, Did you just count in your head doing the negative chin-ups?
Febgirl, I hate that YWTL too. And I hate the BWM, lol. Happy that I just finished my last one today!!
One more S5 workout on Monday, then taking the rest of the week off and will start S6 after Labor Day.0 -
The first workout, I didn't time them at all because I was just so happy that I could actually do it! My next workout, I'll probably just count in my head. I don't have a stop watch except for on my phone and that's just too much work.0
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Only two more workouts left and on to stage 6! I'm excited to get to something new and I have to say pretty challenging looking. My desire to finish this program has really been wavering lately so i'm hoping the change will help push me through to the end!0
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I can't wait for stage 6 either Ellie, something new!0
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Finished!! Spectacularly sucktastic final Stage 5 workout today. I'd planned to up all my weights but instead could barely lift the ones I lifted last time. Weird. Cut down to 3 sets on everything and skipped the YTWL! And tweaked my shoulder. Sigh. I'm hoping it's just some PMS weirdness or maybe the result of eating crap at the Dutchess County Fair yesterday (pierogies and milkshakes do not muscle-food make, I guess!!). Anyway, I'm taking a rest week from lifting until next Monday when I'll start stage 6.... See you there!0
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Hi ladies. I just finished stage 4 (lifting yesterday, intervals today), but since I'm walking a marathon on Sept. 9, I'm taking less than a full rest week between stages, and I'm planning to start stage 5 on Friday.
I am so NOT looking forward to the return of the BWM, although I do hope to make improvement on it. My fastest in stage 3 was still over 5 minutes.
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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.
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)!
My gym is the same, but the cable/pull-up stations are over to one side. If my lat pulls aren't anywhere near my body weight by the end of stage 5 though (which I'm guessing they won't be - I'm @ 105 lb. now on them, but I weigh over 180), I may just do the negatives on the assisted pull-up station instead, but with as little assistance as possible.0 -
Hello All, I'm done with Stage 4, taking a bit of time off before starting Stage 5 though, I'll probably start it either the back end of this week or beginning of next. I usually workout at home but did stage 3 in a gym, liked it a lot more than 2/4. Debating whether to join a gym now or carry on with it at home.0
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Workout A1 is in the books. LOVED IT!!! Even the 1-arm overhead squats. I stayed with the same weights I used in stage 3 for them, but I thought my form was a lot better (I think b/c I tried keeping my feet a little further apart & pointed outward more than for a regular squat). Loved the snatches, 1-leg DL's, barbell rows, bench presses, too. I don't think I'll ever love planks, but I didn't completely hate them today, so that was progress. And I'm just "meh" about reverse woodchops. I like waist-height ones better. Or swiss ball side-crunches.
It's all a blurry memory by the time I do the BWM's though. At which point I'm still gasping for air and wondering if I could actually die before I'm done (only half-joking!). But my times were a lot better than stage 3 though. In stage 3, my slowest was 9 minutes, and my fastest was 5:30. Today, they were 5:37, and 4:50! I could hardly believe it! And my legs only felt like Jell-O for a few minutes afterwards (not hours like when I started stage 3). So *something* is working, I guess.
Am I the only one here in stage 5 now?0 -
Just finished Stage 4 today. Looking forward to stage 5, but taking a short rest first. I'll be starting next Monday. I did take a quick look at it though...4 reps?! Wow! How did you decide where to start? And how long do the stage 5 workouts take? As long as Stage 4?0
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Lori - congrats on finishing stage 4! I started with where I ended stage 2 (or stage 3 if the move was there too), and went up if I could. I think with only 4 reps, I went up on most things, but not everything. For me, the stage 5 workouts take just as long as stage 4, mainly b/c the rests are 2 minutes now. So I'm making an effort to push myself with heavier weights, so that I'll *need* that rest.
I did workout B1 yesterday, and here's what I did (compared to where I ended stage 2):
RDL/bent-over row: 90 --> 90 (I'll try 95 for B2)
1-leg partial squat: 25 --> 30 (I'll try 35 or 40 for B2)
WG lat pull-down: 100 --> 105
back extension: 5 lb. OH --> 7.5 lb. OH
YTWL: 20 --> 25 lb. total (and I wasn't thrilled with my form @ 25 lb.)
SB crunch: 10 or 12.5 OH --> 15 lb. OH
Jackknife: Standard shins on ball --> just ankles on ball to start.
Lateral: Stayed with SB side crunch. LOVE these!
Cobra: 120 --> 120 (wider arms, and these are definitely feeling easier).
and then my HIIT today, where I increased by 0.1 mph on all my intervals, so today I did 6.4, 6.9, 7.3, 7.4, and 7.5.
Here's my question on partial squats. I tried some with my free leg behind me, and others with my free leg in front. I think I like it better with my free leg behind me, but do you think it makes much difference? I could also try these on the step-up platform & let my free leg dangle by the side, but I don't know which variation is "best"?0 -
Starting Stage 5 today. I was going to take a break first, but I'm feeling good and ready to get on with it. I'll be traveling in a couple of weeks, so I'll have about a week off then.
Looking forward to changing it up, though I'm not looking forward to the evil BWM. :noway: I'm also looking for new ab exercises. I'm ready to change it up and find something a bit more challenging. Any suggestions?0 -
Karen - I started stage 5 on Tuesday. I will do the first B workout tonight. I like doing the partial squats from a high step. I use a chest (doing this at home) that is about two feet high. My free leg hangs pretty much straight down the side of the chest.
Lori - I plan on moving on to the NROL4abs book next. My abs are my problem spot and I hope that will help fix that problem!
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Started S5 last night...
I was able to increase weights on most exercises. The BWM was a killer --- 2:05 then 1:53.... definitely pushed myself too hard on the 2nd one. I felt extremely fatigued after that.... had a hard time sleeping... oh... and my shoulder is letting me know that it didn't appreciate the extra push.
Stretch & Tone tonight.... rest on Wednesday (hopefully a massage).... then on to B1 on Thu.
Where is everyone????0 -
I'm still here, but I was on a mini-break because I walked the Boston Marathon on Sunday. So I'm off my usual schedule of lifting 3x/week. I'm planning to get back into the weightroom tomorrow after 2 recovery days. I probably could have done a light cardio workout this morning, but I opted not to. Stage 5 has definitely been lonely though...0
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Still lonely over here. I did B2 on Wednesday and A3 today. I was surprised that I'm learning to like the 1-arm overhead squats. I went up on those today to 12.5/25 lb., and even more surprised that I'm kind of hating reverse woodchops more than anything else. In A2, I switched them for swiss-ball side crunches, which I love, love, love, but I went back to the woodchops today and had a hard time with them. I had done all 3 sets in A1 @ 35 lb., but today, I did my 3 sets at 25, 30, and 35 lb. each.
I was psyched I finally did a BWM under 4 minutes though. Just barely, but I'll still take it. And I was psyched to do some of my bench presses @ 70 lb. :happy:0 -
I will do A3 tomorrow morning. The A's are definitely my favorite on stage 5 (except for the BWM, which I hate). I was able to really increase my weights on the A's this last time. I have started reading NROL4abs and am really wishing I hadn't started reading it until after completing NROL4W. It makes me want to skip ahead, but I'm the kind of gal that wants to finish what I start....so it will have to wait. :ohwell:0
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Heather - what's the premise of NROLAbs? It can't be all abs all the time, right? But is it just all abs & compound lifts?0
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Karen- The title says it is a "myth-busting fitness plan for men & women who want a strong core and a pain-free back". I am all for that! I think Beeps2011 starting it a few weeks ago, so you might follow her on the daily chat thread to see how she likes it so far. I've peeked ahead in the book and see some familiar lifts and a few new ones that I am anxious to try. It says it includes "dynamic warm-ups, core training to build balanced stability, endurance, & strength in your abs, lower back, and hips, strength training, and metabolic work"
So far in the book I have noticed that he mentions refining his approach since he wrote the other NROL books based on better information. That is the part that tempts me the most to switch on over and start NROL4abs.....0 -
I will do A3 tomorrow morning. The A's are definitely my favorite on stage 5 (except for the BWM, which I hate). I was able to really increase my weights on the A's this last time. I have started reading NROL4abs and am really wishing I hadn't started reading it until after completing NROL4W. It makes me want to skip ahead, but I'm the kind of gal that wants to finish what I start....so it will have to wait. :ohwell:
Completely understand where you are coming from. My main problem area is my big fat belly... with all the talk about NROL4abs on the Daily Thread, I'm very tempted to jump ship.... but I'm so close to finishing this program.... I might skip Stage 6 since it's optional :bigsmile:0 -
Still lonely over here. I did B2 on Wednesday and A3 today. I was surprised that I'm learning to like the 1-arm overhead squats. I went up on those today to 12.5/25 lb., and even more surprised that I'm kind of hating reverse woodchops more than anything else. In A2, I switched them for swiss-ball side crunches, which I love, love, love, but I went back to the woodchops today and had a hard time with them. I had done all 3 sets in A1 @ 35 lb., but today, I did my 3 sets at 25, 30, and 35 lb. each.
I was psyched I finally did a BWM under 4 minutes though. Just barely, but I'll still take it. And I was psyched to do some of my bench presses @ 70 lb. :happy:
Great progress, Karen...0 -
Yay, finally finished Stage 5 this week! Off on holiday for the next two weeks, then away for work so going to take a bit of a break from NROL4W, will start Stage 6 early October.0
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Just a quick check-in... I've been sick since last Thursday... so zero workouts for me. Also my shoulder is still bothering me, so I may take a hiatus from heavy lifting for a month or two and turn into a cardio princess again. I have a Dr appt early Oct, so I'll ask him about my shoulder then.... hopefully it will loosen up soon.
What to do? What to do?0 -
Heather - sounds exciting. I'm not sure what I'm going to do when I'm done with NROLFW. I might look into Rachel Cosgrove's book, or I might try Stronglifts 5x5. I think I might get bored doing only 5 lifts all the time, but I've developed a love for back squats, and I miss them terribly. I'll be so happy to get back to them when they return in stage 6 or 7.
Febgirl -- congrats on finishing Stage 5! Enjoy your vacation!
CPA -- I'm sorry your shoulder's still hurting you. I hope it feels better before your appt. in October. I pinched something in my left shoulder/deltoid (?) this morning on the reverse woodchops that stopped me in my tracks. I was able to massage it out and just skipped my 2nd set, then my plank, then reduced the weight and did the 3rd set with less weight. It was sore again after, so I'm glad to be done with those for now too.
For me, A4 is in the books. B4 on Saturday or Monday. Final BWM time was 3:41 on my 2nd set this morning, which I'm so proud of because at the beginning of stage 3, my first BWM took 9 minutes. I'd like to eventually be able to do it either under 3 minutes, and/or do it without stopping to catch my breath & give my legs a little break. It's nice to not feel like a useless blob of JELL-O afterwards though.
In Stage 5, I've also developed a little love affair with the 1-arm snatches. I made it up to 35 lb. on those, and they're kind of fun. Plus, I've never seen anyone else @ my gym do them.0
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