Daily Chat Thread
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I think it is very cool that your personal trainer friend is on the cover of NROL....cool!!
jam....I think a 'break" was definitely in order. I wouldn't give up on the NORL4W, though. Some of "strength training" is working on balance, flexibiliy and such. Not ALL of it is just "pick up something heavy". Don't be intimidated by Stage 3 - lower your weights to a working weight that is good enough for YOU - work on form - and then power up!! This is the SAME advice that I would give someone in Stage 1. This is the SAME advise that I would give someone in Stage 2. Every single time you approach a "new" exercise, just concentrate on your FORM and then start adding the weight.
I slept like shyte last night, too....I've been awake since 4:30 am and today is my HEAVIEST lifting day. So, that pisses me off. But, whatever, I'm going to tackle my work-out like a DEMON and, because it's "A" for "April", I will ALSO apply laser-beam focus to my "Ab"-work and regardless of how tired I am, I'm going to get through the body matrix.
Birdy - congrats on the measurements!! Much better emphasis on your progress, for sure!!0 -
Hmmmmm....maybe I should re-do my food calculations, too. I haven't been seeing my weight drop, and I have presumed that is still hang-over from my holiday. But, I've been back 3 weeks, now, so maybe that isn't true.
I think I'll stay where I am for another week or two (1,800 calories a day) and if the scale doesn't move, I'll bump it up to 2,000 calories. Yum!!0 -
Samantha- Dan as in helloitsdan?
Amyrobynne- sounds like you are off to a great start
Birdy- glad you took measurements, that is a great downward trend. Those are more meaningful to me than the scale number. Stupid scales.
Thank you everyone for your encouraging words. I agree that I should be listening to my body’s hunger signals. But I *thought* I was eating more than I actually was and I just wasn’t believing my hunger signals. Nor did I believe that I would actually have a maintenance that much higher than the book calculations. So I just kept fighting it.
I’m modifying Stage 1 to do the higher sets with less reps, I didn’t want to go back to 2 sets of 15 or 12 reps again. I missed the big lifts and as I ended Stage 2 so badly I felt like I should just go back to what I felt successful with again and enjoyed, at least for a while. I haven’t ruled out completing the program, I just want to get a better handle on the nutrition part first.
I was rummaging through my bookshelf at home and came across a body sculpting book I bought several years ago. It is good for laying out the exercises, periodization, advocating heavy lifting for ladies, etc. But the nutrition section leaves much to be desired. It claims women need only between 1200 to 1500 calories. And this is a book that advocates heavy lifting! I’d be dead following this advice.0 -
Any of my old "books" on lifting are completely out-to-lunch, in my opinion. You can't "tone" a muscle. You can't "lengthen" a muscle. Muscles only work in one direction. They contract. And that is it. Once you realize how SIMPLE bio-mechanics are (and body chemistry!), it all boils down to working the muscle to achieve muscle growth. And that is it.
I'm teling you, I just spent 90 minutes finishing my last "A" work-out in Stage 3 and I am WIPED. Completely wiped! Yes, I focused on ABS. Yes, I completed the body matrix - with 6 good lunge-jumps (each side) and 6 good squat-jumps, rather than the 12 - 24 called for.
And, now I get the pleasure of my performance review at the office.....thank goodness I have a hair appointment booked for right after work - I think I'm going to need the "stress-less" chair!0 -
so I went to a Zumba class tonight as it is my rest week, Stage 2 starts Monday. How is it that I can squat a bit less than my body weight and do lunges with 1/2 of that and doing some body weight lunges and squats in a Zumba routine kills me. Maybe its the bouncing around for 40 minutes before we get to them that wears me out jeez.0
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How is it that I can squat a bit less than my body weight and do lunges with 1/2 of that and doing some body weight lunges and squats in a Zumba routine kills me.
I always wonder that, too! I can run up and down the stairs in my house, so each foot is juggling lifting my body weight, but try lifting twice my weight on the squat machine using both feet, and I can barely lift it at all!0 -
This is probably not the right thread for this, but I'm typing it anyway....
My boss is SUCH a f*cking DOOFUS. I cannot stand it. I cannot stand it. I cannot stand it. If I could quit, today, I would. Instead, I continue to job-hunt on the side and hope that something GOOD happens for me, SOON.
Because, this guy is SUCH a f*cking DIP-****....and, it's hurting MY GOOD REPUTATION.
Ugh. I want to be able to lift MY body weight so that I can deadlift him and chuck him across the f*cking room!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!0 -
Can one increase their metabolic rate at 50 years old? Let's hope so and keep lifting heavy!
I think our pal missmaggie has proven that!
Samantha who's this Dan?
I posted his name before and then took it down. Not sure he wants me spreading his name or business. It's not heyitsdan. He's a Jersey guy.0 -
SO sorry Beeps! :flowerforyou: Hope you can get in a really hard workout to take out your frustrations.
I'm not sure that I would ever be bold enough to post bikini pictures on the forum (which is bizarre, because I'm gonna be wearing at the beach, right?) but I just HAD to share my NSV(s) with somebody.
1 - I can see a huge difference in my stomach area from the last 30 days. Even though I've only lost 1.5 pounds, I can see the top couple rows of ab muscles peaking out.
2 - I can now do 4 unassisted chin ups, and 1 unassisted pull up.
Hooray NROL4W!
Now I'm embarrassed... :blushing: lol0 -
Holy crap, that's AWESOME, birdy_blue!!
You realize that some of us ain't gonna get there even after the ENTIRE NROL4W program, right??
You have done REALLY well! And you SHOULD feel REALLY good about that!!0 -
Amazing Birdy-blue!! Awesome results.
Beeps, just keep on trucking. I hope tomorrow is a better day for you. I Love reading your posts.0 -
Today's workout was weird. I upped my weight slightly on everything, but it didn't seem very hard. I also don't feel like my muscles are very fatigued. But I also couldn't stay on that darn ball today. Last time I did, today I could not. I had to do mountain climbers instead. Weird day.0
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What does NSV stand for?0
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Non scale victory
On another note: I am doing my 4th workout tomorrow. I feel so weak compared to some of you! I am still a little unsure of how much to start with and what I can actually do. It really helps to see what all of you are doing.0 -
Birdy: Awesome progress!!! There will be no stopping you when you finish this program if you're doing that great already.
Beeps: Sorry about your work situation. Hope that gets better soon.
Scrolled through the pictures I had taken on my phone and I can really see the progress. Take pictures people. I wish I had done them more regularly and done measurements too to quantify things for me and for people considering doing the program.
Yesterday I took a pair of pants off without unbuttoning them. woohoo!
Those who are worried you are not lifting enough or progressing quickly enough, stay the course. It is not a race to the results. Slow and steady and go at your own pace. The only thing standing in your way is yourself. If you stick with it it will happen. I also would not be afraid about eating what the book recommends. I wish I had switched to maintenance sooner. I think it has really helped me and I'm so hungry with lifting there is no way I could get by on 1200 calories any more. Or 1500. Some days the 1700 isn't enough.
I think extra cardio totally depends on how you feel. I didn't feel like doing it much while I was doing this program except the HIIT and sometimes some low intensity walking or running. I actually found it very freeing no to have to do cardio but that's just me.0 -
Great advice KC!
Beeps - hope your day is better today!
Jessica - great job on going up on your weights! Keep working on the ball lol!
Donna - it will take some time to figure out what weight to use, so don't be afraid to try a heavier or lighter weight, even mid-set.
Now for me. (Haha...) Did NOT feel like doing my workout today. Really. did. not. That lovely TOM is just a few days away. Top that off with an argument that's been going on for a week with the hubs. Ugh. So I cried for a few minutes, had a couple of Dove chocolates, and then started the workout anyway, telling myself that I could stop if it wasn't working. I knew I wouldn't have time to workout this weekend, and I didn't want the shame of having nothing posted to my news feed for three whole days. Workout actually went pretty well, and now I feel good that I did it. Beeps - I'm doing 35lb dumbbells on the incline bench too, and almost couldn't get them up the for the last set. But I told myself... if Beeps can do it so can I! LOL (So thanks for the inspiration.)
Off to run through a few more mood swings....0 -
kcfaber - YOU ARE THE BOMB!!
If there is ANY advice I have to pass along to the group, it is to 100% listen to whatever kcfaber posts.
I'm having an even crappier day - but I'm too tired to write some lengthy "vent". I have to cook a friggin turkey today because it's the only day my whole family could be together, the caterer is closed, and my oldest son wants me to cook this stupid (turkey) thing that he gets as a xmas bonus every year (from Costco - where he works).
I AM FINISHED STAGE 3!! Wooooooooooooooo hooooooooooooooooooo.
I am soooooo wiped. Because I didn't have to work today, I could race into the gym in the MORNING! And, I decided to see some old friends and go to my cardio step-class BEFORE heading to the weight room!! So, I did 30 minutes with them and then left them to go to the man-crowded weight room. I was already exhausted, so, no personal records for me during my last Stage 3B work-out....I actually had to go down in my weights on the BB deadlift-row. But, it's DONE.
I start Stage 4 on Monday.
I don't take pictures until the end of April - but I CANNOT echo kcf's perspective enough - PHOTOS ARE CRUCIAL. They will PSYCHE YOU UP - and they will offer you the PROOF you need to carry forward with YOUR PROGRESS.0 -
birdy, it's my friggin TOM week coming up, too. I'm glad you hoisted those bad boys up and POUNDED IT OUT!
And, I'm UBER-weepy right now, too....stress from work b.s. I have company coming (and I don't feel like company....). I have to entertain (and I don't feel like entertaining).
Book club, last night, was awesome. And, tomorrow I have 2 days just to work-out and relax....I'll be fine very soon, I expect!0 -
Plodding along Stage 1 6A. I am for sure gaining strength and hoping all the other goodies follow along! My mission trip with the seniors to Guatemala is going to fit in perfectly as the "rest week' after stage 1! Should be a perfect amount of cardio with all the stairs there!
I am quite tender at the top of my Illium (I looked it up ) That is the big bone that is below your rib cage -above the butt. Trying to stretch well before and after. Doesn't hurt much during my work-out but aches a bit all the time right now. Jacuzzi tonight!
:flowerforyou: Sorry about your crummy days Beeps, a week from now hopefully all has mellowed out! I am really hoping to see a difference with pictures. I have my "befores"!
:flowerforyou: Birdy a pull-up? You-the-girl! were you able to do any pull-ups when you were like in High school? I am sooo impressed!
Have not been eating under maintenance as I planned, just too hungry and off schedule. I will keep trying. I figure it's better to be at maintenance than over!
Have a good weekend all!
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Beeps - awesome job! I can't believe you did 30 min of cardio THEN the lifting. Wow. And a book club? I wanna book club!! What are you reading?
Hoosiermomma - Your illium? LOL Isn't it cool what you learn when you start lifting? To answer your question - no. Never ever ever have I been able to do a pull up. Or believed that I ever could. I never tried until last summer when I worked with a trainer for about 3 months. He had me doing assisted pull ups/chin ups and I was SO disappointed when I couldn't do even 1 by the end of the 3 months. I kept working at it - using a chair. Finally a couple of months ago I could do 1 chin up, and a few days ago I did 4 of them. The pull ups are harder, and I just got to where I could do 1 of them. Now when I walk by the bar (it's in our bedroom), I do one just cause it's SO FREAKING COOL that I can.0
