Daily Chat Thread
Replies
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Talking of epiphanies, I had my own. Using this website www.strstd.com/ posted in another forum, I confirmed what I thought.... my bench SUCKS. It's so bad, I'd be better saying I've never done it before. So, upper body is IN. I WILL increase these lifts.
Today I had to rethink plans and ended up do plyometrics instead of lifting. But that's ok as I have more opportunity to lift tomorrow - and it'll be deadlift day, hurrah! Then I can get combat in on Sunday. Finished placement for 2 weeks so should get my lifting in without too many dramas. Happy days.
Have a great weekend ladies0 -
No lifting this weekend - my brother and his family (surprise!) are coming up.
I am happy to see them, incl my little nephews, but I had a good stretch of workouts that I was enjoying!0 -
Thank you ladies for the support in my decision.
Sam, awesome new about your hubby
I'm starting stage 3 tonight, and I am determined not to get derailed this weekend. I just don't stay focused on the weekend and undo all the hard work I did during the week. I am seeing slight changes though just not where I want them. I swear Im losing for everywhere but that saddlebag part of my thighs & I feel like its looking worse bc of it, but I'm sure its just my imagination.
I did a bootcamp workout yesterday and I've gotta say I never did those moves when I was in bootcamp. My plan was to work out for a bout an hr but I was so out of breathe from that 20 minute workout I didn't do more, which means I need to that one more until its not so hard. I used to think that Jillian Michaels 30 day shred workouts were hard too, now I'm all "that's it". :bigsmile:
I have a great weekend ladies, Beeps, enjoy your family.0 -
Good afternoon everybody! I've been lurking in the threads for a little while and finally decided to join in! My name is Cee. I've been on MFP for a while then took a big break and now I'm back. I started NR last year then stopped (see the habit?) and now I'm back at it. I'm currently in Stage 3 (have 1 B workout left) and loving my gains.
I saw this:Julie, the main thing I remember about Stage 2 is how hard the DLs from a box are. If you're not 100% confident in your form, don't do them- just sub regular DLs. After two years of lifting, I have no intention of ever doing DLs from a deficit again. I just don't have the right anatomy to perform them correctly.
And wanted to add: when you're doing DL - anything under 135 pounds (meaning the bar + 45s), you're already lifting at a deficit (unless you're using bumper plates). If you want to create a deficit without standing on the box, just use smaller plates. That's my helpful tip for the day. :-)0 -
Thanks for your post Cee. This has gotten me thinking. I don't use a box/ step for DLs and the size of the plates is an issue for me. Not so much when picking the bar up, but when putting it down. Those last few inches and my shoulders tend to hunch over on occasion because it's just so low to go. I've tried resting the bar on other plates, but the design of the ones at my gym means the bar ends up rolling around and it becomes more awkward! I can use 45's but not as my warm up weights.... anyone got any other solutions?0
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Jo-I'm not sure. Maybe a pad? Like those mats over the plates to the weight from rolling?
Cee-welcome! And thanks for the input! I've had a hard time with my DLs. That shoulder hunching thing...trying to keep my back last enough, I pulled my lower back earlier in stage 1, and I'm being very careful now. Today I did well during my DLs, but then pulled a muscle moving the bench back under the smith machine after doing the Cuban snatches. Then it got worse when I unloaded the dishwasher! So annoying! I wonder if I propped it up it'd be better? Hmm...I've only got 10lb plates on each side right now...so it'll be a while until I get up to the 45 lbs on both sides.
I did B of stage 2 today and it's not as bad as I expected! The Bulgarian split squat was hard because I couldn't get good balance with the top of my foot flat on the step. Gonna try a padded bench next time to see if I can get my foot right. It does take longer with the 15 min of cardio added at the end.
Rest this weekend, then back to lifting Monday! Looking forward to it!!0 -
Hey everybody. Been wanting to post all week but my internet has been down.
My plans for this week did not materialize at all :sad:. I hadn't realized that TOM was coming up (due tomorrow) and the week before it comes I have no self control. I went over calories EVERY. SINGLE. DAY. this week. One day I ate over 300g of carbs! Right now I'm a bloated mess and I've gained 2 lbs. It's very frustrating. Sorry about the rant, it's the hormones talking (I think). Anyone else have this problem during this time of the month (eating all the food)? How do you control it? I feel like every time I take a step forward I end up taking 2 steps back :grumble:
Welcome to all the new ladies.
Jo, how much are you DLing? I still warm up with the 135 even though I'm only DLing 150. Or maybe you could do another type of DL like sumo for your warm up. I do sumo for the higher rep sets.
julie, I found BSS with the top of my foot flat on a step to be hard too initially. Padded bench definitely helps.0 -
Jo, how much are you DLing? I still warm up with the 135 even though I'm only DLing 150. Or maybe you could do another type of DL like sumo for your warm up. I do sumo for the higher rep sets.
My current workout calls for 5 sets of 5, 5, 5, 5 and 8. So I warm up with 90lbs, then go into the sets with 110, 132, 143, 154 and 132 (i.e. 50, 60, 65, 70, 60 kgs - better numbers lol). The big plates at my gym are 20kg so that'd mean starting at 132.... prefer to warm up with less than that.
I go kinda crazy with TOM also. Snuck up on me today too..... but am working out enough to eat through it ;-)0 -
Love thanks for the tips
I had my first "real personal training session" and it went well.
My Bp increased by fifteen percent within one week0 -
Jamaica you are amazing.
You might feel like you are taking steps back but somehow you dl 150 lbs!
You and Jo are so strong.0 -
Holy numbers Batman. I've been doing this over two years and my PR DL is 135! Ugh I want my strength back.
I ordered t-****s from Lift big, Eat big. (or V/V) I ordered, "Strength is beauty", "Count Reps, not Calories" and "Squat commandments"
Today I am seriously feeling my DLs from Thursday. I was REALLY focused on form. I think I'll walk it off at six flags. It hots humid and a thunderstorm is threatening. Should be an awesome day.
Just saw a commercial for a roll-out devise. Looks great but the marketing is SOOOOO dishonest. They slip in that part about diet and exercise at the end. Most people are just going to think, "I can do roll outs for my core and magically get a six pack." Roll-outs are an awesome core exercise....but it's just ONE exercise.0 -
School started. :noway: It's been rough. :grumble: :grumble: :grumble:
I did Workout 2 from Stage 7 two and a half weeks ago. Not sure what to do next? Start over? Keep going?0 -
You guys are doing great!!
Pmagnam-ooh, how'd it work with the trainer? It seems challenging to find a good one. Do tell
Sam- 135 is no joke! I'd be happy to be there! I'm DL 65 and my back is sore afterwards
. You're doing great!
Jamaica-just keep fighting! It's tough, but bit by bit you'll make forward progress!
Anyone else ever have back issues from DL? I am fine during them as I am really careful of my form...but then I throw it out after? Moving the bench back in place after I felt a twinge and pull...then later unloading the dishwasher it really hurt!! Ice, ibu and rest it's feeling a bit better today, but not back to normal. It's the same spot I always pull it...vacuuming or lifting, it's always that same spot. I missed half the DL in stage 1 (did squats instead) to let it heal. I thought it was good. Sigh, very frustrating!
And my right knee is a bit sore from my workout...wonder if it's the split squats? Can't figure out what else it could have been? But, aside from those 2 areas I feel great! new muscles are Perking up 0 -
Julie, I have the same problem with my back, there is one spot that gets hurt very easily. I hurt it doing deadlifts at the end of stage 4 and had to take a week and a half off to rest it. I got a massage and that helped loads. I haven't done deadlifts since (because they haven't been in the programme) but I think my back is finally better so I will be able to do them when I get to stage 7. I think we just need to be extremely careful to have good form the entire time.
I attempted to do my 3rd 6B workout this morning with a slight hangover. It wasn't fun. I just wanted to curl up and go to sleep the entire time. Needless to say, I enjoyed the fact that it is a short workout and I didn't add any extras like I normally do.
Runz, I'm not sure. If you feel strong enough to keep going then that's probably what I would do. But I suppose it depends on how you feel.0 -
Thanks Dou! I'm taking it easy. I'd like to up my DL weight, but I'll take doing them at all without pain!! Good job pushing through and getting it done!
I put together some progress pics from before and after stage 1. I can definitely see a difference!! So encouraged and excited! Regardless of what the scale says, things are definitely improving!!! Woot, woot! I'll try to figure out how to post them here, but they're in my profile if I can't get it to work.0 -
Ok, I think I figured this out. This is before and after stage 1, about 6-7 weeks. No weight lost on the scale...
The other side:
And the front:
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Sam runza and all- the start of school is rough
Next week will be better.
I had a good second session with the trainer. I tried a version of her workout last night and it really worked my pecs(my request) and my back ( her favorite). It had plenty of deadlifts so I liked it. I will need more legs on a regular basis.
So I am going to go forward with the personal trainer because my glutes are the weakest muscle in my body. She saw that right away and had me working on dreads.
I will add some hip thrusts to each workout.
Runza - how about supercharged?
Or an straightforward program like 5/3/1?
I am a little disappointed that my trainer thinks I am strong. I have never dead lifted over 135 and I have been lifting for 1.5 years now. I was hoping she would challenge me. At least my miserable bench is improving.
I will lift tomorrow.0 -
Julie your progress is obvious0
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Dou stage 7 is the best - hope you like it0
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Julie, amazing! Keep it up
I am supposed to start Supercharged tomorrow but haven't finished reading the book yet and am not sure I'll get a chance. What to do, what to do...0 -
Great job, julie! Looking better and better!
jo_marnes - do you have a powerrack where you workout? If you do, you can reverse the DL hokds (put them on the outside bars), high enough that you would rack 'em at every pull. No more hunching!
I will try and get a walk in today....and start my lifting again tomorrow.
BOOM!0 -
Ali- I definitely applaud you on your decision regarding your job. I used to complain about how I lost everywhere except where I wanted to lose. I wanted my stomach to shrink but instead it was all in my thighs and arms. Eventually I just accepted that my body was going to lose in the order and way it wanted to lose and no complaining or griping on my end was going to change that so I had two options: I could keep complaining until I had discouraged myself so much that I gave up on the workouts all together or I could celebrate every change in every part of my body. Sometimes I catch myself getting down that I don't have a six pack yet but then I look at my legs and my arms and my back and I congratulate myself on how amazing they look until my stomach is no longer on my mind. It really works try it next time you're feeling down!
Julie- 130 lbs!!!! You are the REAL MVP! Your progress from stage one is amazing. My body certainly hadn't changed like that in one stage. How are you calculating your calories? I found that MFP and the equation in the book were both high for me. I started New Rules in March and actually GAINED weight. I got up to my highest of 141 and that was with me eating at maintenance and hitting my macros. I tried an almost purely liquid diet and that didn't stop the gains, I went low carb and that didn't stop them either. Eventually I accepted the fact that I couldn't eat all the things and cut my intake by about 400 calories. I started losing weight. I now eat pasta, oatmeal, and frosted flakes everyday and I'm still losing. You can do low or high carbs as long as your calories are right and your macros are being hit.
Sam- Epiphanies are beautiful things. I had to have one myself and once I did great things started happening. I know the same thing will happen for you!
Runz- I took two weeks off in the middle of stage 4 and when I started lifting again I picked up right where I had stopped. Your body is already strong enough to handle these work outs especially since stage seven isn't about strength gains but losing fat. I'd say you definitely don't have to start over.
Jo- You brave woman you! I wouldn't even want to check to see where my lifts should be by now. You however being a well adjusted and motivated woman will of course just use that information to help push you to being even stronger than you are now and I am here for that! Good luck!
Pmag- OOOOOOO a trainer! I'm glad you're going to stick with her and I just want to say she's absolutely right. You ARE strong. You are SUPER strong. You put up amazing numbers and make me want to get up off my butt and do more. And I think she is challenging you. She noticed that your glutes were weak and has you working on them. Maybe it's not about challenging you in areas where you are already strong but in pushing you in the areas that you are weaker. Either way I like this woman and I want progress pics!
Jamaica- I gained four pounds during TOM and I've lost that weight in the last week. Honestly I don't try to stop myself from eating "bad" during that time. I recognize a losing battle when I see it. Instead I focus on moderation. I want ALL the chic fil a but I only eat a kids meal. I want ALL of the liquor and wine coolers but I just grab a soda. I want all of the Talenti....I eat all of the Talenti because no one is perfect. Also I try to get out and walk as much as possible and still fit in my three workouts for the week. Sometimes if I feel super bloated I'll just do some quick ab work and move on. I just let myself be a slob in moderation and then when TOM is over I get right back to life as usual knowing that I've already lost so much weight my body can lose the measly four pounds TOM threw at me.
Ladies....momentous things have happened. First of all after 6 weeks of trying I have FINALLY finished stage 4. It took me almost an hour and a half to get the last workout done. Because I work out at home I can literally let my mind wander and end up sitting on my medicine ball staring at the wall thinking about what I want to wear this week and what I'll be eating for breakfast once my work out is finished. I also thought about Starbucks a lot. And then I realized what time it was and that I was embarrassing myself and finished my workout. Also there was so much talk about DL that I figured I should see if I could add some weight to mine. I'm now officially up to 80 lbs which compared to some of you (I'm looking at you Jamaica) isn't that big of a deal but I'm excited anyways. I'll start stage 7 again on Tuesday but I'm only doing one round this time. From there I'm going to do stage 5, another round of stage 7, and then move on to super charged.
Momentous thing number 2: I have officially lost TEN pounds!!!!!! I may have cried on my scale this morning when I saw the number. I'm really proud of myself and all of the progress that I've made. I'm two pounds away from my ultimate goal weight and 2% from my ultimate goal body fat percentage and that's crazy. After all of these years of hating my body and wishing it was better I've finally done it. I've finally taken the steps and done the work to get what I want and I couldn't be more proud of myself. I've noticed that the closer I've gotten to my goal the more forgiving and appreciative I've been of my body and of myself. I'm so much nicer to myself. Nicer than I've ever been and it's made me nicer to others and much more accepting. It's also made me braver. I changed my body QED I can change anything about me or around me. I can get a great job, I can be in relationships that make me happy, I can learn another language, I can learn to play an instrument. I can do anything!
Thanks you guys for listening to me whine in the beginning and for offering me help and tips, for liking and commenting when I tracked my food and for hanging in there yourselves. You've all been major inspirations to me. Every time you worked out even though you had a super long day you made me get up and do it too. Every time you were honest about your progress even if it was bad you made me feel it was okay to be honest too. Every time you stopped working out but started up again you kept me from giving up. So thank you and happy lifting this week.0 -
Momentous thing number 2: I have officially lost TEN pounds!!!!!! I may have cried on my scale this morning when I saw the number. I'm really proud of myself and all of the progress that I've made. I'm two pounds away from my ultimate goal weight and 2% from my ultimate goal body fat percentage and that's crazy. After all of these years of hating my body and wishing it was better I've finally done it. I've finally taken the steps and done the work to get what I want and I couldn't be more proud of myself. I've noticed that the closer I've gotten to my goal the more forgiving and appreciative I've been of my body and of myself. I'm so much nicer to myself. Nicer than I've ever been and it's made me nicer to others and much more accepting. It's also made me braver. I changed my body QED I can change anything about me or around me. I can get a great job, I can be in relationships that make me happy, I can learn another language, I can learn to play an instrument. I can do anything!
Thanks you guys for listening to me whine in the beginning and for offering me help and tips, for liking and commenting when I tracked my food and for hanging in there yourselves. You've all been major inspirations to me. Every time you worked out even though you had a super long day you made me get up and do it too. Every time you were honest about your progress even if it was bad you made me feel it was okay to be honest too. Every time you stopped working out but started up again you kept me from giving up. So thank you and happy lifting this week.
This was great to read. Red you are such an inspiration. Congratulations on all you have achieved so far.
I am enjoying stage 6 of NROLFW but since I have ordered supercharged i am really looking forward to reading that and getting started on a whole new programme.0 -
Hello I am headed home from Seattle. This am my lifting was mediocre. Only dumbbells.
I will lift once more before Thursday.
I have a crazy work schedule this week and my family will be very grumpy.
Congrats to all who are finishing stage six and seven.0 -
Beeps - don't think I do have one of those at the gym.... only racks we have are for squats.... and the side bars on those are too high :-/
Redlipstickly - freakin' awesome job.0 -
I just realised I'd been reading and not posting, so popping in to apologize for being MIA
Still have a massive order to finish and send on it's way, so this is just a "hello" post :flowerforyou:
Stage 6 officially completed this morning so I'm sleeping in for the rest of the week... well, when I'm not on swim squad duty
:laugh:
Supercharged has been ordered and is on it's way :bigsmile:
And now to smash out some work over the next two hours so I can then spend an hour or so reading notes for a business course I'm taking, have lunch, clean the house and then I'm going for a run.... if it doesn't rain lol
Oh, and I got the confirmation email over the weekend - the Husband and I are both definitely going to TEDx Brisbane in October! So freaking excited :bigsmile: They have to ballot the tickets because so many people want to come. Whheeeeee! Child-free day with the husband listening to awesome people speak. My idea of heaven really lol
Oh and MythBusters Live was last weekend - brilliant. And I've never seen my son sit so still and enthralled before :laugh:0 -
just popping in real quick. Spent the day at the Monmouth Park race track to watch the ponies. Beautiful day and day two out in the sun for hours on end. Going to bed early. Night all. Back to the gym tomorrow.
GREAT post REd!!0 -
Ok, so I tried bench with the bar and not dumb bells. Good and bad. Good - I upped my weight. Still crappy though. I'm to ashamed to even post it, lol. What are you ladies benching? I need some perspective!
Bad - could not get comfy. The bench is too high off the ground/ my leg are too short. I end up curving my back to get my feet on the floor rather than back flat to bench. Also, I kept knocking the rack with the bar, despite adjusting my position. I have a hatred of these freaking benches. I am used to an incline bench rather than flat which is what I tried today..... the incline bench set up at my gym is designed for a much taller male also. Grump. Yes, I know I can probably set it up with either the smith machine or the squat rack, but a) we only have one squat rack and people will be pissed if I bench there, and b) I can't get past the bench seat being too high. They are not adjustable in height from the ground. FFS. Fed up with this - I need straightforward right now!!!!!!!!!!!!0 -
Ok, so I tried bench with the bar and not dumb bells. Good and bad. Good - I upped my weight. Still crappy though. I'm to ashamed to even post it, lol. What are you ladies benching? I need some perspective!
Bad - could not get comfy. The bench is too high off the ground/ my leg are too short. I end up curving my back to get my feet on the floor rather than back flat to bench. Also, I kept knocking the rack with the bar, despite adjusting my position. I have a hatred of these freaking benches. I am used to an incline bench rather than flat which is what I tried today..... the incline bench set up at my gym is designed for a much taller male also. Grump. Yes, I know I can probably set it up with either the smith machine or the squat rack, but a) we only have one squat rack and people will be pissed if I bench there, and b) I can't get past the bench seat being too high. They are not adjustable in height from the ground. FFS. Fed up with this - I need straightforward right now!!!!!!!!!!!!
I have seen short guys using a step at the end of the bench to rest their feet on so they don't have to reach down to the ground. Would something like that work for you?0 -
Hmm yeah I guess..... didn't think of that. Will try it! Thanks0
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