Daily Chat Thread
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Yay. I finished stage one. I was going to stay in it for a while, but I really don't want to spend 200 years in this program. 5 months will do the trick.
I know in other strength based programs I've done 2x a week was really spectacular for being gung ho every time. Just enough rest to put your everything in every time you work out. I felt better. Then again, I'm one of those people who likes to take a few days off here and there so I can feel like superman upon my return!0 -
I forgot to ask earlier--how do you modify Swiss ball crunches (if you DO modify them, that is)? I've been holding a kettlebell above my head, but I'm at 20 lbs now and I really can't hold much heavier--it's too hard to hold above my head. Any other ideas?
In Stage 1, I held a dumbbell across my upper chest. Worked pretty good. Start with a 20 pounder and go up.
This is what I do, also.0 -
Sam-- DH and iwere looking at a picture of me from about six years ago. I was wearing the same size I am now, but then I weighed around 145. Right now I weigh 155. It's just so weird. Good weird, but weird.0
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Ok, first of all, I'm not able to lift the weights right now that you all are talking about. My squats are 10 pounds and I'm struggling to finish those. I know I"ll move up, actually I will push to move up quickly. I know I'm working though, just by the soreness I have in my butt and legs.
What do you mean when you say you are cutting or supposed to be cutting?0 -
Sue-- don't think twice about how much you are or aren't lifting. It's weird. I can RDL 100lbs, but my squats are horrible. Like 30lbs. I can only do the oly bar for one or two reps. And I've been doing this for several months.
Cutting is referring to dropping body fat.0 -
Thanks Jessica for the answers and the encouragement. I guess I'm cutting too at least I hope that's what I'm doing!! I mean that's the whole point of all of this!0
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Sue, I started in January with Body-weight squats in January. You will be amazed how much progress you will make in just a few months time. Body-weight to 120 in three months!0
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Sue, I started in January with Body-weight squats in January. You will be amazed how much progress you will make in just a few months time. Body-weight to 120 in three months!
Me too! Sue, I could barely squat with bodyweight, and now I'm up to 115 pounds! Keep your focus when you're in the gym. After every set, ask yourself whether you could have done more, and adjust up when you can. I used to use a 3 point scale to rate each set... 1=that was way too hard; couldn't finish all the reps. 2=that was tough; wouldn't have been able to squeak out another rep. 3=finished the set feeling good; increase next time. As I've been pushing myself through this program, I've found it easier to just know whether to increase or not. But it really helped in the beginning...in between sets, I'd sit down for my rest and rate the last set.
No matter what, be proud of what you're doing every day. You're getting stronger with each lift!0 -
Sue, I started in January with Body-weight squats in January. You will be amazed how much progress you will make in just a few months time. Body-weight to 120 in three months!
Me too! Sue, I could barely squat with bodyweight, and now I'm up to 115 pounds! Keep your focus when you're in the gym. After every set, ask yourself whether you could have done more, and adjust up when you can. I used to use a 3 point scale to rate each set... 1=that was way too hard; couldn't finish all the reps. 2=that was tough; wouldn't have been able to squeak out another rep. 3=finished the set feeling good; increase next time. As I've been pushing myself through this program, I've found it easier to just know whether to increase or not. But it really helped in the beginning...in between sets, I'd sit down for my rest and rate the last set.
No matter what, be proud of what you're doing every day. You're getting stronger with each lift!
I love this! I will keep the scale in mind this evening at the gym
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Heading to the gym today to get B7 done. Then two more workouts and stage 1 will be complete!
Not looking forward to rolling those deadlifts up my legs, they are still pretty banged up from the Ninja Challenge. May have to scoot it out a fraction of an inch
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joanne, I like your rating scale. Unfortunately, I'm finding that as NROL4W carries on, I'm just not able to "up the weights" nearly as often as I did in the beginning. There just aren't that big of "gains" to be had (at least for me). Still, it is very important to lift as heavy as I can, each time out. Sometimes that means LESS weight than the last time I tried it (i.e. 2 steps forward and then 1 step back....), but if I'm exerting as much effort as I can, I put it in the "W" column.
DrG - you'll be happy to move onto Stage 2, I'm sure....new challenges which also means new ways to surprise yourself!
suelegal - in bodybuilding lingo, a "diet" is known as a "cut", imho. Nothing fancy to it - you eat a LOT less food, frankly, and hope that your body responds by eliminating body fat (and a little muscle mass), while preserving as much muscle mass as you possible can. Tough to do.0 -
Thanks for the crunch suggestions--I'll have to google "captain's chair." I held a plate on my chest in one of the earlier stages and it just wasn't as hard as over the head...but maybe if it were a 45-lb plate... We'll see!0
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Wow - lots going on!!
Sue - welcome! I agree with everyone else, don't focus so much on the weight of what you can do as on whether or not you are pusing yourself.
DrG and FunBun - congrats on finishing Stage 1!!
I've found I'm not pushing myself enough either - but these lifts in Stages 2 and 3 are so much harder to increase weights with, especially when I only have up to 25lb dumbbells at home. Those things are expensive and I haven't been able to find anything on craigslist lately. I was able to increase all my weights in my last A and B workouts, now just 2 more workouts and I'll be done with Stage 3, then on vacation.0 -
Thought I would share:
My scale says I have lost 0.5% body fat this past 4 weeks. Not sure how much overall because I was not monitoring it. (it says I have 36.1% body fat which I know is not true. I thought I could start checking it to make sure it is going down .I have noticed it goes up and down a tenth or two but never higher than 36.6.)
Losing 0.5% good in a month's time or is a fluke on my scale.?0 -
Thanks guy!
Just did B7 and all I can say is whew. Lucky I was able to lift the same amount as before my challenge/vacation but I can't run like I could. Oh well, I'll be back at it, stronger and with a good routine soon!0 -
I'm so excited...I haven't lifted in an entire week and today will be my first day back. Plus, it's my last Stage 1 workout! Wheeeee!
Ok, I'm also a little terrified that I'll have lost all of my strength in a week. Silly, I know. But part of me still doesn't believe I'm as strong as I am! But, as Popeye said, I yam what I yam! Lol0 -
Mary - I think .5% BF in a month is great!! I think that's about my average too.
Joanne - LOL! I think we all fear that a little bit after taking some time off.0 -
Hey all, thanks so much for all the great info and experience! I'm working out at home right now, and the rack is still down in the basement so I'm using dumbbells ATM. I finished Stage 1 Workout 2A last night, I did squats with 16 pounds - and I did both sets, though the last of the 2nd was a real struggle. I can do 14 pushups at 17" but couldn't get that last sucker out!! GRRR... I will the next time! The step ups liked to kill me! I'm doing the dumbbell bent-over row, and I realized after I finished that I can really up the weight on that one. And for comic relief, we have the prone jackknife. OMG, that one is going to take me some time to manage!! I couldn't move last night, but today, I'm feeling much less achy, except for a few places here and there.0
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manic, my opinion on body fat % loss is that, without any reliable "marker", I'm not sure, at all, what a normal body fat % loss would be. I've researched and determined that only the full-water immersion method of body fat % measurement is accurate. So, if you did the full-water immersion method at the start, and then at various stages, I think you could rely on that number. Otherwise, I'm afraid I think it's just a crap shoot.
More importantly, if it makes YOU FEEL BETTER that you've dropped 0.5% body fat this month, then I say "HELL YA - YOU DID IT!!" 0 -
suelegal - good for you for just banging out another work-out! Look at you GOOOOOOOOOO!!! All I can say about the "prone jack-knife" is that it really is a "practice" move....everyone has great difficulty, at the beginning of Stage 1, with this move, but, dollars-to-donuts, you'll have it MASTERED by the time Stage 1 is DONE! It's actually become one of my FAVOURITE ab moves (when my shoulders aren't DEAD from various other lifts!)0
