So my first day of the new rules of weight lifting.

meshashesha2012

for the seated row i just do the push up on the ground next to the pulley thing.

for step ups, my gym has 3 steps of difft. heights. i go with three middle height. but when that's not available i user one of the weight benches. if those aren't available i use a step risers that i
grab from the cardio area.

and definitely avoid tge smith machine if possible


oh yesh and start to get used to being annoying on the gym. fo what you need to do to get your workout done. i know at first the trainers at my new gym hated me cus i was always shuffling equipment from one section to another because they thought they'd have to be the ones to take it back. once they realized that i also cleaned up after myself they left me alone lol

kag1526

if a bench is too high to step up on new rules may not be for you, (is there something wrong?) cause unless your elderly, most can step up on a bench. Not slammin you but that doesn't sound rite.

For trainers, the only certs I would accept are NASM, ACSM and NCSA, most of the others don't know enough unless they have a BA in it as well. So ask around your gym to see if anyone has one, there must be someone in the community if it's big enough to have a Planet fitless, there should be a trainer around somewhere, your local vitamin store may know also.

Well then apparently I suck because no I'm only 25 but will not be able to do step ups to a platform that is as high as my knee without losing my balance, especially while holding weights.

For pushups once I get to the point that I'm stonger enough to do them on just a bench I will do them right near the seated row but for now I'm doing the 60 degree variation since I'm weak and weight 230 lbs when I get lighter and stronger it won't be so bad.

Checking workout B that one won't have me criss crossing around the gym as much at least.

Nopedotjpeg

if a bench is too high to step up on new rules may not be for you, (is there something wrong?) cause unless your elderly, most can step up on a bench. Not slammin you but that doesn't sound rite.

I wouldn't say that. Balance issues affect a lot of people who are perfectly capable of weight training.

smolina85

Maybe start doing step ups without the weight?

meshashesha2012

then do the step ups without the weights until you can balance. honestly i think the step up exercise is more about the balance and the step height than how much weight you are using.

the other thing to consider is that your shoes can affect your balance. i find it easier to step up, squat and lunge with bare feet instead of with shoes. im looking into buying a pair of vibrams for lifting just for this reason.

samntha14

congrats on starting the program check out the NROL4W group. Lots of good ideas and support for adapting workout and links to good videos showing you how to do the workout and plenty of people working out at home even. I move equipment around. My gym is crazy crowded on Mondays for some strange reason and I have NO reservations stealing a bar from one of the benches not being used and setting myself up on the floor for deadlifts. I use a step from the step classes for my steps with 4-5 risers under it. I move my dumbbells to the cable machines with me and then I drag the swiss ball over for jacks and crunches. It limits my movements and keeps my machines form getting jacked while I switch off.

Best of luck to you. Don't be afraid to do the extra weeks of stage1 to build up your strength. I pretty much did 2.5 months of stage 1 in a round about way since I also started with body weight. Now I'm officially doing Workout B6 and deadlifting 90lbs (45lbs on the olympic barbell)!

kag1526

For the step ups I'm not going to go higher for a while. I can't convince myself that I would be able to do it on a bench. I hate being up high especially if I think there is ANY chance I can fall. (I can't even go to the edge of a balcony, the ones with railings higher then my waist). If I had anything that high at home I might be willing to try it if my husband was around (I'd trust him to keep me from falling on my head) I'll have to see if I can think of something... but not going to try that at the gym (if I fall here only my husband and my cats will be here to laugh at me).

I'm wondering if I can get my husband to do lifting too since with the other one spotting we could probably just do the squats without the rack (the picture of the squat rack doesn't look like it would give any more security then a person who could help keep the bar from falling on you would) My husband will go to the gym with me sometimes (I'm working on getting him to go more) but he doesn't do much at the moment since my plan is really just for girls. I think he feels weird not knowing what to do.

JMarigold

Well then apparently I suck because no I'm only 25 but will not be able to do step ups to a platform that is as high as my knee without losing my balance, especially while holding weights.

You probably don't suck that much lol. I have to say I had/have a mental block regarding push ups (so I didn't do them the first time I did a round New Rules). Of course after a couple months I quit . . . I let life interfere.

BUT I did use a bench for step ups. When I first started doing them I didn't use weights though. I have the balance of a drunk chicken, was a newbie, and I'm short so I think if I can do it you can probably do it. However you may be plagued by the type of mental block I had regarding push ups. Who knows. Those step ups were an awesome workout though.

kag1526

Well then apparently I suck because no I'm only 25 but will not be able to do step ups to a platform that is as high as my knee without losing my balance, especially while holding weights.

You probably don't suck that much lol. I have to say I had/have a mental block regarding push ups (so I didn't do them the first time I did a round New Rules). Of course after a couple months I quit . . . I let life interfere.

BUT I did use a bench for step ups. When I first started doing them I didn't use weights though. I have the balance of a drunk chicken, was a newbie, and I'm short so I think if I can do it you can probably do it. However you may be plagued by the type of mental block I had regarding push ups. Who knows. Those step ups were an awesome workout though.

Lol I'm guessing my mental block = my fear of heights + fear of looking really stupid in the gym... As I said above if I can try it out at home I will... just trying to think of something about as high as a bench. Pushups don't scare me because I know I'm not going to fall. Even if I tried to do normal on the floor ones I can't possibly fall more then the length of my arms.

piebird79

Best of luck to you. Don't be afraid to do the extra weeks of stage1 to build up your strength. I pretty much did 2.5 months of stage 1 in a round about way since I also started with body weight. Now I'm officially doing Workout B6 and deadlifting 90lbs (45lbs on the olympic barbell)!

I've also added the extra sessions to the NROL4W so I could work on my form and build more strength. You can get away with doing the program just 2 days a week, which I've done a lot of the time (I work full-time and have three children 5 and under, it's a miracle I can form coherent sentences). It's taken me about 3 months to get through the first section.

I think a lot of people worry about looking like complete buffoons at the gym. At some point everyone ends up with their very own "I made a complete *kitten* of myself" story from the gym.

I'd avoid the smith machine like the plague. I tried that thing once and it was unbelievably uncomfortable because it contorted my body into unnatural positions.

Your husband could also follow the NROL4W. It's not exactly a women's program. My understanding is that the NROL just focuses on arms more and has more programs to follow. I believe a number of women actually start the NROL after they finish the NROL4W so they have more workout routines. I'd say squats, deadlifts, presses, etc are equal opportunity exercises.