NROLFW for Women vs NROL for Abs

Lozze

I've done the first two stages of NROLFW and while I loved the first stage the second felt stupid. Due to a plateau and other life issues I stopped with the plan to go back and restart it at the end of July.

I just read NROLFA and I REALLY liked it. A lot of the stuff seemed more focused on using my body in every day life and training it for that. It also doesn't appear to be as focussed on heavy lifting as NROLFW does. (I need to read again before I actually do it of course. Quick skim of a friends copy)

I have two issues with heavy lifting currently. One, it slows my weight loss down significantly. Now I know building muscle, lowering body fat, blah, blah, blah but at 100kg I am still at LEAST 30kg overweight (66lb) 70kg, my current goal is the aboustle highest healthy weight for my height. The last three months have been incredibly frustrating for me since I started lifting heavy. Yes I saw a definite change in body shape, but the weight only started coming off when I stopped lifting heavy. Am I being illogical? Probably But I really want to get the weight off.

Secondly, in two months I start training for softball again. My season is October-March. I'll be playing that two/three a week and training twice a week. I started NROLFW in Feb last year and really found an issue playing after lifting heavy. I don't see the point of starting NROLFW again if I'm stopping come October. Which is why NROLFA seems a better fit as it's focus is on the core work (which is always needed for softball! For Americans it's fastpitch, not slowpitch I'm playing)

Advice?

dad106

If you don't want to lift heavy, then don't.

I lift..but everything I do is more in the 10-15 rep range and with bodyweight/dumbbells instead of barbell based.

Am I get results? Uh, hell yes! I lost 30 pounds and six sizes training the way I do.. and maintaining just fine.

Not everyone has goals of squatting 300 pounds and dead lifting 500.. and thats ok.

chrisdavey

How have you're measurements changed?

Just because you are doing strength training doesn't mean the scale won't drop. As always cals in vs out is what matters most so it simply means that you haven't created enough of a deficit for the weight loss if that is the case.

So options are to move more or eat less.

victoria4321

You can incorporate heavy turkish get ups for core work

Natx83

I know you probably have a goal weight that you think you have to reach which is fine if that's our goal. But at the same time you should use the mirror and your measurements to measure your progress.

Lozze

How have you're measurements changed?

Just because you are doing strength training doesn't mean the scale won't drop. As always cals in vs out is what matters most so it simply means that you haven't created enough of a deficit for the weight loss if that is the case.

So options are to move more or eat less.

Oh significantly. I'd post pictures but am feeling lazy. There has definitly been a change in body composition. And my eating didn't change in the slightest once I started lifting weights. Ate the exact same amount as I had previously done. But my weight loss slowed significantly.

I know you probably have a goal weight that you think you have to reach which is fine if that's our goal. But at the same time you should use the mirror and your measurements to measure your progress.

Except I'm still morbidly obese. I'm 30kg/66lbs off reaching a healthy weight. I need to lose 16kg/35lb to be classified as overweight. This is not about me arbitrarily hitting a number, it's about me lowering my body weight and body fat to a healthy range.

AmyRhubarb

I've read both books, but checked 'em out from my library, so don't own either of them - but if I was going to buy one and follow it, I think I would go with NROL for Abs. Both books were great, but like you said, the Abs book seemed to be more useful somehow - and something my hubby would be more likely to use as well, rather than NROL for Women.

I don't have access to heavy weights at the moment, so haven't moved forward with getting the book & starting the program. But that would be my first step - the book is far cheaper than the weights. Haha.

samntha14

You know where my heart lies. I'm trying to decide which I want to next as well, but I haven't looked at either.

My cousin, who is also "obese", is also doing NROL4W with me. Like yourself, she has seen dramatic changes in her body but not her weight so much. However, she doesn't follow the 40/30/30 eating plan or track a deficit. She does do extra cardio during the week, so she does lose the projected .5lb a week. (Frankly I wish she would see an endocrinologist about her weight because again she eats relatively healthy and is fairly active) I guess I would recommend doing the 40/30/30 with your macros and track that 300 cal daily deficit. You just set MFP to either .5 or even 1lb weekly then change goals to "custom" to change your macros. May be worth a try especially if you LIKE lifting.

mcarter99

I haven't read the Abs one (yet) but I read the first two and NROL was better than NROL4W, to me.

chrisdavey

How have you're measurements changed?

Just because you are doing strength training doesn't mean the scale won't drop. As always cals in vs out is what matters most so it simply means that you haven't created enough of a deficit for the weight loss if that is the case.

So options are to move more or eat less.

Oh significantly. I'd post pictures but am feeling lazy. There has definitly been a change in body composition. And my eating didn't change in the slightest once I started lifting weights. Ate the exact same amount as I had previously done. But my weight loss slowed significantly.

Well if you are recomping well and there is still weight loss then I don't see the need to change it up. Remember BF% is a ratio of LBM to total weight to you can either lose fat or gain LBM and it will affect the %. These 2 things are unlikely to happen at the same time but as long as you continue with strength training and have adequate protein in you're diet then the majority of weight lost "should" be from fat which is obviously what you want.

Premise: I haven't read either book but from what I've heard NROLFW is based around the big compound exercises which I also agree with. Lifting for abs seems a bit strange though as that really is predominantly you're diet e.g. I train the same year round and I will only have abs if I'm dieting for a while obviously not when I've been in a surplus for a while.

jnh17

You obviously don't sound like you want to do NROLFW so I wouldn't even go down that road. 90% of the women that start it quit b/c of being discouraged by the number on the scale. You have to will yourself to toss the scale for 4-6 months and if you don't think you can do that, don't start it.

Lozze

You obviously don't sound like you want to do NROLFW so I wouldn't even go down that road. 90% of the women that start it quit b/c of being discouraged by the number on the scale. You have to will yourself to toss the scale for 4-6 months and if you don't think you can do that, don't start it.

Thank you for an honest answer. When 30kg overweight the scale is more important than inches. I've decided once I've lost another 15kg (which puts me in the overweight range) I'll start lifting. It might be against all the advice of all the experts on here but I'd rather be skinny fat while overweight then obese on the scale. My body fat is 33% currently so it's overweight as well. Once a healthier weight I can focus on body composition.

jnh17

You obviously don't sound like you want to do NROLFW so I wouldn't even go down that road. 90% of the women that start it quit b/c of being discouraged by the number on the scale. You have to will yourself to toss the scale for 4-6 months and if you don't think you can do that, don't start it.

Thank you for an honest answer. When 30kg overweight the scale is more important than inches. I've decided once I've lost another 15kg (which puts me in the overweight range) I'll start lifting. It might be against all the advice of all the experts on here but I'd rather be skinny fat while overweight then obese on the scale. My body fat is 33% currently so it's overweight as well. Once a healthier weight I can focus on body composition.

Even though it's supposedly not the "best" way to go about losing a lot of weight, it's what I did after my 100lb pregnancy gain and I'd do it again. I didn't start really focusing on lifting until I was about 15lbs from my goal weight. I only had a limited amount of time to workout and it was all dedicated to cardio. Good luck!