Anyone NOT like the New Rules of Lifting for Women?

mmddwechanged

Hello Ladies, im curious what the "for women" part of the program is.
i personally can't see why weightlifting should be handled differently for men and women. so why choose it over one of the old and proven "unisex" programs like stronglifts and starting strength? i don't want to read the whole thing just to find that out.

Exactly . The author tells me how I think differently than a man or how I probably underestimate my strength or the differences between men and women physiologically throughout. This annoys me. If there are still women who want to lift heavy and at the same time don't want big muscles, it explains stuff to them.

BinaryPulsar

Hello Ladies, im curious what the "for women" part of the program is.
i personally can't see why weightlifting should be handled differently for men and women. so why choose it over one of the old and proven "unisex" programs like stronglifts and starting strength? i don't want to read the whole thing just to find that out.

It's not different from a men's program. It's just written as an introduction to women. And uses photos of women. And talks about specific types of questions or concerns that women may have. As others said, I found some of that annoying.

CanGirl40

I did not love every single exercise, but I did like that they changed regularly and I *really* loved the way my body changed!

^^what she said. I'm just finishing the last stage (stage 7) which has taken me over 6 months. Some stages were better than others...sometimes I liked all the variety and sometimes it seemed way to complicated. But I'm glad I did it.

And I was injury-free until stage 6 (reverse pull up) and totally effed up my elbow....still waiting on that to heal...

mmddwechanged

Hello Ladies, im curious what the "for women" part of the program is.
i personally can't see why weightlifting should be handled differently for men and women. so why choose it over one of the old and proven "unisex" programs like stronglifts and starting strength? i don't want to read the whole thing just to find that out.

It's not different from a men's program. It's just written as an introduction to women. And uses photos of women. And talks about specific types of questions or concerns that women may have. As others said, I found some of that annoying.

So glad to gear someone else use the word annoying:)

mumtoonegirl

I loved it. It seriously changed my life and body. I cannot say enough amazing things about this program. It opened me to strength training. Never felt better. I finished it in January and had incredible results.

0OneTwo3

Exactly . The author tells me how I think differently than a man or how I probably underestimate my strength or the differences between men and women physiologically throughout. This annoys me. If there are still women who want to lift heavy and at the same time don't want big muscles, it explains stuff to them.

It's not different from a men's program. It's just written as an introduction to women. And uses photos of women. And talks about specific types of questions or concerns that women may have. As others said, I found some of that annoying.

hmmm, i expected it to be less - well- sexist. But if it gets a few more women who are still on the fence into lifting then it's still a good thing i guess.

thx for the info

cmeiron

I don't like the way he makes assumptions about women and compares the sexes the whole way through.

^ Yeah, this also. It got old pretty fast. :indifferent:

BinaryPulsar

Exactly . The author tells me how I think differently than a man or how I probably underestimate my strength or the differences between men and women physiologically throughout. This annoys me. If there are still women who want to lift heavy and at the same time don't want big muscles, it explains stuff to them.

It's not different from a men's program. It's just written as an introduction to women. And uses photos of women. And talks about specific types of questions or concerns that women may have. As others said, I found some of that annoying.

hmmm, i expected it to be less - well- sexist. But if it gets a few more women who are still on the fence into lifting then it's still a good thing i guess.

thx for the info

It does help a lot of women to get past the fear of being bulky (or losing curves) and to lift heavy and realize the benefits of that. But, I think by the time most women pick up the book, they would not be thinking that way. And it really only takes a brief explanation to get past that misconception. and can certainly be described in a less presumptuous way.

But, the authors are good and they have a good program. This is not their only book. I actually love their book: "The New Rules of Lifting for Life". Even though it's addressed to my mother's generation (people that are in the age range of the authors).

BinaryPulsar

I skimmed through a copy of NROLFW, but it was kinda TL;DR for me.

I like to keep things really simple and my workouts short. I also don't have access to a gym, so a lot of it was out anyways. I didn't really love the looks of the "diet" plan either.

Yeah, the diet plan put me on an extreme cut and I wanted to be at maintenance (my TDEE is higher than most people my size).

meshashesha2012

i didnt like it as a strength training program. after stage 2 it gets really complicated, overly cutesy with the moves and the exercises are less geared towards building strength.

the routines also get longer (up to 90 minutes) and you start needing a lot of space and a lot of props. i think it's probably best as a home workout when you dont have to share a space with multiple people, but in the gym it can be pain jumping from station to station and hoping that no one else jumps on while you are doing something else.

plus i understand that the book is written for women who have never lifted anything heavier than 5 pounds, but i think the tone it takes to tell women it's OK to lift is a bit condescending.

snooj

I think the book is a great read, nutrition a joke, the lifting program ok, but overall wasn't a fan of it. My biggest issue was some of the accessory exercises. Some of them were awkward to do like YTWL (make each letter with your arms with dumbbells) and lateral flexion (looks like you're showing off your camel toe to the world). It also didn't include enough of the big lifts to my taste. There were phases without squats, bench presses, pull ups, etc. It was also a really long program. Some days were over an hour and a half. After a few phases I stopped and now I do Rippetoe's Starting Strength.

Pmagnanifit

I have not followed the nutrition or the program but reading the book got me into lifting. I am old forty one ex- athlete but never did any weights seriously. It has helped me get through the worst exercise slump and got me reinterested in working out

froeschli

I found it well written and even entertaining (except for the constant reminder that i am a woman - like i'd forget :-p).

anyhow, doing stage 1 of the training plan now - with a few changes to suit the equipment i have at hand. and picked up a few ideas from the nutrition plan. i also am still doing my 10k running program, i tack it on right after the lifting, because it leaves me too sore the next day.

so far, i like the slow progression, and that it only takes 20 minutes for the workout. so it looks like i am a candidate to switch over to stronglifts 5x5, got the app already, just didn't want to 'quit' my current program. so i am at least going to finish stage 1.

almc170

I skimmed through a copy of NROLFW, but it was kinda TL;DR for me.

I like to keep things really simple and my workouts short. I also don't have access to a gym, so a lot of it was out anyways. I didn't really love the looks of the "diet" plan either.

Yeah, the diet plan put me on an extreme cut and I wanted to be at maintenance (my TDEE is higher than most people my size).

I had that issue, too. To get anything remotely approaching reality with their calculations, I had to subtract about 10 years from my age.

As far as the program, I only did Stage 1. It was a decent intro to lifting, but I decided to bail on the rest of the program in favor of a simpler routine.

DavPul

i'm really hoping this thread dies again. i keep opening it up to weigh in on it again but then deciding not to bother.

dkhuff1

I have done NROL4W twice and also picked up NROLFor Life. I injured myself twice doing NrL4W but I did see increases in strength and loss of inches up till I got hurt. I really enjoyed the program but did not understand how bad some of the exercises were for me due to my previous knee issues. With the For Life book, I still have issues with many of the exercises. If you dont have great knee stabilization , even the for life exercises can be bad to start with. One issue I have with the program, is that it does not I corporate any meaningful stretching. This is what led to my injuries. I found that for heavier people like me, the body wright matrix is not a good idea. My physical therapist felt that some exercises in the program are just not a good idea such as any of the ones with a barbell on your back/ shoulders-- you are better off holding dumbbells.

My suggestion if you do it is that you add pilates or some sort of dedicated stretching program so you don't get hurt. After getting hurt twice it just wasn't worth it for me and now I do my own programs where I mix it up. I ended up heriating a disc. That took months from which to recover-- no program is worth that.

I have worked with a physical therapist to develop good stabilization in my knees and build up my back and core so that now I can do some of the NrOf lifting for life workouts, but I am super careful about stretching now

Coquette6

I started it and really enjoyed Stage 1. I also think it's a great read for any woman wondering about nutrition, benefits of lifting, why women should lift the same way men do, etc. I found Stage 2 a little complicated though, and have since switched to Stronglifts, but I still think NROLW is a valuable resource.

suelegal

Hello Ladies, im curious what the "for women" part of the program is.
i personally can't see why weightlifting should be handled differently for men and women. so why choose it over one of the old and proven "unisex" programs like stronglifts and starting strength? i don't want to read the whole thing just to find that out.

It's not different from a men's program. It's just written as an introduction to women. And uses photos of women. And talks about specific types of questions or concerns that women may have. As others said, I found some of that annoying.

So glad to gear someone else use the word annoying:)

This isn't a brand new release. I think more women lift heavy now than even in the recent past and I think women who were cardio bunnies and only used 1# and 3# DBs do underestimate how strong they are and how much weight they can push, and I think that's the woman the book was speaking to. There's an old saying "take what works and leave the rest"

I am on Stage 7. I didn't sub out any of the exercises. I could do some easily, others I did poorly but the program works for me. I am much stronger than when I started out.

texanintokyo

bump

NavyKnightAh13

I read the book, tried following the program, and lost interest. I do still weight lift, but i use what they had set up as a guideline since my time is also short (30-45 minutes two to three days a week) bumping for reactions.

Ocarina

I didn't like it because the moves were a bit awkward, complicated, and hard to do. (For me!)

I much more benefited from doing something similar to Strong lifts but with four compound exercises three days a week. They were all exercises recommended on Bodybuilding.com that covered all body parts and are themed. They are also easy to comprehend and do, albeit challenging when you add the weights!

vanessa915

This has been a really interesting thread for me since I've been gearing up to start NRoL4W. I even printed up the workout logs for the entire program.

I got to discover my enjoyment of lifting heavier weights a few years ago with a particular trainer that really pushed us girls (I was in a small group class thing) to lift much more than we thought we could, and I'll be forever grateful to him for that. I haven't lifted weights in a few years though, and lately I've been realizing how much I miss it. So I dusted off my copy of New Rules and was going to get started on it, but now I'm re-thinking my strategy. After reading all these comments, I'm thinking I may only do stage one, then perhaps move on to Strong Lifts from there. It sounds a little more up my alley for the longer term.

tatasmagik

I bought the book and read it. Then I decided to do Stronglifts 5x5. Stronglifts is MUCH simpler, and the reason they choose the exercises they do is common sense and the movements are natural. Now, I'm not saying there is anything wrong, exactly, with NRL4W, but I wanted something simpler and easier to get into. I love it so far, and its FREE. If you do check it out, join the group:
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/groups/home/4601-stronglifts-5x5-for-women
They have a summary all written up so that you can skip all the over-the-top manliness in the book.

Similar. I started SL5x5 and after reading here, decided to pick up NROLfW at the library. It was okay, sometimes funny, sometimes a bit condescending for my tastes (woman does not = idiot), I skipped right over the meal plans, and think the workouts are too damn long and complicated. SL is a better fit for me.

All that said, I don't regret having read it. I'm just glad I didn't buy it!

gsmithnp

I've been doing it for a few months now (currently halfway through stage 4) and I like it. I can see a difference in my body composition, even though I'm not losing much weight. I'm definitely stronger, and I haven't had nearly the trouble with back/neck pain and headaches like I was before.

Yes, the workouts are getting a little more complicated, and I do have trouble with some exercises (like the front squat/overhead press) due to my neck issues. If my neck muscles get too stiff/tight I'll get migraines. I also use my home gym and so don't have all the equipment the program calls for. In those cases I just modify as much as I can.

For instance, I have a pulley that works for pulldowns, rows and reverse woodchops, but I can't do horizontal chops with it because the pulley is in a fixed position near the floor. So I use a weighted ball for that particular move. I also don't have the means to do the back extension, so I do one of the alternate exercises recommended in the book. I also don't have good enough balance yet to do one-point rows without falling over, so I will rest my back foot on the weight bench just for balance. For partial one-leg squats I will rest my fingertips on a sturdy object just to keep balance.

If I find I'm running out of time, I might skip the intervals or body weight matrix at the end, or do 2 sets of everything instead of 3. I do cardio on my alternate days so I figure over the course of the week it evens out.

Bottom line is I try to follow the program as closely as a can, and modify as needed. I'm still getting results, so I can't complain. There are often variations of the exercises in the book, and I'm sure you could get on YouTube and find other variations as well that might work better for a given exercise you might have trouble with. I would think that as long as you are working the same/similar muscle groups you would get similar results.

Warchortle

It turned me into a man.