Workout 1A done. The squat push press wasnt as hard as I thought, but I only did the 45lb barbell. Definitely plan on increasing things on 2A as nothing felt challenging other than planks and static lunges. But I really liked the workout! Gonna focus on form a lot during this stage.

Ahhh someone convince me to get my *kitten* to the gym tomorrow and start Stage 2. For some reason I'm just stuck, I feel like I'm not going to know what to do!! I have now taken a week and 3 days off from Stage 1. Yikes!! Okay, I'm starting tomorrow!!!

Stage 2 is fun once you get all the lifts down. I HATE going in there and looking like a reject but that's what comes with learning more stuff.

I am starting Stage 2 tonight! I am feeling a little nervous, but also anxious to get it going. I feel off not lifting for a week.

Hi everyone. I am not at Stage 2 just yet but coming up on it soon!! Do you do interval training after each workout, A & B? Or is it only after B b/c it's on the bottom of the B workout sheet?

Thanks!

Lateral fexion-- choose 1
Hip flexion-- choose 1

This doesn't mean choose either lateral flexion or hip flexion. It means choose one of the lateral flexion excersises (I think there's the 3 Hanna flexions) and then choose 1 of the hip flexion options. It should have the pages listed for the options you have. (Do Kindles have pages?)

And I only do the intervals after B, since A has the body-weight matrix.

I finished with Stage 2 today. I really liked it and found it challenging. I'm excited for Stage 3 and ready to tackle the Body Weight Matrix.

Here are my numbers:

Front Squat/Push Press -- start with 45 lbs x 8 reps, end with 55 lbs x 10 reps
Step-Up -- start with 15 lb dumbell x2, end with 20 lb dumbell x2 (also with better form and less cheating)
Dumbell One-Point Row -- start with 15 lb dumbell x2, end with 20 lb dumbell x2 (better balance at the end and able to do 10 reps without falling over)
Static Lunge Rear Foot Elevated -- start with 10 lb dumbell x2, end with 20 lb x2
Push-Ups -- start with hands on step with 2 risers, end with regular push-ups on floor
Plank -- start 60 sec. x2, end 60 sec. x2
Cable Horizontal Wood Chop -- start 17.5 lbs, end 32.5 lbs.

Deadlift (didn't do widelift deadlift from box) -- start 95 lbs, end 115 lbs x10 reps & 125 lbs x 10 reps
Bulgarian Split Squat -- start 25 lb weight plate, end 35 lb weight plate
Underhand Lat Pulldown -- start 85, end 85 with better form
Reverse Lunge from Box -- start 10 lb dumbells x2, end 25 lb dumbells x2
Dumbell Prone Cuban Snatch -- start 5 lb dumbells x2, end 10 lb dumbells x2
Swiss Ball Crunch -- start 10 lb plate on chest 25 reps, end 10 lb plate over head 27 reps
Reverse Crunch -- start floor x10 reps, end floor x15 reps
Lateral Flexion -- Hanna Lateral Flexion start 10 reps, end 15 reps
Prone Cobra -- start 60 sec x2, end 90 sec x2

Intervals on Treadmill at 1% incline -- started at 3.7 walk, 5.4/5.6/5.4/6.0 run, ended at 3.7 walk, 6.0/6.0/6.0/6.2 run

I'm feeling much stronger, have much better endurance and much more confidence in the gym. I'm excited to move on to Stage 3, and am even looking forward to Stage 4 so I can make more improvements on my end results.

Back from vacation. Thinking I'm just going to re-start Stage 2 since I only got 1A and 1B finished. My diet was HORRIBLE while we were traveling and I am feeling the effects of it.

Thanks for the link, jrreed. I personally have just started doing push-ups on the floor and doing them as far down and with as correct form as possible. Still not anywhere near perfect, but this is how I conditioned myself to do them as a teen.
I decided to re-start Stage 2 yesterday. This way I will (hopefully) be able to do it consistently without any major breaks.
The Squat Push Press kicks my butt! I feel so week doing those with just the bar. Oh, and the One Point Row makes my booty soooo sore. And planks.......ugh.

Have any of you decided to just do regular DLs instead of the DL from a box? I felt like it put too much strain on my back in spite of going down on weight. Maybe I need to work on form more.

Hey guys I did my first stage 2 workout last night and really struggled with the front squat part, bar just seemed to be jarring my collar bone? I tried pushing my elbows forward but with the bar on my fingertips it was just pulling on my wrists? Did anyone have these problems?

Run, I think you'd be fine either way. If you feel like you need a week off, take it. I think Lou addresses the fact that we NEED breaks every so often, but the exact timing isn't quite as important as long as we get them.

Girlie, I don't really roll it onto my fingers as he says in the book. It puts too much strain on my wrists and makes the "press" movement choppy and unsteady. I tend to balance it in my palms and stick my elbows out. Maybe as we get stronger it will be easier to do it as he describes.

I have to admit that this week has been really off for me. I did 2A on Monday, but had the kids with me so I rushed through it and didn't feel like it was much of a workout. Tuesday I felt like quitting. I haven't lost any more weight and I wondered if maybe I should try something else. Tuesday evening I read an article entitled "8 Reasons Your Weight Training Results Suck". I realized that I wasn't pushing myself at all the last several workouts. Last night I did 2B and REALLY pushed myself. My DL from a box was 140lbs. I burned nearly 300 calories according to my HRM and I didn't get to do the HIIT (did it tonight). I felt so much better after I wore myself out. Lifting is awesome. I know some people say that they miss the "runners high" they get from cardio, but I definitely get a "lifting high".