Woo hoo, yeah Mary!!

Wow, you guys don't ever slow down!!

Ebaymommy, I only just started using the barbell for squats. It's VERY different from any of the other squats I was doing. I'm holding at 50 - actually I tried 60 today, and knew it was too much to maintain form. So I went back down to 50 and nailed the form! I can tell cuz my butt is so sore right now. Congrats on your choice!

Mary, I'm so happy for you!

Jo, yea on that 92 pound deadlift!!

I did 8A today. But I was/am feeling under the weather and it wasn't a great workout however, I am happy to report that I did pushups on the floor. No not at all deep enough, but I didn't collapse and I kept my elbows in! Course I almost P*KED after, but I did it. I was too sick to finish the whole workout, and I will repeat this one for sure, because I really want to see what I can do feeling well!

Sam... how do you feel today?

Sue I feel Freaking AWESOME!!. I met with the PT who figured out quick he was going to waste a sales pitch on me. I guess I won't sign up for free ones unless I need a form check LOL. I had my book and my diary and he looked at me and said, "You're pretty hardcore". Made my day! He asked which exercise I was having trouble with and he fixed my form. He reset my hands for the rows and I was able to do them perfect Woo hoo!!. My lunges and squats are "perfect." and he taught me how to do the negative chin ups and how to use the assisted chin up machine. He really liked the book and the other head trainer came over to look at it. They were impressed by the exercises and diet plan and both said, "this is really good stuff.

When he asked what my goal was, I didn't have an answer... I still have at least 5% or more of body fat to lose, but other than that, what's my goal. I finally said I wanted to be that freaky chick who walks up and bangs out a 200lb squat lol And to look like the mother of three I saw at the lake yesterday. Just toned to hell and back.

I did my first Stage 6 workout. Too short and kinda too easy. My muscles feel it though, especially after not hitting the gym after what is now 2 full weeks. I'll have to see how sore I am tomorrow. However, I barely broke a sweat and when I finished I was like, "wait, that's it!" I ended up doing 5 or 6 negatives and chin ups as he was showing me form but they were about 10 secs a piece. I only used the bar for the split squat, and I was bummed that I only did 8 push ups per set. I'll fix that next time. I think my arms were tired from all those damn chin ups. I did use 100lbs on the pull downs though with great form.

One good piece of advice the PT did give me, and it's what Beeps has been saying from jump, slow down, back off the weight and focus on good form!!

Dang ladies! Really nice improvements.

Jo, awesome DL.
Sue, your enthusiasm wants me to do DOUBLE LIFTING DAY. I swear, lifting joy is contagious.
Jessica and Manic on the SQUATS.

Hells yes! So happy for everyone! Glad you're feeling well enough to lift, Tawnya!

I lifted today, but I sucked. Stayed the same on everything. Couldn't do the partial squats because my knee was acting up so I did 3 sets of step ups with 65lbs - which means I'm back to my highest step up weight with the highest step! Yay!

I don't know why I have such trouble with the single leg activities and my knees, though! I was thinking maybe I should take two weeks to do BW lunges, balancing, single leg squats, and all the stage 2 single leg stuff I had to miss because of my knee with bodyweight and see if I can improve this. I stopped wearing the brace as I think it was making it worse. I'm thinking it could be my shoe, too, since I do lunges and stuff in the shoe, but not step ups. Not sure!

WHO KNOWS! Ahaahh. This body stuff is so much trial and error! I've been jugggling the same 5 lbs the past few weeks, but I was on a downward trend before that. I know it's the lax carbohydrate monitoring I've been doing. Just gotta hit those protein goals and it really does come off.

Wish me luck, ladies!

I just got back from the doctor. Um...I'm totally normal. My sodium was 3 points too low so they pulled more blood THEN remembered the diuretic the doctor had prescribed me. Hmmm...so they changed that to a different type but everything else was perfect. So, off to the homeopathic doctor to tackle the fatigue. My regular doctor offered to put me on Wellbutrin for it (an antidepressant) and I was like....no.

New subject -- I got Rachel's book and skimmed the workouts and I REALLY like it! It's set up in 4 four week stages (so 16 weeks all together). The lifts are similar to this program to make it seem doable -- but still different enough to keep from getting bored and put in my arsenal of lifts . Also, no rest period is more than 60 seconds and many are just 30. The last phase has "finishers" which includes the body weight matrix and another combo exercises. Just like with NR's, it's a max of 3 lifting sessions a week but she's also a little more specific about what to do on off days (she gives suggestions for those that have time to workout from 2 days a week all the way up to 6 days a week). Plus, she has a specific warmup that she firmly requires you to do (so instead of my 5 minute stairclimber warm up, it would be her series of different stuff) which moves directly into lifting.

Plus, she was very strict with the reps and doing the program EXACTLY as she's written. She basically says "if I tell you to do 6 reps, do 6 reps - not 8. I ask for 6 for a reason."

Like I said, I got it for $5 off ebay (that includes the shipping) so it's at least a good read.

I just got back from the doctor. Um...I'm totally normal. My sodium was 3 points too low so they pulled more blood THEN remembered the diuretic the doctor had prescribed me. Hmmm...so they changed that to a different type but everything else was perfect. So, off to the homeopathic doctor to tackle the fatigue. My regular doctor offered to put me on Wellbutrin for it (an antidepressant) and I was like....no.

New subject -- I got Rachel's book and skimmed the workouts and I REALLY like it! It's set up in 4 four week stages (so 16 weeks all together). The lifts are similar to this program to make it seem doable -- but still different enough to keep from getting bored and put in my arsenal of lifts . Also, no rest period is more than 60 seconds and many are just 30. The last phase has "finishers" which includes the body weight matrix and another combo exercises. Just like with NR's, it's a max of 3 lifting sessions a week but she's also a little more specific about what to do on off days (she gives suggestions for those that have time to workout from 2 days a week all the way up to 6 days a week). Plus, she has a specific warmup that she firmly requires you to do (so instead of my 5 minute stairclimber warm up, it would be her series of different stuff) which moves directly into lifting.

Plus, she was very strict with the reps and doing the program EXACTLY as she's written. She basically says "if I tell you to do 6 reps, do 6 reps - not 8. I ask for 6 for a reason."

Like I said, I got it for $5 off ebay (that includes the shipping) so it's at least a good read.

Yea that's good news! I would have said no to the Wellbutrin too. I hate that everyone thinks there should be a pill to fix everything. Glad you are going to see a homeopath and I hope you find that this all disappears just with diet change etc.

I like the sounds of Rachel's book! I might go take a look at it.

FunBun, hope the knee clears up easily - I find if i work out in the early morning, my knees complain more but I've gotten past the pain I used to get! But wow, wish I could step up with that weight! I'm a puny 18 lb dbs!

Welcome back MsT!

JNH, so glad you got good news. I have no idea why people, dr.s especially, want to say you're depressed when you're tired. That's just lazy work. If I were depressed, I'd walk in and say, "Hey, I think I might be depressed." I finally went to a sleep Doctor and got a REAL diagnosis.

Rachel's book does sound like a good read. And thanks for the idea of shopping ebay for used books <<forehead smack>>

Samantha, what a great PT session! I'm so impressed. Love your goals, too. I'm scared to get to Stage 6--I have my doubts that I'll be able to do the negative chin-ups or ever do a pull-up. But I guess we'll see! I've thought about having a PT help me with that stage, but my last PT experience wasn't the greatest, so I'm not sure I want to go that route.

And now you've all got me wondering what I should do after NR.... I was thinking SL 5x5, but now I just don't know.

Mary, I'm sorry about your funk. Everyone goes through those, I guess. I'm sure you'll snap out of it soon. Maybe it's just the dog days of summer... Fall usually energizes me (maybe it's just because the kids are back in school and I occasionally have 2 minutes to myself...)

For the person that asked about Rachel's book: