I did 85lbs BB on the static lunge today!! Can I just say I thought I was going to die...LOL! I let out a big grunt towards the end and DID NOT care who in the whole gym could hear me...I consider it roaring ;-) And I bumped up all my weights (at least for a few reps of each set). Yay!


Anyway, today was my official last Stage 2 A Workout...on to B on Friday and then resting the weekend for Stage 3 on Monday.

I hope you all are having a happy Hump Day.

On 1B - can I split the workout in two? I won't have time to do the interval part today. What do you ladies think?

The HIIT training? I think the book recommends doing it right after because you are using the last bit of fat something chemical (don't know the name)...but others do wait. Can you do it after A instead? That is when I do it (though I sneak after B too)...

I have my last Stage 2 workout tomorrow and then I am moving to Stage 3 on Monday!!

Limp noodle = progress

I started Stage 2 yesterday and it kicked my *kitten*. It was pretty awesome. I was totally destroyed at the end and it felt great. Before NRL4W, I never got the rush from weight training that I did from cardio.

Going to get on the scale today before some light cardio, and see if I have gained or lost weight. and I really, really have to track more.

I tried the front squat/push press with the Smith Machine, because I wasn't sure about my form. I had to do the sets with just the bar, because I couldn't do it with *any* weight, even thought I had been up to 60 lbs for regular squats. I want to "graduate" to the squat rack, and my gym has some really light bars (the plastic/rubber ones) so maybe I can see if I can handle the 12 lb one.

For step ups, I'm doing the step + 3 levels and I could do it with 40 lb dumbbells yesterday. Am I going too heavy? Should I use lighter weights and a higher step instead? Either way, this is progress, I don't think I could even pick up a 40 lb dumbbell when I started, much less two of them!!

One-point row was a challenge, and I expect I will get better at it, I was more focused on keeping my balance and used 15 lb dumbbells, they felt light.

Static lunge was fun, but I am feeling it today, my quads are yelling at me when I walk up or down stairs.

I can't do full push-ups yet. I'm doing them from a bar set low on the squat rack (about mid-thigh).

I used to be able to plank for more than a minute, it was part of my warm-up. I stopped doing it when I started NRL4W. On the second "set" I could do 41 seconds, so I think I will get back soon.

Excited for my first B workout tomorrow or Sunday!

Grrr, the computer ate my post!!

I finished (officially) Stage 2 today! I am still trying to up my weights each time but man, it's getting hard!!

Workout A:
Front Squat/Push Press: 45 - 60
Step-ups: 50 - 60 (can't hold any heavier in my hands...I am going to try a barbell but I am scared of falling over)
Dumbbell 1-point Row: 15 - 25
Static Lunge (rear foot elevated): 55 - 85
Push-ups: T10 - T10
Plank: 60 - 60 (on bench and ball)
Wood Chop: 20 - 30 (I feel like I can do more but I can't keep my feet from sliding)

Workout B:
Deadlift (from box): 115 - 145
Split Squat: 40 - 50 ( would have tried heavier today but the 30DB's were all taken)
Undergrip Lat Pull-down: 75 - 90
Reverse Lunge/Forward Reach: 10 - 15 (but I am not doing as stated in the book, I am making my arms paralell with my eyes looking straight on in the mirror, not at my feet like in the book)
Prone Cuban Snatch: 10 - 10 (woo, this is hard...especially for my left arm)
Swiss Ball & Reverse Crunch: 10 - 10
Prone Cobra: 60 - 60

Ok, so I don't do the lateral flexion...I just don't get the "work" of it...maybe I am doing it wrong...IDK.


I am excited to start Stage 3...

Awesome gains Amanda!

Starting Stage 2 today, excited!

Hello Stage 2 ladies! I'll be starting stage 2 tomorrow. Can you please tell me how long workouts A and B average you? A seems to be much shorter than B. During the week I go to the gym after dinner and I want to make sure I leave myself enough time before they close.

Also I can't imagine doing the intervals after the B workouts! During Stage 1, especially towards the end, I was D O N E by the end of each workout. Now Lou and Alwyn want me to do cardio after??? YIKES!

Hey Jam. My workouts are averaging about an hour. I dont do the interval training after workout B. Instead I do it the next day. Hope this helps

Susan I didnt take the break. Just jumped right in cuz I was so excited, lol. Good luck
Welcome to stage 2 SteAnn!

Started stage 2 last week. Workbook kicked my butt, but it was great!

susanmc31, I didn't take a break because I missed a few workouts during stage 1 (as in I had two weeks where I only worked out once or twice). I figure that was enough of a break.

Thanks melissaw1232! It was a really good work out.


I really liked workout A1 of this stage. I had trouble with my balance doing the dumbbell one-point row, but balancing myself will help with strength and eventually it will get easier.

I did have trouble with the lunge with the rear foot elevated. I just couldn't do it. I kept trying to lunge and almost falling. I ended up giving up and just doing regular lunges. I'll have to practice the move because I found it awkward.

Finished 2A2 yesterday. It was much smoother than the first go. I moved the first super set with the step ups down to be the very last super set. Made it a much better workout for me. I was able to use good form through all my sets and not have all my energy sapped right out of the gate. I also used my Gymboss for the first time. That thing is pretty handy! Sure was nice not to have to keep checking my watch and hoping I added right/remembered the right numbers. Just wait for my handy, dandy Gymboss to vibrate and get back to it.

Did workout B for the first time today. Bulgarian split squats hurt like crazy after doing deadlifts!

I find the reverse lunge from box move very awkward, hopefully I get better at it. I really enjoy the dumbbell Cuban snatch, I really felt it in my arms and it seems like an awesome move! Can't wait to get ripped! haha

Morning ladies!

Nthnbut whats a gymboss? something like a stopwatch? If Im wearing my hrm I used that for my time.
Does anyone else take a break during the static lunge or BSS when switching legs? Im doing 80lbs and that really taxes me so I take a 30-45 second break.
Moved up to 80lbs on my stepups last night. super stoked about that but I realize that my left leg is weaker than my right. who knew?
I just love using the barbell for everything cuz I couldnt hold more than 30lb dumbells. I feel so much free'er
3 more workouts till Stage 2 is in the books! woo-hoo

Melissa,

I wear a HRM as well, but my brain just cant seem to hold numbers and add numbers to keep an honest time for rests. A Gymboss is an interval timer and a stopwatch in one. It beeps or vibrates depending on what you have it set to at the moment. I love it. Mine is set to vibrate and clipped to my top. So when I finish my set, I put down my weights, reach up and push a button. It vibrates once to let me know its timing me (Ive already got my times worked out on it). Then 75 seconds later it vibrates again to tell me to get my butt back to work. No more remembering when I finished the set or trying to add the time in my head. (Yes, Im that bad at addition when I cant breathe!) Also, I dont have to take my HRM off to see the clock when Im planking or doing that prone cobra. I just unclip my Gymboss from my top and stick it on the floor in front of me. I was terrified the thing would be complicated to work. It was all for naught. Once I had it in my hands and read the instructions, it was pretty easy. You can find them at www.gymboss.com if you are interested in more info.

I did my first A workout today. It was hard! I can't balance on the one-pointed rows either. Would lighter weight help? And are you supposed to do 5 on one leg and 5 on the other or 10 and 10?

I can tell I'm going to have to modify quite a bit in this stage working out at home, and I'm not sure how I feel about that.

I did my first workout today too! It was tough, I loved it! I too had trouble doing the one-pointed rows, I used 17.5 weights in each hand hoping that they would balance my leg...lol. I think you are supposed to do 5 on each leg, which I found hard after doing the squats and set-ups, my legs were like jelly. Good luck!

Did workout B for the first time today. Bulgarian split squats hurt like crazy after doing deadlifts!

I find the reverse lunge from box move very awkward, hopefully I get better at it. I really enjoy the dumbbell Cuban snatch, I really felt it in my arms and it seems like an awesome move! Can't wait to get ripped! haha

You enjoyed the Cuban Snatch??? god Bless you! lol
I hate it but I do love the reverse lunge tho and the BSS & Static Lunge :-) We all have our vices..hahah

I do really like it! I hate lunges, haha.

Morning ladies,

So last night was 3B. I managed to up my deads to 120!! I did 2 sets of Squats after just because I miss them so. Finished up the routine as scheduled. No gains in anything else.