Finally plucked up the courage to walk into the gym with my printed workout spreadsheet, plus photocopies of the moves for STage 1, put them in front of the poor unsuspecting trainee instructor who was expecting to design a workout for me and say 'this is what I want you to show me'.

This is awesome! Some people are afraid to ask for help at a gym. Good for you!

I did this too with my free personal training session, she chose to go a whole different way. So I went in the gym with clipboard, and book as reference, and just finished Stage 1 A 1-4, and found I have been somewhat sore but not really.

TWO part question

Hi everyone - just started this yesterday - but am doing the "metabolism reset" from the EM2WL group. I'm pretty sure I'm gonna get "fat" lol. Anyway, really not sure what the consensus is for Stage 1... cardio on off days or no cardio? Cardio on workout days or no cardio? If you do cardio - eat back the calories to get to your tdee (if doing metabolism reset... have 7 weeks to go before I reduce tdee - 15%). OR should I not bother with the reset and just do TDEE - 15% and eat back anything that dips below BMR? Ugh - this is so confusing, lol. So... light cardio off days, light cardio lifting days, or no cardio for stage 1?

Part 2 - I have a Pacific Fitness Zuma that was given to me... can I use it and dumbbells to do most of this? I can't do a gym right now

Thanks in advance!

O.k. this just proves I can't quote! :embarassed: Sorry about that!

If you haven't watched them yet, rewatch the videos on TDEE & resets. When doing a reset, you are trying to eat at maintenance. Just ensure that when doing the calculations, if you are doing the 3 days of lifting, you are at least setting for moderate activity. MFP doesn't calculate weight training well, and this will play with your numbers a bit. As you are just starting, you may want to eat back your calories, especially anything below BMR. Adjust as necessary, you may even need to bump up a bit. The key part about reset is to reset your metabolism, and your brain! Feel free to friend me, and I'll try to help you through it! The eating philosophy is slight different than that in the NROLW in that EM2WL doesn't change calories on the days you don't lift. Until you've finished your reset, and have been lifting for a bit, you'll find adjusting your caloric intake to the TDEE - 15% more beneficial. One step at a time! Get your macros down, as you'll need it for this program. These workouts were designed to have rest days in between for the purpose of muscle building. You can do cardio in between, but you'll want to keep it light. I hope I've not confused you further!

As for part 2 of you question, I will be using free weights. The book has alternatives to those items that you may or may not have such as the seated rows and the lat pulldowns. HTH, and sorry for the double quote LOL

so glad I read through this bc I thought I was the only one confused. Now it all makes sense!

Hi Nancy, I quickly was able to go over 100# with squats (but I already had muscular legs). So you might be limited by that weight quickly or eventually depending on your abilities. I say, just politely ask the men to step aside if they aren't using the equipment. They'll probably be shocked into compliance, and I bet it won't take long for you to be accepted into the club!

Just purchased this book on iBooks! I'm super excited to start this program, but first I READ. :bigsmile:

I have bought the book, read it and marked the pages I will need to review at the gym.
The exercises don't scare me. I want to start right away. However I am very very nervous about doing some of these things in the middle of the gym for everyone to stare at me. I also have never used any machines before. I wish I had someone to go with me.

I am a little worried about the diet as well. I completely broke metabolism. It is getting better, but I am unsure if I can eat at the recommended maintaince for me without gaining weight. I am at my goal weight and not looking to lose anymore.

I could use some support and friends who are also doing this program so feel free to FR me.

Don't be scared! Go in there and show all the boys how it's done!! I didn't know what to do either, but faked it. Now just go in there and do my thing. I finished the program around March of this year. Doing NROLFAbs right now.

Don't be scared of the cals. Try at maintenance and see how things go for 4 weeks. Then adjust to your goals. You can do it!

I'm reading the book now, and will start the program on Monday. I'm 54 and have been obese/overweight for about 15 years. I hover around 190 - and have weighed as much as 210.

I prefer working out at home. Recently moving into the city has my knees aching - subway stairs and sidewalk pavement can be killer sometimes. I have issues with the "jump around" of many workouts. There isn't anything structurally wrong with my knees - YET. I need a workout that builds, without too much stress on my knees. At a glance - this seems to fit the bill.

I am about to start this program tomorrow.... First time going to a gym and am actually kinda scared/nervous. I had pretty severe social anxiety, as I have gotten healthier it's gotten better... I wouldn't say it's "severe" anymore, but I still do have a legit case of social anxiety... Even just thinking about going I start to feel nauseous, and then when in the actual situation my head becomes cloudy ontop of the nausea,. When I go out I usually make my kids tag along so I have the distraction, but obviously can't do that here... This is a huge leap out of my comfort zone for me, but one I must take as my progress doing at home videos has stalled for the past 5 months. It's time.

Any tips would be so much appreciated...

Also, I am a little confused on the schedule... Not really sure what I am suppose to be doing tomorrow... I keep reading it in the book, but I'm afraid the anxiety thing is preventing my concentration... I NEED to conquer this!

I am about to start this program tomorrow.... First time going to a gym and am actually kinda scared/nervous. I had pretty severe social anxiety, as I have gotten healthier it's gotten better... I wouldn't say it's "severe" anymore, but I still do have a legit case of social anxiety... Even just thinking about going I start to feel nauseous, and then when in the actual situation my head becomes cloudy ontop of the nausea,. When I go out I usually make my kids tag along so I have the distraction, but obviously can't do that here... This is a huge leap out of my comfort zone for me, but one I must take as my progress doing at home videos has stalled for the past 5 months. It's time.

Any tips would be so much appreciated...

Also, I am a little confused on the schedule... Not really sure what I am suppose to be doing tomorrow... I keep reading it in the book, but I'm afraid the anxiety thing is preventing my concentration... I NEED to conquer this!

good luck tomorrow. I go to an army gym so I totally get the intimidated thing but I actually try to harness it and make myself work harder. Take it slowly in stage 1 at the beginning, don't break yourself and you WILL get stronger. but if you hurt yourself you will be out of action and won't be able to do anything - so go easy till you feel comfortable with the moves.

I am about to start this program tomorrow.... First time going to a gym and am actually kinda scared/nervous. I had pretty severe social anxiety, as I have gotten healthier it's gotten better... I wouldn't say it's "severe" anymore, but I still do have a legit case of social anxiety... Even just thinking about going I start to feel nauseous, and then when in the actual situation my head becomes cloudy ontop of the nausea,. When I go out I usually make my kids tag along so I have the distraction, but obviously can't do that here... This is a huge leap out of my comfort zone for me, but one I must take as my progress doing at home videos has stalled for the past 5 months. It's time.

Any tips would be so much appreciated...

Also, I am a little confused on the schedule... Not really sure what I am suppose to be doing tomorrow... I keep reading it in the book, but I'm afraid the anxiety thing is preventing my concentration... I NEED to conquer this!

Can you have a trainer or employee from the gym show you around the free weight area? this might help. it helped me. After a couple of times you will feel more comfortable, until then just walk in like you own the place and ignore anyone around you. In my experience most are ignoring me. not in a mean way just in a *let's get this done* kinda way. Good luck to you and let us know how it goes!

I hired a trainer as well! It's made all the difference in the world. If you still need help with the actual exercise order, let me know and I'll lay it all out for you. I found that to be very confusing!

I was doing a bit of reading about shoes and lifting and I have been wearing my running shoes and some say that can cause joint and knee pain...well I have the knee pain and was wearing my running shoes. So starting next week I am back to day one with no shoes, and a little lighter load to start off with

yeah me

I was doing a bit of reading about shoes and lifting and I have been wearing my running shoes and some say that can cause joint and knee pain...well I have the knee pain and was wearing my running shoes. So starting next week I am back to day one with no shoes, and a little lighter load to start off with

yeah me

You should wear special shoes for lifting?! What kind? No way am I going barefoot at the gym.

I just came across a before and after from someone who used this book and she looks amazing! I am at a VERY small private college with less than 1000 students and so we dont ahve big gyms. luckily though the two small ones we have have some weights so i can try to get to working when i get back from christmas! Has this worked for anyone?

I just came across a before and after from someone who used this book and she looks amazing! I am at a VERY small private college with less than 1000 students and so we dont ahve big gyms. luckily though the two small ones we have have some weights so i can try to get to working when i get back from christmas! Has this worked for anyone?

I work at a small community college and use the very small weights area of the gym. It's worked fine for me so far, Sometimes I have to get a little creative because there isn't much space there. For example, for the step ups I take the step and weights into the stretching/yoga area because there's no space between the benches. I'll work up to stepping up on to the bench eventually. We have limited weights, but I haven't run into anything I don't have the equipment for or can't modify a little.

I am using the workout log that is in the book, I feel it is sufficient enough with sets reps and weight per set logging. I am however still feeling a bit confused on the actual flow of the workout. for workout A do I do workouts 1 and 2 together on the same day? also the special workouts is that for the last of every routine??