Stage 7 Questions (the final countdown)

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  • MyOwnSunshine
    MyOwnSunshine Posts: 1,312 Member
    I'm going to do some running and hot yoga during my rest week for the same reason. With the low reps in Stage 6, I think I've pushed my weights a little too much. I have a very sore shoulder and a very sore quad muscle. I think my body actually needs this rest week.

    Are you doing Stage 7 exactly as written? I'm not sure if I want to drop my weights enough to do 4 sets of 15 reps. I was thinking about doing 4 sets of 8, 10, and then 12 reps instead, all with the same weight.

    What are you guys doing after Stage 7?
  • baxgilter
    baxgilter Posts: 246 Member
    MyOwnSunshine! Dont drop the weight! The whole point of this stage is to burn fat so the muscle you have built throughout the program shows better. Let me tell you this stage is kicking my *kitten*. I did workout two last night and I wanted to quit on set two of squats. I pushed through though. It keeps my heartrate in the same range as when Im running, that is awesome! Stick to the program, only do the 30 second rests and push hard. Like you I didn't want to drop my weight but I did about a 20% drop in everything and that seemed to work well. Lets keep each other motivated!

    - JoAnna
  • MyOwnSunshine
    MyOwnSunshine Posts: 1,312 Member
    Okay -- I'll give it a try, because I really want to burn some fat! I'm starting on Tuesday or Thursday, depending on how I feel.

    What are you doing after this? I'm debating Stronglifts or NROL Supercharged along with running.
  • I am following the program and doing the reps listed. The first workout was harrrdd. i haven't sweat like that from just weights in a loong time! I am so sore today. If this is what it takes to burn off some fat and have those muscles shine through, I will take it!

    I think I will do supercharged next. I went to the bookstore to get it today but they didn't have it, so i am ordering it from amazon right now.
  • baxgilter
    baxgilter Posts: 246 Member
    Im thinking either supercharged or 12 weeks of stronglifts, haven't decided. Completed stage 7 wkout 3 today. I missed deadlifts! Love them. Hate the squats with one leg elevated. Blah! Keep me posted!

    - JoAnna
  • MyOwnSunshine
    MyOwnSunshine Posts: 1,312 Member
    Static lunges with rear foot elevated suck. That's all I have to say about that.
  • 2nd workout done today. I don't really care for the dumbell squats with heels elevated - I would prefer to just do regular barbell squats, but i will stick to the program. I have come too far to veer away from it now.
  • MyOwnSunshine
    MyOwnSunshine Posts: 1,312 Member
    After completing workout 2, I think Alwyn Cosgrove and Lou Schuler are some sadistic *kitten*! LOL

    Those dumbbell squats with heels raised on plates were crazy! I am going to have some wicked DOMS for the next few days. I'm going to try to run tomorrow, but probably won't go very far or very fast.

    Is anyone going to repeat this stage?

    It is so brutal and I hate every second while I'm doing it, but if I get some good fat loss results, I may think about doing it one more time.

    I'm still having a hard time deciding between Supercharged and Stronglifts once I finish.
  • baxgilter
    baxgilter Posts: 246 Member
    I finished the 6th workout yesterday, I need to decide by tomorrow if Im going to do another round or not. LIke you said it is painful (good pain) but I think it would be beneficial to do it one more time. We shall see. Way to stick with it and keep kicking *kitten*!

    - JoAnna
  • I did workout #4 on the weekend, I *think* I am going to do this stage twice. It is difficult, it's kicking my butt every workout, but I am enjoying it. I haven't had DOMS after every workout consistently in any of the stages, so I have to think it's doing something good!

    I have supercharged at home and just started reading it. I think I will start that after I finish NROL4W....and of course a nice full break week!
  • jrreed1
    jrreed1 Posts: 57 Member
    I'm considering doing this stage again because I'm not really sure where to go after this. The increased sets/reps were tough, but I loved the increased cardio from it.
  • MyOwnSunshine
    MyOwnSunshine Posts: 1,312 Member
    I'm leaning towards repeating, too. I hate the workouts while I'm doing them, but I am getting good results.
  • I just finished my second time through workout #1 in stage 7 - that is one hard workout. I was hoping to get up to 20 reps on each exercise (the first time through I just did 15), I was only able to do that on the lunges, push ups and some of the rows. My grip wouldn't let me do 20 reps of the deadlift.

    Are you guys doing 15 or 20 reps in this stage?
  • MyOwnSunshine
    MyOwnSunshine Posts: 1,312 Member
    I did 15 (barely) the first time through. The second time through I'm trying to do 18 if I can. The third time, I'm shooting for 20, but I won't hit it on all the exercises.

    This stage is killer! I kind of want to repeat, but I don't know if I have it in me.
  • baxgilter
    baxgilter Posts: 246 Member
    Sunshine, Repeating a third time!? I most certainly don't have it in me. It is a mental battle as it is. Good luck if you really are!

    - JoAnna
  • MyOwnSunshine
    MyOwnSunshine Posts: 1,312 Member
    No, I'll be glad to make it through once!

    I meant that the first workout I do 15, the second time for that workout I do 18, the third 20.

    I'm seriously debating whether I'm up for repeating or not. LOL
  • baxgilter
    baxgilter Posts: 246 Member
    Oh gotcha! It is totally worth the second time through for a total of 12 workouts, but mentally tough. Ive seen great results that is why I contemplated a third time through, but not going to happen haha. Now I just need to figure out what to do next that will continue to give me the great results stage 7 has.

    - JoAnna
  • MyOwnSunshine
    MyOwnSunshine Posts: 1,312 Member
    5 down and 1 to go! I don't think I've ever had DOMS this bad in my legs.

    I am going to commit to doing at least 2 more Stage 7 workouts (the squat and deadlifts), and perhaps a total of 4 more. I don't really think the bench/row lead-in days do that much for me, so I'm going to skip them and just rotate the squat and deadlift lead-in days.

    Planning my Basic Training I Supercharged workouts and looking forward to a rest week. :smile:
  • baxgilter
    baxgilter Posts: 246 Member
    If you don't think that are doing anything, up the weight silly!
  • MyOwnSunshine
    MyOwnSunshine Posts: 1,312 Member
    And done! (with workout 6 of Stage 7)

    I'm going to repeat a few because I'm not ready to take a rest week, so I'll do 2 to 4 more and then a rest week and then move on to Supercharged.
  • Starting my second time through Stage 7 tonight. Partly because I am still reading NROL for Abs and not quite ready to start yet.
  • MyOwnSunshine
    MyOwnSunshine Posts: 1,312 Member
    I decided to consider this week my rest week and move on to Supercharged, since the first 4 stages of Supercharged are considered "fat burning" too, and that is my focus right now.

    I'm kind of excited to plan my own workouts. I just need to make sure I plan to do things I hate as well as the ones I love.

    I'm actually looking forward to doing Bulgarian Split Squats, Front Squat Push Press and those one-legged Romanian dumbbell deadlifts again. There are a lot of new exercises that I can't wait to do, too. Funny that I'm so excited to exercise -- that's definitely never happened to me before, and why I love this program so much.
  • allikat819
    allikat819 Posts: 125 Member
    Anyone else still in Stage 7?

    I just did the first workout last night, feeling ok this morning, but I'm waiting for my DOMS to kick in on Monday. Man, was that a tough workout. The 30s rest really never gave me a chance to catch my breath -- I guess that was the point!
  • MyOwnSunshine
    MyOwnSunshine Posts: 1,312 Member
    I'm finished, but I will commiserate. Those static lunges with rear foot elevated in A, and the step ups in B are the most brutal part of the whole program!
  • BarbellCowgirl
    BarbellCowgirl Posts: 1,271 Member
    I'm here! I will doing the first workout tomorrow. Looking forward to the different pace but not so excited about how hard it will be!
  • allikat819
    allikat819 Posts: 125 Member
    I'm actually a little surprised that I don't have MORE DOMS today... Don't get me wrong, I can feel all of my muscles, but it's more of a reminder that they exist and not so much a full out PAIN that I was expecting! The one exception is my right thigh. I don't know why the right over the left, I think I did everything equally... maybe not so much.

    My legs were definitely jelly after that workout - yes it was hard. But yes - I did it!

    I've got 7.2 tonight!
  • DrMAvDPhD
    DrMAvDPhD Posts: 2,097 Member
    I just did Workout 1 today. I only did 3 sets for the B rotation because I was sick last night/this morning (darn you fried Superbowl foods!) and was feeling really shakey. I'll have to do better for the rest of the stage! But man, it's only been 8 hours and my legs/bum are killing me!
  • BarbellCowgirl
    BarbellCowgirl Posts: 1,271 Member
    I am with you ladies! I nearly passed out on set 3 but kept going. Not very impressed with my weights. I was limited by my grip strength oddly enough.
  • allikat819
    allikat819 Posts: 125 Member
    cowgirl, I found the grip strength to be even more of a problem tonight when I did 7.2!! Particularly for the step-ups... I've been really limited with my apartment complex gym in what I can do, and I need to figure a way to get a higher step so that I can drop down the weights. Step up has been more an exercise in strengthening my fore-arm to keep a hold of a gigantic dumbbell rather working my legs and rear as it should be. I'll figure out something for the next time these exercises pop up.
  • BarbellCowgirl
    BarbellCowgirl Posts: 1,271 Member
    I remember having the grip problem with the high reps in Stage 1 as well. It was only in my left hand though. I am thinking it might partially be due to residual nerve damage in that arm from an old injury. I am soooo incredibly sore today I can tell that the workout was effective.

    Do they have a weight bench you could do step ups on?
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