FTR I hate the squat with the (light) DB overhead and the (heavy) DB between my legs... I swear people in my gym stare when I'm doing this one.:noway:

On another note, I've been using my Bodymedia for about two weeks and I'm surprised by two things.
#1 That my average number of calories burned in a day is hovering around 2500 (non-workout days) and around 2800 (workout days). Would never have guessed at 5'6" and 140 I was burning that much. All the online calculators were pretty far off, I think the highest any calculator ever gave me was around 2100 or 2200 a day.
#2 On lifting days my calories aren't really higher than normal unless I do interval training afterwards (which I typically do). I know that you don't burn as many calories lifting as opposed to cardio but the burn lasts longer after lifting, but my bodymedia doesn't seem to reflect that in a signficant numbers jump. Don't get my wrong I do burn more simply because I'm doing a lot of walking around the gym, but it's not close to 300 calories (as the book implies) if I don't factor in my interval and warm-up. And I do really push myself when it comes to lifting (sweating, breathing hard, etc).

I cannot bring myself to do three sets of planks, let alone 4. Today I did two sets of planks, 2 sets of BWM and 3 sets of everything else. One day I'll do the 4 sets. I just never have time!

Where is everyone? I want to share my misery. I wish I liked this stage, but I just don't.

I cannot bring myself to do three sets of planks, let alone 4. Today I did two sets of planks, 2 sets of BWM and 3 sets of everything else. One day I'll do the 4 sets. I just never have time!

Where is everyone? I want to share my misery. I wish I liked this stage, but I just don't.

I will share misery!!! I despise the billion squat and lunge jumps. I did them on friday and am finally not too sore again today. And yes, I only did 3 planks too. They are so boring!!! :laugh:

Ok where is everyone. So quiet here. Is it because we LOVE STAGE 5 SO MUCH?!?!?! Yeah... 3 more workouts and I'm done.

So who is moving on to Stage 6 vs. skipping Stage 6.

I think I'm going to give Stage 6 a try!

Aqua - did you finish? I' have ONE more Stage 5 workout left which I plan to complete Wednesday. Then I will start Stage 6 next Monday.

I'm nervous about negative chinups (but excited for pushups again - I can do those!).

I will NOT miss:
- 2-hour planks
- One-arm dumbbell overhead squat
- Single-leg Romanian deadlift.
- Body weight matrix

...just to name a few.

DONE! Here are my ending stats:

Workout A
DB one-arm snatch 32.5 lb
DB single-leg Romanian deadlift 25 lb (each)
DB bent over row 115 lb
DB single-arm overhead squat 20/35 lb (one day I tried 40 and hurt my back)
DB incline bench press 35 lb (each)
Plank - 3 sets of 2 minutes each - only did 3 sets once. usually only did 2 sets.
Reverse woodchop 32.5
BWM: best time 2:11 (not even on final workout though)

Workout B
BB DL bent-over row 120 lb
Partial single-leg squat 35-lb plate - I did these on a bench, initally holding out a medicine ball. Holding the plate was awkward, but made it harder.
Wide-lat pulldown 130 lb
Back extension - 25lb plate
YTWL - 15lb DBs each hand - very proud to get to 15 lbs - 2 workouts in a row
Swiss ball - 15 lb med ball 15 reps X 2 sets (final workout - I varied these depending on my mood. Doing only 4 reps never felt right though)
Lax Flex - 12 reps X 2 sets
Prone cobra - eventually stopped doing these...oops.
HIIT - always did 2 min walking, 1 run. Finally get 8.0 mph on the treadmill today (just for 60 sec - lol)

I just finished the first workout, nothing new. I kind of don't like the fact that it's only 4 reps. I know it means to increase weight and I really did try to, but I felt like the workout went really quick, except for BWM, they suck and take forever. I even did four sets of everything. I'm sure I'll be sore tomorrow anyway.

Hey Emtabo! I'm here now...starting stage 5 tomorrow monring and just glanced at this thread and the book now! I'm glad the moves are from other phases because I don't have time to learn any new ones...however, I'll make sure I do the YTWL or YTML whatever it's called properly this time!

We can commisserate together! LOL Now I need to go look up what my ending weights were for stage 3...or 2...or whatever it was...LOL

Hi Cangirl! Glad I'm not here totally alone. Does it seem like each stage we progress to, there's fewer people posting at each one? I posted something on the main page about whether stage 6 if worth it bc no one is posting on that thread either. I'd love to learn how to do a pull up, I plan to do the stage but seriously have doubts I'll be able to do a pull up, I've never been able to even pull myself halfway up. I'm a skeptic.

Stage 5 has seemed to go pretty quickly, I only have three workouts left. I hate hate hate the BWM, but from my first to third workout I've gone from 4:30 to 2:30 and I'm definitely not as out of breath as I remember being the first time I ever did it. God I wanted to die then! Good luck to you with stage 5!

Hey Emtabo! You have a good point...there seem to be fewer people as the stages go on...I guess others quit before reaching certain stages...I am the same as you....doubtful I could ever do a pull up but I would LOVE LOVE LOVE to be able to do one!!!!!! I'm very thin framed and don't get muscle easily so this would be a huge NSV for me!!!

OMG, I soooo wasn't looking forward to the BWM today, it BURNED so bad!!!!!!!!!! The first time I ever did it back in stage 3 my time was like 4:30...today I did the second set at 3:24 and was happy with that progress! Hoping I can break the 2 minute barrier by the end of the stage...

I really like Workout A...I find I can stay in the "man cave" until the reverse woodchop...I still detest the one arm overhead squat. But at least I finally figured out I'm supposed to balance the overhead weight with a heavier weight on the bottom. I was trying to do this move with only one dumbbell and it was damn near impossible! LOL

Love the one-arm snatch, can totally do plank x 3, bentover row is ok but I can only do 55lbs right now.

Question re: DB incline press...I switched to a barbell with a safety bar because I couldn't control picking up the heavier DBs for the move...do you think that's ok...I used the bar (I assume is 45) + 10# so a chest press of 55 total...I'm afraid of upping it too much that I lose control...

hey you two, have room for one more? haha. i finally did my first stage 5 workout today, i like this stage way better than 4. i got pretty lazy through 4 and most of stage 3 as well. some weeks i was only getting in one workout so my strength didn't progress like it should. so this stage i'm really going to push myself and try to get in 3 workouts a week!