NROL4W - What next?

Starting Strength, Stronglifts, Wendler's 5/3/1, Westside, there's a billion of them out there. Pick one that looks good and go for it.

If you like the NROL4W program, I hear NROL Supercharged is pretty good. Much more customizable than NROL4W as well, so you could work around exercises that aggravate your back.

You can't complete NROL. You just go back to the original routine but start at a higher weight. So before you started with an empty bar and worked up to 40 lbs, now on week 1 you start at 40 and go up to 75.

You never complete a lifting program. It's not BioShock or Halo. You keep increasing the weight. You'll outgrow the program when you outgrow all the weights in your gym.

After completing NROLFW and looking at Stronglifts, I've come to the conclusion that Stronglifts is just basic movements that will not strengthen me for real life, like climbing stairs and carrying boxes. I think it is very MEN focused to build big MEN muscles that don't really work in the real world. It is focused on front thigh, chest, back and shoulder muscles. No back thigh, no calves, no biceps, no stomach, etc... it seems that the program is based on winning world body builder contests, which are focused on how the muscles look on the stage in front of judges and not for real life needs. Just because someone has big muscles does not mean that the small tissues and ligaments are strong, which is why so many body builders have injuries, because they are focusing on what muscles look good instead of what muscles we are really using to get through our every day lives.

I've come to the conclusion that Stronglifts is just basic movements that will not strengthen me for real life, like climbing stairs and carrying boxes. I think it is very MEN focused to build big MEN muscles that don't really work in the real world. It is focused on front thigh, chest, back and shoulder muscles. No back thigh, no calves, no biceps, no stomach, etc... it seems that the program is based on winning world body builder contests, which are focused on how the muscles look on the stage in front of judges and not for real life needs.

You've come to the 100%, utter, complete, wrong conclusion.

a) StrongLifts is a strength program - not a hypertrophy program which is what bodybuilders focus on.

b) If you think you don't get your hamstrings, biceps, and stomach (abs) worked, you're doing the lifts wrong, or have a misguided sense of what the lifts entail. Squats and deadlifts both work your hamstrings (deadlifts moreso) and your abs (I personally find squats moreso, but others may disagree). The rows you do in SL work your biceps.

c) They are all compound lifts, which exactly prepare you for real life. Not bicep curls or leg extensions or crunches etc.

Supercharged or For Life?

I did it either while doing a deadlift or while putting the bar back on the rack. When I went to sleep that night I woke up needing to go to the toilet and I literally couldn't get out of bed, the pain was excruciating!! I ended up going to the hospital and now I can't even remember what the actual damage was! But it wasn't anything permanent, it took a few months but went back to being good. Although I can feel it slightly still when doing deadlifts or squats.
Now that I've started running training again it's hurting again..but nothing a few yoga sessions can't help. I need to make sure I'm not leaning forward when I run!

So, it's more of a I don't want to because I'm scared, rather than I cant :-)

I bet you are. Sounds worrying. Can you get someone to check your form while you are doing deads or squats with an empty bar?

One of my gym buddies has a dodgy back but finds deadlifts, squats and anything else I throw at him to not be a problem. I am so worried about injury so am very focused on form (from my understanding of body mechanics).

As to where next, do you have any goals? Perhaps you can make your own routine up as you'll have developed an understanding of things. For instance, do you want to train up for a particular sport? In which case, making what you do more plyometric in nature and powerlifting moves may be of use.

Or perhaps you want to take up a sport eg rock climbing or gymnastics/calisthenics if you're thinking of real world strength.

That's where I'd look next, anyway.

You can't complete NROL. You just go back to the original routine but start at a higher weight. So before you started with an empty bar and worked up to 40 lbs, now on week 1 you start at 40 and go up to 75.

You never complete a lifting program. It's not BioShock or Halo. You keep increasing the weight. You'll outgrow the program when you outgrow all the weights in your gym.

I am aware of this. I am bored with the program, that's why I want to do something different, hence why I asked for people's opinions on other programs to try. But thanks for adding your condescending toned response...there's always one!

You're welcome. Good luck on achieving your goal of not getting bored. Weird fact: I've been following the same program for almost 15 years and haven't gotten bored (or "completed") it yet. I guess that makes me a simpleton. A condescending simpleton at that.

Or maybe I don't find steady progress and achieving goals as boring as some others do.

I usually like your posts but you were acting a bit of a condescending jerk in this case.
Nobodys saying you can't do the same routine for 15 years, but OP wanted advice on what other programs to look at.
Both ways are fine.