Hi All - did 2A3 yesterday. I lost my workout sheet yesterday at the gym, so this is what I *think* I did. (I am glad I post my weights here, so I was able to go back and recreate my sheet!)

FSPP 65x10, 65x7
Step ups. 60x10, 60x12
1pt row. 60x10, 60x12
Static lunge. 50 x 12, 50x12
Push-ups 12/11/10/10
Plank (did not do because I did yoga after lifting)
Horiz row. 60x10x2

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great to have you back Holfi!

I did 2A3 this morning too! I recently increased my calories so I've been seeing some great (for me) gains on my lifts!
FSPP 50x10x10 60x5
Step ups. 75x10, 85x10 (on each leg)
1pt row. 65x10, 70x10
Static lunge. 65x10, 70x10 (on each leg)
Push-ups 10/10 (on bench :grumble:)
Horiz row. 50x10x10

And for fun:
Deadlift 135x8 AND 185x3 <

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bodyweight Deadlift for the FIRST time!
Battling Ropes intervals
3k meter row in 500m intervals

I'm looking ahead to Stage 2 (still have a few workouts left in Stage 1). Is everyone doing the wide leg deadlift on a box. It seems the trouble I'm having with my form now (so I'm told) is that the bar is too close to the ground so my back is rounding out at the bottom. The solution is to bring the bar up to the height it would be if there were big boy (or girl) plates on it (like 35 pounders, not 10). Seems like if I stand on a box I will make this problem worse. Those of you doing the dead lifts on a box, are you able to keep your back slightly arched without rounding out?

ps- I see some familiar avatars from Stage 1 in here... looking to join you soon!

I have one more Stage 2 workout left, I can't believe how fast this stage went.

I enjoyed stage 2 much more than stage 1. I also pushed much harder this stage than stage 1. I am feeling more confident and less worried what others in the boy section of the gym think.
I am excited for Stage 3.

OK, I'm miserable. Hello, nice to meet you!

I just started Stage 2 today and I'm feeling really discouraged. I did a great job with stage 1 and have been watching what I eat (80% paleo) since January and I'VE GAINED 10 POUNDS. I feel fat and like this isn't working. I'm just wasting my time and making myself miserable for no reason. Ugh. Must just be an off day. Thanks for listening.

maple - Sorry that you are struggling. 10 pounds is a lot to gain over 10 weeks. have you been watching portions or just content? Have you been logging what you are eating? Did you measure yourself with a tape measure before you started?

venom - it takes me about 50 minutes, but I don't to all of the core work at the end (ie i combine the crunches and reverse crunches into one move.)

Rachie- I agree that stage 2 is going fast...good for you on feeling more confident and pushing yourself!!

holfi - the widegrip is just the worst for all of us ladies with weak grip to begin with!!

sjw - look straight ahead like the woman in the book is doing. that will help to keep your back flat. I just think the "from a box" thing is weird because you dont put the weight down, so the goal of increasing the range of motion really doesn't happen, does it?

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so today I did 2B3

widegrip from a box: 120x10x2
BSS: 50x12x2
underhand lat pulldown: 85x10; 90x10
reverse lunge w reach: 30x10; 30x12
cuban snatch: 20x10x2
v situps: 15x25x2
side lifts: 25x15x2
pushups:12, 12, 12, 12, 21
only 5 min of HIIT...ran out of time.

I only have 3 more lifting days of Stage 2! This stage flew by! NEXT week I'll be on to Stage 3! Yikes! Overall, I'm loving this stage. Workout B is my favorite. I'm def not seeing the gains I did in Stage 1 but that's ok....I still feel like I'm getting stronger!

OK, I'm miserable. Hello, nice to meet you!

I just started Stage 2 today and I'm feeling really discouraged. I did a great job with stage 1 and have been watching what I eat (80% paleo) since January and I'VE GAINED 10 POUNDS. I feel fat and like this isn't working. I'm just wasting my time and making myself miserable for no reason. Ugh. Must just be an off day. Thanks for listening.

Girl, I feel you. I typically eat 90% primal (not this week with having guests though! Oops!) I've been yo-yo'ing since I started. It's frustrating. I'd ditch the scale but I'm in a weight loss thingy with some friends. In 2 weeks or so I'll be hiding the scale for a while. Have you been measuring yourself? I have and I've lost inches so at least I have that. Hang in there!!

Also keep in mind weight fluctuates by about 5lbs up and down every day. Water retention (from working the muscles) can cause an increase in "weight" but that doesn't mean you aren't losing fat. :flowerforyou:

Thanks Ladies. I'm feeling better today. You are all right. I must get rid of the scale. I did not take measurements when I started but I did when I finished Stage 1. I will check them again at the end of Stage 2 and Stage 3. I wanted to quit last night but I'm not going to.

Re: Food
I tracked everything I ate for all of January and some of February. I don't eat large quantities but I know I have too much sugar. I try to stay under 100 carbs/day but I'm usually closer to 150-200. Boo. I eat 1200-1500 calories a day.

In mid January I went off birth control pills. I had been on them for about 13 years so I'm sure this was quite a change for my body. Could that contribute to the weight gain?

Meh. I'll try to ignore the scale in the corner and just keep lifting. For what it's worth, my clothes fit the same.

Now, I am going to go back and read this thread and get to know you ladies!

@lcuconley - thanks for your help

I am absolutely terrified about workout B tomorrow. I'll do it but man do I still ache from workout A.
Feel the fear and do it anyway.

. I eat 1200-1500 calories a day.

That's the problem, imo. You're not eating enough.

I agree about raising your calories. It's hard but worth it in the end.

Well my first version of workout B was a success and a total disaster. :laugh:

The weight room was rammed again so I couldn't start off with deadlifts. I went straight to the Lat pulldown. I have serious balance issues with the reverse lunges. I think I'm going to start going them barefoot and see if that helps.

Then I didn't set the bench right for the Cuban Snatch and kept sliding off. Also the lightest dumbbells are too heavy for me to use with that so I couldn't even do it right. I was just so embarrassed :embarassed: that I gave up half way through the first set. When I got upstairs (out of the weight room, I had an 'a-ha!' moment and now know what to do with the bench. I don't care if they're Barbie weights I'm taking the right dumbbells into the weight room to use with the bench next time (and setting the bench up properly). :laugh:

As soon as I went to do my deadlifts, I stood somewhere so I could see myself in the mirror and some person decides to stand between me and the mirror. Grrrrr. Felt better about them today despite being in a full room and not quite being about to do 10 in a row. I did five rested for 45 seconds and did the other five. I'll see if I can do all ten next time.

Also all these lunges are killing me. My hamstrings freaking hurt!
I will conquer this. I'm dammed if I'm going to let a little set of exercises defeat me so easily.

Finally got around to workout b this morning. My time has been very limited this week so only two workouts...

Much preferred it to workout a. I did standard but wide grip dead lifts. Super loved the split squats! Going to try with more weight next time as I only did it with 10kg, mostly because my legs are still sore from a brutal metafit class on thurs.

Cuban snatch was harder than I thought it would be- managed 6kg (13lb) dumbbells. Don't think I will be adding any weight any time soon!

I agree the reverse lunge requires a good deal of concentration and did not help that a friend kept chatting to me throughout the second set...

Intervals on the treadmill... I'm thinking of trying to do workout b right before a metafit interval class next time. It doesn't really matter how you do it, does it?

Venom- I always feel so self conscious the first time I'm trying to adjust the equipment to do a new exercise- for example setting up the bench to the right incline! Squishing my boobs against the bench in the Cuban snatch was not comfortable!!

Lol "Cuban Sandwich".

I did S2 B4 today, but will do each workout again once more.