A LADY WHO LIFTS - 1 year of progress! (pics)

If you could go back and do it all over, would you still have started with NROL or would you have gone straight to SL?

If I went back, I would definitely either do NROLFW to begin with or I would do Jamie Eason's LiveFit. I haven't actually done Live FIt but I've looked a lot into it and it's a similar program to new rules, starts with no cardio, adds it in in phase 2, has more lifts in each workout and focuses on certain parts of the body in certain workouts.

I don't like how the live fit trainer pushes supplementation so much, even though I think that it can possibly be very helpful, it may not be necessary for everyone or at least not while they're starting out especially if they can't afford it.

I like that nrolfw begins with higher reps and fewer sets and then progresses to lower rep higher weight because it assumes that the average female who is beginning lifting for the first time will *underestimate* how much they can lift (I did!) and thus should start at higher rep and then progress as their confidence progresses.

Nrolfw workouts can be a little confusing at first if one doesn't take the time to actually read the book and read the instructions. It's a short, informational, and really well done book but a lot of people skip to the end for the workouts and then say they don't understand how it's set up. It's confusing but if you read it closely, it is all explained!

And I like that nrolfw has a whole section devoted to nutrition and why eating ABOVE BMR and even at maintenance during lifting is CRUCIAL. I think this is the best information in the book, how to calculate your calories. In fact, I have this old post outlining it if anyone is interested:
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/538943-how-to-calculate-calorie-goals-according-to-nrolfw

I would not start with stronglifts if I went back and started over because although stronglifts is an amazing workout program, I think I would have been very intimidated by it (even more than I was!) if I had started with it. It's very much aimed at men, and as much as I am a proponent of women and men being able to lift the same, I liked having a program that I felt was aimed at me as a female when I first started. Stronglifts is great for me now because it's quick, the workouts are always the same, and it's not anything I have to think about. Plus the app is handy!

Thanks for the great question!