only 3 workouts left of stage one! I finished A7 today.

Current stats:

Squats: 130lbs
Seated Row: 85 pounds
Push-ups : 15 (nose to ground)
Step-ups: 6 risers 25# x 2
prone jackkinfe : LEGS STRAIGHT x7 and 8 more regular. holy balls they were hard!

took me a little longer to finish the workout. I needed more rest between sets. today was a killer.

Happy lifting everyone!

My workout yesterday took about 50 minutes. I was feeling a little sluggish so a lot of it was me telling myself to do the next set (especially with those damn step ups!!!)

For step-ups I like upping the steps and now I'm at 5risers+ a step so that the top of my thigh is parallel to the ground when I put my foot up. I also do 25# in each hand and sometimes I feel like my hands are getting more of a workout trying to grip the dumbbell than my legs! My gym goes up in 5# increments with dumbbells. I think for the last few workouts I'm going to try with a barbell! see how it goes...

Just completed S1A1 and I must say it wasn't TOO bad, but I HATED the step ups! I think I picked fairly decent weights and I finished in about 30 minutes, that was great! I have never hankered down in the weightlifting department though so I am excited to finally follow a program that is simple enough that I don't feel overwhelmed or defeated before I get to the gym.

Oh, y'all. The pizza and I just got real.

Back on it after a forced week off and I have only one thing to say, JELLY LEGS!

I like the dynamic stretching techniques described here:

http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/donald1.htm

I found they really helped me when I was sore.

Hello,

I just started stage 1 and I am on workout B2 on Monday
For workout A seated shoulder rows, I did them at the gym today and than I realized there are a couple different attachments to use.
Does it make a difference which one is used? I am not even sure what they are all called, they had a bar, a curvy bar thingy , a triangular looking thing and something else.

Did stage 1 B3 last night. I did find out the gym does have a section of barbells that go up in 2.5 lb increments and that made me happy.
Deadlift: 95lbs/12 95lbs/12
overhead dumbell press 40 lbs/12 45 lbs/12
lat pull down 75 lbs/12 75 lbs/12
lunges 50/12 50/12
swiss ball crunch 25lbs/10 25 lbs/10

The lunges were really hard and I did have to stop a few times. I agree with everyone that it is hard to hold the dumbells (wrist strength). I think next time I will use a bar and see if I can increase the weight better that way. I still can't increase the lat pull down yet and that is disappointing to me. I was happy with my deadlift weight increase.

Your numbers are super impressive! I can only manage 20 lbs (2 10 lb dumbbells) for lunges and they are HARD! Killer deadlift numbers too. I think I need to push myself harder and work on form there. You should be really proud of yourself!

Just did 1A3. Got it in today, by 10 minutes!

Squats: 12/115lbs x 2
Seated Row: 12 reps with 20lb dumbbells in each hand x 2
Push-ups : 12 at 2" from ground the 6 at 2" from ground and then 6 on my knees like a girl!
Step-ups: 12 at 40lbs x 2 sets (18" step)
prone jackknife : 10x2

Night ya'll!

I'm curious how many of you have done heavy strength training before NROL4W. The numbers I see you ladies STARTING stage 1 with are heavier than I will probably be at when I FINISH stage 1. My next workout is 4B and I'm pushing myself as hard as I can and barely finishing my sets and causing myself all sorts of horrible DOMS and yet my weights are nowhere close to what I'm seeing here. The first day of lunges I could only do 5 each leg with only my body weight. I'm now up to 10 with just body weight and to me that is huge. Overhead presses I had to start with 5 lb dumbbells and last time I did overhead presses I tried 15 lbs but could only do 7 so I had to drop back to 10 lb dumbbells. So I'm honestly trying but my numbers are terrible compared to everyone else. I knew I was a weakling starting out but apparently I'm even weaker compared to most people than I thought.