About to start this week and have a few questions
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yaseyuku
Posts: 871 Member
I'm starting NROLFW this week, likely on Friday, and have a few questions for people who are doing this program or have completed it:
1. I noticed in Stage 1, there are push ups included within the workout. I have never been able to do a push up (as embarrassing as that is to admit) and it is something I hope to improve as my upper body strength increases through the strength training. Did anyone else start unable to do a push up? Did you make any modifications to be able to do the workout?
2. About how long did each workout in Stage 1 take you?
3. Did anyone get decent results without following the meal plan? I'm mostly looking to increase my strength, build up to lifting heavy, and lower my body fat percentage.
4. What weight did you start with? I'm having a bit of trouble figuring what is a good starting point for me.
Thanks to anyone who can help and offer advice.
1. I noticed in Stage 1, there are push ups included within the workout. I have never been able to do a push up (as embarrassing as that is to admit) and it is something I hope to improve as my upper body strength increases through the strength training. Did anyone else start unable to do a push up? Did you make any modifications to be able to do the workout?
2. About how long did each workout in Stage 1 take you?
3. Did anyone get decent results without following the meal plan? I'm mostly looking to increase my strength, build up to lifting heavy, and lower my body fat percentage.
4. What weight did you start with? I'm having a bit of trouble figuring what is a good starting point for me.
Thanks to anyone who can help and offer advice.
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Hi,
I have just started the program. If you look at page 188-191 there are variations for the push up, being elevated at an angle makes it easier.
I have been taking about 30mins to complete each workout, but this is variable as I have to adjust my equipment to the right weights etc.
I am not following the meal plan, so can't offer any advice there. I am already eating a protein rich diet.
Page 134 talks about what weight to use, body weight or weighted. He says you should choose a weight that "you never need to get to the point at which the last repetition of a set is the last rep your body could possibly perform".
I have started out lightish to see what my body can handle, without compromising form, or having to stop after 5 reps. I use heavier weights for my legs (2 x 8.5kgs) than for my arms (2 x 3.5kgs), and I will build it up slowly. It is about trial and error, and adjusting as you go along.
Hope this helps?0 -
I am currently on Stage 3. I agree with everything katie said. I will add that I also did not follow the meal plan, but I tried my best to stay within my calorie goals of TDEE - 20% and getting as much protein as is recommended. I have added protein shakes/smoothies into my diet to help me get there. I have had some really good results, a lot of inches dropped and a couple of pounds too. As far as the weights go, I would suggest starting with the barbell for both the squats and deadlifts and test your strength. Trust me, you'll know when something is too heavy. If it is too light, just add on more weights for your next set appropriately!0
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1. I noticed in Stage 1, there are push ups included within the workout. I have never been able to do a push up (as embarrassing as that is to admit) and it is something I hope to improve as my upper body strength increases through the strength training. Did anyone else start unable to do a push up? Did you make any modifications to be able to do the workout?
I could do about one push up. I started doing them about chest height and by the end of stage one I did 3 sets of 8 real pushups!!2. About how long did each workout in Stage 1 take you?
It took between 40-50 mins, depending on how many warm up sets I had to do for the squat/deadlift3. Did anyone get decent results without following the meal plan? I'm mostly looking to increase my strength, build up to lifting heavy, and lower my body fat percentage.
I am only just starting on stage 2 but I have lost inches, am stronger and my confidence has grown loads. I haven't had one recipe from the book
4. What weight did you start with? I'm having a bit of trouble figuring what is a good starting point for me.
Its a personal thing really. For squats try with just the bar and take it from there, same with deadlift. With the others pick up a weight and see if it feels heavy. For step ups a higher step comes over more weight. On my first log I have lots of comments on if the weight was too light or too heavy so that I knew for next time.
Good luck. I love this program.0 -
For pushup; I did as many real push ups as possible (which at first was 3) and finished the remaining as girl push ups (on my knees). I think doing them at an angle would be easier but I did it this way.
The workouts take me between 30 min and 45 min.
I don't follow the meal plan but I have lost a total of 6" in 4 weeks.
I started with a low weight and have increased each time I felt it was too easy. Sometimes that was in between sets.0 -
Join the group 0
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I am finishing week three .
I do walk push ups and its getting better.
My workouts are generally 30-35 minutes plus add 10 minute bike warm up.
I do not use that meal plan. I am coming off of years of LOW cal and low no carb diets so metabolism needs to be reset. So I do TDEE currently and will not cut by 15% until about end of Sept.
I measured, but last week was my period and I decided against measuring until sunday.
I haven't lifted in years, but I used to lift and started at bar plus 20 for the squat using the Smith machine. I do plan to move to doing without that, but I do have a major knee injury and felt this was best until I felt stronger. I have since increased this to bar plus 40. I started with 10's for dumbell press, and 35 with lat and rows. I started with 18lbs kettleball with step ups.0 -
Thanks for your help everyone. I've decided to start on Friday and look forward to checking in.0
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Did you start? How did it go?0
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Yes, I started! I really enjoyed it and am planning on going back for day two on Monday.
I could only do the wall pushups and had problems with the ball for the prone jackknife which I plan on asking my personal trainer about. I think I was going about them the wrong way.
My starting weights were embarrassingly low but it was a lot better than I could have managed three weeks ago before starting any kind of strength training at all.
Next time I'd like to try the barbell with the squats. There were no empty barbells when I was at the gym and I ended up waiting around a lot in between the sets for a lot of the equipment. Not sure if it was a busy day for the weight room or if that is fairly normal since I'm usually not there at that time of night.0 -
I could only do the wall pushups and had problems with the ball for the prone jackknife which I plan on asking my personal trainer about. I think I was going about them the wrong way.
My starting weights were embarrassingly low but it was a lot better than I could have managed three weeks ago before starting any kind of strength training at all.
I have just done my 5th workout. I started push ups on the dressing table and now I can do 8 proper press ups (although I can't go very low) and I finish the set on my knees.
I also really struggled with the prone jackknife. I think this is really difficult to do at the end of the workout when you're tired (I do them much better in the warm-up). Plus, I didn't read the instructions properly and was trying to do 15 on my first workouts. I only noticed today that I should have been doing 8! I managed 2 sets of 12 today. Gosh, they are hard work though!
Jane
edited to say that my weights were also very low to start but are going up nicely now (unlikely to ever be spectacular though!)0 -
Yes, I started! I really enjoyed it and am planning on going back for day two on Monday.
I could only do the wall pushups and had problems with the ball for the prone jackknife which I plan on asking my personal trainer about. I think I was going about them the wrong way.
These are really hard the first time around. I fell off the ball a few times. Your abs are probably weak so just give it time, it'll get better.0
