Tonight is workout 8A........getting close to completion of Stage 1, and I am excited for my two special workouts! I can not wait to see my gains during this stage.

First and foremost in the gains department is:

1) Being comfortable in front of the mirror lifting the weights with all the incredibly big men standing around me!


2) Looking forward to giving the squat/ push press a whirl in Stage 2!

3) Currently being able to squat half my body weight + !

4) Finally not dreading lunges as much! I STILL HATE THEM! I'm not mentally crying when I start my set!

I did my last A Workout yesterday and tomorrow is my last B workout...I'll post progress numbers then! Can't believe I'm finished Stage 1!!!!

I think I've maxed out my Step Ups though... I can lift heavier but the 14kg dumbbells are so chunky they hit off my legs and knocks me off balance..don't know what I'm going to do as Step Ups are in Stage 2!!!

I've done the first two days and should do day 3 today.

my bum muscles are killing me though. Not sure if its from the lunges on my 2nd day, or spending yesterday afternoon running around after dogs (and fell on my bum at one point, but its not that kind of pain). I guess the squats will hurt more today than they did the first time :laugh:

I just finished Stage 1!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Can't believe I actually stuck to it! So proud of myself. A few days off now and then onto Stage 2.

So here's my starting and finishing weights for each workout (weights are in kg)

Workout A
Squat : Start = 10kg Finish = 55kg
Press Up : Start = 60degree Finish = 30degree
Seated Row : Start = 5kg Finish = 35kg
Step Up: Start = 5kg (each hand) Finish = 14kg (each hand)
Prone Jacknife : Went from not being able to do these at all to doing 15

Workout B
Deadlift: Start = 10kg Finish = 47.5kg
OHP: Start = 5kg (each hand) Finish = 8kg (each hand)
Lat Pulldown: Start = 20kg Finish = 35kg
Lunge: Start = 5kg (each hand) Finish = 14kg (each hand)
Swiss Ball Crunches: BW to 10kg plate

This Great! Tonight is my B8, and then my AMRAP ..... I SOOOO EXCITED!!!!

Finished 8B last night all that's left is my AMRAP workouts on Wednesday and Friday.

Here is where I started:



WORKOUT A (started 10/21/13)

Squats: 40 lbs. 15x 2

Push-ups: 45 degree angle 10x 2

Seated Row: 50 lbs. 15x 2

Step- Ups: 40 lbs. (total) 15x 2 (5 risers on an aerobic step)

Prone Jackknifes: 10x 2



WORKOUT B (started 10/23/13)

Deadlifts: 50 lbs. 15x 2

Dumbbell Shoulder Press: 12 lbs. 15x 2

Wide-grip Lat Pulldown: 50 lbs. 15x 2

Lunge: 24 lbs. (total) 10x 2 (per leg)

Swissball Crunch: 10x 2



AND THIS IS WHERE I ENDED:


WORKOUT A (ended 11/22/2013)

Squats: 135 lbs. 8x 3

Push- ups: plank 8x 3

Seated Row: 90lbs. 8x 3

Step- ups: 50 lbs. (total) 8x3 (workout bench)

Prone Jackknifes: 15x 3




WORKOUT B (ended 11/25/2013)

Deadlift: 100 lbs. 8x 3

Dumbbell shoulder press: 25 lbs. 8x 3

Wide- grip Lat pulldown: 70 lbs. 8x 3

Lunge: 50 lbs. 8x 3

Swissball Crunch: 5 lbs. 15x 3



I am SUPER please!!!!!!!! :happy: :happy: :happy: :happy: :happy: :happy: :happy: :happy: :happy: :happy: :happy: :happy: :happy: !!!!

Rest and on to Stage 2!! Starting 12/09/13

Just finished yesterday and I have AMRAP tomorrow! Over all I have lost about 4 lb in weight but I feel stronger and more energy in everyday movement. I lost one inch around my hipborn circumference too! Here is my finishing stats.

Workout A
Squat : Start = 40lb Finish = 100lb
Push Up : Start = on work bench Finish = floor
Seated Row : Start = 30lb Finish = 80lb
Step Up: Start = 15lb(each hand) Finish = 25 (each hand)
Prone Jacknife : start=8 Finish=15

Workout B
Deadlift: Start = 50lb Finish = 95lb
OHP: Start = 10lb (each hand) Finish = 15lb(each hand)
Lat Pulldown: Start = 52lb Finish = 67.5lb
Lunge: Start = 10lb (each hand) Finish = 25lb (each hand)
Swiss Ball Crunches: BW to 20lb weights.

Very happy with the results! Can't wait to start next stage.

Sup everyone.....

Final workout is tonight, but I am posting now since I won't be increasing any more tonight. Then next week I do the bonus workouts, which will be a nice change up. So here we go:

Squats: 45 lbs -> 95 lbs
Push ups: 15 on the floor -> 8 on push up bars. I have been able to do these for years, military helps with that lol. So the first workout I just did the 15 on the floor, and from there I raised my legs up more and more. Then Tuesday I shifted and started using the push up bars, so that I have to balance and get lower into the push-up.
Seated Rows: 45 lbs -> 70 lbs.
Step-ups: BW -> BW+15 lbs dumbbells. The gym I go to has an actual step-up machine, which is great! I love it as opposed from the benches I used last time I started. I have balance issues, so the ensured stability really helped out. I started with the step just shy of 90 degrees, and then by this last Tuesday, I had the step up to where my knee started at a 90 degree.
Prone Jackknives: 8 reps -> 15 reps.
Deadlifts: 65 lbs -> 105 lbs
Dumbbell Shoulder Presses: 10 lbs -> 25 lbs
Wide-grip Lat Pulldowns: 50 lbs -> 80 lbs
Lunges: BW+5 lb dumbbells -> BW+15 lb dummbells
Swiss-ball crunch: 8 reps -> 15 reps, I could have added weight here, but I decided to do slow, controlled reps rather then pump them out.

I'm a newbie and just finished 2B today. The result y'all are getting are inspiring!

Ok.. feeling a little stuck and looking for suggestions.

Step-ups --> Hate them. I am using a step that is pretty much bench level and I have about a 90 degree step-up (maybe a little more, lets say 95). Although my reps have went from 12 to 10, the sets have increased from 2 to 3. I can't move up in weight, I am stuck at 45 lb. Should I lower the step or just keep up with the 45 lb?

So, I started with stage one on January 8th. I am doing really well. With the shoulder presses my gym only jumps on incriments of five and I was not able to go to 15 pounds, I started at 10 and have stayed there when I was supposed to up, but it is still challenging and I am still doing 15 reps. I am assuming this is ok since I cant do the 15 pound weights yet? lol

Another thing is I don't have a good base for the step ups. I either have a 6 inch step or 18 (or so) inches. The 18 inches is SUPER tall for me and I have to hop off the leg I have on the ground to get up there, since I don't have the leg strangth to get me up otherwise... This seems counter productive to me :P So, since I dont have a good step, do I just ude a different work out? I was thinking of switching to this:

Does that seem ok?

And one last thing. When I am working out I work to the point where is doesn't feel like I am capable of doing any more reps and my legs and arms feel like jello, you all know that feel good feeling after a great work out! ;P So, here's the question: I feel some slight soreness in my arms and chest the next day, but nowhere else. Am I still getting a good work out??

Sorry this is so long, I just don't want to be counter-productive, I really want to do this right!!

Thank you so much and good luck to everyone in your continued fitness goals!!

So, I started with stage one on January 8th. I am doing really well. With the shoulder presses my gym only jumps on incriments of five and I was not able to go to 15 pounds, I started at 10 and have stayed there when I was supposed to up, but it is still challenging and I am still doing 15 reps. I am assuming this is ok since I can't do the 15 pound weights yet? lol

If you can't increase then you can't increase, nothing wrong with that. There will be plenty of other times during the program that this happens. Just stay at the weight you are currently at and then increase when you can.

Another thing is I don't have a good base for the step ups. I either have a 6 inch step or 18 (or so) inches. The 18 inches is SUPER tall for me and I have to hop off the leg I have on the ground to get up there, since I don't have the leg strangth to get me up otherwise... This seems counter productive to me :P So, since I dont have a good step, do I just ude a different work out? I was thinking of switching to this:

The thing with the step ups is it actually works the same and different muscles than the decline leg presses. Do you have a weight bench? Those are the perfect height. With the step-ups, which not pushing up with the other foot is prefered, it is okay to do if you have to in order to get momentium to get up. Think of when you climb stairs or hike a hill, you don't use only one leg to help you climb, you use one to hoist and the other to push. The combination move comes from the push of one foot and the pull of another.

And one last thing. When I am working out I work to the point where is doesn't feel like I am capable of doing any more reps and my legs and arms feel like jello, you all know that feel good feeling after a great work out! ;P So, here's the question: I feel some slight soreness in my arms and chest the next day, but nowhere else. Am I still getting a good work out??

The soreness you feel 2-3 days after is delayed onset muscle soreness, or DOMS. And it is actually not an indication of how good your exercise went. I hardly ever get DOMS any more, and I workout to the point where I am usually dripping in sweat.

Thank you for the feedback! I just remember last time (7 or so years ago) when I started working out on the regular, I was sore all the time, so I wanted to make sure that I was still "working out" as silly as that may sound

I am using a bench for the step ups, but I have shorter legs so my thigh is about 30-14 degrees and not flat and I was kinda worried that was a problem

Thank again!!

If you don't have a way for your leg to get 90 degrees, then what ever is close with out going over. You don't want to over bend the knee with a lot of weight. You can, but it puts unnatural stress (using the weights) on your knees and that can cause problems. I started using the bench, until I realized my gym had an actual step-up machine (you can adjust the height, and it has a pully so I can use machine weights of my size is all taken up) then switched to that.

With the bench, I found it better to have my knee under 90 degrees and less of a step up becuase the cushions made me feel very unstable. I had a lot of balance issues which I am working hard on with this program (this program fixes balance issues like none other I have seen...except for yoga lol).

Thanks for the info! What does a step up machine look like?? lol If I google it it shows me stair steppers! My gym has a pull up assist machine, could that be used?? Thanks so much for all the help!!

Question! how long does each stage take? Ive tried figuring this out but i'm so confused!

Would this machine be ok to replace deadlifts? My gym does not have any "free" olympic bars. (they are all attached to the squat racks, you cannot take them off) The only free bars go up to 60lbs and you cannot change the weight.

Results!
Squat.. 20 + bar -> 90 + bar (50 amrap)
Push-up.. on floor -> T with 3lb (20)
Row.. 45 -> 150 (35)
Stepup.. 30 dumbell -> 65 barbell (30)
Prone jackknife.. 15 whole time (30)

Deadlift.. 50 + bar -> 90 + bar struggling (16)
Lat pulldown.. 50 -> 75 (25)
Lunge.. 30 dumbell -> 60 barbell (25)
Press.. 20 -> 45 (30)
Sit-up.. Regular -> with 35 lb (35)

I did the amrap in the same day which was a lot more than I thought. In order to move up on legs, I had to switch to barbells because my grip was terrible and I could barley get through lifts (happened with deadlifts in end too).