I'm starting stage 1!
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After many days off due to life I have completed the first AMRAP workout. Thanks to all of you for the encouragement on completing stage 1. I just got caught up on reading how people are doing with the next stages. Yikes. If you guys can do it in I shall also press on.
AMRAP squats - 52 @ 40lbs
AMRAP push ups - 30 modified
AMRAP barbell row - 65 @ 35lbs
AMRAP step ups - 40 per leg @ 20lbs
AMRAP prone jack knife 31
AMRAP seat row 40 on level 6 of total gym0 -
@ sunshinelively You are getting some high numbers on those weights. I am curious if the weight lifting shoes are making a big difference on form for things like squats. I still feel like I don't have it quite right. Maybe I should try the board trick.0
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@ sunshinelively You are getting some high numbers on those weights. I am curious if the weight lifting shoes are making a big difference on form for things like squats. I still feel like I don't have it quite right. Maybe I should try the board trick.
thanks alasin - love your user name btw - slowly improving.
i had been wearing running shoes, since i would go running after. plus it was my only pair of gym shoes. but i noticed they were spongy and hard to balance on so i got some cross trainers which have almost no padding. your foot is much more stable for things like squats and deadlifts. i would definitely recommend!0 -
OH WOW everybody, great work! honestly I can see how lifting has changed all our lives for the better, the feeling is so amazing that I really can't believe I didn't start it earlier.
This week I did another Stronglifts 5x5 workout, mostly because I was short-ish of time and knee problems, and honestly I just wanted good/short lifts and go home. And well, I had to go down on the weights for my squats to 25 but with better form, though I guess I didn't have that better form, it seems I went TOO low on the squats this time and omg, my lower back was hurting, therefore my barbell rows were a disaster. I left a bit upset tho accomplished that I did the chest press with 50lbs (5lbs increase), that's good to be my 2nd time ever doing it. Feeling bad *kitten* about those.
I read about shoulder dislocation helping on the lifts, too late because I had already done my lifts, but it seems to do the trick unlocking those shoulders, mine are all kinds of wrong I think lol. I will do it before my lifts and hope it works with posture while lifting especially those barbell rows.
I also did T25 after SL5x5 mostly because I wanted a day off the next day, I was sore but nothing I couldn't take, my lower back hurting but I know is not injury, probably bad form, and my body is TIRED. So I decided to continue lifting lower or not at all the rest of this week, at this point I'm done with NROL4W, I don't even want to go to stage 3. I want all my main lifts, and shorter more effective workouts. I will focus in cardio to try and reduce that belly fat (my nemesis lol)
Since I didn't have a rest week between stage 1 & 2, I know now that my body is NEEDING a break now. My mind is saying keep going, but my body is saying: I NEED A BREAK. It comes at a great time, going to Disney next Monday-Wednesday, so I will take the week off, my own way, probably lots of stretching and low impact cardio when I come back and I'm getting ready, aka preparing a new schedule of workouts to do more lifting, less cardio. lifting days will be StrongLifts+Strong Curves.
On that note, I bought the book ladies!! Strong Curves!!! I love it, it's like 1200pages in my Ipad but I'm like a kid at a candy store, don't know where to start. lol. Once I'm done reading the book and preparing my workout schedule, I'll share with you for all your suggestions.
I will try to add a progress pic also, of my journey so far and will be my Before pic for my new workout schedule for the next 12 weeks. Can't wait to see more results 0 -
Everyone is doing great. Its so inspiring to read this thread and hear how you are all getting on.
Red: I always bring my music to the gym but the speaker on my phone is broken so the sound is really bad and I can't hear it over the crappy music that the stupid boys are playing! :explode:
Sunshine: those shoes sound good. I would like to get something like that but unfortunately funds are low at the minute. I considered doing it in my socks but to be honest I don't really feel like my shoes are impacting on my lifting. Maybe if I tried without them though I would change my mind!
Alasin: those stats are great. Well done!
Maya: Enjoy disney. Im not jealous, not even a little bit...
I did stage 2 workout A1 today. Omg, those static lunges nearly killed me! Just looking at workout 2 and im not really sure what the difference is between the static lunge and the bulgarian split squat. Am I missing something obvious?0 -
ok girls, as promised, my progress pic.. it took me hours to upload, so bear with me... i really needed to see this pics side by side, I might not be where i expected to be, but I'm making slow steady progress...
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@doumc... i think the difference is in the form the foot is resting on the bench behind, but i also dont think there was much if difference between the two, both were equally hard.
and it's my first time going to disney, i wasnt particulary excited but my baby cousin loves it, and just going through the website and the rides and the shows, and her excitement, im super excited now hehe. not so much for the 4hrs driving by myself tho, i guess thats why i'm taking it easy now, need to be rested. now that i know how to post pics, i can share some of my trip maybe 0 -
Maya: You are doing SO well! Look how far you've come in just five months! That is crazy amazing. I never want to see you doubting yourself again! I mean SERIOUSLY!!!! I wish I could properly drop a F-bomb on here. You've made such amazing progress and I'm so very very proud of you! **** YEAH GIRL!!! with all the asterisks it's just not as satisfying.
mnsmov: Even though these workouts are long they are challenging. I hated the breaks at first but I recognize that if I didn't have them I wouldn't make it through the workouts and wouldn't be able to increase my weights the way that I have. It's definitely a full body workout and while I don't have the DOMS that I did when I first started stage one I definitely am sore when I roll out of bed every morning and I'm sleeping like a log at night.
The Pandora station pulled me through this workout again tonight. It took longer than it should have because I used the breaks to power clean my apartment. 3B2 is done and my bathroom is clean! I did two tabata complexes instead of intervals and felt like a rockstar when it was all done. Next week is my last full week in stage three and I'm excited to move forward into stage four. I miss the front squat push press. I'm probably the only person to say this but I'll miss doing the body weight matrix at the end of the A workouts. I don't think you do it in stage four. I liked getting my heart rate up at the end of every workout. I'll probably just do my body weight tabata at the end of the A workouts for stage four. Progress pictures will be taken Saturday morning and I'll do my best to slap them together into some kind of organizational something like maya did so I can have you guys tell me whether I'm delusional about the supposed progress I have or have not made. I'm going to work my way through stage four and when it's over take another round of progress pictures and then I think I'll go hop in a bod pod to see what my actual body fat percentage is and not just the thing I cobbled together with my tape measure. Good night ladies!0 -
Wow, Maya!! AWESOME job!!!! Congratulations! It's very inspiring!!!
I love to come here to see what you girls are thinking about the next stages and seeing all the amazing progress!
About the lifting shoes, whoever is considering it, seriously, just do it! It feels so different, so much easier to balance!
You're all moving forward and I'm still in stage 1, boohoo! Today is my B8 workout, but I decided a few things. First of all, I'm not convinced by my squat and deadlift forms AT ALL. I'm gonna work on those a bit more until I feel convinced that I'm doing them right. Second, my right leg is definitely stronger than the left, and larger too by some 2cm (I thought it was 2cm of fat, but it is not...). I want to do some single leg exercises doing 2 sets on the right leg and 3 sets on the right, but not lunges and step ups as they hurt my knees. I'm thinking two more weeks, including the AMRAP workouts, then rest week, and only then I'll move on to Stage 2.
I bought the Starting Strength book, not for the program but for all the information on the form. I'm trying to learn a bit more about it and realized that I might not have been doing it good so far, probably largely because of using running shoes for the lifts. Last time I did the deadlift I followed the advice in one video (
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Syt7A23YnpA) and my weights immediately went up 10kg. Crazy difference! I finally felt my hamstrings working and not the lower back so much.
And about the squats, I think maybe I should do the lower bar version to load more the hamstrings and glutes and not so much the quads, which might be causing my knee pain. So now that my boyfriend is joining me, I'm gonna ask him to film me so that I can figure out my form at last.
About food, I decided to cut a bit again so I'm back to calorie counting. The two weeks off were great, I was eating about 1900-2000, with some days going up to 2200 (I logged in retrospect just to have an idea of how much I was eating, and not everyday). I noticed that the weight went up about 0.7-1kg and the pants were starting to get slightly tight. It was very interesting to see, though, that the change is also slow on the other way around. Somehow I had that image in my head that I would wake up fat instantly after eating 2200 calories a day, and it is really not like that. There's plenty of time to catch the trend early enough and just cut back a bit, and that's it I'm feeling very good about this "discovery". Got me in a much more relaxed state of mind. But anyway, I decided to go back to 1600kcal a day until I reach around 55kg (121lbs, give or take), and then I'll go back up to maintenance. This is in preparation to my going home for Summer break in August (Oh, the tropical beach!!!! YAY!), and once I'm back from vacations, I'll be ready for my first bulking
Cheers to all, keep rocking as always!0 -
Maya your stomach is SHRINKING!! Awesome job in such a short time, too, as red lipstick said. You've gotta feel amazing. Congrats - keep it going. Maybe there's something to this Stronglifts - maybe I'll do it after new rules!
Catdevrandom, thanks for the reminder about the slow slide up that mirrors the slow slide down. I still haven't figured out the right cals for myself. I went down to 1450 and I just feel so hungry even though I'm hitting my protein and generally eating very healthy. Will give it some more time though. Need to get more disciplined with my eating. Totally agree on weight lifting shoes, too.
Well ladies I have some news. I did Jillian Michaels hard body, 40 minute HIIT video last night. It was pretty hard, not impossible, felt good. But boom it wiped ^me out fell out like a log, overslept this morning, and still feel wiped out. Didn't feel like going to the gym for the same treadmill interval run, so stayed home and it was like omg. Proves the value of changing up the cardio/tabata/interval run to ^me.
Not seeing the scale budge in either direction. Took some end of stage 1 pix they are on my profile. I want to see my stomach shrink like mayas!!!) 0 -
Maya, thanks for the advice on the split squat. That makes sense. Your progress pics are incredible! I hope you feel very proud of what you have achieved so far because...wow!
Cat: I love you attitude about the weight, so many people would freak out regardless of how slowly it was going on. i love that you can see the positive side of it.
I weighed myself this morning and I have lost 3lbs!! I haven't lost anything since November so I am very happy!0 -
@ maya - Your progress is AMAZING!!! and So inspiring!! You ROCK
Last October with my 4 yr old was our first disney trip and we enjoyed it!! She loved it absolutely. Enjoy your trip! I'm sure you will like it.
Makes me think of strictly taking some progress pics
@red You are breezing through stages!! Stage 4 already? I am already scared about the BWM at the end of lifting - Lets see
@ catdevrandom - You are absolutely right on track - Thats what life is gonna be. Have a little fun, pants a bit tight, cut down on fun stuff a bit, you are back on track again, then vacation happens again!! Good luck with your workouts. Don't worry about the stages. Getting your form right goes a long way in getting through the workouts later in the stages too!
@sunshine - It takes time to get used to doing HIIT and changed cardio. Glad you liked the JM workout!! Yes, when you reduce your calories, it takes time to get used to that. You might want to increase a bit more or wait it out and plan to eat more calories the time of the day you feel most hungry.
@DouMc - CONGRATS on the loss!! 0 -
Thank you ladies for all your kind words. I really needed it this week after the "jc penney" incident. lol. I hadn't take any progress picture since finishing Insanity.
I hope you all take your progress pictures too, it's a great reminder of how far we've come, and how much our bodies can change with love (good nutrition and exercises).
I also love stage 1, SO MUCH, I'm incorporating some of the exercises in my new schedule for sure.0 -
So, here's what I'm thinking I should do in June, since I'm officially starting StrongLifts 5x5 and I thought I needed more consistency on the lifts and a stronger program. Let me know what you ladies think and any ideas or comments will be very appreciated.
Sunday: StongLifts 5x5 Workout A+ Strong Curves (only incorporating the lower body exercises to my lifts.. it's also a 12 weeks program so it makes sense)
Monday: T25 (cardio will be totally optional since I'm going to be focusing on my lifts. If my DOMS are too serious, I will skip and rest)
Tuesday: Strong Lifts 5x5 Workout B (with Front squats, I love those) + Core/Abs focused exercises
Wednesdays: DAY OFF!!!!!!!!!! - I'm back to school ladies!!!!!!! only once a week after work so it's totally doable
Thursday: Strong Curves (lower body only) Booti-ful! lol
Friday: StrongLifts 5x5 Workout B + Upper body focused exercises (I NEED THOSE)
Saturday: T25 (also optional)
I think this way I will have a bigger focus on Lifting HEAVY 3 days a week, Strong Curves lower body also 3 days a week. And rest (or cardio) between the major lifts for recovery/stretching/tabata0 -
Hi Ladies!! I'm so excited to see everyone's progress and success!!
@may: that sounds like a good plan! your progress pics are fantastic!
I'm still trucking along, eating so many calories is daunting lol. I tried to add fruit back in and got so bloated and gained a pound! Ugh, I'm finally back down after a few days but man I felt terrible. So weird!! Still high cal for now, then get to cut back down next Saturday. I need that scale to move!
My workouts have been killer, sorry I haven't been posting them. The twins are STILL sick so it's been a rough week. Although their 2 hour naps make mommy happy
I killed legs yesterday and am doing core/cardio today, then bicep/tricep tomorrow and shoulders/back Monday. No slacking this holiday weekend!
I'm hoping if i add in more cardio (HIIT) and core on my days I'm not lifting heavy I can torch some extra cals and get my metabolism moving.
No plans for the weekend, hubby is off work until Wednesday, we're getting the garage all cleaned up and painted so I'll burn more calories and have extra arm workouts
XOXO0 -
You're all moving forward and I'm still in stage 1, boohoo! Today is my B8 workout, but I decided a few things. First of all, I'm not convinced by my squat and deadlift forms AT ALL. I'm gonna work on those a bit more until I feel convinced that I'm doing them right. Second, my right leg is definitely stronger than the left, and larger too by some 2cm (I thought it was 2cm of fat, but it is not...). I want to do some single leg exercises doing 2 sets on the right leg and 3 sets on the right, but not lunges and step ups as they hurt my knees. I'm thinking two more weeks, including the AMRAP workouts, then rest week, and only then I'll move on to Stage 2.
Cat - I'll be right there with you. I have 1 more Stage 1A and 2 more Stage 1 B's to go then the AMRAP's. I'm not sure about my form either, especially on the dead lifts, but I'm going to keep at it. I think I'm about ready to do the push ups from the floor. I've been doing about a 30 degree to get the reps in, but I have done 5 - yes count 'em - 5 from the floor. That is my own NSV as I wasn't able to do a single one when I started at the end of March.
Susan0 -
I was all ready to get up and my progress pics but then my boyfriend brought up breakfast. So I guess they'll wait until tomorrow. 3A3 tomorrow and I'm the weirdo that's actually excited to do the body weight matrix. I'll poke my head back in later to see what you guys are up to. Have a great Saturday!0
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@twinsmin .. im sorry about the kids, i hope they get better soon. i'll be taking from your workout routines that you posted. they seem exactly what i need to add to my stronglifts routine.
today i woke up ready to kick that Insanity's butt but the thought of hurting my knee, kept me away. i did. some more knee anatomy research, got a few pointers and off i went to the gym, did my stronglifts Workout, didnt break any records, just focused on form and even had a failure set, i guess 5 barbell overhead press arent such a good idea after 5 front squats. lol. i was doing supersets without rest in between those 2, so lesson learnt.
at the end i added a couple shoulder press db workouts, and 2 sets of lat pulldowns, dont know why i love those so much lol. last set my shoulder wasnt feeling too well thou, gotta watch form. and my usual backstretch and front leg raisers. i also for the first time tried the actual hanging leg raises, not bad hehe.
all in all, an easy breazy 35min workout, almost 200cals burnt and feeling badass as usual after lifting.
happy weekend and happy lifting ladies!!!0 -
I just did stage 2 workout B1 and Im not sure I can walk anymore!! I 'rested yesterday' after workout A1 by going for my first cycle in over a year and my quads were screaming at me. Before the gym today I went horse riding and could barely hold myself on with my legs they were so tired, and then I went to the gym and did Bulgarian split squats!! Ouch!!
maya, I love that badass feeling I get from lifting!0 -
3A3 is done. Can't believe stage three is almost finished. Only three more workouts. And since I'm most likely skipping stage six that means I'm halfway through the program which is mind blowing. I don't think I've ever stuck with a workout program this long. Dropped my calories again because according to a very impressive looking spreadsheet I'm still eating too much. I just want to finally be getting things right you know? Here's hoping that I don't have to change anything else. How's lifting going for you guys? It's been a little bit empty in here.0
