Just cross posting from the Stage 2 thread as I know some of you are in the same place as me:

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Here are my final numbers from stage 2. Are we supposed to do AMRAPs for each stage?

Workout A:

FSPP: I still hate this one. It just feels all kinds of awkward to me. 10lbs of plates on barbell up to 20 pounds of plates on barbell at the end. I'm not sure how much the bar itself weighs and I am not sure if I am supposed to factor that in so I just go by how much the plates weigh. When I use the Olympic bar (not far this exercise!), I factor in the weight of the 45lb bar

Step-up: I move back and forth between five or six risers depending on how my balance is feeling that day, because I try to balance on my working leg and not touch the top of the step with the moving leg when I rise up. 45--->55lb

DB 1pt row: 10lb DBs--->20lb DBs

Static lunge with rear foot elevated: 15lb DBs--->20DBs. I am pouring sweat by the end of these!

Push-up: I have finally made progress although my elbows are still splayed out to the sides. I just cannot get my elbows back :P Anyway, from 10 push-ups at about 30 degrees to 8 on the floor.

Plank: full plank on forearms and toes, 60 sec. the whole way through. It has gotten slightly easier each time. I tried a few extra planks with forearms on a Swiss ball and toes on a bench and only made it 30 seconds.

Cable horizontal wood chop: my gym doesn't have a machine for this so I've had to use the alternates. I started with an eight pound weight, doing them on the floor, but that was way too easy so I moved to the ball and finished doing them there with a 20lb DB.

Workout B:

Dead lift: I stopped doing these from the box after the first workout; like the FSPP, it just felt wrong to me. So I started with regular DLs at 65lb and finished today with 80lb

BSS: so many issues with getting my foot flat and comfy on this one, but today it finally seemed right. I had been having trouble not doing them on my back toes, basically the same as the lunge in Workout A. A padded bench has definitely helped. I used a 25lb plate the entire time and felt I could have gone higher but the next plate is 45lb which is too high. Maybe I should have tried a dumbell...totally never thought of it before, duh.

Underhand lat pull down: started at 75lb and have moved onto 90lb but haven't done more than 8 in a set yet.

Reverse lunge with forward reach: I find I really need to focus on not rounding my back to bend down, and keep my chest up. 10lb DBs--->20lb DBs

DB prone Cuban snatch: 5lb DBs--->10lb DBs

Swiss ball crunch: regular long arm--->long arm holding 4lb ball

Reverse crunch: incline--->incline with 4lb ball between the knees

Lateral flexion: on stability ball the whole time. Wish I could think of a way to add weight to this but I already hold my arms behind my head so not sure how this could work.

Prone cobra: I am a moron. I was doing them for 90sec. without much trouble and then realized I was raising my feet also, AND I had my palms up to the ceiling, not pointing away from my sides. Both those things seemed to somehow make it easier :P Once I started doing them right I found it hard to hang on for the full minute, but I did.

Pretty proud of my progress on this stage

pudding nice work on stage 2 - totally relate to FSPP and BSS comments, too!

you made great gains, congrats!!!!!!!!

red so do you have a final analysis for us on stage 3? cuz deep inside, i think i'm a little scared of it. ha

Thanks Sue, i have one more B workout in stage 2 so ill give the lateral raises one more chance but do them from the swiss ball. if that doesn't help then in stage 4 ill do the ones you suggested instead.

I'm slightly jealous of all you people with constipation issues. i have completely the opposite problem, today I thought I was going to have to run out of the gym to get to the toilet because of it. :grumble:

Pudding your numbers are incredible! well done! I'm particularly impressed with your static lunge, I haven't been able to progress from 10lbs dumbbells for that and i always have to sit for a couple of seconds afterwards because my legs are shaking so badly.

I did well on protein today - 148grams!! But unfortunately I ate almost 2000 calories to get there. So now I just need to work out how to get the protein without eating all the food!

Im starting stage 3 next week. what kind of weights did people use when starting the one-armed dumbbell snatch and the dumbbell single arm overhead squat? I have no idea how easy or hard they will be so haven't a clue where to start.

Im starting stage 3 next week. what kind of weights did people use when starting the one-armed dumbbell snatch and the dumbbell single arm overhead squat? I have no idea how easy or hard they will be so haven't a clue where to start.

I started with 20 on the snatch, and my bottom weight on the overhead squat was 25 I think.

yall just make me SICK! :grumble: I can't get a broomstick over my head. BUT I am in complete awe of yall :smooched: Work it BABES!

AND

I'll work on the height of the step up instead of adding weight to the lower step. That means no weight at all. Because I can do the bench height but once I add weight I tend to lean forward . arghhhhh

Barbell hope you're feeling better today. That gelato sounds decadently delicious
Manic, hope you can find a good "rhythm" soon. It's no fun to be irregular. I second Sunshine's veggie advice.
Pudding, what weight are you using for your barbell step-ups? That's impressive. I haven't succeeded past 17.5# dumbbells.
Bepee, thanks for the advice. That's a good idea, to pre-log where we might be going. I just really need to stop being complacent over the weekends. I WISH I had your habit of under-eating. It's much more likely to be the opposite

Ok, embarrassing story time. I'm at the gym this morning, preparing for a front squat/push press. Squat - good, and up - good, and back down - SMACK! Totally hit myself in the nose with the barbell! :sick: I let out a small "oof", did NOT make eye contact with anyone, and kept going.

Moral of the story. Always brew coffee before 5am workouts. Always.

I once dropped my plates during a FSPP, and I didn;t have your excuse. :laugh:

Good job ladies, and thanks for the laughs.

I, too, no longer do NROLFW but I love hanging out with the group - one learns a lot and it is so much fun!!

Sam, have a fab time at Zumba!!

My laxative - pawpaw!! I love the fruit! I grew up eating it, and it works soooo well when it comes to er...um.....uhm...well, you know - going for the "long call" in the loo :blushing:

I drink lots of water as well....between 88 and 120 oz. by the end of my night. I have to agree too, going to the loo for "short calls" feels like am a camel lol!! But the skin is supple, and lifting is better for me.

I have seen those that tend to exercise around the rack...some may just be so absorbed in what they are doing that they do not notice...I do not know, maybe others intentionally do so. I just walk up to them and ask if they are using this and that weight, or whether they are done and etc. The ones I have encountered have been quite pleasant...just trying to get their workout in, and get all caught up...you ever know till you ask

Lifting today was the best thus far, me thinks! I even got in extra workouts. I did something differently though. I normally have a protein snack afore I lift, but tonight I had a Cliff Pro-Bar (in the spirit of boosting my protein macro) that packs 20g..it packs quite a bit of Carbs, but am not worried about those...I do not know if it was the bar, or because I was rife with endorphins lol...I guess I will see come Friday. I have 87g of Protein thus far, and I love it (only 3 more grams to reach one of my challenge goals)!

My proudest today was my back, I did the standing pulley row, and my progressive lifting now stands at 90lbs...next week I change out my workout...and cannot wait!

Let's show the world what we can do ladies!!! Wohoo!! :flowerforyou:

I did well on protein today - 148grams!! But unfortunately I ate almost 2000 calories to get there. So now I just need to work out how to get the protein without eating all the food!

That's awesome! That's 30% of your calories coming from protein which is what a lot of experts recommend. Good job!