I'm starting stage 1!
Replies
-
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
-
@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
-
Haha I thought I had to exit this section now that I'm done stage one
0 -
I'm back ladies! hope you had a good memorial day weekend. i did have a blast at Disney! enioyed a lot and ate a lot of yummy food, and didnt gain even a pound, so great mini-vacations! wanted to share some pics but they are huge. when i figure out how to fix them i will post them up0
-
Wow Everybody's cranking, awesome. I'm at A and B 4 today and Sunday. But the first week of stage 2 I only did two workouts total, that week of evening busyness. Was thinking of adding one more week of stage 2 to compensate. Had a 5 day lag between B workouts this last week due to hamstring injury this week, saw no gains as a result. Could have also been the lack of sleep the night before.
So I'm interested to know how others are experiencing the BSS and the reverse lunge with forward press. I can't believe how hard the second one is! Hurts so good, you really know you're workin.
Jillian michaels hard body did that one day AWESOME total burn slept like a log after that. 40 min HIIT workout, recommend!
Congrats everyone on your losses and gains - I think the island of fat on my stomachs starting to shrink!) 0 -
Hi everyone!
I have been MIA last couple days n been busy! Hope all of you had great long weekend!
Pudding1980: Continue to hang here - we are past stage one, but keeping the chatter on here anyway
redlipstickly - You are having awesome results girl!! Congrats!! Are you talking about the spreadsheet heybales put together?
That has very sensible advice. compared to NROLFW book eating the suggestion in the spreadsheet is way lower - Glad things you are trying have been working for you!!
maya: So glad you ahd fun in disney! and kudos to not having gained anything!! That's even better!!
sunshine: Thats wonderful news! Here's to shrinking tummy!! Hope you had a great bday and long weekend.
I finished stage 2 and since I did not take any break at all after I started, I am taking 1 week break from my heavy lifting. Stuck to my long runs and recovery walks on other days all this week.
I am considering starting stage 7 and then going back to stage 4 based on the suggestion in the book.
Lou suggests doing it in different order if we are looking more to lose weight than make strength gains. I def want to lose weight rather than how much or how soon I want to be able to lift.
That would mean I will doing 2 rounds of 7 and then stage 4 may be. I will have to decide by Monday Lets see.
Stage 3 seems v long and more time consuming.
Red: How did you like stage 3 ? Is that the final stage that it started showing better results for you? Or changing your eating mostly?0 -
Hi Everyone!
I've been following along with everyones progress but haven't chimed in lately~ So here I am!
I would love to see before and after photos of everyone
Does everyone feel stronger? Healthier? That's how I feel!
I finally get to cut my calories down tomorrow to see if the scale moves. I feel like I'm getting more definition in my arms, yet I'm wider...ugh. I took "before" pictures today even though I've been on a consistent program for 5 weeks, no change in scale or clothes.
I tried a new workout today for biceps/back...Did 3 sets of 30 reps with only 1 minute break in between. Nothing was a superset and there were 8 exercises. Let's just say it ended with 100 straight bar bicep curls. I'm not gonna be able to wash my hair haha!
Here's my leg workout from yesterday (3 sets of 15)
Single Leg Ext 50#/Single Ham Curl 45#
Leg press 230# (plus sled)/Hack Squat 50# (plus sled)
Cable Lunges 60#/Plea Squat with 25# Kettlebell (one leg on a step)
For core I did TRX knee to pike
A really cool website I've been getting ideas from is called dailyhiit.com~ they have awesome tabata workouts and workouts that are quick and target separate body parts or total body. I think it's a spin off of bodyrocktv.
Anyway, have a great weekend!!! 0 -
Wheeeeeee....... Last Stage 1 workout is in the books! AMRAPS next week 'cause I really want to see how many reps I can do now with those lower weights! I added an extra workout for stage 1 (24 total instead of 16) because I had never lifted weights before. Here's my beginning and ending weights (note - dumbells noted are in each hand so 20# is a 20# each, total 40#):
Deadlift starting 30# ending 95#
Shoulder press DB 5# 20#
Lat Pulldown 40# 80#
Lunge (w/ DB) 3# 15#
Swissball Crunch Body Wt 25# plate
Squats 20# 95#
Push Ups wall then about 60 degree, then 30 degree and then last set I did from the floor!
Seated Row 40# 80#
Step Up (w/ DB) 3# 15#
Prone Jack....... what more can you say Except it is kinda fun crawling on and then launching out.......
Didn't see any movement in measurements until this past weekend or 8 weeks in - seems like I've seen others comment on the same either here or on the FB page. I've lost 1/2 inch in natural waist, belly button level abs and chest below breasts (or is that under them.... LOL). And today's victory is I've hit a weight mark I hadn't seen since last November. No "official" weight loss as I officially weigh on Sunday mornings but today's weight is 1.6 pounds lighter than my NROL starting weight. My abs have changed from a No Pack to some definition vertically. I feel stronger and I just strut right over to the weights area at the gym like I know what I"m doing - Love that!!!
Hope everyone has a great weekend!
Susan
PS - about that Heybales spreadsheet - if you have any questions he frequently posts in the Eat More to Weigh Less forum and the In Place of a Road Map forum and is really responsive to questions.0 -
Skbarton - awesome job!! Congrats on finishing
Twinmom, you continue to amaze and impress, good for you.
Mnsmov - youre cranking as usual, what did you think of stage 2? I read ahead for stage 3 and i feel like i have move into mental preparation haha
Finally killed stage 2 B4 today! Couple NSV's - Got 115# DL, 12 reps 10# Cuban snatch, 100# lat pul, downs, and mastered Bulgarian S'S.
Gonna do one more stage 2 A & B each to make up for the week of kid obligations, another week of strained hamstring and sleeplessness where I couldn't run, and had to go too many days between workouts. It was like a collision of all things anti weight training lol.
Ate near maintenance this week, but it was worth it for the healing and strength gained. felt so much better today with yesterday's great nights sleep, a day of rest, and upper limits calorie and protein load. Good lesson I guess. Hamstring is getting better, gonna take a weeks rest between stage 2 and 3 to do some cardio.0 -
Finally killed stage 2 B4 today! Couple NSV's - Got 115# DL, 12 reps 10# Cuban snatch, 100# lat pul, downs, and mastered Bulgarian S'S.
I haven't looked at stage 2 yet - figured to do the AMRAPS and take the rest of the week off. I'm kinda glad to see the DL and pull downs are still there 'cause I want to continue to challenge the weight level I reached.0 -
mnsmov: I loved stage 3 and as far as abs and my back this is when I'm starting to see results. I know that this is all stepping stones and that without stage one and two I wouldn't look like this in stage three so I'm not calling stage three a magic stage. It was a difficult stage and the rest breaks were killer. I could clean my whole apartment during rest breaks!
Maya: So glad you had fun at Disney!
Twinmom: That work out looks really good!
Pudding: I don't care what stage I'm in they'll have to drag me out of this thread kicking and screaming.
I maintained my weight loss over the weekend which I almost never do because I'm a weekend binge eater. It would have make sense for me to do it this weekend too since my bf and I broke up over the weekend. But surprisingly I maintained my weight perfectly. Finishing stage three this week and carrying on with my new calorie restrictions which aren't that difficult to stay within surprisingly and I'm not in the least bit hungry. Happy lifting tonight ladies!0 -
3A4 tonight 3B4 on Friday and then I'm going to start stage seven. Yes you heard that right stage seven. Then I'll come back and do stage four then do stage seven again then do stage five. I think mixing the program up like that will keep me interested and help accelerate fat loss like someone mentioned. Happy lifting today ladies!0
-
redlipstickly : sorry about the relationship. Hope its the best decision for you. Great job maintaining through ..
Stage 3 almost done!! Good going lady!
sunshine - It is always a tradeoff I think - strength gains and PR while eating @ maintenance OR fatloss and slow recomp while eating @ a deficit. Glad you are seeing changes and that you enjoyed your diet break.
I started Stage 7 after stage 2. I will be doing 2 rounds of stage 7 and then moving on to stage 4. Will do stage 3, 5 & 6 later. In that order. I am definitely seeing changes in my body.
I am 2 workouts into stage 7.
I started with very low weights, almost going back to the first workouts of stage 1 - to sustain the sets. Only going heavier in main A workouts in Stage 7.
Holy cow 7 is so many sets!! 4 sets of 15 reps!! I still suck at push ups and shoulder presses and bench presses.
But making progress there. 1 min planks are almost easy now, and finally reached triple digits in DL, squats and row - 100lb
I saw some definition in my shoulders and biceps this week and back almost without ANY rolls!! So many changes are slowly happening that I cannot measure everywhere. I cringe at taking pics somehow and keep putting it off. Will have to do it soon.
I see a line in my back and shoulders now!!
red, let me know when you start stage 7. It is only 6 workouts so it should go fast!
Everyone else, happy lifting! 0 -
Mns: I'll be starting stage 7 . I'm really excited to start. 3A4 is done and my legs were mush after the bodyweight matrix. Got it done in 1:24 on my second round and then collapsed. I'm loving how my upper body looks. My shoulders are getting more defined, my arms look good and my upper back is looking string. Also I'm down half an inch in my natural waist which is really exciting. At this point I'm almost my own science experiment. I like observing the changes my body makes and when they happen. When did you guys start to notice changes in your body?0
-
based on all this think i'll give stage 3 a try. i'm a glutton for punishment i guess lol. and again, looking for max muscle pack before a shred. and at that point i'll have been on HRT for several months, so gonna stay the course.
red congrats on all your scale and non scale victories, awesome.
skbarton - you're gonna love stage 2 - very challenging exercises that seemed advanced to me. some of the lower body moves like bulgarian split squat and forward reaching lunge were very challenging! upside: my legs are looking better and better :-)
mnsmov - good for you on moving to stage 7! i'll be curious to know if that blasts the last of the weight you want to lose off. if so, maybe i'll try 2 rotations for the final shred!
i'm still so motivated and excited by everybody here and the program!
happy thursday everyone0 -
OMG haven't been here in forever. I missed you girls and your progress. I wish more people post their progress pics, so we can all celebrate our success!
@red.. i'm sorry about your break up. I know i'm late but i'm sure it still sucks. on the other hand, great that you are losing weight and still progressing on those lifts
@mns.... you got me thinking, while I enjoy StrongLifts 5x5, I did love my progress with NROL4W, and didn't want to quit so soon. I looked ahead to Stage 7, and it had the lifts I like, so i'm again considering going back to NROL4W, stage 7, then do stage 4, 5 and 6 or 7... This is a whole lifestyle, I don't need to rush... so I might go to NROL4W, finish it... and start the SL5x5 and then for fun do the StrongCurves. In the meantime I'm still following with my Cardio T25 (I might be crazy but still craving Insanity lol)
On the other hand, my knee is still bothering me, I tried doing the squat against a wall to check if my knee was going over my toes, but it wasn't arrghggg... i'm like so frustrated at this point. I love squats so it's a mental block every workout, since they usually start with squats, from then on i'm just frustrated and don't see the point of keep working out. I might just eliminate them completely and do the hip thrusts instead. I'm worried about the lunges as well, since I can't do them either.
any suggestions on the knee pain, are welcome ... I can walk just fine, even wear heels, my only problem is the squats and lunges, I read somewhere that someone had the same issue when doing T25, so I need to look into it...0 -
Hey all!
Glad to hear about everyone's progress You keep me inspired!
I've been completely silent lately, sorry! Academic life got on the way of my forum activity, but not of my lifting, thankfully I'm still keeping up with the workouts, yay! Don't think I ever kept my workout schedule for so long as this time
@red, sorry about the break up Sending you my good vibes and virtual hugs, if you want them
@maya, I hear you about the knee. I'm also having loads of trouble with mine So I've completely modified stage 2 to the point that it cannot be called stage 2 anymore. I completely eliminated deadlifts, squats, lunges and step ups and anything that resembles them. I'm gonna give my knees a good break and a lot of icing at night to see if I can let them heal. Instead of those, I'm trying the isolation machines (leg extensions, leg curls, adductor and abductor machines) and the glute kicks and glute bridges so that I can slowly strengthen the muscles and see what happens. Oh yeah, and the stretching and foam rolling. Let's see and hope that we get better soon!
From my end, nothing too new. I moved on to my modified stage two but as I changed so much the workout I don't feel motivated to share my weights/workouts here... Also I'm taking it easy with my increases as I lowered my calories a bit and it really slows down the progress. I want to lose a bit of belly to fit nicely in the dress I bought for a wedding in the upcoming weeks But when I take some new progress pics I'll share with you
Happy lifting and have a nice Sunday!0 -
decided to cross post what i put in the stage 2 thread since all my buds in starting this land here.
catdevrandom: i hear you on the injuries, it's a real set back. am also trying foam rolling to iron out those muscle twerks to see it it helps, so far it has and hamstring is almost there but quad is still pulling on a ligament.
congrats to mns, redlipstick maya, skbarton, doumc, twinmom on all the hard work. great suggestions coming from this group and great examples!
debating now on whether i should take a break between 2 & 3. didn't take any breaks between 1 & 2, wondering if that's the best thing or not. was planning to start stage 3 today, but legs not feeling healed. could always try and back off i suppose.
anyway from stage 2, below, are my stats:
ok friends stage 2 in the books for me too. here's how handled this stage: did usually 4 sets of DL and FSPP including 1 warm up set. did 3 sets of other exercises each. started off doing the HIIT but strained hamstring and and quad on right leg (doing interval runs) about halfway through, so stopped cardio except for walking. had one light week where i only got one workout of A and B each, so made up for it by doing an extra week. all in all, did 5 A workouts and 5 B workouts. reverted to regular deadlifts halfway through since i felt like my back was curling. here are my results:
A Workout:
FSPP: 40#/12 - 60#/10
Step Ups: 30#/10 medium step - 60#/15 high step
Dumbbell one point row: 20#/10 - 50#/10
Static lunge, foot elevated: 30#/10 - 50#/12
Push Up: 6 on floor/6 on 30% bench - 13 flat on floor
Plank: 1 min flat - 1:15 one foot off floor
Wood Chop: 40#/10 - 60#/9
Prone Cobra: 1 min - 1:30
B Workout:
DL: 95#/10 - 125#/10
BSS: 25#/10 - 50#/10
Underhand Lat: 85#/10 - 100#/9
Reverse Lunge w/forward reach: 30#10 - 40#/12 (did some 50# but didn't get range of motion)
Prone Cuban Snatch: 10#/10 - 15#/8 (10#/5)
Swissball crunch: 20#/10 - 25#/25
Reverse Crunch: 30%/20 - 30%/25
Lateral Flexion: 10, 13
all in all very pleased but i had a lot of trouble with my diet and the fact that the cardio failed was a problem for changing weight/inches. :-)0 -
Cat: I will always take virtual hugs. Thanks so much
Maya: Thanks. Sorry about the knee. Have you tried foam rolling? I've heard people swear by it.
Sunshine: If you're not feeling healed don't do it. The last thing you want to do is exasperate an injury.
I start stage 7 tonight. I'm really excited about it. Bikinigeddon is in three weeks. I'm already happy with how my body has progressed so I'll be just as happy in a one piece as I will be in a bikini but I'm not going to lie to you guys and say that I don't want that bikini bad. Stage 7 will hopefully shake things up enough to get me there. I'm going to throw in a couple long slow runs to kick my body in bikini direction too and since stage seven is only two weeks and bikinigeddon is three weeks away I may just do a double up and stage seven. I'll report back on how stage seven goes. Happy lifting ladies!0 -
Hi ladies! Im back!
@cat: i hear u abt the knee. what a struggle today i managed my first normal squats with dumbbells ,and was praying in my head that i didnt hurt again, and i didnt!!!! now im icing just to keep them fresh.
@sunshine: those #s are awesome! congrats!! that 60#FSPP...respect!!! and 1:15plank with foot off floor, wow, my hero. i didnt take a break between stages 1&2 but at the end of stage 2, my body was screaming for a break, and i should have probably taken it sooner. my lifts didnt suffer at all, and i only did walking at disney parks for exercise. i'd suggest a little break.
@red... i hear u abt the foam rolling, i keep hearing abt it but never even watched a video. i know my body/muscles need it, i just im lazy to go buy one and afraid i will make an fool out of myself lol. i guess we are back together on stage 7! im on workout 2, just did it tonight. i read so much abt that stage that i went ready to DIE! lol. and holly guacamole! everythg pple said was spot on. was i exhausted! i love it and might do a second round and then move to stage 4.
i did go crazy and did a "booty" specific lifting workout the day after workout 1, huge mistake! sunday and monday i had the worst DOMS in history, and i was wishing i knew how to foam roll. today's workout 2 was just as hard, and my shoulders are hating me right now.
this stage will do wonders to ur bikinigeddon 0 -
@sunshine: those #s are awesome! congrats!! that 60#FSPP...respect!!! and 1:15plank with foot off floor, wow, my hero. i didnt take a break between stages 1&2 but at the end of stage 2, my body was screaming for a break, and i should have probably taken it sooner. my lifts didnt suffer at all, and i only did walking at disney parks for exercise. i'd suggest a little break.
thanks maya! that makes me feel good - and i could use some feeling good. i'm taking a week off. think i'll be in a better place come next sunday or monday, focus on foam rolling and gradual healing this week, try to stay within cals. :-)0 -
@sunshine: those #s are awesome! congrats!! that 60#FSPP...respect!!! and 1:15plank with foot off floor, wow, my hero. i didnt take a break between stages 1&2 but at the end of stage 2, my body was screaming for a break, and i should have probably taken it sooner. my lifts didnt suffer at all, and i only did walking at disney parks for exercise. i'd suggest a little break.
thanks maya! that makes me feel good - and i could use some feeling good. i'm taking a week off. think i'll be in a better place come next sunday or monday, focus on foam rolling and gradual healing this week, try to stay within cals. :-)
@sunshine... trust me, u are doing a great job. enjoy the days "off", they fly by so fast and before u know it, u back there crushing those #s..
@red... how is stage 7 going for u? mine is awesome, workout 3 today, PR 105lbs and that was my weak and more hated lift... 0
