New Rules of Lifting for Women group?

Hi all,

I finished my third workout in Stage 1 yesterday and hope to do the fourth tomorrow. Have any of you seen quite significant changes to the shape of your body? I'm not as interested in losing weight any more but I want to be trimmer and more athletic looking. I also do yoga and run.

I have started this program before and gave up after about 4 weeks because I wasn't seeing any results at all. I am hoping that adding it into my usual running/yoga routine will at least keep me from getting bored.

I am just starting stage 4 and I have noticed significant change in my body shape. If you go as heavy as you can with your weights it should work for you. If you look at the picture of me in my swim suit on my profile you can see some change in my body shape (although my weight is exactly the same - strange I know?!?!?)

Hi all,

I finished my third workout in Stage 1 yesterday and hope to do the fourth tomorrow. Have any of you seen quite significant changes to the shape of your body? I'm not as interested in losing weight any more but I want to be trimmer and more athletic looking. I also do yoga and run.

I have started this program before and gave up after about 4 weeks because I wasn't seeing any results at all. I am hoping that adding it into my usual running/yoga routine will at least keep me from getting bored.

I'm currently on a break, but I was at the end of Phase 1 when I had to stop (to let my shoulder injury heal - still waiting for that...), but I was DEFINETLY seeing changes. My arms were looking good!! I could actually SEE my triceps!! And my biceps and shoulder caps were definetly looking great. Even with some fat left to loose, I could see my arms changing a lot! And my back was looking good too. I could feel my legs and butt muscles too, but my legs are still to fat to actually "see" the muscle - but I know changes were happening - I could feel it (and yes, I found myself rubbing my legs and butt in bed at night just to enjoy my hard work LOL)!! I was lifting heavy though - and I was eating just slightly below maintenance (like maybe 250-300 cals below), eating lots of protein and adding 300 calories back to the days I lifted. Two days a week, I did sprints or tabata after lifting (25 mins or less) and then did an aerobic class for 45 minutes later in the day. Then on one other day I did 30 minutes of aerobics. I'd try to get in one more cardio session, but to be honest, I mostly rested the day after lifting because my muscles felt like they needed it and I REALLY wanted them to grow. Anyway, it seemed to be working for me. I'm not slowly trying to get back into it but my shoulders are being difficult! I really want to try phase 2!!

I really want to get this program started. I need a squat rack. Any recommendations?

I saw one at ****s Sporting Goods that I really really want to get for home. But, I don't have the space - when we build our new house and I have my workout room, I will also have a squat rack!!!! (who knows when that will be...... it's my dream)

Hello everyone. I've been surfing looking for weight lifting programs and stumbled onto your thread. It seems that most of you are doing the program at a gym - anyone doing it at home? I'd like to hear if 1) the program is suitable to weight-lifting beginners (I've only done Jillian Michaels dvds in the past) and 2) how viable is it to expect to be able to do this from home?

I look forward to hearing what you have to say!

I'm doing it at home. It is eminently suitable for beginners. Some exercises have to be adjusted for the lack of gym equipment, but the book offers those alternatives.

Baisliac - thanks for the input!
I read in a book review on amazon that the following is necessary for at home (I copied and pasted their list):

"For those hoping to do this routine at home, here's a list:
* Olympic barbell: 7ft. long bar weighing 45lbs. That's a quote from the book.
* Set of barbell plates, including 2.5lb. plates
* Set of dumbbells, ideally in 2-3 lb. increments
* Squat Rack (I'm not kidding)
* Incline/Decline Bench
* Step Platform
* Swiss Ball, also know as a stability ball or exercise ball
* Chin-up/Pull-up bar
* Adjustable Cable Pulley Station: the author does provide alternatives (using a barbell) if you don't have access to this apparatus but then goes on to list reasons why the alternatives are flawed.


Do those of you at home use all this?

* Olympic barbell: 7ft. long bar weighing 45lbs. That's a quote from the book. - Non Olympic barbell, 15 lbs instead of 20kg.
* Set of barbell plates, including 2.5lb. plates - Currently have 150lbs worth of plates, will buy more as we need them. (from 25 lbs plates to 2.5 lb plates)
* Set of dumbbells, ideally in 2-3 lb. increments - Set of adjustable dumbells that use the same plates as the bar.
* Squat Rack (I'm not kidding) - Our weight bench has an adjustable rack (lower for bench press, higher and reversed to pick up a barbell for squats). My husband and I spot each other.
* Incline/Decline Bench - Our bench inclines, but does not decline.
* Step Platform - We have a "step" platform for our Wii Fit Board (6" total), my daughter's "get to the sink" step (8"), a steam trunk (12"), and chairs (if we ever get that high (18" & 24").
* Swiss Ball, also know as a stability ball or exercise ball - We each have one of these. $15 at WalMart.
* Chin-up/Pull-up bar - Again $20 at WalMart, Gold's Gym doorway pull up bar.
* Adjustable Cable Pulley Station: the author does provide alternatives (using a barbell) if you don't have access to this apparatus but then goes on to list reasons why the alternatives are flawed. - Nope, we use the alternatives, and sometimes figure out our own based on what muscles are being worked and what we have to work with. (Pendlay Rows work my lats a lot better than Pull Overs).

Just did A4 today and I'm really getting into it.
I'm especially loving the squats (although I'm still working on my form), deadlifts and prone jack-knife.

I'm probably worst at push-ups - even on an incline, I tend to lock my elbows and not descend far enough, so I need to work through that.

I'm going to a pretty well-equipped gym, which - even better - is populated by a lot of really experienced lifters with a great attitude, so I have access to a massive range of weight increments, and I'm building up every session. I was so amazed when the 15kg on an Olympic bar that I started out squatting with felt like nothing at all just a week and a bit later.

NROLFW rocks.

Can I safely do NROLFW along with TurboFire? I just started TurboFire last week. . . I am mostly concerned about the book's constant reminders about resting at least 48 hours b/w workouts, etc. TurboFire is pretty much six days a week.

He does say in the book that a kickboxing-type cardio, which TurboFire is, would work well with the program.

Also - I am in the beginning stages of weight loss and still have quite a bit of fat hanging around (about 33% BMI). Would I be better off to focus on cardio with TF for 12 weeks and THEN move to the NROLFW?

I also swim 3-5 miles a week. . .

I'm doing an Insanity / NROLFW hybrid... just don't lift for more than two days in a row (which means we also don't lift and do the Plyometric Circuit and then lift again with out a rest and/or Pure Cardio day in the middle).

* Olympic barbell: 7ft. long bar weighing 45lbs. That's a quote from the book. - Non Olympic barbell, 15 lbs instead of 20kg.
* Set of barbell plates, including 2.5lb. plates - Currently have 150lbs worth of plates, will buy more as we need them. (from 25 lbs plates to 2.5 lb plates)
* Set of dumbbells, ideally in 2-3 lb. increments - Set of adjustable dumbells that use the same plates as the bar.
* Squat Rack (I'm not kidding) - Our weight bench has an adjustable rack (lower for bench press, higher and reversed to pick up a barbell for squats). My husband and I spot each other.
* Incline/Decline Bench - Our bench inclines, but does not decline.
* Step Platform - We have a "step" platform for our Wii Fit Board (6" total), my daughter's "get to the sink" step (8"), a steam trunk (12"), and chairs (if we ever get that high (18" & 24").
* Swiss Ball, also know as a stability ball or exercise ball - We each have one of these. $15 at WalMart.
* Chin-up/Pull-up bar - Again $20 at WalMart, Gold's Gym doorway pull up bar.
* Adjustable Cable Pulley Station: the author does provide alternatives (using a barbell) if you don't have access to this apparatus but then goes on to list reasons why the alternatives are flawed. - Nope, we use the alternatives, and sometimes figure out our own based on what muscles are being worked and what we have to work with. (Pendlay Rows work my lats a lot better than Pull Overs).

Crap, I missed the edit deadline... I wanted to add that we got our bench, barbell, dumbells and plates off of Craigslist. $75 for the lot. No need to spend a fortune, which in our one (low) income household is not an option.

I've got pretty much the same set-up, except I have actual Aerobics steps b/c I found them at Goodwill. Most of my liting equipment is Gold's Gym brand from WalMart. Barbell was ~$20-25, Dumbbell bars were $5 each. I currently only have 2.5lb, 5lb, and 10lb weights, b/c I just couldn't afford a full set all at once. Similarly, I haven't bothered buying the chin-up bar yet, b/c that's not til Stage 6.

So it's very doable, and there are things that you can buy in increments to spread out the costs. But if you can find a great deal on craigslist, like baisleac did, definitely go for that, as it'll be a lot cheaper in the long run. Hope this helps.

Thanks for all the input everyone. I'm going to get the book ordered and start surfing Craigslist looking for stuff!

Hi all - new here. I just got the book and got started yesterday and I am really excited. It's great to find this informative and supportive thread. You'll be seeing lots of me

Welcome. It's always nice to have more people join this thread. I was so happy when I found it. I've been doing the program for a few months now and it's great - you will LOVE it!

So the extreme heat has gotten the better of me. I haven't lifted in over a week or worked out at all in about a week. (My last workout was a run, and only b/c it was raining and I wanted to COOL DOWN!! :noway: You know it's hot when you go for a run to COOL DOWN!!) My apartment (which is where I lift, too!) has no A/C and no ceiling fans; I have one oscillating fan that I keep at the end of my bed so that I can attempt to sleep. I've postponed breakfast a couple of times so that I could eat at work because I was so hot when I woke up that I felt slightly sick. :sick:

So now that I've complained, on to my question/reason for posting: Should I redo Stage 1 before moving on to Stage 2? Or maybe just redo the last few workouts? I never did 1B8 or the Special workouts, and I was just getting to the point of feeling challenged by my weight selections, so I'm not sure if I want to try and repeat the workouts I'm used to, or move on to Stage 2. Any thoughts?

If you've only been "off" for a week, I don't think there is any need to repeat phase 1. In fact, they suggest taking a week off between each phase, so it sounds like you should be ready to go. I had to take about 4-5 weeks off (so far). Since I was off for so long, I am going to repeat about 2 weeks of Phase 1 before I start phase 2. But I don't think you need to - JMO.

Hi Everybody! I was able to find the book at a going-out-of-business book store yesterday! So night I'll start reading. I think for the first week or two I'm going to ask my neighbor if I can use his weights in his basement. Then I can get started and be searching Craigslist for weights.

Yay! I'm very excited to get going. I'm only 5 pounds from my "goal weight" but my body sooo does not look like I want it to look and I think if I commit to this program I will get closer to the body I want! So glad I found this thread. :bigsmile:

Are you all on M/W/F schedules as far as your lifting days? I am. Sometimes I feel like it might be not quite enough time for muscles to recover. If my muscles are really crazy sore, like on the first day of the 5-sets-of-incline-reverse-crunches session, then I wait an extra day but really don't like to do lifting stuff on Saturday since the gym is extra packed.

I do Tues, Thurs, Sat or Sun because I'm at the gym on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Then I pick either Sat or Sunday depending on how I feel or what's going on - I have to do that day at home. Then on my non-lift days I try to do some sort of cardio, but most of the time my muscles are tired and I just let them rest so I can lift better the following day.

I did my first workout today. It was horrible I feel so weak! I couldn't even balance on the ball to do the prone jacknife. I think I did a total of 4 I hope it gets easier! I also used dumbbells for the exercises because I didn't want ot invest in a barbell just yet.