New Rules of Lifting (for Women) Group - Part 2

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  • kensky
    kensky Posts: 472 Member
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    I remember the NROLFW book actually talking about grip strength being connected to longevity. I toughed it out and now find gloves to be more cumbersome than they are worth. There was a learning curve (callous curve?) though.
  • duckpond11
    duckpond11 Posts: 197 Member
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    I remember the NROLFW book actually talking about grip strength being connected to longevity. I toughed it out and now find gloves to be more cumbersome than they are worth. There was a learning curve (callous curve?) though.

    Yes, I've developed some callouses for sure. Although I still wish I had gloves. How long did you have to tough it out before it got better?
  • elizabethblake
    elizabethblake Posts: 384 Member
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    anyone get really tired/hungry two days after doing a super hard work out? this is very un-like me...

    Yes!! but for me it's the day after I lift - starving!!

    I had the first "bonus" workout of stage 1 yesterday. My legs are KILLING me today. I did 150 squats with 20 pounds.... I probably could've done another 20-30, but I was sweating like a pig, bored and I just kept thinking how sore I was going to be the next day. that's what I get for starting out using only 20 pounds for squats!

    I am NOT looking forward to "bonus" workout number 2 tomorrow!

    Good lord! I am such a wimp!!!! I think I did 50 squats and felt like that was a lot! Like you, I got bored doing them and quit before I should have. I started the program squatting with 12 lb. DBs but my new gym only has 10 and 15s so I used the 15s. The step-ups were what was really tough! (for me)

    I think I'm going right into Stage 2 next week without taking the week off like I'd planned. We'll be on vacation the third week in October and I won't be lifting except maybe Monday of that week, so that will be my "rest" week. I'm also going to use my Groupon for four Crossfit classes starting tomorrow - heaven help me - so Stage 2 will be lifting 2x/week instead of 3, at least until I'm done with the Crossfit classes.

    I'm excited about starting a new stage!
  • jrcox520
    jrcox520 Posts: 130 Member
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    Hi girls! I just started the program this week and finished my second session today. I feel amazing and can't wait to see how strong I get! I've noticed some people talking about the weights making your hands hurt when doing lunges and step-ups, and I've been offsetting the pain by setting the weights on my hips. I figure the weight is still added, so its okay. Is there anything wrong with this, are they supposed to hang?
  • elizabethblake
    elizabethblake Posts: 384 Member
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    Hi girls! I just started the program this week and finished my second session today. I feel amazing and can't wait to see how strong I get! I've noticed some people talking about the weights making your hands hurt when doing lunges and step-ups, and I've been offsetting the pain by setting the weights on my hips. I figure the weight is still added, so its okay. Is there anything wrong with this, are they supposed to hang?

    I didn't have grip problems until I got to the 25# DBs. At times I put them on my shoulders, when they got too heavy to hold. I don't think it hurt my form.
  • AnaNotBanana
    AnaNotBanana Posts: 963 Member
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    I finished my third NROLFW workout, and I definitely need to up my weights! I'm barely sore today, so I'm trying to figure out how hard to push myself and when. I have the disadvantage of only having dumbells to work out with, so I'm going to have to get creative with my squats and deadlifts, where I'm pushing the limits of the available weights I have. Any suggestions?

    I was worried about this while I was going through Phase 1 also. I was crazy sore for the first week then it tapered off. I never experienced soreness like I did in the first week. I think a lot of the soreness the first week was attributed to the fact that my body was getting use to movements it hadn't done before/in a long time. I definitely pushed myself during Phase 1 but was hardly ever sore. I don't think that soreness is an indicator of how hard you worked. As for modifications for the exercises I'm not really sure what you can do but I think the most important thing to remember is to keep your form correct. If you find something that works let us know.
  • AnaNotBanana
    AnaNotBanana Posts: 963 Member
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    On Sunday I'm starting Phase 2 (yay!!!). I've been working out at home since my boyfriend has most of the equipment I need. The one thing that we don't have is an aerobic step or plyo box. For the step ups I've been using the steps in the garage but that just isn't going to cut it for some of the exercises in Phase 2. First I looked into buying one but they are fairly expensive and have a limited height range. Then I started researching how to build a plyo box and most were pretty complex considering the only carpentry experience I have is putting together a coffee table from IKEA. Then I found this website with simple boxes and simple instructions:

    http://www.georgehernandez.com/h/aaBlog/post.asp?PostID=614

    I've recruited my boyfriend to help me build them this weekend and hopefully they will work. Anyone else in Phase 2 working out at home?
  • jrcox520
    jrcox520 Posts: 130 Member
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    Have any of you started this program from a calorie restricted diet? I've lost my first 20 that way, and I've switched to maintenance level for the first month, per the author's instructions. I'm so full and it makes me feel uneasy about losing weight. I imagine this will go away in time as my metabolism speeds up? I'm avoiding junk, btw.
  • ruststar
    ruststar Posts: 489 Member
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    I restricted my calories for the first two weeks because I was burning less calories. I gained 4 pounds that I have to assume was water weight. This week I upped my calories to where they were before starting this program, and the weight is drifting back downwards. It's still a deficit, just not a 1 pound a week deficit.
  • TluvK
    TluvK Posts: 733 Member
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    Hi ladies - just had a question/observation. The trainer at my gym is aware of my lifting routine - he's the one who recommended the book to me, so although he's not training me, he gives me tips occasionally when he sees me. Anyway - I was doing 70# dead-lifts and when I finished my set he asked me if it had challenged me. Well, I was sweating and felt a little tired, so I said, I suppose so. I've always been hesitant to add lbs to my deadlift because it seems like an easy exercise to injure myself on.

    He told me that I should be deadlifting around what I'm squatting. Did you all know that? I squat 120#. So, we added weight so I was doing 110# deadlifts. I went up 40 lbs! Did my 12 reps and was FINE. In fact, it felt REALLY good. I am a person who typically pushes myself, so, to be honest, this really disappointed me that I thought I was challenging myself when clearly I wasn't.

    I guess the motto should be to try heavy and if it's impossible, go lower, instead of starting really low and going up....hmmmm.
  • kensky
    kensky Posts: 472 Member
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    Yes, I've developed some callouses for sure. Although I still wish I had gloves. How long did you have to tough it out before it got better?

    I don't remember it being long. I want to say a week or two so maybe 3 workouts. As for grip strength in the interim, I usually would put the weights down, take a short break and then resume at the rep. where I left off to complete the set. I figured that using the form described in the book balanced out the additional break. My thinking could be off but it seems to work for me, so far.
  • kensky
    kensky Posts: 472 Member
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    TluvK, I know that I could have been deadlifting heavier all this time. My main critique of the book is how little description it gives to those who are just starting deadlifts. I wanted to make sure my form was "ideal" before piling on the weight and took me many weeks to be confident in that. I only now have deadlifts that run neck-in-neck with my squat weight (and both of those are relatively low-weight at 6 confident reps of 100). I believe your trainer though. With confident form, my goal is for my deadlift to be my heaviest lift!
  • kensky
    kensky Posts: 472 Member
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    My calories have been at least 100 below maintenance for this entire program, jackyebabe. With only 5 lbs. of fat left to lose, I've had to readjust my mindset more than anything else. MFP says my calories are now set at a .5 lb. weekly deficit but I've not seen that happening steadily. I've also had a hormonal nightmare camping out in my right ovary so I'm not a good example of a "normal" individual pursuing fat loss right now. Once I am cleared from my medically-inflicted rest week, I plan on starting another round of week 7 "The Final Cut" and seeing what happens next.

    I'd be hesitant to do this sort of program with much more than 100ish calories below maintenance (MFP or NROLFW). I think that it would show in your lifts and, at least for me, I'd be devouring coworkers I'd be so grumpy/hungry.
  • AnaNotBanana
    AnaNotBanana Posts: 963 Member
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    He told me that I should be deadlifting around what I'm squatting. Did you all know that? I squat 120#. So, we added weight so I was doing 110# deadlifts. I went up 40 lbs! Did my 12 reps and was FINE. In fact, it felt REALLY good. I am a person who typically pushes myself, so, to be honest, this really disappointed me that I thought I was challenging myself when clearly I wasn't.

    I'm the opposite. Right now I'm deadlifting more than I'm squatting. I backed off on loading up on my squats because I'm trying to focus on getting my squats lower (past parallel). How far do you girls go down on your squats. I was going to parallel until I saw a video on the NROL forum site that showed squats going down lower.
  • TluvK
    TluvK Posts: 733 Member
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    TluvK, I know that I could have been deadlifting heavier all this time. My main critique of the book is how little description it gives to those who are just starting deadlifts. I wanted to make sure my form was "ideal" before piling on the weight and took me many weeks to be confident in that. I only now have deadlifts that run neck-in-neck with my squat weight (and both of those are relatively low-weight at 6 confident reps of 100). I believe your trainer though. With confident form, my goal is for my deadlift to be my heaviest lift!

    Very interesting - so we were thinking the same thing. I do feel that now that I've gotten the form down, I just naturally do it right, although if i did go too heavy, I think that form would try to fly out the window.
  • TluvK
    TluvK Posts: 733 Member
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    He told me that I should be deadlifting around what I'm squatting. Did you all know that? I squat 120#. So, we added weight so I was doing 110# deadlifts. I went up 40 lbs! Did my 12 reps and was FINE. In fact, it felt REALLY good. I am a person who typically pushes myself, so, to be honest, this really disappointed me that I thought I was challenging myself when clearly I wasn't.

    I'm the opposite. Right now I'm deadlifting more than I'm squatting. I backed off on loading up on my squats because I'm trying to focus on getting my squats lower (past parallel). How far do you girls go down on your squats. I was going to parallel until I saw a video on the NROL forum site that showed squats going down lower.
    Yes, when I first started squatting, the trainer really watched my form because I was also worried about injuries on the squats. He explained that when you get past parallel, you'll feel your hips/hip flexors engage. There is such a HUGE difference between going past parallel and just going parallel!
  • kensky
    kensky Posts: 472 Member
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    Re: Squats--I go as low as I can go. I've read from too many trainers that I trust (Ripptoe, Krista Scott-Dixon, et al.) that deep squats do not wreck knees and that the opposite happens, actually. I'd love to get it so I can go truly ATG (azz to the ground!) but I'm so not there yet! You can bet that my bar will be considerably lighter on days when I practice going deep than my standard-squat days!

    One thing that has really helped for me and I feel like it's a common theme of my posts on the boards is that, for me, this is not a race. So if I do six weeks squatting heavy as I can and just-below-parallel and then another six weeks starting with just the bar and my booty to the ground then it will all be fine. Better than fine since my ultimate goal is to be a optimally fit granny! I've got time to make the little tweaks to get things "just right"!
  • yanicka
    yanicka Posts: 1,004 Member
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    You know what I like?

    Lifting heavier then some of the guys!!!! It really made my day.
  • baisleac
    baisleac Posts: 2,020 Member
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    You know what I like?

    Lifting heavier then some of the guys!!!! It really made my day.

    That's always awesome, isn't it? :bigsmile: :drinker:
  • Janda06
    Janda06 Posts: 168 Member
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    Hello everyone!! I'd like to follow along with everyone. I'll be starting week 3 of stage 1 next Monday. I'm loving it and feeling great! I really want to do 4 days but I have to keep telling myself to try the plan as written...I'm going to try going up in weight at larger intervals instead I guess.
    Nice to "meet" everyone :)

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