Hi ladies! Did 1B yesterday. Man, my glutes are angry at me! I actually enjoyed it though. I'm going to put off 2A until at least Tuesday to make sure I'm rested enough so I can give it my all. I'm going to do this stage 2x/week instead of three. I want to focus more on marathon training. I do love the intervals. They compliment the run training fairly well. I've regained the speed I lost over Xmas vacation. I think I'm going to strive to be closer to maintenance for a couple weeks. I believe I've been chronically taxing my glycogen stores by not resting properly.

I did 3B yesterday, so I should be finished this stage by the end of this week. Yay! I feel Iike I'm finally getting the hang of the split squats and lunges :-)

The body part that is killing me today though, is my forearms. I feel so lame, but I really struggled to keep my grip for both the deadlifts and the underhand pull downs. I guess building up grip strength counts, I one day want to be able to do chin-ups/pull-ups so my grip will have to be able to hold my own body weight. Does anyone else struggle with this?

I am almost done with Stage 1 and am looking forward to stepping it up in 2!!! i am wondering about the interval part of the workouts though...Am I reading it right that you do 15min of intervals at the end of the B workout? I have been doing intervals like that on my non-lifting days through out Stage 1 and sometimes mixing in sprints and jumping rope with the lifting, but it looks like we should do a full 15min after the Stage 2 B work out?

Loving the lifting and hoping for even more results in Stage 2!!

That is how I understood it. I dd 1A on Friday and did the intervals right after the lifting.

I am almost done with Stage 1 and am looking forward to stepping it up in 2!!! i am wondering about the interval part of the workouts though...Am I reading it right that you do 15min of intervals at the end of the B workout? I have been doing intervals like that on my non-lifting days through out Stage 1 and sometimes mixing in sprints and jumping rope with the lifting, but it looks like we should do a full 15min after the Stage 2 B work out?

Loving the lifting and hoping for even more results in Stage 2!!

I'm short on time when I work out so I do my intervals the next day. To be honest I find it helps shift the lactic acid thats built up after the lifting day, and recovery is therefore quicker. Think it mentions in the book you can do this.

Jetscreaming some of the moves where we don't lift so heavy work on the short fibres in the muscles strengthening those, heavy works the long. Happy to be corrected on that though.

My legs feel great after doing my HIIT yesterday, certainly flushed all the toxins away quicker. TOM arrived today so thats explained the two days now of chocolate and carb consumption !!!!!!!!!!

heck, because of my vacation (....not complaining....just stating the fact....) I am done Stage 2, but won't start Stage 3 until March 12!!

Maybe you gals will be all done Stage 3 by then?? Anyway, I hope to have *some* company over there....KICK IT, LADIES!!

heck, because of my vacation (....not complaining....just stating the fact....) I am done Stage 2, but won't start Stage 3 until March 12!!

Maybe you gals will be all done Stage 3 by then?? Anyway, I hope to have *some* company over there....KICK IT, LADIES!!

I will be finished with Stage 2 on March 10th, so you will have some company . Have fun on your vacation, I can't wait to go back to Hawaii.

Workout A2 today, and a lot better than last week. Thank you to whoever said to squeeze the glutes when trying the balancing exercises, certainly improved my step ups and the prone dumbbell thingy (sorry books not nearby :laugh: :laugh: ). I'm feeling very strong physically and noticed when I took the dog out and walked up our steep hill my legs weren't screaming at me like they usually are.

Very interesting programme on UK TV last night about the benefits of HIIT training. Even just 1 minute of 20 secs interval, 20 secs rest, 20 secs interval once a week has extraordinary effects on the way our bodies burn fat, so imagine what our 15 mins is doing girls!!!!

I did my last "A" workout yesterday, and wanted to post my progression - though it is not actually that great. Oh well, I suppose only doing it four times there is not as much opportunity to progress as stage 1. I feel like I only just got the hang of some of the exercises!

22.5 kg Front Squat/Push press (started with 20kg bar & couldn't complete 2nd set)
14kg Step-ups on high step with *reasonable* form (started 20kg but very low step)
12kg Dumbbells on one point row (started with 10kg)
14kg Static lunge (started unweighted)
Pushups - started at crotch height on smith machine, finished with one full set at low/mid thigh height (YAY!!)
Planks - really stuggled on floor, finished using bench and able to do 60s in one go.
20 kg wood chop (started at 15kg)

Looking forward to B tomorrow.

I did my last "A" workout yesterday, and wanted to post my progression - though it is not actually that great. Oh well, I suppose only doing it four times there is not as much opportunity to progress as stage 1. I feel like I only just got the hang of some of the exercises!

22.5 kg Front Squat/Push press (started with 20kg bar & couldn't complete 2nd set)
14kg Step-ups on high step with *reasonable* form (started 20kg but very low step)
12kg Dumbbells on one point row (started with 10kg)
14kg Static lunge (started unweighted)
Pushups - started at crotch height on smith machine, finished with one full set at low/mid thigh height (YAY!!)
Planks - really stuggled on floor, finished using bench and able to do 60s in one go.
20 kg wood chop (started at 15kg)

Looking forward to B tomorrow.

Starting Stage 2 Monday ... decided to take a little break after Stage 1 Excited but also a little nervous. I just got used to Stage 1 LOL

Hope you enjoy Stage 2, lots of mixed opinions about this stage, I'm actually now enjoying it, thing I prefer workout A to B. This stage seems to be working more on the small muscle fibres so not lifting such heavy weights as Stage One but just as important for overall muscle strength. Be interested to see what you think.

That's awesome :-) I was always in awe of people who said they were doing the lat pull-downs with 70, 80, 90 lbs while I was only at 50lbs. Until one day (after about 4 months of using the machine weekly) I noticed a little sticker on top of the weight stack that said "weight load is per handle" and of course there were two pulleys attached to the bar. I had been lifting 100lbs the whole time!!

You ladies are AMAZING!!

Im halfway through Stage 1 but am reading the stage 2 exercises to get familiar with them. For the lateral flexes in Workout B do you do all of them? I'm a bit confused.

Great job everyone!!! :drinker: One more week in stage 2 and moving on...:laugh: I am still working out at home so I have to modify some but it is working out for me. :flowerforyou:

Hi Everyone,

I'm about to start Stage 2 next week - and I have a couple questions: what weight I should be going for in the Push Press? I'm currently shoulder pressing 40 lbs and squatting 75 lbs...

For the lunge variations - did you keep your weight similar to your Stage 1 (ending) lunge weights?

OMG - I'm totally intimidated by all the "scary" exercises in Stage 2!!!

I was at 75 pounds on the squat, but I started the Front Squat Push Press with the bar only (45 pounds) as this is a new movement for me. I was struggling by the end of the second set (the overhead part). I added 10 pounds in 2A and will keep it there for 3A and will increase to 55 by 4A.

I only dropped 5 pounds on the lunge (from 45 to 40). My grip sux

The exercises aren't too scary, just more balance than in Stage 1