This chick is hard-fing-core but look how smooth she does the move with crazy amounts of weight.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IVBgKB4Gnsw

OMG that woman is a MACHINE!!!! I feel so pathetic, I started stage 2 with 14kg, and ended on 16!!! I tried 18kg, but no go today. Good to see she's not worried about the lifting the elbows up at the front bit, i hate that.

Welcome to stage 2 Miss M, yes, workout B will kick your a**, but you'll love it. I did prone jacknives instead of the crunches, and for the underhand grip lat pulldown i used my pull up bar and did chin ups with my feet partly supporting me. You don't have a cable right? Just use anything you can hang from!!

Yes, the youtube woman certainly is something to aspire to - in my dreams or maybe my next life!

Thanks for the tips Jen - going to have a look at the B moves on youtube tomorrow, then try it myself on Sunday.

Phew! Just done my first Workout B.

To my surprise, the most difficult thing for me was the prone cobra - really didn't think I would make it to 60 seconds, but I did (just). Enjoyed the challenge of it, and hope to increase my time in future. In contrast, the crunches and flexions were so easy I didn't know why I was bothering. Will follow your suggestion Jen and go back to prone jackknives - possibly instead of reverse crunches, and maybe ankle weights for the flexions?

the other exercises were good, apart from one I really didn't get which was the reverse lunge with forward reach. The book said 'light weights', so I used 5kg dumbbells, but it didn't seem like I felt the exercise anywhere at all - couldn't see which muscles it was supposed to be working. Am I doing it wrong? Any advice anyone?

P.S. Happy Easter!

Well I'm moving on up to the next level, just finished stage 2 last night. And it was the first time I did the HIIT right after the weights, man that was a burn. Of course being Easter Sunday I ate my exercise cals in chocolate :drinker:

I can't really report much of an increase in weights (only about 4kg total for most moves) unlike after stage 1. I mainly focused on form, especially with all the split leg stuff like step up, split squats and various lunges. I have noticed my left leg is weaker, so trying to improve that.

I did 15 prone jacknives instead of the crunches, and major victory- last night i actually did some of them as pikes, and WOW my abs feel tight today! Couldn't get my butt v high in the air though.

Maggie- I have also been puzzled by the forward reach thing, i was doing them with 7 or 8kg dbs, i think it might be a subtle rotator cuff move like the cuban snatches?? And i'm opposite, the 90 sec cobras are easy and the 60 sec planks are hard for me!! I like the 4th option for flexion, side crunch on the ball. Do you have a bench? I do incline reverse crunches.

I had a look at stage 3, it looks lots more fun. I'm really starting to see results now, so am happy to keep going. But i will take a proper week off this time, i haven't had a full 7 days off yet, jsut 4/5 day breaks occasionally. Think i need a good recovery session. Plus lots of night shifts this week, so will give myself a break.

I have a general question. Did you all do the AMRAPs at the end of Stage 1? I started somewhat light since I hadn't done much strength training (not recently at least) and I progressed pretty quickly.

I did the AMRAPs and it was actually a huge ego boost because the number of reps were wayyy higher than I expected for almost every exercise (swiss ball crunch was 205 reps, hahaha). It was surprisingly difficult to do the AMRAPs, too, thanks to the endurance required. Boring as HECK to do, but I'm glad I did them, personally, just to see that improvement. Lots of people skip them and seem to be just fine without them, so it's all up to you!

Ok, I did A1 tonight. Felt a little weird. I backed off my step up weight to 50 from 60 since it's 10 reps and I was going higher. I was trying to be mindful not to push off with the non-working foot. Push up were ok, 1 point rows were harder than expected, I did 10lb dbs on those and the static lunges. Those lunges felt crazy weird. Wood chops were cool, but I SUCK at Planks. I had to do the 30x2 variation. Felt good to be back at the gym though.

Well I'm moving on up to the next level, just finished stage 2 last night. And it was the first time I did the HIIT right after the weights, man that was a burn. Of course being Easter Sunday I ate my exercise cals in chocolate :drinker:

I can't really report much of an increase in weights (only about 4kg total for most moves) unlike after stage 1. I mainly focused on form, especially with all the split leg stuff like step up, split squats and various lunges. I have noticed my left leg is weaker, so trying to improve that.

I did 15 prone jacknives instead of the crunches, and major victory- last night i actually did some of them as pikes, and WOW my abs feel tight today! Couldn't get my butt v high in the air though.

Maggie- I have also been puzzled by the forward reach thing, i was doing them with 7 or 8kg dbs, i think it might be a subtle rotator cuff move like the cuban snatches?? And i'm opposite, the 90 sec cobras are easy and the 60 sec planks are hard for me!! I like the 4th option for flexion, side crunch on the ball. Do you have a bench? I do incline reverse crunches.

I had a look at stage 3, it looks lots more fun. I'm really starting to see results now, so am happy to keep going. But i will take a proper week off this time, i haven't had a full 7 days off yet, jsut 4/5 day breaks occasionally. Think i need a good recovery session. Plus lots of night shifts this week, so will give myself a break.

Well done for completing stage two that was well quick!

I think I may do some Prone Jacknifes again instead of reverse crunches next time.

Anyone looking to make the plank more challenging do it on a Swiss ball or bosu ball- it hurts!

I have a confession to make- in Workout B I am continuing with normal deadlifts and squats as I'm just not into the variations and want to get better. Am doing the front squat in A though.

I found Workout B to be mega long well over an hour but I enjoy HIIT so looked forward to doing that at the end of the workout.

So how DO I DO these intervals. Do I just have to hit the button on the treadmill? I don't run because it aggravates my asthma.

It's really just a variation in speed or intensity. If you want to use the treadmill, alternate between a walk and a speed walk. Or if you use an elliptical, alternate between a low level resistance and a high level. I'm planning to do mine on the treadmill to alternate between walking and running speed intervals. I have exercise asthma, but I can run if I use my inhaler before I workout. The key is just intensity tho. Go hard for 1 minute and then slow down for 2.

So how DO I DO these intervals. Do I just have to hit the button on the treadmill? I don't run because it aggravates my asthma.

If you have a HRM that's another measure. I do mine on the bike, and I like to get my HR up to at least 160 in the work minute, then get it down to 120 in the rest. You really do need to ease off in the rest periods, that gives you the break you need to really go hard in the 1 minute.

Set your targets so that by the end of the minute you know you couldn't have done it for any longer, then rest!

So how DO I DO these intervals. Do I just have to hit the button on the treadmill? I don't run because it aggravates my asthma.

If you use a stationary bike, then instead of going all out and putting strain on your lungs, you could increase the resistance significantly without increasing the speed. You would probably end up a bit breathless again, but I don't think it would be like running or even cycling fast.

Hello everyone!
I am on stage 2 and everything has been going great! I am just now getting the form down and today is my last exercise in this stage. I loved stage 2 so much that I am actually going to repeat it again. There is one issue I have. I am unable to do the front squat/push press because I have carpal tunnel and a history of multiple wrist fractures. Are there any other exercises that I can do to take place of this one?