Stage 1
Replies
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Hi,
I haven't started yet, but I'm just getting to the part in the book with the workouts, and I'm planning to finish reading this week and start lifting Monday (Apr. 16). So, in the process of planning, I have a few questions:
1. The book says to take a week off after Stage 1. But week 6 of stage 1 only has 1 workout (B8). If I do it on a Monday (May 21), does that mean I start Stage 2 the following Monday (May 28, on 6 days rest), or do I take one full calendar week, and start Stage 2 on the following Monday (Jun. 4)?
2. Also, during Stage 2 (assuming it's also about 6 weeks?), I'm going to be in Europe on vacation for 2 weeks. Assuming I won't have access to the necessary equipment while I'm away, do I just take a break from lifting those 2 weeks, or should I delay my Stage 1 start so that those 2 weeks are my break between Stage 1 and Stage 2?
Thanks in advance for any help with these planning questions.
*I admit I haven't read this whole thread yet, so if they're already asked & answered, feel free to say so, and I'll try to find them as I do read through it.
it can be however you want it to be. i personally like starting things on a sunday, so i'll technically be taking a week and a half off .
and ooohhh ladeedeeda ms fancy pants with her vacation.
just kidding have fun! and yeah stage 2 is only 8 workouts total which works out to be less than 3 weeks if you do 3 workouts a week. same with stage 3 0 -
What is C25k?
Couch to 5k.0 -
and ooohhh ladeedeeda ms fancy pants with her vacation. just kidding have fun! and yeah stage 2 is only 8 workouts total which works out to be less than 3 weeks if you do 3 workouts a week. same with stage 3
Thanks everyone.
LOL @ the Ms. Fancy Pants. FTR, the only reason I mentioned that my vacation's in Europe is b/c I won't have access to a gym. If I was travelling domestic, I'd probably try to stay on schedule and just use the hotel gym or find a branch of LA Fitness nearby.
Come to think of it, do European hotels usually have mini-gyms in them like lots of American ones do? Hmmm...0 -
Karen - you actually have a few options.
1. at the end of stage 1 are the AMRAPS - if you do these then you would be done on Friday May 25, then take a week off and start stage 2 on June 4.
Thank you! This works out perfectly with the timing of my vacation, and I'm so excited that I could be done with Stage 2 before I go. 0 -
Thanks!What is C25k?
Couch to 5k.0 -
and ooohhh ladeedeeda ms fancy pants with her vacation. just kidding have fun! and yeah stage 2 is only 8 workouts total which works out to be less than 3 weeks if you do 3 workouts a week. same with stage 3
Thanks everyone.
LOL @ the Ms. Fancy Pants. FTR, the only reason I mentioned that my vacation's in Europe is b/c I won't have access to a gym. If I was travelling domestic, I'd probably try to stay on schedule and just use the hotel gym or find a branch of LA Fitness nearby.
Come to think of it, do European hotels usually have mini-gyms in them like lots of American ones do? Hmmm...
sorry i wasnt making fun of you.. i'm just a hater cus i can't wait to take my barbados vacation in august :drinker:
my vacation plan is always to try to not gain weight. you're definotely better than me if you can fit in workouts 0 -
@meshashesha -- I didn't think you were making fun of me. I took it lightly, but then realized I might have come across as show-offy, which I don't think I am.
As for exercise on vacation, sometimes I pack sneakers & workout clothes and take long brisk walks, or do some time on the treadmill (esp. when I go to CA for work and wake up before the crack of dawn b/c of the time difference!), but in Europe, I'm hoping for lots of walking through the course of our days.
I have ZERO intention of restricting my culinary options while I'm there though. I want to try everything, and just exercise moderation in quantity. I especially can't wait to try every kind of authentic French cheese I can get my hands on...0 -
Mesha and Karen, awwwww!
I didn't take either comments bad. I love the humble attitudes. I think I have found my fave group and thread 0 -
There's a special place in hell for people who don't rerack their weights. *shakes fist* Mr Big Burly Man, if you're strong enough to squat 205lbs, you're strong enough to put the plates back!
My squat is up to 85lbs now, my barbell row (I opted for that over the seated cable row) is up to 70lbs. I discovered something odd over the weekend though. I was doing lat pull downs, but I was at the gym near my mom's house since I was home for the long weekend. At my university gym, the machine has two cables attached to a bar, and I was using it set at 35lbs (which seemed pitifully light compared with other people I've seen). At my mom's gym, it's a single cable, and I had to put it up to 70lbs before I got enough resistance. What gives??0 -
Hi all--happy Thursday!
Coquette--I'm so with you: I hate it when people don't rerack. Also hate it when the plates are nowhere near the squat rack (but that's just because I'm lazy).
Jbrown--I'm feeling the same way today. I "gained' 2 lbs in the past week, and while I totally know with my logical brain that it's just muscles retaining water, etc., it still feels sucky to the other 99% of my brain. BUT, I measured myself the other day and after only 2 weeks of workouts I've lost inches in most places. Soooo...I'm trusting in the process. I'll either hang tough and watch the weight go up and down and up and down, or put my scale away for awhile if I get too bummed out. I've done that before, and it helped.
Did A5 today, up to the 3 sets of 10--I was dreading that, but really liked it! For the first time, I felt like my pushups were do-able, and did a better job getting my butt up in the air on the jacknife. Yay!0 -
There's a special place in hell for people who don't rerack their weights. *shakes fist* Mr Big Burly Man, if you're strong enough to squat 205lbs, you're strong enough to put the plates back!
My squat is up to 85lbs now, my barbell row (I opted for that over the seated cable row) is up to 70lbs. I discovered something odd over the weekend though. I was doing lat pull downs, but I was at the gym near my mom's house since I was home for the long weekend. At my university gym, the machine has two cables attached to a bar, and I was using it set at 35lbs (which seemed pitifully light compared with other people I've seen). At my mom's gym, it's a single cable, and I had to put it up to 70lbs before I got enough resistance. What gives??
I hate that!! I workout at home now but always hated that at a gym. Um, I can't lift 200 lbs right now so put your damn weights away!
I have noticed the same thing with cable equipment before, not sure what the deal is.0 -
@coquette - I saw somene post before that the cable they used had two cables and the weight being used was per cable/handle, which totally makes sense if you had to up it to 70 lbs using 1 cable.
I'm so glad I work out at home, because I can yell at my hubby or son if they don't put the weights away! :bigsmile:
@ Karen - I do the same thing when I go out of town for work. Although I'm dreading going to Atlanta at the end of the month because I'm going the opposite way and will have to try to drag my butt out of bed really early, so I may have to do some exercising at night.0 -
i actually THOUGHT about non reracking my dumbbells yesterday after my lunges. the path between me and the rack was filled with tons of people, 2 of which were doing that hulk smash exercise on the cable machines (the ones where they have to step out several feet from the machine and sweep their arms in front of them). the only way was for me to take this long route between machines and rolling exercise balls. i felt like i was in game of Mario....
but i did it. i hated it. and i'm convinced that racking, unracking, plating and unplating need to also be considered part of your workout.0 -
but i did it. i hated it. and i'm convinced that racking, unracking, plating and unplating need to also be considered part of your workout.
I totally agree with this!0 -
PROPER SQUAT TECHNIQUE VIDEO FROM STRONGLIFTS.COM GUY (and my results today):
Hi all,
So I did 5A today (out of order) did B first this week, long story.
Anyway, I do squats every time (instead of lunges on B workouts), and I just learned this past week that I had NOT been squatting low enough. Perhaps you ladies already know this, but I did not! I subscribe to stronglifts.com and Mehdi just sent a great video on proper form for squats and he explains everything.
You may want to check it out:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VnV7vEi7Sz8&feature=youtu.be
So, for today:
SQUATS: 85#, 95#, 95# (big plates, woo hoo!)
PUSHUPS: on the floor, 15, 15, 10
SEATED ROW: 95#, 100#, 100#
STEP-UPS: (reebok step plus 3 risers) 3 x 20# dumbbells
JACKKNIFE: 3 x 12
I just LOVE these workouts! Who knew?! 0 -
@coquette - I saw somene post before that the cable they used had two cables and the weight being used was per cable/handle, which totally makes sense if you had to up it to 70 lbs using 1 cable.
Thanks for that, it makes sense and sort of confirms what I thought. I try not to compare myself to other people, but it was definitely weird to see that other women were doing 60, 70, 80lb pull downs and I was struggling with a piddly 35! If it's per cable though, that makes WAY more sense.0 -
Will any of you stage 1ers be my friend? I am looking for some friends to share the journey with. I did the same for c25k and if definitely helped! I just started 1A Tues and will be doing 1B tomorrow.0
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Will any of you stage 1ers be my friend? I am looking for some friends to share the journey with. I did the same for c25k and if definitely helped! I just started 1A Tues and will be doing 1B tomorrow.
sent you a request :happy:0 -
but in Europe, I'm hoping for lots of walking through the course of our days.
I have ZERO intention of restricting my culinary options while I'm there though. I want to try everything, and just exercise moderation in quantity. I especially can't wait to try every kind of authentic French cheese I can get my hands on...
I was at Disney World for a week in March and I took the same approach -- lots of walking (but no other exercise -- I didn't have a gym) and unrestricted eating. This was my first real vacation in many years and I let myself eat the tasty things. For the week after I got home, I was up 2 lbs, but I lost them quickly after that. It was definitely worth being set back a few weeks in my weight loss. I purposely didn't start NRoL until I came home so I wouldn't have to pause in the middle, though.
I did 2B yesterday and I finally got the weights at the point where it was haaarrrddd. Suddenly it clicked for me that eating at a big deficit would make lifting so much more difficult. I felt like I needed to power up my body in order to pull this off. I'm excited to move to 12 reps instead of 15 for 3A tomorrow. I can't imagine upping the 2B weights without taking the reps down a bit but I'm curious about what I'll be able to do for this next round. Since Thanksgiving, I've been in the gym almost every day doing either a high-reps-low-weights BodyPump class or doing cardio. I've dropped out most of the cardio since I started NRoL, partially because of the way my schedule has been and partially since it's de-emphasized in the book. I'm glad I pretty much reached my maintenance weight already -- this program doesn't really seem geared towards much weight reduction. I've spent most of my life skinny-fat so this seems like a good route to take now that I need a new approach. I'm hoping to do a fair amount of biking when the weather's nice, but I don't feel I HAVE to get the gym on non-lifting days just to help my calorie deficit.0 -
I only have 2 workouts left of stage 1. I'm having a bit of a problem though. I don't think anyone can actually offer advice, just venting.
I have a joint problem and it's gotten a lot worse with the DOMs. Joints that haven't bothered me in years are now acting up. I'm going to finish up stage 1 and see if maybe stage 2 works better for me. But I think I need to lower the weights a little. I've been doing 90 lb squats and dealifts (not including wt of the bar ~20 lb), 120 lb rows, 85 lb lat pulldowns, 2X 30lb lunges, 2X 25 lb step ups, 2X 20 lb shoulder presses.
I feel really letdown that I'm not doing as well as I'd like and it scares me that I may have to stop completely.0 -
I only have 2 workouts left of stage 1. I'm having a bit of a problem though. I don't think anyone can actually offer advice, just venting.
I have a joint problem and it's gotten a lot worse with the DOMs. Joints that haven't bothered me in years are now acting up. I'm going to finish up stage 1 and see if maybe stage 2 works better for me. But I think I need to lower the weights a little. I've been doing 90 lb squats and dealifts (not including wt of the bar ~20 lb), 120 lb rows, 85 lb lat pulldowns, 2X 30lb lunges, 2X 25 lb step ups, 2X 20 lb shoulder presses.
I feel really letdown that I'm not doing as well as I'd like and it scares me that I may have to stop completely.
I agree with you, maybe try doing things with a little less weight and see if that helps.
I did 8B yesterday. I got up to 95 lbs on deadlifts but I think I actually need to go back down 10 lbs or so until my form improves. I think my form is good on low weight, but as I add more, I notice my back wants to round.
Just 2 more workouts for in this stage, repeating 8 instead of AMRAP. Then a week off and on to stage 2...0 -
Will any of you stage 1ers be my friend? I am looking for some friends to share the journey with. I did the same for c25k and if definitely helped! I just started 1A Tues and will be doing 1B tomorrow.
Sure, I'll send you a request too. I'm a complete newbie, but I'm getting excited to start on Monday! 0 -
Finished Stage 1 tonight! I'm using other ladies experiences and am not doing the AMRAP. One, I'm bored with this stage. Two, as per Alwyn's blog it's a way to show ladies how much they underestimate myself. I know I underestimated and don't care. I start lower then work my way up as quickly as (safely) possible.
Final B stats
Starting Weights
Deadlift - 15kg / 33lb
Dumbell Shoulder Press - 5kg / 11lb
Wide Grip Lat Pulldown 26kg / 57lb (my very first I did 15kg but this was a tricep pulldown in error)
Lunge - 12kg / 26lb
Final Weight
Deadlift - 45kg / 99lb (wanted to do 50kg but both squat rack and smith machine were used. Preset bars only go to 45kg)
Dumbell Shoulder Press - 9kg / 19lb
Wide Grip Lat Pulldown 47kg / 103lb (my very first I did 15kg but this was a tricep pulldown in error)
Lunge - 12kg / 26lb This stayed the same. I have really struggled with lunges and form so intially went down and worked my way back up. Plus my forearms BURN when I do them with 12kg.
I've changed gyms since I moved (and am a bit devestated. My new gym is 9.8km away. If I lived 10km away they'd cancel my contract. Directly across the road from my estate is Jetts. Less than a km! But have another 9 months on contract) It's so much smaller but OMG the men in there! It's pretty much a sausage fest but everyone's been really nice. But they're such idiots most of them! Small number do their workouts and are gone. Most of them sit and talk for ages and do nothing. When you want to work in will suddenly start working out. One guy tonight had one of those super long singlets on (do they sell them like that or do the men stretch them?) and was stroking his pecs when looking in the mirror. I **** you not! Managed to control myself that time. Second guy (different one!) walked up towards the eliptical when I was doing my swiss ball crunches TOOK HIS SHIRT OFF and started flexing! I was in tears. Thankfully managed to not laugh out loud but I was literally crying.0 -
Finished Stage 1 tonight! ...
... It's so much smaller but OMG the men in there! It's pretty much a sausage fest but everyone's been really nice. But they're such idiots most of them! Small number do their workouts and are gone. Most of them sit and talk for ages and do nothing. When you want to work in will suddenly start working out. One guy tonight had one of those super long singlets on (do they sell them like that or do the men stretch them?) and was stroking his pecs when looking in the mirror. I **** you not! Managed to control myself that time. Second guy (different one!) walked up towards the eliptical when I was doing my swiss ball crunches TOOK HIS SHIRT OFF and started flexing! I was in tears. Thankfully managed to not laugh out loud but I was literally crying.
@Lozze -- congratulations!!! Also, what a riot about the men in your gym. I've never seen anything like it in mine, but maybe that's because I'm there @ 5:30 am, and none of the clowns are early risers? LOL.0 -
Hi everyone, long time no see, hope you are all doing well!
I just finished 4A today, nearly half-way finished Stage 1! I don't have my starting weights around, but I'm pretty sure I started my squats with a 20lb pre-weighted barbell, and now doing 80lbs. with the olympic bar (which is the standard 45lbs, nice!) today, whoo! I'm also up to 65lbs with the vertical row. Push-ups have been a much slower progress, as with the shoulder press (still at a wimpy 12.5lb dumbelll, hoping to do the 15lbs. tomorrow) It's personally really important to me to build up my upper body strength to try rock climbing for the very first time this summer.
One thing that I'm not proud about is my lack of cardio on my rest days. I still have 80lbs that I'd like to lose, and it's coming off slowly, but I'm finding that I lack the energy and motivation to get in 2 or 3 days of cardio inbetween the 'New Rules' workouts. I'm making it my goal to stick to this schedule:
Monday: NRoL
Tuesday: Walk/hike 1hr
Wednesday: NRoL
Thursday: Rest
Friday: NRoL
Saturday: Zumba 1hr
Sunday: Rest (or 30m-1hr walk)0 -
Hi everyone, long time no see, hope you are all doing well!
I just finished 4A today, nearly half-way finished Stage 1! I don't have my starting weights around, but I'm pretty sure I started my squats with a 20lb pre-weighted barbell, and now doing 80lbs. with the olympic bar (which is the standard 45lbs, nice!) today, whoo! I'm also up to 65lbs with the vertical row. Push-ups have been a much slower progress, as with the shoulder press (still at a wimpy 12.5lb dumbelll, hoping to do the 15lbs. tomorrow) It's personally really important to me to build up my upper body strength to try rock climbing for the very first time this summer.
One thing that I'm not proud about is my lack of cardio on my rest days. I still have 80lbs that I'd like to lose, and it's coming off slowly, but I'm finding that I lack the energy and motivation to get in 2 or 3 days of cardio inbetween the 'New Rules' workouts. I'm making it my goal to stick to this schedule:
Monday: NRoL
Tuesday: Walk/hike 1hr
Wednesday: NRoL
Thursday: Rest
Friday: NRoL
Saturday: Zumba 1hr
Sunday: Rest (or 30m-1hr walk)
I'm so tired these past two weeks, too, and while I am doing cardio, I'm exhausted.
I've been doing Stage 1 of NROL 3x/week for 5 weeks now. Prior to starting NROL, I used to do 6 days/week cardio with some paddleboarding (primarily core/resistance) thrown in on top. Although I have cut back significantly on cardio, I still need to teach 2 spin classes per week, and they are much longer and more intense than the book recommends.
I've been doing:
M: NROL
T: teach 45 min spin
W: NROL
T: teach 45 min spin
F: 1 hour paddleboarding
S: NROL
S: off
I'm eating at TDEE, but these past two weeks as I'm increasing weight, I am wiped out during spin class. For example today, I only averaged 206 watts (thought I was gonna die, too), when I usually hit around 230.
Actually, I'm wiped out in general --TIRED.
Anyone else experience this? Will it pass? I've been teaching spin for over 8 years, so I'm certainly used to it.
What do you ladies think?0 -
Dumb Question - when you guys post your weights, and it's a dumbbell exercise, are you talking about per hand? Like if I was using 10 pound dumbbells, do I list that as 10 pounds, or 20 pounds?0
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On my charting, Hurri, I list "10 DB" to mean a 10 lb DB in each hand. If I'm using a plate, then I'd list it as "25 P". And, if I'm using the Olympic Bar, I list it as "OB". "BW" means body-weight on my chart.0
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I just realized my only post to this thread was a completely random comment. So I guess I need to sort of introduce myself.
I am supposed to be going on workout 5A. I joined the gym this week and met with a trainer. The first session was really good. He helped me with the equipment and checked my form on the exercises. Today did not go like I wanted. He had me doing something completely different. So, I haven't actually done 4B. I'm going to cancel my next session I think, and just meet with him when it get ready to start stage 2. I guess I'll just go on with 5A for now.
Anyway, I didnt want to just be a creepy lurker, and was starting to feel that way. 0 -
Hi, Jessica. :flowerforyou:0
