Phoenix - fantastic progress!!!

Thanks, Jen! I'm looking forward to my last workout on Monday. My goal is to hit 105 lbs. on my deadlifts. I will be so ready for a rest after I'm done with Stage 1! :happy:

JNH - I'm just going to have to follow your lead and pray to baby Jesus to help me with those deadlifts! As for the lunges, as much as I hate doing them, I actually did pretty well and I'm sure you will, too.

JNH, I felt guilty leaving early as well. Tomorrow when I do 6A I will be there longer. I noticed with workout 5 I was there 15 or so minutes longer. My thoughts : as I increase weights , the harder it is for me to pull/push/lift. In turn, that increases time plus adding additional reps.

Thanks, Jen! I'm looking forward to my last workout on Monday. My goal is to hit 105 lbs. on my deadlifts. I will be so ready for a rest after I'm done with Stage 1! :happy:

JNH - I'm just going to have to follow your lead and pray to baby Jesus to help me with those deadlifts! As for the lunges, as much as I hate doing them, I actually did pretty well and I'm sure you will, too.

What weight did you start with for deadlifts?

I started my deadlifts with the 45 lb. Oly bar.

Hi Ladies,

OK, so I guess I have been overtraining. There's nothing else that explains it. I guess I have been pushing it by lifting 3 x week in addition to teaching my spin classes. I do really get why the book says not to do more than 20 min cardio on off days.

So . . . since I have to teach the spin classes, I decided to take a 4 day break until my next class on Tuesday. So, no lifting Saturday or Monday. I also took today off from paddleboarding again.

Stopped in at the chiropractor and the kinesiologist said my adrenals were shot, and this does not surprise me with all the stress we have endured with our drug-addicted niece who had been living with us until her most recent heroin binge last month ... gah.

Anyway, I have 3 workouts left of stage 1, so that will be next Wed, Sat, and the following Monday, the 30th. Then I will take an entire week off (yes!), and get back outside paddling and cycling (gently) before resuming with stronglifts 5 x 5.

I've decided I want to stick with the compound moves instead of increasing the workout time with more split workkouts.

It is still hard for me to wrap my head around the fact that 3 hours lifting + 3 hours cardio is kicking my *kitten* when I used to push 13.5 hours/week cardio with ease. Ahhhhhhh well.

Thanks all for your advice and encouragement

6A completed. I increased some weights AND lowered the incline for my push-ups! I don't think I will be on the floor by the end of this stage . baby steps

squats 45
push-ups lowered incline
seated row 72lbs>84lbs
step ups 15 lbs each hand > 17.5 lbs each hand
jackknife went from NO problems last time to problems today. Last set I could only complete 7. My lower abs felt like it was tearing!

I should be back on MWF schedule next week. I hope so. I like have Sat & Sun off.

Finished 8A tonight....waited too long to workout (hubby was doing StrongLifts first and took for-freakin-ever) so I don't think I had as much power as I normally would. But here are my "final" numbers I guess....(debating if I want to do another week of level 8s since I don't plan to do AMRAPS):

Squat -
started at 45 lbs (BB)
finished at 100 lbs

Push-ups -
Started at a very high peg off the smith machine (I think it was 13 holes up, LOL)
Finished at....wait for it, wait for it....last set of 8 ALL ON MY TOES! (Didn't think I was going to see that this stage!)

Seated row -
Started at 40 lbs + bar (my bar is almost 7 lbs)
Finished at 95 + bar

Step-ups -
Started at holding 10 lb DBs each hand on a step with all platforms
Finished at holding OlyBB with 10 lbs for a total of 55 lbs on step (and stoopid me just realized I could do the BB with more weights instead of DBs so I imagine I may have been able to tolerate more weight so this is not very impressive to me now, LOL)

Prone jackknife -
Started at falling off the ball my first set of 8 and being super sore the next day, hah!
Finished at doing it as directed and feeling strong through each set of 15 I'd do! Love these!! One of my fave ab exercises now.

Hi everyone...
I started workouts A1 and B1 over the weekend (Fri/Sun). My initial reaction was "that was quick" because I finished in less than 30 minutes. Normally when I go to my "weights" part of my workout, I'm at the gym for at least an hour (because I'm doing so many different lifts). But after reading everyone's posts here, I think I didn't put enough weights??? Even though I put at least 5 lbs heavier than what I would have been comfortable with. They were difficult and I was sweating, but I don't know if I'm doing this right.

What were your starting weights?

This is what I did:
Squats - I did this on that machine with 35 lbs on each side (is that 70 then?)
Seated Row - 40lbs
Push-ups - on the bench (I'll try to just suck it up and go to the floor next time)
Step up - 15 lbs (step class bench - not sure how high it was)
Prone jackknife - who invented that???


Deadlift - 30 lbs (normally would only do 20). I'm too scared to pick up the 45 bar...
Shoulder Press - 12lbs ( normally 8)
Lat pull down - 35 lbs
Lunge - 20 lbs (this was hard... I thought my left knee was going to give out)
Swiss ball crunch (25 lb plate) - I actually did 20 each set b/c I didn't look at my notes and assumed 15, but it took forever to get the ball in the right position, so I just kept going...


In the book it also mentions AMRAPs --- is that at the end of every workout or after workout 8?

Thanks all
Newbie

Hi everyone...
I started workouts A1 and B1 over the weekend (Fri/Sun). My initial reaction was "that was quick" because I finished in less than 30 minutes. Normally when I go to my "weights" part of my workout, I'm at the gym for at least an hour (because I'm doing so many different lifts). But after reading everyone's posts here, I think I didn't put enough weights??? Even though I put at least 5 lbs heavier than what I would have been comfortable with. They were difficult and I was sweating, but I don't know if I'm doing this right.

What were your starting weights?

This is what I did:
Squats - I did this on that machine with 35 lbs on each side (is that 70 then?)
Seated Row - 40lbs
Push-ups - on the bench (I'll try to just suck it up and go to the floor next time)
Step up - 15 lbs (step class bench - not sure how high it was)
Prone jackknife - who invented that???


Deadlift - 30 lbs (normally would only do 20). I'm too scared to pick up the 45 bar...
Shoulder Press - 12lbs ( normally 8)
Lat pull down - 35 lbs
Lunge - 20 lbs (this was hard... I thought my left knee was going to give out)
Swiss ball crunch (25 lb plate) - I actually did 20 each set b/c I didn't look at my notes and assumed 15, but it took forever to get the ball in the right position, so I just kept going...


In the book it also mentions AMRAPs --- is that at the end of every workout or after workout 8?

Thanks all
Newbie

H and welcome, Cpa.

I don't have all your answers because I am learning too.

I think your weights are good. Easier than some of mine and harder on the others. I think you must do what you are comfortable with. I don't have my log in book next to me , but I will say tentatively:
the deadlifts I was at 60
seated row at 60
lat pull down 48
squats 40
step ups 8
pushups 45 degree angle
lunges 10


AMRAP : as far as I know it is only after stage 1. (Just to prove to you how little you were lifting)

Today I did 3B...

Deadlifts -65 2 sets
Shoulder press -10 DBs 2 sets
Lat pull down - 40 2 sets
Lunges - 10 kettlebells 2 sets. These still kick my *kitten*
Swiss ball crunches - held a 10 kettlebell on my chest for 2 sets of 12

Slow improvements and my form is getting better!