2nd week......Pls Help
TheReese1206
Posts: 238
Well today was the beginning of week 2. I'm actually counting it as week one though. I guess last week felt like more of a tester week. I think I still may not be squatting enough?!?! If you don't mind me asking......what weight did you start with in workouts A and B? Can you list how you progressed over the 6 weeks? I would REALLY appreciate it.
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I'm not sure what I was squatting at the beginning because I started using paper logs and didn't move onto virtual logs until probably Stage 2. What makes you think you're not squatting enough? You can ask everyone here, but none of us have your body and your history so each of our experiences including starting weight and progress is going to be vastly different. Some ladies started at bodyweight, others started over 100 pounds, so it's difficult to guage what you should be doing off of what other's did. What I will say is that in every set that last one should be TOUGH, your weights should be difficult if not impossible to heft on the last rep, if not than you need to up your weights. If you're getting to the last 2 or 3 reps and can't make it your weight may be too high, and if you are compromising proper form to heft your weights your weight is definitely too high. If you're speeding through your exercises and thinking "man this is easy" or "I can totally do more reps/weight" and you have proper form your weight is too light.
Generally when I think to myself, "hurm, my wieghts may be too light" it is.0 -
I know everyone is different.....I just am curious as to what others started with and how they progressed over the first 6 weeks.0
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I'm only in my 2nd week too, but I started my first set of squats with body weight only, then I tried just the bar, but foolishly used the Smith Machine bar, not the Olympic bar in the squat rack.
Yesterday, I did my 2nd Workout A, and used just the 45 lb. bar in the squat rack. I'm not sure of my form though, so I'm having a trainer check it next week for me though. If my form's OK, I might try adding 5 lb. plates to the bar and go from there...0 -
Hi! I started last week as well and have completed 1a, 1b and 2a. I will be doing 2b tonight. After 1a I knew that I didn't do enough weight and that I could increase next time for sure. For 2a I increased everything at least 5-10 lbs. Here is my 1a to 2a comparison:
Squats: 45 lb (bar only) ----> 65 lb (I struggled with the last 2 reps)
Push ups: 4th peg up on Smith machine ----> 3rd peg up on Smith machine
Rows: 25 lbs ----> 50 lbs (grossly underestimated first workout!) I think I may be able to add 5 more lbs next time, but 50 was hard!
Step ups: 5 lbs bench height ---> 15 lbs bench height (may not be able to go up next time, as my gym only increases in 5 lbs and I don't think I can do 20s)
Jackknifes: easy first time, so 2a I did one set of jackknife pikes and one set of regular jackknifes
For 1b I did the following:
Deadlifts: 65 1st set, 75 2nd set
Shoulder Press: 15 lbs
Lat Pull Downs: 55 lbs
Lunges: 15 lbs
Crunches: no weight 1st set, 10 lb plate 2nd set
For 2b I think I'll start with the weight I did last time and then increase for 2nd set if I think I can.
Keep at it~as long as you keep pushing yourself you'll be fine!
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'TheReese' I started last week too but I am going to do the same and re-start again today because I felt like last week was a bit of a tester week and I made so many mistakes and adjustments that when it comes time to do the AMRAP my starting weights just won't be accurate. Just to give you an idea of what I did last week:
Workout 1A --> 2A Comparison
Squats - 60lb (smith machine - this was my first mistake)
>65lb (inlcuding bar - this weight was still too light for me - I think 75lb would have been better)
Rows - 80lbs (cable machine - second mistake - used the wrong machine)
> 20lbs (on the correct machine this time lol)
Step-Ups - 20lbs
> 20 lbs (this one I got right)
Jackknives - BW both times but these were way, way too easy for me so I'll need to do pikes instead.
Workout 1B
Deadlifts - 75lbs (perfect weight but I need gloves because I got some serious blisters on my hands from doing these)
Shoulder Press - 7.5lbs each hand (perfect weight for me)
Lat Pull Downs - 45lbs (too light)
Lunges: 20lbs each hand (too much - I'll need to reduce)
Crunches - BW and then tried 10lb plate but these were way too easy - anyone else experience this? If so, how do I make them harder? Also, I only felt it in my butt and things - am I doing something wrong?0 -
I'm only on my 4th workout (did Stage One, 2B today). Last week, I went pretty light and have been adjusting.
1A:
Squats: just the bar
Pushups-just did 15
Rows: 70 lbs. felt great
StepUps: held 15 lb. dumbbells in each hand
Jackknifes-these were tough, but I finished them
2A;
Squats: 65 lbs.
Pushups: did the T version this time
Rows: Stayed with 70 lbs.
Stepups: held 30 lb. dumbbells in each hand which felt good, but they tore my hands up
1B:
Deadlifts: 65 lbs
Shoulder Press: held 15 lb. dumbbells in each hand
Lat Pull down: 70 lbs.
Lunge: held 20 lb. dumbbells in each hand and did walking lunges
Swiss Ball Crunch: held a 10 lb. weight plate
2B:
Deadlifts: 80 lbs. (still struggling with form-I spend as much time watching my back in the mirror as I do lifting)
Shoulder Press: held 20 lb. dumbbells in each hand
Lat Pulldown: 75 lbs.
Lunge: held 25 lb. dumbbells in each hand and did walking lunges.
Swiss Ball Crunch: held 15 lb. weight plate
Is anyone else as uncoordinated as I am with the lunges? I tried stepping forward and then returning to start position, but kept losing my balance. So then I'd step forward, do 2 or 3 lunges, step back and then switch legs. It just seemed like I was always trying to regain my balance.0 -
Is anyone else as uncoordinated as I am with the lunges? I tried stepping forward and then returning to start position, but kept losing my balance. So then I'd step forward, do 2 or 3 lunges, step back and then switch legs. It just seemed like I was always trying to regain my balance.
I have done many lunges in my military career but i feel so goofy doing them with weights lol I can do lunges but I dont know why i cant seem to get good form with weights.0 -
... I tried just the bar, but foolishly used the Smith Machine bar, not the Olympic bar in the squat rack.
Are we not supposed to use the Smith Machine? I started with that because the squat rack was "occupied".0 -
... I tried just the bar, but foolishly used the Smith Machine bar, not the Olympic bar in the squat rack.
Are we not supposed to use the Smith Machine? I started with that because the squat rack was "occupied".
My gym only has the smith machine. How much is this going to impact my workouts? I am starting today.0 -
bump0
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Is it normal to have back pain after Stage 1 1B? Maybe I am not doing deadlifts properly.0
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Is it normal to have back pain after Stage 1 1B? Maybe I am not doing deadlifts properly.
It is possible. That happened to me last week with 1A. I did so much weight and hurt myself so bad that I had to start over this week. I have soreness but not pain in my back if that makes sense. I did Stage 1 1B yesterday.0 -
Is it normal to have back pain after Stage 1 1B? Maybe I am not doing deadlifts properly.
Any kind of pain is not normal... soreness, yes. With the deadlifts, you should be feeling the soreness in your glutes and hamstrings. If you feel it in your back, you may be yanking the bar with your arms (instead of lifting with your legs and glutes). Make sure you tighten your core before you lift... that will help your back. (Just repeating advise/corrections from my trainer). I hope that helps 0 -
My trainer recommended NOT starting with the deadlifts as shown in the book. She said you should only go down as far as you can keep a neutral spine. And guess what, unless you have the big weights on the OLY bar or risers, it is not the right height to DL safely. After I saw her I started doing Romanian deadlifts from a rack pull. I could go down about mid-shin with my low-back staying neutral.
As far as weights: I did stage 1 at home and don't have a squat rack so I wasn't able to push it as much as I would have liked, but looking a my logs:
A1 to A8
squat-15lb dumbbells /95lb
bentover row-15lb dumbbells/ 63lb barbell
setups - bodyweight on the bench (pretty high)/ 25 lb dumbbells on bench
B1 to B8
deadlift - 57lb/95lb
DB shoulder press - 15lb each hand/25lb (spent a lot of time at 20/22)
pull overs - 15lb (triceps bar) /30lbs total tricpeps bar
lunges - 15/220 -
My trainer recommended NOT starting with the deadlifts as shown in the book. She said you should only go down as far as you can keep a neutral spine. And guess what, unless you have the big weights on the OLY bar or risers, it is not the right height to DL safely. After I saw her I started doing Romanian deadlifts from a rack pull. I could go down about mid-shin with my low-back staying neutral.
My trainer had me do the same thing. I actually prefer the RDL. I feel more stable doing them. I have a history of back issues, so that's a big thing to me.
I started with:
Squats: body weight and 5lb dbs>>> 45lb bar
Push ups: on the door frame >>> on my 3rd step of stairs
Bent row: 8lb dbs>>> 17.5lb dbs or cable row 37.5 lbs
Step ups: 2 risers and 8lb dbs>>> 4 risers 15lb dbs
Prone jackknife: kept rolling off the ball>>> no problems
Deadlifts: 10lb standard bar (switched to RDLs in w/o 4) >>> RDLs 85lbs
Shoulder press: 5lb dbs >>>15lb dbs
Pullover: 10lb standard bar >>> lat pull down 62.5
Lunges: body weight >>> 15lb dbs
Swiss ball crunches: body weight >>> 15lb db0 -
Back feels better today. Did Stage 1 A2 today. I am looking up Romanian deadlifts now. THANKS0
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Bump. Thank for for the info on deadlifts0
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... I tried just the bar, but foolishly used the Smith Machine bar, not the Olympic bar in the squat rack.
Are we not supposed to use the Smith Machine? I started with that because the squat rack was "occupied".
My gym only has the smith machine. How much is this going to impact my workouts? I am starting today.
I'm also curious, why should we not be using the smith machine? I did 2A on friday and was squatting 95 on it. We dont have a squat rack unless I'm missing it somewhere0 -
For the discussion of romanian deadlift vs. "normal" deadlift: both target different main areas.
Romanian: Mainly hamstrings and a bit of lower back and glutes
Normal: Mainly lower back and a bit of middle back, quads, hamstrings and glutes
So you got to be mindful of what muscles you mainly want to exercise. Obviously form is important on both but with the main muscle being lower back on the standard barbell deadlift it is super important there.
@soccerella: if you don't have any other options I guess the smith machine would do - it has disadvantages in terms of form as you cannot move freely. Somewhere I have seen someone sum it up like that: a squat is actually a back and forward movement of your hips - the smith machine will reduce it to an up and down movement which targets different muscles and is also less challenging as you do not balance the weight yourself.
I have neither so I go for dumbell squats instead as long as I can hold the weight in my hands.0 -
For the discussion of romanian deadlift vs. "normal" deadlift: both target different main areas.
Romanian: Mainly hamstrings and a bit of lower back and glutes
Normal: Mainly lower back and a bit of middle back, quads, hamstrings and glutes
So you got to be mindful of what muscles you mainly want to exercise. Obviously form is important on both but with the main muscle being lower back on the standard barbell deadlift it is super important there.
@soccerella: if you don't have any other options I guess the smith machine would do - it has disadvantages in terms of form as you cannot move freely. I have neither so I go for dumbell squats instead as long as I can hold the weight in my hands.
When I asked this is what the ladies gave me:
http://befitandstrong.com/why-the-smith-machine-may-be-the-worst-piece-of-exercise-equipment-you-can-use/
http://www.menshealth.com/mhlists/avoid_lifting_injuries/The_Smith_Machine.php0 -
And agreeing with the sites linked - the smith machine tends to have a higher risk of injuries due to the unnatural movement.0
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hmmm thanks for the links....kinda bummed out now because I dont know what else to do. I dont feel like I'm moving any differently with the smith machine as i would doing squats with a barbell, but that doesnt mean that I'm not. The other option I have is to do it with barbells i suppose, but I worry that as I progress to heavier weights Im goign to have a hard time getting them up to my shoulders0
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If you have a look into the book there are dumbell squats listed as well. You hold the weights in your hands at the side of your body not on your shoulders. I am doing this right now and it works nicely. Once I go over 100lbs for squats though I will need to move to another gym with a better free weights section.0
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If you have a look into the book there are dumbell squats listed as well. You hold the weights in your hands at the side of your body not on your shoulders. I am doing this right now and it works nicely. Once I go over 100lbs for squats though I will need to move to another gym with a better free weights section.
yea i'm already at 105 for squats as of today - granted that was using the smith machine
i did some snooping around today and found a small room that had one of those angled leg press things and chess press things and also what looked to be something like a squat rack. A woman had rigged it so she was doing hanging ab exercises from it, but it looked like it had adjustable levels on it that you could move a bar to. I might ask someone else next time I'm there if they can show me if/how it can be set up for squats0 -
I could not do even one proper squat, with just my body weight, when I started NROL4W. And, I *thought* I was in good shape - having done various forms of cardio for about 6 hours per week and practising bikram hot yoga 3 times per week.
I could NOT do even ONE squat, with proper form, no weight. Not one.
I called a personal trainer in to help me through my entire first month of NROL4W. By the end of month 1, I could do a proper body weight squat. And so, I started progressively adding more weight.
I am starting Stage 5, today - so am not at the end of the program. My *original* goal was to be lifting my body weight on the bar, during a back-squat by the END of NROL4W. I think that will be a difficult goal to achieve. But, I might get very close!! We shall see.
It is a marathon. Not a sprint.
It is the journey. Not the destination.0 -
Oh, and it is FORM before WEIGHT, too.
Get your form down....form, form, form....then you'll be able to start moving up in weight, without injury and without overtraining.
Form is key. Mine, in TONS of the NROL4W exercises, sucked, sucked, sucked.
I'm much better now!!0
