I would love to hear some input from the group on Barbell squats vs. Squat racks. My problem with Barbell squats is that I can only lift the 40lb barbell over my head so that's the max I have been squatting. I bet I could go more but I am scared of the squat rack - I just finished 7A today - not sure if any of the other stages have squats so may just keep doing what I'm doing Thoughts?

The squat rack is your friend. You can set it so you can pick the weight up behind you, then set the stoppers so if you get stock, all you have to do is lower the bar to the side stop supports and duck under. if you can, get someone at your gym to show you how to set it up. Once you do this, you will NEVER go back to the bar bells, promise!

I have a question for y'all. If you aren't making increases in strength do you think that means you should increase calorie intake? I have been eating at a deficit throughout stage 1. My TDEE is 2083 and I eat at 1800 on lifting days and 1400 (just above BMR) on rest days. I just finished stage 1 today and I am frustrated that my numbers haven't moved much.
I'm wondering if anyone else had issues with this and what caused it. Some of it, I think, is learning proper form. However, my puny upper body hasn't progressed at all and it is quite a source of frustration. I have some body fat to lose and am terrified that increasing calories will just pack on fat.

Here's the stats, just to illustrate:

A
Squat: 45 ---> 80
Pushup: next to last notch of smith --> can do 5 reps on last notch but not a whole set
Seated row: 50--->80
Step up: 25 db ---> 65 bb, step with 5 risers
Prone jackknife: as in book ---> roll back, toes on ball

B
Deadlift: 95--->95
Shoulder press: 15--->20 but can't do a whole set
Lat-pull down: 50--->70
Lunge: 15--->25
Ball crunch: holding 10 plate ----> 20 kettlebell overhead

Finished 7B and happy with the little increases! Having fewer reps seems to encourage me to look at the next weight up and think... "you can just TRY it and see how it goes" .......

Moral of the story is that I need to push myself to find out what I can actually do
I'm looking forward to one more B workout and see if I can increase these numbers one more time.

As far as getting fatty, isn't it not possible to GAIN fat if you're not eating more calories than you're using in a day? I do 7b tomorrow and thus far (and this is after 3 days of rx diuretics) I've GAINED 3 lbs. It's a mental game (especially since I'll be in a bikini in 2.5 weeks). I know it's not fat. How could it be?

I tried to increase my overhead press to 60 lbs. today and it was a major fail. Why don't they make 27.5 lb. dumbbells? On the plus side, I deadlifted more than I weigh. That felt pretty awesome.

First, congrats on the dead lift!

Same for me on the presses, have been going up in 5 lb increments, but you are right, the leap from 50 to 60 pounds is way too much. 50 about kills me. I'm wondering about using those little strap on hand weights? I think you can get them in 2 or 3 pound increments. Anyone know about these and if that would work. (*you know, the kind they use for Piloxing?)

I LOVE NROL4W. Is anyone else extending stage 1? I'm thinking about going for 36 stage 1 workouts. I'm not sure. Maybe I'll get to 8A and think, "ON TO THE NEXT ONE" but who knows!

Personally, I would go to the next stage. I think you will find it a challenge and rewarding. It's tough but I love the DOMS. I know I am working more muscles than previously.

Completed workout 5A this evening. I was able to increase the weight on just about everything, despite the additional set.

One question for you, does anyone use gloves? I'm having a really hard time holding on to the dumbbells for the step ups. I was wondering if gloves would help?

MamaWannaRun: I think I was encouraged by seeing what you've been lifting.

Hi Ladies!

I'm about to start NROL (not 4W though) because a friend lent me this book and instead of buying the one 4W I decided to just go ahead and use this one. I think the exercises are the same though so I was wondering if I could participate in this group. (I had to join in order to post this).

I'm trying to figure out the weights from early though and for this first stage I'm to do a Close-Grip Lat Pulldown. If you've done this before, what weight did you start out using? I've basically figured out for the rest of the exercises in this stage because I did P90X right before this. Any help would be really appreciated.

The 1st stage for women calls for the wide grip but I think the numbers may be similar. I'd start with 50, do a rep, and adjust up or down from there. Good luck!

I did my first AMRAP workout today. I know a lot of people here skip them but I was curious to see how many reps I'd be able to pull off. I decided to use my Workout 2A/2B numbers because I totally guessed weights in 1A/1B and I often felt like I could have done more than 15. I hadn't totally maxed out with the 2A/2B weights, but it was closer.

It was so fun, you guys.

I did 50 squats, 50 pushups (I feel like I'm terrible at pushups and I couldn't believe it when the first 20 -- at the 6th Smith machine peg-- were done with hardly any effort), 65 step-ups (I did 10 per side then switched so I wouldn't get worn out on one side and not be able to do the other side. So it was 65 per side and I felt like I might have been able to do 5-10 more but it was getting ridiculous), 30 seated rows, and 20 prone jackknives.

I don't have my worksheets on me, but I think my 2A to 8A numbers are:
Squats: 55 - 95 (I finally got to put the 25 lb weights on the Oly bar!)
Push-ups: 6th Smith peg to 3rd
Seated rows: 40 lbs - 70 lbs
Step-ups: 15 lbs per side with 3 risers -> 35 lbs per side with 4 risers
Prone jackknive: body weight then and now

SERIOUSLY AWESOME! WTG!

Not bad for a fat girl venturing into free weights for the first time ever, if I do say so myself. And even though the scale hasn't moved much (I was 190 when I started, and waver bet. 188.5-193 now), I've gone from wearing size 18 jeans to size 14.