Do your squat stands have catcher bars lower down for squatting?

Yes, they do. I'll PM you a link to them so you can see.

EMC- me too, 2 workouts left. won't miss those planks...

Maggie, thanks for the link, I might be able to get some made.

Starting Stage 4 June 11th. I am taking my full week off between stages but I plan to fill it with fun cardio type stuff. Cheers ladies.

And I've got just one more Stage 4 workout to go, so our paths won't cross (here anyway). Enjoy Stage 4 Samantha; I like the sound of fun cardio stuff!

Can't decide - yet again - whether to take time out before Stage 5. I've just had a peep at it, and OMG, 4 SETS??? I may need time to psyche myself up for that.

Sam, these 2 or 3 sets of 8 reps are a nightmare, most of us seem to vary how many sets we do. Today i felt good so i did 3 sets (my last 4A, yay!). Last time, short of time, 2 sets.

Weirdly today i felt great and did a good workout only 2 days after my last one. Usually I can only cope with lifting every 3 days. AND i did HIIT yesterday! I'm a machine

4B on Mon or Tues, then on to stage 5. No need for a week off, I had one last week. I wish planks didn't come back in stage 5, but they do.... I am up to 3 sets, 120s, 120s, 100s. No breaks mid-plank. I'm getting there.

For inspiration, check out these ladies my pal posted on her newsfeed:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=endscreen&NR=1&v=vCiCgTYax58

OK. Stage 4 completed. Thank goodness, is all I can say right now.

Below are my results in terms of weights lifted. They are all in kilos, and they are odd weights as I have cheapo, screw-on things so have to add the weight of the bar and DBs each time.

I've checked them against Stage 2, and I did manage to increase the weights on everything except the woodchop (using DBs on the floor), the reverse lunge and the Cuban snatch where I went back down to start with, and finished where I left off in Stage 2.

Anyway ...

WORKOUT A

Front squat push press
From 21.3kg to 25.3kg

Step-up
From 13.7kg to 14.7kg
DB one-point row
From 13.7kg to 14.7kg

Static lunge, rear foot elevated
From 13.7kg to 14.7kg
Push-ups - 8 each time on the flat

Planks
120 secs each time (apart fro once when could only manage 90 secs)
Cable horizontal wood-chop (with a DB on the floor)
From 10.7kg to 11.2kg

WORKOUT B

Wide grip DL from box
From 51.3kg to 52.8kg

Bulgarian split squat
From 13.2kg to 16.2kg
Pullover (no machine for lat pulldown)
From 13.2kg to 16.2kg

Reverse lunge from box
From 6.2kg to 8.7kg
DB prone Cuban snatch
From 6.2kg to 8.7kg

Abs work - as per book

Prone cobra - 120 secs each time apart from once at 90 secs

OMG Maggie, those are some HUGE numbers!!! Superwoman!

The prone cuban snatch of 8.7kg, is that each side or total? I'm only up to 4kg each side on that and my form sucks! Plus 4kg are my longer adjustable DBs which I clang into the posts on my bench each time. Barbie weights were easier...

I'll be joining you day after tomorrow, will get the HIIT done first tomorrow night. Are you taking a week off?

It's 8.7 each side for the cuban snatch. But I have to say that from my sessions with the PT I learnt that they should be done really fast, which helps. I think I got a rotator cuff injury from doing them too slow in stage 2. Oooh, listen to me with all the jargon!

I may take a few days off, but not a whole week, as the way I'm feeling right now is that I just want to press on and get the programme finished.

I just finished Stage 3 the other day and I'm taking a week off before starting Stage 4. I wasn't all that fond of Stage 2, but at least I'm more than familiar with all the moves so I'm not nervous about starting Stage 4.

Way to go Maggie and Jen.

Started Stage 4 yesterday, and wow... 1 hour and 10 minutes for just strength training? Jeez. Though with the heart monitor on, it said I had burned 641 calories. That was satisfying.

Off to the gym to officially start stage 4. 2 to 3 sets of 8 correct?

Did Workout B1 today. Meh. I've downgraded a little on the deadlifts. Need to work on that. When I did Stage 2, I was going to Planet Fitness and only had a Smith Machine to work with. Now I'm at a real gym with real free weights and oly bars. Kind of have to take a step back and relearn these things.

In A1 I wasn't able to do more than just the oly bar on the Front Squat Push Press. Frustrating.

Also, I don't know if I'm the only one and if it's actually important, but I have to say I haven't been taking the intervals seriously. I've actually been repeating c25k (did it last year, started over again) as my intervals. I know it's not the same thing, but it is intervals. Today I didn't do the intervals at all. Wasn't feeling it.

I still dont understand the "reach" part and its purpose on the reverse lunge with a reach. Also, by workout 6 I officially gave up on the ab circuit. I wasnt seeing any benefit from them. Besides I do 5 mins worth of abs twice a week in my body combat class. so there you go!

I just started S4 this week. The forward reach does nothing for me! I don't get it. I also think the flexions are rubbish, as well as the abs. I do bicycle crunches, reverse crunches & double crunches instead of swiss ball crunches.

I was disappointed to see the same exact routine as S2, but I guess it isn't so bad. I can actually do the prone cobras and planks....That makes me happy.

I'm about to start Stage 4 on Friday or next Monday, looking forward to it! I liked a lot of the moves in stage 3 but not all of them so I'm excited for new ones Any suggestions you wish you knew before stage 4?

I finally got to starting Phase 4 yesterday! I had some issues though partway through with feeling kind of dizzy, so I had to skip the last set of exercises (wood chop and planks). I'm going to add them on to Workout B tomorrow I think.

I was planning to start at the same weights that I ended Phase 2 with, but I was able to go up a few pounds for some of them. I used 60lbs for the overhead push press and went up to 30 lb kettlebells in each hand for a few of the exercises.

Where it says 2-3 sets, are you girls doing 2 or 3? Since Phase 3 was 3 sets of 6 reps, I figured I'd do 3 sets with 8 reps for this Phase. I just need to not have woozy issues partway though and I'll be set. I still have to measure from completing Phase 3, although I've had some crazy weekends with food and beer, so I don't have high hopes that I've lost any inches at all.

I'm also doing 3 sets.

The gym was a MESS last night! People hiding out from the heat and not picking up after themselves. Why are men especially so unkempt? ANyway, I had to set up my bar for deadlifts on the floor but I got back up to 110 :bigsmile: Increased weight everywhere else, split squat (a favorite of mine) up to a 30 lbs db, lat pull down 105, reverse lunge 40, cuban snatch (no increase, damn those little muscles) 20. Intervals increased form 3.0/6.0 to 3.5/ 6.5