Stage 3

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  • CharleneExtreme
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    Finished Stage 3. Here's my progress!

    Longest Plank: 45 seconds
    Best BWM time: 2 minutes 26 seconds
    Longest Prone Cobra: 90 seconds

    One Armed DB Snatch: 11lbs - 16.5lbs
    DB Single-Leg Romanian Deadlift: 11lbs - 22lbs
    B-Bell Bentover Row: 44lbs - 55lbs
    DB single arm overhead squat: 16.5lbs (5.5 + 11) - 33lbs (11 + 22)
    DB incline bench press: 16.5lbs - 33lbs
    Reverse Wood Chop: 11lbs - 16.5lbs
    BB Romanian Deadlift/Bentover Row: 55lbs - no change
    Partial single leg Squat: BW - no change
    Assisted pullups rather than Lat pulldown.
    YTWL: 1lb - 5.5lbs
    Swiss Ball crunch: 11lbs at chest - 5.5lbs behind head
  • loricolwill
    loricolwill Posts: 189 Member
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    Finished Stage 3. Here's my progress!

    Longest Plank: 45 seconds
    Best BWM time: 2 minutes 26 seconds
    Longest Prone Cobra: 90 seconds

    One Armed DB Snatch: 11lbs - 16.5lbs
    DB Single-Leg Romanian Deadlift: 11lbs - 22lbs
    B-Bell Bentover Row: 44lbs - 55lbs
    DB single arm overhead squat: 16.5lbs (5.5 + 11) - 33lbs (11 + 22)
    DB incline bench press: 16.5lbs - 33lbs
    Reverse Wood Chop: 11lbs - 16.5lbs
    BB Romanian Deadlift/Bentover Row: 55lbs - no change
    Partial single leg Squat: BW - no change
    Assisted pullups rather than Lat pulldown.
    YTWL: 1lb - 5.5lbs
    Swiss Ball crunch: 11lbs at chest - 5.5lbs behind head

    Nice gains. Great job!
  • manic4titans
    manic4titans Posts: 1,214 Member
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    . I will start stage 5 Monday and getting reacquainted with the moves :)
  • cpa8198
    cpa8198 Posts: 154 Member
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    Great finish, Charlene...

    I finished A3 and B3 over the weekend. B3 yesterday morning. Had a hard time with the bent over rows and deadlifts... my forearms are sore from Bootcamp (flipping tires and such)... my grip just wasn't right. Had to lower weights for the lat pulldowns too. Oh well...

    I'm going to attempt A4 tonight, Group workout on tomorrow, and B4 on Thursday. I have a 90 day challenge at the gym ending this week. I would like to finish Stage 3 before I weigh in (Bod Pod) on Friday.

    Looking forward to my rest week before Stage 4.
  • karensoxfan
    karensoxfan Posts: 902 Member
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    Nicely done, Charlene! :)

    I had to skip my workout this morning (blood draw for low iron, and I learned the hard way earlier this year that when I exercise before a draw, it spikes my white blood cell and/or platelet count, which worries my Dr. b/c I have no spleen). I did ask him to re-check my cholesterol too (it had been borderline @ 202 in February when I weighed approx. 197 before I started exercising). I would have liked to have done Workout B3 yesterday instead, but I had a full beach day planned with my BGF, so assuming DH wants to go to the gym after my kids are in bed, I'll have to do B3 tomorrow instead, which I'm OK with. So I should finish stage 3 on Saturday.

    It was a nice NSV though -- when I told my Dr. I started exercising, he seemed duly impressed not only that I've lost weight (approx. 12 lb. since my Feb. physical), but that I started lifting weights 60-90 min 3x/week and doing 60 minutes elliptical 2x/week. Now I'm just crossing my fingers that my hard work shows up in my lab results.
  • cirka2002
    cirka2002 Posts: 134 Member
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    OK, time to get on the ball and start stage 3 today. I took a loooong (3week) break after stage 2 and just worked on maintaining...but didn't get to the gym much at all...just tried to stay active daily. I'm excited to get back to the lifting though. Any wise words???
  • karensoxfan
    karensoxfan Posts: 902 Member
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    OK, time to get on the ball and start stage 3 today. I took a loooong (3week) break after stage 2 and just worked on maintaining...but didn't get to the gym much at all...just tried to stay active daily. I'm excited to get back to the lifting though. Any wise words???

    Stretch your hamstrings THOROUGHLY before tackling workout A. I gave mine a brief stretch, and could barely walk for 3 days afterwards. One-leg deadlifts especially will work them hard.
  • cpa8198
    cpa8198 Posts: 154 Member
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    OK, time to get on the ball and start stage 3 today. I took a loooong (3week) break after stage 2 and just worked on maintaining...but didn't get to the gym much at all...just tried to stay active daily. I'm excited to get back to the lifting though. Any wise words???

    Take your rests before you start BWM and take the full 2x your time rest in between. Other than that, have fun!:flowerforyou:
  • cpa8198
    cpa8198 Posts: 154 Member
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    It was a nice NSV though -- when I told my Dr. I started exercising, he seemed duly impressed not only that I've lost weight (approx. 12 lb. since my Feb. physical), but that I started lifting weights 60-90 min 3x/week and doing 60 minutes elliptical 2x/week. Now I'm just crossing my fingers that my hard work shows up in my lab results.

    Great NSV! Your doctor is much nicer than mine. At my annual last year, he said I needed to lose weight ("at least 15 lbs...Here's a dietician you can contact.... you can do it in 3 months. See you then.") :grumble: I haven't seen him since... but will go in September. :bigsmile:
  • cirka2002
    cirka2002 Posts: 134 Member
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    thanks ladies!
  • juicemoogan
    juicemoogan Posts: 999 Member
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    Hey all..

    Just finished stage 2, starting stage 3 this week.

    How long does the typical stage 3 workout take you all? I know stage 2 was longer than stage 1,,. I'm wondering if that continues on with stage 3?


    Want to still be able to do the Workouts over my lunch hour.
  • loricolwill
    loricolwill Posts: 189 Member
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    Hey all..

    Just finished stage 2, starting stage 3 this week.

    How long does the typical stage 3 workout take you all? I know stage 2 was longer than stage 1,,. I'm wondering if that continues on with stage 3?


    Want to still be able to do the Workouts over my lunch hour.

    I only take a 60 sec rest between exercises, and I do my BWM and HIITs together as a third workout, and it still takes me right at an hour. On workout B, I also superset the abs. These are some long workouts and I just can't spend that much time in the gym, so I had to make adjustments.
  • Kmsnomaha
    Kmsnomaha Posts: 167 Member
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    Just finished Stage 3 Workout 4B. Final results.

    Barbell Roman Deadlift BO Row - 80 lbs
    Partial Single Leg Squat - 30 plds - 2 15 lb db These were easier holding weights!
    Wide Grip Lat Pulldown - 70 plds The next weight increase was 80 lbs and I just couldn't do it! 75 would have been perfect.
    Back Extension - Holding 25 lb plate
    YTWL - 16 lbs - 2 8lb db Hated these!!
    Swiss Ball Crunch - Did 12 reps on these instead of 6. 15 lb weight overhead

    Taking a 2 week break due to vacation (still lifting a couple times this week on my own) - Starting Stage 4 August 6th.
  • laurajordana
    laurajordana Posts: 48 Member
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    I'm not feeling the 6 rep thing in this stage. I feel like I can't really lift any heavier for some of the exercises (like chest presses im already at 22.5, and if i go any higher my form will be compromised), but that 6 reps is not enough to feel the burn... anyone else feel like this?
  • loricolwill
    loricolwill Posts: 189 Member
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    Just finished Stage 3 Workout 4B. Final results.

    Barbell Roman Deadlift BO Row - 80 lbs
    Partial Single Leg Squat - 30 plds - 2 15 lb db These were easier holding weights!
    Wide Grip Lat Pulldown - 70 plds The next weight increase was 80 lbs and I just couldn't do it! 75 would have been perfect.
    Back Extension - Holding 25 lb plate
    YTWL - 16 lbs - 2 8lb db Hated these!!
    Swiss Ball Crunch - Did 12 reps on these instead of 6. 15 lb weight overhead

    Taking a 2 week break due to vacation (still lifting a couple times this week on my own) - Starting Stage 4 August 6th.

    Great numbers, Kim! I hear ya on the lat pull downs. I'm at 75 lbs, which is though, and the next jump is to 90! I don't think I'll be going up anytime soon.
  • karensoxfan
    karensoxfan Posts: 902 Member
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    JM -- My workouts have been taking 75-90 min. for just the weights. With BWM or HIIT, it takes longer. I usually do HIIT the next day though. I think Lori's advice is good to take slightly shorter rests & superset the abs too to get it done in 60. Good luck!

    Kmsnomaha - Great job! I'll see you in stage 4. I don't finish Stage 3 until Saturday, but I'm taking 1 rest week after that, so I'll be starting stage 4 on Aug. 6 too.

    Kim & Lori -- on your lat pulldown machine, there are no extra 2.5 or 5 lb. plates you can add? My machine weights go in 15 lb. increments (55-70-85-100-115 etc.) but there are 2 "built-in" 5-lb. plates you can lower onto the stack, and my gym always has flat rectangular 2.5 lb. add-ons laying around. Without them, I don't know how I'd ever jump in 15 lb. increments. :o

    Laura J - I feel that way on some things. Like 1-leg squats. I'd been using just my body weight, so today I added 10 lb. DB's, and it didn't feel that much harder, but I'm not sure I could have used 12.5's or 15's. I'll try next time though. I think the main thing is to push yourself & experiment. If you go too heavy and have to scale back, that's OK too.

    For me, B3 today. I went from 10 --> 25 lb. on the back extensions, and boy did I feel it. In a good way though. I got all 3 sets of WG lat pulls @ 100 lb. today though, which felt AWESOME, and did my 3rd cobra as a superman (with my arms stretched out in front of me, and my feet lifted off the ground too). I was excited that for my hip flexions, jackknives actually felt easy today (for the first time). So for B4, I may try the incline reverse crunches. I'm postponing HIIT until tomorrow though.

    For Workout B, what do you all do? Jackknives, Reverse crunches on the floor, or the Incline reverse crunches?
  • cpa8198
    cpa8198 Posts: 154 Member
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    Finished A4 last night.... I am absolutely wiped out this morning.... I may have to delay B4 until Saturday due to scheduling issues... oh well... but I'll be with the Aug 6th Stage 4 start group :smile:

    Congrats on finishing Stage 3, KM.... not looking forward to my last set of YTWLs.

    Karen...100 lbs!!! Beast!!!! WTG!!!
    For Workout B, I did the Roman Chair leg lifts (instead of SB crunches) as suggested by Beeps in the daily thread, reverse crunch on the floor, and the "double" henna flexion for B1 and B2. For B3, I did SB crunches, incline reverse crunch and the double. (Oh, I also superset all these with the prone cobra).

    Laura... I know what you mean about the 6 reps. I think the rest periods are too long. This last workout, I actually just increased the weight (knowing I'd fail)... some I managed to eek out 6... one I could only do 3, then I went back down and did another 6.
  • joannezuk
    joannezuk Posts: 153 Member
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    Hi everyone. I usually just post in the daily thread. But I started Stage 3 yesterday and it whooped my butt, so I'm thinking I might need some support/shoulders to cry on! :)

    First, question: The one armed dumbell squat...it is me or is this super awkward? I find it hard to get into a full squat because my body seems to be stretching in so many directions.

    Second, a complaint: holy horrible BWM! Who came up with that torture? I can barely walk today.

    Third, a comment: When you're doing low reps, the goal is to lift as heavy as possible with good form. If the transition up to the next weight level seems too much but your current weights don't challenge you over 6 reps, I'd grab both sets of weights and do what's called "drop sets". Do the first ones at the heavy weight until you feel your form compromising. Then quickly switch to the lower weights and finish your set. Do the same thing for each set, and record the number of reps completed at each weight so that you can see your progress over time. I promise, you will progress to the higher weight this way. Sometimes it's just a "today my body won't do it" day, and the next workout, you'll be able to do all of your sets at the higher weight. Or, you may need to work up slowly. In any case, once the next weight becomes easy, start the process over again with the next heavier weight. This goes for any exercises, but works extremely well for those that work the smaller muscles.
  • laurajordana
    laurajordana Posts: 48 Member
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    Thanks everyone for the comments & suggestions on my post, I will try drop sets.. and hopefully try to increase my weight on some of the "easier" moves. But on the balance exercises... for example on the single leg romanian deadlift, most of the effort there is not the amount of weight but trying not to fall over :) I do sometimes feel like the rest period is too long... except after planks... then I love every second of it... lol
  • cpa8198
    cpa8198 Posts: 154 Member
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    Joanne - Welcome to Stage 3! I feel you on the OH squat and the BWMs... the OH squats will get better. My elbows kept bending everytime I went down to squat. I finished my last A workout last night and it's like muscle memory and it was fine. The BWMs... all I can say is take all your rest time. I usually walk around (get water, set up my stretch area) before starting. Then I take ALL the 2x time in between.