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Tomorrow is my last Stage 6 workout from NROLFW. I start Hyp II on Monday. I still have some reservations. There are 3 different workouts - A, B, C. It is recommened you do three workouts a week, resluting in doing each workout once a week. A and C concentrate on upper body, and only B concentrates on Lower body. I don't like the idea of working my legs only once a week. My legs need the most work. I also don't like the idea of 25 reps. Workout C calls for chin-ups. I will never be able to do 2 sets of 25. Currently I'm maxed on 6 reps. Tues was my best day ever and I did four sets - 6, 5, 5, 5. One more thing, workout C calls for towel bicep curls. They involve dangling the dumbbell in a towel and lifting with the towel instead of gripping the dumbbell. It looks very odd and it also looks like you could easily drop a dumbbell on your foot!!
I think I will still give this program a try, but my workouts may end up looking very different from the way Alwyn designed them. I think I will throw in a lower body exercise or two each time, I will skip the towel curls, and I will not do 25 reps of anything. I'll let you know how it goes!
Wow Laura - you have alot more endurance than me! 25 reps is ALOT of reps. I could probably do the 55# deads, but I don't think I could do 25 reps of 55# lunges! As far as the stepups.... 10 pounds would probably be good for me!
For the lower body 25-rep workout, I stayed really light, just the bar on the deads and lunges - I'm still babying that knee just a bit. Bodyweight on stepups, but then I'll look for any excuse to avoid stepups.
I've been surprising myself with those close grip chinups and have been pretty much able to finish the sets, although I haven't tried the 2 x 25 for these yet - there's pretty much no way that's going to happen.
I kind of liked the 25 rep sets, it's something different. The 3 x 12 bore the living s*** out of me.
Original Post by meganr:
I've been surprising myself with those close grip chinups and have been pretty much able to finish the sets, although I haven't tried the 2 x 25 for these yet - there's pretty much no way that's going to happen.
That is very impressive!
I just finished my first 25 rep lower body workout... that even hurts to type it. 25 reps!
Used 70 pounds for deads - BW for lunges and stepups - Lunges are not my fav and 25 reps was HARD even with only BW! I feel nauseous!
Those 25 rep workouts are definitely work. But dang, you sure look pumped up afterwards!
The one that is funniest to me is 2 x 25 chinups. Snort, as if.
I'm going to have to check and see what the rest periods are for that. The 3x15s were hard enough with 30 second rests. These might actually kill me... lol.
Good to see the HYP II thread picking up again. I had a lot of starts and stops this summer, so I am starting HYP II from the beginning. The kids are back at school now and I am not traveling anymore, so I can committ fully. Unfortunately, I ate a bunch of choc. chips cookies today, so despite a good workout today and yesterday, I don't have the eating back on track yet.
The good news is, I didn't lose any ground this summer. I have been taking pics once a month, and basically I was static June thru Aug. While I'm sorry I didn't progress, I'm happy I didn't gain weight given how much I ate and drank.
Hi Laura - I haven't been as dedicated this summer either. I have been working out all along, but mostly only 2X per week instead of 3X. I was very religious throughout NROLFW and that was while I was working!
Now that I am off, for whatever reason it is harder to make myself do the workouts. For one, the workouts are harder and since I workout in the morning now, if I have something planned in the morning, I skip the workout. Once I'm showered for the day, that is it.
I have started school and am studying quite a bit (stressing too about the certification exams). I am enrolled in Network Engineering courses and even though I have an IT background, it is mostly in programming and managing. I have passed the A+ 601 & 602 certification tests and am going to do Network+, MCSE and CCNA. I am also taking project management course to study for PMP (project manager professional) certification.
Good for you for going back to school. Hopefully when you are done the economy will be back on track and you will be well positioned for a great job.
I also have to work out early or I don't get it done.
I feel like I've been doing Hyp II forever, I still have six workouts left. I think it's because I had such a weird schedule while I was moving that I substituted lifting furniture for NROL. Gotta say, I'm looking forward to that rest period after this one.
Wow, yogagirl, I just saw your post above, way to go on your courses! I got a project management certificate some years ago, never went on to get the PMP because at my current job, I knew I wouldn't be able to rack up all the required hours for that particular certification.
Original Post by meganr:
I feel like I've been doing Hyp II forever, I still have six workouts left. I think it's because I had such a weird schedule while I was moving that I substituted lifting furniture for NROL. Gotta say, I'm looking forward to that rest period after this one.
Only 6 workouts left - that's great. I know it feels like you still have a way to go, but I've only got 6 completed since I started over!
Did you do the workouts as written? I have been skipping the 25 reps and doing 12 or 5 reps instead.
I'm doing them as written with the proviso that if my knees start complaining during the 25 rep leg workout, I scale back. On those, the weights are so light already, I feel like a total wimp. And then I can't do 25 chinups, give me a break - I just go to failure on those. Also, I'm not so good at remembering to change up the tempo so I really have to think about that before I start.
Thanks Megan... going to school has been fun.
I am just half way thru HYPII. This one is taking forever for me too. I usually only get in 2X per week. I was kind of thinking it was weird to have only 1 lower body workout to two upper body, but now I understand why. My lower body seems to get sore and stay sore for about a week after!
I have been doing the workouts as written as far as I can do them. Like Megan, I cannot do 25 chin ups or dips. I am up to 6 chin ups & dips however! I started out with 3 I think. For those two exercises, I do AMRAP for every workout instead of trying to switch number of reps.
I pulled something in my lower back on the left side yesterday while doing bent over rows. Later in the day I was playing soccer with my daughter and I felt like a decrepit old lady - hobbling around with a sort of bent over, crooked posture. Ugh.
I am going to take today off completely. Not even a walk. And hopefully I can get back into it tomorrow. Since tomorrow is supposed to be the lower body workout with deadlifts, I may substitute it with the other upper body workout and do the lower body on Fri.
I haven't done a 25 rep workout in a while. I've been rotating through the other variations. But even when it's a 12 rep workout, I can't do 12 chins or dips. I can do 4 dips and 5 - 8 chins. Usually successively fewer reps with each set.
Hope your back gets better quickly! Maybe some stretching exercises for your back would help. From the yoga side in me:
When my back gets out of whack, I lay on a mat on my back and bring my knees in to my chest, wrapping my arms around my legs and slowly bring them in closer and closer... using your breath - on exhale pull closer. If that seems too much, you can do one leg at a time. Or - holding your knees in, rock back and forth, massaging your back.
Also - laying on your side with the top knee bent and the bottom knee straight. Bring your arms out into a T and try to put your shoulders flat as if you were laying on your back, but your hips are still stacked and your top knee trying to touch the floor. Slowly turn your head to look to the opposite side that your legs are pointing.
Sometimes that helps..... others just rest!
Might also try some foam rolling. It really helps me when my back is messed up. But I think I'm opposite of yogagirl. It feels better on my back to extend it rather than flex it.
karozel - those exercises do extend the back. If you pull your knees in you are stretching your back... same with the side one... it extends or stretches your back.
Maybe I'm confused here. When you pull your knees to your chest, it is more of a crunching/flexing motion at least that was the way I always thought of it. Doing a superman or cobra extends the back.
When my back is bothering me, the crunch type motion makes it worse, the extension type motion relieves it to some extent.
The side one, yeah, I love those and they help with my lower back.
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