NROL - Strength I

What never ceases to amaze me is that I can be so stunned by how hard some of these workouts can be.  It's not as if I don't know already.  Anyhoo -

This program has an interesting structure for the first exercise in a couple of the workouts where you do 6 reps, then 1 rep, then 6, then 1 again, then 10-12 and then 15-20.  I poked around on the jpfitness forum and found a couple of interesting threads about this, which is called wave loading.

http://forums.jpfitness.com/new-rules-lifting -original/34170-wave-loading.html

http://forums.jpfitness.com/new-rules-lifting -original/32184-wave-loading-1rm.html

Today was squats day.  I guess I must really have been pretty fresh what with taking a (full) week off, because I did a lot better than I thought I was going to.  And come to think of it, it's been a while since I've just done regular old back squats.  So, woohoo, time to load up the bar next time.  The second 1 rep set was 135 pounds and it did not feel that I'd maxed out. 

And those dratted stepups are back.  They are in a superset of 3 x 15 BSS followed immediately by the (3 x 15) stepups with NO rest until the whole set is done.  WTF?  Did them body weight because I just loathe stepups.

I hope I can walk tomorrow.

I love weightlifting! 

sounds like an awesome workout. im starting to get a little bored with NROLFW to be honest and I am only half way through Stage 2.

Chels, did you take a break after stage 1? Do you have good music on when you workout?  Are you working out at home by yourself?  You may have to experiment to figure out how to make it more interesting.  In the end, you have to enjoy it or it will be too tough to stick with it.

Megnr:  sounds like fun.  Looking forward to it, but I am really enjoying FL II right now.  The workouts are short and sweet, but very challenging.  I like that. However, I am very drained.  I may be running too big of a deficit (about 400 cals right now).  I will continue with the deficit through the weekend and see if I feel better since I don't have to lift again until Mon.  If I don't regain some energy, I will run a smaller deficit - (I wish Congress would thing about that too).   :)

Hi Laura-

Yes I took a break after stage 1. turned into a 2 week break- i did cardio 3x/week throughout my break though.

i am at home and by myself. we have a gym in the basement. and yes i get the tunes cranking!

You're right that I need to like it to stick with it- and I am trying.

I think that I need to mix up some of the abs stuff, and maybe find a replacement to some of the lunges (makes my sciatic nerve act up).

How are you enjoying the NROL? You say the workouts are short and sweet- which I like.....

Chels, if you're getting bored with Stage 2, NROL is really similar because it's also a Cosgrove designed thing.  I always kind of thought that one good thing about both books is that they change so often.  I just lift heavier weights if I find my interest waning, you know, for the pucker factor.  For changing up abs stuff, you could always take some of the later exercises and start doing those, I can't remember now which ones they had in Stage 2, if it's just swiss ball crunches that is kind of boring.

Also, since I don't work out at home, people watching is an endless source of distraction.  Some of those guys are seriously buff.

Laura, your Congress comment is most amusing. 

Thanks Meganr.

I really want to love exercise, but its been 10 weeks of it for me and I still dont love it. I do it- not as consistently as I would like, but I do it.

Ya the Abs in Stage 2 suck. I do like planks, but the swiss ball crunches, reverse crunches and lateral flexions suck. I can do something harder than that- and plan to- Hip Ups. (they are like reverse crunches but you push your legs up in the air as far as you can and hold for a few seconds) Any other suggestions?

I guess I have been sticking to exactly whats laid out in the book, suffering through a few things that I HATE and some things that hurt my sciatic nerve. I should substitute a few of those things. I can only do so many lunges before the inevitible sciatic nerve acts up--- are there any substitues, or should I just do them until I cant anymore?

I am half way through Stage 2 right now, and really just wanna finish that and get onto Stage 3. Looking forward to the BMW actually.

I have been sick for 4 days this week, so only gotten in 1 workout B with HIIT, and two 30 minute walks outside at a good pace.

Next week is my wisdom tooth removal, so I'll be outta the game for Tues-Wed for sure.

I just want to get back to my regular program.... I'm thinking I may go back to 3 weight training sessions a week, and add in one more cardio session (on top of the HIIT that I will be doing once or twice a week depending on what workout I do twice that week)

Meganr- check out my pics in my gallery. The two in the bathing suit were taken just a week or so ago. I am just trying to drop the last 5lbs and tighten and define. Does this seem do-able? I am 5'5.5", 144 lbs.

I'm not sure what to suggest for lunge substitutes, I don't know enough about sciatic nerve issues to be sure what would help you avoid that pain.  You could try doing some of the reverse lunges to see if you're also going to have problems with those and if not maybe switch to those.  You could also try posting the question in the fitness forum to see if anyone there has additional expertise and advice.  There may be some stretching you could do that would help.  Actually, now that I'm on that train of thought, I loved the lateral flexion exercises, though they aren't difficult by any means, because they felt good to me to stretch through those areas. 

I have to admit that I love exercise and weightlifting in general.  A few years ago I really couldn't ever imagine myself saying that.  I suspect I'm substituting the endorphin rush from workouts for food, but whatever, since it seems to do some good.

Checked out your gallery - you can totally accomplish those goals, woohoo, I can see abs there already! 

Thanks Meganr.

You just made my day with your compliment. Thank you so much.

I am just feeling super bummed that I am sick and can't get in my workout A today.

I think I am going to go for another 30 min walk outside- its gorgeous out.

The first week of April will be my springboard back into full action. I'm looking forward to it.

So, I'm back at it as of today. I essentially took two weeks off - which I haven't done since I started in August. I have to say, I think I really needed the time. Work and life have been crazy busy, but my body was really tired, too. I didn't end up finishing stage seven, so I'll have to remedy that with myself at some point, but for now I'm moving onto Strength I. 

Megan - Good for you on the week off, too. I hope I have the same positive return to the weights that you enjoyed! I notice that this program says you can workout up to four days a week, what's your intention for number of weight-lifting workout days?

I'm going to stick with my three days a week routine - usually it's Monday, Wednesday, Friday. 

It may be Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday this week though because we just came back from a monster hike and I'm totally wiped.  I'll see how I feel tomorrow, maybe a good night's sleep will perk me up.

It's going to be very interesting to see just how much we all end up lifting in this program. 

KMK - welcome back!  We missed you!  I will be doing 3 times if I am lucky!  Painting is a workout and I will be lucky to get 2 times in!

Thanks, Yogagirl :)  I've been lurking around, but it was great to get back to the gym yesterday.

So, I think I love the strength workouts. The torture of the step-up /  lunge combo was intense, but not prohibitive. I tried starting out holding ten pound weights, and gave that up before switching to step-ups on the first set. After that, I took Megan's advice and used body weight so I could do all of the reps.

I really like the wave loading a lot. I got my squat up to 120 and realized my low weight was too low when I started. I began with 85 and learned I could do the six reps at 110 pretty comfortably. I think I'm going to have to set my deadlift goal higher than 125. I'm thinking 145 - just beyond my current vision of possibility.

I have to say that I also burned a ton of calories. My HRM reported 454 after a ten minute warm-up on the elliptical and fifty minutes of lifting.

Are you all doing HIIT with these workouts? I think this week I will not be doing HIIT. I tried to combo it with stage seven and I think that added to my overall loathing of the stage - I was way too tired at the end. I also think that in cleaning up my diet, I wasn't getting enough calories so I'm keeping a better eye on that this time. Yesterday I ate about 1900 calories, about 200 more than before.

Also - I found I couldn't just stand around for the three minute rests so I grabbed a low step and just stepped up and down from it for the resting periods. That kept my heart rate up a bit but wasn't hard on the limbs.

Megan - I thought of you and people watching while I was warming up yesterday. The woman next to me on the ellipticals, probably between fifty and sixty years of age, had her head phones on and was totally rockin' out - closed eyes, head shakin', singin' out with the music - everyone around trying not to look, and me thinking - you go girl, and thanks for the smile!

No HIIT for me.  I have been painting a couple days a week for the last two weeks and CC says I've been burning over 2200 calories a day (10 hour days) just for that activity.  I am not sure how true that is... but I've been pretty liberal with my diet just in case.  I have not counted cals in a really long time.  Painting is hard work.  We did a two story great room & foyer with a bridge last week and I was up and down the ladder two million times  ...not to mention my arms from holding onto an extremely heavy extension rod pole thing so I cold reach easier.

Yogagirl - I can't believe you're lifting and painting! That sounds intense - although I bet your arms are going to be even more awesome at the end of it. I'm glad you're eating enough to keep up with all the physical activity. Painting is hard work - I love your emoticon choice - I hope you're having some fun with it, too.

Seriously, that sounds physically super demanding.  I think you're right not to count calories - just eat because hungry!

I found this link in one of the posts in the Fitness forum and thought it was interesting.  It shows weightlifting "standards" for various levels ability for a 1 rep maximum lift.  I did pretty well with the squats the other day, I've got a ways to stretch on the bench press and I haven't done a deadlift workout yet, that will be Wednesday.

Edit: here's the link.

I had a really good workout today, it was bench press day.  My highest lift there was 90 lbs.  I was a little worried with these because I wanted a spotter and, well, the guys at that gym don't seem all that approachable.  And the trainers are always off training someone to lift 2 pound pink dumbbells.  Anyway, I totally lucked out because there was another woman there doing bench presses and she wanted a couple of the 10 pound weights from "my" bench setup so I asked her to spot for me.  So it was nice to meet another woman in the gym and get help at the same time.

Thanks for the link, megan! I'm now tempted to test myself. I've never actually tried lifting 1 RM.

The first week I painted, I skipped lifting, but last week I went back to it.  So, yes, lifting and painting.  I didn't want to lose any ground!  The 1rep max sounds like fun.  I haven't tried either, but I may just for fun!   I have seen the chart before; I think Melkor posted a link to it once. 

Well - I am going to take a little nap now!

Well, some of the Strength I workouts have a 1-rep set as part of the wave loading, so when you start this program, you'll have the opportunity.  I bet you'll be happily surprised at how strong you are!

Fun day at the gym today! I did the bench press for the first time. I asked one of the trainers to help me by making sure I was using the correct for and got a great compliment! He said he'd seen me working out often and noticed that my form is always pretty strong. I don't think he could have said anything nicer :)

On the bench press I could lift 75lbs for 1 rep, 65 for the last set was challenging - I did nine of ten. Megan, I'm even more impressed by your 90lb lift, way to go! And those russian twists are a zinger - they look so easy in the picture.

Yogagirl - enjoy your nap, you've earned it!

Nice compliment to get at the gym!  Good going KMK.

Megan - Yeah I may try today to do a 1rep max on the bench press just for fun!  I will report back with the amount.... although I may be giving you a run since I was doing 70 pound lifts for 8 reps in stage 7 and did 30 pound dumbells on the incline bench press in stage 5... but both were at an incline, so not sure if that is easier!   I feel a challenge - hahaha!

My sister wanted me to "train her", so she will be over around 3:30 to do her workout.  This will be her second B workout in stage one.  She says she is finding the A workout much harder than the B workout, probably because of the pushups.  It is strange now to see how short stage one workouts are at first....at least until it gets to 3 sets.  I will have her spot for me on my 1rep max.