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Originally Posted by DirtyMartini
Are you lifting such that you couldn’t possibly do 2 more reps in the set? Are you doing the exercises slowly or explosively (or in-between)? I find it difficult to imagine the wide-grip lat pulldown or single-leg squat or YTWL not getting you out of breath. Are you using any weights with the single-leg squat? Are you going as low as you possibly can without falling over? Usually by my last two of those, I am grunting my way back up to the top/lockout position and my quads & glutes are on fire.
The Romanian deadlift/bent-over row should really get those lats and delts and pecs worn out (not sore, just depleted). Try the row part of that a bit more explosively than you normally would (maybe a medium speed). Same with the wide-grip pulldown – are you doing those slowly and gently, or are they explosive?
Like Lara, I found more progress with stage 3 than with stage 2. Maybe everyone is different, but if you’re not feeling like you’re getting a workout, I really do wonder if you’re doing your workouts with enough thrust or weight as you could be…
When you say you can’t go heavy on YTWL… “heavy” is relative to the exercise you’re doing. I may only be holding 10 pounds in each hand, but those 10 pounds are “heavy” for what I’m doing. Do you feel like you could go heavier on YTWL? If so, why aren’t you?
Did I miss this somewhere in the book, that we're not supposed to be using challenging weight on these?
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I am using as much weight as I can on the heavy moves, like the RDL/row (100#) - If I raise it too quickly, I'm afraid I'll hurt my lower back... And I do get exhausted and unable to finish the YTWL's - it's just that overall I don't feel wiped out when it's all done. I may try more explosive lifts like you mentioned...
And no - the book didn't say not to challenge. It's just that I feel like it's not AS hard as the other stages, even doing weights that max me out.
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Originally Posted by beach_plums
I saw a lot of gains in stage 3. I'm really pleased with the outcome and am actually looking forward to the repeat in stage 5, hoping that my gains are as good, if not better.
That said, I thought the rest time between was a bit too long. I have a very short attention span and pacing around the weights made everyone a bit nervous, so I cut the rest time to about 90s.
Towards the end of Stage 3 is also when I started my chin up challenge. I started feeling stronger and thought it was a good time for it.
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I'm glad to see so many people who saw gains in stage 3. I'll keep going and see what happens...
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Originally Posted by ledove
I felt like I was lifting as much as I could in Stage 3, too. So I made a deal with myself about the rest periods--I can do a superset instead of an alternating set (that is, no rest between the paired exercises) as long as, on the next set, I'm not so tired that I have to drop the weight. If I start needing to drop the weight, then I add the rest back.
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I like your idea - superset whenever it doesn't compromise the overall lift. I think I'll do that - thanks