Finally, I've decided to start a log. I've been inspired by the new challenge coming up and thought I'd better get on with it and work out how to post pics etc before the start date!
Currently I am 5'8" and about 130 pounds.
I have been up to 175 pounds a few years ago, but have managed to lose 45 pounds and stay at around 130 for the last few years. I don't seem to be able progress, or make any improvements now, it's time to shake things up a little. I want to gain some muscle and decrease my BF%
In the past I've always just done cardio, aerobics classes and Body Pump classes. I started NROL4W a few months ago, but due to moving house (interstate), changing jobs, and going on holidays, I didn't have access to a gym or weights. I'm going to start NROL4W again, from half way through stage 1 as soon as I get a gym membership (hopefully tomorrow), I think heavy lifting is the way to go for me.
I'm way out of my normal exercise routine right now. This challenge is perfect for me because I'll be back into my routine by the time it starts!
Here is one pic, just to make sure I can work out how to post pictures. I'll post the rest in the official pictures log when the challenge starts.
If I have done this incorrectly or if anyone has a better way of posting pics, please let me know!
The first few weeks I stop eating chocolate, I really find it so hard! (FYI, Im a sweet addict before!)... I even ask my sister to take away a chocolate everytime I feel tempted to eat.
Welcome to the challenge punky. One tip: switch to dark chocolate and just have a couple of squares a day with a cup of tea/coffee/whatever when you need a little perk. It's good for you, much richer, and you need less. And once you get used to it (took me a while), you'll find your cravings for milk chocolate significantly reduced - it just doesn't taste right. Like switching from whole milk to skim - hard at first, but you'll never go back.
Dark chocolate sounds like a good way to go, if I really need it! I'm dangerous with it in the house though, just can't resist!! I'm sure though that this challenge will be motivation enough.
I could eat a family size bar of Galaxy (milk choc) without coming up for air, but simply can't eat very much dark chocolate (70%+) in one go. But it satisfies my cravings 99% of the time. Full of polyphenols too. And iron. And calcium. Hell, it's the food of the gods!!!
I'm a recovering chocoholic too. Dark chocolate is the way to go. When I need a hit I melt a few squares in the microwave and then stir it into low fat greek yogurt. Sort of like chocolate ice cream.
Good luck in the challenge.
I'm a recovering chocoholic too. Dark chocolate is the way to go. When I need a hit I melt a few squares in the microwave and then stir it into low fat greek yogurt. Sort of like chocolate ice cream.
Oh, that sounds good. Gonna try that. Have you tried freezing it?
Well, finally found a decent gym and got my first NROL4W workout in on Sunday. Was a good workout but I'm paying for it now. Decided to jump in half way through stage 1 seeing as I got about 3/4 the way through before having a few weeks off for all my moving and stuff.
So, Stage 1, 5A
-Squats3x10 @ 100lb (oly bar plus 25lb each side) I think oly bar weighs 50lb. Would that be right??
-Push ups3x10 on toes on the weight bench.
-Seated row3x10 @ 40kg (100lb) pin, not really sure if that's correct though.
-Step Ups 3x10 - off an aerobics step built up to the height of a weight bench. OMG I really felt it in my legs and butt. You can really tell when you haven't done these for a while.
-Prone Jackknife3x10 - I can feel these working but don't find them that difficult.
Overall a pretty good workout seeing as it was my first for a while.
Things went down hill from Sunday though. I've managed to come down with the flu or something, so haven't been to the gym since Sunday. Doing okay with the eating, not getting enough protein though because I can't taste anything with my stuffy nose and don't feel like eating or cooking. I'm not going to worry about it right now though, just concentrating on getting well again. Hopefully tomorrow night I'll be back to to the B workout of Stage one. I love the deadlifts and lunges!
Yes. The second half of the equation is if you were doing full squats (to parallel or below) or partial squats. Many people think they squat more weight than they really do because they find upon reflection on technique that they are only doing partial squats.
I forgot to say previously what I was aiming for as far as food intake goes.
I'm going to try for about a 200 calorie deficit. The spreadsheet gave me the following estimate for maintenance, I decided I'd just aim for 200cal below these numbers.
No workout
1963.89
Active workout
2209.38
Strenuous work and workout
2454.86
I'm going to aim for: 1763 on non lifting days 2000 on lifting days
As close to 40/30/30 (C/P/F) as possible. I'm getting too many carbs at the moment, but that's to be expected when not feeling great.
I'm not really sure whether I should be eating at a deficit or not because I don't have that much weight to lose, I guess I'll just see how i go.
Yes. The second half of the equation is if you were doing full squats (to parallel or below) or partial squats. Many people think they squat more weight than they really do because they find upon reflection on technique that they are only doing partial squats.
I've been reading a bit about partial versus full squats, I'm pretty sure I'm going to parallel but I think I might back off the weight a little next time and just make sure I am going low enough. Thanks.
Hello! Your workout looks good. So does your before pic.
If the jackknife isn't hard enough as is, instead of bending at your knees, you can do it as sort of a pike. In other words, pop your butt up and bend at the hips, keeping the ball at your feet. As the ball moves forward, you will go from having the tops of your feet on the ball to having the soles of your feet on the ball. That is waaaay harder.
I've just posted all my 'before' pics and stats in the Challenge thread, thought I'd put them in here, for my own reference.
Weight
137.0
Height
5'8
Waist
31.0
Chest
33.0
Hips (widest)
40.0
Hips (at crests)
35.0
Thigh
23.0
Bicep
11.0
Calf, R
13.0
I know my pics aren't that bad. I've already lost about 45 pounds, and kept if off for a few years. I'd really just like to gain a bit more muscle definition, get stronger and decrease body fat. I really dont like my hips and love handles area. I think if I do NROL4W and gain some muscle in my top half and maybe make my waist a bit more refined I will seem a bit more in proportion.
I am seriously struggling this week. After Sunday, the only workout I got in was a Stage 1 5B on Thursday. I have still got this flu hanging around and can't do much at all. I was planning on doing workout A today, but can't get the energy up. I think I will just take it easy and see how I'm feeling tomorrow. At least this is forcing me to ease slowly back into the gym so I don't injure myself!
It is so motivating seeing how everyone is right into the challenge, I can't wait to be healthy again and really hit it hard!
Absolutely take it easy. Have you come across the 'neck up, neck down' rule? If you are sick from the neck up it is ok to work out but use your common sense. If you are sick from the neck down - aches and pains throughout the body etc - stay in bed, get lots of fluids etc.
There is science behind this: if you have something systemic, like flu, you don't want to do anything that forces your heart to beat faster because if you pump the blood round the body faster than normal, the increased blood pressure means that your lymph is forced through your lymph nodes quicker than normal, which doesn't give your immune system time to filter out all the crap before it goes back into your blood stream.
I'm a recovering chocoholic too. Dark chocolate is the way to go. When I need a hit I melt a few squares in the microwave and then stir it into low fat greek yogurt. Sort of like chocolate ice cream.
Good luck in the challenge.
Dark chocolate & cocoa is chockful of anti-oxidants & plenty other good stuff. Heck it even helps fat loss: our fatburner has chocamine (even more concentrated than cocoa)! You'd be darn silly to leave chocolate out of your diet.
Just lose the white (only fat) and milk chocolate.. just like others mentioned I've always had major trouble NOT finishing an entire white/milk chocolate bar but the darker ones (72+%) are so strong in flavour that you only need very little.
Finally back into it after nearly 2 weeks of the flu.
I've taken it pretty lightly this week, I did a Body Pump class Tuesday, Thursday and this morning (Saturday). I didn't want to jump straight back in to real heavy lifting after being sick, thought a week of something I enjoy doing (Body PUMP) would get me back to 100%.
Food has been pretty good, getting pretty close to the 40/30/30 ratio and pretty close to 1700 calories per non workout day, and 2000 on workout days.
I just sat down and planned everything I'm going to eat this week, my husband is away this week so I can eat whatever I like!
Hehe, maybe! No, really, I have more self restraint that to be eating chocolate at the gym!
I'm going 80% dark chocolate all the way at the moment! And chocolate protein powder isn't too bad!
Why not? It may be too fat according to some, but there's even been research at how well Mars bars would work for endurance peepz & it did an excellent job!
People are all hung up on how to fuel a workout.
Believe me & this is coming from someone who sells their OWN sports drink supplement powder.. you can be a lot more creative than you think. As long as it doesn't upset your stomach and you're not overdosing (thinking you can eat 2 bars for just 5 mins on the TM etc) .. there's more options out there.
I'm just about to leave for my workout and take 30g of IsoSpark along mixed with a slush of 40g blue&raspberry jam to liven up the taste for a bit. I've also taken candy to the gym.
The upside of doing this is what Katydid calls 'compartmentalization': you design a certain food to a certain time/moment to make sure you aren't eating it on other occasions which allows you to not touch it on other moments. Works great as long as you're not in *that* time of month when not a single rule applies .. say 24 out of 28 days.
No chocolate at the gym! It leaves the bar too sticky for the next fella...
I am a recovering chocoholic with a sadistic secretary who keeps a bowl of candy on her desk....currently it's full of tootsie rolls and hard candy, so no temptation there...but Halloween is just around the corner, so I can imagine what I'm going to have to deal with next month.
I think I have made a little progress this month, can't see much though. Not too happy about gaining a pound.
I need to be a little stricter with my diet, that's my goal for the next month!
I am so bad at keeping this log up to date. I find life busy enough just getting in work, exercise, good eating and enjoying my marriage. Oh well, I will try harder.
I have been fairly compliant with diet and exercise this past month. Not good enough though. I know exactly what I have to do and how to do it to get in better shape, it's just a matter of motivation. Having to post these pics is definitely motivating though!
Saying NO to chocolate, yes to the gym!
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