This morning I completed my last workout of the last program of NROL. Lou himself directed me to this forum after I emailed him with a question about the program a little over 1 year ago, and although not a frequent poster, I visited pretty much daily and I honestly don't think I would've made it through the year without jpfitness. Thanks everyone.
I hoped to be done 2 weeks ago, but some illness, work/travel and the holidays conspired against me. Because of these things, my performance has been flat for the last 4-5 weeks. Not the best way to finish, but I'm taking solace in the fact that I persevered when my motivation was low and getting my butt to the gym at 6AM was not in my top 10 list of things to do.
Coming to the end is a strange feeling. When I started, improvement came quickly and goal setting was easy. Now, the improvement is a bit slower and I find myself conflicted about what I should try to accomplish next: I loved the Strength programs and I want to reach a 400-lb dead and 300-lb squat, but I also find myself wanting to do some more speed/performance/explosive work. I just got Dos's book, so I'll look at that this weekend. I know I will also do the Strength I and III programs again - they were my favorite - I just don't know when.
Lou, Alwyn: I'm waiting for my induction into the secret society. Can't wait for the fame and fortune to commence. There must at least be a badge or something for surviving The Year of Cosgrove.
That is awsome. Congrats. I did H-1, H-2, S-1, and I started S-2. I had an injury during S-1 that was caused by poor squat form, but stupidly I worked through it anyway always adding weight to the bar each workout. I took 2 weeks off after S-1, and I started S-2, then the injured area started hurting again badly. I had to stop all squats and deadlifts for a few weeks, but I worked through the upper body workouts from S-2 anyway. I did RDL's, GM's, and hypers on the lower body days. Therefore I can't say that I did S-2.
In the meantime I have been off NROL for about a month doing a rehab routine for myself. At least I consider it a rehab routine - I squat 3 days a week in it!!! But that's what I'm doing in the meantime.
I'm a little upset that I had to cut it short, but soon I will be back on it. I think I'm going to start back up with H-1 (I loved that one), and I will then continue where I left off starting up S-2 again.
So that's my ramble. Sorry to hijack. Good stuff though. Congratulations!
I did take some measurements about a year ago...wonder where they are? If I can find 'em, I'll do a comparison. I'll also go back over my logs and see how the numbers have changed, although I haven't tried any sort of max lifts for quite a while, but it would be kinda neat to see.
Good luck, Irishman. Get back at it...it's worth it!
What a wonderful achievement Hunter! Good for you!
Perseverance is a great quality too. Without it you would not achieve goals. Sometimes just continuing on is the greatest achievement!
Reviewing your numbers might inspire you in your decision on what to do next. It's at least fun to do. Dos' program, with its optional exercise selection, could be a good choice for you now too. You've got experience with a lot of lifts and having more variety in exercise selection can keep your program enjoyable. It's true that strength and size increases slow at this point, but that can be viewed as an accomplishment in itself; you have passed the beginner stage. You'll continue to progress and that progress is earned and valued.
Another option, if you're still not settled on your next program, would be to complete a one to two week "deload" or "prehab" program. I'm mainly thinking of giving you time to choose your next goal, but to make use of that time to let your body recover and repair. Just a thought.
Another option, if you're still not settled on your next program, would be to complete a one to two week "deload" or "prehab" program. I'm mainly thinking of giving you time to choose your next goal, but to make use of that time to let your body recover and repair. Just a thought.
What, no links?
Seriously, do you have a specific program in mind?
Lou, Alwyn: I'm waiting for my induction into the secret society. Can't wait for the fame and fortune to commence. There must at least be a badge or something for surviving The Year of Cosgrove.
That's a good idea. We'll create an official Cosgrove Seal of Approval that you can put on your resume.
That and an Ivy League MBA should open up all kinds of doors.
Thanks Jamie. Glad to see you and the family are all doing well and you're back at the workouts. I see in your log you went back to Strength I...good choice!
I've been doing some light workouts this week and getting some HIIT sessions back into my routine, which I haven't done since September. I'm reading Dos's book and will start a new workout based on his Total Conditioning and Hypertrophy plans. I'll be following a 3 workout/week plan based on push/pull splits, which also include an explosive lift and a knee- or hip-dominant lift at the beginning of each session. I 'm excited about it, and I've been lacking that since about mid-November. These plans will take me through April 6th (when my family and 4 other families are leaving for a week in Puerto Vallarta ), and after that I think I'm going to do Strength I and III again to try and begin again the quest for a 300 lb squat and 400 lb DL.
Stingo: yes I will go back and redo some of the programs Can't wait. Regarding your previous question about posting results, after looking through my logs, I realized I made some tremendous progress, especially during the first 8 months, but the last 4 months my progress slowed. Here's a summary of my max lift progress in the 3 major lifts during the year. The highest number I hit did not necessarily come at the end of the year.
Bench: Beginning - 175; Highest - 265
Deadlift: Beginning - had never done them; Highest - 335 (this could've been higher with straps as my grip failed first on higher attempts)
Squat: Beginning - 175; Highest - 265 (this is my worst lift - drives me crazy that it's the same numbers as my bench . I don't care if I ever get higher in the bench, but I really want a 300-lb squat!)
Here are some body measurements:
Weight: 195 --> 200 (at 6'2");
BF %: Started at about 17%, got as low as about 11-12%, and is now around 13-14%.
Waist: 35" start; got down to 33" and is now 34"
Thighs: 23.5" to 25"
Chest: 43.5" to 45"
Bicep: 14.25" to 16"
Shoulders: don't have any measurements, but all my suit coats fit much more tightly. After all the overhead pushing and pulling work, I'm going to have to find a tailor soon to see if he can let my coats out a bit because I can't afford a new wardrobe.
Great results! It's motivational to go back through that information, isn't it? Very impressive. I like your plan too. Being excited about your new program makes so much difference. It keeps you going. The vacation date can be motivational too. Congratulations on all your progress!
You didn't mention how much you've learned. That's progress too. You are now giving good advice instead of asking questions, and you now know how to plan your own programs and assess your progress. That kind of knowledge is exceptional in my book. It means you're in it for the long haul.
You didn't mention how much you've learned. That's progress too. You are now giving good advice instead of asking questions, and you now know how to plan your own programs and assess your progress. That kind of knowledge is exceptional in my book. It means you're in it for the long haul.
THAT is a great point. Thanks for pointing it out. I guess I had realized it, but I've never really given it any thought. If I had picked up Dos's book before NROL, I'd have a hard time making sense of it and using the menu system. Now, I can look at the workouts and have an intuitive feel of how the workouts will go and what they'll feel like based on the exercises I choose.
Another lesson: I understand so much more clearly what my body is telling me. When to rest, when to eat, when to skip a workout, and when to push harder. Also, there is a better understanding of how to achieve specific results, and how my body responds to different training protocols.
Deadlift: Beginning - had never done them; Highest - 335 (this could've been higher with straps as my grip failed first on higher attempts)
Apparently my grip strength improved doing Hyper III, 'cuz I pulled 345 this morning .
I went into the gym with no real plan other than doing a few sets of deads and some core work. The deads felt good, so I kept going up doing single-rep sets: 295, 315, 335, 345. I was really surprised - I haven't done any strength programs since October. Guess I don't know my body as well as I thought.
Isn't it totally cool when that happens! Sometimes you just start deads and they feel so good you can just keep going. This is the best time to hit a PR. Much better than planned days for testing, because who knows how you're going to feel on those days. I realize with athletes and group settings that test days have to be planned. But for lots of us, it's just fun to have a day like that where everything just works.
Hunter, I keep waiting for you to tell us that you're studying for your NSCA-CPT. You could train just a couple of clients on the side and get your gym membership free as a result. You've already been studying for a year, you just haven't formulated the full idea--yet.
Hunter, I keep waiting for you to tell us that you're studying for your NSCA-CPT. You could train just a couple of clients on the side and get your gym membership free as a result. You've already been studying for a year, you just haven't formulated the full idea--yet.
You're too kind...I'm flattered!
How does that saying go: "The more I learn, the more I learn I don't know," or something like that?
It's funny you say that, because I've been helping my wife get going with NROL4W, and it is a whole different matter when trying to explain to someone how to do a lift properly: feet here, shoulders back, keep your back arched, push through your heels ! It's going pretty well though, and she's been lurking on the NROL4W board, so maybe she'll chip in soon.
P.S. Maybe you could send me a link for that certification...
How does that saying go: "The more I learn, the more I learn I don't know," or something like that?
It's funny you say that, because I've been helping my wife get going with NROL4W, and it is a whole different matter when trying to explain to someone how to do a lift properly: feet here, shoulders back, keep your back arched, push through your heels ! It's going pretty well though, and she's been lurking on the NROL4W board, so maybe she'll chip in soon.
P.S. Maybe you could send me a link for that certification...
Done
Can't wait. Regarding your previous question about posting results, after looking through my logs, I realized I made some tremendous progress, especially during the first 8 months, but the last 4 months my progress slowed. Here's a summary of my max lift progress in the 3 major lifts during the year. The highest number I hit did not necessarily come at the end of the year.
. I don't care if I ever get higher in the bench, but I really want a 300-lb squat!)
Linear Mode
