Continue with NRoL4W or switch to NROL Fat Loss - JP Fitness Forums

frogguruami · 03-31-2008, 01:14 PM

I just finished NRoL4W Stage 1. I really love the program but I am beginning to wonder if a started with the wrong thing. I love Alwyn's workouts and know I want to stick with something he designed so I am considering switching to the NROL fat loss program.

I am 5'7 and 235lbs. So obviously I need to lose weight. When I began, I thought that I really wanted to gain muscle and, by default, lose weight because of an increased metabolism. However I am beginning to wonder if that arrangement would be better for someone a little closer to an ideal weight. I really think for health and motivation purposes I should focus on fat loss/weight loss first and then go back to NRoL4W, as opposed to spending the next 5 months on a program not specifically designed for fat loss. (I know fat loss will happen, but I have a lot of it!!)

Anyone have any thoughts, feedback, suggestions.

bcbarnes · 03-31-2008, 01:29 PM

I am not yet familiar enough with the different NROL workouts (I just started reading the book) to give specific advice, but in my opinion, there really should be no difference in your workout depending on whether you want to gain muscle or lose fat - the workout should be the same. What makes the difference is the calorie intake. If you want to gain muscle, eat more calories, and let your workout burn off what you don't turn into muscle. If you want to lose fat, eat less calories, and let your workout keep you from losing muscle. Either way, the workout is the same, and you adjust your calorie intake as needed.

Brian.

missjane · 03-31-2008, 01:54 PM

Diet is the KEY no matter what workout you are doing.

stingo · 03-31-2008, 02:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by missjane

Diet is the KEY no matter what workout you are doing.

I agree. If the NROL4W programs feature supersets which work unrelated muscle groups (e.g., a squat supersetted with a cable row) then they are similar to NROL's Fat Loss programs.

ToniL · 03-31-2008, 02:28 PM

Well I just finished 6 monthes of NROL and loved every one of them torture sessions! I am going to start NROL4W instead of moving into the Strength program. I think you will find the Fat Loss programs really do kick ass and take numbers!! Hopefully those numbers they take are scale numbers!! Enjoy.

Toni

frogguruami · 03-31-2008, 03:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by missjane

Diet is the KEY no matter what workout you are doing.

I totally understand that but it seems counter productive to try to do a "strength building" program while eating a diet that is focused on weight loss.

I guess I am looking for the most efficient route (not easy, efficient! The most bang for my buck, so to speak.). If I am going to work as hard as I do I want to see the specific results I am looking for. Those would be weight loss, focusing on losing fat and preserving the muscle I have. Increases in strength would be nice but I think I need to turn my focus away from that at the moment.

All things being equal and diet in check, will I see better results from doing a fat loss program (NROL Fat Loss) or a strength building program (NRoL4W) working at a calorie deficit? (And I am talking a reasonable deficit not some crazy 1000 calorie diet, LOL)

missjane · 03-31-2008, 04:07 PM

I did the NROL Fat Loss programs and the scale didn't budge. Why? Because I wasn't keyed in on the diet side of it. On Jan 1, I started NROL4W and totally focused on my diet and I have lost over 14 lbs of fat.

Had I done the same when I did the NROL FL workouts, I'll be I would have seen the same results. As Tom said, both NROL and NROL4W feature supersets with different muscle groups being hit, metabolically challenging exercises, and recommendations of HIIT.

frogguruami · 03-31-2008, 04:18 PM

Thanks for all of the thoughts. I have a copy of NROL on hold at the bookstore. Since this is my rest week anyways I will have time to re read NRoL4W and read NROL and then make my decision before the weekend.

Thanks again!!

PerfectMartini · 03-31-2008, 05:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by frogguruami

I totally understand that but it seems counter productive to try to do a "strength building" program while eating a diet that is focused on weight loss.

I guess I am looking for the most efficient route (not easy, efficient! The most bang for my buck, so to speak.). If I am going to work as hard as I do I want to see the specific results I am looking for. Those would be weight loss, focusing on losing fat and preserving the muscle I have. Increases in strength would be nice but I think I need to turn my focus away from that at the moment.

All things being equal and diet in check, will I see better results from doing a fat loss program (NROL Fat Loss) or a strength building program (NRoL4W) working at a calorie deficit? (And I am talking a reasonable deficit not some crazy 1000 calorie diet, LOL)

NROL4W doesn't strike me as being a primarily strength oriented program, as least not in the earlier stages which I have seen. There aren't a lot of low rep sets (if any) and the major barbell exercises aren't particularly emphasized.

I agree that diet is the key to weight loss but I would also add that building muscle to lose fat is a long term approach so it seems like precisely the strategy that someone with a lot of weight to lose should be using.

It seems like you have plenty of time to do the entire NROL4W program and then the NROL fat loss programs without running out of fat to lose.

I would recommend avoiding the temptation to jump back and forth between programs.

rachael24 · 04-01-2008, 08:00 AM

Is there a link to these programs that I can obtain?

missjane · 04-01-2008, 08:04 AM

These programs are in the books "New Rules of Lifting" and New Rules of Lifting for Women".

stingo · 04-01-2008, 08:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rachael24

Is there a link to these programs that I can obtain?

Yes, there are links on the first forum page to both books. Alternatively, here's NROL and NROL4W. I would use the links from the first forum page though as I'd imagine JP gets a referrer bonus.

rixatrix · 04-01-2008, 11:01 AM

Calorie deficit is always going to rule. Whether you're doing NROL or NROL4W, you're going to be tearing down your muscles and building them back up, creating an afterburn that will help you burn more calories around the clock. If you're not losing weight on either program and you want to, it's because you're eating too many calories for your goal.

I lost around 10lbs of fat between Stage 1 and Stage 2 of NROL4W. Right now I'm doing Fat Loss 1, then I'm going back to Stage 3. I've cut my calories a bit, and I wanted to go back to the higher rep/less rest time workouts so I jumped over to FL1 for now. I just finished the first A workout yesterday, and holy cow, I can feel it. My entire lower body is in pain today. (Those 15 reps really make a difference.)

So, no matter what you end up doing, you've got to get your diet in line. Like I said, I lost 10lbs of fat between Stage 1 and Stage 2, so it is possible to lose fat with NROL4W. I also gained around 7lbs of lean mass. So the scale hasn't moved much, but my body is changing.

Play with your calories and go from there. Keep doing your workouts. But it probably doesn't matter much if you do Stage 2 or FL1. They're both going to help.

rachael24 · 04-02-2008, 02:03 PM

Thank you for the links!