New Guy - HELP!!

[ericw]

Hi folks! This is my first post and I look forward to benefitting from the wealth of knowledge you all contribute to! I have a couple of issues that I am desperate to receive feedback on. First, I will share a bit about my fitness history. I am 36, 5'11" and currently 180#. I was not particularly physically active until about 2.5 yrs ago when the doc told me I was 200# (and she said the "O" word..obese). I started running. I ran exclusively for 6 mos and lost significant weight. At about 165#, I decided to add to my program and started hitting the machines at the gym. So, I was running about 3-4 days/week and going to the gym about 4-5 days/week. After another 6 mos, I dropped the running AND the machines and moved over to the free weights. I have been consistently working out with the weights for about a year and a half now on average, 5 days/week, an hour per session and have seen some great results in strength and muscle definition. However, I plateaued a few months back. I continue to stick to my program but not seeing results. My wife gave me NROL for Christmas and its great! This morning, I completed week one of the break in work out (ABA). I have established the weight that allows me to barely squeeze out the 15 reps (OK, so sometimes on the 2nd set..I can only get out 13) So, I feel like I am doing it right and I def FEEL it! So, here is issue #1: Since I am used to the above, I can't help but feel guilty completing the workout in 40 minutes (not to mention only 3 days/week!!) Anyone else experience this? Should I hang tough and stick strictly to the program despite my temptation to extend the workout?
Issue #2: I am having trouble placing myself in one of the lifter categories outlined in Chapter 15 of the book. Can you help me decide which program is best for me based on the provided information? Please? Thanks to NROL I have identified problems and am so psyched to resolve them and get back to enjoying some gains in the gym. SOoo...I seem to be a lil out of the "Lifter #1" range as I have been consistent with my workouts since I started..I am definitly not
the skinny dude described as "Lifter #2", Lifter #3" is close but again, my schedule is more consistent than what is described..."Lifter #4" is definitly out as I do not have a history of being an athlete prior to when I started working out a year and a half ago...nor am I seriously overweight..HELP!!! I really want to get the best out of this. What should I do?? Thanks.

[krispy1138]

Hang in there with the Break-in Workout. It's meant to get you used to a more metabolic style of lifting. The workouts will definitely get harder as you go along.

Sorry I can't help you as to which direction to take. I was stuck on that myself, partly because I'm a girl so I really couldn't identify with any of the examples in the book. I ended up starting with Hypertrophy I because I had already planned to eat more over the holidays so I figured I might as well try to build some muscle with the extra food.

[Hunter]

Is lifter #3 where he tailors it to 2 days a week for the busy guy? If so, that is a good progression of workouts and you can do your workouts 4x per week instead of 2x.

[bwhaley]

I too struggled/am struggling with the concept of only 3 days per week at 30-40 minutes per session. I had been hitting the gym much more often than that and it just doesn't feel like enough! I also miss my endurance training. However, my thought is that I'll follow the program exactly as described. I'll give it a month, and I should expect to see some results. If I don't feel that it's meeting my needs, I can revisit and redesign, but there's really no harm done if it's not, right? I'm still getting exercise, so it's not like I'm breaking my habit. And the break in work outs (I'm on week 2) are surprisingly difficult.

[brewcity]

My opinion on the lifting profiles is that you shouldn't get too hung up on which one fits you best. Generally, decide what your goals are and choose your plan accordingly. When your body is starting to tell you its time to take a break (plateaus, various joint pains, etc.), take a week off. All of the programs are good enough that you aren't "wasting time" by doing any of them. After you complete one program, reevaluate your goals and adjust accordingly.

As far as how many workouts to do a week, you know your body best. If you are honest with yourself about how fast your muscles recover, you should be able to determine whether you should be doing 2, 3 or 4 workouts per week. If you need to do more, I would suggest doing HIIT on your off days.