Just finished the Eternal Beginner. What I'm doing next.

[uberllama]

First of I'd like to thank the authors for producing such a great volume. I've been working out for 15 years and I've never seen the kind of results that I have over the last 9 or 10 months. My end weight is only about 5 or 6 pounds less than my starting weight, but my strength, muscle mass, and body shape have all changed for the better. I would have liked to have leaned out more but I guess that will require more patience.

I didn't enjoy everything about the EB program, but all that pain is for the greater good. I will admit that my partner and I stopped FL3 after a couple weeks for various reasons, but we're both okay with that. Strength 1 was definitely our favorite.

So what do we do now? A friend sent me a bunch of different work out routines and I chose a Poliquin routine that appealed to me the most, lactic acid training for fat loss: http://www.tmuscle.com/free_online_a...g_for_fat_loss

We're going to do this for the next 6 weeks then probably start up a different New Rules cycle focused on the strength workouts. Anyway, just wanted to give some feedback. Cheers.

[redwine99]

Hi llama,

Congrats on the last 10 months of work.

I was wondering if you could share a little bit more detail on your progress for rookies like me. For example how much did you lifts increase? How much did your body fat % drop over the 10 months? How many days per week did you average? Any other tips?

[andyhdz]

it's interesting that you say that. I was wondering if after almost 3 months I'm doing this right. I'm on FLIII and am also doing HIIT and so far I've lost about 25 pounds (monstely newbie weight) but lately have started to plateau a bit. However I'm noticing my body change has changed and I am definitely stronger and have better endurance.

I'm just used to doing cardio only and losing a lot of weight fast but I always lamented the fact that it came with losing a good chunk of muscle mass as well. This program requires more patience but I think it's more quality change (body shape, strength etc) than just quantity (weight). Congrats on making it to the finish line.

[jbb]

It's interesting that you didn't like FLIII and really liked Strength 1, but now you are planning to do the lactic acid training program that is much more similar to FLIII than to the Strength programs.

I personally have liked the Fat Loss programs the best. I have always been more of an endurance athlete (triathlons, marathons, mountain bike racing) and I hate the long rest periods in Strength 1. I do stretching during the rests, which makes it tolerable for me.

Anyway, good luck with the lactic acid program. Let us know how you like and what results you get.

BTW, I have done the NROL Break-In, FLI, FLII, and Strength I so far. I plan to do FLIII next, then Strength II, and then try one of the Hypertrophy programs. At some point I plan leave the NROL programs to do the Maximum Strength program, then maybe back to NROL for Hyp or FL.

[uberllama]

Originally Posted by redwine99

I was wondering if you could share a little bit more detail on your progress for rookies like me. For example how much did you lifts increase? How much did your body fat % drop over the 10 months? How many days per week did you average? Any other tips?

I wish I had numbers for you, or even before and after pictures, but I don't and sorely regret it. My one piece of advice to anyone starting out is to get a fat % measurement and before pictures. I really *really* wish I had.

Let's see if I can itemize this:

1) Strength gains. Huge. I have worked out with weights for 16 years, and while I had moments of serious devotion, I never really gained in all that time. Doing NROL increased my strength dramatically in all regards. A few examples off the top of my head:

Consecutive chin ups:
Started at 0, ended at 24.
Dips:
Started at 0, ended at 14, and cured a chronic shoulder injury in the process.
Deadlift:
Started at 95, ended at 315. (That 3 plate day was one of the happiest of my workout life!)
Incline dumbbells: Started at 25s, ended at 75s.

2) Fat loss. This is the hardest area to quantify because of not having measurements. About 8 or so years ago, I started running after never running in my life, and dropped an epic 25% body weight from 200+ to a scrawny -- and, frankly, unhealthy -- 155lbs. I think this was purely a shock factor. I stopped running and the weight eventually all came back, so when I started NROL, I was a bit of a flabby 186 despite doing a regular weight routine. I am now about 179. That doesn't seem like much of a drop, but I have put on a significant amount of muscle and definition, so distribution is the key here. At this point, I think I would like to lose an additional 5 to 10 lbs of fat.

3) Tips? I dunno, I'm no expert. Just stick to it and be patient. A healthy dose of self-loathing helps too. I will say that having a partner helped immensely, as it added both motivation and a sense of friendly competition. We consistently went three days a week, and have the fortune of being able to walk to the gym during our lunch hour. Pick a close gym that you can actually go to, regardless of any other factor such as price. I also started the paleo diet around the same time as NROL and I'm sure that has contributed to the progress.

I still have a long way to go, but look forward to the future.

[uberllama]

Originally Posted by andyhdz

it's interesting that you say that. I was wondering if after almost 3 months I'm doing this right. I'm on FLIII and am also doing HIIT and so far I've lost about 25 pounds (monstely newbie weight) but lately have started to plateau a bit. However I'm noticing my body change has changed and I am definitely stronger and have better endurance.

I'm just used to doing cardio only and losing a lot of weight fast but I always lamented the fact that it came with losing a good chunk of muscle mass as well. This program requires more patience but I think it's more quality change (body shape, strength etc) than just quantity (weight). Congrats on making it to the finish line.

25 lbs is amazing! Congrats. I also need to get back onto my HIIT, as I'm sure that will be a big component of the fat loss I still want to achieve.

[uberllama]

Originally Posted by jbb

It's interesting that you didn't like FLIII and really liked Strength 1, but now you are planning to do the lactic acid training program that is much more similar to FLIII than to the Strength programs.

I personally have liked the Fat Loss programs the best. I have always been more of an endurance athlete (triathlons, marathons, mountain bike racing) and I hate the long rest periods in Strength 1. I do stretching during the rests, which makes it tolerable for me.

That's the beauty of doing what works for you. I'm the opposite. Strength and low rep training feels more natural to me and I can struggle with the endurance workouts, as much mentally as physically. That being said, I didn't have a problem with FL 1 and 2.

My main issue with FL3 was lack of variety, and therefore having to do so god damn many step ups and split squats, everyone's favorites. The lactic acid program has a lot of variety and also has exercises I didn't do at all during Eternal Beginner, while retaining the exhaustion/cardio factor which I need to do.

[jbb]

Originally Posted by uberllama

My main issue with FL3 was lack of variety, and therefore having to do so god damn many step ups and split squats, everyone's favorites. The lactic acid program has a lot of variety and also has exercises I didn't do at all during Eternal Beginner, while retaining the exhaustion/cardio factor which I need to do.

I'll be starting FL3 either Friday or Monday, so I'll find out soon whether I like it or hate it. At first glance it looks like fun.

[redwine99]

Originally Posted by uberllama

I wish I had numbers for you, or even before and after pictures, but I don't and sorely regret it. My one piece of advice to anyone starting out is to get a fat % measurement and before pictures. I really *really* wish I had.

Let's see if I can itemize this:

1) Strength gains. Huge. I have worked out with weights for 16 years, and while I had moments of serious devotion, I never really gained in all that time. Doing NROL increased my strength dramatically in all regards. A few examples off the top of my head:

Consecutive chin ups:
Started at 0, ended at 24.
Dips:
Started at 0, ended at 14, and cured a chronic shoulder injury in the process.
Deadlift:
Started at 95, ended at 315. (That 3 plate day was one of the happiest of my workout life!)
Incline dumbbells: Started at 25s, ended at 75s.

2) Fat loss. This is the hardest area to quantify because of not having measurements. About 8 or so years ago, I started running after never running in my life, and dropped an epic 25% body weight from 200+ to a scrawny -- and, frankly, unhealthy -- 155lbs. I think this was purely a shock factor. I stopped running and the weight eventually all came back, so when I started NROL, I was a bit of a flabby 186 despite doing a regular weight routine. I am now about 179. That doesn't seem like much of a drop, but I have put on a significant amount of muscle and definition, so distribution is the key here. At this point, I think I would like to lose an additional 5 to 10 lbs of fat.

3) Tips? I dunno, I'm no expert. Just stick to it and be patient. A healthy dose of self-loathing helps too. I will say that having a partner helped immensely, as it added both motivation and a sense of friendly competition. We consistently went three days a week, and have the fortune of being able to walk to the gym during our lunch hour. Pick a close gym that you can actually go to, regardless of any other factor such as price. I also started the paleo diet around the same time as NROL and I'm sure that has contributed to the progress.

I still have a long way to go, but look forward to the future.

Thanks for sharing; extremely motivating.

I am currently at chin ups = 0, dips = 0, incline bench=25s, deadlift = 145lbs

[rubyam]

Congrats on finishing the program and your progress!