stage 1 question

[fitfan]

Hi, new here to NROL4W but not new to exercise and weight training. I came across the program as I was trying to transition from a trainer to doing a long term, progressively difficult program on my own.
My question is... In the stage one exercises, I can already do 2 set of 15 push-ups and also can do the prone jackknife, swiss ball crunch. How do I progress these?? 2 sets of 8 reps is not much for me. Should I shorten stage 1 since I am not a beginner exerciser?

[missjane]

You can do weighted push-ups and you can do the pike version of the jackknife for increased difficulty. Will that help?

[Lil Messi]

Hey there - I was in a similar boat when I started stage 1.

So instead of the Prone jacknife I did the Pike and that was super challenging, especially if you do them good and slow.

As for push-ups, man, I found a link to a whole slew of push-ups that were killer! (i think it was on tmuscle.com) Sadly, I can't find the link, but if I do I'll send it to you.

But basically I've been doing dynamic pushups - when you essentially push off the ground and try to clap. I can barely get off the ground, but its awesome none the less. Also I do pushups where I break them down into 3s. So I go 1/3 way down then up, 2/3s way down then up, and then all the way down and up and that's ONE push-up. Needless to say i don't (er...can't) do 10 of these. You can also put your feet on an incline. Or put your feet on a swiss ball. Hey, you can even do your push-ups on a swissball in between your swiss-ball prone jacknife. The possibilities are endless...

[Lil Messi]

just found the link! Hope there's some good suggestions here.

http://www.tmuscle.com/free_online_a...ything_pushups

[Evie]

Do the swiss ball crunch w/ weights. Hold a weight straight back behind your head, and really press your arms straight so they are pushing against your ears.

Lil Messi-- that link is great! I also like to do pushups w/ my arms holding the sides of an upside-down bosu.

[GymBunny]

In my opinion, I do not think you should shorten stage 1. I was also not a beginner when I started stage 1 and I felt the same way about jacknifes and crunches. After completing stage 1, I know that I would have not made the same progress with the other exercises (squat, DL, shoulder press, ect.).

[TheWookie]

Echoing Lil Messi's input with another article on perfecting and varying pushups for greater difficulty from Men's Health, with Alwyn Cosgrove's input.

I was in similar shoes to yours. I wasn't new to the gym when I started NROL4W and could do the pushups with no difficulty. Adding in some of these variations made the stage 1 workouts more interesting and more intense for me.

I wouldn't shorten stage 1. Work on perfecting your form for all of the exercises, and heavy up for squats and DL to make the workouts more challenging!

[fitfan]

thanks for all of the input. These are great ideas for me to take to the next workout!!

[LancelotsLover]

Is a bosu the half-swiss-ball thing? I like those.

[Evie]

Originally Posted by LancelotsLover

Is a bosu the half-swiss-ball thing? I like those.

yeah. I like 'em, too.