My NROL Experience

[nutbar]

Diet sodas are evil, I'll have you know. Okay, so they are for me anyway. Regular Dr. Pepper, though, used to be my life-force. I've not had one in months now, though, so I feel your pain at having to give up your diet soda.

I was drinking water, water, and more water but, just in the past month since it's started getting hot, I've switched to iced tea. I brew a pitcher of 1/2 green and 1/2 plain ol' Lipton, then add a buttload of lemon juice, no sweeteners. I go through about 2 gallons of it each day, plus another one or two for the kids. Yum!

Originally Posted by DirtyMartini

I'm tea-bagging it that day.

*snicker*

[gregl515]

Your workout looks great. Do you think you could do the shoulder press and the clean with just a dumbbell held by your right arm. You would get most of the benefit and your shoulder could rest and heal.

[stingo]

Originally Posted by nutbar

Diet sodas are evil, I'll have you know. Okay, so they are for me anyway. Regular Dr. Pepper, though, used to be my life-force. I've not had one in months now, though, so I feel your pain at having to give up your diet soda.

I was drinking water, water, and more water but, just in the past month since it's started getting hot, I've switched to iced tea. I brew a pitcher of 1/2 green and 1/2 plain ol' Lipton, then add a buttload of lemon juice, no sweeteners. I go through about 2 gallons of it each day, plus another one or two for the kids. Yum!

Another tea pusher lol. Yeah giving up the diet soda's gonna be hard, but if it helps me get to where I want to be, it will be worth it I hope.

Originally Posted by gregl515

Your workout looks great. Do you think you could do the shoulder press and the clean with just a dumbbell held by your right arm. You would get most of the benefit and your shoulder could rest and heal.

Thanks - I could, but I don't want to create imbalance between the two. The press has been feeling ok with the weight I've been using, so I think I'm ok so far.

[Columbus_George]

For me dropping sugared beverages Coke, Mt Dew, juices etc... was very very hard. But I forced myself to drink just cold water. It took a few weeks but after that the craving for the sugar went away. I had a relapse over the Christmas holiday but I am now back to drinking just water or the occasional non sweetened Iced Tea.

p.s. I just did my first NROL: FAT LOSS III routine today. Ugh! and to think I have 11 more of those workouts to look forward to.

[Lost Dog]

Soda rules, tea drools!

[stingo]

Originally Posted by Columbus_George

p.s. I just did my first NROL: FAT LOSS III routine today. Ugh! and to think I have 11 more of those workouts to look forward to.

Fat Loss III is for the few and the proud (or is it the crazy?). Good luck with it as it's one heck of a workout.

[stingo]

A1 DB Bench Press 5x25
A2 Step Ups 7 each leg, alternating

B1 Cable Rows 5x25
B2 Squats 5x15

C Lat Pulldown 3x15

D Shoulder Press 3x15

E Bodyweight Circuit x4
E1 Walkng Lunges, 2 each side, with lifting hands overhead
E2 Pushups 5
E3 Walking Lunges, 2 each side, with lifting hands overhead
E4 Squat Thrusts 5

A1 DB Bench Press - I ended up with 30lb dumbbells for this one, and that was right about the limit I could do that many reps/sets for.

A2 Step Ups - A lower bench is a good thing. These were helping to keep my heart rate up.

B1 Cable Rows - Used a turning grip with this one, per Tim's suggestion. Start with palms down but as you row, turn your hands to palms up.

B2 Bodyweight Squat - Different to do this with just bodyweight, as squats are part of my regular workout.

C Lat Pulldown - Did this on a machine and it was different from the assisted pull-ups that I'm used to.

D Shoulder Press - Machine again, the reason being that (according to Tim) that it works the muscles differently from the dumbbells and it backs off the intensity from the first two supersets. My shoulder was ok with it so I am happy.

E Bodyweight Circuit - Lunges, Pushups and Squat thrusts (oh my?) - a little rest in between each run as I had to go back and start again. I actually did 10 squat thrusts on the last run.

Overall - My first Planet Fitness workout was a success. Ironically, the bench I was on was under one of the TV's for the cardio kids. While I was benching, a Burger King commercial came on - kind of ironic. (Then again, PF's next door neighbor on the left hand side is a Chinese Buffet...) I also got a bit better vibe, so I think my prejudice toward the place is decreasing. Then again, I'm a silent person when I workout - heavy breathing yes, grunting, no.

[kingkop182]

Interesting workout, Tom

[Espi]

It sounds like a bit of a less crazy workout than you used to do, but still a very good one. Lunges and step ups are ouch, but oh so effective!
What again are squat thrusts?

[stingo]

Originally Posted by kingkop182

Interesting workout, Tom

Thanks - I was curious to see what we were going to do and it turned out to be a good workout.

Originally Posted by Espi

It sounds like a bit of a less crazy workout than you used to do, but still a very good one. Lunges and step ups are ouch, but oh so effective!
What again are squat thrusts?

I got this description from areyouslim.com:

To perform squat thrusts:

1. Put your hands on the floor, shoulder width apart, with your legs stretched, just like in the normal push up position.
2. From this position, quickly bring both legs forward, underneath your torso, by bending your knees and thrusting forward quickly.
3. Then return your legs to the original position using the same quick, powerful movements.

And regarding a post you'd made regarding adding in a piece of fruit as your start-up meal - Tim told me today (and I guess I misunderstood) that my start-up meal should be something like a piece of toast/jelly, as cottage cheese would be too long acting. So I'll probably do the same thing you did and opt for just a piece of fruit in the mornings.

[Espi]

From the description squat thrusts sound like burpees, or did I forget how burpees are supposed to be done.

They often advertise whey as the first food to 'pass your lips' but to me that isn't as fast as just having some fruit. Fructose won't spike insulin and in small doses there's no worries about it making you fat , as this only happens when the liver glycogen is topped off. I'd not take toast myself, considering the gluten intolerance (for me).

Soon I'll be getting new blood glucose monitor strips and test a few times , both when still in bed, after getting up (approx. 20-30min later) and after either that small amount of fruit or after a big breakfast. I could try that bigger breakfast both ways, viz. right away or as usual , about 2-3 hrs upon waking up.

An acquantaince of mine with very poor glucose tolerance and lacking insulin production, said high fasting levels can also be a response to too low levels. I'm not so sure here, since I'm rarely if ever experiencing the typical symptoms of very low glucose levels.
But who knows.. I'm hoping of course that I'm right and she's wrong, otherwise I'd need to drop carb intake considerably.

Sofar.. I'm on a 2-date gig. Am feeling almost like a muslim. See, traditionally the 12hr fast is broken by eating a date

[stingo]

I think burpees (at least the way Ross Enamait does them) have you jumping up after each thrust.

[kfisherx]

Huh??? I am confused. Why not have something long acting when you first wake up? I eat cottage cheese often for my first meal.

[SpacecityPaula]

Karla

I think fruit/toast will take you of out catabolism (or whatever the heck it is, I can't remember the term) faster than cottage cheese in the morning. The goal is to stop the muscle from being eaten (for last of a better description) by the body as quickly as possible after you wake up. My assumption is that long acting foods take longer to start getting the nutrients to break down so you'd want something fast acting to go with it.

[stingo]

Originally Posted by SpacecityPaula

Karla

I think fruit/toast will take you of out catabolism (or whatever the heck it is, I can't remember the term) faster than cottage cheese in the morning. The goal is to stop the muscle from being eaten (for last of a better description) by the body as quickly as possible after you wake up. My assumption is that long acting foods take longer to start getting the nutrients to break down so you'd want something fast acting to go with it.

Yup that sounds about right. I have to get to the grocery store to get more supplies for the week, so fruit will now be among my regular staples, as well as the aforementioned veggies.

[Espi]

Exactly. Cottage cheese is great as a slow acting protein at night that will last you through 8 hrs or more of sleep/rest.
Not so good to snap you out of gluconeogenesis in the morning. Nothing would beat fruit in that aspect as it will n