Another lurker becomes an actual member. Hello, all. A typical Eternal Beginner here, though perhaps older than most (45); I've made a career out of starting programs only to bail out soon afterwards. I found this forum several months ago while searching for info on NROL soon after purchasing the book. I was posting on the Men's Health boards at the time and took a stab at Break-In, but dropped it with just one workout to go. Actually, I dropped a lot of other worthwhile activities at the same time, all due to a nasty bout of depression. It always sounds a bit like an excuse, but I know full well now that depression's just a fact of life, and of biochemistry, for me. I took the critical step, finally, of appropriate supplementation (s-adenosylmethionine, or SAM-e, and enough of it), and it really cleared the decks, as it were. Clouds lifted; a lot of things that seemed well out of reach before, activities that seemed beyond me, were all revealed as being right there. I guess they always had been; I just wasn't seeing them.
So now that the vision thing is remedied, I'm going to make the nth time the charm - for fitness and health, for enjoying more of life, for a lot of things.
Previous attempts at weight training and cardio had me down to 185 at roughly 23% body fat (5' 10'', by the way). I plateaued there for about a month, and then the clouds set in. By the time the air cleared, I was back up to 200 lbs. and 30% bf - as though the last round of workouts had never happened at all. (Still better than the wedding-day, all-time weight of 220 lbs and God knows how much bf. That was six and a half years ago.) This is where things stood when I launched the NROL re-start. I wanted to hold off on posting here and starting a training log until I got some sense of actual completion under my belt. That came when I finished up Break-In this morning. Even though I'm still on the long climb up to "untrained" from "totally unconditioned and inert," having actually completed something is heartening. Huzzah!
Following Stingo's example from when he first signed on here, here's the first and last Break-In numbers. All exercises done at home with dumbbells and the frame of a Soloflex (used only for pullups, dips, and such).
Break-In A, first workout
Squats 2x10@30 (2 15 lb. DBs)
Static Lunge 2x10@0 (bodyweight only)
and
2-Point DB Row 2x15@10
Pushups 2x10
and
Swiss Ball Crunch 8, 6
Break-In A, last workout
Squats 2x15@70 (2 35 lb. DBs)
Static Lunge 2x15@40 (2 20 lb. DBs)
and
2-Point DB Row 2x25@15
Pushups 2x15
and
Swiss Ball Crunch 15, 8
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Break-In B, first workout
Deadlift 2x10@50 (2 25 lb. DBs)
Walking Lunge* 2x10@0 (bodyweight only)
and
DB 1-Arm Shoulder Press 2x15@15
Pullups** 4, 2
and
Reverse Crunch 8, 6
Break-In B, last workout
Deadlift 2x15@100 (2 50 lb. DBs)
Walking Lunge* 2x15@50 (2 25 lb. DBs)
and
DB 1-Arm Shoulder Press 2x15@30
Pullups** 8, 5
and
Reverse Crunch 15, 11
* I substituted Walking Lunges for Step-Ups because I have no boxes on which to step. Also, our basement has an uncommonly low ceiling so stepping up would be repeatedly painful. I may have substituted Pullups for Lat Pulldowns; I don't have the book with me, so I can't check.
For cardio, I'm doing the prescribed first-month edition (19 minute) of Metabolic Overdrive, three times a week, on non-lifting days.
I've gone from 200 lbs/30% bf at the start of Break-In to 196 lbs/26% bf as of yesterday, the kind of slow but steady progress I was expecting. I'm planning to do NROL by the numbers: from Break-in to Fat Loss I, II, and III, followed by the Hypertrophy programs, then on to Strength.
I'd planned to talk about diet and goals, but this post is already much too long! More to come.
Welcome. good progress there. The absolute best thing about having to regain ground is that you know you can make it there because you've been there before, so you can't convince yourself it's a pipe dream. Stick with it and you'll make it back and then some, no problem.
Scheduled day off yesterday (felt decadent). Semi-specific warmup this morning per NROL, Chapter 5. I'm between phases just now and start FL I in a week, so just warm-ups and Metabolic Overdrive for the next few days.
I meant to mention the diet a few days ago. Nothing radical; total calories at 2250 or so, perhaps 200 or 300 under maintenance. I may be eating a little too much - I tend to overestimate my calories expenditures - but I'll probably wait until I'm into FL I before making any adjustments. Going for a 35p/35f/30c split on weight days and fewer carbs on other days (more like 25% or less). Eating fairly cleanly - lean protein sources, dairy, veggies - but still slowly moving the diet in the right direction (damn potato chips).
I'm looking at my body recomp work as a three-phase effort:
first recover the gains I made (and lost) months ago by getting back to 185 lbs. and about 24% body fat. Hope to reach this by the beginning of December.
moving past that to 170-175 lbs. and 15% bf. I'm not married to the weight goal per se, but figure that's where I'd be at 15% bf. I would expect to be there around early March (just in time for a birthday).
then the fun part: adding mass and working gradually back to around 200 lbs.
Commenced FL I today, and Aoife was right: now I can begin hating. On the other hand, I remember now what an earnest workout feels like.
All weight moves performed with dumbbells. Supersets with full rest @ 75 secs, and good thing, too. No cables at home, so bent over DB rows subbed for cable seated rows.
FL I, Workout A
Squats 3x15@70 (two 35 lb. DBs)
and
Bent Over DB Rows 3x15@70 (two 35 lb. DBs)
Supine Leg Extensions 3x15@bodyweight
and
DB Push Press 9@50 lbs total; 11@40 lbs; 9@40 lbs
Rotational Lunges 15@40 lbs total; 20@30 lbs; 14@30 lbs
and
Swiss Ball Crunches 11, 9, 8, all @ bodyweight
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Notes:
Supine leg exts. are harder than I remembered. Push presses are harder than I expected. Rotational lunges are the devil's work. I'll need to stick to lighter weights in order to work up to 15 lunges per leg.
Metabolic Overdrive, morning
19:22 min.
4.89 miles
I tend to slack off by the third round of intervals; my mind wanders and I lose focus. It may be an early morning thing. Need to stay alert and bear down.
FL1 can be a killer, but you will get through it just fine.
I am assuming you workout at home? do you have room for more equipment? The saint louis craigslist has cages with cable attachments listed fairly often for pretty cheap.
__________________
We don't know all the answers. If we knew all the answers we'd be bored, wouldn't we? We keep looking, searching, trying to get more knowledge. Jack LaLanne
Hello, Chris! Yeah, another STLer here, in Dogtown.
I do work out at home; been using only dumbbells and the frame of a Soloflex (for dips and pullups), but will be upgrading the equipment a little at a time. I've been checking out craigslist every day over the past week or so. The basement is not large and has a very low ceiling, so standard cages are out, but I think I've found a rack that will suit the situation (it's been discussed on the forum before). Then the bench, which I'd like to be F/I/D, if possible. Then the weights, which could be purchased used, of course. I'll most likely be doing this a little at a time so as to not break the budget, but I hope to have the pieces in place by the start of FL II.
__________________
We don't know all the answers. If we knew all the answers we'd be bored, wouldn't we? We keep looking, searching, trying to get more knowledge. Jack LaLanne
Nice rack. (Usually when I say that, it's in an entirely different context. ) At that height, it's too tall for our basement. I love our house, but good grief...Anyway, I'm looking forward to getting the sumo rack.
You're right about the weights; it'll just come down to price and how far I'm willing to drive to pick them up.
General warmup per NROL, then semi-specific warmup (deadlifts, incline bench press). All weight moves performed with dumbbells. Supersets with full rest @ 75 secs. Mixed-grip pullups subbed for mixed-grip lat pulldowns.
DB Deadlifts 15@100; 11@100; 10@100
and
DB Incline Bench Press 2x15@70; 11@70
Bulgarian Split Squats 8@20; 9@20; 8@20
and
Mixed-Grip Pullups 7, 6, 4
Romanian Deadlifts 3x15@60
and
Swiss Ball Lateral Roll 9, 10, 9
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Notes:
Nothing like BSS to make you feel clumsy and foolish! I know the balance will come, as will the strength. It's just funny...in an irritating kind of way.
Early morning workouts feel harder to do, but are more satisfying afterwards.
bigDman: Thanks! I'd read the many choice words folks here had for the split squats, but you really have to experience it yourself. Looking forward to getting better at them!
Lance: I pronounce it "dell-CY-fer," but you can always skip it and call me Phil.
Nth time's the charm
The basement is not large and has a very low ceiling, so standard cages are out, but I think I've found a rack that will 
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