Mel another AWESOME workout posted. I did my HIT the other day on a 3.5% incline. It does kick your ass pretty good.
And thanks for the word of advice. I think it will be much easier for me next time to do a bulk as I will have this experience behind me. I too wasted a good 2 months trying to learn how to eat. Doooooop.
Thanks MG and Karen!! Comments like yours keep me going.
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And thanks for the word of advice. I think it will be much easier for me next time to do a bulk as I will have this experience behind me. I too wasted a good 2 months trying to learn how to eat. Doooooop.
Thanks Kara You know what they say about hindsight.....so easy to see looking back. I hope I can remember that when I commit to a certain eating style, I've gotta adjust everything to match that style, including eating habits and attitudes.
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Great job on the HIIT. I really hate hill workouts but they are amazing for your legs. Makes running a flat course seem like child's play.
Thanks T! I'm gonna keep doing them. Mix it up with the flat stuff. I'm hoping it can make those 11s feel like child's play.
So, today was the start of Stage 3.
Stage 3 Workout A #1
3 sets of 6 reps. Alternating super sets with 1:45 rests except for the dumbbell snatch.
A) One Arm Dumbbell Snatch
15
r-6x25 l-5 x25
25
B1) Dumbbell single leg RDL
15
20
30
B2) Barbell bent over row
70
90
95
C1) dumbbell single arm overhead squat
10/20
12/25
15/30
Thoughts:
-I really like doing the one arm snatch. It took a little getting used to, but I watched some videos first. When it goes up smooth, it makes me feel pretty strong.
-I had done the single leg rdls in a past program, so it was interesting to see where I was at with them and do them again. I can feel it working so many parts. Love this exercise!
-I'm also loving the single arm overhead squat. Once I really concentrated on keeping my arm back and pushing through my hips, this one felt great.
-I was disappointed that my incline bench was stuck right where it was before Christmas. Bleh! I've got to get past the 30s!
-I hate hate hate hate hate planks. 90 seconds is an eternity. blech! Sure am glad I got that off my chest. Now maybe I can keep doing them. LOL.
-I dig the reverse woodchoppers, though when I do them with my non dominant side, I feel a little awkward, so I'll have to work on that, but I love the movement.
-The matrix was killer....very good stuff...no HIIT for me today. Tomorrow....maybe
-In Summary, this workout really kicked my rear and felt super, super long. I hope it feels a little faster as we go a long, or I might not dig it too much; on the other hand, some of the exercises are just plain awesome.
Hi Mel, interesting to hear your thoughts on Stage 3. We're at the exact same place--yesterday I did Stage 3 A#1 for the first time.
Similarly, I found it LONG and it totally kicked my butt. I loved it though. I think I like the simple moves best because I can focus and they make me feel strong--the incline press and barbell bent over row. The compound moves, like the snatch and the dumbbell single arm overhead squat make me feel all "whooooaaaa." but I think they're the moves that make me all trembly, so that's a good thing.
The body matrix is evil. (In a good way.) I wasn't able to finish all the jump squats. But I WILL get there!
Your workouts really inspire me to unleash the true GRRRRRR and definitely prove that a woman can be strong and sexy! My goal is to look like what you look like in your before pic!!
For the running and HIIT, by any chance do you have access to a running track? Obviously the treadmill not going above 11.5 is a limit, but I found it was limiting in a whole other way. I find people totally underestimate the pace they can keep. If you have access to a track try it out. On the tready I was doing 25 minute 3 milers, but when I switched to the indoor track I was clocking them between 19-21 minutes. You might surprise yourself!! Not to mention nothing will hold you back from sprinting like a madwoman running after the icecream truck! Mmmmm... ice cream....
Hey Mel ... check out Lyle McDonald's blog ... he posted in there a week or so ago about really activating your pecs during bench activities to get past a plateau. Turns out many of us don't use our pecs ... I tested his theory and goshdarn if he wasn't right!!
__________________
Life's a Journey ... Enjoy the Ride!
Mel, I want to respond to your post from this thread, Some Stage 3 questions, here in your log--mainly because we're talking about altering the NR4W program for your individual needs and I thought that belonged here more than in the general NR4W forum where it might be misunderstood.
Quote:
Originally Posted by mel
Lisa~you are the best! I was hoping you'd stop by. I really wanted to make sure that the changes I wanted to make were in line with good training practices, so your thoughts and ideas were very important to me. I have to say, I'm not one to change a program. I am usually very happy doing what is prescribed and don't want to do anything that would wreck the spirit and intent of this program. That's mainly why I asked, because I want to make sure that any little adjustments I make still fit in with the program goals.
Thanks for your kind words. I love it when people want to know more. I did stage 3 workout B again yesterday and while lifting I thought of some things I wanted to say about how I view this stage (since you seem to want to hear it).
What Alwyn wrote / What I'm thinking
Stage 3 Workout A
3 sets of 6 reps
A) One Arm Dumbbell Snatch / explosive lift, a metabolic choice
B1) Dumbbell single leg RDL / unilateral hip-dominant
paired with
B2) Barbell bent over row / horizontal pulling
C1) dumbbell single arm overhead squat / bilateral quad-dominant
paired with
C2)dumbbell incline bench press / horizontal pushing
If you compare this with stage 3 workout B, you get the intent of the program:
Stage 3 Workout B
3 sets of 6 reps
A) Barbell Romanian deadlift with bentover row / combination lift, a metabolic choice
B1) Partial single-leg squat / unilateral quad-dominant
paired with
B2) Wide-grip lat pulldown / vertical pulling
C1) Back extension / bilateral hip-dominant
paired with
C2) YTWL / his shoulder-healthy corrective substitution for vertical pushing
D1) Swiss-ball crunch / core flexion
D2) Hip flexion / hip flexion (duh, just think core flexion from the bottom up, aka, lower abs)
D3) Lateral flexion / lateral flexion (duh again, any kind of side flexion)
E) Prone cobra / back extension or thoracic stability
Intervals / metabolic finisher
Quote:
Originally Posted by mel
My issue here, is often, if there aren't suggestions in the book, I'm not sure what to do. Or, I'm doing the advanced version already. For example, I do the swiss ball pike instead of the jackknife and I don't know a more advanced move. So, i did more reps of those. I really like what you say about the movement plane. I think that will help me pick exercises. Do you have any other suggestions on how to look for advanced versions of exercises? I wish I knew enough about this to know on my own, but I'm pretty afraid of doing the wrong thing....
Be fearless. Ask if you're uncertain.
Pikes are a great choice. Try a hold at the top to increase difficulty. Or move to other hip flexion choices like your best hanging leg raise variation.
Planks are core stability. Taking away a limb (arm, leg, or opposite arm and leg) can make them tougher. Hands on a ball versions are tougher. A tougher core stability movement would be dragon flag variations. Even your handstand push-ups require core stability. Any kind of push-up-like thing will be a core stability choice, like CT's shoulder gliders.
Swiss ball crunch is core flexion and it's a pretty easy choice too, even if you choose a weighted long-arm version. Tougher choices are cable pulldown abs (standing) or cable crunches (kneeling), any kind of loading during a crunch, but especially those versions that don't allow your back to be supported by anything.
The lateral flexion choices in the book are, again, not my favorites. But any movement that requires side flexion applies. Saxon side bends, side plank hip raises, side flexion off a back extension machine, etc.
Going through both workouts in this fashion helped me to see where the vertical push would fall. That made me think that if you wanted to, you could put your handstand push-up in that spot, but I wouldn't leave out the YTWL. You could move the YTWL to your warm-up and do it unweighted for higher reps, or you could use one set of weighted YTWL's as a warm-up for the handstand push-ups possibly. The best choices depend on your own shoulders and what would be best for them. The more I thought about it, the more I felt that if you're going to put handstand push-ups into this program, that this is the correct location for them. Then it's only a decision about the best location in your program for the YTWL's. So, how's your shoulder stability and mobility? Where do you need work for shoulders?
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Originally Posted by mel
Again, I can't tell you how much I appreciate the time and thought you put into answering. It is reassuring and helping in my learning process. You Rock!
mel
You are so welcome. That made me feel great! (And on a day when my teenage son's comments left me feeling inadequate.) You made my day.
Lisa, I know you wrote all of that out for Mel but I wanted to give my thanks as well. (I do believe you've just given me the confidence to try substitutes for a couple of exercises.) You are amazing and I so wish I could repay you for everything I've learned from you (and your links).
Just a note to let you know I haven't fallen off the planet. I've been busy, and today down with a horrible sickness that might be some sort of respiratory flu. I can barely string together a cognizant thought, or spell. I'd be embarrassed to tell you how long respiratory took. So, just a note to let you know I'm not dead and will reply as soon as I'm able.
Just a note to let you know I haven't fallen off the planet. I've been busy, and today down with a horrible sickness that might be some sort of respiratory flu. I can barely string together a cognizant thought, or spell. I'd be embarrassed to tell you how long respiratory took. So, just a note to let you know I'm not dead and will reply as soon as I'm able.
mel
I was impressed by 'cognizant' myself!
Seriously, I hope your up and at em very soon Mel.
Thanks for the well wishes everyone. It's going to be a few days....I went to the doctor, and somehow I've contracted pneumonia.....I'm kind of in shock, since I'm rarely ever sick and hadn't been having any real problems. Ah well, lots of bed rest for me.
Thanks for the well wishes everyone. It's going to be a few days....I went to the doctor, and somehow I've contracted pneumonia.....I'm kind of in shock, since I'm rarely ever sick and hadn't been having any real problems. Ah well, lots of bed rest for me.
See you soon, hopefully,
mel
So sorry girl. This is shocking news! You just sleep and take it very easy. You'll be better soon. Good thing you saw the doctor sooner rather than later.
Hey Mel, I hope you're feeling better! I just happened upon this Band-Assisted Handstand Push-up today while looking for something else. I have no idea how it'd feel. It looks like a kinda complicated set-up, but if the movement felt good it might be really helpful. I know I really like some of the band assisted movements I do. I wanted to drop it into your log right now before I forget to do it. A little treat for when you get back!
Thanks for the well wishes everyone. It's going to be a few days....I went to the doctor, and somehow I've contracted pneumonia.....I'm kind of in shock, since I'm rarely ever sick and hadn't been having any real problems. Ah well, lots of bed rest for me.
At least you went to the doctor. I had the same type of issue almost 3 years ago. I ignored the early signs and ended up in the hospital for almost 3 weeks, and home with a drainage tube for another 3 or 4 weeks.
It was definitely not fun. So listen to the doctor - get plenty of rest!
Whoa!! WTF? Get lots and lots of rest girl and come back in to chat just for fun when you are well enough to do so. But don't lift anything heavier than your bw from the bed to the bathroom until the Dr says you can get up.
leave it to Mel to jump over normal cold or flu and go straight to the big one - pneumonia -
feel better
That was funny Lisa.
Mel that's terrible. You must feel so trapped, since you're rarely if ever ill. Do make sure to completely heal before you resume training. This illness is no joke!
This is shocking news! You just sleep and take it very easy. You'll be better soon. Good thing you saw the doctor sooner rather than later.
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