I posted something in the NROLW forum, and finally found the courage to start a log too...
So, I'm a 26 year old girl from Belgium and got the NROLW book last week. I have lifted on and off the last few years and like playing with weights in the "guys section" Originally started lifting to improve my climbing, but that 's since a longtime not my main motivation anymore. I would love to be a bit "thighter" in the summer, so "look like a goddess" sounds really good to me! I needed some well-balanced and prescribed program, as I was not really training consequently and like to have something "guiding" me trough my journey to a better body. Think this book was a good bet, as I really loved reading it!
Stats: 1m76, 76.5kg
Workout A1 on Sunday:
A:Squat: 2x15/32.5 kg
B1:Push-up: 2x15 from knee
B2:Row: 2x15/20kg
C1:Step-up: 15/2x6 kg, 15/2x4kg
C2:Prone Jackknife on Swiss Ball: 2x10
good to see you here. You might think about switching out those knee pushups for one of the variations that requires you to keep your body in a straight line. Maybe set your hands up on a bench or whatever height allows you to complete the reps. Just a thought.
Welcome to the training log fourm. It does take a little courage to put yourself in the public eye with your training. You've picked a great program and are off to a good start. Best of luck.
__________________ In Fitness & Friendship, MAHLER
______________________________ __________________________ There is no light at the end of the tunnel. You carry the light with you.
Hi! I just joined the forum and began a training log too, after a couple of weeks of lurking. I think its so great that lots of girls are working hard to get strong!
Thanks for the input! It 's wonderful having a place to find help and motivation!
Still sore today, but it 's getting better. Some way or another, I found workout B less taxing thang workout A. Do you feel/felt the same? Food is going quite well. I 'm not really logging my food for the moment, as I first want to see how this works... Besides, I have fairly good experience with eating "intuitively". Sort of learned during the years how much I need, just need to eat clean and I 'm fine. A quick calculation shows that I 'm eating between 2000 and 2500 kcals a day, so that 's not bad I guess? Maybe if I get further in the program and getting to the details, I will have to be stricter and count more in detail, but for the moment, this should suffice...
Tonight is climbing night, so I 'm going go attack some routes on the climbing wall here. Hopefully this doesn 't interfere too much with NROLW, but I like climbing too much to give it up now...
Climbing was really fun yesterday, and it went well too! I am pretty sure that this NROLW program will improve my skills on the wall too, as I often lack some strength to get past difficult passages.
Eating was OK, I guess... My hunger is quite unexistent these days, which is highly unusual for me! Not sure wether it is due to the increase of protein or the fact that I have a bad cold, but I have to keep an eye on my intake... Must be the first time in my life , I 'm usually a big eater!
A friend of mine is very interested in the program. She went with me to the gym on tuesday, and we did workout B1 together. Think she liked it, because tomorrow she 's joining again Does anybody knows if it 's a problem for her that she started with B instead of A?
Voilą, I 'm going to do a bit of work here! Too bad but I 'm afraid they 're not paying me for writing on this forum
Went to the gym this morning to do workout A2. My friend accompagnied me. Guess she 's liking the program too Woohoo, I didn 't know a workout of only 40 minutes or so could be so challenging and satisfying!!!
Quote:
Originally Posted by LisaS
good to see you here. You might think about switching out those knee pushups for one of the variations that requires you to keep your body in a straight line. Maybe set your hands up on a bench or whatever height allows you to complete the reps. Just a thought.
Lisa, I followed your remark and did the push-ups on the Smith machine! Feels better, thanks!
Stage 1 Workout A2
A:Squat: 2x15/32.5 kg
B1:Push-up: 2x15 from Smith machine, bar on heigth "7"
B2:Row: 2x15/20kg
C1:Step-up: 2x15/2x6 kg,
C2:Prone Jackknife on Swiss Ball: 2x10
Decided to put heigher weights in red, saw that in someone elses log and seemed like a good idea Step-ups still feel strange but luckily went a lot better than last time!
Just a question, does it bother anyone that I 'm posting the weights in kg? I 'm not familiar with lbs... We don 't use them here
So, now I 'm going to read your logs! You guys and girls are all so motivating!
That's about the only good use for a Smith machine. And kg are fine, I know Espi posts in kg too. As do the olympic lifters, so you're in great company. (I think you multiply the kg by 2.2 to get equivalent pounds). As for red, some save those for personal records (PR) where that's the highest weight lifted or largest number of reps lifted.
__________________
Tom
No "happy hours" makes for a lot of miserable days. - Mahler
Yep, the red is mostly reserved for the highest number or weight lifted for an exercise.
In my workouts, I'm mostly comparing with the last time I did an exercise with that particular weight and put in between ( ) how much more or less it is.
Like if you did the jack knifes with 12 reps last time and now 14 it's 14 (+2). And if you'd never done that many , you can put this in red.
Easy PRs when it's about new exercises.. that's what happens to me with decline presses.
@Ginny: She loves it! Guess I got myself a partner for this program!
Yesterday, I did workout B2. Went quite well, as I wasn't as sore as last time! I love deadlifts! They feel quite odd though, so I 'm not so confident about my form. However, in the mirror, they look ok...
Thanks for stopping by my log! Your workouts look good though I'm one of those peoepl that gets "confused" looking at Kg, lol... I shouldn't.. since I was a Chem major and used metric a lot... but that was with cm, mL, grams... never had to convert lbs, haha. Anyway, great job!
Ahhh that's great! You're lucky! None of my friends are into lifting (one of them: "muscles? why?"; another one is a cardio, lowfat queen; etc) and I'm too shy to make friends in the gym. Maybe once I'm more comfortable in the weight room.
I spent some time in Belgium a few years ago and had a great time. It's a beautiful place! I have very, very fond memories of some little beer cafes. Mmmmm I think I remember a Red Chimey and Leffe as being my faves...foggy memory of singing on a bridge at 2am after the legendary "12%" beer...nice times.
I spent some time in Belgium a few years ago and had a great time. It's a beautiful place! I have very, very fond memories of some little beer cafes. Mmmmm I think I remember a Red Chimey and Leffe as being my faves...foggy memory of singing on a bridge at 2am after the legendary "12%" beer...nice times.
Or the Cafe de Vrede perhaps? Where the trappists sell Westvleteren?
__________________
Tom
No "happy hours" makes for a lot of miserable days. - Mahler
@Kirjava: We are indeed famous for our beers! I live in Leuven, and there are plenty of cafes here for all the students! You 're right about the partner-thing. I don 't mind working out on my own, but with the supersets it 's really convenient to do the workouts together with a friend! She 's one of the few girls I know that like weights...
@Littlemermaidklb: No problem! All I know is that 1kg=2.2 lbs, so to get to pounds you can take some more than the double in kgs. E.g deadlift 42.5kg=93.5lbs
@Stingo: Are you from Belgium?
Tonight I go climbing again. My schedule is a bit tight, I discovered this week. I want to do NROLW 3 times a week and once a week climbing. But I work fulltime and on Wednesday evening I have a french class. Best option to me seems to workout the day after the climbing (which is usually on thursday). I will test how this goes tomorrow evening, but I guess it will work?
Nope, from the United States, but I enjoy beer, and have done a bit of research on it. Belgium of course is well known for their brews, the monks in particular.
__________________
Tom
No "happy hours" makes for a lot of miserable days. - Mahler
I woke up late this morning (it is weekend after all) and enjoyed breakfast with protein pancakes and a skim cappucino. Mmmh, life can be good on a lazy day
Yesterday evening I pushed myself to get my workout done. As it was friday, I was quite tired from the working week and moreover, I had to go alone because my friend had an appointment. However, once I was lifting, it went allright. I like 2x12 better than 2x15, as I love heavy lifting I cannot wait to go to the really lower rep stuff!
Stage 1 Workout A3
A:Squat: 2x12/37.5 kg (82.5 lbs)
B1:Push-up: 2x12 from Smith machine, bar on heigth "6"
B2:Row: 2x12/25kg (55 lbs)
C1:Step-up: 2x12/2x6 kg (2x13.2 lbs),
C2:Prone Jackknife on Swiss Ball: 2x10
There was a guy benching () in the Smith machine while I was doing my alternating sets of push-ups and rows. Just asked him if I could do my second set of push-ups. I think he never saw anyone use the Smith machine for push-ups They actually lead people to the Smith here to bench. Never understood that, as I prefer "free" benching. The Smith demolishes my shoulders... I hate the fact that I squat in the Smith already. I know that isn't ideal, but we don 't have a squat rack. I tried other ways (dumbells, front squat etc.), but it 's just not the same. Free squatting with the bar is barely possible (and soon that will be over, I cannot push more than 40 kgs overhead!) without hurting myself so I stick to the Smith...
I always finish with some calf raises, as I don 't like the fact that my calves are well underdeveloped in comparison with the rest of my legs...
Tomorrow my friend and I will go together again for workout B. Yeah!
Food is allright concerning the protein intake, but for the rest, I could be a bit stricter. Not losing any weight now, but that 's fine. I feel that these workouts are quite taxing for my body, so for now, I try listen to my body. Luckily, it mostly asks for (a lot of ) clean food...
I love weekends too. Right now I am lying around in my bed thinking about making protein pancakes. Hey nice job on the workouts and for pushing yourself through that last one. Somehow it is always rewarding to me when I complete one that I had to push through.
I hate the fact that I squat in the Smith already. I know that isn't ideal, but we don 't have a squat rack.
Same problem at my school's crappy gym. But looking onto Stage 2, which I'm about to start later this week, I think it is going to be imperative that I have access to a rack. I am seriously considering joining a local gym that has the resources I need for the next couple of months while I finish up the semester.
You should really dump the Smith for your squats and go with DB's instead. You would rather do your squats with good form than the bad form that the Smith is forcing you into.
I know it isn 't good... But I can 't go heavy with dumbells... This would mean I would have to take dumbells over 20 kgs, which is just too much to hold.
Why actually the Smith squats are so bad? Do they do harm? I know they don't improve your balance and they limit your range of motion, but why shouldn 't you do them if there is no squat rack?
Thank 's a lot Jane! I will go training this evening and I 'll give the dumbells another try... Hope I can manage the heavier ones. Or I 'll have to be really creative to get this barbell on my back... ! Anyone experience with Hack Squats? I just don't get figured out how to do them... And is this comparable to a back squat or not?
I think smith machines restrict your range of motion, making it unnatural, so it teaches you bad squatting habits which you'll have to unlearn when you do them freestyle. I'd just as soon use dumbbells or a functional trainer rather than a smith machine. (just my 2 cents).
__________________
Tom
No "happy hours" makes for a lot of miserable days. - Mahler