Hot, Tight, and Fit--My NROL4W Training Log (Hot Pants Included)
Hi all, I think this would be a great place for me to log my progress and get feedback. I'm nearing the end of stage 1 of NROL4W and though I feel great and look much tighter, I'm still not stripping body fat at the rate I wish to (I will post before and after pics below). My goal is to get stronger, fitter, and feel better. I came to college in America at a skimpy 110 pounds (hailing from Hong Kong) and I'm hoping to get down to 120 lbs. Any feedback/support/comments appreciated!
Squats: 3x8, 105 lbs, 100 lbs, 100 lbs
Push-ups: 3x8, bodyweight on floor
Seated Row: 3x8, 80 lbs for all 3 sets
Step-up: 3x8 each leg, 30 lbs dumbbell in each hand, 4 aerobic steps (just slightly below my knee)
Prone Jackknife: 3x15
Workout 7B:
Deadlift: 3x8, 85 lbs, 105 lbs, 115 lbs
Dumbell shoulder press: 3x8, 25 lbs for all 3 sets
Wide-Grip Lat pulldown: 3x8, 70 lbs, 80 lbs, 80 lbs
Static Lunge (I hate lunges!): 3x8, 20 lbs all 3 sets
Overhand Swiss ball crunch: 3x15, 15 lbs, 15 lbs, 20 lbs
Nutrition:
Recently I decided to cut 100 calories from the calculations recommended in the book. So on no-workout days I'm aiming at 1,844 calories with 138.3 grams of protein (30%), and on workout days I'm aiming at 2,087 calories, with 157 grams of protein (30%). I'm using mydailyplate.com to track food intake--look me up there (handle cq000)!
Pictures of me before I started NROL4W (sorry for the suggestive postures, I took these originally to apply to model for American Apparel. And no, they didn't want me.)
I will update this post with current pictures of myself tomorrow for end of stage 1 shots.
Pictures of me before I started NROL4W (sorry for the suggestive postures, I took these originally to apply to model for American Apparel. And no, they didn't want me.)
Aww, man, they're REALLY not going to want you after you get all strong and awesome. Have you seen those girls? Yuck.
I'm envying your squat weights - I'm only at 70s right now. Something to shoot for!
I'm still aiming to get strong and skinny though (if there is such a thing).
About the squats, I have my weight-lifting pro husband to thank. He's good motivation when he lifts 100 lbs+ with barely a groan.
Now the log....
Just recovered from a virus so trying to take it a bit easier today (as in not drastically increasing weights). Woah, this is my last Stage 1 workout! (Though there's still the bonus workouts...)
Workout 8B
The bonus workout didn't go so good. Mostly because I have switched membership to a newer, bigger gym in the middle of stage one and since it is in the middle of renovations, I can't find all the exact equipment I started with. But here goes:
Squats, Barbell, 31 reps (That sucks, I really should have tried harder)
Push-up, at an angle of about 30 degrees, 12 reps (I started with a much higher angle but couldn't find anything higher than a bench in the gym)
Seated-Row, 40 lbs, 45 reps
Step-up, 2 aerobic steps & 15 lb dumbbells, 150 reps, I stopped when it started feeling like cardio
Prone-Jackknife, 25 reps - thats not very good either, IMO
Is the purpose of the bonus workout meant solely as a confidence gauge on my lifting progress, or is there something beneficial about it?
I also did some interval work on the threadmill--3 intervals of 1:2.
Deadlifts, started with barbell, 40 reps.
Dumbbell shoulder press, started with 12 lbs, 41 reps
Wide-grip lat pulldown, started with 40 lbs, 40 reps
Lunge, the only one that I didn't seem to improve in or maybe I was too lazy, 15 reps each leg, 12 lbs weight in each hand. Oh, I hate lunges.
Swiss-ball crunch, bodyweight, 88 reps.
4x1:2 intervals on the threadmill, 17 minutes total, speed 7.6-7.9 at level 1
Is the purpose of the bonus workout meant solely as a confidence gauge on my lifting progress, or is there something beneficial about it?
I understood that you would be lifting your starting weight which would be wayyyyyyy easy now to do a billion time therefore emphasizing your super human strength .
Nice job. I would have a tendency to say, hey, forget it, I am too busy LOL! Which I probably will do when I get there.
Wheww what a day. End of stage I means a break off weight-lifting, but my husband is still hitting the gym so I tag along and do some HITT. I am getting a much better hang of it. 4x1:2 intervals, 17 minutes total, level 1 at 8.6-9.6 (really trying to rev it up, nearly want to fall off the threadmill at the last all-out interval).
Also did some hula-hooping, but mostly doing wincing because of the bruises from the last hoop practice. Learning to dance and hoop at the same time
Holy crap! Your bonus workouts look tiring! 88 swiss ball crunches...ouch. I was debating on whether or not to do the bonus workouts or just move onto stage 2 next week. I think I'll do them now. Your numbers have made me really curious to see how I'll do.
4 x 1:2 HIIT threadmill intervals today, speed 9.8 at all-out.
My husband gave me a really great idea for interval work at the gym today--box jumps. You jump up on to a box (we used a kind of elevated cushion wedge) and bounce back down and repeat for 20 times, or for one full minute. Its exhausting!
Wow Stage 2 is hard. Pumped to get back to lifting again, as nice as the break was. It took me several tries with the barbell to get the front squat/push press right, though when I did finally get it right it was greatly satisfying.
We had to run to make an appointment, so didn't have time do the plank and woodchop--I will probably add one more workout A towards the end of stage 2 to make it up.
B1. Step-up -- 2x10, 30 lb dumbells (60 lbs), on a box that's maybe about 5 aerobic risers + height
How are you holding 30 lb dumbbells? I moved up to 20s for step-ups and its everything I can do to keep them in my hands and not drop them. Do you wear gloves?
Thank you for the compliments, I am really pleased I am amazed at myself too, I have never really thought of myself as strong. What is more exciting is that my body is finally changing -- muscles are carving outlines, my appetite is huge, and I'm getting lean. I will post pictures over the next week or so.
Workout 2B KICKED my ass. I was out of breath after the deadlifts, panting by the lat pulldowns, and wondering how the heck I'm going to do HIIT when 5 lb dumbells feel like 20 lbs before I even started the crunches. I did it though, then ate like a horse afterwards.
Does anyone have a clue why the program designed HIIT after a more intense workout (2B) instead of after workout 2A? Wouldn't I be more efficient at interval training after a lighter workout? Or is it to activiate a greater afterburn?
Workout 2B
A1. Wide-grip deadlifts on box -- 1x10, 25 lbs plates (95 lbs), 1x5 25 lb plates, 1x5 10 lbs plates (65 lbs) -- I couldn't get a steady grip on the bar
Just wanted to pop in to see how stage 2 was going. You're kicking ass! Can't wait to see your updated pictures. And I love the new avi.
It's really nice to have support at the gym. I go with my bf and he's always pushing me to go that little extra bit. I'm always glad to hear when other's get the same from their husbands or partners as well.
Yes it is fun to work out with hubby--he is like a trainer-partner-coach all in one, I have never been this motivated to get fit my whole life.
Tested my body fat at the gym with one of the hand-held Ormon things today--20.8%
Stage 2 Workout 2B
A1. Wide-grip deadlifts on box -- 2x10, 25 lbs plates (95 lbs) -- I had to regrip for the last few reps in 2nd set. Some uber hot blonde chick was deadlifting 140 pounds right next to my rack.
First of all, heads up on this great book I in the mail today, Gourmet Nutrition by Dr. Berardi--its a tad pricy, but worth every cent. Its not just a beautiful book to keep in the kitchen, but I am also jumping out of my pants to try all the delicious looking recipes. Some of them are a bit obvious (like stir-fry beef and sirloin burger), but most of them open up new worlds of experimentation and lip-licking for me--matcha green tea smoothie, caramelized beet and fennel chicken soup, chickpea cakes, mmm. I tried the Raspberry Mocha Shake after my workout today (basically coffee, milk, yogurt, raspberries, chocolate whey, almonds) and it is certainly a nice change from the same ole banana-peanut butter-milk-whey shakes.
We did our workout in the morning instead of the afternoon today, and I noticed a drop in strength levels. The before-breakfast timing has something to do with it too.
Stage 2 Workout 3A
A1. Front Squat/Push Press -- 2x10, 5 lb plates (55 lbs) -- tried to go up 2.5 lbs in second set but was met with muscular failure and went back down
B1. Step-up -- 2x20, 30 lb dumbells (60 lbs), on a box with one attached addition -- finished last 5 reps with 25 lb DBs.
B2. Dumbbell one-point row -- 2x10, 25 lb DBs (50 lbs) -- finished last 5 reps with 20 lb DBs.
C1. Static lunge -- 2x20, 20 lbs DBs (40 lbs) -- finished last 5 with bodyweight
C2. Push-up -- 2x10, push-ups on box with no attached addition -- I managed to do 3 reps on the floor with bodyweight
I have realized a few crucial things in today's workout:
1) I have been doing the deadlifts on box wrong and making them much harder and more awkward than they should be (probably because the images in the book show small plates). The first time I did it I tried to rest it on my toes and not letting go of the bar (ouch!). The second time I did it the step is way too low for any kind of benefit and my form is all wrong--I had to reach too far to grab the bar and I was using 25 lb plates that are tiny so I couldn't rest them on the floor and I had to constantly hold on to my balance on the step.
What finally amended the problem was when a trainer pointed out I should probably try the big 25 lb deadlift plates. Duh! The deadlift is now close to my shins, I could do the deadlift in good form, and have no problem with the bar crushing my toes or slipping out of my grip or trying to roll away from me. I am guessing with this variation I am allowed to set it on the floor and regrip with every rep?
2) I can deadlift a lot more than I thought. There was a bar set up with 2x45 lb plates (135 lbs) for a deadlifting contest and just for fun I tried to lift it after my workout. I could do 3 reps with it, and I guess I could probably do 6 reps or so if I were fresh. Will experiment with this the next workout B.
3) Box-jump intervals kicked my ass. Compared to treadmill intervals it is like the difference between barbie weights and real weights. I see now why many people on this board don't like the treadmill for intervals.
Deadlifts are iffy...alot of it has to do with the size of the plates I think. I'm sure I'm not doing them perfectly yet....one of these days, I'll head to a gym and have someone check my form.
I had the toe squashing thing going on at first to. Had to modify.
I might take a 3 day break, I think one week is too long--the last break I took between 1 & 2 made me felt lazy and less powerful when I went back to lifting.
Wow, you are really doing well! Very inspirational for those of us still in stage one. Are you going to take some updated photos or measurements after your current stage? You and I have a similar height/weight so I'm really curious to see all your hard work.
Hot, Tight, and Fit--My NROL4W Training Log (Hot Pants Included)
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Yuck. 
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Workout 2B
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