Hot, Tight, and Fit--My NROL4W Training Log (Hot Pants Included)

[_CQ]

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!

Here are my stats--they have remained the same :

Age - 22
Height - 5"4
Weight - 128 lbs
Waist - 28" Lower belly - 33" Butt - 37"

Here are my most recent workouts:

Workout 8A:

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)!

[_CQ]

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.

[Amblus]

Hi! Congrats on nearly finishing the first stage! I'm just starting and I really hope I can work up to lifting as much as you are now.

[rixatrix]

Originally Posted by _CQ

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!

[_CQ]

Originally Posted by rixatrix

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!

Yes the Onion did a really funny article about these girls "who range in age from 18 to 22 but appear to be 12 to 14, were taken to an emergency safehouse where they were given food, clothing, and access to soap." (14 American Apparel Models Freed In Daring Midnight Raid | The Onion - America's Finest News Source)

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

Deadlift, 3x8, 105 lbs, 115 lbs, 115 lbs (I think I could lift more still)
Dumbell shoulder press, 3x8, 20 lbs, 25 lbs, 25lbs
Wide-Grip lat pull-down, 3x8, 80 lbs, 70 lbs, 70 lbs
Lunge, 3x8, 20 lbs, 20 lbs, 20 lbs
Overhand Swiss ball crunch, 3x15, 15 lbs, 15 lbs, 15 lbs

[Fitwit]

Hi CQ! Welcome to the board! Phooey on the American Apparel people! Hmph!

Good luck. Your numbers look great!

[_CQ]

Bonus Workout A

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.

[_CQ]

Bonus Workout B

All originally 15 reps.

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

I have been eating way over my set target everyday this whole week (cq000's Food, Diet, and Fitness Diary - The Daily Plate Calorie Counter)

[MuscleMom23]

Originally Posted by _CQ

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.

[_CQ]

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

[MuscleMom23]

You reminded me of this funny video with your visual on the treadmill. Have a laugh!

YouTube - Funniest Animation ever

[beach_plums]

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.

[_CQ]

Thanks MuscleMom that was a really funny clip

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!

[_CQ]

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.

Workout 2A

A1. Front Squat/Push Press -- 1x8, 5 lb plates (55 lbs); 1x10, 2.5 lb plates (50 lbs)

B1. Step-up -- 2x10, 30 lb dumbells (60 lbs), on a box that's maybe about 5 aerobic risers + height

B2. Dumbbell one-point row -- 1x10, 20 lb DBs (40 lbs), 1x10, 25 lb DBs (50 lbs)

C1. Static lunge -- 1x20, 20 lbs DBs (40 lbs), 1x20, 15 lbs DBs (30 lbs) , did last 5 reps weightless

C2. Push-up -- 2x10, 30-degree push-ups

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.

[MuscleMom23]

Wow you are strong GIRL!! Must be the DH influence

[Amblus]

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?