Ruthie's NROLW log

[Ruthie]

Didn't get round to anything yesterday as 600 box hedging plants arrived and I spent all day planting them. Just finished them off today. There's always something to do in my garden.

This morning I did my first workout B from stage 3. Found this altogether a bit dull.

Stage 3 Workout B1
Barbell Romanian Deadlift and bent-over row
3 x 6 28kg

Alternating sets
Partial single leg squat
1 x 6 bodyweight
1 x 6 5kg
1 x 6 8kg
Just trying to find a challenging weight here..

and

Wide grip lat pulldown
1 x 6 72lbs
2 x 6 68lbs
I choose 72lbs as this was the final weight I was using in stage 1 but I guess I must have lost a bit of strength from not doing this move for a few weeks as I found it too hard to keep good form.

Alternating sets
Back extension
3 x 6
I don't have a back extension machine since I work out at home. Tried this exercise using my step to support my hips and with my feet over the roller thing at the bottom of my cable machine. I definitely felt it but I'm not sure it's ideal. Book suggests prone cobra as substitute but there are already 3 x 90sec of these later in this workout.

and

YTWL
2 x 6 3kg
1 x 6 5lbs

Superset (no rests)
Swiss ball crunch
3 x 6 9kg with feet on step

Hip flexion
3 x 6 (back to my "sort-of pikes" - middle set was good.

Lateral flexion (Swiss ball side crunch)
3 x 6

Then
Prone cobra
3 x 90sec
This has suddenly become much easier. Not sure why.

3x 1min intervals on bike with 2min rest in between.
This workout is also looooong.

[Ruthie]

Today I did 50min of moderate intensity step aerobics. And made a big batch of cup cakes for the children's lunch boxes without licking the spoon . Mind you I haven't iced them yet....

[foodfromafar]

Planting 600 plants has to count for something!

[Ruthie]

Originally Posted by foodfromafar

Planting 600 plants has to count for something!

I think it counted for a sore back and knees...

[missjane]

This thread might help you with the snatch: Lisa~ Video of DB Snatch?

[Ruthie]

Thanks Jane - I'll have a proper look at it later.

[Ruthie]

The dumbell snatch videos were very helpful and I felt a lot more comfortable doing this exercise today.

One-armed dumbell snatch
1 x 6 7kg
1 x 6 6kg
1 x 6 7kg
I dropped the weight in the middle set because I felt my form was poor on the first set. But then I suddenly seemed to get the hang of it and found I needed to go heavier again.

Alternating sets of:
Dumbell single-leg Romanian deadlift
1 x 6 (2x7kg)
2 x 6 (2x8kg)

and

Barbell bent-over row
1 x 6 23kg
1 x 6 28kg
1 x 6 33kg
First set was too light - I miscalculated what I had on the barbell.
I did these two as a superset with a rest in between each pair.

Same on the following two exercises:

Alternating sets of:
Dumbell single-arm overhead squat
2 x 6 8kg in one hand, 4kg in other
1 x 6 10kg in one hand, 5kg in other
This seemed quite a bit easier this time, it's amazing how quickly your body adapts.

and

Dumbell incline bench press
1 x 6 10kg
2 x 6 11kg (2lb wrist weights + 10kg dumbell)

I still love bench presses, they are so satisfying!

Superset:
Planks (variation 2 on floor)
3 x 90sec

and

Reverse woodchop
2 x 6 holding 5kg plate
1 x 6 with 7kg dumbell

Body weight matrix
2 sets 24 squats, 12 lunges each leg, 12 lunge jumps each leg, 24 squat jumps. The first set took 2m49, the second 2m19 as I sped up considerably on the first 24 squats.

[Ruthie]

Today I had planned to do a short high intensity workout. Then I spent all afternoon cleaning and I was knackered. I had a cup of tea and a scone and thought about starting my exercise but I just didn't have the will. So I had another cup of tea and a honey sandwich instead (good exchange that - honey sandwich instead of exercise). At 5pm the phone rang - it was my husband to say he was on the way home with the kids (they had been out all afternoon) and I knew there would be back in about 40min. Almost without realising it I found myself putting on my workout kit and training shoes and I decided to go for a run. It felt really good to get out in the fresh air and I ran for about 30min.
So it was steady state rather than HIIT but I don't run often so it's more challenging to me than step or cycling. And something's better than nothing...it was funny how my body almost decided to do it without my brain.

[Bytsi]

Hey Ruthie,

Don't you love it when your body just refuses to let you skip a workout? Your run sounds wonderful... I haven't really run since starting NROL4W, and I've been getting that itch a little bit now that the weather's getting nice... I'm with you though - for SS, running makes me work harder than anything else (I am not born to run!)... Good job getting that workout in!

[Ruthie]

Thanks Bytsi I hope you get some running in too soon. The fresh air was just what I needed after being in all day.

[Ruthie]

This morning was Stage 3 Workout B2.

Barbell Romanian Deadlift and bent-over row
3 x 6 28kg I think I will be at this weight for a while, it really is my limit.

Alternating sets done as a superset with rest between each pair rather than each set
Partial single leg squat
2 x 6 8kg
1 x 6 9kg

and

Wide grip lat pulldown
2 x 6 68lbs
1 x 6 72lbs


Alternating sets done as a superset
Back extension
3 x 6
I used the substitute suggested by Lisa over on the NROLW board which is glute/hamstring raises lying over the ball on a bench. I can't remember what she called it. I think I need ankle weights as it was not that hard.
I'm wondering about an exercise I've done in Cathe videos before where you put your back on the ball and feet on the ground a bit like a Swiss ball crunch and then raise and lower your hips. That is a really killer for glutes and hamstrings.
and

YTWL
3 x 6 5lbs
ouch

Superset (no rests)
Swiss ball crunch
3 x 6 9kg with feet on step

Hip flexion
3 x 6 mixture of pikes and roll-ins. Rather poor on third set.

Lateral flexion (Swiss ball side crunch)
1 x 6
1 x 6 with 5kg weight
1 x 6
I tried to add weight but had real trouble getting in a position where I could balance and hold the weight. I am particularly wobbly on my right side.

Then
Prone cobra
3 x 90sec
Gosh this is a boring exercise..

Intervals: 3min warm-up, 4 x 1min hard, 2 min rest, 1 min cooldown on exercise bike.

[Ruthie]

35min of steady state step aerobics this morning.

[Ruthie]

Today I did Workout A3 in stage 3.

One-armed dumbell snatch
3 x 6 7kg

Alternating sets of:
Dumbell single-leg Romanian deadlift
3 x 6 (2x8kg) I was quite wobbly on the third set.

and

Barbell bent-over row
3 x 6 33kg
This was tough. My lower back has been stiff and sore the rest of the day so I possibly overdid it. Again I did these two as a superset with a rest in between each pair.
Same on the following two exercises:

Alternating sets of:
Dumbell single-arm overhead squat
3 x 6 10kg in one hand, 5kg in other

and

Dumbell incline bench press
1 x 6 11kg
2 x 6 12kg

Superset:
Planks (variation 2 on floor)
3 x 90sec

and

Reverse woodchop
2 x 6 holding 5kg plate
1 x 6 with 7kg dumbell

Body weight matrix
2 sets 24 squats, 12 lunges each leg, 12 lunge jumps each leg, 24 squat jumps. The first set took 2m19, the second 2m15. Not nice and not easy but better each time I do them.

[Ruthie]

Today was Stage 3 Workout B3. My lower back is still quite stiff and sore from Wednesday so I dropped my weight a bit for the Romanian DL /row.

Barbell Romanian Deadlift and bent-over row
3 x 6 25.5kg

Alternating sets done as a superset with rest between each pair rather than each set
Partial single leg squat
1 x 6 9kg
1 x 6 10kg
1 x 6 12kg

and

Wide grip lat pulldown
2 x 6 72lbs
1 x 6 80lbs These were definitely my limit - I think I was sacrificing form a bit here.


Alternating sets done as a superset
Back extension
1 x 6 bw
1 x 6 5kg db
1 x 6 9kg db
I trieed a different version again - glute and hamstring squeezes where you rest your back on the ball and your feet on the ground and lift your hips, squeezing the buttocks. You can add a weight onto your lap to make it harder. I thought this was quite a good substitute but am happy to be corrected by anyone who knows better .

YTWL
3 x 6 5lbs


Superset (no rests)
Swiss ball crunch
3 x 6 9kg with feet on step

Hip flexion
3 x 6 pikes (sort of)

Lateral flexion (Swiss ball side crunch)
3 x 6 with 5kg weight
I can manage this well lying on my left side but find it really hard to balance on my right.

Then
Prone cobra
3 x 90sec

Intervals: 3min warm-up, 4 x 1min hard, 2 min rest, 1 min cooldown on exercise bike. Amazingly I felt really good doing my intervals today. Got my heart rate up to 182 which is quite near my maximum (around 188-190 I think). Also I was pleased to see my heart rate drops about 24% in the first minute of rest after the interval which I think is quite good.

[stingo]

The lower back pain is DOMS or something else? Just be careful as that's not an area you want to take chances with.

[Ruthie]

I think it is a sort of mixture. In the past I never had problems, but last year I went on a trip to Iceland and for some reason the low passenger seat in the hire car really irritated my lower back - after a couple of weeks it wasn't improving and I saw a physio and she said it was just inflammation and gave me some exercises and some acupuncture and it healed up pretty quick. But since then whenever I lift a bit heavy or exercise a bit hard I tend to feel it in my lower back and it is partly DOMS but it does get quite stiff and achey also. Gardening doesn't help either plus my youngest son (a big 6 year old) who has special needs can need lifting or carrying sometimes which requires all my strength.

Having said that it actually seems much better today and it improves if I do the physio exercises and stretching and keep moving rather than sitting still. But I do worry that I will damage it permanently if I'm not careful so I think I will lower the weight a bit again next time.

Bet you wish you hadn't asked now - I appreciate your input though.

[stingo]

You might want to post about this in the injury forum as you're more likely to get some advice from professional sources (aka not me). Proper lifting technique will do a lot for you, but if there's a weak link in your chain it might be best to find it and address that issue.

[Ruthie]

Thanks I might do that, or at least have a search through that forum and see if anyone has similar problems.