Yesterday I didn't get round to writing up my workout.
I did my first workout B in stage 4.
Wide-grip deadlift from box
3 x 8 30.5kg
I dropped the weight a bit from the end of stage 2 because I am still being cautious with my back and trying to concentrate on form.
Alternating sets of: (as superset) Bulgarian split squat
1 x 8 10kg
1 x 8 11kg
1 x 8 12kg
and
Underhand-grip lat pulldown
1 x 8 80lbs
1 x 8 84lbs
1 x 8 88lbs
I'm still trying to find the right weight here, I think I could go up a bit still.
Alternating sets of: (superset) Reverse lunge from box with forward reach
3 x 8 (2x7kg)
and
Dumbbell prone Cuban snatch
1 x 8 3kg
2 x 8 4kg
Alternating sets of: Swiss ball crunch
3 x 8 9kg over head, feet on step
and Reverse crunch
3 x 8
Alternating sets of: Swiss Ball side crunch
3 x 8 holding 5kg
and
Prone Cobra
2 x 120sec
I'm getting a bit bored now because this is all the same as stage 2 but just longer. Especially bored with the abs and core work. It's a shame there's not a few new exercises in each stage.
I have my meeting at the gym tomorrow to have my form checked over. I am a bit self-conscious since it's a long time since anyone except immediate family has seen me do this stuff.
Well I met this trainer, Rob, at a gym in Cambridge today who I had arranged with to go through some of the lifts with me and check my form. He checked my range of movement, it was quite interesting - it was good in my hamstrings and hip flexor but I couldn't get my arms up completely flat against the wall behind my head especially my right arm.
Anyway he also identified that I have a posterior pelvic tilt which makes sense as I don't have good posture and this can cause lower back pain which is what I get. He suggested doing a set of supermans before deadlifts, squats etc and also certain stretches.
He watched me do deadlifts and squats and some of the other exercises like the dumbbell snatch and clean and press and in general he thought my form was good, but he emphasised on pulling my stomach in to correct the pelvic tilt thing before each lift. He also suggested deadlifting from a platform which I have seen discussed on this board. The other thing that was useful was he helped with alternatives to the woodchops since I don't have the right cable machine. So all in all I think it was a worthwhile session and it was interesting to get a different perspective on the exercises. He asked if there were any side lunge type exercises in the workouts and I don't think that there are, (or even plie squats) - he seemed to think these ought to be included, I don't know what others think.
Sounds like a good workout and well worth the time and money to meet with the trainer. I don't know about the side lunges or plie squats - I think Lou talks about that in NROLW somewhere - the lack of abductor and adductor exercises, and how the stabilization of full-body moves will work those muscles anyway... but it's been a couple of months since I read it.
I don't know about the side lunges or plie squats - I think Lou talks about that in NROLW somewhere - the lack of abductor and adductor exercises, and how the stabilization of full-body moves will work those muscles anyway... but it's been a couple of months since I read it.
yes now you say it that rings some bells with me.
I've got some DOMS this morning and I didn't think I worked that hard yesterday considering we only did a few reps to try out different exercises. I was planning to do my workout 4A this morning but I think i will substitute with cardio.
Yesterday since I was sore and the weather was fine, I didn't even manage the cardio, but worked in the garden all day. Today I did workout A2 in Stage 4.
Front squat/push press
1 x 8 18kg
2 x 8 15.5kg
I was playing around a bit with these since this was an exercise I tried out with the trainer on Mon. He suggested breaking it into two parts, so squat, position barbell, squat, push up. I found it harder to repeatedly position the barbell with 18kg rather than keeping it in the front squat position so I had to drop weight a bit.
Alternating sets of Step-ups (18in step)
3 x 8 (2 x9kg)
I used two dumbells this time.
and
Dumbbell one-point row
3 x 8 9kg
Alternating sets of Static lung, rear foot elevated
1 x 8 (9kgx2)
2 x 8 (10kg x 2)
and
Push-up
3 x 8 full
Superset Plank (variation 2 - on floor)
1 x 2m (my first ever 2min plank)
1 x 1m30 couldn't get up to 2m.
and
Reverse woodchop (substitute for cable horizontal woodchop)
2 x 8 (1x 8kg dumbbell)
I susbstituted this for the stability ball exercise since I just feel like that works for me.
Alternating sets of: (as superset) Bulgarian split squat
3 x 8 12kg
and
Underhand-grip lat pulldown
1 x 8 80lbs
2 x 8 94lbs
I forgot what weight I did last time in the first set.
Alternating sets of: (superset) Reverse lunge from box with forward reach
3 x 8 (2x7kg)
and
Dumbbell prone Cuban snatch
3 x 8 4kg
Alternating sets of: Swiss ball crunch
2 x 8 9kg over head, feet on step
1 x 8 5kg crunches on floor with legs flat and arms above head holding weight. I'm getting sick of the Swiss ball crunch and don't find it particularly effective for me.
and Reverse crunch
3 x 8
and Swiss Ball side crunch
3 x 8 holding 5kg
Prone Cobra
2 x 120sec
I can't face a third set.
Then I started intervals on the bike, but I was really drained today. I did two intervals but I couldn't get my heart rate up and couldn't really put much power into the pedals. I was feeling somewhat hypo by this point, so I guess I just ran out of fuel. I abandoned it after two intervals, I will try and do a more intense workout tomorrow instead if possible.
Also I meant to say I am feeling a bit weary of it all this last week. Bored of the lifting and my eating is drifting a bit. This usually happens to me with the eating if I don't keep an eye on myself, but I don't usually get bored with the exercise because in the past I have always changed around which dvds I would do. The trouble with this is that the workout really drags with all those long rests (not saying I don't need them, but I am busy and have loads of other stuff to do all day as well!) and just repeating the same old exercises over and over gets tedious. I am feeling more and more like I will skip stage 5 and 6 (I planned to skip 6 a la book anyway) and go straight to 7 which is at least a bit more varied.
Anyway, I need to stop moaning and get on with it. And get my eating back on track asap. It's not terribly off but I am slipping back into bad habits of nibbling the kids' stuff, licking out the cake mix etc.
Today I did 1/2 hour Cathe's bootcamp workout from her 4-day split series. It's 12 drills, most of which are quite intense (e.g. running on spot and dropping down into push-ups).
Alternating sets of: (as superset) Bulgarian split squat
3 x 8 12kg
and
Underhand-grip lat pulldown
3 x 8 92lbs
Alternating sets of: (superset) Reverse lunge from box with forward reach
1 x 8 (2x7kg)
2 x 8 (2x8kg)
and
Dumbbell prone Cuban snatch
3 x 8 4kg
Alternating sets of: Swiss ball crunch
3 x 8 9kg over head, feet on step
and Reverse crunch
3 x 8
and Swiss Ball side crunch
3 x 8 holding 5kg
Prone Cobra
2 x 120sec
I didn't do the intervals after this workout, since it really seems to drain me. Plus it takes ages. So instead I did 35min on the exercise bike tonight which included 4x 1min intervals near the start then steady state for the rest.
I did an hour of step intervals this morning with 10 intervals altogether. Then tomorrow I will do my final workout in stage 4 minus the intervals on the end.
Last workout in Stage 4 today - hurray! I am thinking to go straight to stage 7 now, since stage 6 is optional anyway and I don't have a pull-up bar. Stage 5 is not supposed to be optional but I don't think I can face that workout B again - it is so boring and in sets of 4 reps with 2min rest, it will never end. Plus I worked out that if I took all the rest times scheduled in stage B that the total time spent resting would be 72min! That doesn't include doing the exercises and 15min of intervals. I just don't have that amount of time to workout in a day. So I think I will go straight to stage 7.
After that I will probably wrap up my log since I don't think anyone else much reads it - I know it's fairly dull, but the idea of keeping it so that I would keep on the straight and narrow food-wise because I was under public scrutiny has faded now as I know no-one will notice.
Anyway today's workout
Stage 4 4B
Wide-grip deadlift from box
1 x 8 30.5kg
2 x 8 33kg
My back is so much better since I followed Rob's advice.
Alternating sets of: (as superset) Bulgarian split squat
3 x 8 12kg
and
Underhand-grip lat pulldown
3 x 8 92lbs
Alternating sets of: (superset) Reverse lunge from box with forward reach
3 x 8 (2x8kg)
and
Dumbbell prone Cuban snatch
1 x 8 4kg
2 x 8 3kg
I dropped to 3kg since I have been feeling that I don't really get enough range of movement with 4kg.
Alternating sets of: Swiss ball crunch
3 x 8 9kg over head, feet on step
Just remember that people may read your log and not post in it, seeing that everything is going smoothly. The fact that you don't seem to need any help is probably a good thing.
__________________
Tom
No "happy hours" makes for a lot of miserable days. - Mahler
Ditto what Stingo said - if you are smooth-sailing, there's not always a lot to say!
I can see why you might go to stage 7 - I'm on stage 4 and DREAD 5. I super-setted on stage 3 (no rest between the paired exercises) but still... I hated it.
Thanks Tom and Bytsi, I appreciate your support . I wasn't meaning to moan, I don't have time to read other people's logs in detail and don't give much help to others either. Also it is generally smooth sailing, in that I can manage the workouts and I know why I don't lose weight when I don't - too much food!
I've ordered Lyle McDonald's Ultimate Diet - I am thinking of trying that next, though I shall have to read it first. It sounds very hard so I might be scared off. But there's a workout schedule as part of it and I have enjoyed having a schedule to follow rather than always making up my own.
I can see why you might go to stage 7 - I'm on stage 4 and DREAD 5. I super-setted on stage 3 (no rest between the paired exercises) but still... I hated it.
I think if I did stage 5 I would still superset but it would still take a looong time. I was reading on Lyle McDonald's forum that he thinks that metabolic type workouts ie. lower weight higher rep short rest such as stage 7 are a sure way to lose lean mass as well as fat unless mixed up with heavy workouts also. After I read that I considered alternating say one workout a week from stage 5 with two from stage 7. But I don't know if that's a bad idea - it's getting into the realms of making up my own stuff to add onto Alwyn's which is warned against in the book. And I guess Alwyn wouldn't agree with Lyle on that else he wouldn't have written stage 7 like that.
I don't feel comfortable with missing stage 5 - if I do something I like to complete it properly. Will you definitely do stage 5?
I've done stage 5 (only 2 workouts left) and have pushed myself to set some kind of PR on every exercise in every workout (higher weight, fuller ROM, perfect form, etc). And, I've turned the alternating sets into supersets. My heartbeat gets pretty elevated in both. I've also turned the back extensions into Good Mornings (which are fun; I don't have a chair for back extentions) and the partial leg squats into training for pistol squats. I've kept the planks but cut out the prone cobra & do something else like push-ups or bench presses or practicing cleans.
So maybe i've ventured a bit off the NROL4W path but am enjoying it - and have definitely seen changes in my quads, glutes, and abs in this stage. Last time I did workout B (saturday), I tried not to do ANY rest in the ab work & definitely needed a rest after set 3. I was getting worn out.
I just think that if it gets too boring, why skip it entirely? Make substitutions that will work similar muscle groups but that you find more interesting or challenging. Like if the Hanna side flexion is boring, instead do swiss ball side crunches holding a 10lb plate over your head.
Especially if you're going to skip stage 6. You might want to continue to build strength in stage 5 to prepare for stage 7.
__________________
"If 'toning' is the goal, strength is the method." ~ Mark Rippetoe
I just think that if it gets too boring, why skip it entirely? Make substitutions that will work similar muscle groups but that you find more interesting or challenging. Like if the Hanna side flexion is boring, instead do swiss ball side crunches holding a 10lb plate over your head.
Especially if you're going to skip stage 6. You might want to continue to build strength in stage 5 to prepare for stage 7.
I take your point - but you could argue that if you are changing it that much that you might as well finish up NROLW and move onto something different anyway. I am already doing the ball side crunches but I'm bored with them since they have been in stages 2,3 4 also. I have found the core work rather dull in the whole thing, though I do think I have benefitted loads from the planks and prone cobras. I actually quite liked workout A especially the dumbbell snatch and the chest presses, but it's workout B that seems dull. Plus it is just the time factor. Even doing alternating sets as supersets there is a lot of rest time. How long does it take you to do workout B? and are you doing 4 sets or 3?
So I had three days off following the end of stage 4. Partly to rest and recover, partly because it's half-term holiday here so the children are off school and it's hard to fit the workouts in.
Then yesterday I did 45min of step aerobics (Cathe's Step Blast though I missed out the first step segment.) At the end of this there are three intervals or blasts as Cathe likes to call them. They are not the toughest ever, but they do get your heart rate up. It's a really fun workout and I felt good doing it after my break.
Food-wise I haven't been very good over half-term. I always find it more difficult when the children are at home, because I prefer to eat with them and they don't really do "six small meals a day". Plus we tend to go out more, eat out sometimes, meet up with friends and there's more temptation. So more bread, cake and scones than I care to admit . And consequently less fruit and veg. But I have good resolutions now school is starting up again, except for tomorrow lunchtime. My oldest son is still off school tomorrow but the younger one goes back to school. They go to different schools because the younger one has special needs so goes to a special school. Anyway on days like this I usually try to do something nice with the older one as he values the chance to do things we can't always manage because Ds2 isn't able. So I have promised we will go bowling and then to this Chinese buffet that he really likes. Apart from that I am going to make a really big effort to shed a few pounds before the summer holidays. I have seven weeks before school breaks up again.
Today I started on the first workout of Stage 7. I am eating my words about rests being too long in Stage 5 . Stage 7 is tough! I did alright though and hit 43kg (95lbs) on my final set of squats which is a personal best for me.
Stage 7 Workout 1 Barbell Squat
2 x 8 33kg,
1 x 8 38kg,
1 x 7 43kg
just realised I was only supposed to do two sets here! No wonder it was extra tough.
Alternating sets Static lunge with rear foot elevated
1 x 20 (7kgx2)
2 x 15 (7kgx2)
1 x 15 (6kgx2)
Push-up
4 x 15
getting a bit shallow towards the end
This morning I did 45min kickboxing. Sort of moderate intensity, no intervals. Started off feeling distinctly shaky as I have some DOMS from those high rep weights but actually felt better and better as the workout went on, and the DOMS went off quite a bit.
Stage 7, Workout 3 today. The second part of this is the same as Workout 1 which I found really hard on Sunday, but today it didn't seem so bad. Maybe because I did it in the morning, but I was feeling stronger especially on the Romanian Deadlifts. Maybe because the first lift was a deadlift and that warmed me up better for the RDLs?
Barbell Deadlift
1 x 8 30.5kg
1 x 8 35.5kg
1 x 8 38kg
I did three sets because I started too low. 38kg is a personal best for me, but I think I could probably go a little higher next time.
Alternating sets
Static lunge with rear foot elevated
1 x 20 (7kgx2)
3 x 15 (7kgx2)
Push-up
4 x 15
Barbell Romanian Deadlift
2 x 20 23kg
1 x 15 28kg
1 x 17 28kg
Today I copped out a bit doing 30min of step aerobics, but not really as challenging as it should have been. I'm struggling a bit to stay motivated here and looking forward to end of NRLOW now. It's partly when I'm busy and I feel that I have more important things to be doing. To be truthful as well, I felt quite disillusioned with NROLW when Alwyn brought out the Warp Speed Fat Loss thing. I just felt that it seemed to be contradicting much of what was said in NROLW and that it undermined it all a bit really. Everytime I look at Alwyn's blog he is shamelessly pushing his products too. I know he has to make a living and that's the way things are done, and it's not that I think NROLW is a bad program or anything. I have definitely benefitted from it. I don't know, it just somehow lowered my belief in the program and my motivation to do it. Which is silly, because I never really bought it wholesale anyway (I don't agree that steady state cardio is a waste of time.) Probably just time to move on, but I will finish Stage 7.
Sorry you're feeling discouraged Ruth... I don't read Alwyn's blog... I agree that WSFL seems contradictory to NROLW with all the starvation-level eating instead of feeding the muscle, but maybe Lou wrote most of the stuff I agree with -- and Alwyn IS great at putting together torturous workouts...
I dunno... sorry you're down on it. I am also putting SS cardio back in, and doing a bit more of what Leigh suggests while still lifting NROWL (mostly cuz I love the heavy lifting)...
I don't think I'll love stage 7, but if I lose fat, then it's all good.
Alwyn's programs are good - you've noticed results yourself, haven't you? As for the WSFL thing, yes, the new thing will always be hyped, but that doesn't mean to throw out the old. You're doing well with NROL4W - why would you want to switch? Grass being greener on the other side of the fence?
__________________
Tom
No "happy hours" makes for a lot of miserable days. - Mahler
.
. I wasn't meaning to moan, I don't have time to read other people's logs in detail and don't give much help to others either. Also it is generally smooth sailing, in that I can manage the workouts and I know why I don't lose weight when I don't - too much food!
Linear Mode
