Mama Said Knock You Out - Rixatrix's Training Log

[marygrace]

This is never as straightforward as it should be.

This is true!

I'm cutting myself some slack today. I skipped the weight room - I'll go tomorrow morning, instead, when I'm not putting so much pressure on myself to be perfect. I feel so much better about myself when I'm just focusing on the exercise and not trying to cut calories, so honestly, if I bump up calories for a while, it may do just as much good for my morale as it does for my metabolism.

This is really sensible as well, and I feel the same way. Whenever I stop focusing quite so much on what I eat and just get my workouts in, I feel really good about myself, and I get the idea that I'm headed in the right direction with this program.

[marthand99]

Originally Posted by rixatrix

1) I think my body adapts pretty quickly. Good for building strength, bad for cutting calories. I've been averaging 1800-1900 calories for a solid three to four weeks, and my progress seems to have halted...
2) I'm wondering if the NROL4W workouts aren't counterproductive, to some extent. I'm toying with the idea of switching to the NROL Fat Loss stages instead. I have to give this more thought. On first glance, they're not so different - heavy sets. There are shorter rests in the Fat Loss plans. And I'm no trainer, so maybe there are other differences I can't see. Either way, I like Alwyn's workouts. They're tough and make me feel like a warrior princess.
3) I gain muscle easily. Which is fantastic, except I want to lose fat.

I think I am with you on all of the above.

I switched from NROL4W to NROL Fat Loss this past week, and am happy with the change. Maybe it's just a mental thing, but I feel better knowing the workouts I'm doing were written specifically for the goal I have in mind.

[MuscleMom23]

Rixatrix, zig zag? Maybe you have been staying too long at a single calorie intake. Lous says to eat at maintenance on the days you lift. I dunno, I heard someone say it looks like a cutting workout later on.

Your having a bad bunch of days, been there done that...


(((((((((((((((hugs))))))))))) )))))

[rixatrix]

Workout 2A2 - 2x10 (from Friday)
Front Squat/Push Press - 45, 55 (x maybe 15 reps*)
Step Up - 15s, 15s
Dumbbell 1-point Row - 17.5s, 17.5s
Static Lunge, RFE - 20s, 20s (maybe too heavy)
Push Up - BW, BW
Plank - 30/30, 28 (just could not find the motivation to do another 30s)
Cable Horizontal Woodchop - 30, 30

So, despite my frustration and grumbling on Friday, I found that once work was out, I really wanted to hit the weight room. I went, and it was odd. There were all different people than in the morning - not just literally different people, but the nature of the people was different.

For instance, some jokers were doing BENCH PRESSES in my squat rack (yes, MY squat rack, haha) - two young guys, and one was SPOTTING the other. I was like, Why do you need a rack, then? This despite there being three, count em, THREE bench press stations, plus the Smith machine. When they left, they totally neglected to put their plates away or put the bench back in place. I had been trying to do the Front Squat/Push Press with the E-Z Curl bars (yeah, right! Try getting those up on your shoulders without assistance), but once they were gone, I went over to the rack. And I was PISSED. I think everyone in the gym could tell - I was throwing plates around and dropping things very ungracefully and huffing around in a steam...But I'll tell you what, all those guys knew not to mess with me on Friday.

There were other guys in the gym that just drove me nuts. Mr. Unibrow, who spent most of his time preening in front of the mirror before using weights that he couldn't handle, and making sex noises while he tried to finish his sets. Gross. He called me MA'AM. As in, "Ma'am, are you using this bench?" (I'm doing lunges off to the side.) I was like, "No, but I think HE is," (pointing to huge, beefy guy). Mr. Unibrow puts his headphones back on. I turn to beefy guy and go, "Do I look like a ma'am? Fer real?" He was slightly amused.

I definitely went into that weight room like I owned the place. I think my anger and frustration just fueled me on. There was some other guy there who was text messaging between wimpy sets of leg presses. I wanted to smack him.

Aww, where does this hostility come from? Why can't you play nice, little girl?

I think I've found enough reasons to keep dragging my ass out of bed at 5 a.m. It's not always easy, but the people in the weight room at 6 a.m. are dedicated, friendly, and knowledgeable.

Last night I had a bunch a friends over for a "White Trash Dinner Party." Everyone brought a junky food - I made ham in Coca-Cola, red beans and rice, fried peanut butter and banana sandwiches. Friends brought mac and cheese with hot dogs, tater tots, Twinkies, pigs in a blanket...pretty much everything that's disgusting and bad for you. My kidneys hurt by the end of the night. On the upside, my apartment is cleaner than it's been in a long time. There are still several half-empty two liters lying around that I'm going to dump down the sink before I take them to the store for the deposit. (Laundry money!)

I used to feel bad about throwing food away. But when you're focused on eating healthy 90% of the time, dumping things down the sink becomes an easy way to get rid of those things you don't want lying around during the week. And when you buy mostly fresh food, well, sometimes they go bad before you can use them. Especially strawberries in March...

I still have some ham left over. I'm not a huge ham eater, but this was really good. I'll probably freeze it and use it in a soup later. Black bean and ham? Split pea?

As far as my frustration goes, my body fat % didn't go up last week, which probably means I was holding water in my recovering muscles. It didn't go down either, so I'm definitely taking the calories up this week to maintenance. At least for a week. I'd really like to see improvement in fat loss before the summer (tank top season). I read somewhere a good quote about bringing calories back up, and it talked about how, by increasing calories, you're not speeding up your fat loss, but you're facilitating fat loss by stoking the fire. I thought that was really smart.

So this week, I'm going to facilitate my fat loss.

Time to dump all that pop down the drain.

[kfisherx]

You know in reading all these posts of the various women in NROL4W I am also wonderig how effective the strategy is for actual weight loss. When I first started with my trainer he had me on a fat loss program and it consisted of way less food and much more cardio related working. I dropped pounds so fast I tanked. I am watching Dilly do the same sort of program under Leigh and my bet is on her showing some massive improvements this time around. I am thinking that NROL4W is a great book for lots of reasons. It teaches women to be confident in lifting and in food and eating and how it helps them with lifting. It teaches women how to reshape their bodies by adding muscle. What I don't see in the results of people using this book is quick and dirty fat loss. I wonder if that is the way it is designed and the people using this book should uderstand that results are to be very slow in order to optimise keeping muscle while loosing fat? I don't know. I just know I don't want to dink around during my cut. I want to do it and get it over with as quickly as possible. Once I am low fat THEN I will have the time and paitence to do NROLW type of program.

[rixatrix]

Originally Posted by kfisherx

You know in reading all these posts of the various women in NROL4W I am also wonderig how effective the strategy is for actual weight loss. When I first started with my trainer he had me on a fat loss program and it consisted of way less food and much more cardio related working. I dropped pounds so fast I tanked. I am watching Dilly do the same sort of program under Leigh and my bet is on her showing some massive improvements this time around. I am thinking that NROL4W is a great book for lots of reasons. It teaches women to be confident in lifting and in food and eating and how it helps them with lifting. It teaches women how to reshape their bodies by adding muscle. What I don't see in the results of people using this book is quick and dirty fat loss. I wonder if that is the way it is designed and the people using this book should uderstand that results are to be very slow in order to optimise keeping muscle while loosing fat? I don't know. I just know I don't want to dink around during my cut. I want to do it and get it over with as quickly as possible. Once I am low fat THEN I will have the time and paitence to do NROLW type of program.

I know what you mean. In the book, they don't really talk about fat loss. Or if they do, it's by way of talking about how lifting weights can help build muscle AND lose fat, like when he's giving the examples about circumference and scale weight for the hypothetical woman.

I bonked the last time I went aggressively after fat loss, too. I have probably 30lbs of fat to lose, and if I keep the calories too low, I just plateau around 6 weeks and start to feel crappy. Given that I have so much fat to take off, I'm thinking the strategy of cutting calories slightly and going back up to maintenance regularly will help me from stalling along the way. I could probably drop 10lbs of fat in a month, but then I'd just be setting myself up for some horrible sling-shot action when I had to raise my calories again after the inevitable slowdown.

Still, I like the increase in strength that's coming with NROL4W. But if I ever want to seek the elusive pull-up, I'm going to have to drop some of this extra weight. Same goes for powerful push ups and steady planks.

The one thing that keeps me going is that the calipers have gone down, and will hopefully continue to go down. If I follow those numbers, it won't take long until the fat thins out and I can actually see some of these muscles.

As long as I stay active and keep lifting and eating well, things can't get worse. And if I find a plan that's better for fat loss, then that's just a bonus.

[LWilson212]

I love your description of the after work gym-goers! My gym doesn't open early enough for me to be on time for work so I have to go at night and I also like to go first thing Sat morning. I get so pissed off sometimes!

[rixatrix]

Workout 2B2 - 2x10
Wide Grip Deadlift from Box - 85, 85
Bulgarian Split Squat - 5lb dumbbells, 5s (up from BW)
Underhand Lat Pulldown - 90, 95
Reverse Lunge from Box with Forward Reach - 10s, 8s (whew)
DB Prone Cuban Snatch - 8s, 8s
Swiss Ball Crunch - 10lbs, 10lbs
Reverse Crunch (legs straighter) - BW, BW
Lateral Flexion (version 1) - BW, BW (uh?)
Prone Cobra - 60 sec., 60 sec.

So THAT'S what "pukey" feels like. I finally got there. Ha! An accomplishment?

To be honest, the deads make me nervous. I've been doing them stiff-legged all this time, so the "normal" way is sort of awkward. I hope I don't hurt myself. I practiced and warmed up with the Oly bar alone before adding weight.

The Bulgarian Split Squats and Reverse Lunges were killer. I find sometimes I have to rest in the middle of a set, my heart is pounding so fast. And there are times I take a little longer between exercises, too. Shh, don't tell!

I'm feeling very strong. I did the Underhand Lat Pulldowns with 95lbs, and the next guy on the machine was only doing 85. Look at that widdle girl lift like a big, bad man...

I'm considering switching to Fat Loss after Stage 3. But I'm afraid I'll miss doing "the program" with such a great group of women. I mean, I know we're all doing our own thing, but there are so many great women doing NROL4W, it's kind of fun to be a part of a big group. But on the other hand, it's like, why care? This is your life, Lana, and you can only be responsible for what you do. So if you want to lose fat, switch and be done with it! Why wait?

I'm going to finish this stage though, or I'll feel like I just quit on it. So I have at least another week to think about it.

My boyfriend was ribbing me about dumping all the soda yesterday. He came over after work looking for a big glass of Dr. Pepper. I told him I poured it down the sink, with the rest of them. He was like, "I thought you said you were going to keep it around for me!" And I was like, "I thought you said you didn't need another two-liter of soda around!" So he gave me a good, hard time about it and then hugged me and said, "No, it's cute." He compared me to a movie alcoholic though, triumphantly pouring the alcohol down the sink after some trials and tribulations. Fair enough - I don't want that crap in the house! He can drink that stuff at his own place. Sometimes I even leave junk food over there so it won't be around me...

Whew.

Workout B is kicking my butt.

[marygrace]

Awesome workout. 95 lbs for the underhand lat pulldown! That's awesome.

Regarding switching to Fat Loss, of course its your call. If it was me, though, I think I'd stick with NROL4W until the end. I REALLY want to get strong, and I guess I feel like I have all the time in the world to get rid of some flab. I feel like I'm doing really well on this program, and honestly haven't felt this confident and happy with my body since probably before I hit puberty. I was thinking over the summer after I finish NROL4W and have a lot of free time I'm going to do Alwyn's Afterburn program to get rid of any fat I don't like hanging around.

Just my two cents, of course =D

Also, good for you for getting rid of the soda. The other day I visited my dad and brought a bunch of big chocolate chip cookies because my stepsister had asked for them. I ended up taking some of them back with me, and when I was unpacking my stuff I saw the cookies and my first instinct was to take a bite out of one (old habits die hard) but I decided against it and threw the whole thing in the trash. My boyfriend was like, "Why? I'll eat them!"

[rixatrix]

Originally Posted by marygrace

Awesome workout. 95 lbs for the underhand lat pulldown! That's awesome.

Thank you! I'm getting slowly closer to those elusive chin ups/pull ups...god, it's like the holy grail.

Originally Posted by marygrace

Regarding switching to Fat Loss, of course its your call. If it was me, though, I think I'd stick with NROL4W until the end. I REALLY want to get strong, and I guess I feel like I have all the time in the world to get rid of some flab. I feel like I'm doing really well on this program, and honestly haven't felt this confident and happy with my body since probably before I hit puberty. I was thinking over the summer after I finish NROL4W and have a lot of free time I'm going to do Alwyn's Afterburn program to get rid of any fat I don't like hanging around.

I know what you mean. I feel good doing the program, but I've never had a problem being strong. I'm definitely a cross between an endomorph and a mesomorph - naturally pretty strong, but I've always been a bit chubby my whole life. Lots of muscle, though. It seems like you may be more of an ectomorph - naturally pretty lean with a tougher time putting on muscle. Does that sound about right? So I guess I'm not as worried about "getting strong" as "getting lean" - the grass is always greener!

Originally Posted by marygrace

Also, good for you for getting rid of the soda. The other day I visited my dad and brought a bunch of big chocolate chip cookies because my stepsister had asked for them. I ended up taking some of them back with me, and when I was unpacking my stuff I saw the cookies and my first instinct was to take a bite out of one (old habits die hard) but I decided against it and threw the whole thing in the trash. My boyfriend was like, "Why? I'll eat them!"

Boyfriends will eat anything. My boyfriend is a "vegetarian" who regularly eats my turkey burgers. It seems so much easier for them!

[rixatrix]

So, I work right next door to a bar. They have crappy food, and I'm NEVER tempted to go in there, because the service is terrible and the food has made a coworker and I both sick on at least one occasion.

Today, I decided not to pack my lunch, but instead go home at 12 and eat. I live about five minutes away from the office, so no biggie. Sadly, at about 9am, our parking lot was FULL of people all scrambling to get into the bar, get drunk, and eat Lucky Charms.

It suddenly dawns on me that what I'm doing - eating healthfully and exercising regularly - are completely extraordinary habits for my age range (I'm 24).

Anyway, I didn't get to go home for lunch. If I left, I'd never have a parking spot when I came back. So a bunch of us walked downtown for lunch (walking, yay!) to this cute little deli/grocer and I got about half a roasted chicken with steamed veggies and a roll. Ate a good deal of protein (took the skin off), TONS of dry veggies, and about 1/4 of the roll (last).

In this case, I guess other people's bad habits - drinking all day on St. Patrick's Day and clogging up my parking lot - led me to exercise my good habits - finding good food choices and making the best of a bad situation.

I'm eating 2500 calories/day this week (less on non-lifting days just by way of removing the PWO shake) and already I have a ton more energy. I feel like I could do backflips down the hall. Crazy.

[marygrace]

It suddenly dawns on me that what I'm doing - eating healthfully and exercising regularly - are completely extraordinary habits for my age range (I'm 24).

YES. I know exactly what you mean. I'm 21 and I live at school, and the habits of the people that I live with truly amaze me. One of my roommates is making some kind of half-assed effort to get in shape by doing 10 lb bicep curls, but she wakes up every morning and eats Apple Jax for breakfast. WTF?!?!? My other roommate lives on Chinese food and soda, and thinks I am completely insane for going to the gym. They all love candy and other junk (just saw them eating some cupcakes this morning) and think all of my food is totally weird. Oh well!

[rixatrix]

Originally Posted by marygrace

YES. I know exactly what you mean. I'm 21 and I live at school, and the habits of the people that I live with truly amaze me. One of my roommates is making some kind of half-assed effort to get in shape by doing 10 lb bicep curls, but she wakes up every morning and eats Apple Jax for breakfast. WTF?!?!? My other roommate lives on Chinese food and soda, and thinks I am completely insane for going to the gym. They all love candy and other junk (just saw them eating some cupcakes this morning) and think all of my food is totally weird. Oh well!

Um, I love candy, too. I not only have a sweet tooth, but a whole SWEET JAW. And still I can pretty much limit my insane Cadbury Creme Egg indulgences to 10% of the time. But it's all about picking your poison. A coworker (25, strapping young man) brought in a thing of glazed pistachio muffins and was in LOVE with those things...whereas to me, they're not much of a temptation. On the other hand, at my favorite coffee shop, they have these peanut butter chocolate bars, and those are HEAVEN. If I'm going to indulge, it had better be worth it.

So really, your roommates just need to learn discretion! And if they're like every other college student I've known, that probably goes for all aspects of their lives...ahem...

Who eats cupcakes for breakfast? On a Monday?? And NOT their birthday?

[DirtyMartini]

Originally Posted by rixatrix

So I have to keep reminding myself that I am capable of losing fat. But a few things come to mind...
1) I think my body adapts pretty quickly. Good for building strength, bad for cutting calories. I've been averaging 1800-1900 calories for a solid three to four weeks, and my progress seems to have halted...
2) I'm wondering if the NROL4W workouts aren't counterproductive, to some extent. I'm toying with the idea of switching to the NROL Fat Loss stages instead.

I've had similar thoughts to #2 BUT am going to do the whole NROL4W program then move on to NROL workouts. I just want to see what happens with the full program.

Regarding the fat loss... my boyfriend and I went on TNT about a month ago, hoping to drop a bunch of fat. We've had dismal success and started searching for answers last weekend. I think we've pretty much determined that we're just plain eating too many calories.

I do know that weight loss really IS a matter of calories in/out. Of course, where those calories come from can make a huge difference and it sounds like you're doing a pretty good job of that. I think managing your insulin response (like always eating protein whenever you eat a carbohydrate) is key, too.

I hate guessing though. I just want to KNOW what to do to get my body to work like a fine-tuned machine. I'm getting tired of testing.