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instantblue · 02-27-2008, 10:56 PM

I've jumped on the NROLFW bandwagon, and have been lovingly combing these forums for all possible information about the program. I finally decided to start my own log. Yay!

My background is that I've been an avid advanced video exerciser for about 4 years. My last program was P90X, which I completed and then promptly got pregnant and took a year+ break. Now that my daughter is 8 months old, I have to stop dragging my feet and get back into working out again. I've always been a girl who isn't afraid to lift weights, and I love seeing so many other women lifting as well! I have never concentrated on lifting this heavy before, and it's really fun!

My goals for NROLFW are to generally tighen up my eating and working out, and get rid of theis extra jiggle around my middle. I've lost all the baby weight, but my body shape has definitely changed to a squishy midsection that needs some attention. Also, I really want to be able to do pull ups again. I was up to 5 full pull ups pre-baby, and now can barely do one.

I just completed stage 1, workout 5B:
deadlift: 10x70/80/80
shoulder press 10x18/21/21
wide-grip lat pulldown 10x50/50/50
dumbbell lunges 10x18/21/21
ball crunch 30x5lb/5/5

For the lat pulldowns, I just record the weight I've added. I have a home smith cage/cable tower thingy and I have no idea how much the cable apparatus and friction weighs. The actual weight I'm doing is a mystery!

Today was the first day I sholder pressed the entire stack of my powerblocks (sport blocks, that go up to 21lbs each). I'm happy and sad, because I love my powerblocks, but now I'll have to go up to something heavier. Poor little guys, I'll miss you! But yay shoulders!

GinnyLou · 02-28-2008, 07:36 AM

Welcome! You've got some nice numbers going there.

Mahler · 02-28-2008, 07:38 AM

Welcome to the forum and congrats on your decision to make some changes.

Good luck.

Deserve · 02-28-2008, 12:44 PM

Welcome to the forums. The strength will come back. Muscle memory is a wonderful thing.

instantblue · 03-01-2008, 11:00 PM

Thanks for the welcomes and encouragment everyone!

Ginger, thanks for the complements. I was really surprised that I was still pretty strong after not working out at all for more than a year. But I guess picking up babies and car seats and stuff keeps one somewhat in shape

Deserve, I've already noticed that my body has surprised me with all that it "remembers." It's nice to not feel like I'm starting from zero again!

Today was Stage 1, workout 6A:
Squats: 10x110/110/110
Push-ups: 10xBW(raised toe 4")
Seated Row:10x65/65/65
Step-up: 10x18/18/18
Jackknives: 15xBW(pike)

This workout really kicked my butt, in a good way. I was huffing and puffing, and really appreciated the breaks. I love knowing that I really pushed myself hard.

gregl515 · 03-02-2008, 12:26 AM

Very nice squat numbers.

instantblue · 03-04-2008, 11:21 PM

Hi gregl515! Thanks, my husband jokes that I have "horse legs" because they're so freakishly big/strong (for my size/training leve....)

Today was stage 1, workout 6B:
deadlift: 10x80/80/80
shoulder press: 10x21/21/21
wide lat pulldownL 10x50/50/50
lunges: 10x21/21/21
ball crunch: 35x10,30x20, 30x25

I must be doing the ball crunches wrong, because I keep adding weight to my chest and doing more reps, butI still can do 25 before I start to feel it. I'm used to doing 8-12 min straight of various crunches, with pretty much no breaks or rest, so maybe it's just a muscle memory thing? Weird.

I need to pick up some more non-oly plates for my deadlifts. It's completely loaded with all the plates I have now, and I think for the next workout at only 8 reps, I'll want a little more weight.

Deserve · 03-07-2008, 06:44 AM

Are you going the full range of motion on the ball crunches? I always found that I wanted to cheat and shorten the motion. If I remember correctly you're supposed to go negative around the curve of the ball.

MuscleMom23 · 03-07-2008, 06:50 AM

Hi Instant blue! Cute, adorable baby!

On the crunches you can place a dumbbell behind your head like me, or hold one with your arms extended, those strain my neck. I also go negative over the ball each time.

missjane · 03-07-2008, 08:01 AM

Check out the crunches video and info in this thread....

2 Questions

instantblue · 03-07-2008, 09:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Deserve

Are you going the full range of motion on the ball crunches? I always found that I wanted to cheat and shorten the motion. If I remember correctly you're supposed to go negative around the curve of the ball.

That's a good tip! I defintely wasn't curling back as far as I could be.

Quote:

Originally Posted by MuscleMom

Hi Instant blue! Cute, adorable baby!

On the crunches you can place a dumbbell behind your head like me, or hold one with your arms extended, those strain my neck. I also go negative over the ball each time.

Thanks! I'm biased, but I think she's pretty darn cute! hehe!

I've been doing the crunches with 5lb plates and long lever arms, but then I thought I should try heavier, so I eventually went up to a 25lb plate, which I definitely can't hold out at arm's length :O So...I'm going to work on form as well using weight.

Quote:

Originally Posted by MissJane

Check out the crunches video and info in this thread....

Thanks! That ridgeline guy helped me see what Deserve means by "going negative."

I'm going to try using proper form and a cable instead of a weight plate for extra resistance, like shown here:
Cable Stability Ball Crunches.

Yesterday was stage 1, workout 7A:
squats: 8x115/115/115
decline pushups @4": 20/20/15xBW
seated row: 8x70/70/70
step ups: 8x21s/21s/21s (concentrated hard on not cheating! woo, that's hard!)
jackknives (pike position): 15xBW

This was the first time I did the 8 rep sets, I like it so much! The set goes by so quickly! I think for all of these exercises, I could be going heavier. I've never done such heave weight/low rep workouts before.

Willie · 03-09-2008, 05:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by instantblue

This was the first time I did the 8 rep sets, I like it so much! The set goes by so quickly! I think for all of these exercises, I could be going heavier. I've never done such heave weight/low rep workouts before.

It's fun, isn't it? Welcome to the forums!

instantblue · 03-11-2008, 06:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Willie

It's fun, isn't it? Welcome to the forums!

Definitely! Thanks!

Yesterday was w/o stage 1, 7B.
deadlift: 8x85/85/85
db sholder press: 8x21/21/21
lat pulldown: 8x60/55/55
lunges: 8x21/21/21
ball crunches: 15x5/10/10

I really need to drag my husband's powerblocks out to the garage so I can go up to 25s on the shoulder press and lunges. Must. Stop. Being. Lazy.

I did full range of motion on the ball crunches, and it was a much better workout for my core. Funny how doing it right actually makes it work. The funny thing that happened is when I first gont down on the ball with the 10lb weight, I was holding it out back over my head with long arms, and as I rolled back onto the ball, the weight pulled me back and I kept rolling all the way back onto my head. Like a backwards sommersault. hehe. At least there was no one in the garage to see me fall on my head but the crickets.