New to lifting. I'm a woman in my 40s who is working on weight loss and strength improvement. Here goes!
WO 1 – Stage 1A -6/12/08
Squats 2X15@34 NOTES: Weight much too low
Pushups 2x15@bw NOTES: Terrible form
BB Bentover row 2X15@34 NOTES: Weight much too low
Step-ups 2x15@18 NOTES: 2 8-lb DBs
Prone jackknife 2x8@bw NOTES: Fell off twice
WO 2 – Stage 1B - 6/14/09
Deadlifts 2x15@54
DB Shoulder press 2x15@16 NOTES: 2 8-lb DBs, hard
Widegrip lat pulldown 2x15@Lev3 NOTES: Used Total Gym on Level 3
Lunges 2x15@20 NOTES: Held 2 10-lb plates
Crunches 2x8@bw, 10 NOTES: Held 10-lb plate behind head on 2nd set
WO 3 – Stage 1A -6/16/08
Squats 2X15@44 NOTES: 54 much too high
Pushups 2x15@bw NOTES: Terrible form, same as WO1
BB Bentover row 2X15@44 NOTES: Challenging
Step-ups 2x15@16 NOTES: Held 1 18-lb DB behind neck
Prone jackknife 2x8@bw NOTES: Improved form and depth
WO 4 – Stage 1B - 6/18/09
Deadlifts 2x15@59
DB Shoulder press 2x15@16 NOTES: Still challenging, but better
Widegrip lat pulldown 2x15@Lev3,4 NOTES: Total Gym
Lunges 2x15@26 NOTES: Held 2 13-lb DBs
Crunches 2x8@13 NOTES: Held 1 13-lb DB behind head
WO 5 – Stage 1A -6/20/08
Squats 2X15@49
Pushups 2x15@bw NOTES: Form bad, but better on set 2
BB Bentover row 2X15@49 NOTES: Challenging, but do-able
Step-ups 2x15@26 NOTES: Held 2 13-lb DBs
Prone jackknife 2x8@bw NOTES: NOTES: Form better
Thanks for the welcome! I've been using the archives to answer my many, many questions. This forum is a great resource. I do have questions about Stage 2, but I'm going to save them till July.
Here's today's workout:
WO 6 – Stage 1B -6/22/08
Deadlifts 2x15@64
DB Shoulder press 2x15@26,21 NOTES: Did last 2 reps on Set 2 as singles
Widegrip lat pulldown 2x15@Lev5 NOTES: Total Gym
Lunges 2x15@31 NOTES: Held 2 15.5-lb DBs
Crunches 2x8@15.5 NOTES: Held 1 15.5-lb DB behind head
Now I wish I'd given my log a witty name. I was planning to blend into the woodwork, but it's starting to look like I'm here to stay. Here's today's workout:
WO 7 – Stage 1A -6/24/08
Squats 2X12@54
Pushups 2x12@bw NOTES: Better form, but still have a lot of room to improve
BB Bentover row 2X12@49 NOTES: Got the tempo right and it was much harder than before
Step-ups 2x12@36,18 NOTES: Held 2 18-lb DBs, then went down to a single DB on set 2.
Prone jackknife 2x8@bw NOTES: NOTES: Form better
Shades of the Seventies. If someone starts quoting Seasons in the Sun, I'll have to find another forum.
Here's today's workout. I was wiped out after Tuesday's WO, but I feel good today. I could have gone heavier on the deadlifts. I misread my log and didn't up the weights on that today, although I meant to. An opportunity missed. No wonder the deadlifts felt so easy.
WO 8 – Stage 1B -6/26/08
Deadlifts 2x12@64 NOTES: Easy today
DB Shoulder press 2x12@31,21 NOTES: Did last 3 reps on Set 1 as singles
Widegrip lat pulldown 2x12@Lev5 NOTES: Total Gym
Lunges 2x12@36 NOTES: Held 2 18-lb DBs
Crunches 2x10@18 NOTES: Held 1 18lb DB on chest
Well, I haven't done NROLW since Thursday, but I haven't been sitting the couch.
On Friday, I had a killer yoga class and then met with a trainer to get help with form. My form is really bad on squats and deadlifts. My ankles don't bend enough, I can't get to 90 degrees on squats, I just suck in general. Everybody's gotta start somewhere, though.
So on Friday, I did a bunch of squats with an empty Olympic bar and a few other types of squats and deadlifts in front of the trainer, but not enough to count as a workout. Afterwards, I did 30 minutes of cardio.
So, Friday:
1:40 min yoga
app 10 min light lifting
30 min interval cardio
On Saturday, I had DOMS for the first time in ages (yay, love that!) -- shoulders, abs, quads, all tender to the touch. I told you it was a killer yoga class, I wasn't kidding. I spent the day emptying out a junk room in my house to convert into a workout room, which involved moving furniture, climbing ladders, and a lot of schlepping. Then I laid carpet in that room.
So, Saturday:
6 hr intermittent schlepping
Today I did a 45 min RPM class (spinning with intervals). Drenched in sweat, screaming quads, felt great. After that, another yoga class; most of the same poses and sequences as Thursday, but I couldn't do them as well. I was annoyed by the bitch that shoved her mat right up against mine. I am very territorial in yoga class. If you ever read about a horrible incident where a woman was strangled with a yoga strap in mid-shavasana, you'll know it was me who did it. Then I had a family event and then went to pick up some used equipment I bought on Craig's List. Here it is:
It was disassembled, so I moved about a million different pieces up a flight of stairs and into my car. Then from my car to my house. To be honest, half of the pieces are still in the car. It's really humid out, and they'll still be there tomorrow.
So, Sunday:
45 min spin class
1:40 min yoga
2 hrs biting tongue and rolling eyes (family event)
45 min grunt work
I'm meeting the trainer tomorrow to get some corrective exercises and then I'll do more cardio. I don't expect to do NROLW again until Tuesday. I think this is a good thing; I've been doing it every other day, which is more than the book recommends. I need to learn to respect the concept of rest.
I've also been slacking on cardio since I started NROLW, and I have to get back on track with it. I have a lot of fat to lose, about 55 lbs, and I don't want it to take a year. I'm planning a diving vacation around Xmas, and I don't want the other divers to get confused and think they're on a whale watching boat. I'm hoping to be down 2 jeans sizes by then.
My perception is that I'm not losing weight. However, that's not true. I'm averaging 1.5 lbs a weeks since I started NROLW, which is nothing to sneeze at. But it's not the 2 lbs a week I was losing on 1000 calories and 50 min of intense cardio a day that I was doing before NROLW. Also, my weight is holding steady for about 10 days at a time, and then for the next 2-3 days, it will drop a pound or two. I hope that I'm building .5 lb of muscle a week, but I doubt it.
So I'm focused on the stalls, not on the drops. On the other hand, I put on my regular jeans for the first time in 2 weeks today, and they were so baggy I was tripping on the hems, the crotch was hanging down 4", and I could have pulled them off without unbuttoning them. Yet I don't perceive progress. I am aware that there's cognitive dissonance going on, but can't seem to get beyond that. In the long run, it's irrelevant; I know that if I do the right things, I'll reach my goal, so I keep doing the right things. A misperception about a lack of progress doesn't impact my behavior.
I'll probably post tomorrow after I meet with the trainer. He measured me a week before I began NROLW and he's measuring me again tomorrow. If you don't hear from me, I haven't shrunk and I'm drowning my sorrows in celery sticks dipped in protein powder.
Since 5/29:
Weight loss: -7 lbs
Loss of LBM: -0.385
Inches:
Arms: -0.05"
Bust: -0.05”
Waist: -0.25”
Hips: -0.75”
Thighs: +1”
Calves: No change
I'm thrilled that of the 7 lbs lost, only .4 of it was LBM. The trainer gave me another program to correct my weaknesses and improve my balance. I'm reluctant to pause my NROLW activities, but I do think that the trainer's workout will benefit me. I'm not sure what do. I guess my options are to do the trainer's program and pause NROLW, or to do NROLW and ignore the trainer's program, or to attempt to combine the programs.
The trainer gave me a bridge/adbuction combo, a step-up variation with an 8-lb medicine ball (holding on one foot at the top of the movement), squats on the Free Motion machine, balance board and 2 other balance exercises, and a leg adduction variation. He also gave me some foam rolling. There are upper-body exercises, too: lat pulldown variation, seated row, chest flies, overhead press, Y-style shoulder presses, and I can't remember what else at this point. It's written down.
Combining all that with NROLW would probably kill me.
I think the smart thing to do is to follow the trainer's program and put NROLW on hold. Then I can restart NROLW with better form. But I really don't want to stop NROLW because I enjoy it.
If anyone has any thoughts, I'd love to hear them.
The trainer gave me a bridge/adbuction combo, a step-up variation with an 8-lb medicine ball (holding on one foot at the top of the movement), squats on the Free Motion machine, balance board and 2 other balance exercises, and a leg adduction variation. He also gave me some foam rolling. There are upper-body exercises, too: lat pulldown variation, seated row, chest flies, overhead press, Y-style shoulder presses, and I can't remember what else at this point. It's written down.
Combining all that with NROLW would probably kill me.
I think the smart thing to do is to follow the trainer's program and put NROLW on hold. Then I can restart NROLW with better form. But I really don't want to stop NROLW because I enjoy it.
If anyone has any thoughts, I'd love to hear them.
You can't do both, as you've already figured out. You have to choose. Having a qualified trainer evaluate your movement patterns is always smart, so I'm leaning toward using the trainer. Some of the items you list look good: step-up, bridge, abduction/adduction movement that are not on a machine, lol, Y's, and even the Free motion machine which is cool. BUT, why a chest fly? And, IMO, a balance board will only improve your balance on the balance board, not necessarily teach you proper motor patterns for single-leg movements on the floor. SO, how about have your trainer take a look at stage 2 of NR4W. It's got some good prehab-type movements built into it. It includes step-ups, DB Cuban snatch (which is an L movement, similar to the Y's), reverse crunches, planks, BSS, and the DB one-point row will find whatever is creating a problem with your balance (much better than a balance board will).
So, in the end, I have mixed feelings. It's so valuable to have someone watch you, IF they're good. Maybe he would describe for you what weaknesses he sees and what he's trying to correct. Maybe he'd like stage 2 in the book and use it with you and only modify it when and where he sees a need? He might not want to do that. Some trainers don't like to use someone else's program. But he might be willing to look at it. He might also be willing to try and justify his desire to use a balance board (which is my biggest criticism).
Who's your trainer and what certification does he have? (just curious)
Oh, and congratulations on your success so far! That's awesome!
I didn't select the trainer. I joined the gym and they assigned me to him. I am obviously not an educated consumer of personal training services. I think the guy who signed me up paired me with this PT because of the PT's focus on weight loss -- I have a lot of fat to lose.
I don't want to post the trainer's name here, but these are his qualifications:
QUALIFICATIONS:
ACE Certified Personal Trainer Power Pilates Mat Certified Pilates Coach Reformer Certified
EXPERIENCE:
5 years as a Personal Trainer 2 Years Personal Training Management
SPECIALTIES:
Weight Loss and Management Nutritional Guidance and Support Stability and Balance Training Reebok One on One Flexibility Pre and Post Natal
The area he's trying to correct is right-side weakness in the glutes and hams. I am definitely weak on that side and as I did some of the first stage exercises that he'd given me before I started NROLW, I noticed that I getting DOMS primarily and often exclusively on the weak side.
The chest fly and some of the other UB are supposed to help my posture. He has me doing things that involve pulling the lats down and in. Some of the other upper body is because I told him that one of my goals is to be able to lift my kayak over my head so I can load it onto my car roof easily, and I also told him that one of my goals is to be able to do pull-ups.
About the balance, I didn't think to ask, but as I was pasting his qualifications into this message, I noticed for the first time that stability and balance training are among his areas of focus. I'll ask him about why he's assigned the balance exercises.
Sounds like the trainer knows his stuff. I'd second Lisa's idea to at least show him NROLW and tell him how much you like it and if he'd be willing to work with you.
Ha ha! You might not be old enough to remember it. It was a horrible song that played over and over on the radio in the 70's. It's a guy singing about his friend who died of cancer, if I remember right. And now it's stuck in my head. MY GOD, NO!
I'm going to try the PT's program and see how it goes. I think that my focus on NROLW is so strong because it introduced me to lifting and to the concept of a program (new to me!), so I grabbed onto it like a life ring. The authors of the book are so visible here, on Fitcast, and on various strength websites, answering questions and expanding on the ideas, that I have a lot of confidence in their program.
I'm going to try the PT's program and see how it goes.
OK, it's a good plan. Just ask when you don't understand why he chooses something. ACE and Pilates certs certainly don't impress me, but if this trainer keeps up with new information, continues to read and study, the certs don't tell the whole story. Be an informed client who takes charge of their own health and fitness. If something doesn't make sense to you, ask why and what the other options might be. Overall though, I think it's a good choice to go with a trainer who can see you move in person. That's so valuable.
Seasons in the Sun, HA! Now I'm singing it in my head, too!
Since I've got this stuck in my head now, here are ALL the lyrics so all of you can suffer along with me this afternoon:
Goodbye to you, my trusted friend.
We've known each other since we're nine or ten.
Together we climbed hills or trees.
Learned of love and ABC's,
skinned our hearts and skinned our knees.
Goodbye my friend, it's hard to die,
when all the birds are singing in the sky,
Now that the spring is in the air.
Pretty girls are everywhere.
When you see them I'll be there.
We had joy, we had fun, we had seasons in the sun.
But the hills that we climbed
were just seasons out of time.
Goodbye, Papa, please pray for me,
I was the black sheep of the family.
You tried to teach me right from wrong.
Too much wine and too much song,
wonder how I get along.
Goodbye, Papa, it's hard to die
when all the birds are singing in the sky,
Now that the spring is in the air.
Little children everywhere.
When you see them I'll be there.
We had joy, we had fun, we had seasons in the sun.
But the wine and the song,
like the seasons, all have gone.
Goodbye, Michelle, my little one.
You gave me love and helped me find the sun.
And every time that I was down
you would always come around
and get my feet back on the ground.
Goodbye, Michelle, it's hard to die
when all the bird are singing in the sky,
Now that the spring is in the air.
With the flowers ev'rywhere.
I whish that we could both be there.
We had joy, we had fun, we had seasons in the sun.
But the stars we could reach
were just starfishs on the beach
I did the trainer's LBWO today. Since this is my training log, I'll record it.
Bridge w/leg abductions using xertube 2x15@bw, yellow tube
Step-up variation, lifting medicine ball over head and raising free leg to 90 degrees 2x15@8, super slow
Wobble board, 60 sec
Free Motion squat 2x15x35
Standing leg adduction w/xertube 2x15, yellow
Foam roll balance (balancing on hemicylinder) 60 sec
Leg extensions 2x15@22
Foam rolling IT bands and hams
Active stretch, biceps femoris 2x15
Specific stretches I don't have the names of right now, but all focused on my weaknesses and goals (duck-toed, no ankle flexibility, weak right glute, weak hams)
The exercises seemed more uncomfortable than difficult, but I must have been working because I got really sweaty. One of the one that really made me sweat the most was the wobble board. I didn't expect that. I could feel muscles all over my body working.
Oh, one last thing:
Afternoon Delight
The Starland Vocal Band
Gonna find my baby, gonna hold her tight
gonna grab some afternoon delight.
My motto's always been; when it's right, it's right.
Why wait until the middle of a cold dark night.
When everything's a little clearer in the light of day.
And you know the night is always gonna be there any way.
Sky rockets in flight. Afternoon delight. Afternoon delight.
Thinkin' of you's workin' up my appetite
looking forward to a little afternoon delight.
Rubbin' sticks and stones together makes the sparks ingite
and the thought of rubbin' you is getting so exciting.
Sky rockets in flight. Afternoon delight. Afternoon delight.
Started out this morning feeling so polite
I always though a fish could not be caught who wouldn't bite
But you've got some bait a waitin' and I think I might try nibbling
a little afternoon delight.
Sky rockets in flight. Afternoon delight. Afternoon delight.
Please be waiting for me baby when I come around.
We could make a lot of lovin' 'for the sun goes down.
Sky rockets in flight. Afternoon delight. Afternoon delight.
One of the one that really made me sweat the most was the wobble board. I didn't expect that. I could feel muscles all over my body working.
There are several exercises on your list that are excellent. Interesting that you found the balance stuff effective. I'll be watching to see what your progress is with this protocol. Did your trainer give you any reasonable explanation for including balance board work? Any expectation that balance board work would improve your on-the-floor balance?
Quote:
Oh, one last thing:
Afternoon Delight
The Starland Vocal Band
HA! I really liked that song the first million times I heard it! Then I GOT OVER IT!
Now it's stuck in my head instead of the other one! AAAAAHHHHHH!
Did your trainer give you any reasonable explanation for including balance board work? Any expectation that balance board work would improve your on-the-floor balance?
He was with a client when I was there today, so I emailed him this evening. I'll post when I get a response. Thanks for reminding me!
Here is the PT's response to my question about balance:
---
for the goals you have in mind and the issues that are holding you back balance is something that your body needs to move forward. Just like you felt we are trying to get all those stabilizer muscles to fire so that you are more functional when moving.
----
I don't really get it. I don't understand the difference between stability and balance. Also, the trainer has explained to me about a million times what he means by getting muscles to 'fire' and he even showed me by having me lie face down on a table and lift one leg up, which he then pushed down while I resisted. He said he was showing me what it felt like to activate a muscle. Hmmm? Still don't get it.
I feel like athletic things are a foreign language. Instructors and the PT are always saying, "Do you feel that?" to me, and the answer is usually, "Feel what? Sort of. Maybe. I don't know."
For instance, the PT has me foam rolling my IT bands. He said to feel for when it hurts,etc., the same stuff I've read. Well, it was uncomfortable in parts, but it didn't hurt. Was I really giving myself a deep tissue massage or was I just squishing my fat against the bone?
In the past, my physical activity was always walking, Jazzercise body-sculpting classes, and yoga -- everything the ladies fitness magazines write about. I've never thought of myself as having the potential to be an athlete. Now, largely from seeing the challenge threads in this forum, I think in a different way, but I still don't connect the vocabulary to real experiences in a way that clicks.
First, let me say that you should stick with this trainer and do what he wants you to do. I wouldn't use a balance board, but it's just another tool and one he's comfortable using. I would agree that improving balance is an appropriate goal. "Getting all those stabilizer muscles to fire so that you are more functional when moving" is something I'd be working to achieve too, just with different methods.
"Fire" just means to contract when you want it to. It just means to squeeze the muscle and feel it squeezing and working. Fire = contract = activate: they are all words meaning essentially the same thing. You want your muscles to contract in the right order and with the right amount of force to accomplish the intended movement. Does that make any more sense than what you've already understood?
Some people can really focus internally and feel their muscles working. Some people haven't learned this skill yet and it doesn't come naturally to them (like you). These clients seem to feel movement in big sections of their body, and they have to learn to feel individual muscles contracting.
I've found that it's sometimes helpful to look at an anatomy chart (here are some pictures that might help, look through the section titled Muscles) and attempt to find the muscles in your body by their attachments and insertions. See if you can find a basic muscle, like your biceps, and feel it move when you bend your arm. A muscle like the biceps is one of the easiest to begin with. Can you feel it contract (like getting tighter and harder)? Can you relax it? Can you "feel" where it pulls on the bones to move your lower arm closer to you upper arm? All that is learning to "feel your muscles fire."
If you can do that, then you can begin to find other, more difficult to locate muscles, like your glute medius and your inner and outer obliques. Those are all stabilizing muscles that you need to learn to "fire" (or contract at the right moment) to keep you balanced when you're on one foot or on that balance board. Maybe he can make you really sore in some of those muscles by working you hard on the balance board. Now you've found them! HA!
I could go on and on, but I'm not sure if I'm helping or just cluttering up your log, lol.
is this the log where we post lyrics from the 70s capable of becoming annoying ear worms?
Quote:
On the first part of the journey
I was looking at all the life
There were plants and birds and rocks and things
There was sand and hills and rings
The first thing I met was a fly with a buzz
And the sky with no clouds
The heat was hot and the ground was dry
But the air was full of sound
is this the log where we post lyrics from the 70s capable of becoming annoying ear worms?
Not nice. I just had to go figure out what it was!
Oh, and I don't think I ever said hello, or welcome.
So, hello and welcome.
.
.
.
.
and since I can't resist playing along....
Quote:
Her name was Lola, she was a showgirl
With yellow feathers in her hair and a dress cut down to there
She would merengue and do the cha-cha
And while she tried to be a star, Tony always tended bar
Across a crowded floor, they worked from 8 till 4
They were young and they had each other
Who could ask for more?
Lisa, thanks so much for that explanation. It makes sense. I now plan to spend the rest of the evening feeling myself.
Actually, lately I have been noticing muscles moving that I never noticed before. I'm like, "Eek! What is that?! Oh. It's a hip muscle." So I'm following what you're saying. That is great!
And thanks for the welcomes, people. I feel like I know a lot of the people here because I've read your training logs and posts. This one's for you:
Delta Dawn, what's that flower you have on
Could it be a faded rose from days gone by
And did I hear you say he was a-meetin' you here today
To take you to his mansion in the sky-eye
She's forty-one and her daddy still calls 'er "baby"
All the folks 'round Brownsville say she's crazy
'Cause she walks downtown with her suitcase in her hand
Lookin' for a mysterious dark-haired man
In her younger days they called her Delta Dawn
Prettiest woman you ever laid eyes on
Then a man of low degree stood by her side
Promised her he'd take her for his bride
Delta Dawn, what's that flower you have on
Could it be a faded rose from days gone by
And did I hear you say he was a-meetin' you here today
To take you to his mansion in the sky-eye
Delta Dawn, what's that flower you have on
Could it be a faded rose from days gone by
And did I hear you say he was a-meetin' you here today
To take you to his mansion in the sky-eye
Delta Dawn, what's that flower you have on
Could it be a faded rose from days gone by
And did I hear you say he was a-meetin' you here today
To take you to his mansion in the sky-eye
Delta Dawn, what's that flower you have on
Could it be a faded rose from days gone by
And did I hear you say he was a-meetin' you here today
To take you to his mansion in the sky-eye
Jay's Training Log
ACE Certified Personal Trainer 
Linear Mode
