I finished NROL4W for the second time. I might still be cowering on the fringes of the gym floor without the help and encouragement of the posters here. (A big tip-of-the-hat to Miss Jane for always being there.)
I feel good. I feel strong. I can deadlift over 100 lbs.
Just for laughs, here's my very first post on this site on 6/5/2008:
"Going from "Barbie weights" to an empty (45-lb.) bar isn't as easy as it sounds. I'm scared to death that I'm going to hurt my back.
The NROL makes it sound like it's easy to hurt your back if your posture isn't perfect. The NROL4W just kind of glosses over saying, "You must maintain the natural arch in your lower back, and the heavier the weight you lift off the floor, the harder it is for those muscles to protect your spine. (Remember, "harder" is better when it comes to improving your body in appearance and function.)
My back was achy after my last workout of deadlifts, but not hurting. I'll be deadlifting again this afternoon and, as I said before, I'm a little afraid!"
Oh my goodness. What a difference a year makes. I'm still going to need you all, as I am starting NROL tonight. It's nice to know that I'm in good company.
Wow, that's impressive - twice! I'm about finished the break-in period for NROL and amazed how much my abilities have improved from first starting NROL4W. Good luck with your next step.
Hi Butterbean,
This is Prune Hill from the WW board. I've enjoyed looking at your work-out log. I should probably do one of my own. Is the Precision Nutrition from the NROLFW book?
Anne, Pruney/Hopey! Thanks for stopping by. Anne, it will be fun to watch your progress through NROL. How the heck could you start that Break-In going right from Stage 7? Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh! Good grief!
Precision Nutrition is a (for-profit) lean eating program written by Dr. John Berardi of Canada. Check out his website www.precisionnutrition.com for more information.
No, I didn't go straight from one to the other. I did Power Training for a while, and then I slacked off and did nothing for a while (school was the excuse, but not a good one).
It's Prune Hill again. What is the difference between Precision Nutrition and Weight Watchers? What do you get from Precision Nutrition you don't get from Weight Watchers? Just wondering, I just lost 40 lbs on Weight Watchers and am pretty happy with it. The main thing I'm looking for is what to do, training wise, after I'm finished with NROLFW. Thanks!
Weight Watchers was an excellent segway into Precision Nutrition because it taught me how to cut the cr*p from my diet. Precision Nutrition teaches you how to time your meals to work to your best advantage.
Thanks for your response. I checked out the Precision Nutrition website. Pricewise, it looks reasonable actually a little cheaper than my WW meetings.
I like following your log. I am on Stage 4 of NROLFW and it's my first time through. I might check out one of the other programs you suggested.
I only lift twice a week because I'm focusing on getting to my WW goal. BTW, I did my WI yesterday and am 1.2 pounds away from my goal!
Keep up the good work and I'll keep following your posts.
The first NROL Fat Loss II workouts have been so very challenging. I'm a fighter though and know that if I can get through the next two workouts I'll master this phase with improvements.
Weight..... 128.6........... 128.4
Neck........ 13................ 12.5
Chest........39.25”.......... 39
Under .......N/A.............. 32
Waist....... 30.5..............29.5
Hips......... 36.5............. 36.5
R Bicep..... 12.25............11.75
L Bicep..... 12.5.............. 11.5
R Forearm.. 9..................N/A
L Forearm.. 9............... . N/A
R Thigh..... 20.25............20.25
L Thigh...... 20.5.............21
R Calf........12.75............1 2.5
L Calf........ 12.75............12.5
Here's what I've been eating this week:
6:30 AM - Pineapple Banana Supershake
9:30 AM - Almond & Apple Butter Wrap, fruit when avail.
12:30 PM - Grilled Chicken Caesar Salad
3:30 PM - Cottage cheese or yogurt, 1/2 c. blueberries
6:30 PM - Post-workout shake
- Turkey burger, cottage cheese, salad (x2)
- Beer brat w/sauteed onions, cucumber salad
- Beef Skewers w/onion and tomatoes
- Sloppy joes (crock pot)
Don't forget that tomorrow, 6/6, is National Trails Day. Check your local listings for activities in your area. My husband is leading a short hike for our celebration on Sunday. There are a number of other things going on besides hiking too - butterfly display, birds of prey, letterboxing instruction, acoustic guitar entertainment, and other fun things. It looks like the weather will cooperate, so it should be a nice day.
'Tis the season for other celebrations too. We're attending my nephew's h.s. graduation party tomorrow. Also hope to get to the gym tomorrow and go hit some golf balls at the driving range.
Can you spell WEEKEND???? Yippeeee! Have a nice one!
We joined a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program. For a flat fee we get fresh local, seasonal vegetables directly from the farm. The program lasts from mid-June through October. The first vegetables are ready to harvest! We'll pick up our first week's distribution on Saturday including leaf lettuce, romaine hearts, kale, parsley, and rhubarb. I have a kale and sausage soup recipe that I am looking forward to trying.
CSA: A win-win for consumers, farmers! Shareholders get ultra-fresh produce; farmers benefit from upfront money.
Here's my eating scheme for the week:
6:30 AM – (PN) Denver Omelett
9:30 AM – (PN) Peanut Butterscotch Shake
12:30 PM – Italian Ham Cold Plate (baby spinach, smoked ham, honeydew, tomato, mozzarella cheese)
3:30 PM – Greek yogurt or cottage cheese w/blueberries
6:30 PM – Post-workout shake
- Beef Ranch Kabobs, corn-on-the-cob
- Sloppy joes, spinach and red leaf lettuce
- (PN) Fajita chicken and rice
- (PN) Hawaiian Pizza
- Haddock, vegetables
Dessert: Peanuts, dried cranberries
*
I’m working on NROL Fat Loss II. I’m finding this to be a strenuous workout even though I don’t seem to be outdoing myself with the weight. I’ll keep plugging away and doing my best. I had a moment this week when I felt like not going to the gym and, perhaps, giving up on the gym altogether. As is usually the case on those kinds of days, I went and had a wonderful workout that made me feel good about following through.
New Rules Of Lifting
Fat Loss II
Workout A Front Squat
Workout 1...40/12...40/12...40/12..... .....Barbell not avail
Workout 2...45/12...45/12...45/12 Wide-Grip Cable Seated Row
Workout 1...40/12...40/12...40/12
Workout 2...45/12...45/12...45/12 Supine Hip Extension W/Leg Curl
Workout 1...BW/12..BW/12..BW/12
Workout 2...BW/12..BW/12..BW/12.....Ma de sure butt was higher. Barbell Push Press
Workout 1...50/12...50/12...50/12
Workout 2...45/12...50/12...50/12 Dynamic Lunge
Workout 1...40/12...45/12...45/12
Workout 2...45/12...50/12...50/12 Upper-Body Russian Twist
Workout 1...12...12...12
Workout 2...12...12...12
Fat Loss II
Workout B Snatch-Grip Deadlift
Workout 1...85/12...75/12...65/12
Workout 2...55/12...65/12...65/12 T-Push Up
Workout 1...BW/12...BW/12...BW/12...Sh *t!
Workout 2...BW/12...BW/12...BW/12 Bulgarian Split Squat w/Overhead Press
Workout 1...BW/12...BW/12...BW/12...Go od God!
Workout 2...BW/12...BW/12...1 / 12......Yes, I used the pink dumbbells! Underhand-Grip Lat Pulldown
Workout 1...45/12...60/12...67.5/12/12
Workout 2...65/12...67.5/12...72.5/12. .... Romanian Deadlift/Bent-Over Row
Workout 1...65/6,55/6...55/12...55/12
Workout 2:...55/12...60/12...60/12 Lower-Body Russian Twist
Workout 1...12...12...12
Workout 2...12...12...12
I’m working on NROL Fat Loss II. I’m finding this to be a strenuous workout even though I don’t seem to be outdoing myself with the weight. I’ll keep plugging away and doing my best.
I did the A workout the other day and will be doing the B today. Like you, I'm finding it a tough workout (and oh my I'm doing intervals afterwards). I'm not sure how well I'll do later when the rest periods shorten up.
We picked up our first distribution of veggies and -- wow! There's a lot of veggies. Kind of overwhelming. Next week's menu will include Caesar Salad, Parsley Omelett, Kale Smoothie (!), Rhubarb Fig Betty. This is a lot more vegetables than we're used to. Should be VERY interesting.
We live close to a lot of farming country, just not close enough that anyone does CSAs. Although I do keep checking, just in case. We sometimes get tired of the usual veggies that we buy and I think it would be a good way to push yourself into eating other items.
Hopey, when he purchased the Precision Nutrition plan my husband had to agree not to post or share the recipes that they sell. I need to stand by that and not post the recipe. Sorry.
Hey had to come over and check you out. I am only working out 2 days a week, when I lift I get really hungry -- so I am trying to minimize that.
I did WW for a while. Might look into Precision Nutrition. Is it harder to follow. Is it so restrictive that if you are traveling and need to eat out, you are out of luck. Or is it flexible like WW?
<<<<
[FONT=[/IMG]CSA:][FONT=/> Workout 1...BW/12...BW/12...BW/12...Go od God!
Workout 2...BW/12...BW/12...1 / 12......Yes, I used the pink dumbbells! >>>>
I had to laugh. Those BSS with shoulder press were really tough for me too. I have done BSS before and I have done shoulder presses before. Who knew that when you put them together they would be so much harder. [/font][/font]
__________________
Peaches
The journey to health and fitness
Should be taken
Because you love yourself,
Not because you hate your body
Our goal this week is to eat all of the vegetables that we received on Saturday. (We will pick up as much again on Saturday.) As such, here’s my eating scheme for the week:
6:30 AM – Parsley Omelett (peppers, onions, Canadian bacon, parsley)
9:30 AM – Kale Smoothie (wouldn’t even know it’s green!)
12:30 PM – Caesar Salad with Grilled Chicken
3:30 PM – Greek yogurt or cottage cheese w/blueberries
6:30 PM – Post-workout shake
- Veggie Burgers, brown rice, red-leaf lettuce salad
- (PN) Fajita Chicken and Rice
- Orange Sesame Turkey Cutlets, red-leaf lettuce salad
- (PN) Hawaiian Pizza, red-leaf lettuce salad
- Spicy Kale Chowder w/Sausage
Dessert: Rhubarb Fig Bar Betty
I finished another set of Fat Loss II workouts. Although I enjoy the workouts, I look forward to them with a certain amount of trepidation and apprehension. I am making improvements, so that is satisfying. Below I am adding Workout 3 to my stats.
New Rules Of Lifting Fat Loss II Workout A Front Squat
Workout 1...40/12...40/12...40/12..... .....Barbell not avail
Workout 2...45/12...45/12...45/12
Workout 3...50/10...50/10...50/10 Wide-Grip Cable Seated Row
Workout 1...40/12...40/12...40/12
Workout 2...45/12...45/12...45/12
Workout 3...50/10...50/10...50/10 Supine Hip Extension W/Leg Curl
Workout 1...BW/12..BW/12..BW/12
Workout 2...BW/12..BW/12..BW/12.....Ma de sure butt was higher.
Workout 3...BW/10..BW/10..BW/10 Barbell Push Press
Workout 1...50/12...50/12...50/12
Workout 2...45/12...50/12...50/12
Workout 3...50/10...50/10...55/10 Dynamic Lunge
Workout 1...40/12...45/12...45/12
Workout 2...45/12...50/12...50/12
Workout 3...45/10...50/10...50/10 Upper-Body Russian Twist
Workout 1...12...12...12
Workout 2...12...12...12
Workout 3...10...10...10 Fat Loss II Workout B Snatch-Grip Deadlift
Workout 1...85/12...75/12...65/12
Workout 2...55/12...65/12...65/12
Workout 3...65/10...65/10...70/10 T-Push Up
Workout 1...BW/12...BW/12...BW/12...Sh *t!
Workout 2...BW/12...BW/12...BW/12
Workout 3...BW/10...BW/10...BW/10 Bulgarian Split Squat w/Overhead Press
Workout 1...BW/12...BW/12...BW/12...Go od God!
Workout 2...BW/12...BW/12...1 / 12......Yes, I used the pink dumbbells!
Workout 3...3/10........3/10.......3/1 0 These aren’t killing me anymore. Underhand-Grip Lat Pulldown
Workout 1...45/12...60/12...67.5/12
Workout 2...65/12...67.5/12...72.5/12. ....
Workout 3...75/10...75/10....75/10 Romanian Deadlift/Bent-Over Row
Workout 1...65/6,55/6...55/12...55/12
Workout 2...55/12.........60/12...60/1 2
Workout 3...60/10.........65/10...65/1 0 Lower-Body Russian Twist
Workout 1...12...12...12
Workout 2...12...12...12
Workout 3...12...12...12
I always follow my workouts with a fifteen-minute stretching routine.
I'm currently not doing any type of workout that one could consider aerobic, cardio, steady-state, interval, blah, blah. "Soon come."
Summer starts this weekend. I assume that is what the good weather is waiting for before it makes an appearance in the northeast!
I am not really doing any "cardio" right now either. I do take my dog for a bike run in the AM. But he is so out of shape it is not enough to call cardio, and I take martial arts --- the martial arts is a little bit of cardio but not intense by any means --- not like when I took muay thai.
I started doing P90X ab ripper last week. I hadn't been doing any abs since starting NROL and it use to be somewhat easy to do and this time it killed me and my abs were sore for a few days. (smile)
Even though he says we are free to not feel the need to do cardio --- I still feel guilty when I don't.
__________________
Peaches
The journey to health and fitness
Should be taken
Because you love yourself,
Not because you hate your body
I used to feel something that I guess was guilt for not getting to the gym five times per week. It's like everything else, it gets easier with practice.
Jeff ordered a scale from Target over the weekend. This is the missing piece of our nutritional puzzle. There’s nowhere to hide after it arrives!
We picked up another good amount of veggies from the farm on Saturday along with some rhubarb and strawberries to keep things sweet. They also threw in some greenhouse gift certificates, so we picked up some flowering patio pots. We received something that I think is loosely called Chinese Celery. Not sure what to do with it, so I chopped it up and mixed it in with the Swiss Chard for a green dinner salad. The cold and wet growing season has been good for lettuce, kale, parsley, and beets but is slowing down the growth of potatoes, peppers, and tomatoes. They’ll all be along soon. As such, here’s my eating scheme for this week:
6:30 AM – Parsley Omelett (peppers, onions, Canadian bacon, parsley)
9:30 AM – Cheese stick and strawberries
12:30 PM – Orange-sesame chicken cutlets with romaine salad/dressing
3:30 PM – Kale Smoothie
6:30 PM – Post-workout shake
- Steak and buttery grated beets
- Roasted chicken, baked beans, mixed green salad
- Chicken wrap, mixed green salad
- Spicy Kale Chowder w/Sausage
Dessert: Fresh rhubarb crisp (trigger food! repeat: trigger food!)
- raw cashews/dried papaya
And, here’s my training progress report for New Rules Of Lifting, Fat Loss II, Workout A: Front Squat
Workout 4...50/10 55/10 55/10 Moved wrists closer together/less pain. Wide-Grip Cable Seated Row
Workout 4...50/10 50/10 52.5/10* Different equipment. Seemed lighter Supine Hip Extension W/Leg Curl
Workout 4...BW/10..BW/10..BW/10 Smaller ball made it seem easier. Barbell Push Press
Workout 4...55/10 55/10 55/10 Dynamic Lunge
Workout 4...50/10 50/10 50/10 Upper-Body Russian Twist
Workout 4...10...10...10
Fat Loss II, Workout B Snatch-Grip Deadlift
Workout 4...60/10 60/10 60/10 T-Push Up
Workout 4... BW/10...BW/10...BW/10 Not easier. Bulgarian Split Squat w/Overhead Press
Workout 4...5/10 5/10 5/10* Took several breaks/last set. Underhand-Grip Lat Pulldown
Workout 4...80/10 80/10 80/10 Romanian Deadlift/Bent-Over Row
Workout 4...60/10 60/10 65/10 Lower-Body Russian Twist
Workout 4...10 10 10
Summer is here. Rumor is it will unveil itself on Thursday!
We've been in the 60's with clouds and mist for days, no weeks! I love mist ... but we're dying for some sun here. Everybody is getting punchy.
Hurray for me! I added a 15-minute HIIT session to my workout last night. I hated all the sweating, huffing and puffing, but the time was right. This has been on my mind.
Still no sun in sight. Can you believe that? Hmmmmph.
My husband leads community hikes through the woods in the summer and fall. My responsibility is to “bring up the rear” and make sure that everybody makes it to the end of the hike without getting off the trail. Yes, it’s a huge responsibility that I could live without. He enjoys it, so that makes me happy. Got out and hiked about five miles on both Saturday and Sunday.
I received another wonderfully thorough and vigorous massage on Saturday too. Tasha does such a great job and is so vigorous that there are times that my teeth are chattering! FAB-U-LOUS!
The CSA experience is eye-opening. We (my husband and I) know little about veggies. What I thought was Swiss Chard was really a curly green leaf lettuce or endive. I’m still not really sure. I know that because we received some Swiss Chard this week. It looks exactly like the bunch beet leaves. We chopped it into small pieces. I found a recipe that sautees it in olive oil with garlic and seasoned with lemon juice, salt and pepper.
Other than opening a can with a can opener and pouring them into a saucepan to heat, I had never made beets before. It was satisfying to peel them, grate them, cook them in olive oil and garlic, and create a delicious side dish for my steak. Good thing we like them, they’re still growing on the farm and we got another bunch this week.
Our share this week included plenty of roughage: kale, parsley, strawberries, romaine lettuce, bunch beets, and Boston lettuce. Thankfully no rhubarb this week. I say thankfully because I found that this stuff is delicious. I may as well be devouring apple pies!
This week’s menu is built around our fresh fruit and veggies distribution: 6:30 AM – Parsley Omelett (peppers, onions, Canadian bacon, parsley)
9:30 AM – Kale smoothie
12:30 PM – Chicken salad wrap w/Boston lettuce, romaine salad, Honey Dijon dressing
3:30 PM – Greek yogurt (plain, non-fat) with strawberries and blueberries
6:30 PM – Post-workout shake
- Steak and buttery grated beets
- (PN) Coconut Chicken, mixed green salad and parsley buttered potatoes
- (PN) Asparagus quiche (minus the asparagus), mixed green salad
- Spicy Kale Chowder w/Sausage
Dessert: Unsalted peanuts, tropical dried fruit mix
Here’s my training progress report. I tacked on a 15-minute HIIT to each of the below-listed workouts. (Hurray for me! Will add time and intensity from here.)
New Rules Of Lifting, Fat Loss II, Workout A. Front Squat
Workout 5...55/8 55/8 60/8 Wide-Grip Cable Seated Row
Workout 5...52.5/8 60/8 60/8 (Go higher) Supine Hip Extension W/Leg Curl
Workout 5...BW/8..BW/8..BW/8 Barbell Push Press
Workout 5...55/8 60/8 60/8 Dynamic Lunge
Workout 5...55/8 55/8 55/8 Upper-Body Russian Twist
Workout 5...8 8 8 Error. Did one set of T-pushups. Fat Loss II, Workout B Snatch-Grip Deadlift
Workout 5...65/8 70/8 75/8 T-Push Up
Workout 5... BW/8...BW/8...BW/8 Bulgarian Split Squat w/Overhead Press
Workout 5...5/8 5/8 5/8 Underhand-Grip Lat Pulldown
Workout 5...82.5/8 82.5/8 82.5/8 Romanian Deadlift/Bent-Over Row
Workout 5...65/8 70/8 70/8 Lower-Body Russian Twist
Workout 5...8 8 8
Neck........ 13.............. 12.5............12.25 “
Chest........39.25”........ 39...............38.25
Under ......................... 32...............32.25
Waist....... 30.5.............29.5......... ...29.75
Hips......... 36.5........... 36.5.............36.25
R Bicep... 12.25...........11.75......... .11.75
L Bicep.... 12.5........... 11.5............11.75
R Forearm. 9................N/A.......... ....9
L Forearm..9............... N/A..............9
R Thigh.... 20.25..........20.25.......... .21.25
L Thigh.... 20.5............21............ ....21.25
R Calf.......12.75..........12.5 .............12.5
L Calf...... 12.75..........12.5........... ..12.75
I enjoy weighing myself just once a month now. It’s an event. Weighing in daily or even weekly wasn’t worth the frustration ... for me.
The weather in the Northeast is cool, gray, and rainy and has been for at least the last 60 days. It’s affecting the locally-grown weekly produce distributions that we’re receiving. We’re getting lots of lettuces (green-leaf, red-leaf, Boston, romaine hearts), parsley, Swiss chard, bunch beets, kale, strawberries, cut flowers. I don’t have a lot of imagination when it comes to how to use all of these items but we’re eating them – and that’s the trick to the CSA plan! As such, my nutritional scheme sounds like a broken record but it’s working for us. This week’s is:
- 6:30 AM – Parsley omelet (w/sweet onions, peppers, Canadian bacon)
- 9:30 AM – Kale smoothie, black coffee
- 12:30 PM – Turkey meatballs, green salad, honey-dijon dressing
- 3:30 PM – Greek yogurt/berries or (PN) Choc. PB Bars/strawberries
- 6:30 PM – Post-workout smoothie (pineapple juice, banana pp)
- Kale and sausage soup
- Steak, buttered beets, green salad (x2)
- Granola w/ milk (post-workout)
- Fish, buttered parsley potatoes, green salad (x2)
I’ll try to make the Swiss chard recipe tonight and have it with the steak and buttered beets. Why do I think this will taste like spinach?
Let me know if you’d like the recipe for the Kale Smoothie. It’s sweet, delicious, and a wonderful way to add this nutritious vegetable to your menu.
Supplements: women’s multi-vitamin, fish oil (2x/day), calcium chew (2x/day, 80 mg. aspirin. (No medications!
I’ll be starting Hypertrophy I tomorrow. I’ll have to ask for a spotter for the Barbell Close-Grip Chest Presses which will probably be more challenging for me than the workout. (I’m basically very shy and keep to myself when I’m working out. I’ll push myself though because I know how important this is for safety. Since the point is to increase my weights, it will be necessary to have someone around to make sure I don’t clunk myself on the head. I’m sure, like everything else, it will get easier to ask with practice. Another opportunity for personal growth! Hurrah! See? Working out is so much more than just gaining muscles!)
I’m winding down from a restful yet productive recovery week. I finished the Fat Loss II stage on Thursday. Last workouts looked like this: Fat Loss II, Workout A Front Squat
Workout 6...55/8 60/8 60/8 Wide-Grip Cable Seated Row
Workout 6...55/8 50/8 50/8 (Different equipment. Was heavier!) Supine Hip Extension W/Leg Curl
Workout 6...BW/8..BW/8..BW/8 Barbell Push Press
Workout 6...60/8 60/8 60/8 Dynamic Lunge
Workout 6...55/8 55/8 60/8 Upper-Body Russian Twist
Workout 6...5/8 5/8 5/8
Followed workout with 18 min. HIIT on Stairmaster. (Added 3 min. f/last workout.) Fat Loss II, Workout B Snatch-Grip Deadlift
Workout 6...60/8 70/8 75/8 T-Push Up
Workout 6... BW/8...BW/8...BW/8 Bulgarian Split Squat w/Overhead Press
Workout 6...5/8 5/8 5/8 Underhand-Grip Lat Pulldown
Workout 6...87.5/8 87.5/8 87.5/8 Romanian Deadlift/Bent-Over Row
Workout 6...65/8 70/8 70/8 Lower-Body Russian Twist
Workout 6...8 8 8
Followed workout with 18 min. HIIT on Stairmaster. Will add additional three minutes at next session.
Should be a great weekend: Red Sox game and hopefully visiting Boston Harbor to view the Tall Ships. I didn’t realize that the Tall Ships were racing. They pause in the States and continue on to end the race in Belfast, N. Ireland!
Thanks for visiting!
Shoot! I wish these dark gray clouds, big puddles with raindrops splashing in them would go away for a while.
I'm intrigued - please post the recipe for the kale smoothie.
Your nutrition looks great.
I also had trouble asking for a spot on the bench presses when I did HYP I. As a result, I didn't go as heavy as I would have liked. I should be starting HYP II in a week or two and I am promising myself to ask for a spotter so I can go heavy!!!
Thanks for the recipe. I'll try the Kale smoothie and let you know how I like it. If it's as tasty as you say, it's a great way to get your veggies in.
Kale Smoothie
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