You might want to look into getting platemates if you workout at home. They enable you to add 1.25 lbs or 2.5lbs to dumbbells so you don't have to make a full 5lb jump. I'd say keep the weights where they're at the in the shoulder press as you can always switch midstream to finish the set. Keep up the good work.
__________________
Tom
No "happy hours" makes for a lot of miserable days. - Mahler
Judymac: Why, thank you! I'm 5'10" and weigh 167 - on the higher end of my healthy weight range. I wouldn't mind losing a little fat, as I'm fairly "thick" in the lower body. But I'm also trying to add a little muscle in the shoulders and back to look more proportional. I've heard differing opinions on how to do that, and whether it's even possible to lose fat and gain muscle simultaneously.
I'm eating 2100 calories on training days, 1900 other days and doing a carb-up on Friday nights. I eat 165-200 grams of protein daily. I'll see how it goes and make adjustments if needed. I've been playing around with different carb intakes, but I don't think a modified carb diet is for me. Yesterday, I still had 80 grams - not even that low by typical standards - and felt lethargic and moody all day. I think this morning's workout suffered because of it. I had nothing in the tank.
I've struggled with my weight all of my life. Over the past 10 years, I went from 225 pounds to 145 (vegan diet + DANGEROUS diet pills) ... to 170 (back to regular unhealthy eating habits)... to 165 (Atkins)... to 175... to 150 (Weight Watchers)... to where I am now. I can't afford to yo-yo diet the rest of my life. Anyway, I'm babbling. On to today's workout.
* Yes, I hit a wall today. No more low-carb days for this lady...
Stage 1, Workout 4A:
Squat
Warm-up sets: 1x8: 60 lbs, 1x6: 85 lbs
2x12: 115 lbs. I was doing okay until the middle of the second set, when I remembered to push through the heels only. All of a sudden, it became SUPER hard. Have I been doing it incorrectly this whole time? Probably!
Push-up
2x12: 30-degree
Seated row
1x12: 85 lbs, 1x12: 80 lbs. Wasn't pulling the bar close enough on the first set, so I reverted back to 80 lbs.
Step-up
2x12: 20-lb DBs
Prone jackknife
2x14 (+2). Yay, this is the only real progress I made today! Ppphhhhhhht.
You can go to youtube and search for squat rx (can't remember if it's one word or two) - should tell you everything you need to know about squatting. But yes, pushing up through the heels is what you want to be doing.
__________________
Tom
No "happy hours" makes for a lot of miserable days. - Mahler
Sorry I missed your log until today, but haven't been spending as much time over here in Training Logs as in Challenge Training Logs.
I agree with Tom that the squat rx series on youtube is well worth watching. LisaS (I think?) posted some links to it in my log when I was struggling and it definitely helped out.
Hey Tom and Karen! I watched several of the Squat RX videos a couple weeks ago when I first started the program. Couldn't hurt to review them again. There are so many things to keep in check when doing squats! I'll learn... At least it's still early on, and I didn't go through the whole Stage 1 doing them wrong! I'll try standing on a weight plate with my toes off, until it becomes habit.
Anybody else wear Chuck Taylors for squats? I wonder if the flatter heel really increases the range of motion that much.
Anybody else wear Chuck Taylors for squats? I wonder if the flatter heel really increases the range of motion that much.
My trainer went and got certified with RKC and came back with knowledge of flat shoes allowing for a more stable base, which allows for better control when doing kettlebell exercises (or squats). He suggested I pick up Chucks or Pumas. And if I don't have my flat shoes, on a kettlebell day, or if he has me doing squats, he makes me take my shoes off.
I guess I do feel a little more solid without the "cushion-y" shoes. Knowing that I'm solid there allows me to concentrate more on the other points of the squat.
Anybody else wear Chuck Taylors for squats? I wonder if the flatter heel really increases the range of motion that much.
No, it does not. It provides a more stable base and better (I hope I get the spelling correct) proprioception.
Range of motion is determined more by mobility of joints (which is a function of other aspects), strength and tightness of the muscle and center of gravity and balance. Some people use plates under the heels to help shift the center of gravity forward allowing for greater motion.
I've heard barefoot is ideal, but barring that, chucks, nike frees, wrestling shoes and in some cases, sandals work well. Just watch out for your toes.
I would never have guessed that you needed to lose much body fat. You really will look elfin when you've finished. That is a compliment... Me? I fear I will just look like a 5 ft battle dwarf!
I ran into carb problems last week, played with my meals a little and am now happy. amazing what home made baked beans on wholewheat toast fuels
It is full BMR day for me today, so I enjoyed a ploughmans for lunch (cheese, salad, pickles, apple and crusty bap). I do manage to lose fat and gain lean body mass, and have done so continuously for 3 months. It is slower than doing either seperately I think, I'm now averaging 1.8lb fat loss per week, with moderate LBM gain.
I am seriously thinking of splitting the two up and having seperate cycles for muscle gain and for fat loss.
Next squat workout, I'm gonna get loose, footloose... kick off my thick-soled shoes! I'm a geek.
Judymac: I'll take the compliment, thanks! You might not think that if you saw a full-body photo, however. Tee hee. That's great how you're changing your body composition. Slow and steady wins the race! I've also been considering bulking and cutting. But according to the scale, I've been bulking all year! Ha. Time for a cut!
I love wearing chucks when I lift. When I'm lifting at home, I even go barefoot.
__________________ It all starts with the mind, but the thoughts, the intention aren't enough. Action needs to come next. Dream it, believe it, plan it, execute it, celebrate it. - Wendy
Must be the Oxygen forum. I thought your username looked familiar, too!
When I bought the NROL4W book, I was getting free training sessions at my gym, so I already had a routine going. I was a newbie to weightlifting, and didn't feel up for the challenge yet. I put the book on the shelf and kind of forgot about it until I stumbled upon this forum. Well, I'm glad I dug it back out! I enjoyed it even more the second time around, and I'm so thankful for starting the program. I was really wasting my time before.
Body Part Splits are not what they are cracked up to be.
__________________ It all starts with the mind, but the thoughts, the intention aren't enough. Action needs to come next. Dream it, believe it, plan it, execute it, celebrate it. - Wendy
I looked back at your earlier workouts to help me through my week 2...wow, you are lifting much heavier, part of me want to try to get there too, but I want to get my forms right first also... I've read in NROLW forum that I wasn't really squatting deep enough either, so I am going to check out those YouTube videos you mentioned earlier and hopefully I can get better! Thanks!!!
I'm in a rut this week. Don't know what my problem is. I'm tired and foggy-headed, as evidenced by today's workout...
Stage 1, Workout 4B:
Dumbbell shoulder press
25/20-lbs. Set 1: 10/3, Set 2: 4/6. Should have stuck to 20 lbs instead of doing drop sets.
Wide-grip lat pulldown
2x12: 80 lbs
Deadlift (normally first, but squat rack was being used)
Warm-up sets - 8/60 lbs, 6/90 lbs
2x12: 120 lbs (+5)
Lunge
2x(15): 25-lb DBs. I recently learned that I'm supposed to alternate legs. Well, I remembered to do that... but forgot to stop at 12 reps. Where is my head today?
Swiss-ball crunch
2x30 (+10): 25-lb plate on chest; feet against bench
I think there is a bug going around, it is amazing the amount of people talking about muzziness and general weakness this week. What counts is that you showed up to exercise
The shoulder press used to be my most hated exercise, then we chopped and stacked wood all of August. It became much easier without any real effort on my behalf, just had to dodge 20lb logs if I dropped them.
I take it that your gym does not have oly dumb bells with a 3lb (1.5kg) increment?
Great going on the deadlift, did you change your grip?
I don't usually do drop sets. When I can't complete a set with one weight (say 25lbs), I finish the set with the 20s, and then use the 20s for each subsequent set (unless I can't complete, then I use the 15s to finish it off).
__________________
Tom
No "happy hours" makes for a lot of miserable days. - Mahler
Hey there,
Looks like we are pretty much at the exact workout (I just did 5A last night). I was a little intimidated to do 3 reps but it went ok I guess. You are doing really great! Sorry to hear your not feeling too hot, it's that time of year I think, back to school, germs everywhere! Good for you for sticking with it and working out even under the weather.
Deadlift
Warm-up sets - 8/65 lbs, 6/100 lbs
3x10/130 lbs. Mixed grip is helping. Focused on keeping the bar close to my body, in contact with my legs.
Dumbbell shoulder press
3x10/20-25 lb DBs. 1st set: 10/20 (easy), 2nd: 10/25 (barely), 3rd: 7/25 and 3/20. I wish I had Platemates.
Wide-grip lat pulldown
3x10/70-80 lbs. Had to take a step back today weight-wise. Not sure what happened. 1st set: 10/80 lbs, 2nd: 7/80 and 3/70, 3rd: 10/70.
Lunge
3x10/25-lb DBs
Swiss-ball crunch
3x30/25-lb plate on chest; feet on instead of against bench. I fell off a few times, but learned I could keep my balance if I went slowly.
I had a hard time transitioning between weights on shoulder press, too. My weights at home went in 5 pound increments. I still can't do many with 25's - working on it though!
Dumbbell shoulder press
3x10/20-25 lb DBs. 1st set: 10/20 (easy), 2nd: 10/25 (barely), 3rd: 7/25 and 3/20. I wish I had Platemates.
It's kind of odd looking, but... consider a set of 2lb wrist weights. My powerblocks go up in weird numbers, ie.:
5, 7.5, 10
15, 17.5, 20
etc
Now, I do workout at home, but I use a pair of wrist weights to move from say 10 to 15 (10, 12, 15). It's not a perfect solution but I find it easier to increase the weight that way.
Just like Anne, I also use wrist weights. Too bad they are 2lbs each but I just 'pretend' it's 1 kg (to not drive myself crazy)
While I carry them with me for every workout, they now only get exclusively used for 2 exercises: db presses, db rows.
Our gym has 1 kg increments from 2 thru 10 kg (there's even a stack with 1kg dbs) , but after 10kg (22lbs) the weight goes up by 2kg (4.4lbs) increments.. too much when you are dumbbell pressing and have a 4 kg/8.8lbs total wt jump.
It was even so that for nearly 5 years there was no 22kg dumbbell, so you had to jump from 20 to 24kg! They bought a 22kg pair of dumbbells at my special request (took about 6 mo. of begging/pleading etc.)
Push-up
3x10/25-degree. Side note: I tried floor push-ups over the weekend, and actually did TWO! Yeah, I'm tough.
Seated row
3x10/85 lbs. Is the bar supposed to touch your chest? My rows get shorter at the end of the set, but I can't help it. Might go back to 80 lbs until I get it right.
I'm kind of surprised how much DOMS I've had during this program. Used to be that I'd only have it in the first week of a new routine. Now, I have at least a little soreness after almost every workout - even one month into it. I know I'm recovering properly: eating well, drinking a lot of water, getting eight hours of sleep and taking my rest days.
The soreness doesn't bother me. I just think it's weird. I should take it as a good sign, right? Today, I woke up and my traps (near my neck) are hurting for the first time.
Missed my Friday workout last week. Tried to make it up Saturday and Sunday but had houseguests, dinner plans, tickets to a show... just didn't do it. Blew my diet, too. What started as a Friday night cheat meal turned into a weekend-long binge. What's done is done. Back on track today.
Stage 1, Workout 6B:
Deadlift
Warm-up sets - 8/60 lbs, 6/90 lbs
3x10/125 lbs. Previously did 130 lbs, but I accidently looked at the wrong page in my log so I used 125 lbs. Shit.
I hate when cheat meals turn into cheat weekends. Happened to me Halloween weekend. Ok it didn't happen to me, I did it. But like you I am back on track and not giving up!! Keep up the good work I love your log
Push-up
3x8/15-degree (I think). I've gone as low as I can on the Smith Machine, so I switched to a bench about 16" high. Takes all I've got to push out the last two reps!
Seated row
3x8/85 lbs. I stayed at this weight since I wasn't sure I was pulling the bar close enough.
Step-up
3x8/25-lb DBs. Only touched down with my toes instead of stepping flat on the floor, preventing me from pushing off with the non-working leg so much (which I didn't even realize was a problem). Definitely harder.
Prone jackknife
3x20. I tried pikes instead of tucks, but couldn't even do one.
At least it's still early on, and I didn't go through the whole Stage 1 doing them wrong! I'll try standing on a weight plate with my toes off, until it becomes habit. 
Linear Mode
