NROL4W Stage 1

[daedala]

We're on the third week of the first stage of New Rules of Lifting for Women. My sister has dropped out for a bit due to a car accident (she's ok, and she'll start up again when her doctor gives the ok), but my partner and I are still doing it. It's really helpful to have him working out with me -- I haven't put the workout off a day or anything yet.

The first stage of workouts for the book is set up so that the reps decrease: 15 reps in the first week down to 8 reps in the eighth week. This makes it a good way to ease in -- starting with body weight wasn't completely ridiculous, with fifteen reps -- and it's really nice to be able to increase the weight faster because the reps are going down. I've decided that this is very clever psychology on their part. :)

The most important realization I've come to is that I'm not a personal trainer and I don't want to be a personal trainer, even for myself. I like doing the program, getting it done, and knowing it will work. I'd had a fairly regular practice going until I was injured (not lifting) in 2007, and then could never get very far when I tried to restart, and I think it's because it basically wasn't fun to figure it out myself. The whole geek "I can figure it out myself!" is definitely a part of my identity, so it's been weird to let that go. On the other hand, Practical Programming is worth a fair bit used on Amazon, so that's a win!

So far, this workout is fun.

Comments

[lyorn]

Stage 1, workout 2A today.

Squats with empty 20kg bar went OK -- could go down a good way without overbalancing or bending my back the wrong way. Still, the knobby top of my spine is not safely out of the way. Ouch.
Push-ups against 90 cm height.
Seated rows with 25 kg, that was a good weight. I need to think about a better arrangement of whatever to brace my legs aginst, though -- it came toppling down *g*.
Step-ups again with 2*4 kg. Less pushing off with the trailing leg today, better form overall.
Prone jackknives still fun, and did not fall off the ball this time.

Finished with stretching and three handstands against the wall, just for fun.

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Stage 1, workout 2A today.

Squats with empty 20kg bar went OK -- could go down a good way without overbalancing or bending my back the wrong way. Still, the knobby top of my spine is not safely out of the way. Ouch.
Push-ups against 90 cm height.
Seated rows with 25 kg, that was a good weight. I need to think about a better arrangement of whatever to brace my legs aginst, though -- it came toppling down *g*.
Step-ups again with 2*4 kg. Less pushing off with the trailing leg today, better form overall.
Prone jackknives still fun, and did not fall off the ball this time.

Finished with stretching and three handstands against the wall, just for fun.

<user="daedala">, are you doing the nutrition plan from the book also?

[lyorn]

oh dang, sorry for the coding mess. How do you say "user" in DW?

[daedala]

No problem! user name = "whatever" inside brackets should work.

I'm not doing the diet plan -- I like how I eat. :) That said, their diet looks pretty sane overall. I especially liked the part where they tell you to eat goddammit.

I do have the post-workout protein shakes.

[lyorn]

I've finally given in and got protein supplements. Without, I can't even make the 0.8g per kg that conservative nutrition sites are recommending. I feel silly having that stuff in the kitchen. *g*.

[daedala]

It is kind of silly -- I go in phases with how much I use them. For a while I was taking a lot of protein, then I got out of the habit, now I'm getting back in.... That's how I do a lot of food.

I find that I personally do much better with, well, a lot more protein than that. :)

Rydra has a great recipe that I am trying to figure out a low-carb version of. Almost there.