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]

Yepp, too long steps. Got better today.

Do you read the lunges as "two set of fifteen *per leg*" (i.e., 60 total) or "two sets of fiften with alternating legs" (i.e., 30)?

Sixty is hard even at bodyweight, thirty feels more in line with the endurance requirement of the rest of the workout.

[daedala]

Woot, glad that helped.

Um, hm. We're doing it like this:

Step forward with right leg, drop, step back
Step forward with left leg, drop, step back
x 15

[other exercise]
Step forward with right leg, drop, step back
Step forward with left leg, drop, step back
x 15

So that's 30 each leg, 60 total. Does that make sense?

[lyorn]

Yes, makes sense. Ouch, sixty :-S

I did Stage 2, workout 2B today. Slowly I'm getting the weights to where I want them -- I did what was recommended and started really light.

At the moment I really want to make use of the fact that I have free time every evening but Wednesday, so I go to the gym three times a week. As soon as everyone has recovered from their colds, I'll be down to Thu, Sat and Sun again.

[daedala]

Well, you now, I could totally be wrong. :) I'm not sure how the other way would work, though!

I've got the weights at a good level now, too. I had to rest more than I was "supposed" to this time. I'm also at about the point where I can't hold them by my shoulders for a squat (20lb dumbbells = ok, 25lb dumbbells = not so much). I'm going to try a goblet squat, I think.

May I ask why both Saturday and Sunday? Everyone I've read/talked to/etc. suggests a day between workouts, though morning Saturday and evening Sunday are probably close enough to that.

[lyorn]

May I ask why both Saturday and Sunday?

I expressed that badly -- Thu, Sat and Sun will be the days where I *can* go to the gym. So because of the "not two days in a row" (I *couldn't* do two days in a row at the moment!) I'll manage only two times a week, not three. Which is a little annoying because I had been getting into a nice rhythm and I feel that I'm seeing progress.

About dumbbells at shoulder level: I tried that and got back to the barbell. The issue was less grip strength (having the palm of my hand under the dumbbells helped), but I didn't get the balance right and had to pay too much attention to what my arms were doing.