Daedala (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
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lifting_heavy_things2011-10-13 08:33 pm
daedala) wrote in lifting_heavy_things2011-10-13 08:33 pm
NRoL4W Stage 4
After several false starts, a depressive episode, quitting my job, and finding a new one (in that order), I've finished New Rules of Lifting for Women's Stage 4. I finished Stage 3 in May, and this stage was just eight workouts.... It's been a while. I had some abortive starts -- one workout in June, three in July -- but just couldn't keep going. In September, I started at the beginning, and did all eight workouts, two or three per week. I reduced the weight I started with so I could manage it, and I didn't increase them very much, which was frustrating, but I finished. Also, looking back at Stage 2 (which has the same exercises), I hadn't increased weights much over the course of the stage there, either. So at least it's consistent!
Stage 4 doesn't have the bodyweight matrix that made Stage 3 so special. So I added a half-matrix (same stuff, same order, just half the number of reps for each) after each A workout. It seemed like a good idea at the time.
Once I decided to quit my job, I started exercising a lot: biking to work (because if I was quitting anyway, I still meant to do good work but damned if I'd wear full business for it), starting up Stage 4 again, and now trying to do an hour of yoga every day. The new job pays enough more that I'm going to try personal training once I'm settled in, and maybe that will help.
Because I had such a long hiatus before Stage 4, I'm planning to start Stage 5 this weekend.
Final Weights
Workout A
Front squat/push press -- 20d (two 20-lb dumbbells)
Step-up -- 15d
Dumbbell one-point row -- 25d
Static lunge, rear foot elevated -- 8d
Push-up -- bench
Plank -- 90s
Cable horizontal wood chop -- heavy Theraband
Half bodyweight matrix -- 90s
Workout B
Wide-grip deadlift from box -- 35d
Bulgarian split squat -- 8d (this dropped a lot because of form issues)
Underhand-grip lat pulldown -- medium assistance band
Reverse lunge from box with lowered front reach -- 8d
Dumbbell prone Cuban snatch -- 2.5d
Swiss-ball crunch -- 20s
Reverse crunch -- thrusters
Lateral flexion -- ball side crunch
Prone cobra -- 90s
Intervals -- biking the next day
Stage 4 doesn't have the bodyweight matrix that made Stage 3 so special. So I added a half-matrix (same stuff, same order, just half the number of reps for each) after each A workout. It seemed like a good idea at the time.
Once I decided to quit my job, I started exercising a lot: biking to work (because if I was quitting anyway, I still meant to do good work but damned if I'd wear full business for it), starting up Stage 4 again, and now trying to do an hour of yoga every day. The new job pays enough more that I'm going to try personal training once I'm settled in, and maybe that will help.
Because I had such a long hiatus before Stage 4, I'm planning to start Stage 5 this weekend.
Final Weights
Workout A
Front squat/push press -- 20d (two 20-lb dumbbells)
Step-up -- 15d
Dumbbell one-point row -- 25d
Static lunge, rear foot elevated -- 8d
Push-up -- bench
Plank -- 90s
Cable horizontal wood chop -- heavy Theraband
Half bodyweight matrix -- 90s
Workout B
Wide-grip deadlift from box -- 35d
Bulgarian split squat -- 8d (this dropped a lot because of form issues)
Underhand-grip lat pulldown -- medium assistance band
Reverse lunge from box with lowered front reach -- 8d
Dumbbell prone Cuban snatch -- 2.5d
Swiss-ball crunch -- 20s
Reverse crunch -- thrusters
Lateral flexion -- ball side crunch
Prone cobra -- 90s
Intervals -- biking the next day
no subject
I copy every stage into my training book and do dry-runs in the living room, and then take only my training book to the gym. I do not dare to imagine how the book would look otherwise...
The links look interesting -- I haven't yet managed to add any weight at all to the YTWL. My goal for the single-leg squat is a full range of motion pistol squat. Not sure if that's reasonable, but I can do them when holding on to something for balance, so, hm, just maybe? It would look cool to be able to do those. (*is vain*)
Falling off the ball when doing the side ball crunches... oh yes. I wish I knew where exactly I have hurt my back. I noticed the pain on the incline bench reverse crunches (I can to those on the 15° setting, but it seems that I'm using everything *but* my abs for them), but I'm not sure that they *caused* it, or if it was clumsiness on the side ball crunches. I dislike the whole side-sequence. It becomes painful before it becomes an effort. I might try weirdquark's side planks (*looks at right shoulder doubtfully*).
If only that stupid cold would go away.
no subject
I would luuuuuuurve to do pistols, but I doubt it will be possible any time soon, because my flexibility is so poor. That's part of why I liked that article -- it showed me better ways to do single-leg squats. (I remember reading someone on a forum saying they'd stopped doing the partial single-leg squats in stage 3/5 because they were too easy... missing the point a bit, I think, though admittedly the book didn't give any good sense of how to progress.)
I'm really paranoid about hurting my back. I'm the only person in my family without foot/knee/back problems (despite breaking both foot and knee at different points a few years ago) and I want to keep it that way. :)