Behind in posting…Wednesday’s Work (Jan 20) Last day of AMRAP’s and Stage 1 NROL. Not terribly energetic.
Deadlift (RDL) BB 70/15
DB Shoulder Press 15/s/15
Wide Grip Lat PD 55#/20
Lunges DB 20’s/24 steps (I can do 72 steps but I have to rest and do sets! Usual 18 steps/set. 70+ lunges around gym perimeter = Lunge Beast. You know who you are!)
Bent Knee Raises - BW/45
SLDL 25’s/8 ea leg
Roman Chair Back Hyperextensions 12#/20 DB behind head much better work than plate on chest
Upright Rows DB 15’s/16
Pull-ups 110/15 (88% assistance/lifting 15 pounds. Sack of potatoes anyone? They should have had a rope-climbing assistance mechanism back in elementary where I hung in humiliation on the rope unable to pull myself up one inch. I digress.
Bridges DB 30#/20
Yesterday’s Work 1-22 Stage 2 begins
Front squat/push press preloaded BB 30/12 40/4 30/6
Step-up 2’ step DB 15’s/8 ea leg x 2
DB one-point row 25’s/4 ea leg 20’s/10 ea leg
Static lunge, rear foot elevated 20’s/8 ea. 15’s/8 ea lots of falling over and losing balance, kept resetting
Push-ups low bench 8 x 2
Plank 120 secs x 2 (I must be doing them wrong but sure felt strong.)
Cable Horizontal wood chop 15#/12 ea side 17/5 # 10 ea side
Pull-ups 90#/3 100#/8
First FS/PP’s Me like. Form sucked. Need to get elbows up. Feels like a back strength issue. Trying to find right place on front shoulders to rest bar during squat.
Love the one-point rows. Note to self: Wear tighter leg on these days. Hope I wasn’t blasting underwear peeks across gym. Or do I hope I was?
Usually have foot pain on Static Lunge with foot elevated-don’t like that hard bend behind toes, but only 4 w/o Stage 2.
Need to check for saggage in planks. Feels good but the time spent planking is highly suspicious since I used to shake and drip sweat at 60 seconds.
Not sure how much weight to put on wood chops. Tend to thickness around middle and don’t want to exacerbate that and turn into “fire plug.”
Rambling. Prolly trying to sound like i have something to say. That is all.
kimba the lunge beast, i like that! i’m with ya on the walking lunges need rest between. good work!
i don’t know if it’s incorrect, but i used to do front squats with bar resting somewhat across my arms in front of me. this was with a preloaded BB, usually 50 or 60. i don’t think that form would work with OLY bar, but with the 40 you are using, it might work for you as well.
i’m trying to mimic the move right now, and it doesn’t seem like i’m remembering correctly. maybe look at cbear’s or other front squat videos to see what works. front squat with press is a great move, so get comfortable with your form and dooooo them! 
So right, T, I’m working on form form form! When I look at other vids the bar rests on front shoulders and upper arms are parallel to floor during squat. Mine sag a little so I’m guessing this is a weakness somewhere (either back or triceps) which should be addressed as I keep at it. Yes, I started with the oly bar and knew I had to lighten up and get it right! (Thanks. Looked at CBear’s hub-current vids were squats and shrugs so googled.)
It was so much fun to do something new! I thought I would hate to stop the exercises in Stage 1 but new challenges … the only change I make is in Workout B-don’t like Swiss Ball crunches. Maybe I’ll try ab wheel thing that makes me think of the '70’s when suburban dads used ab wheels, grip squeezers, and those metal slinky-like accordian pull-aparts.
Lunge beast. I’m oddly OK with that.
I lose my balance on bulgarian split squats and single leg deadlifts. Its quite embarrasing, but only practice will make it better!
If you video a plank, you’ll know immediately if you are cheating it. Did you hear me say VIDEO?
Oh, crap, I knew it was only a matter of time before someone said the ‘V’ word. I shall pilfer a camera from one of my offspring. I totally lose my balance on those - and others - too, and jimmie crack corn and I don’t care. (Hey, I live in the south. Y’all just get over it. We have our quaintisms.) Sometimes reminding myself to hold my abs in does it for me. At least I fall over in a firmer manner.
This Morning’s Work: Glute-Leg Complex (at home)
Glute Bridge DB 30#/16
Half Squat 12’s/16
Pull from step 30’s/16
Hip Thrust 30#/16 x 2
Bulg Split Squat 12’s/12
Back Extensions - lame on a ball BW/20
Hip Extensions 12#/20 x 2(Donkey back kicks to those of us who used to do them in the 70’s)
Band Hip Rota band/12 x 2
SL Hip thrust BS/16
Bulg Spl Squat 12’s /12
Pull from step 30’s/8
Hip Thrust 30#/20
Good Morning 12#/20 x 2 I need to either do this at gym w BB or eliminate this exercise
Reverse Squat 12’s/12
Standing Hip Abd Band 30x2
Later that same day… went for Stage 2 W/O B
Wide-grip deadlift from box 50/8 70/6 90/6
Bulgarian Split Squat 15’s/8 x2
Underhand grip lat pulldown 60/8 65/10 70/12
Reverse lunge from box w/ forward reach 15’s/10 x 2 (names are getting long)
Dumbbell prone Cuban Snatch 10’s/3 8/3/12 10/s/5 8’s/4 My forearms don’t want to come up so well
Swiss ball crunch - skip! don’t want to do these! moving on!
Reverse crunch 50 x 2 flat on bench - first tried incline but failed
Lateral flexion stuff 8 x 3 x 2
Assisted Pull-ups 80/fail 90/3 100/8
Plank 1/ 90 seconds
Stretch and turn out the lights, folks, time to go home
HAHAH! Bloody NROL and they’re effing long named lifts.
With the Front Squat Push Press, yeah, elbows up. This was always really hard for me, like my body was just not meant to be in that position. I wonder how much of the lift is compromised when the elbows aren’t in they’re proper place?
Sigh, I miss the Bulgarian Split Squat - if a lift could be a lover, he would be the one I just couldn’t quit no matter how bad he treated me.
Awesome work! And well done for doubling up - you are a far better woman than I.
I lent my NROLW book to a friend about six months ago hoping she would actually be inspired. She probably hasn’t even opened it, so I should ask for it back. There were some recipes in there that I want to try. Oh, and that way I can follow along and decode your lifts!
Happy to see that fail on the assisted pull-ups. Shows that you are pushing it.
Masch, in addition to spearheading the Bicycle Brunch movement - in fact, a competition coming to your area soon! - I am in charge of naming new NROL lifts. Please, all, feel free to submit your favorite lift names, whether they are recognized worldwide or not.
Reverse One-Armed Single-Leg Barbell Squat from Box
Underhanded Prone Ass Grab with Partner
Bench Press Verdict Style w/ Snatch
or my favorite, Lateral Deadlift with Half Squat on Swiss Ball.
I feel the way you do about lifts not “on my plan” now. If I could do them all I would just quit my job and work out daily and probably be a very ineffective at everything.(Anything I overdo, I screw up eventually…)
And the double-up? Confession…just get a little irritated and need to leave the house and have that be the place you think of going, especially if you’re avoiding something else. Simple!
Gee, Kimba, tell me what recipe you need; I’ll send it to you. Chili Scallops w black bean salsa? - Makin’ it this week. - Peanut Butter Snack Bar? Oatmeal protein pancakes? Apple Dipped in peanut butter? (Kidding!)(I was amazed at the protein content in two large sea scallops. (Course, the price matches…)
I read everything you take the time and trouble to post and I appreciate your feedback. It takes hours and hours to be so active on this site and there are many active lifters! I read your advice to another Vixen about always trying the pull-up before going to assistance. For me that means trying lower assist. My assisted lift I noticed only helps down to 50 pounds. Noticed this yesterday and thought what will I do then? Seems like a big leap to suddenly lift 50 pounds more. I was thinking then I will do negatives and find a way to keep moving forward. If I can keep moving forward regularly, I will be quite satisfied. Not content, and there’s a diff.
Windbag signing off…
Snow Day Yesterday! Made do at home with glute-leg complex and my DB’s.
Glute Bridge 30’s/15
Squat 30# behind head/20
Pull from step-sumo 30’s/15
Hip thrusts 30#/20
Hip thrusts 42#/16
BSS 18’s/5 x 2
Back Ext on Ball 10#/40
Quad Pend Hip Ext 30#/12 30#/15 Felt way better than 12#. Rolled that sucker in towel and trap behind knee.
Band Ext Hip Rota 20 ea side x 2
SL Hip thrusts 12#/10 ea leg 12#/5 ea
BSS 18’s/6 ea
Hip thrusts 30#/20 x 2
Good Morning 30# behind head/16 x 2
RDL’s sumo-deadlift lousy form something or others 30’s/16
Reverse squat 30/s/5
Band Standing Hip Add 30-30-30 ea leg
Another snow day. Yay, taxes done! (NGAS, Lynn, just put your numbers down.)
Still Stage 2
Warm Up 1’ step ups 15’s/8 x 2 w/ OH press 2’ step 15’s/8
Wide Grip DL from Box - 2 risers+step 60/8 80/8 100/6
BSS DB’s 20’s/4 15’s/6 15’s/8
Underhand grip lat pulldown 55/8 70/8 75/10
Reverse lunge from box w/ fwd reach DB’s 15’s/8 ea leg x3
DB prone Cuban Snatch split into snatching 8’s x8 x3 and Pull backs 12’sx8x3
Plank 2 mins x 2 2nd set last half min ws hard so I moved feet in and out and rocked fwd/back - cheater!
Reverse Crunch BW/40 x 2
Lateral flexion stuff - lift ankles, then feet then both 10x3x2
Roman Chair DB 10#/12 15#/8
Bent knee lifts BS/24
Pull ups 80/FIL 90/4 100/4
Now…back to reading interesting stuff…
You are making the most of your snow days. How long does Stage 2 last?
Stage 2’s based on 4 weeks or less - 4 each A&B workouts. Stage 3,4 & 5 are the same. I don’t even want to look ahead at 6 & 7. This program makes me focused and restless at the same time. I want to add more stuff (usually do) and really want to have one day each week where I focus only on regular squats.
After squatting 85 in Stage 1 and wobbling I went to Smith machine and squatted 132 or whatever but after reading more about squat machine I’m not feeling so smug about squatting more than BW. Need to go back to rack and work on true squats where I’m really managing the load on my back. I’d feel accomplished for a minute to squat 1.5 x bodyweight. NROL doesn’t have me squatting like this until Stage 7, but it does build strength in sneaky ways that train the large muscle groups from different approaches. (RDL’s BB split sq.,SLRDL, etc.) I’ll stick with it because I will probably be much stronger all over and better able to manage the oly bar untracked!
great to see you getting workouts in at home. stay away from the smith machine for squats. do some BW rows with the it instead.
rather than thinking about managing the load on your back, focus on a good ROM and your form. the smith puts your body in an awkward position and i’m sure others can list a # of reasons why not to use it.
About squats, let me be your “horrible example” and don’t repeat my mistakes. There is absolutely no point at all to focusing on how much weight you can squat before your form is perfect, or at least acceptable. Arachne, Alisa and I (to name but a few) have all struggled with this.
T is right: the smith machine is good for chinups and horizontal rows. Not for squatting.
Go to the rack and put just the bar on your back. Practice with that and a camera that takes video. If you see that you are getting good depth, that your upper body is tight and not leaning forward and that your knees aren’t caving in, then put weight on the bar. By that I mean, two measly 10lb plates. Repeat. Do at least 10 good reps, checking your form with video. Post the video here if you really, really want to know how to squat correctly.
Only then move up in weight. Had I done this to start with, I would not have wasted about nine months worth of time with a false sense of accomplishment.
true x1000.
Honesty is the best policy.
Talenaah - I’ll check out BW rows with Mr. Smith next time out. Never tried them.
Kimbakimba - Okay, I can live with trading good form now for solid increases in the near future. That’s what I want - great form, respectable loads, done as honestly as I can. I swear some days I’m out there making stuff up and I ask myself, WTFWT?
I need to start rewatching vids before I go out. Make me more honest! Thanks, Alisa, for weighing in!
Swear I’m going to start separating front squat/push presses into separate front squats so I can cross my arms and get my elbows up more. Maybe my bones are wrong but I just can’t get elbows horizontal or nearly so. Feels like I have the barbell pressing into my throat the higher my elbows. Then I can just do military press separately.
Today’s Work: Stage 2 cont.
Front squat/push press 30/4 40/4 50/2 then did 10 front squats no presses (arms tired, legs not)
Glute Bridge DB 40#/8 50#/8 60#/8 80#/8
DB one-point row 25/15 25/10x2
Static lunge, rear foot elev 12’s/10 12’s/8 Seems too much like BSS yesterday but for foot placement-toes vs. instep. May go back to regular lunges or clock lunges. Never liked these much.
Push-ups low bench 10 12 (squeezed out two extra today!)
Cable Horiz Wood Chop 15#/12 x 3
Upright rows DB 12/s/8 15/s/8 20’s/6
Crunches 20x3 Bicycles 40
No cardio today. Forgot to note 15 mins on step mill yesterday’s work.