I am giving up. I dislocated my shoulder trying to do squats, so I just went home. I should have been realistic and known I couldn't do these exercises with my shoulder. I'm sure there are probably variations of these exercises (like squats holding dumbells in front of me instead) that don't require me to hold anything behind my head, but I don't know them and the gym doesn't have any personal trainers willing to show me (the personal trainers teach the gym's program?)
I'm feeling very defeated. I have to go bury my pet chicken that I found dead this morning now.

My husband talked me into not giving up. It seems like squats are the only exercise I have to modify, so we went back and did workout 1B today. It went well, but I am all wobbly still.
Two questions:
Will I always be brutally sore the day after I work out?

If I keep up with the program, will I be able to lose weight with no net loss in muscle?

Glad you're not giving up!!!

No, you will not always be brutally sore after you work out. Your body will adapt and the DOMS will become far less severe.

There are no guarantees on muscle loss, but given that you don't have much weight to lose and that you are new to lifting, you'll probably get the optimal outcome: muscle gains and fat loss. Eat your protein and work hard!

Did you injure your shoulder doing barbell back squats? How did that happen? What kind of weight were you lifting? If it wasn't too much, try goblet squats. If it was a decent amount of weight, you might want to try front squats.

I have an old sports injury that really requires surgical repair - I tore my labrum and it healed in such a way that it's very easy to dislocate my shoulder. To be safe, I shouldn't put my hand behind the plane of my shoulders at all. I have a silly way of putting on bras.

Just started this yesterday and am super excited. Been spending some time on the website, and looking for an answer to this question, but haven't found it. Hope someone can help.

I read the nutrition parts with interest, but the program seems to be geared to women at normal or near-normal weights. My priority is fat loss, and it seems totally counterintuitive to eat tons of calories, especially because I think I probably have more actual muscle than I will need when I get to a lower weight. (I'm basing this only on the fact that I believe larger people tend to have more muscle because they have to carry around such high weights.)

Do the authors have recommendations for those of us who need to lose significant amounts of weight (like 100 pounds or more)?

I would Private message Lou at http://jpfitness.com

I have one workout left in Stage 7 of the program, and it's not 6, it's 12.

Stage 7 is brutal!

However, I've found the program great. My weight has only changed by 2 pounds since December, but I've lost a total of 6 inches.

I'm 52 and work for a veterinarian, so I'm very active, I have however found over the last few workouts a couple of exercises were giving me fits, so I substituted a comparable move that did not cause me pain.

Over all, I have really enjoyed the program and looked forward to the workouts.

In my small community, I'm the only woman who is banging serious iron at the gym. I can do one armed dumb bell rows, for 15 reps with a 40 pound DB!

I can deadlift my body weight, and do seated rows, 15x95! I'm doing step ups with 2 20# DB's.

It is a tough program, but SO WORTH IT!

After Saturday, I'm on to the New of Lifting for Life!

Done!

Stage 7, workout 12 is in the books!

I may possibly be the oldest newbie weight lifter on the Board ~ will celebrate the 32nd anniversary of my 39th B-day next month!

Lost my weight on WW and have maintained at or below goal for nine months. Finished reading NRLW, have read many posts here and will do Stage 1, Workout A tomorrow. Am in awe of some of your stories. You have inspired me and I hope to become an active participant.

You are awesome, Dorothy! Congrats on your weight loss and your starting the program.

I did Stage 1, Workout A last Wednesday, with plans to do Stage 1, Workout B on Friday. But GI issues (food poisoining maybe?) relegated me to some light cardio for a few days. So, Stage 1, Workout B done yesterday for the first time.

I really don't feel like I'm working hard enough when I'm at the gym (and part of that is using lighter weights while I learn the form), but I always push it to muscle fatigue, even if I'm doing a gazillion reps. However, after I get home, I know that I have worked out. I like that feeling. =)

In the spirit of full disclosure.......

Today I started Stage 1 Workout A but... Since I have never been to a gym in my life I joined about 8 weeks ago to introduce myself to a routine and the equipment. Routine is tough when you live a life of leisure! Took me some time to adjust to retirement but I now love having a "real schedule" of gym and pool 3 x a week.

Best wishes as we hold hands and skip through all of the Stages.

Wow, shcirerf, congratulations!! Brava!

And congrats to Ultrapeaches for not giving up and Dorothy for giving it a try. You ladies are fabulous!

I'm on my week off (which is actually going to be 10 days) between phase 2 and phase 3. Starting with phase 3 I'm going to have to bump it down from 3 workouts a week to 2. I just don't think I'm getting proper recovery when I'm also attending my Bodyflow classes. Too many bodyweight exercises. I'll be taking September off from that (didn't give enough notice to cancel for August) and will bump it back to 3 then but for now this is a compromise I can live with.

Hi all, While I have lost 32 pounds and now have a BMI of 24, I just got a BodPod fat test and was shocked to learn my bodyfat is 40%. I strength train, but I guess not enough. The trainer who did the test called me a skinny fat and recommended eating 1200 calories (my RMR is 1225) and strength training 3x week. Would New Rules be an appropriate plan for me? I have home equipment: weights, bench, bowflex (without the lat pull-down attachment) I don't have a pull- bar.

What kind of results might I expect? I will admit it sounds complicated.

Thanks for replying!

New Rules would be a great program for you. You'd probably need to eat more than 1200 calories to build muscle though...

Really? I hate how experts all say different things... But maybe that's why I am at the low end of normal muscle mass... I have been restricting calories and/or carbs for a long time... I will get the book.