Just got the book the other day , im not following the weight programme as have my own similar one going at the gym but following the diet advice.

Been doing weights for 5 months seeing great results will keep an eye on this thread x

smad11: I believe that you're actually supposed to pick one (i.e., the 4 options presented are a sort of progression) and do just that one. If the Hanna flexions are too easy, you can do the side crunches on a Swiss ball.

Thanks Sumire :) I'll look that up in the book... side crunches would be a lot more beneficial I think...

So I've been doing the program since the 6th and I love it. I'm having a few problems with push-ups (ugh, so weak!) and with the alternative the books gives for lat pulldowns (my left shoulder seems to kind of lock up partway through the motion and then almost feels like it pops?). But that's all just fine and I'm excited to get better. My problem is that my weight has stalled these three weeks. I'm sure that's normal and I shouldn't worry about it. I've read it countless times. Thing is, I never see any personal anecdotes from people it has happened to and how long it lasted.

Can anyone reassure me that the scale will eventually move again?

eta - I eat about 1400 calories on non-lifting days and between 1600-1700 on lifting days. That's less than the book recommends, but I don't really want to move it around until I'm sure there is a problem with it and this isn't anything more than just a typical beginning lifting stall.

First stage 6B workout today. Liked it a lot. My abs were actually still incredi-sore from Monday's workout! One thing I've really enjoyed in this program is the explosive movements (front squat/push press, one-arm dumbbell snatch, dumbbell push press in the 6B workout). I'd never done that sort of lifting before this (unless you count clapping pushups, I guess). I can see the appeal of the Olympic lifts now-- it's fun to send that weight flying into the air!

Thistleberry: :hug: I don't have any personal anecdotes to share, but anybody who has successfully lost as much weight as you have knows deep down that your body isn't going to defy the laws of physics. :p Keep at it! You're doing great.

Thistleberry: not much to suggest on the stall, i've heard it is normal as well but i havent been steady enough on my diet to be able to tell you my current bouncing is due to strength or due to not being as strict as i could be.

my comment is about the pushups... my arms arent strong enough for them and there isnt anything at my gym the right height for elevated ones so I broke it into two exercises. a set of an inclined chest press and a set of planks for every set of pushups so im working the arms and abs in the same way

hi Girls,

I am starting on the program today. Really excited but after reading the book also quite confused. The author seems to not really have that much of a positive attitude towards cutting calories nor to endurance sports. And since I am really getting to be a big fan of running and cycling my roadbike I am at a loss as to how to follow the plan AND do the stuff I love. Any tips?

Here's what I am thinking to do:
- Follow the workout plans doing 2 a week.
- Follow the eating rules of timing your intake and eating 5 times a day
- Eat more on workout days

I've decided to remain at a calorie deficit but up my protein so it's around 140g a day. My current calories were around 1400-1600, I am upping that to 1800. But with the new found love of riding my roadbike I will still equal about 400 calories deficit a day. I am thinking that if I keep up the protein that it won't matter as much though.

I know at my current weight, it's not so much about weightloss anymore as fitness. But my legs are just still very very 'fatty'. I need to rid a bit more bodyfat. In a month and a half or so I think I can follow the program without a calorie deficit but not just yet.

Would love to read your thoughts on this.

Oh, and I can't wait to lift massive amounts. LOL.

Yay! Glad to see you here, Philana. :)

Yeah: ignore the author & do what you like. ;) Seriously, unless you're in the final stages of training for a marathon or severely undereating, I think you'll be fine.

Sounds good on #1 and #3. As for eating 5 times a day, know that you don't have to do that if you want to. That works well for me now, but not for everybody. It has long been conventional wisdom in fitness circles that you need to eat smaller, more frequent meals, but the latest science seems to be showing that this isn't necessary. Listen to your body.

That should be fine. Again, just listen to your body. If you're dropping weight very very quickly and/or are feeling fatigued and your workouts are suffering, try eating more. Otherwise, you should be fine.

As you know from my occasional complaints on the Feathers board, I have the 'fatty' legs too, so I commiserate. :dizzy: But they look really nice in jeans now, and these days they actually look pretty good up to about mid-thigh.

2nd Stage 6A workout yesterday. Much better on the barbell split squat-- much less ridiculous wobbling. :lol: Those split squats make my butt SO SORE! The pushups with the 2-second pause at the bottom were harder than I thought they'd be.

Love these short stage 6 workouts. Biff bam boom, & I'm on with my day.

Hello! I just bought the book. I'm trying to figure out what the workouts for stage 1 are. When I look at workout A, workout 1 is squats (page 157) workouts 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8. What are those workouts? When I went to the squat section, I didn't see enough (not 8). What am I missing?
Thanks.

You're misreading a bit. :)

The program works by alternating workouts A and B. Within each of those workouts, there are usually 5 or 6 different exercises, some of which are alternating sets, and you do each of the workouts 8 times. (So: Monday A1, Weds B1, Fri A2, Sun B2, Tues A3, Thurs B3 and etc).

So Workout A1 of stage 1 looks like this:

2x15 reps of Squats, Pushups & seated rows (these are an alternating set, so you do one set of pushups, rest 60 seconds, do one set of rows, rest 60 seconds, then back to pushups and so on); step ups & prone jacknives (another alternating set).

B1 is deadlifts, DB shoulder press & lat pulldowns (alternating set); lunges & crunches (alternating set).

A2 and B2 are the same: you do each 8 times (but alternating between them) and the rep scheme changes as you move through the stage. (So, A1-2 and B1-2 are 2x15, A3-4 and B34 are 2x12, A5-6 and B5-6 are 3x10 and so on).

I hope that helps. It can be a little confusing as you figure it out. If you look at pp. 140-141 and read my explanation, you should be able to make sense of it. If not, ask. :)

Thank you, DietvetT, I feel like an idiot now :P It finally makes sense.

One question, since I will do this at home, and I only have dumbbells, I take the different variations for each exercise (squats, push-ups...) have to do with what you can work with, right?

But for instance, for the squat suggestions, there are several ones to do with dumbbells (dumbbell single/arm overhead squat, dumbbell squat - heels raised on plates) or no equipment at all (partial single-leg squat). Do I choose one and stick with it for the whole stage 1 or rotate them?

Thanks for your help, I feel bit stupid asking these questions, but I read the book and I was still lost, as you could see.

Also, for those of you that did the program at home using dumbbells, what were your weight increments? Did you do it every other week/3 weeks?
Thanks.

Thistleberry - (love the name btw :) hehe) try your best to do the incline push-ups if you can... if you work out in a gym go to either a smith machine or a squat rack, and adjust the bar to a height that works for you, and do the push-ups that way. I have been doing the girly push-ups (on my knees) all my life, and never until I started doing push-ups the way the book suggests (on an incline) have I actually achieved the ability to do regular push-ups! I can now to a set of 10 regular push-ups and it feels great :) That being said, if it hurts, obviously you'll have to find some other way to work those muscles ;)

Umimar - in terms of weight increments (I'm assuming you mean how often to increase the weight) it's going to vary from person to person... the main goal should always be to push yourself to work hard... so if you feel like a set is a bit too easy, try it with a heavier weight. Chances are you're going to be surprised at what you can do :)

For the exercises there are several different versions of them, and you progress into the harder versions throughout the program. For example, you start off doing regular squats, and eventually work your way up to doing ones like 'dumbbell squat - heels raised on plate" if the exercise doesn't use that specific name, that isn't the exercise you should be doing. If you only have dumbbell's and no bar, I would just do the squat holding the dumbbells... the only thing you're going to find is that as you get stronger you probably won't have either (1) heavy enough dumbbells or (2) you won't be strong enough to grip/hold the heavier weight while you do the exercise. But don't worry about that for now :)

Sumire - Do you have any tips for the split squat? I find that it's such a fine line between the split squat and a stationary lunge, and I find it really hard to make sure I'm working my glutes rather than my quads... :)

It's awesome to see so many people working on the program! woo hoo!!

In stage one, you are meant to be doing basic squats, either with a barbell or with dumbbells, depending on your strength. Since you don't have a barbell, you'll have to do them as 'goblet squats'.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QrVgp...eature=related

(He's using a kettlebell rather than a dumbbell, but the idea is the same. You can take or leave the stuff about working on hip mobility--I think it helps, at least in a warm up set.)

The other variations are introduced in the later stages of the program: do the exact exercise specified in the log, modified only for your equipment limitations.

As the person above me says, you will outgrow goblet squats fairly quickly and will eventually need to invest in a squat rack with a barbell (start searching on craigslist now!). The basic barbell back squat turns up again in stage 7, so you have some time to assemble your equipment.