I've been slack with my diet but I definitely lost fat and gained some muscle while doing the program. I also gained TONS of strength! It's a great workout. I wear a HRM while exercising and I usually burned around 500 calories during one of the NROLW workouts (60-70 minutes). That's a pretty good calorie burn.
But as with all workouts, body recomposition and fat loss really depends on your diet. Gotta eat properly with lots of veg and lots of protein.
I'm still waiting on my book. I've a ton of questions to ask but I won't bother until it actually arrives. There is one thing, however, that I've seen come up on the book's forums that I'm curious about... I know the book gives you a forumla to calculate calories and it seems it usually comes out pretty high. And I guess that's all well and good, but how many of you who are doing/have done the program followed that? Did you use that as a guide and chop 500 off for weight loss?
Yeah, the argument of the book is that eating at maintenance calories will enable you to build muscle and lose fat--thus resulting in a general shrinking. Part of this is that unless you are an absolute beginner, it is really hard to gain muscle without eating at or above maintenance and part of it is that the workouts are REALLY taxing and throw your body into total disarray. It is very likely that you will be extremely hungry when you first start doing the workouts. Everyone probably has to decide for herself how to manage calorie intake but I would definitely warn you to expect to need to eat more (especially protein) on lifting days.
Thanks for sharing that link! I'm not too concerned about my weight on the scale really. More focusing on fat loss. I would like to shed 10 lbs or so though and I just want to know if I can expect those type of results with this program.
I am currently working out 5-6 x's per week, lifting 4x's alternating between upper and lower body and doing long cardio sessions on my non-lifting days...
I feel like I just need more direction in the lifting dept.
I'll order this book in a couple weeks. I'm on a tight budget atm so it has to wait. In the meantime I'm starting exercising using my own free weights & bench. Weight training isn't new to me so I know what to do - just have to get off my butt & do it.
With this program do you need machines or are free weights enough? I have a set of dumbbells that go up to 35 lbs & an EZ bar with plates that I use. I prefer that to the larger bar for my small exercise area. I live in the boonies so there isn't a gym within 50 miles of me.
LindsB: I'm currently in Stage 4 of the program and I haven't lost any weight but I've definitely lost some body fat. I can tell because my lower abs are now visible. My strength has increased between 30-50% which includes functional strength like my grip. I just went and bought the Abs book which I plan on doing after this. I will probably finish this up in April. The newest book, "The New Rules of Lifting for Life" is also due out in April which I will buy too. You will love this program.
Maggy: I workout at home so I only have dumbbells. The book is great about giving modifications for the home trainee. Not to worry.
fitmom- thanks for the feedback! I am not weighing so I guess losing weight isn't my main goal. I get so caught up in the numbers so I've decided to take a "scale-vacation" and go with measurements and more visable results. Hopefully this will help me accomplish those things. I am dying for the book to arrive! I don't know why it is taking SO LONG!!!!!
I'm onto stage 5 and I've seen some decent body composition changes, finally. My waist is smaller and my shoulders are a touch wider. My glutes and quads are starting to respond to all the squats, deadlifts, lunges and step-ups, I've been doing. I just look more athletic and I love it. Everyone keeps telling me that I look so different. I have so much more energy too. I can't say enough good things about this program.
One thing I am very aprehensive about is some of the reviews of the later phases taking 2-ish hours to complete each workout. No way I can fit this into my schedule. Any comments? Is this true? If so, how did you handled? OR were these reviews just an exaggeration?
An exaggeration. I found that getting into the gym, doing a 10 minute warm up run and then doing stages 2-5 took about 70 minutes. However, I did not do the HIIT or bodyweight matrix directly after the workouts. That would add another 20 minutes, but they can be done on other days instead.
I want to order this book, but I'm wondering if it's worth it if I'm not a gym member and I don't have a barbell. I have dumbbells but it seems like it will be using a lot of barbell exercises. Are there alternatives that are effective in the book with dumbbells?
Kait- there are definitely modifications, but I personally think this workout program would be difficult to complete without gym access. Maybe there are some others that have tried this at home.
Example: I use a machine for seated rows and lat pull downs.....
