New Rules of Weight Lifting - Anyone doing it now?
 

Just started the New Rules of Weightlifting for Women, after hearing many good reviews on this site. :)

Anyone else doing the program? I was hoping to get some support from others currently following it. I joined the forums that are supposed to be for NROWL, but it really just seems to be a general fitness site.

I haven't started yet but I plan to start this weekend. I'd be very interested to hear other beginners' perspective. I haven't lifted regularly since high school and I'm alot heavier and used mostly machines back then so it's very new territory for me.

well gmailjunkie, let me know when you start! I found the first workout to be not too bad...but I am sore today for sure. Doing the squat was difficult for me, but the other exercises weren't too bad.

The exercises don't take a lot of time, which is nice. I finished up everything in maybe 20 minutes at the gym. Nice!

I've done it recently.

How are you finishing it in 20 minutes though? It sounds like you are skipping the warmup cardio/dynamic streches/warmup lifting sets? It should take around 40 minutes at least.

It may have been 30. I walk a half mile to the gym so "warming up" on a treadmill seems silly to me. I didn't do the stretches - I do a lot of yoga and don't find stretching to do anything for me.

I did the warm up lifting set, but it said that was only for the first exercise, right?

Sacha- do you find that the upper limit of the time you spend doing the routine is about an hour (assuming a non crazy busy weight room)?

I have to wash super carefully after working out so any hard work out also has to include a significant amount of locker room time. I can budget 6 hours a week to working out but not much more than that right now.

I realize it might take longer the first workout while I'm still nervous about form but the following two should really be under one hour gym conditions permitting.

Hello

I started NRL4W last week, and did my third workout yesterday. I really enjoy doing the exercises, although I have yet to bite the bullet and train in the 'proper' weights area. I tend to snatch a couple of dumbbells and then do my exercises in the general gym area rather than where the weights are...

Do you find it easy to alternate between exercises in a busy gym? Would be great to hear everyone's experiences.

I have the book and read it a while ago ... enjoyed reading it ..... but I don't think I could do it all at the gym ...

Also I was thinking to wait until I was a bit closer to goal before I actually started it???

When is the right time to start? Probably the answer is now ..... but I'm actualy quite scared of doing weights in the gym without a trainer??

I don't find it easy to follow the "order" of the exercises, so I tend to just make sure I get them all in when the equipment becomes available. Today I did the Stage 1 - B workout, so it was easy for me to alternate the swiss ball crunches with the lunges - i just took some dumbells over by my yoga ball. But I ended up doing the deadlift as my last exercise because it took me a bit of courage of being in the weights area to attempt it.

I'm not too concerned with being "perfect" or doing it all in the exact order. I just want to do all the exercises and have good form. The rest will come I figure...

I think you want to start now...maybe you can have a friend or trainer just for the first few sessions? I made my fiancee come with me the first session to show me how to do the squat as I was terrified I would be crushed by the bar and not able to get up. lol. I wasn't too far wrong actually, i found the squat incredibly hard to do as my knees felt like they were "ripping" each time i went to squat down. I've never had any knee problems, so that sensation was quite unsettling. I had the same thing with the lunge in the second work out.

I think most of the Stage 1 exercises will be fairly familiar/easy for you to do without a trainer. The only ones I was confused with were the squat and the deadlift. The deadlift turned out to not be so bad, and my gym actually has a machine to use for squats (but all 3 were taken up by guys the entire time i was there, otherwise, i think it would have been better for me to start with it).

Is it possible to just ask a gym employee or trainer on site to show you the few exercises you don't understand? Sometimes I see trainers at my gym walking around hoping to be helpful so you'll hire them - nothing wrong with getting some free advice. :D

Thanks for the reply wildflower .... the squat rack is one of the things that really does frighten me ...

Good suggestions .....

This is the first time I have heard about this book and I am intrigued. I read the first several pages on Amazon.com and just put in a hold request for it at my library.

I am already lifting heavy but I am on a caloric deficit which the author said can hinder my goal, so I am really interested in that part of the book. It would be nice to get a new workout or two as well.

Are people who are doing it also having the recommended protein shakes after the work out? My dietitian advises against protein powders because they aren't regulated the way food products are. It seems to me that I could achieve a similar effect with two flavored fat free greek yogurts.Actually 1 fat free- one 2 percent. Thoughts?

at first, the beginning work outs took me 25ish minutes. When you start alternating exercises with 3 sets of 10, that's when the work outs start going over an hour

I just asked the staff member walking the floor to show me when I had questions, or I just hit up a conversation with the weight lifting dudes. They're all pretty sweet and supportive, even though they look intimidating lol. And bring a friend if you can, it helps with the intimidation stuff, but it's totally worth it. I just kept my goal in mind and it kept me from walking away from the free weights and onto the treadmill when I was feeling overwhelmed/not sure/ Oh and I also hit up youtube to watch videos of people doing the forms. There are tons of people with bad form on youtube, so I tried to make sure to pay attention to who I was watching :)

gmailjunkie - I had some 100 calorie / 14 grams of protein shakes already in my house, so I did have them after some of the work outs. Another morning I worked out before breakfast, so I just had some eggs for breakfast, with whole wheat toast (20 some grams of protein) and then had a greek yogurt with kashi for lunch.

I'm not a fan of the protein shakes and agree that you can get that much from some food...but I don't know. I'm not getting my weight in protein, I'm getting about 100 grams thought which seems like a ton to me.

pinkflower you are just finishing the program, right? How do you think it helped your weight loss? Did you follow the diet advice at all or what level of calories did you eat at through out? Great point about youtube, I am definitely going to use that to view the exercises.

Brown How did you like the program the first time around? Glad you are doing it again, this is my first week. :)

Had my first work out at stage one and LOVED it. It was fast and fun (but then I always think weight lifting is fun- honestly not sure why I ever stopped). I was a little intimidated by being the only woman in the weight room (boy are men messy with the free weights!) but I got over it and hopefully they will over time too- I definitely attracted some notice as the fat girl in the weight room.

I really like how the program, gradually but consistently increases intensity over time.

I've been having a rough time lately and this workout made me feel good. I felt like I worked hard and accomplished something but it wasn't TOO intense.

Yay gmailjunkie!!! Good for you for starting up the program!

I finished the first week this morning and feel the same way. When doing it it seems manageable, afterwords I am tired and a bit sore, but I'm not about to collapse like if I went running for an hour. Also, I saw such an improvement from workout 1 A to 2 A. That squat was no problem for me this morning, when i was practically being crushed by the bar last Monday night. What an improvement with just 3 work outs, I was surprised!

Defiantly sticking with the program...next work out for me is Monday night, although I might take a run tomorrow if the weather is nice. :)

I have read the book, but not done the routine as mapped out in the book. I'll be following this thread so please keep it updated! I wanna see the end result and hear the opinions in between!

My fav part of the book is emphasizing the need to "train to train". In my beginning weight training class, I do the same thing. Another thing I do in my class is have the clients practice manipulating the equipment and practice correct form with light weights. We don't even use the machines.

I think it is important for newbies to get comfy using the equipment. Ask a trainer for help or to watch your form. I always tell my clients that it doesn't matter what level of fitness you are, if you use improper form, or misuse the equipment, you'll look like a dork. If you know what you're doing, it'll show, and you'll have the respect of everyone there.

Reality is, though, no one's really paying that much attention to you anyway. If they are, they need to get back to work!

Finished workout 4 tonight! Going strong and loving it. I can feel my strength building already, just from workout 1 to now. :)

Wildflower - Are you following the books meal plan and are you consuming the suggested calories?

The book suggests staying away from a deficit but I feel that calories the book suggests my body needs seem so high!

I'm not...but I'm sort of on a break from calorie counting. I want to try to get back to eating 1500 but right now I probably am between 1500-2000 (I think that puts me close to the low end of his range, which if I remember right was like 1800-2200 or 2500).

I am trying to eat a lot more protien though.

Do you follow a higher calorie plan?

For the past month I have been watching my caloric intake and I have been feeling very weak and depressed. I have issues with depression to start with but I am starting to think that the caloric defect had a negative affect my mood and energy level rather than it being caused by my depression. At first I lost a few pounds but ended up gaining them back most likely because I had some days where I overate.

Yesterday I ate roughly 1300 calories and went to a 1/2 hour spin class and 1 1/2 hour bikram yoga class, by the end of the day I was feeling so weak and really down.

I used an online calculator to figure out my metabolic rate and according to that I says I should consume 1771 calories on non-workout days and 2536 on days that I workout. It just seems so high, I do not know if I would actually lose any weight. I am contemplating deducting 500 calories from those numbers and seeing if I feel better and drop some weight.

Have you considered using the formula they offer in the book to calculate RMR? I used that and got what seemed like very reasonable numbers that were only slightly higher than the ones suggested by my dietitian.

torta, i am with you on the reduced calories. I don't know how so many people live on 1200 and do an hour of running. That will absolutely never be me. I can do one day at 1200 just fine, but multiples in a row, no way. I've just come off 6 months of calorie counting...it was hard and in the end I plateaued eating 1300 and was just starving ALL THE TIME. I had no energy to work out and my vision was blacking out when I would stand up. I was only losing a lb a month at this point.

I am beyond disappointed in myself that I tried so hard and my body didn't cooperate by losing the weight...I did lose 15 lbs at first, but my body entirely adjusted to the intake and because I gave up feeling full/cookies/chips/cheese, etc for the past 6 months suddenly I was craving everything fattening and junky. I was craving melted butter for like a month. Restricting calories was driving me insane - literally!

I think I'll do ok at 1500-1800, but now I am just trying not to eat everything in sight trying to make up for all the deprivation. I have loads of energy and am working out well. I just need to get back at counting soon.

Finished the end of my second week of NRFWL4W today! 6 workouts down and I have already increased the weight and am feeling great.

I love this program, I do wonder though if I need to do a bit more in terms of exercises? It seems like I could do both workouts on the same day to get a bit of a harder workout.

gmailjunkie - how's it going for you?

I am going to try upping my calories and making sure I get a lot of protein. I'll report back in a week or so!

Wildflower: I'm glad that it's going so well for you. I'm not as far along having only completed one each of Stage 1 Work out A and Work Out B- but I too am tempted to make the workouts harder- except for Lunges that are hard on my knees and deadlifts which make me really nervous about form- I'm having an easy enough time with the routines even though I work to make them challenging- I feel like I should be doing more cause they are so short!

But then I think I should just follow the schedule as written as much as I can because if I attempt too much and hurt myself it will be worse in the long run.

I also think that some of the reason the more compound lifts are more uncomfortable for me is because I have a really weak core and it might be a good idea to save some energy for some Pilates at home.

Torta- Good luck with your intake experiment. I'm astonished you made it through a Bikram class on that little food! Ive only ever done "Hot yoga" and it was REALLY hunger inducing just to stay in the room.

Maybe along with eating more calories maybe you should consider taking a good multivitamin if you don't already. I don't know if it is coincidence or placebo effect but I find that I feel MUCH better when taking one and my worst days recently have been when I haven't taken them.

Bikram yoga is usually practiced on an empty stomach, it's advised that you do not eat 2 - 3 hours before class. By the end of class I am SO hungry, I usually bring a little snack with me to eat immediately after.

I do have good supplements, I just need to remember to take them! : P

Just ordered the book, should be here next week. I'm not a beginner in the weight room, but the weights for women course I took at the gym was very machine based and upper body focused. I'm worried about squats and lunges!

Welcome from the box! I'm not a total beginner in weights either...I trained on and off for one thing or another over the years. Like your program, the ones I was part of focused on the machines with some dumbell exercises. The squats took me some practice the first session, but now I've got the hang of it and really enjoy them. :)

I'm in a similar boat- I'm not afraid of free weights but I'm not familiar with them the way I am with machines...but I have done a TON of research and experimenting.

I can't offer much help on lunges- they just are very hard to do in a way that's not painful to my knees- I don't know if its a matter of my joints being overloaded (I'm heavier than ya'll) or me not being able to manage my form but yeah--I ive just been doing step ups in place of them and I think I'm mostly hitting the same muscle groups with maybe losing some of the core work that lunges do and that's more manageable.

RE Squats however I figured a couple things out that makes good form easier for me. First- I've been concentrating on form so I am using little to no weight on this and the other big compound lifts (like deadlifts) so I feel confident I have spot on form- I REALLY don't want to get injured.

1st is having a wider stance (google sumo squat) for some reason this is much easier on my knees and easier for me to keep my back straight- and for me, more natural- when I squat down to pick things up in daily life I have my knees apart like I am giving birth.

2nd is doing it against the wall with a swiss ball at my back which really makes it easier for me to have correct form. It does cancel out some of the weight but I find that I am able to get as least as good a work out as when I use weights close to or equivalent to my body weight on the leg press.

If anyone had any advice on deadlifts I am all ears!

Look at stumptuous.com and stronglifts.com for some pointers on form
with lunges, squats and deadlifts. I love deadlifts; they give an amazing rush. I can do 162# at best, but am currently doing 2 sets of 10 at 132#.

I would like to be able to lift my bodyweight, but more to the point, I'd like to get my bodyweight down to what I can lift :lol:

HOLY WOW!!! I want to be you when I grow up! :o Oh, I can DL about 90 (the bar weighs 45 pounds, right?) :o so far, working up slowly. . .

Can someone please explain this to me in a little more detail? I am being cheap and I don't want to spend money on the book because I don't know if this is something I am ready for quite yet.

Basically, are you just doing heavier weights with less repetition 3x a week and making the weights heavier as the weeks progress?

the author gives specific exercises in order and explains why it works. Try checking it out from a library, it's worth it. I checked it out from the library first, and bought it within a few days

Already did that, and nothing is available. :) Just wondering if it was a more weight, less reps kind of deal.

yes--lots of squats, lunges, deadlifts, push ups, shoulder presses etc :) and the goal is to lift heavier.

I think I got the book for something like 8 or 9 dollars on BN.com, so it's not horribly pricey.

But essentially, it's a 6 month strength training program. It focuses on using dumbells, barbells and body weight exercises (pushups, jack knifes, planks, pullups) and some HIIT is added in after awhile.

It is a "more weight, less reps" kinda deal, focusing on lifting heavy to build muscles, which in turn will re-shape your body and help rev your metabolism to lose weight. The author doesn't believe in cutting calories too low or that bodies are made in the kitchen. The book focuses on eating moderately, while getting a lot of protein, veggies and healthy fats and carbs. He outlines a diet and suggests you eat around 1800-2200 calories while following the program.

I like it. :)

Cool, thanks for the descriptions everyone -- it sounds really interesting!

I'm currently doing this program, only on stage 1 but will be starting stage 2 in 2 weeks. Have to say I love it!
I have done various other programs, fitness & weights based but have found them tedious and time consuming and eventually I lose interest.
As I am heavy involved in another sport which takes up 4-6 days of my week I need something that will fit in around this. I use a home gym so I usually workout of an evening and have found this program can fit in around me. Nearly all the exercises have alternatives for home gyms too.
The only exercise I really struggle with is push-ups, I can do them on my knees but have been pushing myself to do proper full push-ups.
I have seen great results so far but I really had to play around with my diet a bit to find the right combo for me. I actually found the calories too high so I dropped them and I am gradually working them back up as I get further into the program. Eating clean & right marcos was a key component too. I did start this program some months ago but had to stop because of an injury (not related to this) and had to start from the beginning again. I'm really looking forward to stage 2!
I have found that if I dont get enough sleep then I struggle to lift the heavy weights, if i keep that in check I have been moving up in weight.

Love to hear about other peoples stories.

Welcome Sharpest!

Sounds like we are right around the same part of the program. I have done the first 8 workouts in Stage 1, so am moving on to work-out A-5 on Saturday and will move on to stage 2 May 23 I believe.

I am doing 3 times a week - Monday, Wednesday and Friday or Saturday. Some days I run for a bit too, Wednesdays I also attend yoga. I try to get running in on the lifting days so I have a real recovery day of rest in between lifts.

I noticed how sleep impacts me so much!!! This week's workouts haven't been that great because I've been so tired, although I was able to work up to 6 reps of a 20 lb (x2) shoulder press. The weights at my gym go from 12 lbs (too light now) to 20 lbs, so I am trying to do as many as I can with the 20's each week after a set of lifting 12s.