Stephanie, I love it, I just started basic training ll last fri but didn't have val-slides, I got some yesterday so we will see how that goes those push-aways are going to be rough. Are you still doing NRLW?

stlrsgrl43, I ended up buying the book online this morning! The idea of picking and choosing and customizing the program and the different levels seems really intriguing and I couldn't help myself. Plus, I needed a change.

I've been reading it for a few hours now, hoping I can get enough info to do my first workout today! My weight is getting low enough that I need to seriouslly start strength training again or else I'm scared I'll end up skinny fat.

Stephanie,

I love it, too! Got my hubby doing it with me so that helps! He hurt himself during the 2nd workout so we restarted the count on the next week. So - I'm behind strlrgrl by a week. Monday starts Basic II. But we have been increasing our levels during level I. I can actually do 5 'real' pushups now. He's doing some fancy T-pushup.... Romanian deadlifts started, too! I feel like a big kid now that we get to use the bar w/ weights!

Stlrsgrl43: For valslides: I used hand towels on my wood floor...the exercise wasn't as difficult as I thought. Way not as bad as the side plank v leg thing! And I still look like a marionette doing carioca during RAMP. I know - I can see myself in the mirror. Sadly, I have no coordination.
BUT - I finally have good squat form - learning while facing a wall helped SO SO much. That first day I liked to have killed my quads and knees doing them wrong.

Way too much reading to do the workout yesterday! I started building my workout today and I'm making a spreadsheet for it. I'm going to do my first workout tomorrow

Oh man, so I decided to do a run through of the RAMP warm up today. Just because there are so many different things and I wanted to do a practice of it all so it's more seamless when I actually workout tomorrow.

It took me about 18 minutes and I burned 102 calories. I didn't do the carioca at the end though. Wow! It definitely gets your heart rate up. Or maybe I'm just out of shape from my two weeks off of working out since an allergic reaction I had that covered me in hives. I couldn't work out because the hives would break out again, and then the second week I was tapering off the prednisone and it was making me feel horrible with anxiety attacks.

Either way, I'm out of shape. Tomorrow will be fun!

I still can't do the dang carioca...I actually tripped myself and fell on the second workout

I take the time and do the RAMP thoroughly. It's worth it to make sure everything gets stretched and warmed up. It takes me about 16 minutes, burned about 100 the first time, now I burn around 50-60. So getting better at it, I suppose! Before I even start the RAMP I actually get on my spin bike and pedal for 8-10 minutes at heartrate between 115-120 to pre-warm up! But I'm over 40 so I HAVE to! For the actual workout part - 60 minutes once I know the exercises. Then stretching for another 8 or so. Yesterday I changed a bunch of exercises - the workout part took 80 minutes- and I had already watched the videos and thought I knew what I was doing. The Romanian deadlift with row had me puzzled. It just felt awkward. Watched the video 2x more times and finally by the 2nd set, I figured it out.
I like the program, though, no chance of getting bored when the exercises keep changing. And it makes me really feel like I am progressing when I go up to a level in a category!

Tomorrow is another workout! Yea! My new gloves came in the mail today. Love the versa gripps!!

Is this something that someone new to weight lifting can do? Or is it better for more advanced people?

2FatCats, I did the carioca but really, really slowly, haha. Yeah, I'm really liking the program too!

TheLauren, I started out weight lifting with New Rules of Lifting for Women. I find these books are great because they explain so much. If the exercises confuse you, they explain each one in detail and you can also look up videos of the exercises to see how they look being done.

I had my first workout yesterday, it was tiring but great! I really enjoyed it! I have a bit of DOMS today, which I noticed as I got up this morning and went to the bathroom and it hurt to sit on the toilet.

I'm going to run on the treadmill at my in laws today for a bit to help loosen up my muscles.

2fatcats, CONGRATS on the pushups, I found some slides at walmart for 10$. Using them hurts my wrists a little but I'm hoping they will get stronger. The only thing is, doing these workouts tends to make it harder for my weight to drop but if I get smaller and stay bout the same, I will be happy.

Stephanie, I was sore like that at first as well, it sucks but doesn't last long

Lauren, Anyone can do this, it is set up in levels so startiung at the first level would be good for a beginner.

Lauren

I started with this program - haven't lifted a weight in YEARS~ like 12...and even then I didn't know what I was doing!

Strlsgrl: My weight is slowing down- but my measurements are still changing! WOOHOO! Goodbye fat, hello muscle!

Stephanie: I had that problem because I was doing squats wrong. Face the wall, feet almost touching and do it that way. It forces you to use your glutes/hammies and a little quad. Here is a link to youtube or just google squat facing wall. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DecClubtgcM

Used the versa gripps today - Wow! What a difference! I have tendonitis in my right hand fingers (trigger finger and have had cortisone shot) so my grip gives out on weighted step ups, lat pull downs, pretty much anytime that I have to hold on to something! This time it didn't hurt during or after - and I could use a lot more weight! Yea!

I did my B workout yesterday. I almost bailed on it because it was my husband and I's anniversary but then I decided I had to do it.

The warm up still kills me a little, still burnt over 100 calories on that part alone. I wasn't feeling this workout as much, but that was probably because I did it after our anniversary lunch which involved sushi and margaritas, haha.

Second A workout tomorrow, I'm pumped for it! I'm at the point where I can just start to see muscle definition in my arms when I flex and I really want to build some muscle/lose fat so I can look great when I start my new job in two weeks!

StephanieM!
Happy anniversary a little late!
Great job working out even when you didn't really feel like it - and on your anniversary no less!

The RAMP has gotten much easier - I am down to 40 calories for it! Just the dang carioca and high knee runs get my heart pumping! Workout B yesterday: For dynamic stability I tried the swiss ball rollout thingy. WOW - looked super easy in the video. Yeah...the ball doesn't really roll...unless I roll/fall off it. Sigh.
On a better note: I can do the side planks with my upper leg bent at the knee with no problemo! Kinda scared to look up the next level...
Oh - and the overhead reverse lunges...holding weight over my head was really difficult...on the positive - didn't feel it in my legs since I was so worried my elbows were going to crumple and drop the weight plate on my head.

2FatCats, th feel like I need to take advantage of the drive and free time while I have it! I start a new job in less than two weeks so my time will be limited very quickly.

I did my second A workout today, and I killed it! I was really tired and weak, but I pushed through on my intervals at the end and blasted some music. The music made me feel like I could have kept going forever!

Lunges are definitely my weak point, but I am getting better!

A new job is exciting (I hope)! I'm a stay-at-homer these days. I call it semi-retirement!

I've taken to doing dang cariocas for a minute as my intervals. I WILL master them!!!
One more B workout and the hubby and I are on to phase II. We did A and B but counted it as a 'learning experience' then started the Phase timer. So - we actually did 7 of A, 7 of B.
I discovered yesterday that doing mtn climber on a stability ball is hard on my wrists. My weakest link is my hands - surgery on both wrists AND the right hand has tendonitis at the base of the fingers. My hands were sore enough to wake me up all night and still hurt this am. I think I'm going to have to figure something else out. Next in that category with same HF goal is swiss-ball jackknife. Gulp.

As I approach a new phase, it's time to reflect on Phase I results:
I wasn't sure how my body would respond to weights and still trying to lose those last lbs. So I have been monitoring my BF as well as scale weight to make sure I am getting enough protein and not cannibalizing my own muscles. So far, in month of Jan, I have gone from 115.5 lean body mass to 117.9! Started at 54 lbs fat, now @ 43. While the scale only showed 8.6, I actually lost 11lbs of fat!! WooHoo!
No matter how many articles, professionals and experts say that weight lifting is great for weight loss - until I actually saw measurable personal results - I was still a skeptic. SO SO glad the infamous 'they' were right!

2FatCats, I haven't worked since November 2011, I took my maternity leave a month before I was due because I was so sure she would come soon in a few weeks. She ended up being 4 days late! I've been home since then. It's been fun, but I'm kind of anxious to go back to work. The year off paid in Canada for maternity leave definitely made it easier to stay home.

I'm sorry your wrists are sore! I can't imagine how that feels. Mine get sore during push ups, but probably nothing like yours.

And that's great about the muscle you have built! It's not easy

Today was my 2nd B workout. Wasn't bad! I am burning less during the warm ups, but I did manage to increase weight for some of the exercises. My weight itself has gone up a little the past few days, but that's fine. I feel so strong and I am not too focused on the scale right now. I know I'm eating right, I know I'm getting in good workouts, and I know TOM is coming so there is no reason to stress about that.