S
sparrow
Guest
GREAT job Stingo. Words don't seem to do justice to the kind of bravo you deserve! Well done.
My Diary
- Thread starter stingo
- Start date
Whoa, I even got a visit from the lovely Sparrow
Thanks for the bravo - hopefully this explains why I was pushing you toward NROL.As a side note, I'm slated to try some swimming today. Even picked up goggles for the event. Not sure how I'll take to it but am willing to give it a go.
Stingo - your progress has been impressive, but I think the most impressive part of your experience to date is your willingness to try new things. You should be comended for jumping in the pool and taking that on as a new challenge (of course as a swimmer myself I'm a bit biased).
You can get some incredible results in the pool - especially if you are really focusing on intervals and proper breathing - but I think you know a thing or two about incredible results already.
Keep up the great work and the open mind.
You can get some incredible results in the pool - especially if you are really focusing on intervals and proper breathing - but I think you know a thing or two about incredible results already.
Keep up the great work and the open mind.
Thanks, but in a way it's ALL new to me, not having done anything like this before. Which is why I had to lose the weight I have lost.
S
sparrow
Guest
Hiya again so quick question. You are currently moving through hypertrophy correct? Have you done strength? We are starting a new program next week and while I'd like to do strength-for obvious reasons, my friend wants to do hypertrophy and get a little more size. I'm not interested in SIZE. whats your take on it all? I've been very happy with what we've done so far, and I don't want to get any bigger. thoughts?
so quick question. You are currently moving through hypertrophy correct? Have you done strength? We are starting a new program next week and while I'd like to do strength-for obvious reasons, my friend wants to do hypertrophy and get a little more size. I'm not interested in SIZE. whats your take on it all? I've been very happy with what we've done so far, and I don't want to get any bigger. thoughts?Hiya again
I've not done strength yet, but everything I've read says you'll do a lot better with the strength routines if you precede them with one or two hypertrophy routines. That's what I intend to do.
Just keep in mind that all of the programs will help you build size, strength and drop fat. Just that they're more finely tuned to one aspect. I'd imagine with calorie management you could greatly mitigate the size gain from the hypertrophy programs. I know my most noticeable result is that I'm dropping weight (but then again I've a lot more weight to lose than you do.
) I look at the hypertrophy programs as the middle ground between fat loss' high rep sets and strength's low rep sets. If strength is what you're going for, build a good foundation with hypertrophy I and maybe III before moving on to the strength programs. I think you'll be really glad (even if you're apprehensive now) you did.And I will echo Derwyddon's question - why do you and your friend have to do the same program?
S
sparrow
Guest
nice!!!! I have all sorts of those types of clothes in my closet...that i just refuse to get rid of because of "some day" lol. Great job!!!!
Well truthfully I would not do this program alone. Till now I've been intimidated to use the squat rack because its where most of the more serious lifters are, and there are only 2 of them (racks), and frequently used. When there is both of us in there working off the rack its just easier to keep the rack and not feel pressured to hurry. Plus because much of the program is full of supersets, working alone I'd have to leave the rack to go do something like seated wide grip rows (way in a different part of the gym) and then I'd for sure lose my spot. Together we can hold each others place on the stations and then switch so nobody takes them.
Well truthfully I would not do this program alone. Till now I've been intimidated to use the squat rack because its where most of the more serious lifters are, and there are only 2 of them (racks), and frequently used. When there is both of us in there working off the rack its just easier to keep the rack and not feel pressured to hurry. Plus because much of the program is full of supersets, working alone I'd have to leave the rack to go do something like seated wide grip rows (way in a different part of the gym) and then I'd for sure lose my spot. Together we can hold each others place on the stations and then switch so nobody takes them.
Hey if you're doing NROL, that makes you a serious lifter. Read over Fat Loss III and see if it's possible at your gym. If not (or if you just don't want to do it), I'd suggest going with Hypertrophy I, (maybe III after that) and THEN start Strength I. I understand that you'll make the best progress following that plan. I'd think you could use your current diet plan through the first half of H1, and if you feel you're getting too bulky, then taper off the calories to around or below maintenance to counteract.
NROL's Hypertrophy I, Workout A9
All exercises 4x10, 60 seconds rest except for abdominals which are 3x15, 60 seconds rest
A1 Incline DB Bench Press 50
A2 Ball Seated Cable Rows 50
B1 DB Shoulder Press 45
B2 WG Lat Pulldown 90
C1 DB Neutral Grip Decline Bench Press 50
C2 High Pull 35
D1 Swiss Ball Crunch (feet against Bench)
Notes:
Incline DB Bench Press - this went pretty well. The left arm didn't protest like it did in previous workouts, so I hope it's on the mend.
Ball Seated Cable Rows - these seemed a bit easier than the last time I did them. Not sure if swimming the day before would have such an affect on them but I'll take it.
Shoulder Press - stayed at 45lbs and I know I could not have moved more than that.
Wide Grip Lat Pulldown - much like the rows, for whatever reason these came easier too.
Decline Neutral Grip Bench Press - a good showing here - though I have to figure out how to gracefully get off the bench. lol
High Pull - these kinda suck because of the left shoulder. Usually the first set is the worst, then form improves. Not sure why, but there ya have it.
Overall - I was happy with the workout due to the limited effect the injury to the left shoulder/arm had. Hopefully it will be healed a bit more in time for the 5x5 on Wednesday.
All exercises 4x10, 60 seconds rest except for abdominals which are 3x15, 60 seconds rest
A1 Incline DB Bench Press 50
A2 Ball Seated Cable Rows 50
B1 DB Shoulder Press 45
B2 WG Lat Pulldown 90
C1 DB Neutral Grip Decline Bench Press 50
C2 High Pull 35
D1 Swiss Ball Crunch (feet against Bench)
Notes:
Incline DB Bench Press - this went pretty well. The left arm didn't protest like it did in previous workouts, so I hope it's on the mend.
Ball Seated Cable Rows - these seemed a bit easier than the last time I did them. Not sure if swimming the day before would have such an affect on them but I'll take it.
Shoulder Press - stayed at 45lbs and I know I could not have moved more than that.
Wide Grip Lat Pulldown - much like the rows, for whatever reason these came easier too.
Decline Neutral Grip Bench Press - a good showing here - though I have to figure out how to gracefully get off the bench. lol
High Pull - these kinda suck because of the left shoulder. Usually the first set is the worst, then form improves. Not sure why, but there ya have it.
Overall - I was happy with the workout due to the limited effect the injury to the left shoulder/arm had. Hopefully it will be healed a bit more in time for the 5x5 on Wednesday.
If you leave a bar racked (and nearby stuff - e.g., water bottle, towel, logging sheets, etc), do people really take your spot and not realize you are working there? That's amazing. I'll ask lots of people and try to hunt someone down, even if I THINK a bar has been "abandoned" in a rack with weight on it.
For me, I know there is 1 day a week in my current program that I hog a squat rack for a LONG time, but I pick a time/day in the gym that I don't have to compete with anyone.
My only two issues thus far have been:
(1) Someone asked to "work in" with me when they were only using the bar, I had a fair amount of weight on the bar, and I knew this was not someone who would help with switching. Normally, I would say yes anyway and grumble, but seeing as BOTH the other two squat racks were open, I had no problem saying NO and pointing out the other options.
(2) There are 3 racks, but 1 is my favorite for practical reasons (e.g., height of pegs, location in gym). The other day, some guy was doing barbell curls in my favorite squat rack when I needed it. Seeing as the other two were open, I could hardly complain. But I was definitely glaring during my rest periods while watching him with a bar that had so much weight on it that not only was his back angled, arched and swaying heavily for momentum, but he STILL wasn't even bringing the bar all the way down to then fight throught the weakest movement part of the curl!!! I kept thinking of his 3 cardinal sins - the two MAJOR form problems & using a squat rack to do curls in the first place, especially MY squat rack. Hehehe.
NROL's Hypertrophy I, Workout B9
All exercises 3x15, 30 seconds rest except for abdominals which are 3x15, 60 seconds rest
A1 Squats 55
B1 Deadlifts w/Shrug 55
C1 Bulgarian Split Squats 10
C2 Step-Up 10
D1 Reverse Crunch (w/Stability Ball between Knees)
Notes:
Squats and Deadlifts - for whatever reason these really kicked my ass today. My heart was pounding in my chest to the point I had to sit down and rest over the allotted 30 seconds. I know that 3x15 usually does kick my ass, but this time it was with the steel toe boots.
Bulgarian Split Squats - It was psychologically more difficult than usual to start these, given the whuppin' I got with the previous superset. It took me a while to find my balance on my left leg, but once I did I started nailing the split squats. Range of motion is still an issue, but I'm just really happy I was actually able to get through the sets without toppling over.
Step-ups - Compared to the previous three exercises, this seemed a lot easier. Though I still have to make sure to not push off with the back foot. The woman who runs the gym was kind enough to lend me her risers/step for it, which of course I'm quite thankful for.
Reverse Crunches - back to a stability ball, since I don't have a medicine ball yet. Kind of anticlimactic - rather like watching a game that's really close and really exciting for most of the game, then suddently one team pulls impossibly far ahead, and the remaining fans in the stadium are the diehards that come to each and every game and have to see ALL of the game to get their money's worth.
Overall - I'm not sure why I was so not with it today - maybe because this is the first time I've done NROL on consecutive days. (Body's probably thinking, "WTF?!?!?!? It's not Friday! I didn't even get my turkey yet!")
A close scorecard this time... While NROL got the first two, I took the last three. Considering though that the first two are bigger lifts, I'd say it's a split decision. Still, I'm VERY happy to have done the workout because it keeps me on track workout-wise, and it means I'm 75% through hypertrophy I now. And it will assuage my conscience for when I go to the family feast in a bit.
All exercises 3x15, 30 seconds rest except for abdominals which are 3x15, 60 seconds rest
A1 Squats 55
B1 Deadlifts w/Shrug 55
C1 Bulgarian Split Squats 10
C2 Step-Up 10
D1 Reverse Crunch (w/Stability Ball between Knees)
Notes:
Squats and Deadlifts - for whatever reason these really kicked my ass today. My heart was pounding in my chest to the point I had to sit down and rest over the allotted 30 seconds. I know that 3x15 usually does kick my ass, but this time it was with the steel toe boots.
Bulgarian Split Squats - It was psychologically more difficult than usual to start these, given the whuppin' I got with the previous superset. It took me a while to find my balance on my left leg, but once I did I started nailing the split squats. Range of motion is still an issue, but I'm just really happy I was actually able to get through the sets without toppling over.
Step-ups - Compared to the previous three exercises, this seemed a lot easier. Though I still have to make sure to not push off with the back foot. The woman who runs the gym was kind enough to lend me her risers/step for it, which of course I'm quite thankful for.
Reverse Crunches - back to a stability ball, since I don't have a medicine ball yet. Kind of anticlimactic - rather like watching a game that's really close and really exciting for most of the game, then suddently one team pulls impossibly far ahead, and the remaining fans in the stadium are the diehards that come to each and every game and have to see ALL of the game to get their money's worth.
Overall - I'm not sure why I was so not with it today - maybe because this is the first time I've done NROL on consecutive days. (Body's probably thinking, "WTF?!?!?!? It's not Friday! I didn't even get my turkey yet!")
A close scorecard this time... While NROL got the first two, I took the last three. Considering though that the first two are bigger lifts, I'd say it's a split decision. Still, I'm VERY happy to have done the workout because it keeps me on track workout-wise, and it means I'm 75% through hypertrophy I now. And it will assuage my conscience for when I go to the family feast in a bit.
Spinning
Two hour spin class today at the local Y. My legs were pretty beat from yesterday's workout, but I pulled through. Then went out to have sushi with a friend.
Incidentally the instructor (who, until Dec 11th, teaches spinning at the corporate gym I belong to) is now the director at the Y (which is why she's giving up teaching at the corporate gym). She's been suggesting to get me to join the Y, and since the company I work for signed a new contract with the Y, it's too cheap not to pass up. They also have a deal where you get 3 personal training sessions for $35 - one per week in the weeks leading up to Christmas. I'm looking forward to them as well as being able to use barbells and racks and cages on a regular basis. Just have to figure out when is the least crowded time.
Two hour spin class today at the local Y. My legs were pretty beat from yesterday's workout, but I pulled through. Then went out to have sushi with a friend.
Incidentally the instructor (who, until Dec 11th, teaches spinning at the corporate gym I belong to) is now the director at the Y (which is why she's giving up teaching at the corporate gym). She's been suggesting to get me to join the Y, and since the company I work for signed a new contract with the Y, it's too cheap not to pass up. They also have a deal where you get 3 personal training sessions for $35 - one per week in the weeks leading up to Christmas. I'm looking forward to them as well as being able to use barbells and racks and cages on a regular basis. Just have to figure out when is the least crowded time.
S
sparrow
Guest
Thats awesome! Sounds like a great deal! Great job on the LONG spin class!
NROL's Hypertrophy I, Workout A10
All exercises 5x5, 30 seconds rest except for abdominals which are 3x15, 30 seconds rest.
A1 Incline DB Bench Press 50
A2 Ball Seated Cable Rows 60
B1 DB Shoulder Press 45, 45, 47.5, 47.5, 47.5
B2 WG Lat Pulldown 120
C1 DB Neutral Grip Decline Bench Press 55
C2 High Pull 40
D1 Swiss Ball Crunch (feet against Bench)
Notes:
Incline DB Bench Press - This was teh suck today. I had to back off to 50 lb DB due to the left shoulder not wanting to move the 60lb nor 55lb. Still, I did what I could with what was available.
Ball Seated Cable Rows - A tough first set, but the others are seeming to fall in. I might drop back on subsequent editions of the exercise to ensure a fuller range of motion.
DB Shoulder Press - I did try the 50's but again the left shoulder wasn't having any of it. I can get the 45's up there, but not the 50's. So I did a bit of a compromise: doing a push press to get the weights into position for the first time and adding 2.5 lbs to each dumbbell. This seemed to work out well as I doubt I could've managed the 50's.
WG Lat Pulldown - Moved this up to 120, but in retrospect I probably should've backed it down to ensure a fuller range of motion.
DB Decline Neutral Grip Bench Press - Mixed bag here... I was able to do the 55's I had planned, but, when lowering myself for the second set, I guess I didn't control my body as I should have and ended up toppling off the bench *sigh*. Nothing injured though except my pride. It was almost comical since I had the weights over head, I kind of fell like a cat in that the weights were on the ground and I was kind of over them (NOT under them thank God). This of course has to happen when a gal I like is on the elliptical machine directly across from me. *Sigh*. Ah well, such is life.
High Pull - Another exercise which took the first set to really get into the form. I probably could've tried 35's but that would have seemed too easy.
Crunches (feet on bench) - these felt a bit better, though balance (as noted above) was a bit in short supply today it seems. Still, getting better with these as well.
Overall - Not really the worst workout I've had, but I've had better ones. I'm beginning to think I'm starting to hit the wall in terms of progress with this program. 60lb DB for the incline bp seems to be a no go, but that's more than likely due to the problematic shoulder, as I think I could manage it with the right. Speaking of which I'm thinking of getting the shoulder looked at, just to see if there's anything else that might be going on. It seems to me that after all this time something should be a bit better by now. But that might be me being impatient.
Still, given the unusual eating schedule I've been on the past few days I suppose it's not surprising it'd show up in my workouts sooner or later. A good reminder to get back on the wagon and pronto.
All exercises 5x5, 30 seconds rest except for abdominals which are 3x15, 30 seconds rest.
A1 Incline DB Bench Press 50
A2 Ball Seated Cable Rows 60
B1 DB Shoulder Press 45, 45, 47.5, 47.5, 47.5
B2 WG Lat Pulldown 120
C1 DB Neutral Grip Decline Bench Press 55
C2 High Pull 40
D1 Swiss Ball Crunch (feet against Bench)
Notes:
Incline DB Bench Press - This was teh suck today. I had to back off to 50 lb DB due to the left shoulder not wanting to move the 60lb nor 55lb. Still, I did what I could with what was available.
Ball Seated Cable Rows - A tough first set, but the others are seeming to fall in. I might drop back on subsequent editions of the exercise to ensure a fuller range of motion.
DB Shoulder Press - I did try the 50's but again the left shoulder wasn't having any of it. I can get the 45's up there, but not the 50's. So I did a bit of a compromise: doing a push press to get the weights into position for the first time and adding 2.5 lbs to each dumbbell. This seemed to work out well as I doubt I could've managed the 50's.
WG Lat Pulldown - Moved this up to 120, but in retrospect I probably should've backed it down to ensure a fuller range of motion.
DB Decline Neutral Grip Bench Press - Mixed bag here... I was able to do the 55's I had planned, but, when lowering myself for the second set, I guess I didn't control my body as I should have and ended up toppling off the bench *sigh*. Nothing injured though except my pride. It was almost comical since I had the weights over head, I kind of fell like a cat in that the weights were on the ground and I was kind of over them (NOT under them thank God). This of course has to happen when a gal I like is on the elliptical machine directly across from me. *Sigh*. Ah well, such is life.
High Pull - Another exercise which took the first set to really get into the form. I probably could've tried 35's but that would have seemed too easy.
Crunches (feet on bench) - these felt a bit better, though balance (as noted above) was a bit in short supply today it seems. Still, getting better with these as well.
Overall - Not really the worst workout I've had, but I've had better ones. I'm beginning to think I'm starting to hit the wall in terms of progress with this program. 60lb DB for the incline bp seems to be a no go, but that's more than likely due to the problematic shoulder, as I think I could manage it with the right. Speaking of which I'm thinking of getting the shoulder looked at, just to see if there's anything else that might be going on. It seems to me that after all this time something should be a bit better by now. But that might be me being impatient.
Still, given the unusual eating schedule I've been on the past few days I suppose it's not surprising it'd show up in my workouts sooner or later. A good reminder to get back on the wagon and pronto.