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Hey, I finally finished the full workout from New Rules of Lifting for Women. I skipped Stage 5, where you basically focus your exercises towards doing an unassisted pull-up. I’ll do that another time, but I repeated Stage 7, and that’s where I ended this morning:
BW Squats – Tabata for 3 minutes
(4 sets of 15 reps, 30 seconds rest in between each exercise):

  • Squats with heels on plates, 12.5#
  • DB Shoulder Press, 12.5#
  • Step Ups, 12.5#
  • Push-ups (at 30 deg angle)

This varies from the book workout in that I swapped Lat Pull downs for the push ups. I also lightened up the weight big time, as I’m carrying an extra 20 lbs around, I figure it’s not really necessary to do heavier weights as well. Afterwards, 30 minutes of steady state on the Elliptical.

A little bit burned out on the NROL thing, so I’m looking for other lifting ideas that I can do in my third trimester (yes, that’s right, I’m just beginning my third trimester. 12 weeks to go!). Anyone have suggestions? Send them on.

Getting over the hump

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Last week I joined the gym that is down the street from me (maybe a 2-minute bike ride on the Burke Gilman trail or so). It’s their summer special … 3 months for $100. I don’t join the thing full time because I already belong to a gym. That gym is free thanks to the perks from The Firm, but that gym just happens to be about 13 miles away.

It’s been nice to roll out of bed in the morning and work out, and in fact has jumpstarted my NROL4W status as well. Here’s the update:

Stage 2, Workout A. Each exercise is 2 sets of 10 reps. The (*) represent alternating sets:

  • Front squat/Push press, bar
  • *Step-ups, 20 lbs (each)
  • *DB One-point rows, 15 lbs (each)
  • **Static lunge, rear-foot elevated, 15 lbs (each)
  • **Push-up, BW holding for 2 sec when elbows are bent
  • ***Plank, 60″
  • ***Cable horizontal wood chop, 4#

Stage 2, Workout B. Again, 2 sets of 10 reps:

  • DB Squats or Romanian DL (The book says Wide-grip deadlift from box. But I frikkin hate those so much, and am nervous about hurting my lower back that I’ve replaced it with another squat exercise)
  • *Bulgarian split squat, 15 lb
  • *Underhand-grip lat pull-down, 80 lb
  • **Reverse lunge from box w/forward reach, 15 lbs (each)
  • **DB prone Cuban snatch, 10 lbs (sorta hard and awkward, working on posture for this one)
  • ***Swiss-ball crunch w/weight, 25 @ 10lbs
  • ***Prone cobra, 60″

If I have extra time (read, not lifting in the morning), I’ve added a Body Weight Matrix or Intervals. Body Weight Matrix: 24 squats; 12 lunges (ea leg); 12 lunge jumps; 24 squat jumps. Rest for 2x the amount of time it takes to do the matrix, then repeat. Dang, I can feel the burn just thinking about it.

This week went well schedule-wise:

  • Sunday, light workout, including BW Matrix, to re-familiarize myself with the new gym surroundings.
  • Monday: Workout A-1 + BW Matrix
  • Tuesday: rest
  • Wednesday: Workout B-1
  • Thursday: Intervals (25 minutes) and Steady State (20 minutes) on Elliptical
  • Friday: A-2
  • Saturday: Row
  • Tomorrow the plan is Workout B-2 w/Intervals

I’ve liked mixing it up. Just new surroundings alone has been helpful in keeping me motivated and moving. Hope to be this consistent for the rest of the summer (and beyond, of course).