Hannah's NROLFW Journey

[HanL90]

I've been a bit of a lurker on these forums so far but thought I'd start a journal along with the start of my very first 'lifting' program. This way it's more real and I know I will have to follow it through to the very end. Hopefully I will become a bit more active on the forums as well.

so... a little about me: I'm 24, a full-time student and have two part-time jobs (20hrs a week total). I recently saved up enough money for a gym membership and very quickly fell in love with weights/strength training. I saw that many people on the forums recommend NROLFW for beginners so ordered it, read it and finally gained the courage to start it today! I am a complete noob so please excuse the low weights I will be logging. As for measurements, I am 5ft6, 127lbs and 20.2%bf (although I don't know how accurate this is). I would describe myself as skinny-fat but hopefully that will change.

Today's workout: Stage 1, Workout A, day 1

Squats: (wanted to concentrate on getting used to the movement so started with just the bar which I think is 20kg -please let me know if I am wrong!)
2x15 just the bar
1x15 with 2.5 either side (hopefully next time I will be more brave and log more respectable weights)

seated row:
2x15 at 15kg
1x15 at 20kg

push-ups: (actually did these at home as I refuse to do them at the gym until I can do 'proper' push-ups)
2x15 45° variation

Alternating step-up and prone jackknife:
Step-ups: 2x15 with 8lb dumbbells
Prone Jackknife: 2x8

I guess everyone has to start somewhere!

I was just amazed at how quick the workout was (30-40mins) and had plenty of time to get some work done in the library afterwards.

[HanL90]

Wow. I must really not be used to squatting weights because I have been getting that satisfying soreness in my legs and glutes today. At least I know what I'm doing is working.

it's a rest day today, so nothing much to post today, but I'm looking forward to my first ever deadlifts tomorrow!

[HanL90]

Yesterday's workout (Workout B):

Deadlifts (first ever!)
1x15 with just the olympic bar
1x4 with 10kg added (stopped because I knew form was suffering and don't want to injure myself so early on)
1x15 with just the bar again

Shoulder press
I cheated and used the machine instead of dumbbells but my shoulders are really weak
2x15 7.5kgs (I was struggling through the last set so actually paused for 10 seconds before the last 2 reps)

Wide-grip lat pulldowns
1x15 25kgs
1x15 30kgs

lunges
2x15 with 8lb dumbbells. I might drop down to 6lbs next week

Swiss-ball Crunches
2x15 (was only supposed to do 2x8 apparently)
These felt far too easy so I may add weight next time (I could've done them all day!)

My boyfriend visited in the evening and we had pizza, so diet wasn't so good yesterday but at this point I'm just trying to eat more. He also bought me a nice T-shirt to wear at the gym which I thought was really sweet

[HanL90]

Workout A:

Squats: Used the 10kg bar today as I find it easier to get into position. I'll return to the 20kg bar when I'm stronger)
warm-up 1x15 at 20kg (weight is total weight including the bar)
1x15 at 25kg
1x15 at 30kg (I can now squat over half my own weight!)

Seated Row:
warm-up 1x15 at 10kg
2x15 at 20kg

push-ups:
attempted 30° push-ups but failed at 10 reps
2x15 45° push-ups

Step-ups
2x15 with 7lb dumbbells (will definitely be going back to 8lb dbs or higher next time)

Prone Jackknife:
2x8 (I think I actually find this the hardest exercise)

I wore my new gym top and felt amazing after, although a bit jelly-legged. I am now going to attempt to do some reading for my essays.

[HanL90]

I didn't manage to update on Tuesday so here it is:

Tuesday Workout B:

Deadlift (weight is total weight including the bar):
2x20kg (I would really like to increase the weight next time, even just if it's only by 2.5kg)

Shoulder press:
1x7.5kg
1x5kg (getting frustrated with how weak my shoulders are)

Wide Grip Lat pulldown:
1x15 at 20kg warm up
2x15 at 30kg

Lunges (weight is weight per dumbbell):
2x16 at 6lbs (this felt a bit better than the 8lb dbs)

Swiss ball crunches:
2x15 with a kettlebell (weight wasn't marked on but it was the 3rd heaviest out of 4)
1x8 with the next kettlebell up which felt better)
I'm still finding this too easy so I may use the ab crunch machine as well as this next time so that I actually feel like I've worked my abs.

[HanL90]

Today: Workout A

Squats: (total weight including bar)
1x15 at 20kg warm up
1x15 at 25kgs
1x15 at 30kg
1x8 at 35kg (felt good to know I can squat this weight. I may try 32.5kg next time to reach the reps)

Push-ups:
2x15 45° variance (these are relatively easy now so I may attempt the 30° variance again)

Seated Row:
1x15 at 10kg warm up
2x15 at 20kg

Step ups: (weight per dumbbell)
2x16 8lbs (not really feeling this in my legs or glutes like I'd like, it just feels heavy on my weak arms, haha)

Prone Jackknife:
2x8 (I think I am slowly getting better at these which is good since reps increase next time)

It felt like a good workout today. I still can't wait to start using heavier weights but I'm slowly making progress.
Next week rep ranges change to 2x15 on most exercises - 2x10 on Prone Jackknife and Swiss ball crunch - so I may be able to lift heavier due to this!

[fitmomoftwo77]

Congrats on your new lifting program! I did NROLFW from February till about the end of July. It's such a great Program! It was also my first lifting program. You are doing awesome! Don't worry about your weights and comparing yourself to others. It's you vs you I started out very similarly, squatting with just the bar and all. But you are right to assess your form and drop back the weight if you need to. Because form is always paramount.

I'm now going through new rules of lifting supercharged and it's awesome. I'm journaling as well, so you can check it out and see that even though I was squatting the bar in February, now I'm squatting my body weight it's such a fun journey! Si wish i started as early in life as you have! Keep at it girl...you are doing great!

[HanL90]

Thanks fitmom! Congrats on squatting your bodyweight! I will be one very happy girl when I can do that.
I know I shouldn't compare myself to others. I keep trying to tell myself that as long as I'm feeling it in the right places then I'm doing well.

I will definitely check out your journal

[HanL90]

Today I did workout B and was my last workout consisting of 15 rep sets.

Deadlift:
Warmed up with 1x15 at 15kgs (weights include 10kg barbell)
1x15 at 20kgs
1x15 at 22.5kgs
I wanted to try 25kgs but only got to 8 reps so I think I will keep to 22.5kgs for now which I'm happy with.

Wide-grip lat pulldown:
Warm up 1x15 20kgs
1x15 30kgs
1x15 25kgs (had struggled during the set before so dropped the weight for this set which was a bit annoying but I might be ok at 30kgs next week as I'll only be doing 2x12)

Shoulder press:
1x15 at 7.5kgs
1x8 at 7.5kgs (couldn't finish the set so dropped the weight to 5kgs and did the last 7 reps)

Lunges:
1x16 with 6lb dbs
1x16 with 7lb dbs

Swiss ball crunch:
1x8 'green' kettlebell
1x10 'green' kettlebell

I then thought I'd try out the ab crunch machine to see if I would feel my abs being used more than with the swiss ball. I did:
1x15 15kgs
1x15 12.5kgs
I wasn't really liking this either but will give it another go before I make up my mind

I then spent the rest of the day doing uni work so it wasn't too exciting but I am trying to get most of my assignments done before Christmas.

[HanL90]

Need to post two workouts again!

Tuesday 25th, Workout A:

Squats:
warm up 1x15 20kgs
1x12 30kgs
1x12 32.5kgs
1x12 35kgs (I wasn't going to try squatting this weight again but curiosity got the better of me and I'm glad! It's amazing how reducing reps by 3 makes a big difference. PR!)

Push ups:
2x12 30° variation PR! (one step closer to my end of year goal of being able to do a standard push up )

Seated row:
warm up 1x15 10kgs
2x12 20kgs (steady going with this weight but I'm ok with that)

Step ups:
2x12 9lb dumbbells. (small increase in weight on these)

Prone Jackknife:
2x10 (this exercise kills me and it's funny because it's the only one that involves just my bodyweight)

While I was having my morning shower on Wednesday, I noticed that my quads were looking more developed. Yay, progress!
My legs killed walking up and down the stairs to the pot wash at work though!

[HanL90]

Today, Workout B:

The Barbells were all being used so had to leave deadlifts until last.

Wide-grip Lat Pulldown:
warm up 1x12 20kgs
2x12 30kgs

Shoulder Press:
2x12 7.5kgs (finally! These felt much easier than last time. I'm beginning to really like these 12 rep sets )

Lunges:
1x12 7lb DBs
1x12 8lb DBs

Swiss ball crunch:
2x10 'green' Kettlebell

I then discovered a different abs machine to the one I used on Sunday and it's so much better. you lift your legs as you bend and I definitely felt my abs being worked this time.

Total abs machine:
2x12 25kgs

Deadlifts:
Warm up 1x12 15kgs
1x12 20kgs
2x12 22.5kgs (felt like doing an extra set as I felt I could keep going. That last one definitely finished me off)

I am having a good workout week this week and am happy that I am starting to see some changes in my body too (quads, bis and tris mainly).
I'm looking forward to the next gym visit!

[Laurapepperland]

Hey there
Well done on starting up lifting/a lifting journal

As said before,you're right to lay off if you think your form is suffering, but as a general piece of advice I'd say that you don't need to do so many reps each time you work out in order to move up the weight. 5-8 reps is more than enough, and you can keep increasing your strength this way

I did a 5x5 routine when I first started, it was simply 5 sets of 5 reps of squats, deadlifts and bench, divided into different days, with added accessories, and then added weight each session. I made crazy amount of strength gains really quickly, and what I could once squat for 5, I can now do for 10+. There's a lot to the programme so it's worth a research, but definitely helped me start up

[HanL90]

Hey there
Well done on starting up lifting/a lifting journal

As said before,you're right to lay off if you think your form is suffering, but as a general piece of advice I'd say that you don't need to do so many reps each time you work out in order to move up the weight. 5-8 reps is more than enough, and you can keep increasing your strength this way

I did a 5x5 routine when I first started, it was simply 5 sets of 5 reps of squats, deadlifts and bench, divided into different days, with added accessories, and then added weight each session. I made crazy amount of strength gains really quickly, and what I could once squat for 5, I can now do for 10+. There's a lot to the programme so it's worth a research, but definitely helped me start up

Hi Laurapepperland! Sorry I've not replied until now. Thanks for the advice. I will look into doing a workout like that as I would like to increase strength. I've just been following the 'New Rules of Lifting for Women' that was recommended on the forums for beginners and it starts you on high reps but eventually you move down although it seems the lowest reps that I will do (at this stage at least) is 8 per set. I'm a beginner though so I don't know what the best volume of reps is for building muscle so I'm just following this program as closely as I can and hoping it works.

[HanL90]

I've been slacking with my updating. A lot has gone on which meant I ended up taking a week off going to the gym which I now regret. Essays were getting on top of me, I wasn't well and on top of that, today my boyfriend's dad passed away. I'm getting on the bus to his first thing in the morning to be there for him which means essays will be taking a back seat again but I can't not be there for him.

I have some updates of workouts still, with the first one being from Sunday 30th November:

Workout A:

I had to leave the squat rack until last because all the barbells were being used (with one person using two of them!)

Seated row:
Warm up 1x12 10kgs
2x12 20kgs

Push ups:
2x12 30 degree variation

Step ups:
2x12 with 9lb dumbbells

Prone Jackknife:
2x10

Squats:
Warm up 1x12 20kgs
1x12 30kgs
1x12 35kgs

[HanL90]

Workout B (11th December):

Deadlift:
Warm up 1x12 15kgs
1x12 20kgs
1x12 22.5kgs
1x12 25kgs (PR!)

Shoulder Press:
2x12 7.5kgs

Wide-grip Lat Pulldowns:
Warm up 1x12 20kgs
2x12 30kgs

Lunges:
2x12with 8lb dumbbells

swiss ball crunches
2x10 with the 'green' kettle bell

Total abs machine:
2x12 25kgs
-------------------------------------------------------

Workout A (13th December):
Squats:
Warm up 1x12 20kgs
2x12 35kgs

Seated Row:
Warm up 1x12 15kgs
1x12 20kgs
1x12 25kgs (PR!)

Step ups:
2x12 with 9lb dumb bells

Prone Jackknives:
2x10

[HanL90]

On Sunday I went to my boyfriend's and we ended up going to the gym together. He got me doing one of his workouts and god was I achey afterwards.
We did chest/tris/glutes and my chest glutes and hamstrings had DOMs even today.I can't remember the full workout and don't know what some of the exercises were called. He wants me to join him again tomorrow as he thinks it will help him feel better and we'll be doing back/bis/legs and possibly some abs. Something tells me I won't be able to do much after that workout. Maybe we will get to go in the steam room or sauna afterwards!

Anyway, I went to the gym again today and did Workout B:

Deadlifts:
warm up 1x12 15kgs
1x12 25kgs
1x12 27.5kgs
1x12 30kgs (PR!) Finally, it looks like my deadlifts are starting to catch up with my squats in strength and I've seemed to improved quite a bit in less than a week!

Wide-grip Lat Pulldowns:
warm up 1x12 20kgs
2x12 30kgs

Shoulder Press:
2x12 7.5kgs

Lunges:
2x12 9lb Dumbbells
my toes on my left foot kept 'crunching' whilst doing this when that foot was at the back of the lunge. I don't know if there's a way to prevent this?

Swiss ball crunches:
2x12 (I forgot I was only supposed to be doing 10 reps) with the 'green' kettle bell

Total abs machine
2x15 25kgs

I am happy that I seem to be improving on most things. Next time I will be doing 3 sets of 10 on most exercises so it will be interesting to see how that goes and whether I will be able to increase the weights for the lower reps. I will be doing 3 sets of 12 prone jackknives and I'm pretty sure that's going to kill me!

Next week I am going to be staying at my Mum's for Christmas. I think more than anything I am going to miss the gym and hate that I will be away from it for yet another week. I will try to do some callisthenics to keep me on track and some running. I am going to take this opportunity to practice my push ups like mad because more than anything I would like to be able to do standard push ups.

[chalkNcheers]

Read the NROLFW book and really enjoyed it; thought that it provided good, educational advice for women interested in lifting (properly) and nutrition. Haven't tried the program myself, but am interested to see your progress. Seems like your squats are going swimmingly... I'm guessing the squat is your favourite 'big' lift?

[HanL90]

Read the NROLFW book and really enjoyed it; thought that it provided good, educational advice for women interested in lifting (properly) and nutrition. Haven't tried the program myself, but am interested to see your progress. Seems like your squats are going swimmingly... I'm guessing the squat is your favourite 'big' lift?

Hi and welcome to my journal
Yes I love squats! They are my favourite exercise to do overall and would really like to be able to squat my own weight on the barbell eventually. I'm enjoying the program and find that it's especially good if you can only fit in a quick workout. I think I am gaining good muscle too: my boyfriend says he can see the changes so I am very happy since I'm only at the very beginning of the program.
The nutritional advice in the book is really good although I have to make my meals in bulk or it would get too expensive and it can get a bit boring eating the same thing every day.

[HanL90]

So I've just made it back from my boyfriend's. He seems to be more angry than sad but I guess people grieve in their own way. I just hope I helped by being there even if I didn't always know what to say. He just seemed to want to go to the gym every day which I guess was his way of relieving his anger. It is not fun working out with an angry man as he was a bit short-tempered and I was trying to learn new exercises I have never done before but I think he appreciated me being there. He is a good guy, just dealing with a lot and I couldn't imagine how hard it must be. I'm very proud of him right now.

So I haven't done my usual program but I have been to the gym the last two days (and did my usual workout on Tuesday too) so I think my muscles need a couple of days rest. I will probably go again on Sunday for one last gym session before I go home for Christmas on monday and have to settle for callisthenics for a week.

Oh yeah, my weight seems to have gone up from 127lbs to 132lbs so I don't know whether that was from my week off or not. I'm trying not to freak out and am convincing myself that it's all water weight. My main goal is gaining muscle at the moment anyway. I probably won't update my weight on here until January anyway since I don't think I'll be eating very 'clean' until Christmas and new years is out the way.

[HanL90]

I'm back at my Mum's for Christmas now!

met up with a few friends for dinner at a nice Thai restaurant. It was good to catch up and I told them about my weight lifting and one of them seemed interested so I told her about the book. It will be great if she gets into it so that I have another girl to talk to (not saying that I don't enjoy talking to my Boyfriend about it).

I went to the gym on the Sunday to get one last session in before I went to Mum's.

I did Workout A:

Squats:
Warm up 1x10 20kgs
1x10 35kgs
1x10 37.5kgs
1x10 40kgs (PR!)

Push ups:
3x10 30° variation

Seated Row:
Warm up 1x10 15kgs
1x10 25kgs
2x10 30kgs (PR!)

Step Ups:
I decided to raise the step to make it a bit harder so had to lower the weight of dumbbells I used
3x10 with 7lb dumbbells

Prone Jackknife
3x10 (completely forgot that I was supposed to do 3 sets of 12 not 10 but I will make sure I remember this for next time)

I feel like I am gaining strength more quickly now. I don't know why that is but am definitely not complaining!

I have started to feel uncomfortable with this weight gain now (which I think has been mainly fat). My boyfriend and I have been planning to go on our first holiday together now that we've got some money put aside for it, only problem is that he wants to go earlier rather than later. I think I may have to try and lose a little weight in January/February. I would have liked to gain more muscle before I do my first cut but I also would like a nice holiday soon and wouldn't feel comfortable in a bikini carrying this extra weight.

[chalkNcheers]

You say your main goal is to 'gain muscle', yet you want to already 'lose weight?' It doesn't seem like you're dedicated to one goal honestly. Yes, there will be fat gain while building muscle, but cut at 127lbs, and there's not going to be much muscle to show. Don't be disheartened by 'fat gain' - which is mostly likely just water weight - stick with it! You're already feeling stronger!

[HanL90]

You say your main goal is to 'gain muscle', yet you want to already 'lose weight?' It doesn't seem like you're dedicated to one goal honestly. Yes, there will be fat gain while building muscle, but cut at 127lbs, and there's not going to be much muscle to show. Don't be disheartened by 'fat gain' - which is mostly likely just water weight - stick with it! You're already feeling stronger!

I know you're right. I just don't want to feel 'fat' while wearing a bikini on holiday. I guess I should just see how I go for now. I'm hoping I can persuade my boyfriend to push back the holiday until June (he wants to go in March) when it will be hotter, I won't have assignments on my mind and I will have had more time to build muscle so that I can look ok in a bikini.

I weighed myself today an am 132lbs. Fingers crossed that most of it is water weight like you said because it's definitely not muscle.