Yesterday was my NROL4W lifting day and here are my results:
Deadlifts – 2×12 – 65 lb barbell (up 5 lbs from last time)
Dumbbell Press 5 & 4 – 17.5 lb dumbbells (a couple more reps since last time)
Pullover (on ground) – 6 & 7 – 15 lb barbell (used 10 lb last time)
Lunges – 2×12 – bodyweight & knee all the way to ground
Swiss Ball Crunch w/ arms overhead – 2×10 – 12.5 lb dumbbell
I went back to bodyweight on the lunges to work on form. I was concentrating on my feet being in parallel tracks rather than on a balance beam and don’t think I wobbled near as much getting up. I’ll try adding weight again next time and see how it goes.
For the swiss ball crunch, I realized yesterday that the required reps were different than for the other exercises, so I was only supposed to be doing 10 for each set. The weight wasn’t too difficult and I could have done more reps, but I did almost fall off the ball during the first set.
Just as an extra since I am working toward being able to do a real pushup on the ground, I experimented with using the bathtub as an incline. I’d been having trouble finding something that wasn’t too high and too easy, or too low and too hard, so the bathtub seemed just right.
But it was too hard!!
I tested the other surfaces that were previously too easy and the kitchen counter is working again.
Now I was wondering why it all seemed to get harder and I had to go back to using a higher incline. Then I realized that I am now using better form. I am keeping my hands positioned close to my chest and not flaring out the elbows, making the pushups more difficult. I’ll have to wait on the bathtub idea.
I was doing these counter pushups periodically throughout the evening, but today I won’t do any so that those muscles can rest and recover. I don’t really feel them at the moment though. Still, my idea is to do them about every other day since I’d only be doing them once or twice a week just following NROL4W, and that just doesn’t seem to be enough for reaching my pushup goal.
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