Nia Shanks

Did 'The Bar Exam' today, barbell under 20. So fun! power cleans, split jerks, one-leg RDLs w/ barbell, etc.

Oh, I love power moves. Maybe on tomorrow's schedule. Today I did all 3 of Mark Lauren's intermediate YAYOG. Made for a good endurance workout.

Yesterday as a finisher I did LWF Glutes on Fi-i-ire - banded squat jumps (band around waist and under feet). OW!
 
Ooh, I'll have to try that one -- thanks, Justine!

Today I did The Antidote (BB under 30, but it took me ~15). With the weight selection and pacing I chose, I really felt HiiT-y. Great opportunity to drill those A2G squats!
Today was my last heavy (non-deload) BBA deadlift workout -- the nosalgia is already setting in. But I celebrated with a 10-lb deadlift PR! :D
 
An extra 10lb at this stage is amazing - well done Roz.
I didn't get to try 'The Bar Exam' today - couldn't lift my arms! Divebomber push-ups yesterday....
I did The Skipper (b/w under 30) and Spring Loaded (b/w under 10 - but I did 40/20 rather than 30/30). I'll have a look at The Antidote to help with the squats! Tomorrow I start Phase 3 - back to splits, so they're shorter workouts. I'm loving the variety of LWF
 
I did Back, Back, Forth and Forth this morning after RWH legs. 4 rounds was all I could eek out but I liked it!

I was looking at that one this morning. Thinking about doing it tonight. Eek out, huh? I don't think I'm in the mood to eek anything tonight. Maybe tomorrow. Tonight might be pink, and a make-up workout. Never, but you know what I mean.
 
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Thank you all so much. I got the package 2 and will be reading through it all in the next couple of days. I love her simplistic approach to everything.
Hey Farrahalex, have you started the program yet? If so, how are you liking it?

On a separate note, I did Bye Bye Birdie today -- great for a 'cardio-only' day when your muscles are too toasty to lift.
 
Well, I took the plunge and did the" Nia thing". I'm so simple I didn't realize it was a download!! Geeze I was having a "fossil moment"! I did my first workout and decided on simple strength 2 like Roz suggested. I went way too light on bench, I thought it was 4x10, but I will adjust next time, and I dropped my curl weight from what I had been using by 15#, and still my last set was only 8.I subbed barbell rows for inverted, and since I don't have a suspension trainer did regular pushups(added a few to last set). I am really interested in seeing if less intensity twice a week is as effective as more intensity once a week. Some of my days would be 18-22 sets/bodypart and I know this will be less BUT exhaustion is NOT a goal, so maybe this is a smarter, less exhausting way to fitness!! This sounds like a great system to avoid overtraining. Thanks Karen and Roz for the push!!
 
It took me some time to figure out my proper working weights. I did find that doing warm-up sets as Nia suggests in the BBA manual really helped me work up to/figure out the proper weights (or at least the right ballpark).

On a LWF2 note, I just the The Dellanavich. OMG. Look at it. I did 165 deadlifts (135#) in 30 mins.
 
On a LWF2 note, I just the The Dellanavich. OMG. Look at it. I did 165 deadlifts (135#) in 30 mins.

I was eyeing that one up (not so sure I'd have gone to 135# though - wow)- but decided on Triple Decker (BB <30 mins). I did it as written for the first circuit, then did the exercises every 45 sec (instead of every minute) for the next 2 circuits. That got my heart rate going.

Oh, and I can do hanging knee raises. Finally.
 
Well, I took the plunge and did the" Nia thing". I'm so simple I didn't realize it was a download!! Geeze I was having a "fossil moment"! I did my first workout and decided on simple strength 2 like Roz suggested. I went way too light on bench, I thought it was 4x10, but I will adjust next time, and I dropped my curl weight from what I had been using by 15#, and still my last set was only 8.I subbed barbell rows for inverted, and since I don't have a suspension trainer did regular pushups(added a few to last set). I am really interested in seeing if less intensity twice a week is as effective as more intensity once a week. Some of my days would be 18-22 sets/bodypart and I know this will be less BUT exhaustion is NOT a goal, so maybe this is a smarter, less exhausting way to fitness!! This sounds like a great system to avoid overtraining. Thanks Karen and Roz for the push!!

Glad you jumped in, Tom. I think you will enjoy it. Please keep posting your LWF2 workouts, Roz and Justine. Great suggestions on what to try next. Roz, 165 deadlifts? Are you able to walk?
 
Justine, Triple Decker looks like fun, though I agree the whole minute sounds a bit long. Did you essentially do three singles within a 40-second window? Or a triple then rest?
I look forward to your review -- thanks in advance!

I wasn't sure what to expect, but I found all those deadlifts quite doable. My form didn't break down at all. I didn't grind out any reps. My training density increased as the time went on, oddly. It was fun! I was just reading the GSF2 manual (as I may do that program next), and Dave (author of today's LWF2 workout) says he thinks most trainees do vastly less volume than they're capable of. Uh oh -- I'm in trouble! :D
I need to do it again with a fresh upper body and try to get more unassisted pullups.
 
From what I remember Justine, there is quite a bit of repetition in these books. So I would rec that you read either Relax into Stretch or Beyond Stretching.
Thanks for the reminder to go back and have a read! : )

Thanks for this recommendation. I ordered Relax into Stretch. I"m excited about this as my flexibility could use improvement.
Also, my balance. Any recommendations in this area. I have a Bosu, but don't use it enough. My core is strong so I feel like there's something missing. I would love any ideas to improve balance.
 
Sara, I think Bosu is excellent for balance. I don't have one, but I tend to use it when I get to my pilates class early and play around with the equipment. There is so much you can do with Bosu! : ) Of course, pilates is also a great tool for helping with any body imbalance.(I have scoliosis btw) Too bad it's costly (at least around these parts) so I do not attend classes/sessions as much as I would like to. I like ones that incorporate some small ball work for balance. I know a lot of people who really do well with TRX for more balance training. It's not for me, but I see how useful it really is for some people. Sara Powers book Insight Yoga is really good for stretching in the Yin Yoga tradition. It does require concentration, so not something you can just "get in" for 15 mins in the day. At least that is how I feel about it. lol.
 
Mindy Mylrea uses the Bosu quite a bit. Some people don't like her,(she's very animated) but she gives a great workout, usually with her "toys." Bosu, med ball, body bar, gliding discs and a pilates ball. "Tabata Bootcamp with Toys." is one of her dvds. I like Mindy.
 
Thanks for this recommendation. I ordered Relax into Stretch. I"m excited about this as my flexibility could use improvement.
Also, my balance. Any recommendations in this area. I have a Bosu, but don't use it enough. My core is strong so I feel like there's something missing. I would love any ideas to improve balance.

I fall over quite a bit during yoga...so I guess it's testing my balance! Usually during twists. That would kill 2 birds with one stone (flexibility and balance). Many people say they don't like yoga, but I think it's just a matter of finding a style you enjoy.
 

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