Nat, Thanks for all your help.

I finished the book last night and did sort of a dry run on the lower body workout. Just to get to know the workout. First thing I must say is that I love the structure, using a stopwatch was excellent, there's no guess work involved, stopwatch goes off and you move onto the next set. It keeps the workout moving right along, I like it.

Question, should I be sore today? I'm not. I thought I would be, on some of the exercises I could feel my muscles burning, like he described in his book, except when I did the calves, I'm going to check out Wal-Mart this weekend for a good set of dumbells. If I'm not sore does it mean I didn't work hard enough?

Another question, the crunches for the abdominals, do you only do 12 crunches, rest then 10, rest then 8, rest then 6 rest then 12 and 12, do you never increase the number of crunches you do?

One last question, what kind of supplements if any should I be taking. Currently I take a multi vitamin, flax oil and L-Glutamine (pill form to help with cravings)

Sorry this turned out to be so long, but I really want to give this my best effort.

Hi there Harley

Before you decide you're not sore give it another day - sometimes it can take 36 hours to feel the effects of your workout. Did you hit your 10s? By this I mean, were you absolutely unable to do another rep w/o breaking form? Sometimes it takes some practice to get to a 10 - and it might take more weight. It might also be partly due to the glutamine, depending on how much you take. It helps with muscle recovery big time. I would suggest you keep taking it, but in larger quantities. This will mean getting some in powder form (you're looking at .3g of glutamine per kg of LBM - 5-7g twice a day is a good starting point). You can dissolve it in a large glass of water post workout and just before bed, or add it to your protein shakes.

As for the crunches, no - you don't add anymore in. What you can start doing is modifying your form - go slower on the eccentric (the downward part) and / or add a dumbell plate (hold it across your chest). However, if you are doing them with correct form you shouldnt need to do this for a while. It's important that you keep your abs tight throughout the entire exercise - squeezing your glutes will help to keep the abs isolated and should increase the burn significantly - this takes the hip flexors out of the equation.

Calves can be very hard to 'burn' - they get worked every day and are pretty resistant. I have found that by bending my knee while doing the single calf raises it isolates the calf and it takes less reps to get to failure - although I have had to modify and increase how many I do each set.

I would also add some Vitamine C and E and be sure to take them after you do a lifting session. These two vitamines are powerful antioxidants and will help to counteract the cortisol that is released when you do an intense workout - further helping prevent muscle wasting.

HTH
Nat

Hi there....

Just thought I'd let you know that I usually don't feel the results of my workout until two days later. And yes, the L-Glutamine really helps!

Marlaine

Just had to let you know that you guys were so right about being sore. I've been sitting at my desk all day, I got up to go to lunch and I could feel it in my legs. I don't know why I but it makes me feel better when I'm sore, I guess then I think I worked hard enough. Weird, but it's a good pain