Hello all and Happy April Fools' Day!!

Today is officially day one of my first challenge and I am psyched!!

I know there are at least a few others out there starting today, and rather than cramming some of the other threads with all my BFL talk, I figured I would try posting here for a change.

I survived my first UBWO this morning and I feel great. I will be posting a lot of my progress in my journal, but I thought that since there are quite a few of us "april fools" that we might start our own challenge thread.

I hope some of you get this!!

All the best everyone!!

KC

Welcome to the club, KC Great to have so many new members joining us! I'm looking forward to watching your progress. Any question you have just ask away - there's always someone around to answer, with so many members coming to the end of their first challenge the availability of information and experience is at an all time high!

Nat

A separate "Fool's Errand" challenge thread? Sounds like a plan.

I, as most people already know, am another BFL Fool!

Hey I'm a fool too!!!

Started Day 1 with my Lower Body workout today, after 9 days of Bronchitis, and I definitely don't have my ol' self back yet, but I'm gonna give it my best shot!

Wbahn, you're "officially" entered in the challenge aren't you? Best of luck, I'm rooting for you!!!

It's so exciting to start this I feel like it's day one of deciding to loose weight all over again, and am just as motivated as I was in August to begin low carbing.

It's great that we can find new challenges; this one came along at just the right time for me...

Watch out ... we're all gonna be BFL BUFF!!!

Muse

Just wanted to extend my congratulations to all those starting BFL. I'm on week 3 and doing great!

Hey fellow BFLers!

Well day 2 started off with me sleeping through my alarm... I guess I will have to do the second best thing and just refrain from eating for a few hours and then hit the gym on an empty stomach.

It is beautiful here in sunny Halifax (little piece of God's country!). Our snow is almost completely gone and we're up into the double digits (celcius).

I am going to try the stationary bike at the gym tonight, I would go outside on my bicycle, but I have a flat and haven't made any adjustments to it yet this season...note to self...fix bike.

I put on some bike shorts and a tank top today and felt kinda good for the first time in a while...it's amazing how psyched I am about exercising and my new WOE!

I always get psyched when I pick up the BFL book...the pictures are amazing!! Particulary the woman on the top right hand corner of the inside cover...the one in the bright green bikini...whoa mama! I wonder how many challenges she went through for a body like that!! She looks like a picture out of a fitness magazine!! Not that they don't all look Fab-U-Lous!! Incentive galore there!

Great work harley!! Keep it up...I'll be checking in!

Welcome muse! How did you make out with day 2?? I hope your alarm went off ok?

Thanks for checking in Nat! I hear you might be down this way? Enjoy your stay...but leave the sunshine here when you go.

Cheers everyone!

KC

Hiya Slim!

Well my day 2 started out kinda like yours...but I chose to do my aerobic workout later in the day, as the remnants of this bronchitis seem to be worse in the morning...but I'm hoping to do it well between those little meals...but I'm not going to be too hard on myself about the timing till I've knocked this Bronchitis for good!

My legs are so nicely sore today, I almost fall going down the stairs and they still have a little rubbery feeling!

I'm like you in that I refer to those pictures over and over in the bfl book. I keep going back to the older lady with the leopard suit on on the back cover as my body shape more closely resembles hers...short waist, curvy...what I'd give to look like that! I don't care HOW many challenges it takes me!

How's everyone else doing? I'm having trouble getting that 6th meal in...takes a bit of practice, and planning for sure; not one of my strong suits...ah well, it's all a challenge!

Muse

Just a quick note here....

WELCOME.....to those of you just beginning BFL! It's wonderful to see our numbers growing. I have been hoping the good news would spread and even more will join us. It's amazing how wonderful it will make you feel! I'm in my 12th week and ready to start a second set. With the results I already have, I'm enthusiastic about seeing just how far I can go with this.

Did a LBWO yesterday that has left me with aching hamstrings and glutes...but it's a very pleasant ache and I can't help but take some satisfaction in knowing that YES!! I got my 10's yesterday.

I'll enjoy following your progress in the next 12 weeks.

Marlaine

yep that's right I'm another "fool" BFL'er. Started April 1 with some other bikini babes I recognize here. Nice to start a new thread so we don't cover up the real purpose of the bikini countdown! Someone was thinking!!

Well day 3 today and I feel great! Started a 0500 with a LBWO that left me totally weak! My leggs are still like Jell-O. You really should have seen me try to descend my 3 flights of stairs this am to get to my garage. FUNNY FUNNY. Gravity darn near took over leaving me on my face. But I made it. WHEW!

I am doing BFL at home and I see there is only 1 quad exercise without machines. Does any one else have another exercise I can do? I have a great set of dumbells and a coffee table I use as my bench but that's about it. Oh yeah I do have my stopwatch and gloves too.

I know it's only day 3 but I swear my body is already changing. I noticed knees for the first time in a long time. I'm sure it's because my muscle was still spasming from the torture I had put it through but I don't care! I HAVE KNEES!

Anyone else have trouble finishing the UBWO in 45 minutes? All that changing weights put me behind. My arms are still sore. Mainly my shoulders but I like it. I made it through my LBWO in 44 minutes so I got that one down but that UBWO took me an hour. Not a big deal but I was 10 minutes behind schedule the rest of the day. Ya know?

Glad to hear from you all and hang in there. BFL BUFF that's right! That's what we're going to be! Now, I really need to get a picture of me before I really start changing. Would be nice to have a comparison from day one to day 84.

Well better run~
Take care and remember we are building a better body for life.

Messy

Welcome Jkrohn! Glad to have you here!

I do a lot of my workouts at home as well, and I find that without a fair bit of equipment, it is definitely harder. I have the individual dumbells (1lb, 3lb, 5lb, 10lb) so I don't have to worry about switching weights on the same dumbell, but I will eventually have to buy heavier ones or at least double up (awkward) if I am going to continue at home. I also have ankle weights which help with the LBWO.

I started my LBWO with a couple of modifications to the exercises. I don't have a barbell, so I did the barbell squats by holding the dumbells up by my shoulders. I used this for my secondary exercise though, because I found I could bear more weight with my shoulders.

The standing leg curls I started with 0lbs and really focused on SQUEEZING the muscles, and I got some burn with just that, and I used my ankle weights (2lb and 5lb) to create resistance and doubled up to increase the intensity...0lbs, 5lbs, 7lbs, 10lbs. With all the SQUEEZING of the muscles I did manage to come close to my 10s, but I think that I will have to come up with a new solution to that problem as the program progresses. I used a chair for balance and it worked out ok. I find that you can really intensify less weight when you really focus on the muscle group you are working on and squeeze those muscles.

I definitely know about the jello legs...no amount of stretching seems to get rid of that! Happy wobbling today, and be careful on those steps!!

Great job on day 3!!

KC

Greetings Fellow Fools!

Like the rest of you, did LBWO today. I'm definitely rubbery legged right now! My upper body is still quite sore - haven't decided if it is getting better or not. It's different. Less pain but more stiffness. I'm forcing myself to move my arms through their full range of motion - not fun, but necessary.

My LBWO will take time to get in place. The moves themselves are difficult for me because of my weight and size. On two of the exercises I wasn't able to do the alternate exercise because of how ackward it was. These are things that will solve themselves with time.

Had a REAL hard time getting motivated to actually do my LBWO this morning. I thought about this board and you guys and that helped a little - but not quite enough. Then I read the goals that I had printed out (and that we are supposed to read every morning and night) and that did the trick. So maybe he does not what he's talking about!

Have fun with your cardio, folks!

Hey wb!

Glad to hear you made it through day 3 (so far anyways ). I hope your UB will be good to go for friday!! Still 2 more days recovery time.

Since you have read the book more than once, maybe you can tell me if there is anyplace in the book that refers to stretching after exercise? I read the book cover to cover once and went back and skimmed through, but couldn't find anything on the subject. I re-read p.69-76 and there is no mention of it. Did I totally miss something?? (it wouldn't be the first time )

I have always been told to give my muscles a good 30 second stretch after any vigorous exercise to prevent injury...I got this from every fitness instructor I have ever had, as well as my physiotherapist from years ago. Maybe I just missed it, but I think that it should be a MAJOR part of the workout?? Any input? I have also heard that you should warm up your muscles for at least 5 mins before jumping into exercise. Do you know anything about this? Or maybe Nat has some input? I don't want to injure myself and end up having to be a couch potato for a few weeks.

For now I am going to allot a few extra minutes for a warm up and stretching just to be on the safe side. I can't see how it could mess up my results.

Anyone??

KC

Yep - UPWO on Friday could be real interesting.

The warm up stretch is built into the exercise - that is why the first set is at a level of 5. You don't want intensity there at all (and that's one mistake I made pretty consistently on Monday) - its purpose is to get the blood flowing and the muscles limbered up and warm. So I'm not concerned about the pre-exercise stretching. But I agree with the post exercise stretching concern and, no, it's not part of his program. I don't see how adding it in at the end can hurt or slow progress - but who knows?

Hi all...me AGAIN today...must be the fact that I just got my second drumstick from all my posts...

I have to admit that I haven't been doing too much for a warm up, just walking around swinging my arms and kind of loosening up a bit. I agree that the level 5 is a good warm up for the burn that follows, so I don't feel so bad about that (especially where I'm only starting out with really light weights).

Thanks for the input, maybe Nat or Marlaine or harley or one of the "veteran" BFLers can give us "novice" BFLers some info here??

KC

I too have the wobbly leg part & I found the LBWO to be very challenging (my legs are the biggest and in the worst shape of my whole body).

As for stretching. I too read the book twice looking for anything on stretching and couldn't find it. I agree that the before warm up is built right in so no need to worry there but the after shock who knows. I didn't do any on Monday and I think that's probably why I'm so sore. I too have heard from every fitness guru alive how important stretching is. Heck I graduated from college with a degree in Health and I know I taught that to my students. I think a few minutes after isn't going to hurt anything.

Slimchance thanks for all the LB tips. I will try them out since those exercises in the book were really challenging for me. I felt all shaky and wobbly totally unstable. So may have to build the muscles a little more before I dig in that deep.

I really like the fact that we have almost 4 whole days to recover from the UBWO before we do it again. It makes sense to me. Here's to a great workout!

You guys are the best! Keep up the good work!

Messy