As described in the NROLFW Overview (suggested prior reading), The New Rules of Weight Lifting for Women is a 6-month strengthening plan. The plan includes 7 Stages, with two Workouts (A and B) for each Stage.

Summaries of Past Stages
Stage 1

Stage 2 is a three week stage, and you do two sets of ten for every exercise. Stage 2 is fairly leg-heavy, but there are still arm and ab exercises in each workout. Here’s my progress for each exercise:

Stage 2, Workout A (repeated 4 times)

Front Squat/push press
Workout 1: 10 pounds + bar
Workout 4: 10 pounds + bar
This exercise was really difficult. I didn’t increase weight at all over the 3 weeks. I might have felt comfortable increasing if I had a spotter, but I was worried I would hurt myself if I tried adding more weight on my own!

Step-Ups
Workout 1: 25 lbs in each hand
Workout 4: 30 lbs in each hand

Dumbbell One-Point Rows
Workout 1: 25 pounds
Workout 4: 30 pounds

Static Lunge, rear foot elevated
Workout 1: 25 pounds
Workout 4: 30 pounds

Push-Ups
I worked on trying to get closer to the ground and keep a straighter body.

Plank
Workout 1: two sets of 60 seconds
Workout 4: one set of 90 seconds, one set of 75 seconds

Cable Horizontal Wood Chop
Workout 1: 20 pounds
Workout 4: 22.5 pounds

Stage 2, Workout B (repeated 4 times)

Wide-grip Deadlift from Box
Workout 1: 20 pounds + bar
Workout 4: 25 pounds + bar

Bulgarian Split Squat
Workout 1: 25 pounds
Workout 4: 30 pounds

Underhand-grip Lat Pulldown
Workout 1: 75 pounds
Workout 4: 85 pounds

Reverse Lunge from Box with Forward Reach
Workout 1: 20 pounds in each hand
Workout 4: 25 pounds in each hand

Dumbbell Prone Cuban Snatch
Workout 1: 5 pounds per arm
Workout 2: 7.5 pounds per arm

Swiss-ball Crunch
Workout 1: 12 reps
Workout 4: 23 reps

Reverse Crunch
Workout 1: 10 reps
Workout 4: 12 reps

Lateral Flexion
Workout 1: 10 reps per side
Workout 4: 10 reps per side
I didn’t feel like this exercise went very well. I was basically doing side crunches just laying on the floor. Next time I think I will try to use a stability or bosu ball to make me feel like I am doing more.

Prone Cobra
Workout 1: one set of 60 seconds and one set of 65 seconds
Workout 4: one set of 70 seconds and one set of 75 seconds

Overall, I didn’t enjoy this stage quite as much as Stage 1. I felt like some of the exercises went pretty slowly (especially doing so many lunge variations), but I continued to feel like I was getting stronger. I noticed this in particular with moves that I never do (like prone cobra), which started out extremely difficult and became a little easier by the end of the stage.

More NROLFW
Overview
Stage 1