NRoLfW Stage 6, with modifications

[lyorn]

Just need to share, because I'm quite happy at the moment.

These workouts are *short*! Which is a good thing, after the two-and-a-half hours of stage 5. (OK, so I added some stretching, but still...)

The negative chin-ups had me feel, of all things, my upper abs for days. In workout B, I replaced the incline reverse crunches, which my back just *hates* with attempts at a swiss ball pike (from NRoL for Abs). Holy smurf, those are hard work. But fun. I attempted to replace the back hyperextensions with good mornings to get around that grip strength limit, but the barbell absolutely wanted to end up on my neck, so back to working on grip strength.

And I managed to hold a handstand for a count of 21. Which is only about 7 seconds, but still...

Comments

[weirdquark]

Yes! I had been doing NRoLfW twice a week with a shorter weight program on a third day because I did not have time to do the other stages three times, but stage 6 I had time to finish before I went to work without getting up absurdly early so it only took me three weeks (plus a day). Sadly, stage 7 was long again and I had to go back to twice a week with a third off-program lifting day.

[coffeetime]

I should just go look it up in the book, but I'm going to be lazy and ask - does it have anything specifically to increase grip strength, or is that just supposed to happen over time because you're working the grip as you do other exercises?

I'm not following it at the moment, so I can't remember.

[lyorn]

Grip strength is not in the book, but is is, for me, what is limiting most dumbbell exercises. (Though not barbell deadlifts, for reasons I don't quite understand.) However, *doing* the dumbbell exercises helps with grip strength -- I used to reach my limit at 14 kg, now it's more like 24 -- but I still feel that some exercises I could do with more weight if I could just find a way to hold onto it.

Back hyperextensions are the most problematic, as the dumbbells are not moving straight up and down there, resting in the strong part of the hands, but press on my fingers from the sides. Ouch.