Does anyone else find the ab work in NROL4W lacking?
mdcoug
Posts: 397 Member
I never really feel it in my abs after a workout and I'm such a klutz on the swiss ball that I wonder if my own ab routine would be better to substitute on the workout days that have the ab routines. Does anyone else do this?
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I didn't start to feel it until workout A5, I think. When I went to 3 sets of 12 on the Prone Jackknife. I still don't get much out of the Swiss ball crunches and I used a 25 pound plate when I did them yesterday. Nothing.
However, I am also finding that if I challenge myself sufficiently with the squats and deadlifts I am engaging my core anyway, so I don't worry about working my abs specifically. You might be surprised how much you use them as stabilizers. The sorest my abs have ever been was following an intense horseback riding lesson. 45 minutes of sitting trot and they were toast! :laugh:0 -
I felt it at the beginning, but now half way through 1, and nothing. I feel more out of the PJK, than the crunches. I agree with the squats & DL's using your core too. I have started 1 minute planks in sub for the crunches.0
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what stage are you on right now? i had the same issue at the beginning but when these planks and lateral flexions started to come in the picture all my worries have disappeared. i just do more seconds or reps (10-15 instead of 6 or 8) if i know i have energy to push them out. can also try and work yourself up to do a pike jackknife instead of prone?0
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double post... sorry. why not a delete mfp?0
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my problem in the beginning was my form was not right.. now that I have it right, I'm sore, and I do extra when I feel like I can...0
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what stage are you on right now? i had the same issue at the beginning but when these planks and lateral flexions started to come in the picture all my worries have disappeared. i just do more seconds or reps (10-15 instead of 6 or 8) if i know i have energy to push them out. can also try and work yourself up to do a pike jackknife instead of prone?
I'm on stage 3. I know many of the other exercises are engaging the core, but I never quite feel it (especially after the ab section on B workout. I'm doing swiss ball crunches with my arms overhead, incline reverse crunches and side crunches on the swiss ball. I really don't like the swiss ball and feel very uncoordinated with the side crunches in particular. But, the lateral flexion exercises don't really seem to do much for me either.
Maybe the answer is more reps and finding an alternative to the side crunches. #$%! swiss ball0 -
I'm on stage 5 and was having the same problem, so I asked a trainer to give me some alternative ab exercises that I could do in place of the ones in the book. I have been doing hanging leg raises, and TRX versions of mountain climbers, and pikes. I keep the reps the same, but boy do these make me feel my abs the next day! I don't think changing them up to give yourself a more challenging workout is going to harm you, it's worth a shot...0
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I dunno, the 2 min planks followed by cable exercises kill me. I don't rest as long as the book says to though, so maybe try that if you haven't already.0
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Did you not read the book? He explains quite clearly why there's not a "real" focus on the abs. Summed up it's because 1) you engage your core in just about everything you do anyway and 2) Most ab exercises aren't really useful in his philosophy--only ab exercises that work the "twisting" muscles as he calls them really help to build strength.
I wouldn't bother adding in anything, I personally think the ones included are just fine.0 -
Of course I read it! I find most books like this a bore, but oddly this one held my attention.
I do realize the other exercises engage the core (as I said above), my concern is the specific ab exercises he prescribes don't seem to be cutting it for me. Either I'm not doing them correctly (note my cursing of the swiss ball), or I need to move on to other variations listed in the book because 6 reps is doing nada for me.
In any case, I think I have a pretty good hold on proper technique for standard crunches, so I'm doing those, reverse crunches and side crunches instead. Really, it's what he's got in the book minus the swiss ball, and I feel like I'm engaging my core better.0 -
Yea admittedly I have not gotten very far so maybe later in the game it might feel like abs are getting left out. And I like the swiss ball exercises like jackknife - the key with the ball is because it's all about maintaining balance which really does engage the core A LOT. So maybe if you aren't doing those you are missing out on that part.
Also if 6 reps feels like nothing, maybe just add more reps. I know that's not the general philosophy of the book but it is better than nothing. Or google around for harder variations of the ones in the book (if harder ones aren't already listed that is!)0 -
my problem in the beginning was my form was not right.. now that I have it right, I'm sore, and I do extra when I feel like I can...
Me also, now the ball is closer to my butt than my shoulders and I definitely feel it!0 -
I sub in planks for the swiss ball crunches and have since the beginning. In his later books, he does away with most of the ab exercises in NROL4W because he has found better alternatives.0
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Do you have NROL4Abs?? I did that program after NROL4W and I really liked it! The BEST thing about NROL4Abs was that ALL ab work was done at the FRONT of all work-outs - who knew??
I don't think there's anything wrong with tailoring the NROL4W program to suit yourself best - if you want more ab-work, put it in. Having said that, if you really aren't 'spent' by the time abs shows up in the NROL4W work-out, you might want to make sure you're lifting as HEAVY as you can, with PROPER form!0 -
Do you have NROL4Abs?? I did that program after NROL4W and I really liked it! The BEST thing about NROL4Abs was that ALL ab work was done at the FRONT of all work-outs - who knew??
I don't think there's anything wrong with tailoring the NROL4W program to suit yourself best - if you want more ab-work, put it in. Having said that, if you really aren't 'spent' by the time abs shows up in the NROL4W work-out, you might want to make sure you're lifting as HEAVY as you can, with PROPER form!
I don't, I'll have to check that out after I've finished this one. As far as being spent--oh yeah, definitely struggling to eke out the ab series. My last stage 3 workout was today and I had to skip the interval workout because of time and low energy level. Hopefully I can find an extra 20 min this evening to get it in. Just realized I totally forgot to stretch today too. Hopefully that doesn't come back to bite me.0 -
On the NROL4W group on facebook, Alwyn has come to comment a few times that he would substitute all of the crunch exercises for plank variations if he were to rewrite the 4W book. I've just started the Abs book and there isn't a crunch in sight! I always felt like I got a great ab workout from the jackknives (eventually moving up to Pike jackknives with legs straight and butt in the air) and planks. Hope this helps!0
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I dunno, the 2 min planks followed by cable exercises kill me. I don't rest as long as the book says to though, so maybe try that if you haven't already.
Same here.0 -
Yes .. I find the stage 1 ab work lacking. I have already replaced it with what I was doing before ... 4-5 exercises from another book (Abs Diet for Women). I like it much better. It may be that Stage 2 will be better in this regard but for now this is my preference.0
