How I Kicked My Own Butt

The first thing I learned about book promotion: It helps to read your own book. Publishing is a long process, and it’s been months since my final pre-publication review of the pages. I stumbled over a couple of basic facts about NROL for Abs in my first few interviews.

The other thing I haven’t done in a while: the actual workouts. I finished the program in March, and since then I’ve been doing all kinds of workouts that included bits and pieces of Alwyn’s program. But I haven’t done the full Cosgrove in nine months.

Yesterday, after spending time over the weekend answering questions about the workouts on the NROL for Abs forum, I decided to go through the program again, starting with Phase 1, Workout A.

Let me tell you …

Well, if you’ve done Alwyn’s workouts, you know. This is the difference between creating your own plans, where even with the best intentions you always gravitate toward exercises and training protocols that make you feel competent and strong, and stepping outside your comfort zone to do exercises you wouldn’t have chosen for yourself.

I did fine with the mobility exercises. I continued doing those long after I finished the program. Same with the core-stability exercises. In the book the core program is divided into three levels: You start with static exercises, and then move on to dynamic and integrated stability. I use all three levels, one per workout, in my regular training. I do a mix of exercises from the book and from other sources, but I stick to the one-level-per-workout system, which helps me retain the benefits of each level.

Then I went into the weight room.

First exercise: split squat, front foot elevated. Problem number one: I did the exercise wrong, turning it into a step-back lunge instead of keeping both feet in the same spot. Problem number two: holy shit, is that a hard exercise to do! It’s the first time since my hernia surgery that I used that range of motion. Nothing ripped open, but my quads filed a restraining order.

Third exercise: Romanian deadlift. Once again, I did the wrong exercise in a workout from my own book. I had read this forum post from a reader, so I did the dumbbell single-leg version in Workout A, instead of waiting for Workout B, where it actually appears. Now my hamstrings joined my quads in a class-action lawsuit.

I feel okay this morning. I’m sore in some unusual places, but it’s nothing a little foam rolling won’t take care of (even though it’ll feel like I’m making it worse).

I think there’s a valuable lesson here, one I’ve re-learned quite a few times in my years in the weight room: As my friend Nate Green says, if you hate doing it, it’s probably the best thing for your body.

Tags: Tags: alwyn cosgrove, core, exercise, nate green, nrol for abs, training