I find that, after a heavy leg workout consisting of deads, maybe romanian deads and other grip intense exercises, when I stick on alternating lunges as assistance work at the end, my performance is severely limited by my grip when I try to go in the 10-12 rep range…meaning I have to compromise using heavier loads so that I don’t have to drop the weights. That is, I’m begging for the set to end so that my hands and forearms feel better rather than so my quads stop hurting.
Select all solutions that you find to be the most helpful:
a) Do more grip work
b) Move lunges to earlier in the workout
c) Use straps
d) Less reps
e) Don’t alternate legs, rest in between legs.
f) Suck it up
g) Use a barbell
Straps, definitely. You’ve already done plenty of grip work with deads and RDLs. You could go without until you grip begins to fail and then slap 'em on.
Just kidding. The most obvious solution to me would be to drop some of the exercises on that day. That seems like a whole lot of volume for your hands. Personally, when I do too many exercises involving holding on for dear life, it takes me a lot longer to recover.
How much grip work do you actually do and what exercises do you use?
I guess I should use straps then…if I deserve them and haven’t used them for other lifts…
My grip work is non-existant. I’m doing 5/3/1 but trying not to major in the minors too soon. I do heavy db rows without straps…idk… I’ll google for good grip articles. Thanks.
Yeah I can’t really find one good reason not to put the bar on my back. The higher center of mass can be a drag if you’re tired/feel uncoordinated but…you gotta do it, unilateral lower body movements are great mass builders.
[quote]boldar wrote:
why not just stick a bar on your back, in the rack position or overhead[/quote]
Sometimes you don’t want a bar on your back twice a week.[/quote]
Thats a joke right?[/quote]
No. Additionally, there is not one “correct” way to set up a routine. DB lunges tax the grip and traps differently from BB lunges and those are different from SSB lunges. So if the OP wants to do DB lunges with straps, what is wrong there? Nothing.
[quote]boldar wrote:
why not just stick a bar on your back, in the rack position or overhead[/quote]
Sometimes you don’t want a bar on your back twice a week.[/quote]
Thats a joke right?[/quote]
No. Additionally, there is not one “correct” way to set up a routine. DB lunges tax the grip and traps differently from BB lunges and those are different from SSB lunges. So if the OP wants to do DB lunges with straps, what is wrong there? Nothing.[/quote]
Fair enough, I read it as you saying that having the bar on your back twice a week is hard work.
[quote]boldar wrote:
why not just stick a bar on your back, in the rack position or overhead[/quote]
Sometimes you don’t want a bar on your back twice a week.[/quote]
Thats a joke right?[/quote]
No. Additionally, there is not one “correct” way to set up a routine. DB lunges tax the grip and traps differently from BB lunges and those are different from SSB lunges. So if the OP wants to do DB lunges with straps, what is wrong there? Nothing.[/quote]
Interesting about the traps I didn’t think about that.
I don’t see how you can be strong enough to do lunges with weights you can’t grip. I use 40-60 lbs for walking lunges and can squat well over 400 lbs and deadlift about 600.
[quote]boldar wrote:
why not just stick a bar on your back, in the rack position or overhead[/quote]
Sometimes you don’t want a bar on your back twice a week.[/quote]
Thats a joke right?[/quote]
No. Additionally, there is not one “correct” way to set up a routine. DB lunges tax the grip and traps differently from BB lunges and those are different from SSB lunges. So if the OP wants to do DB lunges with straps, what is wrong there? Nothing.[/quote]
Fair enough, I read it as you saying that having the bar on your back twice a week is hard work.
Sorry![/quote]
Personally it wrecks my shoulders… but I have shitty shoulders.
[quote]tom63 wrote:
I don’t see how you can be strong enough to do lunges with weights you can’t grip. I use 40-60 lbs for walking lunges and can squat well over 400 lbs and deadlift about 600. [/quote]
Definitely could use twice as much weight or more on the walking lunges. Might help your squat, IDK.