NEW MEMBERS Introduce Yourself Here

[Soban]

Hello!

I live in Australia, im 17 and became interested in grip training start of 2006 so i can beat people in arm wrestle

I'm 5'7" and weight around 140lbs.

I have the HG150 and HG250 which i have helped me alot.

I am pullup fanatic cause i got a pullup bar at home so i do lots i can do 20 controlled pullups and 7 reps with 55lbs.

Im trying to get strong body so i can do backflips and parkour and kick people etc.

Adios -

[Kirk]

Hey, guys. This is Kirk from Atlanta, GA. Just recently started gripping - after I saw my boss tear a phone book in half I was hooked. Been tearing cards (almost up to a full deck) and have the trainer in the mail on the way to me now.

I've been practicing by doing my normal morning push ups on my fingers, gradually taking away fingers as I go, and also by trying to crush apples...much to my wife's dismay. I can get some good finger dents going, but the apple always just kind of splits in half...it never "explodes" like I've heard about. Guess I need to keep trying.

Anyways just wanted to introduce myself. If anyone has some tips for grip workouts I can do until my grippers arrive I would appreciate it a lot.

Thanks!

Kirk

[Chrisx9118]

I wanna crush apples

[ObsceneJester]

Well it's alittle late for me but here we go.

I'm 5'8" 162lbs, I have been doing grip since I've signed up to this site. My brother (Powerhouse) got me involved into it. I have currently closed the number 1 CoC with a hose clamp on the springs and I'm paper thin in closing the number 2 CoC. I just really got into it because I like the concept 'You can't grip it you can't lift it' and it's been a big motto for me for sometime. I like to do grip training every week and it's something that I have enjoyed since I became a member here.. Still VERY green on grip training so would love w/e help I can get

Thanks

-Rob

[STFame43]

Hello GripBoard! I heard about this place from the boys over at T-Nation... Here's a little bit about myself.

Wt: ~160

Squat: 325

Power Clean: 185

Bench: ~175

Deadlift: ~315

Grip Experience: I can close the Trainer CoC (unset) about 20-30 times in each hand. My No.1 is on its way through UPS and should be here on the 3rd.

My reasons for wanting hand strength and health are numerous...

-Trumpet playing

-I play wide receiver/OLB

-Lots of keyboarding

-Lots of weightlifting; favorite lifts such as deadlift and power snatch involve grip strength

-Want to get into rock climbing this summer

Some goals I have in weightlifting/fitness(some relevant, some not so to grip training):

-171lbs by December 2006

-1 arm chinup by January 2007

-handstand pushup by May 2007

-3x bodyweight Squat, Deadlift.

-2x bodyweight Clean.

-1x bodyweight overhead squat for 15 reps.

-Closed No.2 CoC and on way to closing No.3 by December 2006.

Some more about me:

-I'm in highschool... Some stuff i'm into: Football, Wrestling, Track, German Club, Physics, Pep band, Debate Team. I'm hoping to go to a private liberal arts college in the fall of 2008... and then from there most probably law school.

Some questions I have right now about grip training:

-How do I train my extensors properly?

-How should I train my wrists?

-What is the optimal way to train my grip needs based on the aforementioned goals? (what exercises can i be performing in the school gym right now without any extra equipment?)

-What is a Powerball? (not the lottery i assume...)

That's about all for now, but this won't be the last time you'll hear from me!

Miller Williams

[big drunk]

Hi all, just introducing myself. Been reading about grip strength on and off for a while now and finally got myself a #1 CoC off eBay the other day. Looks like its one of the newer ones with the new stamp on the bottom of the handles.

Ive been into weightlifting for about 10 years now, enjoy it alot. But I want to see how much I can develop my hand strength. Got my sights on closing a #3 one day. Managed to get 20 reps with my right hand and 12 with my left on the first day with my #1. Got to wait till next payday to try the #2!!

Also want to try the party trick style feats, crushing cans, apples fun stuff like that!

Hello.

Some stats:

6'4"

250lbs

These are 1 rep maxes:

Bench 300

Deadlift 400

Squat 320

[4lbhammer]

Howdy

My name is Adam Whiteson 55 yrs old. I run a small blacksmith business on the side. A few years ago I developed problems in my hammer hand. (Blacksmiths are very vulnerable to this kind of injury). I started doing some grip training and was very impressed with the results. My arm problems went away. I seemed to be a LOT stronger all around and most surprisingly my SKILL with the hammer took a big jump! Most smiths use hammers in the range of 2.5# to 3#. When I started having problems I was swinging a 2.5#. I can now swing a 4# hammer all day with no signs of joint stress!

Anyway I have come to the conclusion that you just cant have too much grip strength. Especially if you work with your hands.

Currently I have the COC T gripper which closes easily and the #2 gripper which I can get to parallel. So I guess I am about #1 shooting for #2.

I plan to weld up a couple of grip machines since they look pretty simple.

Well thanks for listening and nice to meet you all. It sure helps to have some company

[pjb923]

Hi Everyone. I just found this board and have been reading all I can about grip training.

My name is Paul, i'm living in Yonkers, NY.

I'm 27 years old, 6' 230lbs and just got serious about weight training about a year ago.

Before last year I had never done a barbell squat or deadlift. Now i'm squatting 285 for reps and still climbing. My deadlift is finally approaching 300lbs and grip is starting to become an issue.

My COC trainer and #1 are on their way, I should have them in my hands tomorrow and I can't wait.

Hopefully grip work will bring my weight training to the next level.

[4lbhammer]

Hi Paul,

Well no one else is doing it and I am ahead of you by one post, I'll say it "Welcome to the GripBoard" !!

I gotta say I feel kind of puny around here. I do do a bit of lifting for fitness but I am not a power lifter or built like one either. Still, I am here for strong hands

[Lacknotch]

Hey, I'm Dredge.

I haven't officially done much grip strength work except rock climbing.

I now live somewhere that I have no access to climbing (or time to, for that matter). So, I now am turning my training more on exercises that will help me when I get to a place that will allow for more climbing.

Top of that list, of course, is grip strength.

I just received my HG 100 & 150. To my suprise I had no problem closing the 150 with either hand. I can do ~4 with my left and ~7 with my right on a first set.

I came here to look for information on training and equipment.

[Bgeorge]

Hey Gripboard,

I'm 36 years old, 5'10 - 195 lbs, married and father of two. A good friend of mine had started grip training just over a month ago and I became interested in it as well. I was first introduced to grip training in April/06. Since then, I have closed the HG100, HG150, HG200 and HG250 with both hands. I have came within a pennies width of closing the CoC#2 with my right hand and about a 1/4 inch short with my left hand. I have also pinch lifted a 50 lb plate with both hands, but I have not been able to pinch lift a 45 lb blob.

My goal is to close the CoC#2 with both hands and then start chipping away at the brick that is wedged between the handles of the HG300 and CoC#3.

Brett

[filipemarocha]

Hailsa crushers!!

I'm Filipe from Portugal, I'm 25 years old, kungfu/sanda athlete. I train kung fu for 11 years I've wan a lot of competitions in sanda and vs kickboxers and thai boxers. I train weightlifting for 8 years. But training seriously since I found HIT... proud HIT Jedi! I'm 6'2 , 87 kg, I've been building a lot of strength and quality mass with HIT. More recently I've found that I work best with lower reps sets, here is my workout routines. I train to failure , one set each, without any warm-up, with only the rest from putting the plates on the barbells and dumbells and belt. 3-5reps for torso, 5-10 for dl (I'm thinking lowering the rep range to 3-5 too because I stale at 5 reps), 5 -15 wrist curls , 8-20 situps and neckbridges. 4sec-4sec reps. 20-25 min training. I have short legs and long torso, I wanted to do squats, but I dont have the equipment... I only train with free weights.

A monday

deadlift 6x 125 kg

incline press 4x 75 kg

dumbell row 4x 45 kg

weighted dips 3x 30kg

bicep curl 4x 47 kg

weighted neckbridge 13 x 10kg

weighted sit-ups 23 x 20kg

wrist curl 10x 43kg (without support for the forearms, standing)

reverse curl 13 x 23 kg (" ")

B thursday

deadlift

dumbell overheadpress 4x 30 kg (standing)

weighted chin up 3x 20kg

weighted dips

bicep curl

weighted neckbridge

weighted sit-up

wrist curl

reverse curl

I'm thinking of training once a week, because I have a lot of kung fu training right now since I'll have a competition soon against kempo in KO match:) I'm looking forward to this and also I have to win my red belt next week. My evolution on weights is stagnated now and even regressing.

About crushing strength, I bought my COC #1 ,2 months ago, I've closed it 2 hours after I first tried out.

Now i close it 12 times. I will buy the #2 soon. My training with the gripper was not very specialized, I incorporated it on my main training, instead of the wrist curls, i wanted a super short workout. Now I train the gripper on different days ( 2-3 days a week), and like to be fresh to see how much I can do, and of course I have more volume now on my grip training. I've heard of KTA (6 days a week...), but I think people don't need so much volume. Ah, I've remembered a little feat I could make, crack a walnut with one hand, the thumb against the fist, only one walnut, my ex-girlfriend's mother went crazy how a thin and "weak" looking with baby face could do that! lololol

Greetings to all the Hitters and Crushers!!

PS: I want to close the COC#3 real bad, I'll be a very happy crushing machine when I do that.

Edited May 10, 2006 by ancestral

[t-wehner]

Hello,

Been lurking here for the last couple of months, and just saw this forum. I have been hanging out in the workouts and routines section mostly.

I'm a 30 yo, married w/ 2 kids, soldier, been in the army 9 years. Enjoy working out and have been doing it since high school. Enjoy seeing how much i can lift, and how far i can push my body. Always liked doing odd exercises, and grip type stuff, guess it comes from stories of old martial arts masters, and what they did for training, and how they built their fists and hands.

Some personal bests:

170 lb sandbag from the floor to my shoulder

lift from the floor, and overhead press 120 lb sandbag

deadlift 385

squat 285 (working on my technique still)

bench 285

chinup x3 with 120 lbs strapped to my waist

pullup x4 with 95lbs strapped to waist

265 lbs eagle loop one arm deadlft

225 barbell one arm deadlft

curl 70lb dumbell x3 strict

curl 3" handled 50lb dumbell x 8

close and grind handles from cc set on #2

no set the #1

I would like to close the #3 by september next year

bench 300 by september 07

squat 315 by december 06

deadlift 450 by september 07

lift a 200lb sandbag to my shoulder from the floor by december 06

all advice welcome, comments too

welp, take care and good lifting.

[Cornelius]

Hi everyone,

Just wanted my first post to be an introduction.

I joined a couple weeks ago but this is my first post.

I hope to learn alot and maybe help where i can in return.

Having all the welcomes in one post seems like they will get overlooked alot, insted of a little newbie forum area?

Well, have a great day all.

[acorn]

Hello everyone. I'm another newbie to grip training. In fact just started back into lifting. I haven't really trained very much in the last 8 years. Currently 6' and 260lbs. When I stopped training it was as a result of a blown disc in my back. At that point I was about a year out of college and had been a track and field All-American in the 35# weight throw and one in the hammer. I had done quite well in highland games and power/ olympic lifting. At that point I weighed 310lbs, had 22" arms, 58" chest 36" legs, and 34" waist, and my best lifts were:

Squat 850lbs

Bench 565lbs

Deadlift 877lbs

Clean and Jerk 465lbs

Snatch 295lbs

1hand snatch 195lbs

Currently after 2 workouts and numerous years of layoff I am up to 225 for 10 in bench. And can't do any of the other lifts any more. However I got the grip strength bug like everyone else here recently and decided to at least get my hands strong again if nothing else. A friend at work told me about the minileague for powerball that they have at work and challenged me to beat the current record holder for our company a few weeks ago. That kind of started this. After a couple of workouts with the powerball I was able to get 13444. Shortly after that I found out about the CoC grippers and knew that I would have to test my strength. I ordered the trainer and #1, then 2 days before they were to arrive I thought what happens if I can close the #1 so I ordered the #2 and #3. When the T and #1 came in I could crush them both with my right and almost get the #1 on my left. A few days later when the #2 and #3 came I was also able to close the #2 with my right but just barely, and I was also able to close the #1 with my left. Its been about 10 days since I started working on my grip now and I'm loving it. I hope that I can close the #3 in the next year.

Aaron

[qacwac]

26 year old male, 5'9", 165 lbs, live in Nashville, TN

Just got interested in grip training in the last month. I've been lifting weights since high school, rock climbing for about three years. Had a shoulder injury that I battled for a couple years and had surgery in Febuary. Close to 100% again.

I mainly workout for health and aethetics, but enjoy bodyweight strength feats also (Close to doing a front lever and working on a planche, but not close at all. Pretty close on a one hand pullup, but I've quit working it.) I have a set of rings on the way from ringtraining.com to hopefully build up for an iron cross.

I'm pretty weak strength wise, but I maintain a pretty low body fat %. Max bench press is 220 (though if it hadn't been for the surgery I think I'd be closer to 250). Squat and deadlift I haven't maxed since high school (though I'm thinking about starting them again)

Bought an 8 lbs. sledgehammer (I didin't realize how weak my wrists were) and some clamps. Trying to decide which CoC's to buy (thinking about #1,2 and Trainer) and looking at block weights (right now I just use the end of my 25 lbs dumbbells).

Also trying to decide what program to do.

Nice to meet everybody. I appreciate any suggestions.

Seth

Edited May 15, 2006 by Seth Walters

[tja]

Hey all, I'm 34 years old male, live in Switzerland. I recently purchased the Ivanko Supergripper Devil's Advocate and like the tool a lot. Currently can close it at spring settings 10,4 corresponding to about 190 pounds. Working to get next to +200 pounds level.

[Gonger]

My name is matthew, and im just a 16 year old kid.

im about 5'8 and weigh in at a modest 160-165. I play hockey and if everything goes as i plan i'll be playing Jr hockey come the fall. I can close the IM#2 with a slight set with almost no training about a week after i got it, im not bragging i just dont know what to do really when it comes to training for this, i can leaver a 6 pound axe and just the other day i decided to try pinching, three 10's is all i can do. I'd like to become a "captain of crush" befor the end of next year when i graduate.

[Florian Kellersmann]

Hey, guys. This is Kirk from Atlanta, GA. Just recently started gripping - after I saw my boss tear a phone book in half I was hooked. Been tearing cards (almost up to a full deck) and have the trainer in the mail on the way to me now.

I've been practicing by doing my normal morning push ups on my fingers, gradually taking away fingers as I go, and also by trying to crush apples...much to my wife's dismay. I can get some good finger dents going, but the apple always just kind of splits in half...it never "explodes" like I've heard about. Guess I need to keep trying.

Anyways just wanted to introduce myself. If anyone has some tips for grip workouts I can do until my grippers arrive I would appreciate it a lot.

Thanks!

Kirk

Hi Kirk,

the most important grip tip I have is meet Chad Woodall from Athens, GA. He will teach you ripping a phonebook, after that you will impress your boss

Good luck with your training!

Flo

[threemonkeycustoms]

My name is Christian Rogers, son of Dennis Rogers. I'm about 5'8 and 115 lbs.(we're all small) I'm 25 and watched my dad do this for as long as I can remember. I don't have much in accomplishments but I can rip books up to an inch and a half, rip around 45 cards, and rip a half deck into 8ths. I basically just came to see what this is all about. Maybe oneday I'll follow in his foot step and have more to talk about, it's cool to see what the human body can accomplish with a little "faith"

[Timmy]

Hello,

I am starting out and have a goal of mashing the HG200. I got interested when I saw my brother manhandle his 2005 #3.

[Vanilla]

Hello

I*m 30, german, and weigh 67kg

I have a very bad back and bum (it causes pain to sit on, that is why i sit in a weird position, which caused my back to become bad with the years.) The reason why I am interested in grip strenght works together will all my other problems/excercises.

I begun to work on the back (latissimus) with light weights 1 month ago (and it feels good every time i do it). I make french curls and rowering with weights.

I would like to get more meaty at the bum as it is the cause of all my problems. Unlike most most people here who seem to be pretty strong already, I have been unable to do more than 10 pushups all thru my life without to struggle against the breakdown, as I am extremely skinny. I heard pull ups and dips are the way for the bum to get meaty. To achieve the power in my underarms to make pull-ups, I discovered a recommendation to press Tennisballs, as everyone has some of them. I press them regularly for 3 weeks now. With my grip strenght increasing to be able to do pull-ups, pull ups will make me able to do push ups. Push ups are that hard for me to do because not only because of lack of power (my will is very strong) but because my bad back interferes (it feels like it is pushing me down. I bought me iron weight sandals ("powerboots") to practice my legs too but mainly hope it these excercises will make the bum meaty. Once my body has adapted to more power, I can think about grippers or something, my main reason - as you see - is my back/bum as well as general condition/health, conclusioning this introduction by saying my direct reason to make grip excercises is that i want it to enable me to have enough grip strenght to efficienctly perform pull ups.

[bliss]

Helloes!

Im 17-year-old fin, ~170cm tall and ~62kg ("midget"). Found this site from finnish forum (harjoittelu.net), and that got my interested in grip training, since thats what ive been always lacking, strenght in arms...

been training for a while now with girya and homemade wrist roller (http://koti.mbnet.fi/tuuni/wrist_roller_v2.jpg), also been training taekwondo for some years...

-bliss

[McGAUGHEY]

my name is mcgaughey. i'm new to this and am very interested in finding a routine or training schedule to give my workouts structure so that i'm maximizing my workouts. any help or advice would be greatly appreciated. thanks in advance.

McGAUGHEY

[slid]

Hi

I'm slid, I've been weightlifting since 16 years old, now I'm 19y and 95kg for 1,75m

Last year bought a Captain of Crush #1 and got introduced to this whole gripping thing, and to this forum

Is there a chance of me getting some training routines for strenght with handgrippers ?

thanks

Edited June 3, 2006 by slid