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First Workout For Beginners


David Horne

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I've seen plate curls recommended instead of wrist curls -- just using a plate instead of a barbell. What do you think about doing that? I would think it would help strengthen your extended fingers better but I suppose your wrists would experience less of the weight.

Great post -- I've been looking for something like this to get started. I got the plate curls from (I think) Rick Walker's "Combat grip training". He also recommends the levering -- what changes would you make to your routine if MMA were the training goal?

Thanks,

Lance

3. Two hand wrist curl- standing or sitting on bench w/hands hanging over edge?

Sitting with arms on legs or bench (whatever is more comfortable), and yes hands over the edge.

4. Two hands reverse wrist curl- standing with back to bar?

No. Sitting just like normal wrist curls, but with your knuckles pointing upwards. It works your wrist extensors. You will not need much weight for this, in fact start with the empty bar. Also if you prefer use a ez bar, if you're not very flexible in the wrist.

Florian,

I doubt many total-beginners would be purchasing a TTK, and plate loaded gripper. But maybe they would  :laugh

The problem with the plate loaded gripper is that many people cheat and kinda shrug or deadlift the weight. I think a newbies enthusiasm would get the better of him and he'd be doing a bit of a deadlift!  :tongue

As for training your thumbs, the Pinch is easy to do, and the TTK is another machine that is easy to cheat on.

David

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David your awesome... :bow ...after I get my certs on the grippers I look forward and am eager to build good solid strength in other areas. I'll be doing that program after I move to Florida I think around June. What good is it to nearly close a #3 and not be able to pinch 2 25's :laugh

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  • 2 weeks later...

Hi,

I think a time period would be more useful before adding other exercises or changing them, as a poundage level depends on where you started. I don't think it would do any harm for a good 4-6 month period for the beginner.

David

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  • 4 weeks later...
This is what I would advise to the pure beginner to start with, for a good few months before he/she decides on the path they want to choose. I think this will stop a lot of injuries that are happening due to imbalances between certain areas.

Exercises

1. Two Hands Pinch Lift for holds, also use work gloves to protect your skin.

Hope this helps,

David

Thanks, I am one of those newbies, and without the interest in hurting myself, so thanks big time for this post. What is a Pinch Lift though?

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A pinch lift would be when you grip something so that your thumb is on the opposite side of the rest of your fingers. A two hand pinch lift would be taking two weight plates smooth side out and lifting them with both hands facing the same direction. To add more weight, run a loading pin through them and add more weight on each side. A two hand pinch lift is the most basic. One handed pinching is a little more advanced and not exactly the same exercise.

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This routine just got me doing BB finger curls on my "secondary grip day" - only while waiting for my HG set to arrive, but still. Talk about an ego killer! Darn those leverages... :angry: Never even heard of the exercise before.

Rolle

EDIT: Foggy, how's the two hand pinch different from the one hand version (other than the obvious :tongue)?

Edited by rolf
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  • 2 weeks later...

good post. i wish i knew about this when i first started out. i do this type of workout to improve on my foundation of strength.

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about the olympic bar finger curls and wrist curls I don't have an olympic bar yet what I do have is a 16kg and 24kg kettlebell I have about 100lbs of standard plates but know bar or handles for them.

I could probly make a 2 handed pinch grip device out of a peice of 4x4 lumber and a 5 gallon bucket.

But any suggestions for the finger curls and the wrist curl and what I could replace them with or devize would be helpful- I have plenty of countryboy tools lumber, tools, old fencing, wire, rope, rocks, logs, axes, etc.....

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about the olympic bar finger curls and wrist curls I don't have an olympic bar yet what I do have is a 16kg and 24kg kettlebell I have about 100lbs of standard plates but know bar or handles for them.

I could probly make a 2 handed pinch grip device out of a peice of 4x4 lumber and a 5 gallon bucket.

But any suggestions for the finger curls and the wrist curl and what I could replace them with or devize would be helpful- I have plenty of countryboy tools lumber, tools, old fencing, wire, rope, rocks, logs, axes, etc.....

Hey boloking,

For the 2-hand pinch, you should use a grip about the size of a 2x4, rather than a 4x4. You could also use two plates placed together smooth side out, with a rope or chain or bar through the middle hole to hang extra weight from. Check out the gallery of David Horne or Rick Walker, I think they both have some 2-hand pinch pictures. I use a device Brookfield came up with called Mr. Pinch O Grip, which is just a platform with 2x4's for handles. :cool

For the curls, they're actually wrist curls... you should hold the bar in your hand rather than down on your fingertips like bodybuilding style. To make up for your lack of a bar, you could use the kettlebells, or hold the plates you have and do plate wrist curls, which are also good for wrists and finger strength in one exercise. You can tape or clamp extra small plates onto the plate you're doing to progress.

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I just had to look up the Mr. Pinch O Grip, and found this pic: http://www.virtualinks.com/pics/pinchogrip.jpg

Rolle

Mine's similar to that, but minus the top and bottom 2x4's, so instead of it being a square enclosure, it's just the two side ones.

||____|| <---- that would be a side view, weights go in the middle between the 2x4's, grip the 2x4's and lift. Basically exactly like the picture in MOHS. :)

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Since I started bacl to trainig not to long ago and I do kettlebell snatches and TGU's 1 day and beat a tire with a 12lb sledge hammer on the 2nd day, rest a day and repeat which day would it be better to add these exercises in and should I do them before anything else that day or at the end of the workout

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Since I started bacl to trainig not to long ago and I do kettlebell snatches and TGU's 1 day and beat a tire with a 12lb sledge hammer on the 2nd day, rest a day and repeat which day would it be better to add these exercises in and should I do them before anything else that day or at the end of the workout

Personally I would probably do them the 2nd day, first thing in the workout.

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  • 2 weeks later...

I've recently taken interest in grip training and want to implement the routine listed above into my current routine. I am doing a Westside Barbell Routine at the moment. My split is:

M- Max Effort Squat/Deadlift

W- Max Effort Bench Press

F- Dynamic Effort Squat/Deadlift

Su- Dynamic Effort Bench Press

I was thinking of adding the grip training listed in this thread at the end of M,W,F workout or later in the evening. Any objections against this?

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I just wonder what would be reasonable golas poundage-wise for the finger curls and reverse wrist curls, for a male and female respectively? Are there any world records?

Tobbster.

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Saris,

There are no records.

Just do your best.

Stormrider,

Later in the evening would be good.

David

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  • 1 month later...

Hello,

I am a complete newbie here so hopefully I won't sound too dumb. I think I understand all the exercises outlined in the original post except the first one: "1. Two Hands Pinch Lift for holds, also use work gloves to protect your skin." I read the thread including the description of it but still don't really get it.

Also, what exercises can be done with regular gym equipment (24 hour fitness is where I go) and what would I need to buy. When do I buy grippers and what kind would be good for a newbie like me. How should I encorporate grip training into my workout

Just to explain a bit more about myself to help answer my questions. I am 5'11", 185 lbs, and have been training regularly for about a year at the gym with a trainer. I actually stopped my training sessions a bit less than a month ago but could probably ask him questions if/when I see him, but anyway. I also practice martial arts with a lot of grappling, throws, wrist locks, etc...

My schedule right now is Monday & Wednesday, 1.5 hours of MA training (evening). Tuesdays & Thursdays 1 hour of cardio / movement training / high reps kind of exercise. Basically a lot of stuff like wall sits, crunches, exercises with bands, medicine balls, etc.. and then an hour 30 of MA training (both in the morning). I usually do weightlifting on the weekends (upper body friday and lower body sunday) which is when I work with the heavy weights.

So, when should I work grip training in? I'm guessing I could probably do it tuesday & thursday evenings as well as the weekend. I would follow the original program posted here and then move on.

Anyway, is there anything else a complete newbie like me should know? Thanks.

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  • 5 months later...

Nice info. This is great stuff to know about for a newbie in the gripgame (like me). One thing though I was just wondering about. Is starting with a CoC Trainer and #1 really rushing into things when you can do static barholds (olympic bar) for 10 secs with 264 lbs easily and can deadlift 330 lbs after 8 month of serious lifting? Or have these "feats" nothing to do with the basic strength required to start hitting grippers without too much risk of injury? ( I was planning to buy some CoC's t to start training my crushing strength, but maybe it's too soon. I'm just soooo anxious to start. :D ) When do I know I'm ready?

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Using a Trainer would probably not be too much, but the trouble with grippers for beginners is that are hard to put down, and you can end up squeezing them everyday. There is a long time ahead for training hopefully.

David

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Nice info. This is great stuff to know about for a newbie in the gripgame (like me). One thing though I was just wondering about. Is starting with a CoC Trainer and #1 really rushing into things when you can do static barholds (olympic bar) for 10 secs with 264 lbs easily and can deadlift 330 lbs after 8 month of serious lifting? Or have these "feats" nothing to do with the basic strength required to start hitting grippers without too much risk of injury? ( I was planning to buy some CoC's t to start training my crushing strength, but maybe it's too soon. I'm just soooo anxious to start. :D ) When do I know I'm ready?

That sounds about right to me. I was lifting about the same at the time I started grip. I ordered a T and #1 at the time and found them to be a nice challenge for me. After that I followed the beginner program in this FAQ I find them a little too easy for me and really need to move up a gripper. Your own progression will be unique to you. If you train grippers hard and get into KTA or something similar you will quickly surpass me. If you follow the beginning program for a while you won' move up that climb very fast.

I am always whoring out my blog but it gives a pretty good synopsis of where I was and how the program went for me. So check it out, the link is in my signature. Follow it back to the beginning, I am guess the weights will sound similar.

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That sounds about right to me. I was lifting about the same at the time I started grip. I ordered a T and #1 at the time and found them to be a nice challenge for me. After that I followed the beginner program in this FAQ I find them a little too easy for me and really need to move up a gripper. Your own progression will be unique to you. If you train grippers hard and get into KTA or something similar you will quickly surpass me. If you follow the beginning program for a while you won' move up that climb very fast.

I am always whoring out my blog but it gives a pretty good synopsis of where I was and how the program went for me. So check it out, the link is in my signature. Follow it back to the beginning, I guess the weights will sound similar.

Thanks Starkmann, I'll check your blog. Being a humble 190 lbs man (162 before training) with lack of natural strength, no job that requires hard labour, skinny wrists and basically overall poor bone structure I have to earn everything the hard way. Anything that I can get my hands on to improve my strength is welcome.

Even though I have never tried a CoC gripper before it sounds great to me to be able to at least close the #1 in 2006 and move on from there (dunno if i'm on point here.. we'll see). I will give this beginners program a go for sure and order a Trainer, #1 and #2 in a few months. I also want to start working with the rolling thunder this year, cuz i'm just a sucker for one handed deadlifts. With a normal handle I can do 260. With an RT probably only the handle, harharhar... :D

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