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Quest For Gripstrength Starting With Gripper #3


Geralt

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Short session.

Squats, after several sets of warming up:

3 x 8 @ 90kg;

1 x 10 @90kg.

Experimented with floorpresses of which I have thought after ditching my old bench for regular benchpressing. This could be my shouldersaver.

Loaded up my extra long barbell on the lowest setting of my squatstands and lying on and old workout mat this exercise works great! Much more stability. Fumbled around with form and found out what works for me. Did sets only with 50kg but after 4 sets of 10 reps of controlled movement with pause at the bottom and explosive extending I could really feel my arms and chest. I perform them with my legs fully extended. Keeper.

Good for you that you found something that works for you. I like floorpresses a lot too! Well my shoulder does anyway. If you want to mix it up you could try it with a reverse grip. This takes even more pressure away from the shoulders. Does take a little getting used to and a little experimenting on how wide to grip the bar. Floorpresses work the triceps much harder than regular benchpresses. Usually it is used to improve the second part of the bench press movement.

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Despite how my right arm/shoulder still feels, I decided to test grippers today. Lots of things to describe but I am not going to mention that over here regarding my right arm. Ongoing mild nagging now and than.

- short warming up-

Deep set attemps, forcing closed when opening up turning them into short negatives:

2 x 1 Ghp8 @176lbs;

2 x 1 IM#3.5 (unrated, but guessing around 170 - 172);

2 x 1 BBE @169 closed (pic shows a slight opening between handles but that was because of turning my hand)

Off hand good attempts on IM#3 @149lbs from MMS.

2 x 1 BW hangs with Fatgripz Extreme, 20 seconds (palms facing forward), felt 'easy';

2 x 1 BW hangs with Manus Grips, 15 - 20 seconds.

thumbscrews + fingerwalks with wooden hammer.

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Squats, after warming up 4 x 10 @90kg;

Seated shoulderpress (very strict and slow descend) after warming up 4 x 8 @ 45kg. I know, but the plus side is that I don't have any pain at this moment! Gotta be careful though. At nights my shoulder still can bug me when I try to turn on the other side.

Pullovers with 24kg kettlebell. 4 x 10.

Kettlebell swings 4 x 20

Somewhere this week again floorpresses. This lighter work in combination with more reps helps my shoulders. So progress made here. My right lowerarm feels better now, but I decided to skip DL work for a little while, since I also have a lot of weight hanging on those paws than. Once per week the grippers puts enough stress on them for now. Knowing when to back off has been my best progress lately :sorcerer:

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November 13th:

Squats, after warming up, 4 x 10 @90kg ATG.

Next week less weight, than ramping up till I can comfortably squat my own bodyweight @ around 102kg for at least 10 reps.

Than I will look into what programming is fine for me.

Floorpresses 4 x 10 @65kg. Explosive up, controlled down. No shoulder hurt, so increasing the weight. Getting used to the setup.

Stupid thing is, the weight is low but when working very controlled, it still gives a good pump and feeling that I have worked my upper body. I dig this.

I prefer to be able to put my jacket on without pain in my shoulder above pressing 120kg and having constant pain during the day and night.

Rotatorcuff work.

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November 14th. Grippertraining. Took the afternoon off from work and decided to train then. Only I have this headcold which doesn't want to come through. I don't feel sick or bad but it's enough to make me feel tired a bit. For normal training I could have gotten work in but for those darned grippers I notice lack of strength immediatly. I can't think of any other stuff that needs my CNS so optimal as grippers.

Tried two deep set attempts on IM#3.5. Kept it a lower volume with several IM#3/Ghp7 closes.

My lower arms are starting to feel better so I am going to get back to a bit of higher volume again. The higher volume from let's say 145 lbs and up is quite taxing though.

My focus at this moment is grippers, doing solid squat work, since my legs are a weak link and shoulderwork. Gotta need to see things in perspecive though, since my ' weaker' sessions still contain IM#3 closes so the bar is definitely getting higher.

Edited by Geralt
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Fell a bit behind with the log. Headcold keeps going on but today it fet a little bit better. No smelling for a while though. Taste is the same. Hope it will get back.

November 17th:

Squats, working 3 x 6, 1 x 8 @ 102kg.

Z- press for shoulders, interesting exercise!

Skull crushers as finisher.

Light abs work.

Tonight, November 20th:

Headcold was at it's worst yesterday, so I went in tonight. Also had to swim with my youngest daughter yesterday evening so I'm glad I had enough energy to go through the day with work and kids.

Good thing to get a good night rest.

Working squats: 4 x 5 @ 102kg, 1 x 8 @ 102kg.

Floor press;

Kettlebell swings 3 x 20.

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Eased back into grippervolume again. Somehow my right upper arm got permanently sore in the tricep/bone area from all that setting. Getting sportsmassage for that. Lower arm feels better now, so building it up again.

Working grippers: 10+ sets of 20mm blocksets 144lbs #3, 1.5"/38mm blocksets with filed BBGM @137lbs. When not closed in the final sets, forced closed and holds till open. Repwork with a filed gripper can be a bit deceiving because it's hard to tell when the gripper would be closed with ' normal' handles.

Fumbled around with homemade blockweight, felt nice and this is something I am going to do for a while for assistance work for strengthening the pinky and ringfinger.

- here would have been a pic I made but somehow I can't get this done with my Ipad. Will do it later from my laptop -

Ended with BW hangs with Fatgripz Extreme, several hangs with different handplacements.

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This is a great log. You really like the body weight hangs? Do you find that you get a lot of supporting strength for them. I am thinking about putting them in my routine. I'm thinking of making it a revolving bar, like a piece of three inch pipe with a bar through it so that it spins, and really taxes my grip and wrists.

Keep up the intensity, kill that three!!!

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This is a great log. You really like the body weight hangs? Do you find that you get a lot of supporting strength for them. I am thinking about putting them in my routine. I'm thinking of making it a revolving bar, like a piece of three inch pipe with a bar through it so that it spins, and really taxes my grip and wrists.

Keep up the intensity, kill that three!!!

Thnx man! Appreciate it. I like the BW hangs, mainly because they really give the lower arms that deep sore feeling. Although I noticed my arms are getting used to the hangs. First set is 20 seconds now (overhand grip on the pullup bar) with the FG's so maybe I will be using my weightvest soon with these. I don't notice much carryover now but it's hard to say whether or not a certain exercise is fundamental. When I progress that could be the program I do for grippers, but also the assisting work. Hard to tell. Thickbar builds strong hands so it can't be wrong I guess! You don't need fancy equipment indeed, although I really like the fatgripz handles and the Manus grips. So many possibilities for use with these ones. Maybe an idea for christmas?

By the way, here's my blockweight/homemade thingy.

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Yup. Going to throw in an additional gripworkout from here. Just getting more workload in with several exercises. If it affects grippers than that will be the consequence. I need a trigger to kickstart some progress. Closing the #3 is no problem, as long as I can do that it's a good status quo. The grip workouts will mostly consist of blockweights, gripmachine holds and wristwork. Thickbar and pinch will be additional. I'll do this till Christmas and see what this will do. Just wanted to write this up.

Edited by Geralt
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Yup. Going to throw in an additional gripworkout from here. Just getting more workload in with several exercises. If it affects grippers than that will be the consequence. I need a trigger to kickstart some progress. Closing the #3 is no problem, as long as I can do that it's a good status quo. The grip workouts will mostly consist of blockweights, gripmachine holds and wristwork. Thickbar and pinch will be additional. I'll do this till Christmas and see what this will do. Just wanted to write this up.

Looking forward to seeing the progress you will surely get from this, Geralt. Like I said earlier, you seem to be more focused and hungry now than ever before. Honestly I think missing the cert has been a blessing in disguise for you. Your new gameplan is going to yield some awesome results in the long run!

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Yup. Going to throw in an additional gripworkout from here. Just getting more workload in with several exercises. If it affects grippers than that will be the consequence. I need a trigger to kickstart some progress. Closing the #3 is no problem, as long as I can do that it's a good status quo. The grip workouts will mostly consist of blockweights, gripmachine holds and wristwork. Thickbar and pinch will be additional. I'll do this till Christmas and see what this will do. Just wanted to write this up.

Looking forward to seeing the progress you will surely get from this, Geralt. Like I said earlier, you seem to be more focused and hungry now than ever before. Honestly I think missing the cert has been a blessing in disguise for you. Your new gameplan is going to yield some awesome results in the long run!

Thanx Anthony! Although I just wasn't ready enough for the cert, it was indeed a learning experience for me. It's a shame there are no competitions around here like in the States, because doing work in front of people is so much more different than when you are training alone. I just try to pick the positive things from it. That said, I can still get pissed at myself when watching my cert video back lol really.

Taking it easy this week with normal training, my shoulder needs it and it's just a crazy busy month that's coming up for me becaus of all kinds of festivities around here, from my youngest girl's birthday, to Sinterklaas (dutch festivity) up till Christmas. No free weekends ahead. So I just do what I can do, that's where I found more rest Anthony ;-)

The gripper volume is nothing new, staying with that one, probably Saturday. Adding one gripworkout. Short, good intensity and progressive.

Plateloader: 5 x 90kg holds for time;

Homemade blockweight, lifted with only ringfinger and pinky. Several lifts.

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Quick squatworkout.

After warming up:

2x6 @ 100kg;

1x10 @ 90kg felt easy.

Was short on time.

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Wednesday 26th, A bit short on time due to several appointments for work. Since this was also a bit of a rest week for overall body, I only set up for some squats.

Squats, singles from 100kg, up and till 130kg. This felt fairly good and 'easy', maybe could have squeezed out 140kg so 150kg is very attainable now. Not earlier than next year I guess, but it shows for me that lighter weight and more reps and sets works better for me. Almost starting to have fun with squatting lol

Tonight

Choked grippers, tried choked IM#3.5 but that proved a little bit too much, specially since I trained grip earlier this week. So kept it at a choked BBE, helping it closed, so I could concentrate on holds.

It's all about trying to improve my topcrush.

BBE (choked, 162) holds x 5;

Ghp7 (155) holds x 3, best being 10 seconds;

IM#3 (153) hold x 1;

IM#3 (149) hold x 1;

Left hand focus on heavily filed BBGM @ 137 (in original state).

Ending with several Fatgripz Extreme BW hangs + 10kg weighted vest.

Next week Monday holds with my plateloader and blockweights. Hope to keep this up for 3 - 4 weeks, then switching to volume once per week.

I am cycling through different approaches now, I can measure progress by upping time/reps and my hands still need to adjust every time to different work. Can't be bad...

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Geralt-

How do you get along with the choker work? It's fun using them to get some reps, but a few workouts with them, makes my normal set feel like the gripper is 4" wide! Didn't like that about the choker work.

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Geralt-

How do you get along with the choker work? It's fun using them to get some reps, but a few workouts with them, makes my normal set feel like the gripper is 4" wide! Didn't like that about the choker work.

Can't say at this point, since I have just started doing this. Here's the thing in my opinion. Just working grippers from various sets nd repetitions should be enough to trigger response for getting stronger. Most big gripper guys over here have done just that. What works best for me at this point, seems to be the volume approach like Ivan B. described for me. However I got pain in my arms after a while. Maybe I have pussy arm and tendons, but if I can't lift my daughters without pain than that is not good. So I quit the volume for a little while but now I am starting to feel better and thus start working on that approach again. To try and stimulate the respons from my workouts I cycle through weeks where I focus on singles and more final crush and weeks where I do lots volume.

Since I am working on singles and topcrush now I prefer to put a choker on so that I can focus on the last part of the close, without losing energy on setting. Recently I almost closed my IM#3.5 from deep set, so I thought it was a good start to choker it for the final close. However since I do griptraining twice a week now, one plateloader and one grippers, my topcrush goes a little bit down so that's why I choked this BBE which I can close from MMS normally. I really try to overcrush, a movement which I couldn't get done probably when I would close it from parallel. With choker the closing is ' easier' but I still feel I am working through the hardest part of the movement, which gives me more advantage I hope than I would have had when using a lighter gripper.

Pff man, it's just trying for me in the end. What works for me probably doesn't work for a lot of other guys. However I am making progress step by step, I can measure that, and I can also vary my griptraining like this. I need this kind of set up in programming since I am not a ' natural' for strengthtraining. So I just need to throw everything but the kitchensink now and then lol But you know what, I'm having fun this way, how disheartening grippers can be sometimes haha and I am damn stubborn so I just keep plugging away.

Here a nice article on chokerwork by the way, you read it?

https://gripperstrength.wordpress.com/2008/05/07/choker-work-on-grippers/

It's an article from Teemu which he wrote years ago.

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Geralt-

Yes, I have read that artical. Thanks for posting it!

I felt that choker work will kill your ccs....I'll be interested in seeing how it works out for you.

Good luck!

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Busy weekend with lots of fun, but little time to get some rest. Next weekend I will definitely take it easier.

Squats:

1 x 10 @ bar;

1 x 10 @ 60kg;

1 x 10 @80kg;

4 x 6 @ 100kg/220 lbs;

1 x 10 @ 90kg/198,5 lbs.

In between: plateloader 5 x 92kg holds for time with one hand. Goal time was around 8 seconds, which I got both hands all sets. Homemade blockweight with weight attached to it. Lifts with focus on pinky and ringfinger. 2.5kg added

compared to previous session. I feel my hands have done work. Not the purpose to go balls out, this would kill my grippers somewhere next weekend.

Ordered a new IM#2.5, which is not rated, but that's not that big of a problem. It's from a Dutch company which doesn't do ratings but with the shipping I save I could purchase a set of IM rubber bands. I need a 2.5 for TNS work which is not filed. Easier to judge my own closes.

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Getting cold in the garage so I decided to train in the gym.

No balls out but just doing some good movement, working on form.

strict shoulder press 4 x 6 @45kg;

Shoulderpressmachine 4 x 8;

Flyes for backside of shoulders;

Tricepextensions with 12kg dumbbells per hands from decline bench 2 x 8, 1 x 5, 1 x 3;

Triceps pulldowns few sets;

Seated cable rows up till 160kg stack several sets;

Biceps isolaton curl machine. Or something. Few sets.

Received a new IM2.5 and extend your hand bands. Red seems a bit too strong for good extension work. Green, blue and yellow are best. Keeping a set in my car, so I can do daily work while driving to work.

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Short squat workout immediatly after work before dinner.

After short warm up

1 x 10 @70kg, 154lbs;

1 x 10 @ 100kg 220lbs;

2 x 10 @ 90kg, 198lbs.

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Grippers and squat this morning.

Working sets squats: 6 x 90kg, 4 x 100kg, 3 x 3 110 kg. Felt 'easy'.

Grippers after warming up:

BBE@169 MMS close and easy hold, this really surprised me, since I have upped volume and did not expect to be on full strength!

It wasn't a full stop/pause MMS set, more of using a bit of momentum, but still. I concentrate on the close now so good.

Ghp8 attempt deep set, just slight opening up;

IM#3.5 attempt from choker, but missed by a hair;

BBE (Thor) @162 MMS and close;

IM#3 (around 150, unrated) 3 x 1 from pause and explosive overcrush;

Tried my new IM#2.5 from wide set just for fun after this and it kinda felt like a toy first rep lol maybe try some CCS repwork with this one after a little while.

Thickbar hangs with Fatgripz Extreme, 10kg weighthvest added;

Thumbscrews 5 x 3 orange spring several settings;

IM Expand your hand bands several bandcolours reps and open holds for time. Nice burn.

I am really pushing myself hard now in griptraining and am very glad with this slight progress. Just one week I want to continue this before I 'back off' and go to once per week for volume. No way I will be doing two sessions per week then.

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Kinda feeling my elbow area, so no extra gripworkout this week. Gotta go on the feel. Sunday grippers at the earliest.

Yesterday only shoulders.

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Kinda feeling my elbow area, so no extra gripworkout this week. Gotta go on the feel. Sunday grippers at the earliest.

Yesterday only shoulders.

Have you tried the light supination/pronation lever for elbows?

It helped Juha harju get rid of tendinitis.

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I do everything of that, in addition I bought the Expand your hand bands. Doing it a lot. But sometimes workload just stresses my tendons to much. Can't make it otherwise and thus need to back off. Part of my journey. Two steps forward, one step back etc...

Thnx for the tip though.

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