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Cesare Ricchezza Is In The Grip Well!


Bill Piche

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Much thanks for your reply, Chez ! Interesting stuff. And thanks for doing this.

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Hey Chez…thanks for taking the time to do this. A number of very good questions and answers so far.

Although you are very approachable (and I see you relatively often), it would be good to get some more of your answers on record to help build this sweet repository of information.

Is there anything you do regularly that you believe many people neglect in their training?

What patterns or epiphanies have you noticed through your training that have helped you refine/become more efficient in your progress? (For example…do you train better in the a.m. or evening? Specifically superset pairs of exercises? Focus on certain exercises after a layoff?) Anything that springs to mind could hold value here, even minutia.

I know Law School, family, GF, etc. all took up much valuable training time ;) during the last 2 years, how did you prioritize your training? I guess I'm asking something akin to…when time was limited, what training/exercises were sacrosanct and must needed to be done no matter what?

Have you experiences any hand tears etc with grippers? If so, what have you done to heal up and/or train around them?

Congrats on the Red Nail. Do you intend to continue to bend (on a more limited basis) or is bending somewhat shelved until you accomplish other grip goals? Speaking of which, besides overall grip strength, do you have any specific grip goals in mind besides grippers (say winning your weight class at NAGCs)?

How much (if any) has your Gluten Allergy affected your training?

You have been instrumental in my introduction to GripSport training. I think you have a natural talent for teaching and motivating. I've learned much from simply showing up to Gym Le Chez. (Thanks.) Down the road, do you have any plan on opening your own gym?

No Chez Well would be complete without a mention of wine. I myself have noticed benefits to a glass now and then, particularly with bending. What role does alcohol play and do you feel that it assists or hampers your training and/or recovery?

(Photo shamelessly stolen from Wojo.)

f3v1.jpg

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Thanks for coming up with the "grip well" Nate. I think its a great idea.

Is there anything you do regularly that you believe many people neglect in their training?

One thing I do is position my workouts to allow myself to workout very often without over training. I do this by scheduling my regular weight lifting workouts and grip workouts like a body builder splits up his training. I train body parts and areas of grip strength that go together and sequence the workouts based on how they hit the body. For example Day 1 Chest and triceps (push muscle groups), Day 2 is Back and Biceps (The pull muscle groups), Day 3 is shoulders (another push area), Day 4 is Legs (Haven't been able to train them for months because of my ankle injury but I plan to start again this weekend with machines). I give myself 1-2 days rest in between based on how I feel. Some times I do them back to back if I feel good and it makes sense. You will notice the the push days (chest+tris and shoulders are separated by the pull day and leg day so I can rest those very similar areas). I train thick bar on back and bicep day by using fat gripz on all the exercises. Grippers are paired with one of the push days, but it use to be on leg day before my injury and will be again once I recover. Pinch and wrist work get their own days just because I couldn't fit them anyway else. The grip sequence goes: Day 1 is grippers, Day 2 is wrist, Day 3 is Thick bar and Day 4 is pinch. The major thing is separating grippers and thick bar with pinch and wrist days since grippers and thick bar tax my hand in similar ways and would effect each other. I came up with this system because I started weight lifting as a body builder and I think its a great split that allows me to train around the week while giving each area rest.

I think a lot of guys don't give themselves enough rest time because they haven't figured out a training routine that allows it.

What patterns or epiphanies have you noticed through your training that have helped you refine/become more efficient in your progress? (For example…do you train better in the a.m. or evening? Specifically superset pairs of exercises? Focus on certain exercises after a layoff?) Anything that springs to mind could hold value here, even minutia.

I answered part of this question above in terms of my training split. I'm a night person. I hate waking up early and have like no energy in the morning. I need a couple cups of coffee to get going for the day. All my training is done late at night.

I know Law School, family, GF, etc. all took up much valuable training time during the last 2 years, how did you prioritize your training? I guess I'm asking something akin to…when time was limited, what training/exercises were sacrosanct and must needed to be done no matter what?

Life gets crazy at times. We all have things that get in the way of training. You need to focus on whats important in life. Training is a great hobby but sometimes I need to focus on stuff that is more important. During Law School, I stopped training every semester for weeks at a time while I studied for finals. It was good in a way because it let my body heal and reset. When time is limited during the week I will do my normal routine but cut out some sets and make the sets I do more intense to make up for it. I always focus on the major exercises that have the most carry over for each muscle group or grip area. For example on pinch day I focus on the Euro, hub and block weights. If you try and train everything all the time, you run out of time.

Have you experiences any hand tears etc with grippers? If so, what have you done to heal up and/or train around them?

Honestly, grippers never really tore up my hand so I haven't had to deal with that. It might be because I rarely do high reps. I have gotten some pretty bad palm bruises from bending that took weeks to heal. I had to do lots of contrast baths and rest up to recover from those.

Congrats on the Red Nail. Do you intend to continue to bend (on a more limited basis) or is bending somewhat shelved until you accomplish other grip goals? Speaking of which, besides overall grip strength, do you have any specific grip goals in mind besides grippers (say winning your weight class at NAGCs)?

Thanks. i plan on bending but on a limited and light basis right now just to maintain a certain level. I have some grip goals that I want to accomplish that don't pair well with bending such as some huge gripper certs. I plan on going back to it once I accomplish those goals. My goals usually aren't about placing at a competition since I can't control what other people will do. I'm just trying to bring up my strength in all the major areas like the Euro, hub, block weights, thick bar implements like the rolling thunder, sledge levering and of course grippers. I always try and beat myself. Eventually those small improvements add up and lead to better comp performances.

How much (if any) has your Gluten Allergy affected your training?

The allergy sucks. When my diet isn't strict I get really tired, my stomach feels horrible and its hard to focus on anything like training. I try to be as strict with the diet as I can be and push through the days when I feel like garbage. I actually started to train once I was diagnosed and started the diet. I immediately felt better and more energetic so I was able to train harder on top of handling other responsibilities.

You have been instrumental in my introduction to GripSport training. I think you have a natural talent for teaching and motivating. I've learned much from simply showing up to Gym Le Chez. (Thanks.) Down the road, do you have any plan on opening your own gym?

Opening a gym is my dream. Even if its a small place that I run on the side. Training is my passion and will always be a part of my life. It would be great to save up money and make the dream a reality in the future. I would love to own a place like Andrew Durniat.

No Chez Well would be complete without a mention of wine. I myself have noticed benefits to a glass now and then, particularly with bending. What role does alcohol play and do you feel that it assists or hampers your training and/or recovery? (Photo shamelessly stolen from Wojo.)

haha. I love the wine. Wine helps me block out pain on bending days. It also relaxes me and turns off my brain. I over think at times and wine allows me to stop that so I can focus on the task at hand. It calms my nerves for certs and comps. It also lowers my inhibitions and lets the inner monster come out. I don't notice any effect on recovery. I'm pretty use to drinking wine so it doesn't bother me unless I drink way to much which can and does happen :).

Edited by Chez
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Chez, thanks for taking the time to share your knowledge. My question deals with grippers of course. Since early 2012, i made great progress from 1 hard rep on a Super Master (122) to a COC 3 (149) in about 2 months. Throughout that year i got very strong on grippers. I closed my 163 elite around christmas and also clicked out 5 reps on a 3 MMS. However, since NAGSC exposed my weaknesses in thickbar and pinch, I all but stopped training grippers in lieu of the former. At this point I could probably only MMS a 3 while I've seen tremendous progress in those other grip areas. How much time, generally speaking, should a person seeking to have a balanced grip, spend on the grippers in order to achieve consistent progress? Thanks in advance!

-Jon

Edited by jvance
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Hey Chez, thanks for doing this. I also have a gripper question for the wizard of gripper!

1. Do you think doing reps with TSGs will make you stronger. For example doing 5-8 mms reps with a 2.5 without reseting the gripper. Or do you think sticking with singles is the way to go?

2. Do you think the plate loaded grip machines or the ISG could help with TSG? If so, in what way?

Thanks.-Tom

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Chez,

This caught my eye.

I have had IBS for a good few years now, but the last 18 months has been very bad. Anyway after doctors visits and hospital scans to check things out, Elizabeth said she'll sort the food out and see if it sorts it out.

About 12 months ago I started on this path. I went Paleo for a full 30 days, and of course I immediately felt better. But there were also other foods that caused me problems, and over the next 12 months we honed it down by a process of elimination. I found that I needed some carbs through the day, and found that potatoes and basmati rice worked well for me.

So for the past 8 weeks I have felt the best I have for a good time. No pains, and the strength is coming on. My food is pretty similar daily, and thank goodness Elizabeth did all thaT work for me to sort it out. Because frankly the medical world was useless, and would have you on medication asap.

So onwards and upwards, keep your food dialled in and watch your health grow and glow!

David

anwnate, on 16 Jan 2014 - 2:58 PM, said: How much (if any) has your Gluten Allergy affected your training? The allergy sucks. When my diet isn't strict I get really tired, my stomach feels horrible and its hard to focus on anything like training. I try to be as strict with the diet as I can be and push through the days when I feel like garbage. I actually started to train once I was diagnosed and started the diet. I immediately felt better and more energetic so I was able to train harder on top of handling other responsibilities.

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Chez, thanks for taking the time to share your knowledge. My question deals with grippers of course. Since early 2012, i made great progress from 1 hard rep on a Super Master (122) to a COC 3 (149) in about 2 months. Throughout that year i got very strong on grippers. I closed my 163 elite around christmas and also clicked out 5 reps on a 3 MMS. However, since NAGSC exposed my weaknesses in thickbar and pinch, I all but stopped training grippers in lieu of the former. At this point I could probably only MMS a 3 while I've seen tremendous progress in those other grip areas. How much time, generally speaking, should a person seeking to have a balanced grip, spend on the grippers in order to achieve consistent progress? Thanks in advance!

-Jon

How often I spend on grippers has change as I have progressed. When Is started training I was able to train them 2-3 times a week since I was using lighter grippers. As the grippers I use have gotten heavier I have cut back to once a week and now I train them about once every 10 days. Everyone's body reacts to training differently. Some people are able to handle higher frequency and greater volume while others just can't tolerate it as well. I think its important to experiment and find out what works for you. I started to keep a log on this board to keep myself accountable and also to analyze my training. When things are going really well, I stick with it until I hit another plateau. For example, I'm really happy with how my pinch is progressing lately so I plan on sticking to that pinch day routine for a while. Its always important to figure out a training split that allows you to recover so training one area doesn't effect the other areas. The split I outlined above allows me to do that pretty well. Its funny. I actually started to train the other areas of grip to space out my gripper days since I was really addicted in the beginning and it was hard for me to take a rest day. What I found though, is that my gripper strength improved by training the other areas. It let me space out my gripper days and allowed me to recover quicker while fighting off tendinitis. My hands are much more in balance now. I think 2 times a week with grippers would probably be the max I would recommend and that is more for people at or below a #3 level. Once you start advancing past the #3, once a week is good. I'm not a slave to rest days set in stone either. I listen to my body. If my hands and body feel really beat up, I give myself an extra day or two of rest. I know this isn't the best answer, but figuring out how often to workout and a training split is really about listening to your body. My gripper sessions are always intense though. I may space them out more now a days but I really kill myself when I do train them.

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Hey Chez, thanks for doing this. I also have a gripper question for the wizard of gripper!

1. Do you think doing reps with TSGs will make you stronger. For example doing 5-8 mms reps with a 2.5 without reseting the gripper. Or do you think sticking with singles is the way to go?

2. Do you think the plate loaded grip machines or the ISG could help with TSG? If so, in what way?

Thanks.-Tom

1) I usually start my working sets with singles in the 90% + range after a long warm up. I like to do about 4 or 5 really intense singles. after that I drop down to lighter TSGs for 4 or 5 doubles or triples. The doubles and triples are done without resetting the gripper. I don't often go above 3 reps. Sometime I may stretch it to 5 reps for deload weeks and I only go above 5 reps when I just want to go light and have fun like the other day when I wanted to see how many times I could rep my #3 off hand. Some people progress with higher reps like Can crusher but I think most people progress faster in the lower rep range. Going too high in reps starts to become more about endurance.

2) I actually just bought my first plate loaded grip machine. A Pop's Sorinex grip machine with custom 3/4 inch handles. I have been using it after my TSG work for negative holds of 10 seconds as a finisher. Its too early to really evaluate it. I do think focusing too much on machines can decrease your set strength since you aren't practicing your set when you use them. We will see how well the grip machine works for me. TSGs should be the main focus though.

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Chez,

This caught my eye.

I have had IBS for a good few years now, but the last 18 months has been very bad. Anyway after doctors visits and hospital scans to check things out, Elizabeth said she'll sort the food out and see if it sorts it out.

About 12 months ago I started on this path. I went Paleo for a full 30 days, and of course I immediately felt better. But there were also other foods that caused me problems, and over the next 12 months we honed it down by a process of elimination. I found that I needed some carbs through the day, and found that potatoes and basmati rice worked well for me.

So for the past 8 weeks I have felt the best I have for a good time. No pains, and the strength is coming on. My food is pretty similar daily, and thank goodness Elizabeth did all thaT work for me to sort it out. Because frankly the medical world was useless, and would have you on medication asap.

So onwards and upwards, keep your food dialled in and watch your health grow and glow!

David

anwnate, on 16 Jan 2014 - 2:58 PM, said: How much (if any) has your Gluten Allergy affected your training? The allergy sucks. When my diet isn't strict I get really tired, my stomach feels horrible and its hard to focus on anything like training. I try to be as strict with the diet as I can be and push through the days when I feel like garbage. I actually started to train once I was diagnosed and started the diet. I immediately felt better and more energetic so I was able to train harder on top of handling other responsibilities.

Thanks for sharing your experience David. I'm glad you have really dialed in your diet and are feeling better. My girlfriend's dad practices kinesiology and has testing me on certain foods to see how I react to them. My father is very old school Italian. He doesn't really believe in new age ways of thinking. He figures if he hasn't died hes fine. I'm learning more about this stuff now and really making a consistent effort to eat correctly. I always tell people that when I'm strict on my gluten free diet, I feel like the guy from the movie "Limitless." I'm stronger, faster, clearer mentally and more outgoing personality wise. I truly feel like a different person. I'm going to work hard to keep this issue in check.

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Kasparov's question will be the last one in the well with Chez. Thanks everyone!

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Chez..what's your ultimate goal gripper? ...where do you see yourself maxing out at?

That is a tough question. I was actually just talking about this with a friend. I usually don't like to take guesses at what my potential is or give a timeline of when I will close a certain gripper since grip progress is difficult to predict. Sometimes you can plateau for several weeks in a row and then have an amazing night where you close a PR gripper with ease that you weren't even close to before.

I do believe that I have the potential to close COC #4s MMS at least. I like to take my training slowly to make sure I don't get injured but I keep chipping away at it. This isn't a given. I need to continue to train hard and smart and stay injury free. I also believe I have the potential to cert the MM7 and maybe the MM8 but again I have to train my butt off and it will take time. I take nothing for granted. I'm working hard on certing the COC #3.5 this year. Those certs are my main gripper goals right now. After that, I have no clue. I'll just keep training as long as I enjoy it and stay injury free and see where it takes me. I hope no one interprets this as me saying that I'm definitely certing those grippers. I'm just saying I think I have a chance. I know those grippers are hard as hell.

Kasparov's question will be the last one in the well with Chez. Thanks everyone!

Thanks for all the questions guys. I had a blast doing this. Good luck in your training everyone.

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Chez..what's your ultimate goal gripper? ...where do you see yourself maxing out at?

That is a tough question. I was actually just talking about this with a friend. I usually don't like to take guesses at what my potential is or give a timeline of when I will close a certain gripper since grip progress is difficult to predict. Sometimes you can plateau for several weeks in a row and then have an amazing night where you close a PR gripper with ease that you weren't even close to before.

I do believe that I have the potential to close COC #4s MMS at least. I like to take my training slowly to make sure I don't get injured but I keep chipping away at it. This isn't a given. I need to continue to train hard and smart and stay injury free. I also believe I have the potential to cert the MM7 and maybe the MM8 but again I have to train my butt off and it will take time. I take nothing for granted. I'm working hard on certing the COC #3.5 this year. Those certs are my main gripper goals right now. After that, I have no clue. I'll just keep training as long as I enjoy it and stay injury free and see where it takes me. I hope no one interprets this as me saying that I'm definitely certing those grippers. I'm just saying I think I have a chance. I know those grippers are hard as hell.

Kasparov's question will be the last one in the well with Chez. Thanks everyone!

Thanks for all the questions guys. I had a blast doing this. Good luck in your training everyone.

Thanks for the answers, and good luck with your cetifications this year!

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