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Destination:certification


Hubgeezer

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I know I will not be entering any grip contests in May or June (no Brits (was thinking about it until 2 weeks ago) and no apparent California contests in the near future), I have a new goal and a new path to it:

1. Certification on the Number 3 at the 25th AOBS Reunion on June 7.

2. Only a few barbell exercises, Block work, and grippers.

That is 6 weeks away. I will know in 3 weeks if I have a chance at it. If, in 3 weeks, I have not improved, I will probably stop posting on this thread, as I will have answered my original Certification question: Never Ending Story being the answer.

I really don't care much about Certification, honest. However, to get certified at the particular venue I have in mind, for my son, is probably the equivalent of seeing your kid graduate college: pride that lasts forever. We get along fine, but I want to have fun showing him what is possible when you put your mind to something, and to do something that he understands and respects, well, that is just too cool to pass up.

Hubgeezer Mike

Not quite 3 weeks since I posted that. I have cut back significantly on my nongripper work. As for my words, "I will know in 3 weeks if I have a chance at it", well, I based that statement from watching my body respond in the past to things. I still have a chance at it. My "CCS" on my 2004 had been holding steady at 1/8" for two weeks, until tonight, when it dropped down to 1/16". My so-called "Super 3", probably around 3.2, is just about 1/8" away. On my IM 3.5, it varies from 3/8" to 1/2" CCS. The drop down to 1/16" tonight, I consider real progress, and a sign that things are responding the way I had hoped. In the last 2 weeks, I have moved the gripper workouts to 4-5 times per week, up from 2 times for the previous month.

So, will I be closing my 2004 #3 in a week? For me, if I can be closing it each time I do a gripper workout, I will ask Randy Strossen to take a chance on me. I figure a complete rest for 4 or 5 days prior to the attempt is worth a "point 1" (I would be a 3.1 not a 3.0 CCS closer). What I consider to be a "3.1" closer probably runs a 50% chance of pulling off certification. I think to be able to pull it off with a 80% chance of certainty, one needs to be what we used to consider 3.2. With the exception of our Fabulous Finnish Friends, I think most people only can have an 80% level of certainty, because in my opinion there is around a 20% chance one would get a Mutant 3 that is just a Bear to close.

24 days left before my target date for my attempt. 16 days left before I make up my mind as to what I email Dr. Randy ("I want to go for it", or "no sir don't waste a gripper on me"). We shall see...

Mike IM Hubgeezer

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Best of strength Mike! I hope your body responds and you earn your way onto the list.

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Made 3 credit card set attempts on my #3 tonight. Two of them were 1/16th of an inch off. Damn. I wanted them to be closes! I had convinced myself I was going to close it tonight.

It's getting close, but not quite.

Have basically been doing 16 heavy singles one day, then taking one day off, then a day with 10 heavy singles. Next day, 7 heavy singles, rest a day. Then 16 heavy singles again. Doing very minimal weight training right now, as I am on the home stretch of my push for certification. Four more days until my self-imposed deadline of declaring I am "going for it" for Certification at AOBS in 12 days.

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I think the adrenaline of being in a cert situation will carry you through now. You've got the strength for it.

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You're close - good luck Mike!

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I am now past my self-imposed deadline of letting Strossen know if I wanted to pursue Certification on June 7 or not. I have not been happy with my progress.

Basically, the 16 or 17 reps, rest, 10 reps, then 6 or7 reps, rest, do over is not enough to be yielding improvement. I have been stale.

So, rather than give up, as I have an extra week, I am changing up for a week. Looking at my personal log from last February, where I was not working out except for grippers, I had good progress and was doing grippers every other day for 16-23 heavy reps.

I started doing that yesterday, as I sucked on Saturday, got pissy, thought about it, and then decided to go every other day for a few workouts and see if I respond. Did 18 heavy reps yesterday. Nothing to brag about, unless you call coming down to one-half of an inch on an IM 3.5 using a credit card set something to brag about.

I think my "sweep" is better than most 3.0 closers. I base this on being able to Credit Card Set a 3.5 under one-half inch. It is that last eighth inch that is eluding me.

Makes you just want to say "piss on this, let me work out doing something that matters, not these stupid grippers that don't mean spit".

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I am now past my self-imposed deadline of letting Strossen know if I wanted to pursue Certification on June 7 or not. I have not been happy with my progress.

Basically, the 16 or 17 reps, rest, 10 reps, then 6 or7 reps, rest, do over is not enough to be yielding improvement. I have been stale.

So, rather than give up, as I have an extra week, I am changing up for a week. Looking at my personal log from last February, where I was not working out except for grippers, I had good progress and was doing grippers every other day for 16-23 heavy reps.

I started doing that yesterday, as I sucked on Saturday, got pissy, thought about it, and then decided to go every other day for a few workouts and see if I respond. Did 18 heavy reps yesterday. Nothing to brag about, unless you call coming down to one-half of an inch on an IM 3.5 using a credit card set something to brag about.

I think my "sweep" is better than most 3.0 closers. I base this on being able to Credit Card Set a 3.5 under one-half inch. It is that last eighth inch that is eluding me.

Makes you just want to say "piss on this, let me work out doing something that matters, not these stupid grippers that don't mean spit".

A quick search of your log indicates you have done no choker/hose clamp work since the end of Jan., is that correct? Your sweep is already strong enough, as you say, so why not hammer that last little bit with choker-related work and then rest until the big day? If you think it is too late for your deadline, why not just impose a new one? I think you would regret giving up later. You are too close to pack it in.

Keep fighting Hubgeezer!

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A quick search of your log indicates you have done no choker/hose clamp work since the end of Jan., is that correct? Your sweep is already strong enough, as you say, so why not hammer that last little bit with choker-related work and then rest until the big day? If you think it is too late for your deadline, why not just impose a new one?

I have been leaving out quite a few details on my log these days. I had been doing about 25% of my "heavy reps" with a choker for the last couple of weeks, and coincidently, was intending to moving it to 50%, which is what I did tonight.

Tonight was definitely better, my two CCS #3 attempts were 1/16th away, but a very easy 1/16th at that. One thing tonight that may have been the most impressive thing I ever did was when I basically took my "Super 3" (around a 3.2 IM) down without any set to put it in the choker, did it with ease (I was not giving it 100%), and it was less than 1/8 of an inch (????) from closing.

I can do this workout again Friday (18 heavy reps tonight), which would be 8 days before D-Day, but I don't think I have "earned" the right for a #3 certification if I am hoping that I am going to get it done with rest and adrenaline. I will reserve judgment until the time comes.

The way things went tonight, compared to my workout two days ago, it is still possible that I could close my No 3 in 48 hours. Last year, in early May, I went from a 2.7 to a 3.0 in a little over a week. My IM 2.5 is extremely tough, about 2.75. Sometimes it feels tougher than my Grand Master (which I call 2.9). Tonight the IM2.5 went down like it was an easy 2. I am not sure it ever felt that easy before. I am a 2.9 CCS closer right now, by my calculations. I think that is as good as I have ever been.

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Mike you can do it! KILL IT MATE!

My mom wishes you all the best with the cert aswell. :)

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It's been 22 hours since I did grippers last night. I do not work out 2 days in a row with grippers.

Coming home from work tonight, I thought I would take my IM 2.5, no warm up, no chalk, just close it with my 1 3/4 inch set that I used for so long. This gripper is a strong 2.75.

Did it easily. Then I told my wife I had never done something like that before (she can care less about grippers and I don't talk to her much about them) and less than a minute later, showed her, and held it firmly closed in an overcrush mode.

As I was putting it away in my "gripper basket" a minute later, I pulled out my 2004 IM No. 3. No chalk, no warmup, except for two heavy overcrushes, 22 hours after working out, after 5 hours sleep, after having gotten up at 4 am, with a 1 3/4 inch set...and closed it.

Whatever little routine I thought that I had to do beforehand, I think this is just as good. I will probably email Dr. Randy tomorrow and tell him I am ready.

I am curious if anyone thinks that is a bad idea. I am open to comments...

IM Hubgeezer

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It's a guud idea! As others have said, you'll also have adrenaline on your side. Maybe also a bit of nerves, but use it to your advantage!

Best of luck :rock

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It's a guud idea! As others have said, you'll also have adrenaline on your side. Maybe also a bit of nerves, but use it to your advantage!

Best of luck :rock

I agree. Go for it and give it everything you've got. I know you can close it with your warm up and adrenaline firing you up too. :flame

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It's been 22 hours since I did grippers last night. I do not work out 2 days in a row with grippers.

Coming home from work tonight, I thought I would take my IM 2.5, no warm up, no chalk, just close it with my 1 3/4 inch set that I used for so long. This gripper is a strong 2.75.

Did it easily. Then I told my wife I had never done something like that before (she can care less about grippers and I don't talk to her much about them) and less than a minute later, showed her, and held it firmly closed in an overcrush mode.

As I was putting it away in my "gripper basket" a minute later, I pulled out my 2004 IM No. 3. No chalk, no warmup, except for two heavy overcrushes, 22 hours after working out, after 5 hours sleep, after having gotten up at 4 am, with a 1 3/4 inch set...and closed it.

Whatever little routine I thought that I had to do beforehand, I think this is just as good. I will probably email Dr. Randy tomorrow and tell him I am ready.

I am curious if anyone thinks that is a bad idea. I am open to comments...

IM Hubgeezer

Bad idea or good idea - it seemed to work for you. Personally I have found I need very little warm up for my best gripper closes - too much just seems to make me tired. Come on Mike - do us geezers proud and close that thing CCS! :rock

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Come on Mike - do us geezers proud and close that thing CCS! :rock

After that very eloquent and inspirational motivational speech, I emailed Randy to say I want to Go For It.

I want you to know that the words "Win one for the Geezer" are the words I will carry with me on my 3000 mile trip Eastward.

Win One for The Geezer! :rock

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I've read your posts from the start! Very nice journey and Im looking forward to hear about your CCS close! Good luck! :rock

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Strossen e-mail to Geezer:

"I'll bet my money on you and bring a gripper."

:cool:cool:cool:cool:cool:cool:rock:rock:rock:rock:rock:mosher:mosher:mosher:mosher

No guarantees here. As a matter of fact, I am not sure I would bet on me. But I am Motivated! :D

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Did 21 heavy gripper reps today. Here were 5 heavy reps, in order, after I figured I was warmed up:

2004 #3 Credit Card Set...1st attempt 1/32nd of an inch from closing

Moved to Super 3 (3.2 or so), 1/8th inch off(CCS)

Back to 2004 #3, 1/24th inch off (CCS)

Back to Super 3, less than 1/8th CCS

IM 3.5 with 1 1/2 inch set, less than 1/4 inch off

Then did some choker work, and my 12th heavy rep was the #3 using a 1 1/2 inch set, and it was about a millimeter off.

Did some pinky and ring IMTug work.

I will have one more workout, in two days, and then I plan on resting 5 days before going for Certification one week from today at AOBS.

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Okay, my last gripper workout before D-Day, less than 5 days away.

Did 20 heavy reps, 7 of them in choker, most of the others CCS.

I have not really mentioned my left hand at all. I have been training it, but not CCS. I have tended to exercise it with 10 heavy reps all along. This "more frequent workout" approach has really paid off on my left hand. The workout two days ago, I hit two PRs for closings on grippers I have never closed before. Tonight I closed two more that I had never closed before. My left hand had been running around ".8" less than my Right Hand for years. Tonight, I closed my RB210 easily with my left hand (around a 2.5). Then I closed my "Super 2" with leftie. It is my favorite gripper, as I got it in 1999, it is extremely wide, and it very tough, 2.55 plus (I used to call it a 2.6 but what the heck). So, Leftie, right on! Man 2.5, 2.6 sure sounds better than a 2.25 (the Number 2 I closed in the Brits in 2007). Great, cool, something to celebrate.

However, this thread is about Ceritfication, and this will probably be my last post in this section until after the June 7 attempt at AOBS.

Okay, my right hand tonight, highlights:

My three CCS attempts on my 2004 #3, done two days after a tough gripper workout was 1/16th away on the first, 1/20th on the second attempt, and 1/24ths or less on the third attempt.

Two attempts on IM 3.5 using a 1.75 inch set were 5/16ths of an inch on the first, and 1/4 inch on the second attempt.

After getting fatigued (heavy rep #14) 1/4 inch away on IM 3.5 in a choker. On rep #17, the IM 3.5 choker attempt was 5/16ths of an inch away.

My warmup plan on the certification attempt is going to be ( I will bring four of my own):

8 Trainer reps

4 Number 1 reps

3 Super 2 reps

IM 3.5 to 1/2 inch (80% effort)

Perhaps a few Number 1 squeezes

Then go for it. My first attempt is never my best. Usually, it is the 2nd or 3rd, as it was this workout. If it does not happen after 3 reps, it ain't happening.

The comments you guys have made, the encouraging words mean a lot to me. Griparn, hey, thanks for reading this stuff! Climber, always a pleasure. Twig, I admire your laying your life out for us bozzos to read about, and admire what you are doing. My late father-in-law was a hardcore drinker, but was sober for 20 years when he passed away, and his grandchildren never knew him as a drunk. He was in and out of Rehab for 5 years before he finally had his first "birthday". Anyway, this amusing adventure is nothing in the Grand Scheme of Life compared to what you are going through, but I appreciate your faith in this Yank you have never met...

Thanks everyone, everywhere! Am Going For It! :rock:cool:mosher:upsidedwn

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Sounds like you had a great workout "leftie" - congrats! I think you might be able to pull off the cert on the big day with all the onlookers and the adrenaline rush. Best of luck and I hope you kill it! :rock

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