Quest For Gripstrength Starting With Gripper #3

[Geralt]

that hammer is awesome...I've never seen anyone do these so I guess I'll ask the rookie questions. What is the benefit of this movement? Does this carry over to crush strength or is it more of a conditioning exercise? Thanks man, awesome videos.

Thanks for checking it out bro. Well, I see it as just a finisher. Kody Delone Burns did them and I saw them in his vids. With the additional weights added it's a killer. You mainly target the pointing finger and thumb, the other fingers just need to prevent the steel from slipping down. So if there are benefits, it would probably more in the pinch related exercises.

[GrassMaine89]

ok makes sense, thanks

[Royz]

Goods stuff Geralt!

Never figured out those finger walks. I think I'm lacking the dexterity.

[Grind]

He says it's a great tool for inexperience lifters but can get dangerous when you get stronger and train max effort. You don't have a stable ending point at the lockout. That can result to instability and thus injury.

It's just something you need to keep in mind.

A great tool for beginners and for hypertrophy but not something you want to max with a lot I think.

You ever tried these, Mark? I am also not maxing out all the time, because even with the trapbar my CNS is zapped for two weeks whenI do max effort.

http://youtu.be/mEhaedC3TN4

Edit: sorry Roy, should have posted this in Grind's log. I suggest when continuing the discussion we do it at my log or Grind's so Roy can just go back to bad ass deadlifts again haha

Do you mean the high reps or the trap bar?

A friend of mine had a trap bar so I trained a couple of times with it.

I'm also a great fan of high reps on the deadlift.

[Geralt]

Both, I am starting to wiggle a bt but that is of course after a few reps. I think for 2 or 3 reps I am just as safe as with a regular bar. Safety however isn't the main reason for the trapbar but it just feels more natural to me.

Anyway, did shoulderworkout yesterdayevening after grip .

Strict standing shoulderpress ( light weight, ashamed to put the numbers up in here lol), multiple sets of triples.

Laterals and front raises;

Decline bench (sort of alternative for dips)narrow grip;

Tricep extensions.

Today painting around the house, ended with poundstone curls with empty barbell. Finished 100 reps, couldn't get my arms straightened for a while heh

This morning sick puffy hands and lowerarms because of yesterday's gripwork.

[Grind]

Both, I am starting to wiggle a bt but that is of course after a few reps. I think for 2 or 3 reps I am just as safe as with a regular bar. Safety however isn't the main reason for the trapbar but it just feels more natural to me.

If I look at your technique it's probably due to a lack of tensing the lats before the liftoff. You need to build some tension at the bar before you start to pull (google pulling the slack out of the bar). Your lats stabilizes the bar when the weight comes of the floor. They keep sure the bar doesn't sway back and forward and also what you call wiggle.

This is not a trapbar issue.

[Geralt]

Lol, wasn't saying that, and first few reps I was tight, but with 20 reps things start to get a lttle bit more different. Maybe I wasn't clear. You need to buy a trapbar m'kay haha

Friday after grip btw pressing session in the evening. My barbellpresses are very weak, but worked up to 60kg. I never focused on this till last months. Had shoulder problems for long time but it fels good right now. Carefully building it up, feels better now then benching.

Saturday for fun, after painting the house 100 rep Poundstone curls with 20kg barbell. Finished the set, couldn't get my arms straight for a while after this. Sick pumps and till today, sore biceps.

Finally vacation, tiredness is coming out lol Lazy as shit today but still went in this afternoon for legs. Everything felt heavy and I couldn't fire up. Even went up to a 150kg squat attempt but had to leave it on the safety bars. Stupid of course.

Luckily enough my new wireless printer was delivered so unpacked it and installed it with a cup of coffee. After that I felt a bit more awake and went in for a new session. Felt better.

Squats up to 120kg;

4 sets of 10 @ 75kg with pause every rep.

Finshed with sort of hipbelt squats, 4 x 10. leaning back a bit, so really focus on the quads. Weight on one side loaded barbell, with the other end in the corner, wrapped in a towel. I like this one very much.

4 x 20 sit ups.

Couldn't do more because of time, tomorrow perhaps some pressing.

Edited August 4, 2015 by Geralt

[Grind]

The comment about your technique was something I noticed from the first rep. I always try to improve my lifting technique that why I gave the advice.

Enjoy your holiday, it's nice weather now if you stay in the Netherlands.

Edited August 4, 2015 by Grind

[Geralt]

Advice is always appreciated, don't let me be misunderstood. But the first few reps the slack was defintely out of the bar. I went through my back once, with the trapbar with 200kg for the first time. two days before vacation and we went to France to make things worse. I had to lay down on a picknicktable every two hours. Horrible. This even after manipulating through manual therapy. So ever after that I am very careful with these kind of pulls. I figured I could try the 20 reps with 150kg, since I can easily pull this weight. But even then, after multiple reps it gets sloppy.

A main problem for me is that there is a very big difference in shoulder height, it's just how I am build, so I tend to hang over to one side. So really need to watch that. I however try to enjoy working out without analyzing it to death. When it feels good and bodyparts I need to feel worked out, feel worked out, I'm okay, if you know what I mean.

You also enjoy your vacation when you're going!

Edited August 4, 2015 by Geralt

[Royz]

Almost holiday for me too!

Let's hope the weather stays this nice Geralt!

[Grind]

I went on vacation to Curacao in June. For the kids we will have a short vacation on a camping, maybe in zeeland.

Whe you go, do you take some grip toys with you? lol

[Geralt]

Curacao ahh good good good heh. Zeeland should be good with this weather. I always take the same with me, few grippers, pushup stands and a rubber resistence band. They have seen France and Croatie haha It will be southern of France this year btw, found a last minute deal. Looks good.

[Grind]

Haha crazy gripguys take there stuff everywhere. I also took some of my grippers with me, my wife thought I was crazy.

Have fun!

[Geralt]

Lots of work in the garden today, everything growing like crazy. After a few hours in the sun I was toasted so took a little nap and decided afterwards to throw in the last grippersession before taking vacation.

Warming up till IM#2.5. Couldn't get properly fired up and didn't feel like doing other stuff so just relaxed, took a mug black coffee, watched some YT gripper vids and jumped back in.

Working

IM#3 (142lbs) CCS 2 x 1 closed, 3 x 1 almooooost closed. About 5 or 8 minutes between singles. Of course forced last mm closed everything with a short hold.

BBGM (137lbs) heavily filed dogleg, CCS 2 x 1 closed (touched when handles wouldn't have been filed) 1 x 1 miss. All three attempts forced completely closed against leg and held closed. The resistance ramps up like crazy because of the spring's characteristics icm filing it down. I think I need to work more with this gripper. Closing a regular gripper from CCS after this one should be much easier ROM.

Plateloader, handles set to parallel width gripperwise: 115kg 2 x 10 reps, this felt very hard after the filed gripper work.

One drop set, 110kg x rep out, 110kg x rep out, basically taking off a plate, repping out, etc till only one plate and no hands left anymore.

Thumbscrews few sets.

Edited August 8, 2015 by Geralt

[Geralt]

Took my Vulcan and two grippers with me on vacation. Couldn't bother doing other stuff, to hot.

Vulcan, warming up.

Working: 4x1 BBGM (137), filed dogleg, CCS attempts. Would have been closed with unaltered handles, but getting the handles really together is hard. Will get it though. Forced shut and tried to keep shut. Heavy filing gets the resistence up very good in the weakest ROM.

Vulcan level 15 1x5 20mm blockset

Vulcan level 12 1x12 20mm blockset.

[Geralt]

Only logging gripperwork from here. Spacing rest between sessions even further out, I just need the recovery with grippers.

Lefty a bit of tendinitis for heavier grippers so taking it easy.

Short gripperwork last night.

After warming up:

L: IM#1 TNS 2 x 20, IM#2 TNS 2 x 5 (just taking it easy), IM#1 TNS 2 x 10. This doesn't aggrevate my arm.

R: wide set work, width between TNS and 30mm blockset, basically setting the gripper so that I just can wrap my fingers around the handle: IM#3 (142) 2 x 3 (last set slight miss 3rd rep),

2 x 2, 2 x 1.

Edited August 26, 2015 by Geralt

[Geralt]

Between shoulderpresses 3 x 1 wide set (> 30mm blockset) IM#3 single with overcrush (142lbs) 1 x 1 filed BBGM (137) OC, had to force shut a few times. As long hold as possible.

Surprised me because the day before yesterday I' done grippers also.

[Geralt]

Yesterday evening 3 x 2 142#3 gripper closes wide set. Pinky and thumbwork.

This in between seated shoulderpress 5 x 5.

Trapbar DL from deficit and ab wheel.

Trying to add a gripper session extra. So not going balls to the wall with grippers. Few closes and it's good. Not going to failure.

Left arm is painfull on top of lowerarm. Probably tendinitis. Trying to work around it but no grip or heavy bicep stuff.

[Geralt]

squats today, although tired. My experience is that I can push through a lot when tired but with squats it's always hell with my weak legs.

Did a lot of volume weeks ago 20 reps up to at least 100kg but today doubles with 120kg felt very heavy.

Good form though, ass to grass, almost paused squats. I like that.

Next session some narrow sets with grippers and shoulderpress. Lately pressing seems to combine nice with grippers.

Edited September 2, 2015 by Geralt

[Geralt]

Had a good gripsession today, although I am only training my right arm. Wearing a sleeve for extra warmth lefty, maybe this helps.

Combined with 5 x 5 shoulderpress. Started light this week so there is room for growth.

RH after warming up:

BBE 169lbs 1 x 1 MMS solid close;

BBE 162 1 x 1 MMS close;

Ghp7 155 1 x 2 MMS;

IM#3 142 1 x 2 30mm blockset (even a bit wider)

Thumb and thumb-pinky pinch work with wooden block.

Could have done much more but I have switched to grippers 2 times per week since last week.

So last thing I expected was despite a session on monday would leave me fresh enough for today.

Ordered a Swissbar and a set of safety squat handles for my regular barbell. Nice!

Edited September 4, 2015 by Geralt

[Grind]

Good to see a good gripperday, building confidence.

Wearing a sleeve helps indeed. I always use one for my left arm as a warmup.

[Geralt]

Good to see a good gripperday, building confidence.

Wearing a sleeve helps indeed. I always use one for my left arm as a warmup.

Yes indeed, thnx. Hardest thing is to quit when you feel strong enough to kill more grippers and push out more reps, same as last session...but than I wouldn't be able to put in an extra session per week. Is it an age thing? Wisdom? Lol

[Geralt]

Base, thorough warming up for everything.

Seated shoulderpress 5 x 5 added 2.5kg

Grippers 142 #3 wide sets (>30mm) x 3 (almost) x 2 x 1 x 1

Pink/thumbwork with wooden pinchblock;

thumbwork

Extensorwork for lefty;

Trapbar DL from deficit up to 165kg x 3

Ab work.

Still energy in the bag, which is good.

[Geralt]

Stepped in the squatrack end of the day but despite warming up and trying different exercises squatting wasn't meant to be. Seems like my body does not want to squat in any way lately. Can't fire up. So for now, two times per week strength training is it for me. Enjoyed a plate of porridge anyway, off to bed early. With DL once per week, shoulders, ab and grip twice per week I'm still doing fine. Left arm needs rest also.

Why post? It's how my training goes. No constant pr-ing done here. But no one can tell ever I didn't do effort in this quest lol

[Royz]

Hey no worries. Just reading about PR after PR is boring anyway.