Wrist curl progress

[Roark]

Thinking that my motivation may be increased

to stay at heavy wrist curls (heavy for me) if

I posted some progress, I will mention what

steps I am making on my way by Jan 29th

(my 59th birthday) to achieving 6 reps in the

wrist curl with 200 lbs, which is about my

bodyweight.

Of course, it is understood, that the max effort

sets are preceded by thorough warm-up sets.

Nov 6:  160 x 6

Nov 12: 155 x 6

Nov 14: 165 x 7

At first today (Nov 14) seemed like a bad morning

for the wrists, even 115 hurt, so I switched to

dumbell wrist curls, working up to 90 for a couple

reps. Went back to the barbell, no pain. The

165 x 7 was done in good style, but I could not

get the eighth rep.

There are eleven weeks until my target date, so

I need to add three more pounds each week to

reach my goal. Problem is, this things are HARD!

Wish me well.

[Guest woody36]

Joe, Good luck on reaching and surpassing your target weight.

Joe,  Do you have good wrist/forearm development?

[Roark]

Ray,

Not in my opinion, but I am a single voice

against so many who disagree.

Just kidding: 7.5, and 13 straight, hardly

puts Lee Priest or Casey Viator ill at ease!

When I was a teenager somehow I came across

a thick handled solid bell about four feet long and

70 lbs. It was about 2" in diameter and I used

it for many exercises, sometimes as a warm-up.

Foolishly, I sold it, but that bell was the original

spark of my interest in grip.

[Guest woody36]

I often wished i'd taken after my Uncle in the genetics

department,he had the largest hands and squarest wrists

i've ever seen on any man.He worked demolition and when

younger played around with Dynamic Tension,i don't

remember him in his prime but even after years of alchohol

abuse,at which he dropped to under 100 pounds in body-

weight he still had a physique in the Bruce Lee mould.

When i started to bend nails,i got to talking with my

brother and started to discuss my Uncles hands.And he

related a story of when my Father had hit my Mother,

on hearing this my Uncle bent a poker in half in a fit of rage

and discussed doing the same to my Father.

I often wonder how good he could have been if he had kept

up the training and stayed away from drink.

[Roark]

Friday, Nov 16, 2001, barbell wrist curls:

Warm-ups

45 x 10

65 x 6

95 x 6

115 x 6

135 x 6

Hard part:

155 x 10

175 x 6 the sixth rep paused midway and begged me to

          reconsider; my wrists took a hurried vote to

          stop co-operating, but eventually it went up.

          Probably next Tuesday before I try this again.

          bodywt this morning 201; percentage of bodyfat:

          probably the same.

[Tou]

Roark,

Do you perform wrist curls in the standing fashion, seated fashion or table top ? If you're doing the seated wrist curl (wrists inside the knees), you have very good poundages.

I like to do wrist curl on a low pulley and I can lift very heavy on them. Beside, I suck at seated wrist curl.

[Roark]

Tou,

Seated wrist curls, hands wider than elbows,

and on the heavy sets the backs of hands

are only lowered to parallel.

I have never tried a table top wrist curl.

Used to do wrist curls on the Nautilus Multi-

Station, and could (as I recall) do 200 or so

for a rep or two, but this would cause the

machine to tip (wasn't anchored) so a friend

would stand on the rail as a counter balance.

Actually, I can't remember exactly what I

did on the machine, but it was at least 200.

Just for fun sometimes I use the lat machine

on low pulley, with my feet on upright under the

pulley, thigh/calf at right angle and do wrist

curls over my knees. A different feel.

If I can get back to 200 x 6 in the seated wrist

curl, I'll be happy. Long way from that now. Used

to be able to 135 for 25 reps. It's an exercise I

have always enjoyed, and while the weights I use

are no cause for shame, it should be noted that

my weights are warmups for many board members.

As the man said, 'We do what we must, and call it

by the best names.'

[Roark]

Monday Nov 19, 2001

wrist curl warm-ups:

bar 10 reps

65 x 6

85 x 6

115 x 6

140 x 6

Hard part:

160 x 6

180 x 4

Because I failed to get 6 reps with 180, I'll stick

with 180 as my max effort until I get 6 reps, then

go to 185. As we all know, re-gained strength comes

faster (at first) than strength built from scratch for the

first time. It appears I am nearing my limit for now, so

this is when the mental part comes in.

All the above were with barbell, hands over knees.

Then just for the psychological establishment of a

plateau, I trimmed the weight to 135, and did a set

with hands off the end of the bench. Got 15 reps.

[Guest Jeff Roark]

Joe great progress sir! Those superior forearm genetics must run in the family! May your muscle belly extend to your hand!! Good luck.

[Roark]

Nov 23, 2001

My warm-up was different today; did wrist

curls from the bottom pulley of a cross-over

machine. Last warm-up set was 255 lbs (which

is actually hald that because there are two

pulleys involved), then switched to barbell

wrist curls overs knees, seated.

135 x 6

155 x 2 (just to warmup wrist for 175)

175 x 8

I was going to do my wrist curl workout yesterday

but 140 felt like 240, and I knew it was not my

day. (not that I know what 240 feels like in a

wrist curl)

I have found that the 135 is the determining factor in

how high I will try on a given day. Also have decided to

use higher reps, so will stick with 175 until ten reps,

then make a ten pound jump and hope for 5 or 6 reps,

and stay there until I can get ten reps.