Early gains and what to do next.

[Fuel Crusher]

Tonight I managed to close the CoC #1 for a couple of sets of five reps followed by a couple of sets of negatives. I've only just started with the grippers and what has surprised me is that only two nights ago on my first session with the #1 I couldn't close it at all! about 5mm short. I used the trainer only for 3 or 4 workouts and found that hard the first time I used it, now tonight I cooled down with 20 reps. I assume this is similar to the big gains that are made when starting any training routine. I'm not going to order the #2 for a while so what would be the best way to carry on with the #1? I'm thinking either upping the reps (the instructions say to stay low reps) or doing more sets.

Also a question on what kind of tempo is best, should I try to bang the five reps out as quick and as hard as I can or should they be slow and deliberate, like reps in my weight training?

Thanks for reading and any advice.

FC

[Bearcat 74]

I would throw in some strapholds and overcushes.  I never got much outta reps, but I'm sure some do.  Do your usual 2-3 sets of 5 then do 2-3 sets of strapholds.  If you've got some gas left in the tank, do 1-2 overcrushes.  

As for the speed, I wondered the same thing when I started.  Then I thought, well, IF I close the #3, I'm not gonna ease into it.  I always try to smash the handles.  I think slamming the handles trains the hands to be explosive, to me, this is the best way.  I do it for warm-ups, reps, and singles.  Just my $0.02.

[Tom Black]

Fuel Crusher,

Two things are likely to have happened that caused your improvement on the grippers.  One, your technique with the grippers probably has improved.  Two, if the grippers are new, they have become  “seasoned.”   Basically, with the first 50-75 reps of the gripper the strength of the gripper goes down slightly and then levels off.   Rather than upping the reps try strapholds or timed holds.  To do strapholds find a strap (like a 1” nylon strap or even a shoelace) and attach some weight to it.  Close the gripper onto the other end of the strap and lift the strap and weight together with the gripper closed on it.  There used to be a post in the FAQ on 3Crushers straphold routine, but it disappeared with the new board software.  Wannagrip, can you bring it back?

[Bearcat 74]

Here you go:  Strapholds

For the overcrushes, if you don't know what they are, close the gripper and don't just hold it shut, try to dent the handles. Squeeze as hard as you can with the gripper shut for 3-5 secs.

[Guest]

You could try this as a variation. Crush the gripper as hard and fast as you can, then hold for a sec or to, then open the gripper as slow as you possibly can until you cant close it any more. You can then force it closed with the other hand and do some negative only work all in one go. Work your way up to +/- 15-20 reps. At that point you should be able to start using the #2. Then, use the #2 exactly the same as the #1.

I think because of the ip difference between the #2 and #3 you will need to be able to do 20 – 30 reps with the #2 to progress to the #3.  

[Guest Luke Reimer]

Like Tom and Heath said, what you need to do now is up the intensity, not the reps. If you are up to 5 reps, your gripper is too easy for you to make optimal gains on, to my thinking. Last summer I outgrew one of my grippers such that I was repping out with up to 14 reps. At this point further gains over this gripper were coming slower for me, and I didn't seem to be getting any stronger against harder grippers.

One solution would be to get some in between grippers (1 or 2) from PDA as soon as possible, and then try cutting/filing the handles down on your current gripper and working with it until you can close the next gripper up, never letting the reps get very high (if any). Then do the same with then next gripper. The more grippers you have, the less mutilation any one gripper has to suffer. However, on the other extreme, you might be able to make it up to your next IM gripper with only one intermediate gripper, if you just kept filing away and making the best of using an increasinly deformed gripper.

On the other hand, for you this solution may not be as feasible as for me. If you are just starting out, your gains should come much faster than mine are now, and then you would have invested in too many lower-range grippers that you might quickly outgrow. Mine should keep me busy for much longer. Under the circumstances, the strapholds and overcrushes recommended by Heath and Tom might be the best way of upping the intensity right off.

Anyway, you won't catch me training with reps anymore. I'm working mainly with maximum singles now and liking it. Would I do doubles? maybe. Triples? Hmmm. Might need some more resistance about then. There's another perspective for you.

[Fuel Crusher]

Thanks for the advice guys, the strapholds sound like my kind of thing because I enjoy one and two handed deadlift timed holds.

Cheers

FC