Are Weak Men Allowed To Post Routines!?

[lifesnotfair]

12.09.2007

Awesome workout today!!! I received some CHALK from PDA, along with a Choke Collar and a Pegasus. I still haven't tried the Pegasus, but want to try it out soon enough. Neither the CC. I did use some chalk today!!

I don't know if it's because I took many days off, or if it was the clalk, but today I set several PR's.

Warmup on the Trainer, don't even know how many reps. No chalk on this one. Straphold time!

Left(#T) / Right(#1) - my goal is to hold them 3-5 seconds.

8lbs - ok

11lbs - ok

12.5lbs - ok - PR!!

15lbs - ok - PR AGAIN!!

After this, I'm usually very tired.. but today I was inspired, so I gave my #1 a shot lefty: 1mm. - PR!!

Hell, I was so inspired, that I gave my #2 a shot rightie: 8mm - PR!! ... I could not believe I got the #2 to move this much, wow. You guys gotta remember I use a very deep set, I don't know how deep as I never videotape it, but probably parallel, don't know. I tried to give the #2 a shot leftie, but I couldn't even set it good enough. Not a smart move, as I can't even close my #1 leftie.. I'm gonna continue to strap some more. I don't know what I'll do with my RH, maybe just continue to strap some more, then include the #2 with the fat strap as I had thought before. I do know that in a few workouts (I wont do it in the next just to be safe), I will start strapholing weight with the #1 on my left.

TTK - I suck!!!

17.5lbs 1x10

20lbs 1x10

22.5lbs ... about 6 reps, crappy ones, not really consecutive.. but hell, I think this is a PR too, lol.

I tried the pinch block before TTK, and to my surprise, I did worse than when I didn't use chalk. I couldn't lift 35lbs off the ground. I tried with 2 hands, which is a bit hard as the block is only 6" long. I got 70lbs up and then tried 82 and couldn't do it. I called it quits then. The block is 3 inches wide, if I remember correctly (would be wider than the ones used in competition, I believe?). I would like to practise 2HhandPinch than 1HP, but hey, gotta work with what I have.

IM Green bands.

IM Yellow Bands - too darned hard for me, could barely move them, but I'm gonna start trying them more often now.

Sledge rotations with 8lb sledge - grabbing it from about 8 inches away from the weight :P

3x10 or so with both hands.

I know, I did a lot of stuff today, but as I said, I was inspired.. bless the chalk. :-)

Mat: Thanks for the comments bro! You keep CCS training for the #4, I see it happening before this year finishes! (If you read this, I have a question: can you close it from parallel? on a choker or just setting it to parallel? .. just curious, but keep training CCS so you can cert on it! =) )

[StalwartSentinel]

Mat: Thanks for the comments bro! You keep CCS training for the #4, I see it happening before this year finishes! (If you read this, I have a question: can you close it from parallel? on a choker or just setting it to parallel? .. just curious, but keep training CCS so you can cert on it! =) )

Nice work on the #1 and #2!

No, unfortunately I cannot close the #4 from parallel yet. In a choker (3/4) I can get it down to 1/8. I use different widths to crush grippers. I usually set it just enough to get my pinkie on (wider than CCS) and crush it from there. My sweep is strong, I just need to finish it off. This is what I am working on now.

[Teemu I]

Great work lifesnotfair!

[lifesnotfair]

Thanks!

I'm honored that you guys (a BBE closer and a guy who gets the #4 to 1/4" from CCS!) check out my log! Wow. I thought I was the only one reading it for a while. You actually motivate me to keep improving, so you keep reading it, heh, I don't want you to feel you wasted your time reading the log of some quitter!!!

I'll close that #2 before this year finishes, and since I started training grippers in mid Jun, that would be less than 6 months!! (and I was even weaker than now back then, not closing the T left handed! And barely closing it right handed!! #1 was like 10mm away right handed, hah). So I'll be very happy if I can close the #2 within 6 months. Maybe after I've reached that level I could consider doing KTA or something.

BTW, my grippers squeak big time, all of them, should I oil them or something?

[lifesnotfair]

16.09.2006 (I believe my last workotu was on 13.09, not 12.09, just for the record).

CHALK RULES!

Warmup:

Tx30 RH

Tx20 LH PR

Attempts:

#1x7 RH PR

#1x1 LH PR!!!!!!!!!! TAKE THAT YOU SOB! Tried to rep it and got to maybe 1mm, forced in, tried a "third" rep and got also very close, gave it all I had, but needed a bit more, maybe 2mm or so, forced in.

This got me pretty happy for the rest of the workout. I couldn't believe I was holding the #1 after I closed it left handed, wow.

Strapholds, #1 on RH, T on LH: (3-5 secs)

10lbs - ok

13lbs - ok

16lbs - ok PR

18lbs - so-so, lifted it with both hands, but was very hard and I don't know if I reached 3 seconds. But I'll get this sucker next time, so I wont call it a PR for noe.

20lbs - this was a bad idea to even attempt. My hands were tired by this point. Didn't get it off the ground.

Pinch Block:

30lbs - 3sets x 5 secs...

TTK:

18lbs x 10

20.5lbs x 5+3+2 (had to stop twice for about 2 seconds each time)

23lbs x 2+2+4+2 or so (had to stop a few times, very hard for me still, shouldn't have tried this).

Pegasus:

Reverse WC's: 10lb plate ... WOW this is HARD! Could barely do 3x10 with this small weight. I tried the regular WC's but didn't feel too comfortable, maybe I was holding it wrong or I need to adjust it.

Some IM Green Bands, 3x20 or so.. I do these in between other stuff, not the 3 sets in a row.

I think I'm settled for my working out frquence for hand-strength: 2 days rest always, so, a workout every third day. Today (saturday) was my workout, so next should be on tuesday.

I think in a few workouts I will include my #2, at least for attempts and see where I get it. Maybe I could use the PDA Choker Collar I got, to try and close it from the choker and then using a set, who knows.

Last workout I started straps with 8lbs. Today I started with 10. I will start with 13 next workout. I wanna be able to at least 2 or 3-rep the #1 with the left before I start strapholding with it, because I feel you have to dominate the gripper at least a bit to be able to use the straps (as there is a pause after the set, to quickly put the strap between handles, ya know....)

Setting PR's again! Rocks!!

[lifesnotfair]

18.09.2006

I decided to try out my Pegasus for real today.

Wrist Curls

Did well with a 20lb plate

Added a 20lb and did well too (10 reps).

Added 5 more (I think) and did 8 reps.

I tried more but couldn't, if I remember correclty. It hurts the back of my palms, even with the pads. The pads are just not slipper enough so they try to rip my skin off. I have to do something about this, either wear some gloves or rub some baby oil on the pads :P hehe.

Reverse Wrist Curls

WOW! These are truly a b*tch with the Pegasus.

I was struggling with the 10lb plate. Don't think I got 10 straight reps with this. I first tried with 2.5+2.5+3 and did well, then I troed 2.5+2.5+5 (=10) and was HARD! Because the weight is further, I guess. I then switched to the 10lb plate and did 10 reps, but not consecutive I think.

Wrist curls on a bar!

I worked up to about 72lbs (+10lb bar). I found out if I grab the bar with my hands being 1 inch appart, it doesn't hurt much.

I tried 82lbs (+10lb bar) but could do like 2 reps and that was maxing out pretty bad, heh.

Reverse wrist curls with the bar.

Just did 20lbs for 10 reps (+10lb bar) thumbless, felt good, last time I tried this weight I was struggling big time.

TTK

20lb x 10

22.5lb x 10 (had to stop once or twoce for a sec or two).

22.5lb x something, I was so tired at this point, because I started rope-jumping after the first set of 20lb! Yeah, and I broke my record by jumping 600 straight times without stopping (and that means without getting stuck on the rope or anything). Well, it was 597, but I stopped because I wanted to, and didn't know how much I had going by then, but if I had known I could've done 3 more of course. Hell, I could've done several more, maybe to 650 or even 700, but I just didn't know (the counter is in the rope handle). I then did 2 more sets to reach 1200 total jumps, today is not cardio day, so didn't want to do more.

A few IM Green bands.

Some sledge rotations with my 8lb sledge, holding it too darn close to the weight. :|

Wont even try a gripper today. Yesterday I attempted the #2 with both hands, LH 1 inch or so, and RH half an inch or so on both tries, maybe a bit less. Shouldn't have touched that darned thing. Now I dont know if I will workout with grippers tomorrow or wednesday (maybe I should do it on wed, as today I hit my forearms pretty good with all the stuff I was doing!)

[Martin_Arildsson]

Whoa! Nice PR's! Congrats!

EDIT: And oil the grippers!

Edited September 19, 2006 by Martin_Arildsson

[lifesnotfair]

Whoa! Nice PR's! Congrats!

EDIT: And oil the grippers!

Thanks! How do you oil them? I need to view or read instructions on that, before attempting anything =P

[bunchofbananas]

I use WD40. I has a thin directed nozzle straw attachement thing so i can direct it into the winding of the spring.

Good PRs dude and keep up the log. It reminds me of when i was struggling with the 1 with my left hand lol.... Hell it reminds me of the present struggles i have with grippers! (the only difference is the numbers or letters on the bottom of the handle, but thats insignifcant when you are working to your max)

Keep up the work.

The day you TNS your 2 you will truly feel like you have a strong grip by anyone's standards.

[acorn]

Good Job on the progress! I use a couple of drops of 3-in-1 oil on the spring to get rid of the noise.

[lifesnotfair]

Thanks a lot bunchofbananas and acorn, I know I write a lot of crap so might not be cool to read my log, but knowing that you guys are intrigued by a newbie's workout is encouraging. Heck, I'm still blushed because Martin replied! :P

With all the strong people in this board, I wanna catch up quickly. I can't wait until I can close the #2... and even more, to TNS it. I wanna reach the #2 with my own training, and maybe then I could try KTA and see where it leads me. I've only been training for 3 months, we'll see where I am in 3 more months.

[lifesnotfair]

19.09.2006

Bad a idea to workout the grippers today, as I did a lot of forearm work yesterday, and I was feeling sleepy and hungry today.

Anyways...

Tx30 RH

Tx20 LH (felt very hard).

#1x7 RH - very hard.

#1x0 LH - 1-2mm

#1x7 RH - extremely hard.

#1x0 LH - 1mm

15.76lb straphold #1 RH - ok. (I used 6kg+2.5lbs plates).

#1x0 LH - 1mm. I was stubborn today, wanted to close this S.O.B. left handed. I held it at 1mm for quite some seconds.

18.26lb straphold #1 RH - miss.

15.76lb straphold T LH - ok, felt fine, so I decided to never straphold with the T on the LH again.

15.76lb straphold #1 RH - ok.

2.5lb straphold #1 LH - ok.. it's a PR, but a very lame one, and was harder than I thought, probably because I wasted a lot of energy on the 3 #1 attempts...

Then, I felt funny, so I loaded the pin with 6 2.5lb plates (15lbs), and I hooked the spring thing that came with my Pegasus (to hold the weight from falling), and in that spring, I hung the Trainer, and two big "nuts" that are screwed at the ends of a stick to form a dumbell. I guess that was an additional 1.5-2lbs at least. Tried it with #1 RH - failed. Tried it with T LH - I think I got it, don't remember.

I then tried some #1 reps RH and got a few, I think almost 7 again (!! building endurance it seems!), but maybe I helped with the other hand in the last ones.

I gave the #1 another shot with my LH and was also a miss, this time bigger than all the previous.

IM Green Bands.

Sledge rotations. The final rotations (180 degree rotations) I grabbed the sledge at least 1 inch further than ever before, with both hands, and did 5 full reps each hand. A PR in this. I'll let you know when I reach the exact half of the handle. (8lb sledge).

Today sucked, can't wait to try again.. I think I'll rest 2 days at least, so it'll most likely be on friday.

[lifesnotfair]

Did contrast baths too, I want a speedy recovery :P

I have had to take 3 shours since 7pm (it's 10:18pm right now)... my goodness, it's so hot in here... living in the caribbean sometimes sucks, at least during the summer.. today has been particulary hot. I mean, after the workout I took a shower.. I then had dinner, I then proceeded with contrast baths.. I sweated like a pig while doing those, so had to take another shower. I then went downstairs with nothing but my underwear to make a glass of lemonjuice, and man did I sweat while squeezing that lemon :P .. came back up all sweaty as if I had been running or something. Darn.

[lifesnotfair]

22.09.2006

DARN! Today was biceps/triceps day, it went awesome today, I did 8 reps all alone on 70lb preacher EZ curl. PR for me. I don't usually type these workouts in here, but I felt like saying this. I see some progress.

Gripper SUCKED! Which sucks, after resting the hands for so many days. I did close the #1 left handed, which I didn't do in the last session. But I couldn't straphold much weight on my right. Let alone the left with the #1.. but I will keep attempting the #1 with my left, now that I can close it.. to see if I can rep it soon, and straphold at least 5 lbs (can't yet, but did held 2.5lbs). I couldn't even breatk my 7 reps record with my RH. I'm doing wider than parallel reps though, not baby reps. Still, I sucked, and I wanna try again, tomorrow or sunday. I did some overcrushed (if that's what you call closing the gripper and holding it closed for a few secs). I could actually do this left handed for 3 secs or so. Today SUCKED for grippers. At least right handed. Good bicep workout at noon, though.

[lifesnotfair]

25.09.2006

I tried the Pegasus again. I struggle with 10lbs, no matter if it's 2x5lb or 4x2.5lb. That's for extension. But I'm gonna get better.

For flexion, I managed 20+13.26+5lbs = 38.26, so I decided to change the possition of the plates. It felt much harder, while being the same weight. Kinda my max right now, don't know.

Have not touched the grippers since last workout.. Want to try them today and see what I can do. But since I did the Peg today, I wonder if that would be too short of a recovery time.

I gotta change my weightlifting routine. This bodybuilding routine isn't helping my benchpress, heh. I'm kinda stuck at 165. :-(

[Teemu I]

25.09.2006

I tried the Pegasus again. I struggle with 10lbs, no matter if it's 2x5lb or 4x2.5lb. That's for extension. But I'm gonna get better.

For flexion, I managed 20+13.26+5lbs = 38.26, so I decided to change the possition of the plates. It felt much harder, while being the same weight. Kinda my max right now, don't know.

Have not touched the grippers since last workout.. Want to try them today and see what I can do. But since I did the Peg today, I wonder if that would be too short of a recovery time.

I gotta change my weightlifting routine. This bodybuilding routine isn't helping my benchpress, heh. I'm kinda stuck at 165. :-(

Change your weightlifting routine to 5x5 and stick into it! That is two progressively heavier warmup sets and three actual work sets. Work sets should be so heavy, that you really have to grind to make them. Rep no. 5 on each work set should be serious struggle, but with decent form. So you should feel that after three reps you can't do anymore but you'll do them anyway.. Add weight to the bar whenever you feel you are ready for it. Two to three heavy workouts per week with basic movements with 5x5 pattern and you should see some good progress.

[lifesnotfair]

I just don't know how to fit the 5x5 into my current (crappy) routine.

I'm working out chest/back mondays, shoulders/legs wednesdays, and biceps/triceps fridays. I workout my forearms/grip at home, about 2 days a week, not constant days. I do cardio tue/thur/sat (about 45 mins). Also about a 15 min cardio on the weight days. And I do nothing on sunday.

I was reading yesterday about benchpress and stuff, and the article said that when training for strength, 5-7 days rest is good. So I figure if I only work it out on mondays, it should be enough. The thing is, I'm doing exactly what they mentioned would be the WRONG routine... (flyes 3x10, flat bench 3x10, decline 3x10, incline 3x10) .. lol. I'll have to sacrifice some of those if I'm gonna do 5x5. What else should I be doing, besides flat bench press, on the day I workout my chest? Can't be just that! ... Also, the 5 rep thing would be the 165 for me, I could barely do 5 reps yesterday. I think I warmup with too much weight though, I keep reading that one should warmup with something easy and not too many reps.

[Teemu I]

I just don't know how to fit the 5x5 into my current (crappy) routine.

I'm working out chest/back mondays, shoulders/legs wednesdays, and biceps/triceps fridays. I workout my forearms/grip at home, about 2 days a week, not constant days. I do cardio tue/thur/sat (about 45 mins). Also about a 15 min cardio on the weight days. And I do nothing on sunday.

I was reading yesterday about benchpress and stuff, and the article said that when training for strength, 5-7 days rest is good. So I figure if I only work it out on mondays, it should be enough. The thing is, I'm doing exactly what they mentioned would be the WRONG routine... (flyes 3x10, flat bench 3x10, decline 3x10, incline 3x10) .. lol. I'll have to sacrifice some of those if I'm gonna do 5x5. What else should I be doing, besides flat bench press, on the day I workout my chest? Can't be just that! ... Also, the 5 rep thing would be the 165 for me, I could barely do 5 reps yesterday. I think I warmup with too much weight though, I keep reading that one should warmup with something easy and not too many reps.

My post here would be too long to explain you thoroughly how you should change your training. First, get rid of muscle magazines and forget everything you have read about blasting your muscles in Flex magazine. My advice to you is to read Dinosaur training, that teaches you pretty much everything you need to know NOW about the basics of effective weight training.

Edited September 26, 2006 by Teemu I

[lifesnotfair]

Trying to find it, not available at amazon, but will keep looking.

[Teemu I]

Trying to find it, not available at amazon, but will keep looking.

You can find that from several places, functionalhandstrength.com or eliteFTS.com. Those came to mind.

[acorn]

Also available from IM.

- Aaron

[lifesnotfair]

Thanks guys! Gonna order it.

26.09.2006

Workouts like today's make me wanna quit. Saw no progress. Well, only progress is that the hands don't get THAT much tired as the workout progresses. I could get the #1 to 1-2mm lefthanded even after many tries. I guess it's a bit of endurance or something. I could not even match my rep record of 7 right handed, don't know what happened... and had a hard time closing it left handed. I rested 3 days, what happened!? .. maybe it was all the forearmwork yesterday with the pegasus, or maybe today was a bad day.

[lifesnotfair]

27.09.2006

I went crazy with the sledge today. (8lbs sledge0

Front raises - 8" away from the weight RH/LH - 5 reps.

Back raises - 14" away from the weight RH/LH - 5 reps.

90 degree rotations from upward to the outside (too lazy to check if it's pronated or supinated) - 10" away from the weight RH/LH - 5 reps, was hard with LH.

90 degree rotations from upward to the inside (read above parenthesis) - 10" away RH / 8" away LH - 5 reps.

I repeated this exact same thing 4 more times, so it was 5 sets of 5 reps :P

I also touched the grippers, but just to see if I could NS or TNS any. I can TNS the Trainer with both hands, pretty hard left handed. I think I can't TNS the #1 with either hand, but can close it right handed with a very little set (possibly CCS, but didn't check), but left hand failed by about 5/16" using a little set.

I was reading bender's website today and I got the feeling that I'm doing things wrong. Focused on grippers, while not being strong, or strong-handed for that matter. I've never even deadlifed, squatted, etc.. I ordered Dinosour Training from John Wood's site, I'm gonna change my workout routines.... and along with that, I'd like to introduce blockweights to my training so I get more overall handstrength. I might be getting better at closing grippers, but I don't feel an overall stronger hand, I think. I need to train pinching wide stuff to get a bigger thumbpad too, and to get a stronger SWEEP (I have a HORRIBLE time trying to set my #2).

I tried squatting for the first time ever today at the gym, I don't know if I was doing it right... I used the oly bar in the RACK, so I dunno how much that weights, but I loaded 50 and did 5 reps, then 100 and did 5 more, then 120lbs total (+ bar itself, dunno how much as it's on the rack) and got 5 reps, but it was pretty hard. I also tried military press, don't know if I was doing it right, but the last set was with 50lbs on the 45lb bar, so 95lbs. Man, my shoulders are weak! Dunno if this is bad for someone who has been lifting for almost 2 months, and following crappy magazine-like routines. It'll all change once I get Brooks Kubik's book, and with the help of other fellow gripboard members :-)

Edit: almost forgot. While I did all of that sledge stuff, I didn't do levering to nose! Damn, kinda forgot. I can do that one grabbing it much further than the listed excercises, but still not from the very bottom of the handle or very close.

Edited September 28, 2006 by lifesnotfair

[StalwartSentinel]

27.09.2006

I went crazy with the sledge today. (8lbs sledge0

Front raises - 8" away from the weight RH/LH - 5 reps.

Back raises - 14" away from the weight RH/LH - 5 reps.

90 degree rotations from upward to the outside (too lazy to check if it's pronated or supinated) - 10" away from the weight RH/LH - 5 reps, was hard with LH.

90 degree rotations from upward to the inside (read above parenthesis) - 10" away RH / 8" away LH - 5 reps.

I repeated this exact same thing 4 more times, so it was 5 sets of 5 reps :P

I also touched the grippers, but just to see if I could NS or TNS any. I can TNS the Trainer with both hands, pretty hard left handed. I think I can't TNS the #1 with either hand, but can close it right handed with a very little set (possibly CCS, but didn't check), but left hand failed by about 5/16" using a little set.

I was reading bender's website today and I got the feeling that I'm doing things wrong. Focused on grippers, while not being strong, or strong-handed for that matter. I've never even deadlifed, squatted, etc.. I ordered Dinosour Training from John Wood's site, I'm gonna change my workout routines.... and along with that, I'd like to introduce blockweights to my training so I get more overall handstrength. I might be getting better at closing grippers, but I don't feel an overall stronger hand, I think. I need to train pinching wide stuff to get a bigger thumbpad too, and to get a stronger SWEEP (I have a HORRIBLE time trying to set my #2).

I tried squatting for the first time ever today at the gym, I don't know if I was doing it right... I used the oly bar in the RACK, so I dunno how much that weights, but I loaded 50 and did 5 reps, then 100 and did 5 more, then 120lbs total (+ bar itself, dunno how much as it's on the rack) and got 5 reps, but it was pretty hard. I also tried military press, don't know if I was doing it right, but the last set was with 50lbs on the 45lb bar, so 95lbs. Man, my shoulders are weak! Dunno if this is bad for someone who has been lifting for almost 2 months, and following crappy magazine-like routines. It'll all change once I get Brooks Kubik's book, and with the help of other fellow gripboard members :-)

Edit: almost forgot. While I did all of that sledge stuff, I didn't do levering to nose! Damn, kinda forgot. I can do that one grabbing it much further than the listed excercises, but still not from the very bottom of the handle or very close.

Nice work on the sledge!

[Wes]

Good workouts