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Guest Christian

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Guest Christian

I have a weak grip, but I am working on it. My COC #1 shall be here on Tuesday! w00t!

05.30.2002

Reverse Curls  45lbs 1x12 This was super easy, but I am trying to get a feel for the motion.

COC Trainer 3x1, plus 20 second holds. My left hand holds less, but it closes easier. I am right handed. Closed fully the first time with each hand. All but 1/4 inch the 2nd two attempts.

Plate pinch, hold and pass. I passed the weight between my hands 4 times, holding as long as I could each time. The first count was 46 seconds (right), the second was 40 seconds (left). I did not count subsequent passes. I believe I will try for 25's the next time.

Plier holds. I need new pliers, these have ridges. I put 15 lbs in a bucket and squeezed the pliers over the bare metal handle (only a few cm wide). I could hold 15lbs for way too long. I will increase it next time..and get smooth pliers if I can find them.

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Guest Christian

06.01.2002

Plate pinches.

2x25lbs..moved abuut 1 inch then fell. Too big of a jump.

2x10lbs did a passing movement. Held 55 seconds right, 40 seconds left. 39 seconds right, 15 seconds left.

My hands got moist by the end of the excersize and it was more of a slippage than anything. I need to find something.

COC Trainer - I did 3x1, closing, then severe negative fashion. Didn't check if it closed all three, but the click was loud the first time. (Actually overcrushed a bit).

1 -Held 40 seconds right, 40 seconds left. (woo!)

2 -Held 25 seconds right, 20 seconds left

3 -Held 20 seconds right, 15 seconds left.

Painful.

Goals before 07/01/2002

Close Trainer consistently 5 times.

Close #1

I need to find a smaller jump in plates to set a goal for pinching. I am buying a G-REX soon, and that will do the trick.

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Go get 2.5lb plates & cut them into pieces to get a small progression. Cut them once to get 1.25lb pieces & again to get 5/8lb pieces, etc. Attach them with duct tape.  :)

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Guest Christian

06.04.2002

Today I received my #1!

First attempt : All but about 3/4 inch. More than I expected! :) It's way more difficult than the trainer. Makes my trainer feel like a store bought device.

Second attempt: bah. not even close

I took a 5 minute break, then worked on my trainer.

I closed it for 3 reps and then 2 very very close! :) At full strength I could probably get 5 clean.

I bet it feels insane to go from 2->3 and 3->4

But...I feel my grip strengthening greatly! :D

Thanks Nathan, I will just duct tape my 1/1/4 standard plates to the outsides, since I already have some. Good advice :)

I think one factor in my grip strength is diet. I have been eating to get rid of this fat on my stomach, which translates to no carbs after lunch. I've felt weaker, but it helped me lose a lot of fat. I think once I go off the diet and get more carbs, the gains will come easier.

I also got my vulcan rack with dip attachments today! Wider than average handle size (almost 2 inches...about 1 3/4 maybe), with a little tape I can get those up to 2 and have a great grip builder.

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Keep up your good training Christian.

There's a good difference between the #1 and the #2. I didn't close the #2 left hand when I got it. It took a few weeks. The difference is larger between the #2 and #3. Got 3/4 first time I tried the #3. It was a year ago. Now for the #4, try crushing a potato in your hand. The #4 is way tougher than that. I close it on my leg  but as soon as I release the leg, it comes open to about 3/4. When I give it a real and legal fashion squueze, there's no way I can go over 1".

Get those 5 reps with the T then try strap holds. You should close the #1 in no time.

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Guest Christian
Keep up your good training Christian.

Thanks Tou! I respect you guys a lot for all of the sound advice and impressive things you can perform.  I doubt I have the natural potential to close the #3, but I am going to persue my grip strength to its limits.  A big limitation would be my hand size, from my wrist line to the tip of my middle finger is < 7".  I have to play around to get a good grip on the COCs.

06.10.2002

I have been bringing my grippers around and asking people to close them a lot lately. Of course most want to see me do them, so my hands haven't had much time to recover. My pinkies are a bit sore daily (tendons maybe?).  

I attempted to close my #1 quite hard today. I got very very close on the first attempt. Much closer than any previous attempts. It's only a matter of time! I think I will order my #2 with my hip squat belt. My lower back is bad so this is my only squatting option.

I pinched a 25lb plate for a while. I wasn't considering this a full workout due to my hand strain, so I did most of it casually. I've went to the chiropractor a few times and I am kind of disheartened by the whole thing. I will restart serious training as of 06.12.

5 reps with the T came easy for both hands, but my left didn't do as well with the #1.

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Christian,

I see the guys have told you about crushing, let me offer some suggestions on Pinching.

First, if you are using olympic plates, go and buy the cheapest standard dumbell handles, and the cheapest light weight plates you can.

Then put the bar through the plates and load weight as allowed.  If you can find 1 1/4lb plates get them, they are cheap and they'll allow you to increase by 2.5 lbs at a time while still loading the bar equally.  once you can pinch 2 25lb plates, start putting the bar through them and lifting, if necessary, only add one 1.25lb plate at a time.  If you follow this routine, you will progress much faster than just holding two plates for as long as you can.  

This method is similar to what Nathan is describing, but you don't have to cut any weights, and you can use the weights for other things.  This tecnique has taken me from barely pinching 2 25lbers to being able to break 80lbs off the ground, and 2 finger pinch a pair of 15kg plates (66 lbs).  I hope you use this advice, as well as the advice of others on this board.  You will watch your gripstrength skyrocket if you are diligent. :)  Train Hard!

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Guest Christian

06.11.2002

I worked out tonight, unfortunately catering to the needs of my lower back soreness. I did dips/chins on a relatively thick grip handle. My forearms were really feeling it.

At the end of my workout I did strapholds with my trainer. My hands were pretty wrecked from everything else, but I managed to get 2.5lbs for 7 seconds on each hand. I did this 3 times and managed to hold it for 7 seconds each time. I was comfortable with that. Next time, I am going to do my crush workout fresh and see what I can do.  I didn't do any other movements because I was pretty wiped. I did 2 sets of dips to failure and 2 sets of chins to failure.  I can't have any weight compressing my spine (L5/S1) so I can't do OH press and I was trying to get my shoulders as best I could.

I ordered a hip squat belt and a #2 from IronMind. :)  Now I can do squats (once I built pulling racks) and embarrass myself with the #2 in about 10 days!

I also got a set of eagle loops from a fellow member of the grip board. Those will be great for chinups once I am comfortable enough to do 15*BW. (On about 8 right now)

---

Thanks for the tip RG! I already own cheap-ass standard dumbells from a purchase years ago. That is a really great idea!  Next workout will be straight grip, so I will utilize this technique.

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Guest Christian

06.20.2002

I've been doing strapholds after my workouts but I am so fatigued after my regular workout that I can't do much at all.  I've decided to move grip to it's own day again (3 times/week maybe).  

Today I brought my new #2 to work to see how people fared. Most people couldn't even budge the thing.  Exactly as I expected. The big guy who could close the #1 got it to parallel, which is where I almost got it to anyway.

The #1 is almost closable....almost. Both hands are about equivalent as well. I did some static closed holds with the T and #1 while I had them here today. This saturday or sunday I will do a heavy focused grip workout.  

Since I am still on a diet to lose body fat I am not exactly eating to gain, so I am guessing most of my gains will be me getting used to the motions more.

I just got Mastery of Hand Strength! Going to read it during lunches and in the evening before bed :D  I am going to begin levering and wrist rolling.  Time to go to lowe's and pick up some PVC!

A side note: Thick handled dip/chins are forearm destroyers. No joke.  Couldn't budge my trainer after a full body workout with those involved :)

Until next time!

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Guest Christian

07.01.2002

Sorry it's been so long since I've posted. I recently started my full body routines and my forearms have been sore more often than I'd like. But I am back on track with a Wednesday/Sunday split focused on grip!

My workout for this weekend:

COC T Strapholds

2 1/2lbs for 12 seconds right, 16 seconds left

5lbs for 7 seconds right, 2 seconds left - hmmm...

Plate pinches

2x10lbs 40 seconds left, 40 seconds right

2x10+5lbs 20 seconds left, 30 seconds right

Reverse Curls Supersetted with Wrist Curls

45lbs x 12 then 45lbs x 12

55lbs x 12 then 55lbs x 12

All of these motions felt great and my forearms were burning like crazy after the last set.  I am looking forward to my next workout!  I am still on a cutting diet, so my gains will be slow during this period, but I am going to keep at it.

As a note, I have reached my goal of closing the Trainer for 5 reps, but I have not attempted the #1 yet. I don't feel I am yet strong enough to do it, so I will post pone this one a bit longer.

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I would drop the supersets on wrist curls and reverse. I would do these exercises on separate days  and work 3-4 sets of low reps. Begin at 10-12 reps and over a few weeks, get down to 6-8  and then 3-4.

With supersets, you'll only get a pump.

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Guest Christian

That is already the plan.  I was working on form for the reverse curls (hand placement is nuts) so I didn't do a weight that stimulated me at all, so I just decided to "try" wrist curls for a change immediately after.  As you could see I did 12 no problem, which is too high on the rep range for me anyway.

I will seperate the reverse curls and wrist curls to the different days.  Do you think wrist roller might be better than reverse curls?

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Christian,

                  I see you have read MOHS.  Have you considered replacing the wrist curls with sledgehammer work ?

I am currently doing front and rear sledgehammer lifts, plate wrist curls and steel bending to exercise my wrists.  I don't do any wrist curls.

Good luck with your training,

Robert

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Guest Christian

Here is what my wednesday/sunday split was going to look like:

Wednesday

Wrist roller, Levering, Plate Curls, COC Singles

Sunday

COC StrapHolds, Plate Pinch, Wrist Curls

Think it's too much with levering AND wrist roller?

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I would do the COC singles first in your first day. You won't have sretngth for singles at the end of a grip workout.

A single is not a single common rep. A single is a single rep with the toughest gripper you can close, or better, with a gripper you are close to do.

Wrist work goes pretty well at the end of a workout.

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Take a gripper that you can't close and close it as far as you can with one hand only. When you get the sticking point, help the close with your free hand and force it down to full closure. Then, focus on crushing as hard as you can for 5-10 seconds. Don't think about resisting the handles to open, think about closing the gripper, even if you can't.

I do this with the #4 and it is a killer.

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Christian, you said that you pinched 2x25 and "moved about one inch and then fell"  but cant crush the #1?   Thats funny, becasue I can crush my #1 probably 10 times when Im warm, but cant pinch 2 25's for the life of me.  Its funny how different people (us newbies especially) come into the game with different strenghts and weaknesses.  Good luck with your #1 youll get it in no time.  The jump to #2 seems huge though!  Ive still got about 1/2 an inch to go with mine, those last few degrees of crush are the hardest!!!!           (doing negatives is a good way to get this last part of the crush, guys???)

have fun!

~Steve M

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Guest Christian

I think my biggest set back is hand size.  It takes a lot of energy for me to get it set since it has to be partially closed to get my pinky there.  We all definitely have different strengths.  I just hope I find the one I excel at :D

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Guest Christian

07.03.2002

COC #1 singles (almost there) 3 each hand - felt good, got less than a quarter inch on the first try!

Levering (both ways)- 5lbs on the end of a standard dumbell. 2x6 front

2x12 reverse

This is harder than it looks!

Plate curls. I put that 5lb's on the end of my 4lb dumbell and curled a 10lb plate with the dumbell inside. Around 19'lbs.

Did 7 with each hand!

I can do a 25lb'r but only with momentum. I can't break it solid from rest yet.

Wrist curls - 65lbs 2x12

Felt good until the last reps. My left wrist ached a little. Probably from the plate curls. My wrists also started clicking ???

Felt good this workout but I feel I can do more intensity.

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Guest Christian

07.06.2002

I did COC singles with my #1 today.

Warmup: COC Trainer - 5 reps each hand

COC #1 singles

1st try - Down to 1/8th inch

2nd try - Down to 1/16th inch!

3rd try - Down to 1/4 inch.

w00t! There is barely any light between the handles now! I am just waiting for it to *click* this coming week!

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Guest JoeQ1966

Christian I enjoy reading your workouts.This whole grip thing is a trial and error thing.YOu have to find what works for you.I have been grip training for alittle while and its hard work..The increases are so small sometimes that its hard to tell if its working or not..Its not like bench or squat where you may get a 10 or 20 pound increase when you first get into it.On a gripper you cant close it may just be a fraction of a increase and you hardly even notice.Keep us posted of your progress and what seems to be working the best for you.

     good luck        Joe

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It is nice to read your training log. I think you will close your #1 very soon. One thing that seem to helped me was doing "holds" with the #2. I squeezed it as hard as I could for about 30 seconds, both hands. One workout I did train these "holds" very hard. My hands felt very sore after doing this.

And the next day after this workout, I should show some friends these grippers. I took the #1, and closed it!

I couldn't believe it, my hands had any power after the training the day before...

Keep on training hard and you will CRUSH your #1!

:D

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Guest Christian

07.10.2002

Thanks for the kind words guys! It is very motivating to know people are actually reading my journal.

I warmed up with Trainer for 5 reps each hand.

COC #1 singles - 3 each hand

Right hand - 1/8 inch, CLOSED!!!!!, 1/16 inch

Left hand - 1/4 inch, 1/4 inch

I cut the workout short unfortunately. It is already late and I never get enough sleep.

I will continue the rest tomorrow!

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