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Forearm vs. grip training frequency


Guest MonStar1023

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Guest MonStar1023

I am really confused as to what my training should be like.. I hit my forearms with the wrist roller around twice a week. Once on chest and biceps day and then again on back day. I am curious though because in a week or so I am getting my Captains of Crush grippers in (#1 and #2) and I am wondering how I could incorporate my grippers into my forearm routine?

Could I work on my grippers daily?

HELP!

??????

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Do them on the sameday as the wrist roller, just be sure to do the grippers first.  If you do forearms first, you'll be outta gas for gripwork.  The gripwork will not affect forearms as much though.....

Just my $0.02

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I too am a little confused at the moment. There seems to be so many grip exercises to choose from.

I currently try to do grippers, timed holds (trap bar or 2.5" handle one handed) and pinch grip with plates. I hope to start block weights also in a week or so so that'll add to the confusion. On the subject of grippers tho I find that my forearms get very tired and pumped afterwards so I just do them at home between workouts with my main gripwork done after my main weights sessions.

Just some mumblings from someone starting out on the grip path. :)

FC

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Guest MonStar1023

So you are suggesting I hit up a few sets before I do my wrist roller huh? How many sets of the grippers do you recommend?

I thought you could train your grip every single day... maybe I am confused... I was thinking about hitting my forearms twice a week and my grip daily.. would this be a bad idea? Help me out guys...

??????

.. from what I understand its not easy to train your forearms or grip but its more common to overtrain your forearms than your grip.

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Guest MonStar1023

I am wondering what does John Brookefield recommend in Mastery of Hand Strength when it comes to forearm and grip training frequency?

???

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John recommends training grip three times a week, exercising crushing strength, pinch grip power and holding strength, for more detail I recommend you buy the book, it's worth it. I don't recall him making distinctions between grip and forearm work, I'd have to re-read to be sure tho.

What he does point out is that were all different so only experience will tell you what is best for you. I'm just starting out grip training myself and I know I want to do it all and do it all the time, but I'm trying to steady down and treat grip work as I do my other training.

I'm sure the more experienced guys on this board will have plenty of advice.

FC

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Guest 86-1005097353

The issue of training frequency should be a scientific one and not an anecdotal one.  You will have to accept the latter. In bodybuilding it has evolved to favour training body parts hard once a week. There are many, many ideas and practices. However, it appears that muscular growth occurs every 4 to 7 days after a training stimulus has been initiated.

There are similarities between size gaining and strength gaining. You can ask people what they did to prepare themselves for competition. That is about as good as it gets I am afraid. I trained every 4 days for the pinch grip. Training more frequently saw a decline in maximums, whereas waiting a week to train again saw a similar decline.

Your muscles can 'recover' overnight. However, sooner or later your tendons and ligaments are going to suffer and your body will shut you down through injury or illness. When that happens you will need a long vacation from the training that led to the chronic pain.

My bet is to train on those grippers every 4 days. Do it hard and progressive. Lots of warm ups on the lighter grippers or whatever you are using. Then several maximum sets with the best gripper you have. There are lots of ways to increase intensity. You will find those grippers will return you progressively less ability to close as you use them in a workout. The trick is to rest sufficiently between sets. It is possible to drop to an easier gripper and continue for several sets to failure.

Ironmind warns on the gripper packaging that it is NOT recommended to train daily on their grippers. That is an easy mistake for keen novices to make.

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Guest MonStar1023

Vince_Basile-

Thanks for the reply bro. Okay I train my forearms twice a week with a wrist roller.. are you then suggesting that I train my forearms just ONCE per week with the wrist roller and my grip the other day.

Please I need SPECIFIC instructions as to how I should go about training them both. HELP me out guys. Great replys and thank you, but I need specifics if you will.

:D:D

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Guest MonStar1023

It would look something like this..

Day 1- chest, biceps, forearms

Day 2- legs, calves

Day 3- rest

Day 4- back, traps, grip (no straps)

Day 5- delts, triceps, calves

Day 6- rest

:D :D

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Do grip work twice a week.... increase the load if this doesn't seem enough.  

As for forearms, you can work them everyday (although I don't recommend that).  Calves fall into that category, too.  Lots of heavy wrist curls built my forearms.  :)

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MonStar in your  post about your order and help on books I responded by suggesting you read the writings of Arthur Jones at www.cyberpump.com - training. If you haven’t I suggest you do. You might not like what you read at first but if you persevere most of your questions will be answered. If all else fails you will definitely have a much different outlook on the weight game as a hole.

I will include to links to the best of his posted articles.

Bulletin #1

Bulletin #2

This might not be the quick answer you were looking for but the info on these pages has changed my views on training completely and for the better.

G

P.S. Arthur Jones trained Casey Viator before he won the Mr. America contest. Not sure what year 197?.  :D

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Guest kINGPIN

Just my opinion but as for all the different exercises.  Try them all and then ditch the ones you don't like, and also try to stick with the basics.  Lets face it, anything can be called a grip exercise if the hands are used to stop it hitting the ground.  As with normal training, pick the basics, work hard on them for a few years and then start branching out if you feel the need.  

The above comments are not from my experience with grip training they are just how I lift.

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Guest kINGPIN

I read in a muscle comic once something that sums up some training folklore;

' You CAN train you calves every day, whether you should or not is a different story'.

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I train forearms(wrist roller - 90mm diameter) and grip(COC) together and rest 2 days - it takes less than 20 min . I also do a Hardgainer workout 3 times a week - Experimental training.

Train smart

JAMES

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I train grip whenever I feel good about it. I don't have a specific and regular program. When I feel to do grippers, I train on the grippers. When I feel for pinching, I do so.

The same thing applies for my strength training in the gym. When I don't feel for squat, I replace it by deads. On my last 3 workouts, I've been doing only close grip bench press, deadlift lockouts, thick bar vertical lift and pinch grip. Sure I didn't hit my legs a lot but when I'll get back to squat, I'm going to lift as much if not more weigth than I did a couple of weeks ago.

I'm a big fan of getting plenty of rest between training sessions. My number 1 goal is to close the #3 which I am very close to do. 2 training sessions every ten days are the best for me. Experiment and see what's best for you.

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Guest MonStar1023

Alright so I guess I am goin to end up going with hitting my grip with my forearms TWICE a week...

Maybe something like this.. the first time I hit my grip I am going to do 3 sets of each hand with REPS. For example 3 sets to failure with each hand with the #1 or #2. Then a few days later I am going to do 3 sets of each hand but TIMED failure. Keep a quarter or whatever in between it for as long as I can hold it.

:cool::cool:

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Mike,

If yuo can, do strap holds and forget about the penny. If you want to hold something between the handles, it's better be some weigth. You won't believe the toughness it adds to keep the gripper closed.

If you don't know how to do strap holds, here it is :

Loop an old leather belt or a nylon strap into the hole of a weight disc. It gives a strap with a weigth attached to the end. Grab your gripper and close it on the strap. Then, lift the weigth off the floor and hold it up for as long as you can. Shoot for 5-15 seconds sets. If you can hold more than 15 seconds, add some weigth to the strap.

Many certified COC used strap holds in their training to close the #3.

Your workout plan (for the grip) seems good to me. Go hard and heavy on it.

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go with the strap holds like tou said.  keep in mind though that the thickness of the strap plays a big role in the difficulty of the hold itself.  a thin strap will be much more difficult to hold on to.

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Guest MonStar1023

Those strap holds sound Four score and seven years ago I am the MAN because I swear and I want everyone to know how manly I am by using profanity.ing INTENSE. I cant imagine doing them.

Unfortunately my goddamn grippers wont be coming in for 3 Four score and seven years ago I am the MAN because I swear and I want everyone to know how manly I am by using profanity.ing weeks!!

:(:(

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Guest 86-1005097353

Novices often seek the exact training protocols that can help them improve. If a novice asks many people they soon become confused because they have so much seemingly conflicting advice. Instead of exact training protocols it might be wise to have a training theory that guides you. In that way you can assess advice and also apply information and feedback to what you do.

I am often asked advice about what bodybuilders should eat. I ask the questioner if he has read any nutrition books? The usual reply is, "No". How then would he know if the information I am giving him is sound? He does not. All champions have had to learn about nutrition and exercise science. Only then can they do the right things to improve. If you go to any gym in the world you will discover that the vast majority of people are not improving! How can that be? Surely using weights will build up the muscles and make you stronger? Yes, to a point. Soon enough you reach plateaux and stay at that level and do not grow much until some major change happens in the routine. Therefore it is hardly wise to ask those who have stopped growing how to grow. That should be obvious.

If you ask 'experts' they can give you answers why people do not improve but they really do not explain it. I have tried to do that in an article I wrote to Ironman on DOMS or delayed onset muscle soreness. If you search their website you will find the article there under 'training'. The point was that those who did not experience DOMS on the days after training would not be growing. Or if they were then the rate would be very small. Instead of continually growing most people grow in spurts. They really do not know what makes them grow. If they did they would be growing from every workout.

Basically the muscular system responds to specific stresses placed on it. If that stess is sufficient to trigger a compensation response the muscle involved gets stronger and occasionally larger. The trick is to keep this overcompensation occurring. What happens in most muscles is that they get used to what you are doing and do not get stronger or larger. It then becomes difficult to find ways to keep the body growing the way you want it to. The bigger and stronger you are the more difficult it is to improve.

Many individuals give up trying to make themselves grow and resort to dangerous drugs to help them. Surely this must be what others are doing, they think. That is so sad. If only they applied sense and science to their training they would achieve whatever it is they desire.

Be warned that the theory might be easy to grasp in principle, but the proper application of that theory might be even more difficult. There are legions of individuals who would insist they are training correctly but who are no longer improving. Can they be said to be training correctly if they are not improving?  I can assure you it takes a lot of hard training to keep big muscles. Getting them even bigger might be beyond the ability of most people. The same goes for acquiring outstanding strength. Many try but few succeed.

Sometimes a coach or personal trainer can get you results that you could not obtain on your own. That is evident in most sports but in the iron game most people believe they know how to train and seldom seek advice or coaching.

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