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Destination:certification


Hubgeezer

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Mike, as already said, I really like your attitude ! Your motivation is a real example to follow, at any age !

I hope that your new plans will get you to the cert!

Train hard !

Thanks much.

Mike

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Thumbs up for the training attitude Mike, reading all those workout logs also do a lot for me as for motivation.

I must say that yours is special because you must be one of the older guys over here who's working for that cert.

I have a lot of respect for that, people outside only see 'a gripper' but don't see the determination and motivation you

have to bring in training for closing them. I hope you will get it soon now with your new training approach. I think

it will do you good in the end. Cheers!

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  • 1 month later...

Been a while since I posted. Got bit by a cat 3 weeks ago and it got infected, bad. Doctor said 20% of cat bites end badly. Leg got swollen, red, burning, fever, etc. Have not lifted weights in 4 weeks. Been doing grippers now for a week, and have had 3 recent gripper workouts.

Last night got the 154 lb RGC rated Number 3 to about 1/12th of an inch from a close (1 5/8ths inch set). Not that bad considering.

Will probably only do "grippers" for the next week, and will see how the leg feels next weekend before lifting weights. When I was watching the Super Bowl two weeks ago I was thinking about former Green Bay Packer offensive lineman Gale Gillingham, winner of 2 Super Bowl rings (the first two), how he became certified on the Number 3 at age 55, realizing that if I got certified in 2011 at age 57 that would definitely be the moment of Sports Glory of my life...to be a Captain of Crush along with Gale Gillingham, no other NFL players, and only one WSM winner...over a million people having squeezed a gripper but so few to be certified. Yes that would be the zenith of my Sports Career, Certification on the IronMind Number 3...

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With your motivation, you'll definitely attain your goal.

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The condition of my leg is "cellulitis". Still swollen a little, but no longer red. Not ready for weigh bearing excercises, but pursuing grippers.

Just for the heck of it, on Sunday, I pulled a few on the Rolling Thunder just to see how I would do. Surprisingly, pulled 197, and had 202 about 2/3rds of the way up. That with no weight training for a month. All is not lost...

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Glad you're feeling better! I know that cat bites can get very nasty. I grew up with a bunch of them living in the house. Looks like your strength didn't desert you.

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Ok man, now try to think of a good plan with plenty of rest maybe (not just two days after medium or heavy gripper sessions) and stick

to it! I just read your log this evening, every post, and again I really enjoyed reading about your dedicated training. the only thing I noticed while reading (not meaning to disrespect! I never closed a #3 CCS in my training, so who am I...)was that you are doing still a lot of volume, and for instance when starting with the SW, you hardly gave it a change to work, you maybe expected results from that assisting exercise to soon? I really think that it can work, but just give it time! For instance, Gabriel sum, a very strong guy on grippers, like Paul K., does his gripsessions with at least four days in between!. I'm no expert and also not the strongest around (at this moment :whistel No sorry that's a joke :upsidedwn )But I do know that you have SO much potential to pull of a good certification! Give your body some more chance to recover after a grip session and maybe throw in some consistent assisting exercises and I know for sure that you will make the spring of any #3 gasping for air in 2011 :mosher

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Changed my signature tonight. I am two and one half months away from turning 57, but since I don't plan on getting certified until I am both the oldest ever originally certified (G Gillingham, already older) and the oldest ever to "re-certify" (R Sorin was 57 years 3 months), I may as well put it on now.

I think I will start doing things other than grippers this coming weekend.

I am thinking about frequent, intense, and less volume gripper workouts, plus the Secret Weapon. Secret Weapon once per week, and then perhaps 7 hard reps 3 times per week. Of all the different things I have tried in the last 5 years, don't think I have tried that one. Also, I don't want to spring for the dollars, but I am wondering if a "Grip Machine" might do something. Have not ever had anyone swear by them.

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Also, I don't want to spring for the dollars, but I am wondering if a "Grip Machine" might do something. Have not ever had anyone swear by them.

If you search the forum on 3.5 Creditcard close, you´ll find a post of Carlos F. Rivera Pagan, a strong member who writes his progress in grippers to

the go really gripmachine from IM. I´ve integrated GM work also once per week in my training. Had one GM custom made for me. You can check my traininglog how I work with that,

it´s the same way Carlos trains with it. Don´t know if it´ll benefit my training, that´s just to early to say. But I´ve found my rhythm in training working choked grippers heavy once per week with

assisting excercises and once per week choked grippercloses, gripmachine and assisting excersices. Just to let the kilo´s go through those hands.

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  • 1 month later...

I think I will start doing things other than grippers this coming weekend.

I am thinking about frequent, intense, and less volume gripper workouts, plus the Secret Weapon. Secret Weapon once per week, and then perhaps 7 hard reps 3 times per week.

Not been doing the Secret Weapon, just the grippers for 7 heavy reps 3 times per week. Started working out again, it will take a few months to get to my former strength level.

My brand new Rolling Thunder (a year old, new model) seized up. Don't know if it is chalk or what. The cheap old ones never did that. Consequently, I did 217 today for a PR! I like that, "yeah, did 217 on the new style Rolling Thunder model..." Actually, not sure how much that helps, as I only got 222 up for one inch.

Going to participate in Robert's contest in June. Started playing with the two inch Vertical. After not touching it for 3 years, it was starting all over again. Struggled with 203 4 weeks ago, but been adding 5 lbs or so per week. Just missed 233 today. I think my best 3 years ago was 245. But since this event is in the contest, I figure I should train for it. My own opinion is that once you get to where you are going, you plateau fairly quickly, but I don't know that for certain. It really doesn't do anything for me, and I am not sure why. It seems like something I would get as passionate about as, say, playing checkers. I think the one inch appealed to me because there was so much "mental" in it, which made it a more entertaining challenge.

Back on grippers...I am always 1/8th of an inch off of closing #3s using a credit card set... 159 lbs, 158 lbs, 154 lbs, it's always 1/8th of an inch off. But the narrower set seems to be coming back, as I am coming close to closing the 154 again.

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Shame you guys on this board live that far from me, I'd love to do a workout once with you Mike.

You are one hell of a dedicated gripman haha! You know what it's all about. Hope you can reach your goal now.

Have you let your mind go about working out with a gripmachine? I'm really excited with this piece

of equipment. I know it will give me the final push (together with narrow gripper work) for the #3 CCS!

I'll be definitely following your progress, hope you will post some more frequent ;)

Thumbs up. You're now this far, this year the #3 WILL fall.

Edited by Geralt
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Mike, do you have a recent video of yourself attempt to CCS a #3? It might totally be the obvious, but I recently gave a guy on another forum a single bit of advice and he CCS closed his #3 on the 2nd attempt. He's been about an 1/8" away for half a year and he finally contacted me to see if I could help him out. I looked at a video and all that it took was for him to deep set the gripper (his hands are 7.5" long - which might have something to do with why it worked so well for him) and THEN open it up to CCS width. You might already do that. But if you don't, try that out and it may very well make the difference for you. It doesn't work for everyone - but for those that it works for you really seem to get a slightly better and stable position when you deep set first and then open it up. Compared to just opening it up to CCS width and trying to shut the gripper from there.

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Ben, the only video that exists of me is from a 2005 grip contest. Otherwise, never been filmed. Except on the 6 O'clock News a few times arguing with local political decisions.

I suspect hand placement could be part of it, but I have been doing the move it closer and let it out method for the CCS.

Edited by Hubgeezer
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Still doing 7 hard reps 3X per week. Been flat this week, but hands are never really 100% rested. Going to get my brother's 1997 or 1998 Number 3 measured, as well as my 3.5. Both are beasts. Cannon will do it whenever I get around to mailing it. Wrapped in bubble wrap but not completely packaged...

Just doing weights once a week. Started doing some "negatives" on an 11 pound hammer (an 8 lber with microplates duct taped onto it) leverage to the head. Not sure why, but figured I would.

Other than my bogus sticky Rolling Thunder PR, finally hit a 2011 PR on something grip related. Been doing the two inch FBBC Vbar, and got a left hand PR, 228 lbs. I did 245 right 3 years ago, but don't think I had done over 220 with the left hand. I'd like to do 250 in Robert's contest in June in San Bernardino in Southern California.

Edited by Hubgeezer
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Still doing 7 hard reps 3X per week. Been flat this week, but hands are never really 100% rested. Going to get my brother's 1997 or 1998 Number 3 measured, as well as my 3.5. Both are beasts. Cannon will do it whenever I get around to mailing it. Wrapped in bubble wrap but not completely packaged...

Just doing weights once a week. Started doing some "negatives" on an 11 pound hammer (an 8 lber with microplates duct taped onto it) leverage to the head. Not sure why, but figured I would.

Other than my bogus sticky Rolling Thunder PR, finally hit a 2011 PR on something grip related. Been doing the two inch FBBC Vbar, and got a left hand PR, 228 lbs. I did 245 right 3 years ago, but don't think I had done over 220 with the left hand. I'd like to do 250 in Robert's contest in June in San Bernardino in Southern California.

Great work on the vbar PR!

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  • 4 weeks later...

Stabbed my left hand below the thumb a few days ago, needing stitches. Did it on a barbeque lid. Probaby will miss 2 weeks of grabbing barbells.

Only had one Vbar session since last time. No PRs, but got 233 on right hand on the 2 inch. Only 12 more lbs to catch up with where I was 3 years ago.

Grippers, have not been doing them 3X, but still the 7 reps each time. Upped it to 9 reps, as the 7 reps didn't seem to do much any more. Tonight, I did right hand only on the grippers; no reason to give it a break just because my left hand is in stitches. Got the RB300 rated at 186lbs down to 3/8ths of an inch using my 1 5/8ths inch set, which is not bad. Didn't try any Number 3s CCS tonight, but the 4 3's I tried were at 3/16s, 1/8th, 1/12, and 1/16ths, depending on the difficulty of the gripper (160, 158, 154, and 151). Have been stopping at CCS at about 2.8 right now, using a HG300, then moving on to HGS (Hubgeezer Set). I think I will stop using the HG300, as that guy, at 2.8 plus, is always very easy CCS. I think it is time to step it up to the Grandmaster, which is about a 2.9 plus gripper as my final CCS attempt before moving to the Number 3s and above via HGS.

Spoke with Stanley Pleskun aka Stanless Steel 3 straight nights. Talking about "bending", even though I don't bend, and the difference between the way he views the world versus the way everyone else does. Not short bar, not horseshoes, but I am convinced that for braced bending, thick bars, no one has ever done what he has done. He has plenty of bars to show for it as well. As a result of our talks, he seems to be getting jacked up and interested in getting back into it, as he had cut way back on bending the last few years. Stan is offbeat, unconventional, a bit out there, but a truly lovable guy, not a mean bone in his body or soul.

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Sorry 'bout your hand. Hope it heals up quickly. No problems with setting grippers?

You wrote some time ago that you would incorporate SW work and gripmachine maybe? Still into that?

If you're so close now and up strength, come up with a plan and stay with it! I know you can close that #3 CCS! would be something to look up to for the younger guys including me hahaha! Would be great to see a photo on the Ironmind forum. Keep it up.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Ouch re: the hand. Even found you some flowers (Ha!) :flowers: Geralt beat me to it - how do you set the gripper for the right hand? Or, is that the secret HGS? ;)

Thanks for including mention of your conversation with Stan. I do try to keep up...

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Stabbed my left hand below the thumb a few days ago, needing stitches. Did it on a barbeque lid. Probaby will miss 2 weeks of grabbing barbells.

Only had one Vbar session since last time. No PRs, but got 233 on right hand on the 2 inch. Only 12 more lbs to catch up with where I was 3 years ago.

Grippers, have not been doing them 3X, but still the 7 reps each time. Upped it to 9 reps, as the 7 reps didn't seem to do much any more. Tonight, I did right hand only on the grippers; no reason to give it a break just because my left hand is in stitches. Got the RB300 rated at 186lbs down to 3/8ths of an inch using my 1 5/8ths inch set, which is not bad. Didn't try any Number 3s CCS tonight, but the 4 3's I tried were at 3/16s, 1/8th, 1/12, and 1/16ths, depending on the difficulty of the gripper (160, 158, 154, and 151). Have been stopping at CCS at about 2.8 right now, using a HG300, then moving on to HGS (Hubgeezer Set). I think I will stop using the HG300, as that guy, at 2.8 plus, is always very easy CCS. I think it is time to step it up to the Grandmaster, which is about a 2.9 plus gripper as my final CCS attempt before moving to the Number 3s and above via HGS.

Spoke with Stanley Pleskun aka Stanless Steel 3 straight nights. Talking about "bending", even though I don't bend, and the difference between the way he views the world versus the way everyone else does. Not short bar, not horseshoes, but I am convinced that for braced bending, thick bars, no one has ever done what he has done. He has plenty of bars to show for it as well. As a result of our talks, he seems to be getting jacked up and interested in getting back into it, as he had cut way back on bending the last few years. Stan is offbeat, unconventional, a bit out there, but a truly lovable guy, not a mean bone in his body or soul.

You'll get that #3 CCS buddy...I just know it , don't give up :rock

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Stabbed my left hand below the thumb a few days ago, needing stitches. Did it on a barbeque lid. Probaby will miss 2 weeks of grabbing barbells.

I lifted weights three days ago. The hand was ready for anything,less than two weeks after injury. Geezer skin apparently heals as fast as young skin. Great!

I have a "contest" in San Bernardino in 5 1/2 weeks. Sure hope it has more than 4 competitors this time. Odd Haugen emailed me today and said he would make every effort to be there. He was there last time, but he is going to be in Europe until 3 days before the contest.

I used to make a big deal about contests. But since this "Destination Certification" thing started, I just do enough to not embarrass myself. So, 3 days ago, I started doing the "IM Hub", as well as the Fat Bastard Barbell Company 3 inch Wrist Roller. Oh my, that Wrist Roller just killed me. Did it Saturday, and on Monday, I could not CCS close my 2.5! I guess that's good! It must be working something. So, it looks like my schedule is going to be:

Monday: Grippers (now doing 10 reps of 2.5 or more, not 7 reps)

Tuesday: Deadlifting

Wedneday: Grippers again

Thursday: Nothing

Friday: Grippers again

Saturday: Weights and grip stuff, non-grippers

Sunday: Nothing

Be curious if my grippers go up or down with this.

That cat bite, in retrospect, really took a lot out of me. My leg where he bit me, down around the ankle, 3 1/2 months later, is still larger than the other leg. Ack! Age IS becoming a factor! But not for my skin at least...

I had not touched the IM Hub in 7 months. Not that 50 pounds is so wonderful, but I got it up to my thigh on Saturday.

Went to a Power Lifting meet 165 miles from my house on Sunday. My son was competing, and it was his first meet. I don't like PL. I wish he would have stuck to Oly WL, not sure why he took up PL out of the blue. My daughter (his sister, as well as her fiance)and brother (lives near the meet) also attended. Something I never seen before...he "no lifted" on his second squat attempt because...his feet went numb from the wraps! Came back, added weight, and got the 3rd rep! Good for him, he's a fighter!

Anyway, have not decided what I would like to "PR" in at the contest. After the contest, I have 3 months to go for Certification again. September 2011 AOBS. Two Inch Vbar? Grippers? Axle? Don't know yet. It won't be the Hub, I know that. And, seeing as I have never gotten good at Pinch, and am doing nothing for it right now, probably not Pinch either. I think the one I would be most proud of would be Axle, so maybe that is the one I should focus on. With 5 weeks to go? Hmmm, better think that one through a bit more.

But, I do have to start visualizing on this Certification thing. September, 4 months away...

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  • 1 month later...

Stabbed my left hand below the thumb a few days ago, needing stitches. Did it on a barbeque lid. Probaby will miss 2 weeks of grabbing barbells.

I lifted weights three days ago. The hand was ready for anything,less than two weeks after injury. Geezer skin apparently heals as fast as young skin. Great!

I have a "contest" in San Bernardino in 5 1/2 weeks. Sure hope it has more than 4 competitors this time. Odd Haugen emailed me today and said he would make every effort to be there. He was there last time, but he is going to be in Europe until 3 days before the contest.

I used to make a big deal about contests. But since this "Destination Certification" thing started, I just do enough to not embarrass myself. So, 3 days ago, I started doing the "IM Hub", as well as the Fat Bastard Barbell Company 3 inch Wrist Roller. Oh my, that Wrist Roller just killed me. Did it Saturday, and on Monday, I could not CCS close my 2.5! I guess that's good! It must be working something. So, it looks like my schedule is going to be:

Monday: Grippers (now doing 10 reps of 2.5 or more, not 7 reps)

Tuesday: Deadlifting

Wedneday: Grippers again

Thursday: Nothing

Friday: Grippers again

Saturday: Weights and grip stuff, non-grippers

Sunday: Nothing

Be curious if my grippers go up or down with this.

That cat bite, in retrospect, really took a lot out of me. My leg where he bit me, down around the ankle, 3 1/2 months later, is still larger than the other leg. Ack! Age IS becoming a factor! But not for my skin at least...

I had not touched the IM Hub in 7 months. Not that 50 pounds is so wonderful, but I got it up to my thigh on Saturday.

Went to a Power Lifting meet 165 miles from my house on Sunday. My son was competing, and it was his first meet. I don't like PL. I wish he would have stuck to Oly WL, not sure why he took up PL out of the blue. My daughter (his sister, as well as her fiance)and brother (lives near the meet) also attended. Something I never seen before...he "no lifted" on his second squat attempt because...his feet went numb from the wraps! Came back, added weight, and got the 3rd rep! Good for him, he's a fighter!

Anyway, have not decided what I would like to "PR" in at the contest. After the contest, I have 3 months to go for Certification again. September 2011 AOBS. Two Inch Vbar? Grippers? Axle? Don't know yet. It won't be the Hub, I know that. And, seeing as I have never gotten good at Pinch, and am doing nothing for it right now, probably not Pinch either. I think the one I would be most proud of would be Axle, so maybe that is the one I should focus on. With 5 weeks to go? Hmmm, better think that one through a bit more.

But, I do have to start visualizing on this Certification thing. September, 4 months away...

My contest yesterday was cancelled, as two of the competitors had injuries. Looks like we would have had 5 participants, 4 of which would have been over 50, and there would have been two grip contest records being contested by Haugen: Axle and Hub. Too bad.

Seems like my gripper/crusher grip improved some over the last month even though I was not "focusing" on grippers. It is not where it should be, but it had improved. Friday night I nearly closed or did close my Grandmaster via CCS, which is probably high 140s, what I call a 2.9.

Had a PR yesterday in a Trap Bar Deadlift, 389 lbs. Not a lot of weight, but I had never attempted a deadlift of more than 200 lbs until I was over 50, so I feel good. There was more in the tank, so 400 will not be that far away. Not sure what my goal is there.

On May 17, I posted that my IM Hub was 50 lbs. On June 11, I got 65 (plates only). And to think I was considering dropping the name "Hubgeezer"...

The FBBC thick Wrist Roller, has, I believe, helped a number of things, so I will keep using it for a while.

Grippers? I don't know, I think I am going to keep doing what I am doing for the next month, as I can't knock improvements, which are always encouraging. Seems like most people think it takes focusing on grippers to improve the gripper performance, but this wrist roller and the trap bar training may be helping. Who knows? When I figure it out, I can write a book.

Speaking of writing, the June issue of MILO has an article by me on the Vise Grip Viking Challenge that was held in LA at the end of June. Even has a photo of me in it. The color photos of four of the contestants - - Chad, Andrew, Haugen, and Felix, are by far the best photos of a grip contest that have been in MILO. Nothing is even close. I should have an article in the September issue of MILO - - by far my best work as a "strength writer"- - can't say what it is...Wow, I almost sound like Brooks Kubik there, that means it is time to shut up. Except Kubik's 10th or 12th, or 155th book is coming out soon (I have read 3 of them) and this one looks like it will be a good one (book on Oly great John Davis).

But all day yesterday, I had a good day, because, at Age 57, I had a PR in the Trap Bar Deadlift :mosher:mosher

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