Hubgeezer Posted November 2, 2008 Author Share Posted November 2, 2008 October 20. Lifted weights. October 21. Nothing. October 22. 10 heavy left, 12 heavy right gripper reps. October 23. Nothing. October 24. Nothing. October 25. 7 heavy gripper reps. Just cannot quite put away CCS that tough 3. Damn close. Lifted weights afterwards. Did one rep of DO Deadlift w/ 326 pounds. Most I lifted in 11 months since leg injury. Knee felt fine. October 26. Grippers, 10 left, 15 right reps. October 27. Nothing. October 28. 10 left, 14 right reps heavy grippers. October 29. Lifted weights. October 30. Nothing. October 31. Good gripper workout, 10 left, 14 right. The Super 3 was so close to touching I could not see a gap, but it did not "feel" closed. November 1. Lifted weights. Very humid in the garage, as it was trying to rain all day. Rolling Thunder is always good for me on humid days. A PR BY 5 POUNDS!!! Yes indeedie, 216 POUNDS, 98 KILOGRAMS!! Not bad for someone who has never deadlifted 350. Geez, I wonder what I can get up to if I actually train on the Rolling Thunder? I have improved more than 30 pounds on the Rolling Thunder since I turned 50 4 years ago. I think I improved 10 pounds on it the first 4 or 5 years that I had a Rolling Thunder, age 45 or so. That RT may be the best Grip Feat of my life so far, as I am not exactly World Class in any grip categories. 216, even on a humid day, is a good number. It feels good! It feels great. Oh yeah, I did try the Inch, which I never do. It actually had a little air. Around 4 inches on the bell closest to the body, and around half inch on the other side. Definitely my best ever. My RT is on the high side of those who cannot lift the Inch, the range basically 180-230... Okay get back to the Stinking Grippers... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maidenfan Posted November 2, 2008 Share Posted November 2, 2008 Well done on the RT brother - solid lift period. I rarely use grippers anymore and would be happy to send you some if you want some for training - lemme know. Morgan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boland magyar Posted November 2, 2008 Share Posted November 2, 2008 October 4. Lifted weights.October 5. 10 heavy gripper reps left, 14 heavy right reps. October 6. Nothing. October 7. 10 left reps, 13 right reps on gripper. As usual, a combination of 1 5/8ths inch sets, credit card set, and choker closes. October 8. Lifted weights. October 9. Nothing. October 10. 10 left, 13 right heavy grippers. All the Hard 3 choker closes were 1/32nd or less from handle-touching. October 11. Lifted weights. October 12. 10 heavy gripper reps both hands. October 13, 14. Nothing. October 15. Grippers, 6 reps (heavy grippers, after warmup of course). October 16. Grippers, 12 heavy left reps. Right hand, 15 reps. Rep #15 was my RB300, Credit Card Set. Hands so fried was over an inch from closing. October 17. Lifted weights. October 18. Nothing. October 19. Grippers. 10 heavy left reps. Right hand, 15 heavy reps. Highlights on the Right Hand: some near miss choker closes on the Hard 3, the 158/159 calibrated one. A near-miss on same gripper using a 1 5/8ths inch set. And for the only true PR since the last posting, with the same 1 5/8th inch set, I CLOSED MY RB260! Yeah, closed my RB260 for the first time ever. Good solid, long touching together close too. So my goal is to Certify in November. I am thinking of Thanksgiving weekend. I need to improve over the next 3-4 weeks, but the damn handles are pretty regularly so close to touching that any improvement means they will be touching every time. Since it is so close, for the first time, I feel like I BELIEVE that closing the sucker CCS will be commonplace. Before, all I was doing was hoping. Believing is a whole different mindset, and I am finally a Believer. Somehow a minor step like closing my RB260 is helping. Having a bunch of grippers of various strengths affects how you categorize things in your mind. Closing the RB260 is my mind's way of telling me "Now the next step is to Certify, there are no more interim steps". all the best for your cert mate Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hubgeezer Posted November 13, 2008 Author Share Posted November 13, 2008 November 2. 4 hard gripper reps. Too tired. November 3. Nothing. November 4. 10 hard left reps, 15 hard right ones. Grippers. November 5. Nothing. November 6. Lifted weights. November 7. 10 heavy lefts, 13 rights on grippers. November 8. Nothing. November 9. 3 heavy gripper reps. Lifted weights. Purchased a Number 4 on a whim in the afternoon from a House of Pain dealer in Los Altos at a weightlifting competition. Did a few reps with it. I mean "attempts", not "reps". November 10. Nothing. Fried absolutely fried forearms from the Number 4. Maybe onto something. November 11. Nothing. November 12. 10 heavy left reps, 13 heavy right ones. Got the #4 to 7/8ths of an inch. Why do I know it is 7/8ths of an inch? Because my wife was not able to fit a book that was 7/8ths of an inch thick between the handles. Next time I will try a 3/4 of an inch thick book. Was working from a 2 inch set to move it to 7/8ths. I am hoping this #4 is my "Secret Weapon" for that pesky last millimeter. I just cannot put away that final bit. I cannot close the #4 on my leg. I think I can get it to 1/2 inch by doing that. I don't even think it is a "hard 4" either. Any 4 is a monster, not worth calibrating coz I'm never going to close it. I just want it to push me over that last bit to Certification. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
knyaz Posted November 15, 2008 Share Posted November 15, 2008 keep training with the the 4 definately will help you with the Cert, keep on training hard, good work on the RT also best of luck!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hubgeezer Posted November 24, 2008 Author Share Posted November 24, 2008 November 13. Nothing. November 14. 5 heavy reps on grippers, then lifted weights. Tried the Inch Dumbbell Replica a few times. Maybe some air on both sides. Could get the side of the Bell closest to the body up 3 or 4 inches on a "tilt" basis. November 15. Nothing, except at my son's house watching the the pay per view w/ Couture, did a few reps of his grippers, closed his Grand Master right handed and his Super Master left handed. Both are easier than average. November 16. Nothing. November 17. 10 heavy reps left hand, 15 right hand. One of my hard 3 reps in the choker came damn close to full close. November 18. Lifted weights. Deadlifted 341 double overhand on the Olympic Bar. Been gradually strengthening my back to prepare for Apollon's Axle improvement some day. November 19. 8 hard left gripper reps, 10 right. November 20. Nothing. November 21. Nothing. November 22. Lifted weights. After I did my deadlifts (271 pounds for 6 reps, 2 sets), I did 2 reps on the Apollon's Axle. I had not done a single rep at any weight in a year and a week. Did 297 (thought I put 307 on it) very easily. Pulled 317 very strongly, could have held the weight 15 seconds, but only held for 5 seconds. Had only done that much in a workout 1 time a year and a week ago. Have only done more than that much one time, a contest in May 2006 where I pulled 325. I will try for 327 in the next 10 days. Feel good about that, in that I can focus on just my grip, as the back is not feeling like anything I should worry about, unlike the past. November 23. 10 hard left gripper reps, 14 hard right ones. For the first time in my life, I heard, live, not on video, the sounds of Number 4 handles clicking. I was closing it on my leg, but that was the first time I ever had done that! Still a damn millimeter away from Credit Card Closing the hard 3. But, it is consistent, not hit and miss. I have been in contact with Dr. Strossen. He is rooting for me, and is aware of the 10th Anniversary of my getting my first gripper for Christmas in 1998. He wants me to certify between Christmas and New Year's. He thinks it is "a great story", 10 years, an accountant, over 50, never giving up, blah blah blah...All I have to do is get that last mm in a month and I will. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hubgeezer Posted November 27, 2008 Author Share Posted November 27, 2008 November 24. Nothing. November 25. 10 hard grippers, right and left. November 26. Lifted weights. Was so happy with the ol Apollon's Axle, decided to try it again. After a set of 276 lbs for 6 reps on an Olympic Bar with Deadlifts, I did 327 on the Axle. A PR! Geezer Power! Held it for around 5 seconds at lockout too... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bencrush Posted November 27, 2008 Share Posted November 27, 2008 Great job on the 327 man! That's nice territory there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Mac Posted November 27, 2008 Share Posted November 27, 2008 Well done Mike. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hubgeezer Posted December 7, 2008 Author Share Posted December 7, 2008 November 27. Nothing. November 28. Nothing. November 29. 10 heavy left grippers, 14 heavy rights. November 30. Lifted weights. Had not touched FBBC 2 inch bar in a long time. Did 238 on it with right hand. December 1. Nothing. December 2. 10 heavy left grippers, 14 heavy right ones. December 3, 4, 5. Nothing. December 6. You would think with all this rest I would be "fresh as a daisy" on grippers. NO! Did 6 heavy reps and sucked. Was around 1/12 of an inch off on CCS closing my Hard 3. Very discouraging. Lifted weights. Did 353 in the deadlift, which is not much, but a personal record for me. That is an Olympic Bar, not the Axle. So disgusted by the bad grippers, I added a grip exercise, continued to season my Two Hand Euro Pinch device purchased by my wife for my birthday in May from David Horne. Why concentrate on Grippers if it is not working? Even athough my hands are sore (from doing grippers, pullups, 2 Hand, Deadlifts) I think I will do grippers now. This is a pisser, as I want to Certify by December 31, and it ain't happening. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
climber511 Posted December 7, 2008 Share Posted December 7, 2008 November 27. Nothing.November 28. Nothing. November 29. 10 heavy left grippers, 14 heavy rights. November 30. Lifted weights. Had not touched FBBC 2 inch bar in a long time. Did 238 on it with right hand. December 1. Nothing. December 2. 10 heavy left grippers, 14 heavy right ones. December 3, 4, 5. Nothing. December 6. You would think with all this rest I would be "fresh as a daisy" on grippers. NO! Did 6 heavy reps and sucked. Was around 1/12 of an inch off on CCS closing my Hard 3. Very discouraging. Lifted weights. Did 353 in the deadlift, which is not much, but a personal record for me. That is an Olympic Bar, not the Axle. So disgusted by the bad grippers, I added a grip exercise, continued to season my Two Hand Euro Pinch device purchased by my wife for my birthday in May from David Horne. Why concentrate on Grippers if it is not working? Even athough my hands are sore (from doing grippers, pullups, 2 Hand, Deadlifts) I think I will do grippers now. This is a pisser, as I want to Certify by December 31, and it ain't happening. It's always darkest before the dawn. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hubgeezer Posted December 7, 2008 Author Share Posted December 7, 2008 December 7. As posted just an hour ago, I tried some more grippers today, even though hands were still tired. After warming up, took my "average 3" down to a little less than 1/16th of an inch, which was not that bad for having fried hands. Did 5 reps of "Dime Holds" with my 2.5, calibrated at 134 and 136 pounds (sounds like 135). It intuitively feels like something I should be doing. The best was maybe 6 seconds, the worst around 2 seconds. It forces me to hold my hand upright, which is something that I should be doing, but normally don't. A dime is the thinest piece of coin, forces you to apply more pressure, you can watch it slip and you fight it, etc. I am not sure I have heard of someone doing something like this, but it seems like a cousin to strapholds, overcrushes, etc. But forcing me from bending over and squeezing seems like a good thing. It seems to have a good effect of frying my hands and is new, so that has to be a good thing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hubgeezer Posted December 10, 2008 Author Share Posted December 10, 2008 December 7. Nothing. December 8. Did 7 hard lefts, 7 hard rights. Then did 5 right hand "dime holds" with my IM2.5. This time, the longer holds were 14, 15 seconds. Did no "credit card set" reps tonight. I think I am all CCS'd out for a while. My sweep doesn't need any help, my close needs help. My Super 3 was around half the thickness of a dime away from closing with a 1 5/8 inch set. I think the Dime Holds are going to make a difference. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maidenfan Posted December 10, 2008 Share Posted December 10, 2008 Nice pull on the AA Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hubgeezer Posted December 12, 2008 Author Share Posted December 12, 2008 December 10. Nuthin. December 11. Did 4 hard gripper reps. Did Reverse Hypers and Deadlifts, nothing else. Loaded Apollon's Axle to 330 pounds. Got it. Another Axle PR. Geezer Power Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
climber511 Posted December 12, 2008 Share Posted December 12, 2008 December 10. Nuthin.December 11. Did 4 hard gripper reps. Did Reverse Hypers and Deadlifts, nothing else. Loaded Apollon's Axle to 330 pounds. Got it. Another Axle PR. Geezer Power Keep those PRs a rolling there young man! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hubgeezer Posted December 20, 2008 Author Share Posted December 20, 2008 December 12. Nothing. December 13. 9 heavy left grippers, 14 right. Longest Dime Hold in IM 2.5 was 13 seconds. December 14. Lifted weights. Did some pinching on the Euro Pinch Device, which is still being seasoned. Had it 5 plus months, but had hardly used it. December 15. Nothing. December 16. 4 heavy gripper reps. December 17, 18, Nothing. December 19. Did 8 heavy lefts gripper reps, 12 heavy right gripper reps. Did no "credit card closing", but a combination of 1 5/8 th inch set reps, Super 3 in 1 7/8ths inch choker, leg closes on my No. 4, and Dime Holds on the 2.5. Best Dime Hold was 13 seconds, and that was after all the other stuff. Best close ever had with the Super 3 in the choker. Held it solidly shut grind level for around 4 seconds. Never done that before. Dime Holds. Yes. That's the ticket, yeah... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hubgeezer Posted December 27, 2008 Author Share Posted December 27, 2008 December 20. Lifted weights. Did heavy trap bar work for the first time in 2008. December 21. Nothing. December 22. 10 left, 12 heavy gripper reps. December 23, 24, 25. Nothing. December 26. With all that rest, think I'd mash the 3. I didn't. Did 10 left and 14 right heavy gripper reps. Then lifted weights. PR'd in the deadlift. Double overhand, Olympic bar, 361. Not that much weight, but it is a PR. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lifesnotfair Posted December 27, 2008 Share Posted December 27, 2008 Congrats on your deadlift PR. What was you previous personal best? If your body is getting stronger, it probably means your hands will get stronger too. Certify already, will ya!? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hubgeezer Posted December 27, 2008 Author Share Posted December 27, 2008 Congrats on your deadlift PR. What was you previous personal best? 353 a couple of weeks ago. The grippers are not going down the way I had wanted them to. I am now thinking maybe a new place and time for a goal for Certification will be 4 weeks from now at the Fit Expo in LA. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hubgeezer Posted January 10, 2009 Author Share Posted January 10, 2009 December 27, 28, 29. Nothing. December 30. 8 heavy grippers right, 6 left. Lifted weights. December 31. Nothing. January 1. Nothing. Decided that I injured a hand bone near the base of my pinky. I think I did it from Number 4 negatives. January 2. Did 4 right and 6 left heavy gripper reps. My hand is injured. Decide that I am going to quit grippers for a month. All the work that I have been doing on grippers the last year has been dificult on the hands. I am going to give them a rest, not sure how long. No Certification at this year's Fit Expo, which is in two weeks. January 3, 4, 5. Nothing. January 6. Lifted weights. Did a set of 20 of Trapbar Deadlifts. Felt strong. Deadlifts have helped my Trap Bar. January 7, 8. Nothing. January 9. Lifted weights. Worked with Euro Pinch some. Got a PR in the Deadlits again, 366. Did some Formulator work. So, done no gripper work. No gripper work since January 2. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twig Posted January 17, 2009 Share Posted January 17, 2009 And since? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hubgeezer Posted March 8, 2009 Author Share Posted March 8, 2009 It's been two months. I am back. No PRs in that time period, none. I laid off grippers 100%, trying to get my hand to heal. I just started, very slowly, on grippers a few days ago. I am not sure if the hand is okay or not. It may be a while before I do negatives or leg closes on something stronger than a 3.5. I believe it was that 4 that did it to it. Lost 12 pounds in the last two months. Doing it very slowly and methodically through Weight Watchers. Did that 4 years ago, but this time I am being very patient. Weigh just under 230 now. Hadn't done any Iron Mind Hub work in ages. Did a couple of workouts with that. Am starting to now work on "everything", after having just done overall strength and grippers for a while. So, starting over with grippers, starting slowly, gingerly, carefully, etc: Just doing a few reps with my wide spread "Super 2", which runs around 2.55, for reps. Closed my 2.5 easy enough, which is calibrated at 134 I think. So what's that, 2.6, 2.7? Anyway, two workouts, and I felt stronger on the second one than the first, so I am hoping the layoff/rest will have done me good. I think shooting for Certification at the AOBS in June sounds good to me. Maybe Randy can get a Real Witness for me this time So, I have 3 months. Here we go again! Yeah, and along the way I'd like to qualify and compete in the GGC/Nationals as well this year. Unless of course, they have bending as a separate event ... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hubgeezer Posted March 14, 2009 Author Share Posted March 14, 2009 March 9. Rolling Thunder, Axle work. March 10. After warmup, 5 gripper closes each hand. Toughest gripper used was IM 2.5 (134 RGC). March 12. Trap bar DLs, Euro-Pinch, IM Hub, Hex work, formulator work, a few other barbell exercises. 55 on the IM Hub was easy. March 13. Grippers. Still not using anymore than the 134 RGC No. 2.5. Gripper strength is a little better than it was a week ago. Still losing my 1 pound per week. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hubgeezer Posted March 18, 2009 Author Share Posted March 18, 2009 March 15. Lifted weights, did 10 reps 2 sets Rolling Thunder with new age handle with 147 pounds. Hit another PR on the Deluxe Handle, 177, and just missed (up 90%) with 182. Got 3 reps with 292 on the A Axle, which I don't think I had ever done before, not that I couldn't, just never tried. Formulator work. March 17. Grippers. Still using my new "less is more" philosophy after my recent injury. Kinney/KTA/John Wood/Ben Edwards/David Horne/Steve Gardener/Mike Corlett have never written from personal experience on making personal records in your mid-50s. I think it is worth trying. So, in the spirit of "less is more", I did 6 reps of grippers left and 7 right (after warming up on the Trainer and No. 1). Easily credit card set closed the 134RGC IM 2.5. Just missed CCSing closed my HG300 that I rate at 2.8. So, my "CCS" close is currently at 2.75. Okay, the goal is for it to be 2.8 on March 20. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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