AnimalCage Posted June 14, 2008 Share Posted June 14, 2008 It's been about two years, and I'm back for another go. I read through the lessons learned topic in Grip FAQ, twice, and here is what I come away with. Note: This is for me. 1. This is not a race. I will hurt myself yet again if I jump in too quickly. 2. I am doing this for myself. 3. I will develop greater all-around wrist/arm strength, not just grippers. 4. I have eaten the "whine" list. For the past month, I have been destroying my trainer. The other grippers are locked in the basement. July 1st I will pull out the #1, and destroy it ferociously. One month, maybe two, then the #2 comes out. And the fun begins. Since I have little equipment, levering will be the majority of my wrist work in the beginning. Wrist curls are on the menu, also. I need to build a wrist roller. Would like to start bending again. Need to read Eric's book again. Short Term Goal: Adequate conditioning for serious #2 workouts End of Year Goals: 20 second ruler hold with #2 PDA 343 close Prove my 60d bend wasn't a fluke It's amazing to see the progress you all have made. This is truly an amazing place to be a member. - Alan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Benedikt Farsmann Posted June 14, 2008 Share Posted June 14, 2008 Hello mate! I'm new to the board and my name's Ben! Seems like you know what you're talking about so I'll follow your log regards! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abagh89 Posted June 14, 2008 Share Posted June 14, 2008 welcome back, im new to the board as well so im not really familar with how you got injured. if you dont mind me asking what happened? wow, what caused you to end up locking your grippers?!? . did you just do grippers everyday and ended up hurting yourself? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnimalCage Posted June 15, 2008 Author Share Posted June 15, 2008 History: I repped a #2 first time in hand. Strength came from construction work. I was excited, and went crazy training. bencrush actually felt sorry for my grippers. First injury was trying to tear a 2" phonebook. I had no business attempting that. Popped a tendon in my right elbow, took almost a year to heal. Otherwise, with the grippers, it was simply too much, too fast. Began popping tendons in my hands and fingers. Rested a while. Went back, same thing, except I started bending. too much, too fast. Bent a 60d nail, but hurt a nerve in my left palm, which also affected where I set my gripper. More tendon trouble. Rested again. Back at it, but this time I flipped over my handlebars trailbiking, broke my left collarbone. Out of training for a while. 2 years later, NO LIE, the day I started training again, broke the other collarbone on the same bicycle. I haven't ridden it since. Other personal setbacks were recorded on the "whine" list, which is now properly digesting. Adam and Ben, please hear me: There is waaaaay too much information on this board to be stupid like me. After all this time, I could go into my basement and rep my #2. No doubt. The temptation is great. It's kinduv how I feel when I see a phonebook, or a deck of cards. Start sweating, get the shakes, yes? MUST CLOSE GRIPPER!!!!!!! Yikes. That's why my subtitle says "Smart" and "Healthy". Injuries suck. I love being strong. I love being healthy more. Best luck to both of you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abagh89 Posted June 15, 2008 Share Posted June 15, 2008 History: I repped a #2 first time in hand. Strength came from construction work. I was excited, and went crazy training. bencrush actually felt sorry for my grippers. First injury was trying to tear a 2" phonebook. I had no business attempting that. Popped a tendon in my right elbow, took almost a year to heal. Otherwise, with the grippers, it was simply too much, too fast. Began popping tendons in my hands and fingers. Rested a while. Went back, same thing, except I started bending. too much, too fast. Bent a 60d nail, but hurt a nerve in my left palm, which also affected where I set my gripper. More tendon trouble. Rested again.Back at it, but this time I flipped over my handlebars trailbiking, broke my left collarbone. Out of training for a while. 2 years later, NO LIE, the day I started training again, broke the other collarbone on the same bicycle. I haven't ridden it since. Other personal setbacks were recorded on the "whine" list, which is now properly digesting. Adam and Ben, please hear me: There is waaaaay too much information on this board to be stupid like me. After all this time, I could go into my basement and rep my #2. No doubt. The temptation is great. It's kinduv how I feel when I see a phonebook, or a deck of cards. Start sweating, get the shakes, yes? MUST CLOSE GRIPPER!!!!!!! Yikes. That's why my subtitle says "Smart" and "Healthy". Injuries suck. I love being strong. I love being healthy more. Best luck to both of you. Ill definitley take your advice to heart. its great to hear that you are now on your way to training smarter and training to develop all around hand strength now. One thing that your not short of is determination! ill be watching this log! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bencrush Posted June 15, 2008 Share Posted June 15, 2008 Alan, superb to see you back on the board and back to training man! I wish the best for you buddy. I'll help you any way possible. Any of my bending programs, gripper programs, any program is yours for the asking. There has been so much progress from everyone it has boosted us all to much higher levels of strength. Wish you could make it out to the Michigan grip contest on June 21st...it'd be awesome to hook back up with you and talk training and miscellaneous. Is your son still pinching huge weights for his bodyweight? I'll never forget seeing his 2HP strength at the Super Grip! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnimalCage Posted June 15, 2008 Author Share Posted June 15, 2008 Thanks Ben! You of all people have shown such amazing development. I have to laugh at the #1 straphold tie breaker we had at Kevin Fultons place. Traveling is not an option at this point, but I am looking down the road at the possibility. 10-year-old Bob is now 16-year-old Rob. He went into football, but being a small kid, got hammered. He went into wrestling, and found his place. He was becoming incredible until his 3rd wrestling concussion (13th overall), when we banned him from contact sports for life. He had a real emotional battle with that. Got gang jumped and sucker punched in the head at school last year, his 14th and scariest concussion where he had a one-minute memory for about 5 hours. On the good side, now he can close the trainer for a 10-second static hold. My 6' 5" 250 lbs 17 year old stepson Kevin can, also. 14 year old Alex can also close the Trainer. My new wife, Darcie, has closed the Trainer. Not every day, but she has done it. I have ordered an IM Sport, Guide, and Trainer for them to use. It will be interesting to see how the new Trainer matches to my original single-stamped Trainer, which has been closed many thousands of times. I'd love to see Rob develop his grip. He has the hands for it. He is the consummate competitor, he just needs a direction. A non-contact one, that is. Happy Training! - Alan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnimalCage Posted June 16, 2008 Author Share Posted June 16, 2008 I will be in warm-up mode until July, at least. Having said that... Destroyed my Trainer throughout the day. Started looking for wrist exercises with what I have. Used a solid 20 lb hex dumbbell for pinch dl's. I don't think the hub on a weight plate gives me as much real estate as the hex dumbbell, so I limited my grip on the dumbbell to first knuckle. Definitely felt those, not having done those in a very long time. Of course, Kevin and Bob had to show me how easy it was. Punks. Also did some levering with a large pipe wrench last night. My brain is working on an extensor workout setup. I'll see what I can come up with this week. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnimalCage Posted June 16, 2008 Author Share Posted June 16, 2008 Day off today, but my new IM Guide, Sport, and Trainer came in. Oddly enough, my old single-stamped thousands-of-times-repped Trainer is more difficult than my new Trainer. Go figure. Ahhhhhhh, the feeling of fresh knurling ripping at my skin........ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnimalCage Posted June 20, 2008 Author Share Posted June 20, 2008 Worked out of state for a few days. Had my Trainer, but I was merciful. Just occasional reps and overcrushes. Ripped a deck of cards for a friend's son. Friend then donated some 4x4's for wrist roller I want to build. Time to get busy! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnimalCage Posted June 21, 2008 Author Share Posted June 21, 2008 Photo that bencrush referred to, from 2002. http://www.gripboard.com/index.php?autocom...si&img=7489 Photo of my straphold set up http://www.gripboard.com/index.php?autocom...si&img=7488 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gerryg Posted June 23, 2008 Share Posted June 23, 2008 Welcome back Alan! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Benedikt Farsmann Posted June 23, 2008 Share Posted June 23, 2008 Photo that bencrush referred to, from 2002. http://www.gripboard.com/index.php?autocom...si&img=7489 looks like he could break my arm. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnimalCage Posted June 26, 2008 Author Share Posted June 26, 2008 Hi Gerry! Still in the area? Hope things have gone well for you! Ben, he has quite a set of paws. Out of state again for a good part of the week. Not much gripwork. Little progress on the wristroller. Grrrr. I hate weeks like this. (It's not a race... It's not a race... It's not a race...) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnimalCage Posted June 27, 2008 Author Share Posted June 27, 2008 By the way, gerry, I may not have touched my #2 in two years, but the #25 spot in the coin challenge looks pretty sweet........ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bencrush Posted June 27, 2008 Share Posted June 27, 2008 By the way, gerry, I may not have touched my #2 in two years, but the #25 spot in the coin challenge looks pretty sweet........ You should grab it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnimalCage Posted June 28, 2008 Author Share Posted June 28, 2008 I'll do my best! I destroyed my Trainer for about two hours yesterday, with every conceivable version of a close, until I could see what appeared to be tears dropping from the handles. So I tried a max reps, and got 50 with my right. Only twenty with my left, but I kept getting interrupted by yard sale customers. "That ugly broken screwdriver is ten cents? Would you take seven?" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roark Posted June 28, 2008 Share Posted June 28, 2008 Alan, I have been wondering what tumbleweed you were hiding behind! Wonderful to see you back! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnimalCage Posted June 28, 2008 Author Share Posted June 28, 2008 3 days to the #1. Chomping at the bit. Went back through my log, took some time and read slowly. I'm looking to set some goals for myself, and to get an idea of where I stand compared to past successes. The PR list is this:Trainer: 55 r, 59 l #1: 35 r, 27 l #2: 21r, 17l ##2: 9 r, 4 l 343: 1 rep #3: 1/8th away The #2 is a single stamped, and ##2 is double stamped. I gave the #2 to my brother last year. He can close it for a few reps, but no interest in developing gripper strength. He loves his heavy iron. Yesterday I did 53 reps righty with T. Almost back to PR there. Lefty has some improving to do. Today: Trainer - 52 r, 20 l I was distracted during my left reps. It was dark, there were people walking along the side of the road, oncoming traffic. I could get arrested for DWG..... Note the preceding was from August 2006. My old workout log. It baffles me that my PR with the Trainer was 55r. I just did 50 yesterday, after two hours of trainer torture. And that is coming off an almost two year break... I think I'll take a day or two off, then go for another PR. I can't imagine. JOE! You old bloodhound, you found me! Great to hear from you. I hope things are well with you. This really is the icing on the comeback cake! I've missed your intelligence, expertise, and wordsmithing. All Hail the Liar's Club! OK, enough nostalgia. Back to work, dogs! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gerryg Posted June 29, 2008 Share Posted June 29, 2008 I live in Feeding Hills now, just over the river! I see the IM blue was a 06 goal of yours, did you ever bend it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnimalCage Posted June 30, 2008 Author Share Posted June 30, 2008 Unfortunately, I gave up on everything for a while. But now.... PR !!!!!!! 63 righty with the Trainer! Only 51 Lefty, but not bad after two years. And tomorrow.... the #1 !! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Benedikt Farsmann Posted July 1, 2008 Share Posted July 1, 2008 Come on man don't leave yourself hanging;) Soon it will be 63 reps with the #1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnimalCage Posted July 1, 2008 Author Share Posted July 1, 2008 Played with the #1 today, finally. Sets of 10 reps, the last rep being a 10 second hold. 6 or 7 sets, lost count. I feel strong. Dominant. I have a good feeling about this run! Yes, Ben, 63 reps with the #1 is a goal I feel I can accomplish. Whatever it takes, the #3 will fall! Alan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnimalCage Posted July 7, 2008 Author Share Posted July 7, 2008 Played with the #1 Wednesday and Thursday, took Friday and Saturday off, except for the coin challenge on Saturday (35th place, 29 secs with the #1). Beat up the #1 today, started feeling the old pains. Elbow, top of finger. Will rest 2 days (Trainer only), pick up #1 Wednesday. Also mostly keeping up with the push up challenge. "Played with" means many reps, many sets, varying timed holds, various types of closes and hand sets. "Beat up" means more than "Played with". My son Gripasaurus got 14 seconds with the #1 in the coin challenge. If he wants to be on the list, he will have to post his own time. My brother, a non-gripboard grip hobbyist, got 21 seconds with the #1. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Benedikt Farsmann Posted July 7, 2008 Share Posted July 7, 2008 ...My son Gripasaurus got 14 seconds with the #1 in the coin challenge... wow how old is he? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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