AnimalCage Posted September 26, 2008 Author Share Posted September 26, 2008 Last Friday's workout was done last Saturday at GRiP. Unfortunately, after climbing on the rocks for a while, I had trouble closing anything gripper related, although I did bend my 2nd 60d. It was almost euphoric. I kinked it, then it wouldn't budge for quite a few attempts. I got mad. Tried again, and it was like slow motion. The nail gave in, and I could hear Ben Edwards, Pat Povilaitis, and Dennis Rogers (in my head, of course) screaming DON'T STOP! DON'T STOP! From that point, it was like butter. Smooth and easy. A good chest crush, and it was done. (I can hear Ben laughing from 1200 miles away.) So the day was not a total wash. I'm still pissed I couldn't close Matt's 2.5. Skipped Monday, did #2 closes throughout the week. Tonight: warmup with T,1,2. Choked #3 to parallel, and BAM! A good 5 second hold. Could've been longer, but wanted strength for more attempts. The next 3 attempts were a paper's width away, the last few got progressively worse. Waited a half hour, then oiled the spring, and got a few more paper's width away attempts. I'll choke my #2 later and get some more explosion parctice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnimalCage Posted October 4, 2008 Author Share Posted October 4, 2008 Missed Monday's workout. I'll do all of it tonight. Choked #3 to parallel: Closed, and held for at least 15 seconds. Unchoked: Umm, well... same as ever. Sweep sucks. Plan of action: More negatives tonight, plus work down through the #2 and #1. Negatives again on Monday. Next Friday I'm going to rep the choked #3 instead of holding it closed. After that, I'm going to open the collar in minute increments until I can't close it, thus working the sweep from both ends. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Benedikt Farsmann Posted October 5, 2008 Share Posted October 5, 2008 Missed Monday's workout. I'll do all of it tonight.Choked #3 to parallel: Closed, and held for at least 15 seconds. Unchoked: Umm, well... same as ever. Sweep sucks. Plan of action: More negatives tonight, plus work down through the #2 and #1. Negatives again on Monday. Next Friday I'm going to rep the choked #3 instead of holding it closed. After that, I'm going to open the collar in minute increments until I can't close it, thus working the sweep from both ends. Eat your greens and you'll get that #3 in no time Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnimalCage Posted October 7, 2008 Author Share Posted October 7, 2008 Home late, big workout tomorrow. Choke closed #3 at parallel for son. Opened to 3/4", choke closed easily. Hmmm. Things are looking up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bencrush Posted October 7, 2008 Share Posted October 7, 2008 Dang Alan! I'd say things are looking up big time for you. Great work man! I was driving through Massachusetts on the 29th. I should've looked you up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnimalCage Posted October 8, 2008 Author Share Posted October 8, 2008 After tonight's workout, I've seen the difference in setting the gripper. When the #3 is choked, it sits very deep, almost in the middle of my palm, not against the thumb pad. Unchoked, it sits against the thumb pad. I think I'm going to have to slowly work the handle from center palm to pad. Unchoked, I'm still 1 - 2 mm from closing. I should have an unchoked close by year's end. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
matthcarl Posted October 8, 2008 Share Posted October 8, 2008 Any #3 close is a good one in my book Nice work! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnimalCage Posted October 11, 2008 Author Share Posted October 11, 2008 Thanks, Matt! I'll have to agree, because after 7 years, I'll take what I can get! Last workout, #3 was choked to 3/4". Tonight's workout: Warmup throughout the day with Trainer. #1 warmup before #3 attempts. #3, choked to 13/16ths: 4 solid closes. #3, choked to 7/8": 1 good close, a number of misses after that. Cool Down with #2 and #1. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnimalCage Posted October 14, 2008 Author Share Posted October 14, 2008 Unchoked night tonight. Warmup with T and #1. Multiple 3 attempts, most within 1/16" to 1/8". Negatives followed. Cool Down with #2 and #1. Set up Total Gym for shoulder presses, front and back. 3 x 5 each. Tendon? in right elbow been hurting for a few weeks, maybe from pushups. Limited to 10# dumbbell curls. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnimalCage Posted October 18, 2008 Author Share Posted October 18, 2008 Pushup challenge done. Too much right shoulder pain. I'm waiting a week, and will try to do more, but not on a "challenge" level. Warmup on T and #1. 3 attempts on #3, less than a hair with MMS. I wasn't sure if the 2nd attempt actually closed, but was it ever close. A few more attempts, then some negatives. Cool down with #2 and #1. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bencrush Posted October 19, 2008 Share Posted October 19, 2008 Almost there!!! You've really made some good gains this year. Have you tried your PDA lately? I thought that was your original goal for the year. You should be smashing that by now, judging by your #3 progress. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnimalCage Posted October 19, 2008 Author Share Posted October 19, 2008 You're right, I should be smashing it by now. I went to the #3 thinking that if I could make progress on it, the PDA would fall. As it turned out, the progress on the #3 was better than I thought, so I haven't touched the PDA. I think there's more of a mental block on the PDA than the #3, maybe because I closed it a few years ago, and can't now. I will try it next session. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnimalCage Posted October 22, 2008 Author Share Posted October 22, 2008 Typical T,1,2 warmup and cool down. 10 attempts with the PDA 343, 7 closes, one hold for 6-7 seconds. LH - close, no cigar. You called it, Ben. No more mental blocks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bencrush Posted October 22, 2008 Share Posted October 22, 2008 Typical T,1,2 warmup and cool down.10 attempts with the PDA 343, 7 closes, one hold for 6-7 seconds. LH - close, no cigar. You called it, Ben. No more mental blocks! Fantastic news Alan!!! Is this a record for you, 7 closes? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
matthcarl Posted October 22, 2008 Share Posted October 22, 2008 Nice job with the PDA! (I loved that gripper, by the way) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnimalCage Posted October 22, 2008 Author Share Posted October 22, 2008 Thanks guy. Yes, it is a record, I only closed it 3 separate times previously. Thanks to you Ben, for your coaching, and Matt, I watched very carefully how you set your grippers at GRiP, so both you have contributed greatly to my success. I should meet my MM0 by year's end goal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnimalCage Posted November 1, 2008 Author Share Posted November 1, 2008 Got sick last week, skipped workout. Work schedule was a beast this week, skipped workout. Bad Alan. Couldn't find the hoseclamp, so just attempts tonight. Warmup with Trainer. #3 Attempts 1-3 - 1/8 - 1/16th. Attempt 4-5 - less than a hair. Getting pissed now. 10 pushups (no pain. yay!) Attempt 6 - Too close to call. Attempt 7 - bad set, slipped. Very dry skin. Hello Lubriderm. 10 more pushups Attempt 8 - 1/8th Attempt 9 - no chance. Cool downs with T, 1, and 2. If I don't get it in two weeks, I'll work with the PDA for a few weeks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnimalCage Posted November 7, 2008 Author Share Posted November 7, 2008 The post I just love to type: Have to take a little time off gripping. Yes, I know, so close. My elbow pain started about the same time as the shoulder pain. I attributed it all to the pushups. It's obvious now that the elbow pain is directly related to the high tension gripping. I've put up with it for a while, knowing how close I am to the #3. Today it began interfering with my work. So I go back to the mantra "This is not a race." I am extremely pleased with the progress I have made since June 14th. Closing my PDA confidently, consistent choked #3 closes from just beyond parallel, and being molecules away from an unchoked #3 close. Besides, I usually come back from an extended rest and set PRs. Just trying to be smart and healthy. Yesterday, ripped a 1.4" phonebook, about 1 minute. Trying to get the video. Last night, had my son keep a close eye on my #3 attempts. 2 attempts were paper thin. 3 were 1/8th" away. I have a definite ending point this time. I know what my goal is next time. I'm thinking rest at least a month, maybe the week before Christmas for warmups, and a #3 close for St. Nick. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnimalCage Posted December 7, 2008 Author Share Posted December 7, 2008 Been a month, feel good, lets see how it goes. A few phone books died during the break. RH: Trainer - 4 x 10 LH: Trainer - 4 x 10 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnimalCage Posted December 12, 2008 Author Share Posted December 12, 2008 12/8 Trainer - RH - 4x10, LH - 4x10 12/9 Trainer - RH - 3 x 10, LH 3 x 10 12/10 Trainer - RH - many x many, LH many x many #1 - RH - 5 singles, LH 5 singles #2 - RH - 2 singles, LH 2 singles PDA - RH - 1 attempt #3 - RH - 1 attempt 1 Deck of cards down. My rule: you bring the cards, I'll rip 'em. Someone brought the cards. Jumped the gun a little with the PDA and #3, but it turned into demonstration night at church choir. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Benedikt Farsmann Posted December 13, 2008 Share Posted December 13, 2008 looks good! Go on like this! What's the story behind your avatar by the way? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnimalCage Posted December 14, 2008 Author Share Posted December 14, 2008 I was in the basement of a mostly abandoned paper mill, pulling wire for the new alarm system. (Homeless people and bored teenagers kept breaking in.) Actually, it was the bottom floor third sub-basement, absolute darkness. Trying to run wire between the thick concrete floors was quite the challenge. While checking an old elevator shaft, I tried rolling the heavy wooden door, which didn't roll at all, but did swing a bit, and squeaked as it swung. I looked around a bit, then noticed the door was not moving, but... it was still squeaking. I found a little bat head sticking up over the top of the door. Alas, no camera on hand, I carried on with the wiring. Next day, back to the dungeon. The door was bat-less. I looked around a bit, and found the little critter hanging upside down, sleeping in the stairwell. So with my Petzl headlamp trained on his little body, and my cell-phone camera about eight inches away, I took a stick and struck the wall next to him. No go. I struck the wall on the other side of him. Still sleeping. I smacked the wall on both sides. Nothing. There was only one thing left to do. I smacked that bad boy square on his fuzzy little head. Boy was he PISSED! He screamed at me for over a minute. I got at least 10 pictures, but being a cell-phone camera under those conditions, most of the pics weren't too good. The avatar pic came out the best. No "story", just a cool pic of a very mad bat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
matthcarl Posted December 14, 2008 Share Posted December 14, 2008 Ha! I wondered about the avatar, too. I like bats Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnimalCage Posted December 19, 2008 Author Share Posted December 19, 2008 Lost track of days/sets/reps this past week. Mostly uninteresting, and nothing new. Today T - 2 sets, 10 reps each, BH 1 - 2 sets, 10 reps each, BH 2 - 1 set, 6 reps R, 1 set 2 reps L Got the family a membership at the YMCA last week. I've never worked out, and don't expect any numbers to be commensurate with anything considered strong. Will work on machines (anathema to some here) while the wife and kids adjust to working out, will eventually move to a combination with free weights when my 14yo is ready. Will keep many exercises on the machines to avoid further back injury. My shoulder hasn't healed from the pushups. My shoulder press is currently 20 lbs. Also feel it in the bench, but not as much. Weight: 219. The thought that I could possibly hit my goal weight, 210, by spring is exciting! I graduated high school at 210 back in '83, and hit 272 at my heaviest about 8 years ago. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
raymo Posted December 21, 2008 Share Posted December 21, 2008 Was your strength level much different at 272 compared to what it is at 219? The reason I am asking was I had to have blood work done for my health risk assessment for work and my Triglyserrides (mispelled) were really high and I should lose weight because I am at 270 now need to cut out sweets. But I also like my bench press PRs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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