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Stronger After A 2 Year Lay Off = Alot Of Confusion


Broly

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Was introduced to arm wrestling about 4 years ago, became very serious with my training and even participated in a few tournaments. Due to wanting to focus on steel bending and grip later on, I dropped off with arm wrestling and just yesterday was the first time I went to a practice in over 2 years. The crazy thing is that I went to practice thinking I would get destroyed by everyone but ended up being stronger than I've ever been against guys who used to be extremely tough and would normally beat me.

Here's how my training and frequency looked for those 2 years

  • Arm wrestled with seasoned guys once or twice a week
  • Trained with arm wrestling specific tools and alot of forearm and bicep training
  • Didn't really work out legs or big movements such as squats, bench or deadlifts
  • Trained with bands
  • Trained grip about once a week, grippers, pinch, open hand, etc.
  • Training was about 3 sometimes 4 times a week.
  • Couldn't close a COC 2.5

Here's how my training looked after from a 2 year lay off of no arm wrestling

  • No arm wrestling specific training
  • Any wrist work was done with plate curls, sledge levers, leverage bars. Probably every other week
  • Focused on steel bending twice a week for the first 6 months of my layoff then haven't done it in a year
  • More focused on grip training with grippers, pinch, open hand, etc.
  • More focused on overall big movements with Squats, deadlifts and bench
  • Training frequency was only 1-2 times a week
  • 1 or 2 weeks away from the MM0
  • Just had a baby and would carry the little guy in my arms every day for the past 10 months. Arms would feel shot after a full day of static holds.

Honestly still scratching my head here on this. Actual arm wrestling and training with seasoned pros is the best way to become better. Not having done this in 2 years I have no idea how I was able to bounce back stronger than ever. Going to just take this as a sign that I need to get back into arm wrestling.

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It happens. I destroyed my hands and wrist from bending. I was told surgery was a big possibility. So I took a little more than a year off. I'm back bending and almost as strong as I was when I was healthy. Turns out I was bending and lifting on numerous fractures for a few months, before I was told to stop. Our bodies are wonderful things. Just go with it.

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It was the baby static holds that put brought you to the next level I'm sure of it. :grin:

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It was the baby static holds that put brought you to the next level I'm sure of it. :grin:

Lol agreed

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It was the baby static holds that put brought you to the next level I'm sure of it. :grin:

Lol agreed

That's got to be it! Only logical explanation. It's like that old story of that guy who lifted the bull from a baby all the way through an adult daily and became super strong. I suck at history.

Needless to say I wanted to wake up my son and start doing static holds but the death stare my wife gave as I walked up to his room gave me a bit of pause.

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Lol I get enough static holds without having to plan them. Those carseats get freaking heavy quick

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It was the baby static holds that put brought you to the next level I'm sure of it. :grin:

Just make sure you switch arms so you wont have any muscular imbalances :)

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Static baby holds fo sho. They have have made my biceps tougher I know. I apparently make some fat babies for some reason.

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Funny how this has came up. Below is a post I made over a year ago about the strength you get from carrying around a child all the time:

To use an example to back this up, I can honestly say that I have never had a stronger back and shoulders than I have now. Why is that? I have spent the last several months lugging around a 20-25lb toddler in my arms almost everywhere we go as a family. If you are picking up and carrying a constantly shifting 25lb object for 3-4 hours every weekend, you will have functional strength for that activity. I don't think I could replicate that strength in any gym lift I have ever tried.
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Well, there could be a number of reasons. I assume the other guys had been pulling and training regularly during your two year absence, otherwise it's hardly surprising that you came back and did better than expected.

1) Are you heavier now? If you gained weight, that can result in performing better against the same people.

2) 2yrs can result in gains just from aging depending on your age bracket. I got stronger between my junior and senior years of college (~20 through ~22) just by staying alive. I had an obligation that prevented me from training during that time.

3) If you are stronger overall, that will transfer to the table. Since you kept training generally, it is unlikely that you lost much if any from your "armwrestling muscles." Once you know how to armwrestle, any hand, back, arm, and chest strength you add can result in gains on the table. Example- if you add 25lb on your bench, your side pressure will probably increase. Plus, extra handstrength always helps.

4) You may have recovered from some lingering injuries including tendonitis and/or other elbow issues.

5) Not to be overlooked: If these guys pull once or twice a week while you've been laying off, you have a fresh elbow and their elbows are broken down. Essentially, you came into practice "peaked" while they came in with worn out elbows from last week/last practice. This alone can make an enormous difference. I take three to four weeks off of the armwrestling table before a tournament because a fresh elbow vs a non-rested one can literally make at least a 10% difference in my armwrestling specific strength (from 100lb bicep curl isometric to 90lb). I suspect the number can be much larger depending on how torn down one's elbow is.

That said, the baby may be a legitimate possibility. In 2009, I lost to Jeremy Fraley in a long hook match during which I had him very close to the pad for a while. He told me after the match that he attributed his defensive hook to carrying around his baby in one of those baby baskets all day.

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My question is this: why does one of the dumbest benders (me) have to tell you to "just go with it"? Granted you don't know me and I don't know you, but rest assured I am in fact one of the dumbest or most persistant benders around. Depending on who you ask.

Don't second guess your new found strength. It's a mistake, ask me how I know.

Edited by EJ Livesey
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