Developing The Crushing And Healing Hand

[Blacksmith513]

10 hours ago, DoctorOfCrush said:

Feeling better. 

Back to my roots for my de-load week before I start my next mesocycle. 

Workout 4/8/24:

Simple and Sinister: 
Workout: 100 x 1-arm KB swings (50/arm) then 10 Turkish get-ups (5/arm)
Weight: 32kg / 70lb / 2 pood 
Time: 23:17
stretching

Felt good to get back to this for the first time in a long time. Just like riding a bike. My favorite way to do this workout and similar training is to gauge my rests by heart rate recovery. For the swings, I wait until my HR gets back down to 120 bpm or lower then it's time for the next set. For the TGU, I use 130 bpm for the threshold. I do the swings in sets of 20 (10/10) and the TGUs in sets of 2 (1/1). TGUs notoriously flare up my medial elbow, so I made sure to do some stretching afterward. 

I'll try to do this or something similar every day this week. 

Nice, I always enjoyed S&S.. 

 

I tell people all the time, not even to get strong but just  if you just want to stay fit, buy a kew KBS and do S&S... Maybe throw in push ups and pull ups and some steady state cardio... But 30 minutes few times a weeks, put on some music and go to town. 

 

What part of the TGU bothered your elbow?

[DoctorOfCrush]

15 minutes ago, Blacksmith513 said:

What part of the TGU bothered your elbow?

Yeah S&S is hard to beat for general fitness.  I was in the most ripped shape of my life back 5 or so years ago when I built up to doing it 5x/week with the 48kg/106lb bell. I was also doing more than the prescribed 100 swings, sometimes up to 200 per workout, using a plan called From Simple to Sinister. 

I can’t pinpoint the exact portion of the movement, but I would wake up with pain, and it is what initially caused my tendinitis back in the day. I think it’s the way the bell attempts to wrench open your wrist when the elbow is fully extended, especially in the overhead position. I think I should be ok with the 70 and stretching. The 88 and the 106 would really flare it up when I built up to those. 

[DoctorOfCrush]

Workout 4/9/24:

Simple and Sinister: 
40 1-arm swings at 32kg (20/20) | 20 at 36kg (10/10) | 40 at 32kg (20/20)
4 TGUs at 32kg (2/2) | 2 at 36kg (1/1) | 4 at 32kg (2/2)
Time: 23:43
stretching

I used the same HR thresholds, so it was nice to see that incorporating the heavier bell did not have a huge effect on the total time (+26 sec). 

[DoctorOfCrush]

 

[DoctorOfCrush]

Workout 4/11/24:

Simple and Sinister: 
Workout: 100 x 1-arm KB swings (50/arm) then 10 Turkish get-ups (5/arm)
Weight: 32kg / 70lb / 2 pood 
Time: 21:52
stretching

I used the same 120/130 bpm thresholds, but I did focus on actively trying to get my HR down between sets so that I could shorten the rest periods. Shaved a fair amount of time off doing that. 

[DoctorOfCrush]

Workout 4/12/24:
KB swings: 48kg / 106lb x 100 swings (mix of 2- and 1-arm swings)
C2 Rowing: 1k 4:27

I didn't really focus on HR thresholds today. I just wanted to focus on the swings being powerful. When I remembered to look, my HR was getting closer to 110 between sets. The swings took a little less than 20 minutes. I did sets of 10 with a mix of 1- and 2-handed, but it was mostly 2-handed swings. Like 80/20. After that, I just wanted to get in a little more work, so I did a quick row, which felt pretty good because I haven't rowed in forever. 

 

[DoctorOfCrush]

Tomorrow the next mesocycle starts, but it’s not looking good for my right palm. It’s right where the end of the gripper handle sits, and it’s still bruised and painful. I was hoping some time would help (it’s been two weeks since I last did grippers), but it looks like it will take either more time or a more active type of recovery. We’ll see how it goes tomorrow.  If I can’t use grippers on the right, I’ll do them on the left and find something else for my right hand to do. Maybe pinch. 
 

[Jared P]

11 hours ago, DoctorOfCrush said:

Tomorrow the next mesocycle starts, but it’s not looking good for my right palm. It’s right where the end of the gripper handle sits, and it’s still bruised and painful. I was hoping some time would help (it’s been two weeks since I last did grippers), but it looks like it will take either more time or a more active type of recovery. We’ll see how it goes tomorrow.  If I can’t use grippers on the right, I’ll do them on the left and find something else for my right hand to do. Maybe pinch. 
 

I get this same bruising, but it doesn't hurt, and mine sits slightly 'lower' on the palm.

I've had the pain you are describing before, and I believe it happened from having the bottom of the gripper handle just a tad too high in the hand, where the edge of the handle would dig into a sensitive spot towards the middle of my palm. I lowered it as low as I could without leaving the desired leverage sweet spot, and the pain went away.

[matek]

14 hours ago, DoctorOfCrush said:

Tomorrow the next mesocycle starts, but it’s not looking good for my right palm. It’s right where the end of the gripper handle sits, and it’s still bruised and painful. I was hoping some time would help (it’s been two weeks since I last did grippers), but it looks like it will take either more time or a more active type of recovery. We’ll see how it goes tomorrow.  If I can’t use grippers on the right, I’ll do them on the left and find something else for my right hand to do. Maybe pinch. 
 

I can be wrong, but based on the discoloring, you start almost exactly at the first crease (from the top), and then it slips down to between the first and second crease. Isn't the first crease below the pinky where the pinky's lower phalanx joins the metacarpal bone? Just a guess, but by placing it so high, you might be putting a lot of pressure on that joint, and that's why the pain. 

I start between the two creases (hence the callus), and I never had such a problem

Edited April 14 by matek

[DoctorOfCrush]

8 hours ago, Jared P said:

I get this same bruising, but it doesn't hurt, and mine sits slightly 'lower' on the palm.

I've had the pain you are describing before, and I believe it happened from having the bottom of the gripper handle just a tad too high in the hand, where the edge of the handle would dig into a sensitive spot towards the middle of my palm. I lowered it as low as I could without leaving the desired leverage sweet spot, and the pain went away.

 

4 hours ago, matek said:

I can be wrong, but based on the discoloring, you start almost exactly at the first crease (from the top), and then it slips down to between the first and second crease. Isn't the first crease below the pinky where the pinky's lower phalanx joins the metacarpal bone? Just a guess, but by placing it so high, you might be putting a lot of pressure on that joint, and that's why the pain. 

I start between the two creases (hence the callus), and I never had such a problem

Yeah, my callus is from grippers, so that is where they exert pressure on my skin. It feels like the bruise is on the soft tissue between the joints. I usually split my pinky with the end of the handle, so the bruise is a bit closer to my ring finger than the end of the handle would usually be. I have wondered it maybe I place the gripper closer to my ring finger on a set and that cause the end of the handle to exert too much force on the soft tissue between my metacarpals. I looked back and it wasn’t like I was doing anything crazy in that last workout. No negatives or long drop sets. 

[DoctorOfCrush]

Workout 4/14/24:
A. Grippers:
     Right: TNS work - GHP4 85 | Standard Au 96 | IM 2 101 | Standard Cu 106 | GHP5 109 | GHP5 109 x 2 misses| Silarukov 90 (51kg, non-CPW) x 1 TNS --> 4 wide reps | Standard Cu 106 miss | Silarukov 90 x 2 TNS
      Left: alternating Standard Fe 136 choked to 11mm x 5 singles* | GHP5 109 x 6, 6, 6, 6, 5

B1. Bench press: 52.5kg x10 | 70kg x10 | 80kg x8 | 82.5kg x8
B2. Seated neutral grip pin press: 27kg x10 | 37kg x10 | 47kg x8 | 52kg x7
B3. Tricep pushdown, cable, straight bar: 30kg x10 | 30kg x12 | 32.5kg x10 | 35kg x8

A. Wrist curls, cable, straight bar: 20kg x3 sets of 20
B. Reverse wrist formulator: 4kg x3 sets of 20

Well as expected my palm bruise wouldn't allow for normal gripper setting on the right side (I worked up to 115 for a few reps, but it started hurting), so the work-around I decided on was to feel out TNS reps. I have never trained TNS, so I figured now will be a good time to give it a go for a few weeks. I really suck at these though. I would like to get in some volume, but I am not entirely sure how.  I think I'll build up to a heavy single and then do additional reps after getting the TNS rep in. Not necessarily repeated TNS reps. I did find out that these things really drain my hands going through this full ROM. 

As for the left hand (and the plan I had for both hands initially), I am attempting something that I have always wanted to try, which is an adaptation of Charles Poliquin's 1-6 principle. It utilizes the principle of post-tetanic facilitation (PTF) / post-activation potentiation (PAP) to increase power / work ability in the rep work following the heavy single. I thought that a unique way to do this would be to incorporate choked grippers. This takes out the variable of setting fatigue. I feel like it worked well in this workout. I think I have only ever done 5 reps with the 109 on the left, so I really did not think I would hit multiple sets of 6. I may go ahead and advance grippers or add the bumper for next week's workout. The asterisk is because I am not sure I got the last 2 singles on the 136. They were close though, and they got the job done of priming me for the rep work. 

I recently got a Rogue Multigrip bar, so I am trying to find ways to incorporate it this cycle. The bar weighs 27kg, so that's why the jumps are a little weird. 

 

 

[John Knowlton]

nice work

[DoctorOfCrush]

Workout 4/17/24:
Squats: 110kg / 243lb x 4 sets of 6
Deadlift (double overhand w/ straps): 160kg / 353lb x 2 sets of 6
Leg extensions (cable machine): 30kg x 3 sets of 12

This was pretty brutal for me. I was feeling the burn big time on those squats by the end of the second set and into the third and fourth. I had to extend my rests then and between the deadlift sets to get my heart rate back down. The deadlifts felt super heavy because my legs felt like jello. By the time I got done with the leg extensions, they were trying to buckle on me. Somehow I thought I would have time/energy to do RT after this, but that was a joke.  Here’s to glorious DOMS that will come!

[John Knowlton]

Way to pull

[DoctorOfCrush]

Workout 4/19/24:
Overhead Press: 40kg x10 | 55 x10 | 60 x6 | 62.5 x4
A. Pause DB Bench Press: 55lb/side x2 sets of 10 | 60 x8 | 65 x6
B. Face Pull: 20kg x12, 12, 15
A. Fat Gripz EZ Bar Curl: 26.4kg x3 sets of 12
B. Tricep Extension, cable, straight bar: 30kg x3 sets of 12

Early morning workout (5:15-6:15AM). Not sure if it was the early morning or the fact that I adapted percentages that were meant for bench press, but I couldn't do the prescribed reps on the OHP. I was supposed to 8 at 60kg and 6 at 62.5, but that wasn't happening. The 55x10 was also really tough. I just did what I could. I'll look at the remaining weeks and see how I need to adjust things. The EZ bar curls are a little awkward with how the grips interact with how the bar needs to rotate for ergonomics, but I got a really good pump with these. 

[DoctorOfCrush]

Workout 4/20/24:
Squat: 95kg / 209lb x4 sets of 8

Impromptu trip to Johnson City today (~4 hr drive), so I didn’t have much time to get this in but I wanted to at least get the squats done. Skipped the lighter deadlift stuff for now. I still have a ton of soreness throughout my quads, adductors, and groin/hips from the last squat session, so I was dreading this. Weight was lighter, but the higher reps and need to keep the tempo up got the HR and lactic acid up. Had to hop in a cold shower to cool down and keep the nausea at bay. Glad I squeezed it in. 

[DoctorOfCrush]

Workout 4/21/24:

A. Grippers:
     Right: (TNS + MMS) Silarukov 90 (unrated) x 1+3 | 1+4 | 1+4 | * | 2+2 | 1+3 | ** | 1+1 | 1+2
     * : Standard Cu 106 x 1+1
     ** : GG4 115 x 1 attempt (~1mm off)
      Left: alternating Standard Fe 136 choked to 12mm x 5 singles | GHP5 112 x 4, 4, 3, 3, 3

B1. Bench press: 75kg x10 | 82.5kg x8 | 87.5kg / 193lb x8
B2. Seated neutral grip pin press: 40kg x10 | 50kg x 2 sets of 8
B3. Tricep pushdown, cable, straight bar: 32.5kg x10 | 35kg x 3 sets of 10

Had to drive back from Johnson City on this day, so I hopped into the gym shortly after getting back in the afternoon/early evening. Decided to stick with the Silarukov 90 for my right hand. My right palm is still hurting, and I attempted to set my IM 2.5 RGC 121, but it was painful, so I stuck to TNS. I just about got my 115 TNS'd, albeit after a fair amount of volume. Left hand felt pretty good. I got all of the choked reps, so I may increase the distance slightly. The 112 GHP5 is so much harder than my 109 GHP5. If I can't make progress to increase the reps next week, I may bump the 109 going forward. 

I'm not sure how others feel, but TNS reps feel similar to beyond-the-range (BTR) reps to me. The stop on these reps feels much harder than on normal reps. Just like the gripper decelerates much more quickly.  A true wall. It's weird. 

I didn't have time for my wrist curls and reverse formulator. I may do those today. 

 

[John Knowlton]

nice work, cool gripper

[DoctorOfCrush]

41 minutes ago, John Knowlton said:

nice work, cool gripper

Thanks! I’d trade you anytime for one of those sweet colored GHPs though 

[DoctorOfCrush]

Just now, DoctorOfCrush said:

Thanks! I’d trade you anytime for one of those sweet colored GHPs though 

I have no idea why my phone made those so huge. 

[John Knowlton]

GHP grippers I’m glad I bought them when I did. At the time, not knowing that they weren’t gonna be made anymore. Who knows maybe in time they’ll be as valuable as warren tedding grippers. here is my.cpw/gg4

 

[DoctorOfCrush]

1 minute ago, John Knowlton said:

GHP grippers I’m glad I bought them when I did. At the time, not knowing that they weren’t gonna be made anymore. Who knows maybe in time they’ll be as valuable as warren tedding grippers. here is my.cpw/gg4

 

I really wish I had bought them back then. Same with Tettings obviously. I bought a couple when they were still on Weightlifters Warehouse. In hindsight though, I was a broke med student living off student loans, so even the few grippers I did buy were fiscally irresponsible, let alone buying complete sets or what I thought would become collector’s items.