Transition problem from about 110*

[wobbler]

Looking for some general tips, where to go when the pinky side of your hands start touching and you have to go one hand closed one open (never works for me) or fingers interlocked (110* is too wide for me on a 6-7" bar and I can't get enough chest crush into it.)

Wraps further up or down, end of bar placement in the palm, really any general advice for that specific angle.

I think I just need more chest strength, but throw some ideas at me. I have a few videos I can upload of me getting stuck. Endurance is probably also a factor

Edit: probably what you guys assumed, but talking double overhand here

Edited January 16, 2019 by wobbler
DOH

[Tom Flesher]

Have you tried hitting it on an angle? I can’t explain the physics of it, but tilting my body so the line formed by my arms is about 45* to the floor before I make another hit seems to help me get an extra few degrees. EJ shows this in one of his videos.

[anwnate]

Sounds like your natural hits are taking you to this sticking point. I don’t know if you know your average angle per hit but it might help to stop earlier on that last hit and regroup. Think of it as using a double hit of two shorter hits to blast through that sticking point. You are weakest at the very end of the hit... so hopefully the reset allows you better leverage through that section. I’m also sure you know things like keeping the nail high and taking in a deep breaths before hits etc but sometimes we forget.  Everyone has a sticking point depending on their own mechanics.  Mine was/is closer to the 100-105 area.  For me I found the above advice the most helpful. That is of course until You get stronger.  That’s good unhelpful advice...get stronger.  The thing is you’ll eventually run into the same problem on a tougher nail ... so it’s good your working on your weakness now.

[bencrush]

14 hours ago, wobbler said:

Looking for some general tips, where to go when the pinky side of your hands start touching and you have to go one hand closed one open (never works for me) or fingers interlocked (110* is too wide for me on a 6-7" bar and I can't get enough chest crush into it.)

Wraps further up or down, end of bar placement in the palm, really any general advice for that specific angle.

I think I just need more chest strength, but throw some ideas at me. I have a few videos I can upload of me getting stuck. Endurance is probably also a factor

Edit: probably what you guys assumed, but talking double overhand here

More strength is always a good recommendation, haha!  Here are some other things to try while your strength catches up to your will.  That range gave me issues too.   

• Recommendation #1) Use smaller diameter pads on ONE of the ends of the bar.  Or on both ends to make it possible to clasp your hands together sooner than you would otherwise be able to.  My right hand is pretty dead (nerve endings), so I was able to get by with doing that on the right hand once in a while.  More often, if I was having issues clasping my hands, I'd put smaller diameter pads on both ends of the bar to make it possible to cinch down on the fingers to help me get past that dreaded range of the bend. 
• Recommendation #2) Do a TON of "homework" in that range.  On various difficulties of stock and vary the length too.  I had heavy duty designated steel tubes to cheatkink bars to every range I wanted to work on.  I was like most guys and wanted to work almost exclusively on the part of the bend that I ENJOYED - which was the crushdown - vs. the part of the bend that I SHOULD'VE spent the majority of my time on - the sweep, which was by far my weakest range of any bend.  It almost took an intervention from Travis Mickelberry to get me to finally put some concentrated work into training the sweep.  Simply because I enjoyed the crushdown and got to the point where a cheatkinked Huge KOAB from @ 90 degrees to 2" happened at least few times for me.  The obvious point being I never FULLY bent a KOAB even.  Due to my weaksauce sweep.  If I couldn't outrun a bar on the kink through the sweep, I was lost if it wasn't almost at 90 degrees.  Travis was pretty nice about it for quite a while...but after the tenth time I crushed down a cheatkinked Big KOAB he said something like, "Why are you working on that bar when you can't GET the bar anywhere close to that range?"  Words of wisdom. 

 

[wobbler]

All good ideas, thanks guys.

Tom - I do that elbow angle thing once I get it into a gripper crush, never really tried it prior to that point, will give it a go.

Nate - so far I'm a "take every bit of movement I can get, then hit it again before it cools down" kinda guy. But that's a good idea to stop a bit short, especially if I stick with the same size bar and get used to it.

Ben - good tips on smaller wraps, I've only used these BBW ones a few times now, kinda prefer my worn out imps because I can get them tighter, just hadn't thought to swap them.

[wobbler]

Follow up: The BB wraps are new and stiff, and spongey after the kink, so I can get further in imps. Might just need to be washed.

So yes, I can crush better in smaller wraps. Slightly less comfortable but I have no problem with that if it works.

Wtf do you do with your thumbs when starting to interlock fingers and crush? Wrap them around the bar, just keep them out of the way? 

Where do you prefer the bottom of the wraps to come out? Varies by length, angle, wraps, etc but in general should I be trying to keep it in like a gripper position, sticking out close to my pinky. Or more parallel with my wrists? I bet the answer is "it depends" but if anyone feels like rambling about that a bit, I'd appreciate it.

I did a 5/16×6 G2 in BBW and stopped my first hit a little short, was able to then get past 110* on the second hit, then interlock/crush but it took me 2 minutes, and have done this in <1 with imps. Wrap issue I think.

[wobbler]

Smaller wraps did the trick. Also getting stronger probably helps. Finished the one that was stuck and got another one (different manufacturer but felt similar on the crush)

 

[bencrush]

EXCELLENT WORK!!! 

[wobbler]

Thanks man. I've been trying to not destroy my index fingers on the kink, but might try to push through it next week. Maybe try some imps that are a little newer/stiffer, with a bunch of chalk.

[Donc101]

Great job!

[wobbler]

Moved hands higher during sweep, thumbs around the top of the bar and rotate wraps 180* before trying to crush, got the wraps a bit tighter, 1.5" in from the end of the bar. Bracing on my chest a bit more when interlocking. Gripper crush worked pretty well.

 

[wobbler]

Three things to add, first two courtesy of EJ: bending over too much on the crush doesn't help, and try to stay composed during the bend. Both difficult to remember at full effort.

Third thing I figured out, you know how you always interlock your fingers one way, and doing it the other way feels weird? I have slightly more crushing power on a wider positioned bar with the weird feeling way. Feels awkward but worked for me, worth a shot.

New red nail went down in just under 5 minutes today, BBW wraps, so I'm definitely happy with that.