Raymond Posted October 18, 2019 Author Share Posted October 18, 2019 (edited) 2 hours ago, Chez said: You got this Ray! I’ll spend time reading your log soon. Work has been crazy for me lately. Rooting for you buddy! Thanks for the encouragement @Chez , I really appreciate it buddy! I had a play with grippers today and tried a full session mostly focused on parallel sets as suggested. It was a lot tougher than I imagined it would be too, I did it with short rests and got maybe 80 sets with each hand just focusing on getting the set right. The skin on my hands got more scuffed up than normal and even the skin on the fingers I was using to set the grippers got scuffed up quite a bit. It was quite revealing, I really suck at setting grippers. So it was well worth the effort doing a session like that that. I took a lot more care setting them even with the lighter grippers while I was warming up and it seemed to help when I hit the #2.5 the first time. I got a quick touch for the first time ever but couldn't hold it closed. I got the GHP 6 much closer than I ever have the first time I tried it too. Then when I tried the #3 it felt a bit harder than normal, so I just focused on getting a perfect set each time. I only did 6 sets with the #3 on then got a lot of volume in with the #2.5 and worked down through lighter grippers as my grip faded. I was doing bodyweight squats and pushups between sets. After the grippers I played with the Holle dumbbel with 60kg on it in an EMOM format until it started feeling like it was going slip from my grip. So it was a different format focused on getting the basics right really, something which I probably should have devoted more time to drilling before I got too far into training. Thanks for the suggestion guys, today seemed like a really beneficial session and a good change from the regular grind I've been doing. Edited October 18, 2019 by Raymond 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chez Posted October 21, 2019 Share Posted October 21, 2019 On 10/17/2019 at 11:23 PM, Raymond said: he skin on my hands got more scuffed up than normal and even the skin on the fingers I was using to set the grippers got scuffed up quite a bit. Hey Ray. If your set finger skin gets beat up from high volume gripper setting, You can use electric tape or duct tape on your set finger to keep training. Its what I do to get volume in and stop my skin from tearing. Just tape the bottom and middle joint separately so you can still bend the finger. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raymond Posted October 21, 2019 Author Share Posted October 21, 2019 46 minutes ago, Chez said: Hey Ray. If your set finger skin gets beat up from high volume gripper setting, You can use electric tape or duct tape on your set finger to keep training. Its what I do to get volume in and stop my skin from tearing. Just tape the bottom and middle joint separately so you can still bend the finger. Thanks Chez, that sounds like a good idea, I'll do that next time I do a session like that. I played with grippers again today but my grip was fried before I started and I just didn't have any power. I did about 3 km of fencing over the weekend on a mates farm. We also dropped about 30 trees that were encroaching on the fence line and sectioned them up with chainsaws.We killed 4 new augers and ended up having to dig the remaining holes by hand in clay that hasn't seen rain for 3 years, it was like digging concrete in some places, so that and all the pack horse work just killed my grip. I couldn't get the #2.5 close, even closing the #2 was tough. I was going to try a routine that @Kluv#0 suggested the other day but when I realized that the strength wasn't there I decided not to do that today. I'd rather try that when I'm a bit fresher so I can give that routine a fair chance when I'm a bit fresher. So after the #2.5 fail I did a few sets of negs with a GHP6 and then switched to lighter grippers that I could rep out to get a bit of volume in. After that I did singles with 60kg on a Holle dumbbell in a circuit with sets of 6 vertical handle pullups and repped out on a #1.5 gripper for 5 rounds. So I really just went through the motions today. One good thing though, the setting practice I did last week seems to have paid off and I got the set right most of the time. I just couldn't close the bloody things. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raymond Posted October 23, 2019 Author Share Posted October 23, 2019 I did another push/pull workout today, alternating between each. Warmup 10 minutes Indian clubs and Nunchuku 10 bodyweight (86kg) pullups, 8 +16kg, 6 +24kg, 4 +40kg, 2 +48kg, 1 +60kg, 1 chinup +72kg, 8 +16kg Kettlebell clean and press - 16kg 10 R&L, 20kg 8 R&L, 24kg 6 R&L, 28kg 4 R&L, 32kg 3 R&L, HSPU on parallettes (wall supported) 3,3,3 12 singles each hand with 65kg on a Holle dumbbell. I've done something to my index finger when I was working on my mates farm on the weekend, it keeps clicking and getting locked. I think I might have done some damage the capsule on the first knuckle. We had a bull in a cattle crush to cut his nuts off and he went berserk when I was untying him and my finger got jammed up against a rail. Instant karma got me there. So I'll have to see how it's going when I do my next gripper session, I might have do three finger closes for a while. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EricMilfeld Posted October 23, 2019 Share Posted October 23, 2019 Crazy strong pull-ups! 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raymond Posted October 23, 2019 Author Share Posted October 23, 2019 (edited) Cheers Eric! Leg strength was always my forte but after they sucked the cartilage out of my knee I had to drop the leg work. I'd much rather be deadlifting and squatting again (especially after watching you lift in the comp other day) but bone on bone makes for lots of pain in a very short time whenever I get the urge to try them. I think the pullups are an outlet for my frustrations in some respects. When you can't lift anything serious off the floor it doesn't leave much except a pullup bar to train heavy on. As they say specialization is a fast track to any skill. Edited October 23, 2019 by Raymond 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Goran Paulinič Posted October 23, 2019 Share Posted October 23, 2019 Maybe you will evolve to monkey?! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raymond Posted October 23, 2019 Author Share Posted October 23, 2019 (edited) It's funny you say that Goran, at the last gym I managed someone called me tarzan and that became my nickname from that point on. People I don't even know still call me that to this day when I pass them on the street. I also used a chimpanzee as my avatar pic on a few websites. Edited October 23, 2019 by Raymond 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raymond Posted October 25, 2019 Author Share Posted October 25, 2019 (edited) I had another play with grippers today. I felt really weak when I started and I was considering calling it at one stage but I persevered with it & it turned out to be not such a bad session in the end. I was having trouble with the index finger I injured last weekend locking and clicking etc, so I think I might have been paying too much attention that when I started and lost focus a bit for a while. When I got to the #2.5 I didn't even get it close the first few times. I knew I was good for better than what I'd done the first few times so I kept telling myself "that's not acceptable, I can do better than that". Then the next few attempts went much better and I almost got a close (missed by about 1mm). So I'm happy at least not to have lost ground and even happier to know I can dig myself out of a hole with sheer willpower if things get tough. I did squat mae geris and power pushups between sets. After the grippers I did 4x6 rolling handle pullups , 4x3 lifts with 65kg on a Holle dumbell and upside down closes with a #1 gripper in a circuit until I was almost fried. Man I suck at upside down closes. I had to dub this one too, I was swearing like a sailor when the first few attempts didn't go to plan. Edited October 25, 2019 by Raymond 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raymond Posted October 28, 2019 Author Share Posted October 28, 2019 Grippers again today. I'm still about the same as last week, missed the #2.5 by a mm or so. My index finger was getting locked until I hit the #2 with my left hand, I heard (and felt) a pretty loud crunch on the first rep. Now my finger moves properly again, so maybe I crunched up whatever was stuck in the joint. I also did sets of squat mae geri's and power pushups between sets with grippers. After the grippers I alternated between sets of 4 L&R with 65kg on a Holle dumbbell and sets of 4 rolling handle pullups +16kg for 4 rounds and then did 3 sets of 5 bar muscle ups on the bar outside. I'm a bit disappointed with the progress on the grippers, it hasn't really improved much for a few weeks. Maybe I'm getting close to my genetic potential there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Goran Paulinič Posted October 28, 2019 Share Posted October 28, 2019 (edited) 5 hours ago, Raymond said: I'm a bit disappointed with the progress on the grippers, it hasn't really improved much for a few weeks. Maybe I'm getting close to my genetic potential there. Certainly not. It will come. Grip is strange. Suddenly, when you least expect it improves. Just keep on squeezing. You are probably doing too much. Cannot improve on every workout and try volume for a while. Just squezze suckers as many reps as possible with light grippers. It is absurd to think you are at genetic limit when you miss for a millimeter. How is possible that your body "knows" to stop progressing precise at that point? Edited October 28, 2019 by Goran Paulinič 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Goran Paulinič Posted October 28, 2019 Share Posted October 28, 2019 I remember when not so far ago Hopefully sudenly improved. Maybe it was really a setting thing or maybe. It could be psyche thing. In the sense:" I grabbed a gripper a little diferently so this is what caused improvement!" When in reallity he just got strength on another level. Now he's squezzing #3 like nothing. Same happened to me with GHP #5. I was almost certain I would never crush this gripper. That's how hard it was. Now I squeeze it like nothing. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fist of Fury Posted October 28, 2019 Share Posted October 28, 2019 6 hours ago, Raymond said: Grippers again today. I'm still about the same as last week, missed the #2.5 by a mm or so. My index finger was getting locked until I hit the #2 with my left hand, I heard (and felt) a pretty loud crunch on the first rep. Now my finger moves properly again, so maybe I crunched up whatever was stuck in the joint. I also did sets of squat mae geri's and power pushups between sets with grippers. After the grippers I alternated between sets of 4 L&R with 65kg on a Holle dumbbell and sets of 4 rolling handle pullups +16kg for 4 rounds and then did 3 sets of 5 bar muscle ups on the bar outside. I'm a bit disappointed with the progress on the grippers, it hasn't really improved much for a few weeks. Maybe I'm getting close to my genetic potential there. Doing thick bar a long with grippers will make the progress slower for sure. You're training the same muscles as you do with grippers to a large extent. If you're doing thick bar you definitely don't need to do any wide set gripper work. The more exercises you have in your routine the harder it will be to progress on grippers, thick bar + grippers are known to be difficult to combine. Especially if you're new to grip training. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ricochet Posted October 28, 2019 Share Posted October 28, 2019 Concur with what everyone is offering here in regards to remaining patient and to consider changing up your training approach. I was really stuck closing my IM CoC#3 (single stamp circa 1998). For over nine years I fought that last wretched 5 mm and nothing seemed to help... overcrushes, negatives, inverted closes, high reps, low reps, taking breaks, performing other grip training, etc. Upon someone's kind advice (I believe from Sybersnott) I hid my #3 (~MAY 2008) and started timed, loaded strap holds with my #2... slowly working my way up to 10 kg for 10-count plus holds. Three months later (~AUGUST 2008) I dug out the #3 and easily closed it on the first attempt with both hands! Now I am back in the same boat again trying to close the #3 (I am off by a shy 1 cm) but I now know what to do to get there again Good luck Ray! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raymond Posted October 28, 2019 Author Share Posted October 28, 2019 (edited) 3 hours ago, Fist of Fury said: Doing thick bar a long with grippers will make the progress slower for sure. You're training the same muscles as you do with grippers to a large extent. If you're doing thick bar you definitely don't need to do any wide set gripper work. The more exercises you have in your routine the harder it will be to progress on grippers, thick bar + grippers are known to be difficult to combine. Especially if you're new to grip training. You could be onto something there, I've added 40kg to the lifts on a 69mm Holle dumbbell in the last 3 weeks and started cranking the weighted pullups back up. So maybe I'm trying to rush things a bit. Maybe I'm not recovering fully between sessions. Thanks bro. Edited October 28, 2019 by Raymond Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raymond Posted October 28, 2019 Author Share Posted October 28, 2019 4 hours ago, Hopefully said: You should probably change up your training a little bit Ray. Maybe file down your #2 and do singles/overcrushes on that for a few weeks, file more when necessary, ditch the negatives. Then try the 2.5 again. Or switch to wider sets for awhile. Lots of options. You can definitely go further. They are a bitch to progress on though that's for sure. I've got a filed #2 and I've been getting a bit more volume in with it for the last few sessions. I've been following a format @Kluv#0 put me onto (almost). I'm only good for 3 or 4 full reps before I start to miss closes, so maybe I'm doing my dash before I get to the #2.5. I'm sure it will pay off off in a few weeks once I've done that for a while. I know I'll get a close on the #2.5 soon, it's just with my impetuous nature I want results yesterday. Thanks for the encouragement, training alone at home is not ideal in some respects so I really appreciate your input. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lennix Posted October 28, 2019 Share Posted October 28, 2019 You got so much tips and tricks regarding working out, here's a tip of a different kind. Before the #2.5 close, wash your hand in hot water for like 1-2 minutes, wipe them with towel and then chalk them up. For me that makes the chalk really sticky. That could help you on the backhandle sliding and thus making the gripper getting fully closed! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raymond Posted October 29, 2019 Author Share Posted October 29, 2019 15 hours ago, Lennix said: You got so much tips and tricks regarding working out, here's a tip of a different kind. Before the #2.5 close, wash your hand in hot water for like 1-2 minutes, wipe them with towel and then chalk them up. For me that makes the chalk really sticky. That could help you on the backhandle sliding and thus making the gripper getting fully closed! Thanks for the tip Thom, I'll give it a go on Friday when I hit the grippers again. The handle slipping is probably my biggest problem right now. Do you do the hot water thing when you lift with the horn too or just when you're training grippers? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lennix Posted October 29, 2019 Share Posted October 29, 2019 4 minutes ago, Raymond said: Thanks for the tip Thom, I'll give it a go on Friday when I hit the grippers again. The handle slipping is probably my biggest problem right now. Do you do the hot water thing when you lift with the horn too or just when you're training grippers? I've just started to play with it, I've done it with both grippers and other implements. It feels nice both getting the hand warm and smooth but also the chalk behaves differently. Try it out! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raymond Posted October 30, 2019 Author Share Posted October 30, 2019 (edited) We're covered in a blanket of smoke here at the moment. Stay inside they say on the radio. Doesn't the air inside come from the air outside?. It's not like my flyscreens are HEPA filters. Anyway, I did a half arsed cut down session today to try & keep the respiration rate down and also tried to avoid anything over 70% of my 1RM to hopefully hit the grippers a bit fresher next time I train with them. Warmup - 10 minutes Indian clubs & Nunchuku 12 bodyweight pullups, 8 + 16kg, 6 +24kg, 4 + 32kg, 3 +40kg, 8 +16kg Kettlebell C&P - 16kg 12 R&L, 24kg 8 R&L, 28kg 4 R&L, 32 kg 2 R&L 2 sets of 18 pushups & 2 sets of 30 bodyweight squats. After I cooled down I smashed a family roast chicken dinner with roast potato, pumpkin, peas and gravy. I'm a bit bloated but contented none the less. Edited October 30, 2019 by Raymond 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raymond Posted November 4, 2019 Author Share Posted November 4, 2019 I had a blowout in a plugga (flip flop) last Wednesday and F'd the old trick knee. It's starting to come good now but I had a tough few days and needed a walking stick to get around. I got an ultrasound done on the finger I injured a few weeks ago and it's F'd., I've smashed the crap out of the capsule and damaged the articular cartilage on the end of the bone. It's the finger I use to set grippers, so it looks like I'm done with grippers. I did a session with grippers today and there's just no strength in it, so I couldn't get a good set without a lot of pain. I missed the #2.5 by about the same distance as I have the last few times so I can't see myself making much progress while my finger is like that. I can still do fat bar work without it hurting too much so I'll probably focus on that for a while and maybe just do TNS's with grippers once every now and then so I don't have use that finger. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EricMilfeld Posted November 4, 2019 Share Posted November 4, 2019 Tough break, but I'm glad to hear you can still thickbar. You'll back with a vengeance. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raymond Posted November 4, 2019 Author Share Posted November 4, 2019 2 hours ago, Hopefully said: You can buy silvis adjustable grippers. The T-Rex and the Megalodon. Then you choke them to parallel. Then you have all you'll ever need for parallel work. And you can also do full rom work (full rom according to your hand). I didn't even think of that @Hopefully, that's a good idea I'll be able to keep training that way. Maybe I could even make something myself to choke down the grippers I have. Cheers guys! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raymond Posted November 4, 2019 Author Share Posted November 4, 2019 3 minutes ago, Hopefully said: Thanks Bro! I'm sure I have a few spare swivel rods ends in the shed somewhere. I'll hunt them down and adapt my #2.5 in the next few days. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Goran Paulinič Posted November 4, 2019 Share Posted November 4, 2019 6 minutes ago, Hopefully said: Can we make a perpetum mobile from this device? Constant pressure in this thing may last for a million year or more. :)) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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