Grip Log

[omillar]

I figured I'd start this to keep track of progress that I make. And today I am pretty encouraged, so it seems like a good time to start.

A week ago, I got my first grippers, and couldn't close the trainer. I also could not pinch lift 3 10s

Today's work:

4x5 #T (last 1 no click right, last 2 left)

5 attempts #1 (right to 8mm, left to 12)

5 assist close & hold #1

Pinch plates lift

3 10s + 15lbs right

3 10s + 10lbs left

Individual finger pinch lift:

Index, first 2 10s

Ring 10 & 5

Pinky 3 2.5s

Plate curls - 3x5 20lbs (2 10s)

Played with sledge a bit, but felt that wrists needed more strength before really trying anything here. Also played with 20lb hex block a while.

[omillar]

#T 8R 8L

#1 3 attempts (R3mm L12mm, R6mm L12mm, R3mm L6mm)

#1 5 assisted

#T 5R 5L

20lb hex block for a while - pass hand to hand, clean & press, lift w thumb + 2 fingers

Pinch 3 10's - 1x5 rows each hand

Pinch 2 25's - 5x1 DL attempts each hand

(could not lift unassisted with left, got once to 6" and once to 12" with right)

Wrist roller: 15,20,30 each fwd and rev

Hands are a bit sore from the grippers, I'll try to not touch the grippers at all again until Friday.

[Jonathan McMillan]

Omillar,

Nice training log so far...keep it up!!!

One nice variation with the block training -once the regular clean and press gets easy is to try lifting it from the ground to overhead with a straight arm, got that one from Tommy. For blocks that are too heavy for you to clean you can try deadlifting and rotating your wrists back and forth...that's one of 'Snott's

Jon@han

[omillar]

Thanks Jonathan.

When I get a little better at controlling this block I'll give those a try. Right now going up is easy - but I often drop it getting it back down to the dl position. I didn't understand why MOHS said that was the hard part until I tried it.

Hands feel a lot better today, so I should be ready to go again tomorrow.

[omillar]

Sept 19

Warm up with plastic gripper

#1 10 attempts (best was about 1mm each hand)

Individual finger pinch lifts: 2 5's pinky, 2 10's each other fingers.

(could not do any wider pinch today because of torn skin between thumb & index on right hand)

Plate curls: 2 10's, 2 sets of 5

Rest 45 minutes

#1 5 times: Closed twice with right, < 1mm with left

#T 3 sets of 5 each hand

Roller: 3 sets 30lbs fwd & rev

[omillar]

Sept 21

-am-

#1 10 attempts: closed once with right, best was 6mm with left

20lb hex block : 40 hand to hand passes

Plate curls: 2 10's, 3 sets of 5

-pm-

#1 10 attempts: closed it 9 times with right, 1 time with left

#T 2x10 reps each hand.

Roller: 3 sets 30lbs fwd & rev

Again, it goes much better later in the day - I think I am not warming up enough in the morning.

Happy that I could repeatedly close the #1 with the right hand, and got it done once with the left. I will order a #2 at the beginning of the week.

[HAMMERHEAD]

Along with a #2, I'd get a Heavy Advanced and a Master.

-HH

[omillar]

Thanks for the tip, HH ! I ordered the BB Super Advanced & Master today, it will be nice to have a couple of in between goals on the way to the #2.

[omillar]

Sept 24

#T 1x5 each hand.

#1 bunch of singles each hand - able to close with left now.

#T 2x10 each hand.

20lbs hex block, pass hand to hand (2x20), clean & press (1x10).

Plate pinch, 2 25s, few inches lift each hand (5x)

Plate curls, 2 10s, 5x5. Still can't curl 25lb plate, but getting a little closer.

Roller, 30lbs, 3x fwd & rev

[Jonathan McMillan]

Hey Omillar,

If you can work it into your program give plate wrist curls a try. I've found they really help you in the plate curl. Quite a bit tougher!!!

Jon@han

[omillar]

Thanks, Jonathan. I tried some plate wrist curls, and I do find it really hard - a single 10lb plate is about the limit. I think I will add dumbell wrist curls for a while to get a bit of basic wrist strength before going on to more difficult exercises.

Ord

[omillar]

Sept 26 - skipped grip work because of grappling tournament tomorrow.

Sept 28

#T 1x5 each hand.

#1 5 sets: 3R 2L, 4R 2L, 3R 2L, 5R 3L, 5R 3L

DB wrist curl 5x5 30lbs

Roller, 30lbs, 3x fwd&rev

20lbs hex block, pass hand to hand, toss hand to hand

Plate curls, 2 10s, 5x6

[omillar]

Sept 30

20lbs hex block work

2 25s pinch, 10x1 (both hands needed slight assist today)

#1 5x close & hold each hand

#1 5x3 each hand

#T pyramid 1-9-1

Roller 35,40,40

DB wrist curl 10@20, 8@30, 5@35, 5@35, 4@40, 15@20

[omillar]

Oct 3

#1 close & hold 5 count (5x each)

#1 close & hold 10 count (3x each)

(Still waiting for new grippers to arrive)

Usual 20lbs block work.

2 25s pinch, 10x (best a few inches, still no full lift)

DB wrist curl: 10@30, 10@35, 8@40, 5@45, 15@30

Tried bending for first time.

3 pieces 3/16x6, 3 pieces 3/16x5 1/2

(6 inch pieces went smoothly, 5 1/2 much harder - had to adjust grip several times on each piece)

Walked up & down flight of stairs holding 20lbs block weight. 5x each hand.

[Guest chips]

Doing good keep it UP!!

[omillar]

Thanks Chips!

Oct 5

#1 singles : 30 each hand

DB wrist curl : 10@30, 10@40, 5@45, 5@47.5 (right only), 20@30

roller : 40, 45, 45

plate curls : 3x10 (2 10's)

bending 3/16 : 1x 6", 3x 5 1/2", 3x 5 1/4", 2x 5 1/8"

[AP]

"#1 3 attempts (R3mm L12mm, R6mm L12mm, R3mm L6mm"

Contrast that with 30 singles each hand.... Ha, good work!

You can probably do a platecurl with a 25 by now, its not much harder than 2 -10s. Do you find that the platecurls work your thumb-pad (pinch area)? Mine are killing me from platecurls!

[omillar]

Thanks, AP!

I do find that as I get to the top of the motion in the plate curl it does take a lot of thumb force to keep them from separting or slipping and rotating left or right. It is a challenge for me to not drop them in the last few reps as my thumb gets tired.

The 25 pounds plate is still beyond me - I can only do it if I cheat by putting the tip of my ring&middle finger into the center hole and my thumb squeezing the edge.

[AP]

If you're working out at a commercial gym (like I am) and can't use other tricks to add weight, you can use a spring collar Like IM-5509 , close it all the way, stick the ends into the holes of the olympic plates, and the spring will help to keep the plates together. I did this with 3 -10s which I would never be able to keep together at the top of the curl. This way you could use like 2- 10s and a two-and a-half plate to gradully build up your curl. Or you could try doing a two handed curl with a 35. If its too hard with your hands together, just put a little bit of space between them to add leverage. It also kinda shows you what you are up against in your long term goals .

[Jonathan McMillan]

That's some handy advice from AP until you can get to the hard ware store. Buy a C-clamp that you can discreetly carry with you in the gym then you'll be able to clamp the extra weight to the far side. This will help you train up to the big torque of the heavier plates better then when the added resistence is at the center.

Jon@han

[omillar]

Thanks for the advice, AP & Jonathan! I tried some of that today.

AP - I don't go to a gym, I do everything at home.

Oct 7

I received #2 & #3 grippers, and RT handle from IM today.

Worked mostly with the #2. I can't even get the handles parallel. This is going to take a lot of work, but it's going to feel really good when I close it! Spent about an hour with it, making attempts and doing negatives.

Did a couple of lifts each hand with 100lbs on the RT handle. I like this a lot, it feels like exactly the kind of hand strength I am wanting to develop.

DB wrist curls: 10@30, 10@35, 5@40, 3@45, 4@45

Plate curls: 10@(2 10s), 5@ +1.25, 5@ +2.5, 4@ +3.75 (clamped extra weight at oposite edge)

Hands were too worn out from working with the gripper to do anything else.

[omillar]

Oct 10

(BB grippers finally arrived yesterday)

Warmup with #T

Couple of singles with #1

BBSA: 5 Attempts (best 5mmR, 8mmL)

BBM: 5 neg each hand

BBSA: 5 neg each hand

Plate curls: 5@(2 10s), 3@ +5, 3@ +5, 2@ +5

DB wrist curls: 10@35, 5@40, 3@45, 13@30

Felt very hard today. Maybe because of plate curls first or grippers? I think I might try doing wrist work on days with little other hand stuff.

RT (each hand): 5@75, 2@100

Hex 20# - c&p, curls, 10 each

2 25s pinch - each hand needed help to get off the ground, then held a few seconds. 5x each hand.

[Guest chips]

Your making steady gains. Keep up the negatives, they'll help alot.But if you want to get a stronger crushing grip, lay off the pinch grip routine for awhile.

[Jonathan McMillan]

omillar,

20hex x10c&p -I think your ready to try a straight arm to overhead now..think of a slow snatch. Give it a try!!

[omillar]

Oct 12

Warm up with #T

BBSA: 10 attemps each hand. Best was about 2mm each hand.

Oct 13

Warm up with #T, then 1 close on #1

BBSA: 12 attempts, closed 2 times right, 3 times left.

BBM: 5 attemps, Best was 15mm

#2: 5 negatives

BBM: 10 negatives

#T: 3x8

Straight arm to overhead 20# block: 1x1, 1x2, 3x3

Chips - thanks, the negative really do seem to help a lot. I'll leave out plate pinches completely for a while and just do some light block weights now and then.

Jonathan - I gave it a try, got to 3 reps before needing to set it down and re-grip. I am using some hip movement in this - are you doing it using only the shoulder?

Thanks for the tips!

- Ord