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Please review my Grip Routine


SeanGecko

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Monday and Thursday - Grippers and Band Extensors.  I warmup with lighter grippers, moving up to my work gripper for 3-5 sets of 3-5 reps. Then I’ll do some partials or negatives with my challenge gripper.  I use the heaviest Hand-X-Band for 3 sets of 20-30 reps. 

Tuesday and Friday - Dead Hangs and Wrist Rollers.  I hang on my pullup bar for 10 sets to failure with 30 seconds rest between sets. I do overhand grip hangs on Tuesday and Neutral (Rings) grip hangs on Friday.  I use a homemade 2” fat PVC wrist roller for a one long set of 5-10 complete rollups in each direction.  

Wednesday and Saturday - Thor's Hammers and Fingertip Holds (in pushup position).  I use an old loadable dumbbell as a Thor Hammer, doing 3 sets of 10 reps in each direction left and right, slow and controlled.  I do 3 sets of fingertip holds in pushup position to failure.  Sometimes I do some back of the hand on the ground holds for wrist strength.    

Sunday – Rest

*During the week I will usually do 1 or 2 sessions of Farmer’s walks (using dumbbells), more for GPP but I know it can tax the grip.   And from time to time I use Fat Gripz when doing bicep work.  I do a few sets of hammer curls and/or reverse curls for forearms every week.

How does this routine look?  The volume feels fine to me, been at it several months now.  Six days per week may sound like too much but between the exercise variety and the briefness of the workouts I think it works well but I’m open to suggestion.   Have I chosen good exercises for overall grip performance or do I need to substitute any?  Is my set/rep scheme appropriate? 

My goals are to increase gripper ability, and to have well-balanced hand and wrist strength for everyday life.  Currently I can close CoC No. 2.5 with my right hand and almost with my left.  I can move No. 3 with both hands but can’t close it completely (yet).    

I appreciate the advice, thanks!

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Super boring answer: 

I think it's best that you find out whats best for you by yourself. Are you making progress? Are you enjoying the training etc?

It's very difficult to give out exact programs, especially for grip because grip strength and training is extremely complex. So much variables.

I can say this tho, it's good to program your training after your main goals. So if your main goal is to close the #3. Mainly train grippers, that's how you're going to get there in the least amount of time.

 

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Maybe front and back Sledge Hammer Levering and plate curls could be put in the mix every few weeks to freshen things up. As mentioned its a funny animal grip training, I would just do what feels good. If you reach a sticking point maybe review. A 2.5 CoC is above average when starting down the grip path for most so things must be working for you so far.

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4 hours ago, Fist of Fury said:

So if your main goal is to close the #3. Mainly train grippers, that's how you're going to get there in the least amount of time.

How many days per week should I train with grippers in this case?

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8 hours ago, SeanGecko said:

How many days per week should I train with grippers in this case?

What Hopefully said.

But I think doing an exercise three times a week is a good start for all type of exercises. Once you hit a plateau you might want to change it.

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2 hours ago, Fist of Fury said:

Once you hit a plateau you might want to change it.

How do you judge plateauing with grippers?  It's my understanding that the harder ones take quite a long time to master...

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52 minutes ago, SeanGecko said:

How do you judge plateauing with grippers?  It's my understanding that the harder ones take quite a long time to master...

Plateau means that you have stagnated. Doesn't need to be on your 1RM it can be on any level of gripper. If you can't add reps to any gripper you have even if you feel that you should, then you have stagnated.

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14 hours ago, SeanGecko said:

How many days per week should I train with grippers in this case?

1 time a week or every 12 days just my opinion...

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35 minutes ago, Stephen Anderson said:

1 time a week or every 12 days just my opinion...

Interesting...Do you do quite a bit of volume on that day?

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As you have not been training long I would read some of the training logs. Also maybe post in the "NEW MEMBERS Introduce Yourself Here"

No real training secret that works for everyone. A lot depends on everything else in your life not grip related.

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On 4/13/2021 at 6:38 AM, SeanGecko said:

My goals are to increase gripper ability, and to have well-balanced hand and wrist strength for everyday life.

Unfortunately when it comes to gripper strength, it seems I’m at my best when I’m neglecting all other areas of training and rest a ton, similar to what @Stephen Anderson eluded to. 
 

as far as hand strength for everyday life, I think you need more thickbar training in your program, rolling handles, napalm’s nightmare or fat grip deadlifts. My grip strength is pretty well balanced (granted my two hand narrow pinch does lag) and I really only train thickbar and occasionally through in max effort pulls on whatever implements are being used in upcoming competitions 

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12 hours ago, Boulderbrew said:

Unfortunately when it comes to gripper strength, it seems I’m at my best when I’m neglecting all other areas of training and rest a ton, similar to what @Stephen Anderson eluded to. 

When it comes to the neglect, are you talking about all forms of training (lifting, conditioning, etc.) or the other facets of hand strength (supporting grip, pinch grip, etc.) or both?

Also, when you don't neglect other forms of training and therefore don't make much (or any) improvements with gripper strength, do you find that you will eventually make improvements when you take time off?  That is, is it a case of improving when you rest?  Or do you only improve when you train solely grippers?

Thanks!

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20 hours ago, SeanGecko said:

Interesting...Do you do quite a bit of volume on that day?

No i dont. I attempt the gripper im trying to close from a MMS about 3 times. The only thing one would consider volume would be perfecting technique and placement with a smaller gripper

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12 hours ago, SeanGecko said:

When it comes to the neglect, are you talking about all forms of training (lifting, conditioning, etc.) or the other facets of hand strength (supporting grip, pinch grip, etc.) or both?

Also, when you don't neglect other forms of training and therefore don't make much (or any) improvements with gripper strength, do you find that you will eventually make improvements when you take time off?  That is, is it a case of improving when you rest?  Or do you only improve when you train solely grippers?

Thanks!

I’ve found my crush strength is best When I neglect all training except grippers. I’m not at all recommending you do this, I just threw it out there because gripper strength was one of your goals. I actually go crazy when I’m training for a gripper cert or competition that has grippers in it because I have to take off at least 3 days before a gripper session and I can’t do all the things I want to.
 

in the beginning you can probably throw grippers in the mix without much complication, but as you get stronger you will plateau hard with grippers. I think this is because grippers are one of the more CNS dependent things we do in grip. If you aren’t well rested you will fail grippers that have been easier for you in the past. 

 

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12 hours ago, Boulderbrew said:

I’ve found my crush strength is best When I neglect all training except grippers. I’m not at all recommending you do this, I just threw it out there because gripper strength was one of your goals. I actually go crazy when I’m training for a gripper cert or competition that has grippers in it because I have to take off at least 3 days before a gripper session and I can’t do all the things I want to.
 

in the beginning you can probably throw grippers in the mix without much complication, but as you get stronger you will plateau hard with grippers. I think this is because grippers are one of the more CNS dependent things we do in grip. If you aren’t well rested you will fail grippers that have been easier for you in the past. 

 

I have the same experience. When I was at my strongest with grippers I only trained grippers, nothing else (nothing at all not just grip). It's really weird. It took me 3-4 years to close the #3 but going from 150 lbs to 160 lbs took a few months and going from 165-170+ took me one month.

It's like everything else just taxes the CNS and there's not enough left to maximize your potential on grippers.

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On 4/16/2021 at 7:36 AM, Hopefully said:

Yeah, your routine is quite interesting. How do you feel if you dont rest those 7-12days? I assume you don't really feel anything, but just don't have any power in your hands? That's how I feel anyway.

I still have power and but im looking for peak performance going into the next attempts.

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3 hours ago, Stephen Anderson said:

I still have power and but im looking for peak performance going into the next attempts.

Well put, that is exactly how I feel too. I don’t enjoy training grippers knowing full well that I’ll be at 90% power and not 100% 

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7 minutes ago, Fist of Fury said:

@Boulderbrew, do you feel the same when training Silver Bullet as well? Or is it just with normal gripper training.

I don’t train silver bullet at all, I’ll do it once during competition but that’s pretty much it. It just feels too painful and dangerous (with a 4) to put much effort into it. I experimented with different training protocols a couple years ago but it never seemed to help me improve much

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1 hour ago, Boulderbrew said:

I don’t train silver bullet at all, I’ll do it once during competition but that’s pretty much it. It just feels too painful and dangerous (with a 4) to put much effort into it. I experimented with different training protocols a couple years ago but it never seemed to help me improve much

Okay, I know what you mean, it's painful as hell.

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