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White Tiger - Let's See What Happens if I Post Workouts


Vinnie

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I am busy with a work deadline, so what better to do than to procrastinate by writing about workouts that I may yet never do, and goals I may not bother to chase!

So here goes.  My current situation:  52 years old, 5 feet 6, 180 pounds, have been in grip sports/arm lifting since late 2017 when I met Anton, Anthony, Jose, Chez, and soon thereafter Nate and Tom and Tim at my first comp at Nate's in February 2018.  I had no background training anything before age 48 (I'm a lawyer and a geek), and since then, I have trained only grip - I will do a little bench press (max 200) or deadlift (max 315) here and there, won't do squats and don't care if anyone thinks I should - just not for me (not flexible enough even to hold the bar).  My training is far from intense, as I do it much more for recreational reasons, except that I have been pretty consistent with keeping up with grippers (even that isn't too intense, but I do stick with them consistently).  I also was diagnosed with a mild to moderate heart valve problem that gave me a bout of congestive heart failure recently, but I got it taken care of, and the cardiologist thinks that it is not too serious and I need not limit physical activity because of it -- just have to go to the doctor once a year and if I have a problem.

From 2018 to today, I have competed in about 15 comps -- in West Deptford NJ, Wyalusing PA (several times), Astoria (Queens) NY, Piscataway NJ, Crooksville OH, Fort Worth TX, Morgantown WV, Shelton, CT (twice), and Vancouver WA -- always in 83kg for grip and 80kg for arm lifting.  A lot of these were King Kongs and Gripmases.  Weighing 175-182, of course I never won a comp, but I have won my weight class a couple of times and I have occasionally had great single events where I will beat someone I have no business beating, event though they still beat me at the comp overall.  But the fun of being on the older and smaller side is that it is not realistic or expected that you are the best in the world, so you can focus on just doing what works for you.  For me, that is (1) having fun); and (2) keeping in decent shape and chasing PRs and certs, as long as it does not require giving up number (1) (having fun), or endanger my health (so far so good).

Cert-related Achievements so far:  MM0 (2018), MM1 (2019), GHP7 (1 rep. 2019), MM2 (2020).

Comp PRs, in categories I happen to remember while writing this (in pounds):

-20mm block set grippers: 150

-TNS grippers: 134

-Baseline Dynamometer: 242

-Rolling Thunder: 177

-Axle: 308

-2HP 3-inch Saxon Bar: 187

-Silver Bullet: 3.5 (12 seconds)

-2HP Euro: 194

-1HP IM Blockbuster: 72

-1HP Flask: 89

-Grab Ball: 143

-Little Bighorn: 161

GOALS: 

Mostly, I just want to have grip as part of my life: I'd like to keep going to comps, working out with friends when I can, chasing PRs within the context of having fun, staying in some semblance of shape, etc.  As long as I am healthy and having fun, I would like to progress a little farther in certs and comps.  Some realistic goals that I may have reason to believe I will achieve, if I stay healthy and interested, are (1) get invited to the 2022 Arnold and the World Arm Lifting Championship in Russia (was invited to both for 2020 but then COVID shut them down); (2) cert GHP7 for more than one rep; (3) IM cert on the COC 3 (CCS close); (4) close any COC 3.5 MMS (I am close on my light one rated 165); (5) attend comps in different cities and meet people who I communicate with on Grip Board.  I might also like to see if I can get down a weight class, because I do carry some flab.  Less likely goals for down the road, if I achieve all the realistic ones and need to move the bar higher: MM3; Crushed to Dust (a.k.a. the rolling thunder cert lol).

 

Edited by Vinnie
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Yesterday I fiddled with grippers.  I did some warm ups with a trainer, then a 1.5, then a 2, both hands.  I usually do TNS for some of these warmups, but then MMS for the actual workout unless otherwise noted.

Then I did:

COC 2.5 (CPW 117) for 1 rep lefty, 2 reps right

COC 2.5 (CPW 132) for 1 rep lefty, 2 reps right

Tetting (CPW 140) failed lefty, 2 reps right

Then I returned to COC 2.5 for singles lefty when I did the following righty:

COC 3 (CPW 143) for 5 reps 

COC 3 (152) for 1 rep

Grip Genie 5 (155) for 1 rep

COC 3.5 (165) - failed three attempts at 1 rep; first two attempts were pretty close, last attempt not so good and decided I was fried.

 

Also, I was doing all this as my girlfriend sat on couch periodically reminding me that I should be either snuggling her or doing my work for the office, since I've been complaining that I have less time for her because I am behind at work, and she is right.

My takeaway from this was that I have never closed a 3 for more than 3 reps before, and this was 4 solid reps and a barely on the 5th with my 143.  I think I can make that a working gripper for sets.  If I can start doing MMS sets with a COC 3, I think I can move my baseline up a bit - at my best before now, I was using my 140 Tetting for that.  I'd like to push a little harder on grippers since they are my strength and I am not that intense.  It would be cool to have a shot at the IM cert.

 

Edited by Vinnie
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7 hours ago, Vinnie said:

Yesterday I fiddled with grippers.  I did some warm ups with a trainer, then a 1.5, then a 2, both hands.  I usually do TNS for some of these warmups, but then MMS for the actual workout unless otherwise noted.

Then I did:

COC 2.5 (CPW 117) for 1 rep lefty, 2 reps right

COC 2.5 (CPW 132) for 1 rep lefty, 2 reps right

Tetting (CPW 140) failed lefty, 2 reps right

Then I returned to COC 2.5 for singles lefty when I did the following righty:

COC 3 (CPW 143) for 5 reps 

COC 3 (152) for 1 rep

Grip Genie 5 (155) for 1 rep

COC 3.5 (165) - failed three attempts at 1 rep; first two attempts were pretty close, last attempt not so good and decided I was fried.

 

Also, I was doing all this as my girlfriend sat on couch periodically reminding me that I should be either snuggling her or doing my work for the office, since I've been complaining that I have less time for her because I am behind at work, and she is right.

My takeaway from this was that I have never closed a 3 for more than 3 reps before, and this was 4 solid reps and a barely on the 5th with my 143.  I think I can make that a working gripper for sets.  If I can start doing MMS sets with a COC 3, I think I can move my baseline up a bit - at my best before now, I was using my 140 Tetting for that.  I'd like to push a little harder on grippers since they are my strength and I am not that intense.  It would be cool to have a shot at the IM cert.

 

Good luck on the #3 cert! You’ll get there eventually. I’m working towards it right now as well.

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15 hours ago, Nuttgens said:

 

Good luck on the #3 cert! You’ll get there eventually. I’m working towards it right now as well.

Thanks!  I was borrowing a friend's COC 3 rated 160 when I was going for the MM2 cert last summer, and once I was able to do a double MMS on that (that's when I knew I should try the cert, which I just barely made!).  I don't have a 160 gripper right now to compare - I think I am close to that level, and maybe can push a little further this time.

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On 7/31/2021 at 12:25 PM, Vinnie said:

Thanks!  I was borrowing a friend's COC 3 rated 160 when I was going for the MM2 cert last summer, and once I was able to do a double MMS on that (that's when I knew I should try the cert, which I just barely made!).  I don't have a 160 gripper right now to compare - I think I am close to that level, and maybe can push a little further this time.

I have a CPW Spectrum rated 160 that I bought off Tim Buttler if you ever want to borrow it for your training. I kinda fell off the gripper wagon as soon as I bought it. I have a nice lineup of stout grippers and an Ivanko Super gripper to help me get there eventually, but in the meantime this one is just chilling out.

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10 hours ago, devinhoo said:

I have a CPW Spectrum rated 160 that I bought off Tim Buttler if you ever want to borrow it for your training. I kinda fell off the gripper wagon as soon as I bought it. I have a nice lineup of stout grippers and an Ivanko Super gripper to help me get there eventually, but in the meantime this one is just chilling out.

I think I am borrowing one from Chez for now, but thanks!

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Today was Monday of Pinch at Anton's Backyard in Queens, NYC.  I neglected to write down as I went, but I remember the substance of it from just an hour ago and it was:

Grippers:

Warmed up quick, 10 with COC 1.5 RGC 85, 5 with COC2 RGC 103, both hands; then a few clicks with Tetting RGC 139 right and RGC 110 left

Right hand work: 5 good MMS reps with COC3 RGC 145 (rep PR on that gripper); 3 with COC3 RGC 153 (might have missed the last rep by a hair, but was a close one); 1 with COC3 RGC 156; 11 second silver bullet with 3.5 RGC 178; closed with 1 rep on COC 3 RGC 145, and it was hard, so I knew I was fried for the night on grippers

Left hand work: 3 good MMS reps with COC 2.5 RGC 132, failed Tetting 139, did singles with the 132 thereafter to pace right hand

Saxon Bar (this is the short 3x4 bar, not the 89-inch one; does anyone know what it weighs?):

1 rep with 5 second holds at 90 + bar, 100 + bar, 110 + bar, 120 + bar; failed 140 + bar.   It felt like the bar must be 45 pounds based on my failing at 140 + bar, since my PR is 187, but Anton thinks it is a 25-pound bar and I could have just been that fried from grippers; will weigh eventually so we know.

2.5 crusher:  4 reps with 135 each hand

Finnish Ball:

Right hand: sets of 4 with 45 and 50, 3 with 52.5, then somehow managed a single at 62.5 (short lived PR by 10 pounds) and then 65 (PR).  I tried 62.5 as a joke after Anthony got it after trying it I thought as a joke, although he rightly intended to get it and did.  I had been stopped at 52.5 or 55 before that.  I guess because the weight is so light, it is all in the technique on this, and I was laser focused.  Hope I remember what I did next time.

Left hand:  paced right until about 52.5, could only get that for 1 lefty and then lefty was failing.

Rolling Thunder:  I got a big rolling thunder PR 3 weeks ago at a comp (177, which was a 10-pound PR over my previous comp PR).  I wanted to see if I could get a good pull tired tonight.  I got air on 167 but could not lock out.  I guess this is consistent with the comp PR of 177, because it was the first event and I was fresh, and I tend to be better at comps than in training.  I was worried the comp implement might have been too easy but I guess I should just feel good that I'm improving and not think it's a mistake!

Not a terribly long workout tonight; we might have moved on to grab ball and almost did, but we felt like we had gotten enough work in and all had early work tomorrow.  As usual, it was a pleasure to be able to work out with buddies, especially since we have all been busy and missing some weeks and I've gotten used to gripper-only workouts by myself.

Will do another gripper-only workout late this week.  Really want to see what I can do with my easy 3.5 (RGC 165), which I have gotten pretty close recently.  It's my goal gripper for MMS and I am not quite there yet, but I never thought I would have a prayer at a 3.5, and it is starting to look like it could happen -- maybe even this year.  And with 5 reps on the COC 3 rated 145, I am also getting some inklings about the CCS cert.  Again, not quite there, but I feel some progress is being made.  

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  • 2 weeks later...

I haven't worked out in a bit, I have my son with me for a few more days.  I did receive a 162 rated Standard gripper from Cannon today, so next workout that is the goal gripper.

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5 hours ago, Vinnie said:

I haven't worked out in a bit, I have my son with me for a few more days.  I did receive a 162 rated Standard gripper from Cannon today, so next workout that is the goal gripper.

I just snagged the 164 from @Cannona few hours ago. I was wondering who got the 162. So happy he made grippers that filled a bunch of gaps 

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15 hours ago, Vinnie said:

I haven't worked out in a bit, I have my son with me for a few more days.  I did receive a 162 rated Standard gripper from Cannon today, so next workout that is the goal gripper.

Funny I also snagged a 162 standard gripper I will be attempting it Monday. Good luck with yours.

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Gripper workout today, a little different.  It appears there will be an arm lifting comp in Orlando in October at which it will be possible to do a cert attempt on the COC 3.  I have on two occasions been able to CCS an easier 3, so if there is no bar to trying at this comp, I may as well see if I get lucky with an easier 3.  But may as well go with my best shot.  So I am gonna think CCS for a few weeks.

Warm up:  TNS with Trainer, both hands, 10 reps; then TNS with COC 1.5, 3 left 5 right; COC 2, 2 left 5 right

Working:

right hand: CCS with COC 2.5 rated 132, 3 reps, 3 reps, 4 reps (failed on 5th), 3 reps. 1 TNS rep

left hand: 2 MMS reps with the 2.5 rated 132 in between the CCS sets with the right hand

Max Attempt: CCS with COC 3 rated 145 (failed by a millimeter or two); COC 3 rated 143 (failed by less than a millimeter)

That's my first ever CCS workout; first time I did working sets with a 2.5 rather than just trying a 3.  Will focus on that until October, see what happens.

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Good luck on the #3 cert would be awesome if you could get it.

Did you try the 162 standard gripper? I wanted to ask if a guy could close that do you think he would do fine with the mm1?

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2 hours ago, Nuttgens said:

Good luck on the #3 cert would be awesome if you could get it.

Did you try the 162 standard gripper? I wanted to ask if a guy could close that do you think he would do fine with the mm1?

I actually did not try it yet.  When i closed the MM2, I had just recently done a double on a COC 3 rated 160.  I think the MM1 is MUCH easier than MM2.  More like RGC 152, and with an easy set as well.  If you can close an average COC 3 you should be able to close the MM1, which may be RGC a little more than an average COC 3 (but not much), but is much easier to set to parallel.

If you can close the 162, you are around MM2, and MM1 will be easy.  I thought MM1 was pretty easy, then I got a little stronger and MM2 was very hard.  I barely got it and probably couldn't today.

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3 hours ago, Vinnie said:

I actually did not try it yet.  When i closed the MM2, I had just recently done a double on a COC 3 rated 160.  I think the MM1 is MUCH easier than MM2.  More like RGC 152, and with an easy set as well.  If you can close an average COC 3 you should be able to close the MM1, which may be RGC a little more than an average COC 3 (but not much), but is much easier to set to parallel.

If you can close the 162, you are around MM2, and MM1 will be easy.  I thought MM1 was pretty easy, then I got a little stronger and MM2 was very hard.  I barely got it and probably couldn't today.

Well you sold me on it I think I will sign up for the mm1.

Thanks.

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Last night 8-23-2021:  Worked out at Anton's with Anthony and JOSE, who was up from North Carolina.  Like old times!

I focused on CCS grippers, because I was under the misimpression that I would be doing a walk-up attempt at a COC 3 cert in Orlando in October, probably because there is an arm lifting comp in Orlando in October and the flyer advertising the comp says that they will be having COC certs there.  But after a few email back and forths, I was told that it was a misunderstanding.  Iron Mind told them they could not have the advertised cert and could only do crushed to dust certs.  So, I'm on the hook for non-refundable plane tickets for me and my girl from NY to Orlando for a comp I didn't really need to attend.  However, I will attend and enjoy, and make a weekend of it with my girl.  And there will be some good people at the comp, including some big name gripsters I haven't met before, so that's cool.

Anyway, the workout.  I don't train CCS with my left because I will never be trying to cert on that hand, so with my left hand I took sets on a 2.5 crusher that the guys were training, to space out my right hand gripper work, and then we switched to a 3 inch Saxon Bar and I did some light work on that between gripper sets.  As for the grippers:  I warmed up with TNS on a trainer, a 1, and a 2.  To test where my crush felt for the day and ramp up a bit, I MMS closed a COC 3 rated 145, a HG rated 149, and a COC 3 rated 156.  All solid, although the 156 was not easy.  Then I did 5 or 6 credit card set closes right handed with a 2, mainly to get the width more familiar and the motion quicker, because I take too long getting the card between the handles. 

As per Chez's recommendation, I did a series of max attempts rather than heavy working sets (the other day, for example, I did sets of 3 to 5 CCS closes with a COC 2.5).  So, I used a COC 3 rated 145, and I took 5 attempts.  I would say that at least one of those attempts would probably have been a good cert close; of course, I'd have to get lucky enough to have a gripper that easy and an attempt that good.  But I do think I had the gripper closed on all of them, just might not have done an adequate pass of the credit card on most.  The real issue is getting the credit card between the handles properly without tiring the hand out too much to do the close.

After finishing the gripper work, I joined the others in introducing Jose -- who has been ignoring our grip cult for a while since having twin daughters and then a son with a great name I can't remember wait yes VINCENT -- to the wonders of grab ball and finnish ball.  So yes, to the man who has forsaken grip for two years to be with his wife and kids, we did, indeed, show him what to do with a pair of balls.

It was a decent gripper workout, inserted into a very light King Kong workout, mostly for the purpose of catching up with Jose.

Now my issue for the next workout, later this week:  keep training for the IM cert, since I don't really have a timeframe for that now, or train for the Orlando comp and/or King Kong?  I think my answer is that I am going to keep working on the IM cert, but not with an eye toward doing my best in October specifically.  

See y'all later this week.

 

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  • 2 weeks later...

I aborted my last workout (end of last week), after warming up and starting to work, because I felt weak and my right wrist felt off.  Didn't think it was serious and still don't know why, so I just got a little extra rest I guess.  Got back to it yesterday, September 1, in my office.

Warmups were 10 TNS each hand on a Trainer, 5 reps on a 2 (TNS right hand, TNS first rep left hand but just did the next 4 MMS-ish, maybe a little wider).

Then I did one right-hand TNS with a 2.5 rated 132, left hand MMS (that's pretty close to my limit TNS righty and MMS lefty, both of which would be in the mid-high 130s).

Then I did one CCS righty with the 132, one MMS lefty

Then 8 or 9 CCS single attempts with a COC 3 rated 143 righty, in each case followed by a single MMS with the 132 lefty just to fill space and keep me going, since I am not interested in CCS lefty.

The results of the CCS attempts:  best I can tell, all but one were closed; I videoed 5 of them, and on the videos I had a hard time getting the credit card swipe in frame.  On the one video where I thought I got a really good capture of the swipe -- probably from even wider than a credit card set has to be -- I just missed that close, and on another, the close is out of frame.  I posted to my Insta.  Of all the attempts, at least the first 3 were solid set and close, 3 more the set was fast and I'm not sure how strict a judge would be on those, and then the last two where I was trying to vid I missed one or both of the closes.  Since it is practice, I am not really concerned right now with which ones were cert-worthy anyway.  I am just working toward a harder COC 3 -- when (and if, but I will think "when") I can reliably CCS my COC rated 152, then I will be contacting IM.  I would say I am getting close to that level of reliability with my 143, and will try my 145 next workout.

After all these CCS attempts, I remembered that I had Chez's Tetting MM2 replica that I borrowed to work MMS.  I was tired and have not trained MMS for a few weeks, but I tried it anyway and got one maybe and one near miss.  I think if I did an MMS workout and tried that one after a single or two with my 153, I'd get it.  I'd like to be able to close an easy 3.5 before I begin aging out of this stuff, and to get the IM cert.  I think the 3.5 may happen sooner, actually, since I have a 165 and have gotten pretty close on it, closer than if I were to attempt to CCS my 152.

That is all for now, back early next week I hope.  Grip well, brothers.

Edited by Vinnie
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Strong work Vinnie! I like reading your workouts and wish you all the best in your goal of cert CoC #3. You and I have at least one common gripper goal-to close CoC #3.5 and we will be over 50 closing it for our first time 👍 I started doing grippers last 7 weeks and getting pretty darn close to MMS my CoC #3.5 #173.

Enjoy the journey and best of strength, Michael 

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  • 3 weeks later...

Office workout:

-10 TNS reps with trainer, each hand

-5 TNS reps with COC 2 (rated 106), each hand

-2 TNS reps with COC 2.5 (rated 132) righty, 2 MMS reps lefty

-7 CCS singles with COC 3 (rated 143) righty; 2 separate MMS attempts at a single with the COC 3 lefty, couldn't get it (would be PR if I did, and one was close), otherwise MMS singles with COC 2.5 lefty

-1 MMS rep with Chez's Tetting (rated 160) righty, COC 2.5 lefty

-Set of 4 MMS reps with COC 3 righty

-1 failed MMS rep with the Tetting rated 160; just wanted to see if I was still going but getting tired

-3 more reps with COC 3.  Very satisfied with the workout; no PRs, but these were my best CCS closes so far.

Edited by Vinnie
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On 9/2/2021 at 11:57 AM, Kluv#0 said:

Strong work Vinnie! I like reading your workouts and wish you all the best in your goal of cert CoC #3. You and I have at least one common gripper goal-to close CoC #3.5 and we will be over 50 closing it for our first time 👍 I started doing grippers last 7 weeks and getting pretty darn close to MMS my CoC #3.5 #173.

Enjoy the journey and best of strength, Michael 

I have a COC 3.5 rated 165, if you want to borrow it so you can say you closed a 3.5 lol.  It's pretty light, as 3.5s go (still a millimeter or two beyond me ...).

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8 minutes ago, Vinnie said:

Office workout:

-10 TNS reps with trainer, each hand

-5 TNS reps with COC 2 (rated 106), each hand

-2 TNS reps with COC 2.5 (rated 132) righty, 2 MMS reps lefty

-7 CCS singles with COC 3 (rated 143) righty; 2 separate MMS attempts at a single with the COC 3 lefty, couldn't get it (would be PR if I did, and one was close), otherwise MMS singles with COC 2.5 lefty

-1 MMS rep with Chez's Tetting (rated 160) righty, COC 2.5 lefty

-Set of 4 MMS reps with COC 3 righty

-1 failed MMS rep with the Tetting rated 160; just wanted to see if I was still going but getting tired

Not a bad workout, may do another set or two in a half hour before I pack up and head home, will edit post if so.

Dude, 7 reps CCS on #3! Beast

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8 minutes ago, Vinnie said:

I have a COC 3.5 rated 165, if you want to borrow it so you can say you closed a 3.5 lol.  It's pretty light, as 3.5s go (still a millimeter or two beyond me ...).

That would be very much appreciated. I will PM address , etc🙏

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2 minutes ago, Kluv#0 said:

Dude, 7 reps CCS on #3! Beast

7 singles, sorry if I misstated.  Edited to fix.

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3 minutes ago, Kluv#0 said:

Dude, 7 reps CCS on #3! Beast

Singles, with several minutes rest between.

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3 minutes ago, Vinnie said:

Singles, with several minutes rest between.

Very nice💪

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