Guest MTGrip Posted March 12, 2001 Share Posted March 12, 2001 As a new member to this board, I would like to thank regular contributers who have fired up my enthusiasm for gripwork. Through a period of lurking at this site, I feel that I have found something new and exciting in the strength field. I now encorporate COC and pinch grip work into my training, with one eye on expanding this as I gain more experience. Walk before you can run ! I have a question regarding pinch grip work, which has puzzled me on a couple of recent sessions. I have been using the pinch grip block and loading pin apparatus from Ironmind for this exercise, for two or three sets, building up to 10 second holds with a weight and then increasing. I have noticed on a couple of occasions that I may struggle with a weight in one set, only to rip it off the floor in the next with suprising ease. My technique is to simply take a strong hold and then squueze for all I am worth to ease the weight off the floor and hold it until it falls out of my fingers. I cannot figure out why there is such a discrepency between attempts. I can't believe that it is mental, as each set gets my all. Has anybody else experienced this ? Are there any significant differences to be had in simply how you take the initial grasp of the block ? Sorry for the long meandering post - any replies appreciated - Mike Taylor Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3Crusher Posted March 12, 2001 Share Posted March 12, 2001 MTGrip-I have experienced the exact same thing with plate pinching as you have with pinching the block. It seems that sometimes I will have trouble pinching a weight, and on my next attempt tear it off the ground like it was nothing. The only reasons I can come up with are my hand was not yet warmed up properly, and neither was my mind. Focus is one thing that is necessary when doing grip work, and when you are very focused, and determined, it makes a big difference. Have you tried plate pinches instead of the Ironmind pinch block? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mobsterone Posted March 12, 2001 Share Posted March 12, 2001 I have to say, regarding focus, that I agree. I find on the odd occasion that I will take 3 or 4 goes to successfully complete a lift and then - knowing I can do it - will then manage 3 more singles. S. Gardener Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Cap Posted March 12, 2001 Share Posted March 12, 2001 I can pinch 2-35's but I have had days where they won't budge. Usually if I take a couple mins getting pumped and chalking liberally I can do it, but there have been a few where I have do do timed holds with 25s instead(or pinch block) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest MTGrip Posted March 12, 2001 Share Posted March 12, 2001 Thanks for your responses ! 3Crusher - I did toy with plate pinches before I got the ironmind block. I enjoyed them a lot, but thought that the block would provide a more consistent tool for pinching which I could get better on progressively. My goals for pinch gripping include the plates, and so I will test myself on them occasionally. Cap - I certainly have off days, more so with the COC grippers than anything else. The discrepencies with the pinching seem to occur during the same workout, sometimes within the space of a couple of minutes - go figure ! As it is the last exercise of the day for me, it does get me kinda annoyed when it refuses to budge, and I keep going at it. Maybe that's what does it, although it still seems weird... Mike Taylor Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3Crusher Posted March 12, 2001 Share Posted March 12, 2001 Mike-You can progress in small increments on plate pinches if you desire. Let's say you can pinch grip 2 Olympic 35 pound plates and want to move up to doing 2 45's. Olympic plates have a hole that is 2" in diameter, so what I suggest is that you put a 1" diameter piece of metal or wood through the holes in the plates. I suggest a 1" diameter piece of material rather than 2" so the plates remain loose (the 45's will be plenty looses when you get there). Then you can slip small standard size barbell plates onto the 1" bar in basically any increments you want in order to progressively add resistance. And that's it. Simple, but effective. I have not done much plate pinching lately, but this method helped me go from doing 2 35's to the point of doing 85 pounds total. If this worked for me, it can work for anybody, because I am far from a genetic wonder. I hope this helps. Steve Weiner Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest MTGrip Posted March 13, 2001 Share Posted March 13, 2001 Thanks, Steve, I'll try this at tonight's workout. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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