Lets Get Ready To Rumble

[FrankyBoy]

Ben and I are both struggeling with getting the Tetting GM closed in the no-set style.

So we decided to challenge ourselves and see who will get the crown.

This log is planned to show our progress towards the Tetting certification on the GM.

Party on!

I plan to post all my workouts focused on my no-set strength here and from time to time I will do a test on the GM to see where I am.

It may take some time but I will get it.

Til october 30th I probably will do only a few workouts (and/or tests) for the no-set since I primarily want to prepare myself for the german grip championship then.

Good luck, Ben!

[itch85]

good luck in the german grip championship's and smash that GM

[burkhardmacht]

May the best man win!

[Thaibox]

This should be cool. Good luck to both of you.

[bencrush]

Good luck Franky! I don't think you'll need it with your strength level. Also wishing you well at the German Grip Championships.

I can just hear Michal Buffer announcing our contest...good times.

[bencrush]

I'm only going to list the work I do for my right hand since I only want to certify with my right. On a side note I closed my Cert SM with my left hand (TNS) the other day! I'm pretty pleased with that since I have cut down the volume with it quite a bit. I think it might be progressing steadily regardless of the work I do with it because of the work I'm doing with my right hand. Or I might be stupid. Who's to say?

I got a brand new #3 in the mail (thanks Bob!) and it is by FAR the hardest #3 I've tried to close. If I had to rate it compared to the one I have now I'd say it's about a 3.3 or higher. I almost thought it was "stuck" when I first tried it. It makes a great addition to my collection though. And it's also a nice "Shut the Hell up" gripper that I will start giving to new employees who come up to me and challenge me by saying, "I bet I can close your hardest gripper. I workout a lot."

Yes this has happened lately. We have 3 new employees that I trained in Defensive Tactics a couple of weeks ago. 2 out of the 3 gave me a slightly different version of the above quote. The third employee was a female who didn't feel the need to challenge me and my supposed "grip strength." Some of the other employees feel the need to brag about me to any new officers starting. Sometimes the new hires take offense and think that I am an a-hole just because of these other idiots. In fact I rarely talk about the grippers to coworkers, usually only with the ones I know that are interested. And I never claim to be very strong. Quite the opposite usually.

Both new hires are large (over 240) and look strong. So I decided if they wanted to challenge me like that I'd give them a pretty hard gripper to start off with...then slowly chip away their cockiness with each failure. It's a patented system. I gave both of the guys my Cert SM to start with. Hmmm. Can't "quite" get it closed (more like 1") how about an easier one? Reluctant "yes". Narrow HG250. Another failure. Another easier one guys? Sullen "yes". And so it continues until they fail with every gripper in my bag down to my easiest (filed Master) that I had with me. I had 18 grippers in my bag that day. After the filed Master failure, they both had the bright idea that they might somehow be able to close the grippers that were HARDER than my Cert SM! I agreed that it sounded like a wonderful idea and very logical to boot.

So then they got to try the Short #2. VERY hard gripper. It's about 1/2" shorter than a normal #2 (handles). Terrible failures by both. Then they were kind enough to inform me that it couldn't be shut. I thanked them and showed them that it could be shut. PDA280 was next. Yeah right. #3 and Cert GM followed... you can guess the results.

After all was said and done I wanted them to at least walk away with a lesson learned from this fiasco. Luckily the lesson fit in perfectly with the DT lessons that I had been teaching. DON'T UNDERESTIMATE YOUR OPPONENT! Regardless of the size of the "subject," it's impossible to guess the level of strength or skill that they possess by sight only. I think they were both a bit embarrassed, but in the end they seemed to take the lesson well. I've even offered to give them workout routines for the grippers. Two more hooked? Time will tell.

Sorry about the rambling nature of this, especially since it was supposed to be regarding workouts. But technically it is about the grippers. When they would fail on the grippers, they would then almost immediately challenge me to shut the gripper. I came about an 1/8" from closing my old #3 with a table no set. On a positive note I finally managed to close my PDA280 with a table no set! Then to make sure it wasn't a fluke, I managed it again. The #3 can't be too far away. Then the Cert GM will fall.

[MIKE HALEY RILEY CLOE]

Ben good luck on that GM no-set cert! I really like your lesson, I have had to use that myself on the " Bench specialists". Usually starts off with "I hear you are pretty strong" , which I do not claim to be. ( MAYBE for my size, I went down in bwt. from 170lbs. down to 153lbs, just to see if I could). Anyway depending on how cocky they are, I ususally hand them BBSM or #2 , and let them fail for a while then shut the BBGM or SM , just to show them that it can be done. I really like it when they say something like " well yea, but I bet you cant bench 300 or 400 or 500, or what ever the hell the number is that day. I usually just say " I never said I could" and just walk away. I am really not sure if that pisses them off, or the fact that some scrawny guy just showed them up in front of their buddies .

[bencrush]

9-18-04

Did some gripper work over midnight shift. The 14th was the first time I was able to close my PDA280 with a table no set. Today I beat that number to death.

TNS-PDA280-38 reps total ***PR***

It shouldn't be long now...if I can only transfer my new strength over to the CGM.

[FrankyBoy]

Good job, Ben.

Obviously I can't dare to do nothing for my no-set strength before my contest.

Todays hardcore workout, all with the right hand and all performed as no-set singles or attempts:

Singles

1x#T

1x#1

1x#2

1xTetting SM

Attempts

1xBBE

1xBBSE

1x#4

1x#4

1xBBSE

1xBBSE

1xBBE

1xRB210

1xTetting GM

1xTetting SM

Singles

2x1x#2

1x5x#1

Left hand

Some extra work for the weak left:

1x#T

4x1x#1

The battle continues...

[bencrush]

Great work Franky! I forgot to ask you what the handle spread is on your SM and GM. Mine is 2.75" and my hand is 7 and 7/8" long.

[bencrush]

9-20-04

And the Battle continues...

TNS-Trainer-10 singles

TNS-#1-5 singles-finally got this back from ANOTHER coworker!

TNS-#2-1

TNS-Cert SM-4 singles

TNS-#3-attemptX1

TNS-Cert GM-attemptX2+1 NEG

TNS-#3-Close on 47 playing cards-thanks to my girlfriend for this idea.

TNS-CGM-Close on 47 playing cards

NEG-HG300-4 singles

NEG-#3-1

NEG-Cert GM-1

The idea about closing a gripper on the playing cards was my girlfriend's. I'm sure somebody else here has thought of it before, but I never had. Easy to see exactly how close or far away you are to closing. 47 cards barely equals parallel on my grippers. I have gotten them slightly closer without the cards in place and on a good day.

[FrankyBoy]

My cert GM has a spread of 2 5/8" and my hands are a little under 7 5/8."

Todays attempt was around 3/8".

Thats going to be interesting.

[bencrush]

9-23-04

Another decent gripper workout on midnight shift. It's one of my last midnight shifts for another 28 or so days, so I thought I'd make full use of it and get in a bit of harder attempts with my right hand.

I skipped the warmup and went right into the big attempts. Didn't really notice any difference strength-wise.

TNS-CGM-Close on 45 cards+hold-1 ***PR***

TNS-CGM-Close on 43 cards+hold-1 ***PR***

TNS-#3-Close on 43 cards+hold-1

TNS-Cert GM-attemptX1

TNS-Cert SM-2

TNS-Short #2-5

TNS-Filed #2-4

TNS-RB180-4

TNS-Shiny HG250-3

TNS-RW HG250-2

TNS-#2-2

TNS-HG200-2

TNS-Filed Master-2

Bit by fractional bit I'm getting closer on this DAMN Cert GM. Maybe by the time I'm 75...

[FrankyBoy]

Don't worry Ben, you've all the time (I need).

Today a short test:

3xGM

best was the second one with <7mm or about 1/4".

I measured it using a nail with 7mm in diameter and could get contact with both sides of the nails with the handles.

Next time I'll try a 6mm nail.

[jad]

Great log guys, the cards thing is brilliant, I'd say she's a keeper.

[Darco]

THe Cards is very original. Nice

[bencrush]

She's definitely a keeper...she is closer than parallel on my 1999 #1. It's a bit harder than any other #1 I've laid hands on before. I might ask her to marry me when she finally closes it. Or maybe not.

[bencrush]

9-30-04

TNS-#2-25 sets of 5 reps

Varied the rest periods on this and just went for a nice "feel" in the hands. Not actually a pump, just a feeling.

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10-1-04

Just got a relatively new PDA262 and a filed PDA280 in the mail today. Thanks Dan!

TNS-PDA262-3 singles

Then I put it in a hose clamp and set the handle width at exactly 1" (hose clamps kick ass) and did 5 singles set style. Nice feel and probably very necessary with my terrible close strength. I usually "outrun" any gripper that I manage to close. And in fact, I bought one of the PDA chokers a good while back and had a hard time closing my #2s in the mostly closed position. Strange crap?

TNS-Filed PDA280-attemptsX3

Not even close on these attempts. Don't think I'd be too far away if I was fresh. And stronger.

[bencrush]

10-2-04

PDA262-hose clamp-set at 1"-266 reps total

These are very hard on my hands. I like them already. Same sort of feel as pause and bottom position benches. I think they'll help me work on my explosion.

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10-3-04

PDA262-hose clamp-set at 1"-400 reps total

Whoa! 400 is crazy hard on the hands. Duh, right? I've got a quarter size bruise on my right palm. Cool as hell though...the really good thing about this way of performing the reps is that without the sweep there's less wear and tear on the hands, at least overall.

May try to put my Cert GM in a hose clamp...key word is TRY. Tough bastard to crank that thing down, even on the 262.

[austinslater]

Benn,

Ive been doing some higher volume workouts lately as well and its a nice change of pace. Im having alot of fun and progress doing higher sets. Last couple of workouts have been doing as many sets of 5 as I can do with 1 min. rests. I got up to 30x5 with my last gripper workout. Just read where you had 18 grippers in your bag at work, sounds like me! lol Sounds like were about do for some trading

[FrankyBoy]

I still can't believe the volume you're doing Ben.

And I must wait til november before I really can enter this game.

[bencrush]

10-7-04

TNS-#2-6 sets of 6 reps

Felt kind of weak today and quit at only 6 sets of 6. I was hoping for 20 or more sets of 6. Oh well...

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10-9-04

Decided to add my block weight work into the log again. I think it has at least a little carryover to the grippers. But what the heck do I know? Only right hand listed.

25 Block Weight-Deadlift-FACE-1

30 Block Weight-Deadlift-FACE-1

35 York+5-Deadlift-FACE-1 ***PR***

35 York+7-Deadlift-FACE-1 ***PR!***

Probably could have done the 35 York with 10 attached with duct tape. But stopped at 7 for now. On the 5 I just duct taped a 5 pound plate to the bottom of the York. Then to get 7 I just taped a 2 pound dumbbell to the 5 pound plate. I should break down and buy a 40 York...

[bencrush]

10-9-04

Forgot to add that I did some gripper work at my girlfriend's brother's house. We recently bought him a set (T-#3) of grippers for the heck of it. Good times. He closed my #2 with a table no set! He's about 1/4" from closing his brand new #2 though. Strong guy. His #3 isn't nearly as hard as the other brand new #3s that I've tried lately. I couldn't close it though. #2 is pretty hard but not the hardest I've ran across. The #1 is about normal. The Trainer is the easiest I've tried.

[T Sands]

  I should break down and buy a 40 York...

←

Ben,

Buying the 40 would be a great idea! I have 30, 35, 40, 45, 50 block/blobs and the size change is interesting. I can pull my 30 & 35 from the floor to my shoulder pretty easily both regular grip and by the face, but still just a hair from pulling my 40 either way. The 40 is a little bigger each way, and the 45 & 50, well that is another story. In time they will all be launched into the air.

Good luck finding the 40, 45, Blob... and liftin them.

T

[bencrush]

I won't have much trouble finding the 40 block weight. I'll just buy an 80 pound hex block weight. I don't foresee much of a problem with lifting it by the face. But I might be terribly mistaken. It's happened before. Once.