Zakath Posted June 27, 2005 Share Posted June 27, 2005 Hello everyone, this is the deal, in the last month I have lost about 20kg on my v-bar and my results is not improving :/ What I changed before I lost these 20kgs is my v-bar so I now have a LGC-replica, I have also lost a few pounds bw ( ) and I tend not to psych up very much before a lift. But I can't understand why I don't get any stronger. I fear I have stagnated since I have trained the same since I started (about 5 singles every week/hand, raise by 5kg next week if succesful). So any tips or schemes on how to change my training from experienced v-bar lifters would be very much appreciated! I got until sometime in August to regain my strength for the Euro Champs. Thanks beforehand! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DuTCH Posted June 27, 2005 Share Posted June 27, 2005 (edited) I feel strange for replying on this message, as you say you want advice from experienced v-bar lifters. Well, i am not experienced, but i am strong on it. I try to tell what i do. I have been doing v-bar since january february, on a very slick, too short loading pin. Its stainles slippery steel, about 38 cm. Somehow, when i managed 125 kg on the slippery , it translated to 155kg both hands on a LGC- bar. Bodyweight doesn't matter. I think you should review the placing of your hand, there is a sweet spot i believe for v-bar lifting. I rug my hand against it, and when it is 'sweet' i just lock the hand. Once a week for me, going for maximum everytime. If the max lift isn't in it, for example 120, i will stay around 110 for singles. Maybe 3-5 singles. Good luck! Edited June 27, 2005 by DuTCH Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zakath Posted June 27, 2005 Author Share Posted June 27, 2005 I feel strange for replying on this message, as you say you want advice from experienced v-bar lifters. Well, i am not experienced, but i am strong on it. I try to tell what i do. I have been doing v-bar since january february, on a very slick, too short loading pin. Its stainles slippery steel, about 38 cm. Somehow, when i managed 125 kg on the slippery , it translated to 155kg both hands on a LGC- bar. Bodyweight doesn't matter. I think you should review the placing of your hand, there is a sweet spot i believe for v-bar lifting. I rug my hand against it, and when it is 'sweet' i just lock the hand. Once a week for me, going for maximum everytime. If the max lift isn't in it, for example 120, i will stay around 110 for singles. Maybe 3-5 singles. Good luck! ← Thanks for the reply, you might be right about that "sweet spot", I think I get it right sometimes and then it's easy, next lift everything gets to crap again Congratulations to those 155kg lifts in the comp btw You seem to be training almost exactly like me, so if there is anyone that trains in any other way that have worked fine I would be very glad to hear about it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mikael Siversson Posted June 28, 2005 Share Posted June 28, 2005 Hello everyone, this is the deal, in the last month I have lost about 20kg on my v-bar and my results is not improving :/ What I changed before I lost these 20kgs is my v-bar so I now have a LGC-replica, I have also lost a few pounds bw ( ) and I tend not to psych up very much before a lift. But I can't understand why I don't get any stronger. I fear I have stagnated since I have trained the same since I started (about 5 singles every week/hand, raise by 5kg next week if succesful). So any tips or schemes on how to change my training from experienced v-bar lifters would be very much appreciated! I got until sometime in August to regain my strength for the Euro Champs. Thanks beforehand! ← Viktor, Once a lifter has figured out the technique in the v-bar lift, gains come slowly. A 5k gain in a year is good so be patient. This quality, patience, wins more competitions than any other I can think of. It takes a number workouts for a LGC v-bar replica to season. In the beginning chalk does not build up very well. Do the 5 singels include warmup? If it does, you need to add more volume; would 5 singels a week build strength in the pinch or any other grip exercise? Not for me. Some people, like yourself, excel in competition by taking their strength to a higher level once they step onto the platform. In the final 10 v-bar workouts leading up to the LGC X in December 2003 (my last competition) I averaged 131k with my left hand. In the actual competition I pulled 145k. I am always much stronger in competition in the v-bar than I am in training. This seems to apply to you as well. For others it is the opposite. The v-bar lift is not like grippers and pinch, which both are generally not very painful. The v-bar is more like an all out bending attempt. You really have to put your mind into it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr.Moose Posted June 28, 2005 Share Posted June 28, 2005 Well.... I've never done any V-bar lifting but got a general idea about training, have been working out for over 30 years and I'm a SBBF Level 3 instructor. How long have you been training the same way? The body seems to get used to a program after a while and you don't get any results or very slow progress. What it you changed up your training a bit, instead of singles try 3 or 5 rep rep max, or maybe timed holds for a couple of weeks. I'm pretty sure that when you go back to your original program the results will come quicker. BUT, as I said I got NO experiance regarding the V-bar lift so maybe this don't apply. Just an idea for what it's worth? Good luck Claes Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zakath Posted July 21, 2005 Author Share Posted July 21, 2005 I am sorry for not replying earlier, but my internet have been broken and my motivation have not really been on top BUT, I have built myself a small "grip-gym" in the garage with about 230kgs of weights! So now I can train a bit more often, especially the v-bar and one-hand lift. But the problem remains, something is wrong with my v-bar strength Today I almost missed all my attempts on a puny 120kgs... I am suspecting my LGC-replica to have become defect actually, since its beginning to rust very easily, especially where the chalk have been. I think the chalk attracts moisture which makes it rust very fast, this may have made my replica extra slippery. At least it feels so, because I can´t understand where those 20kgs of my lift has gone I try to keep the volume rather high, about 5 max attempts, not including warmup. But I have also added one extra workout with the v-bar where I try not to max out and do lighter weigths and som other stuff. I really hope this will help, but I fear a last position in the v-bar event at the euros, that's at least where my confidence lies at the moment. Many thanks for your answers! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DuTCH Posted July 21, 2005 Share Posted July 21, 2005 I'll let you in on a few secrets after the contest Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mikael Siversson Posted July 21, 2005 Share Posted July 21, 2005 (edited) I am sorry for not replying earlier, but my internet have been broken and my motivation have not really been on top BUT, I have built myself a small "grip-gym" in the garage with about 230kgs of weights! So now I can train a bit more often, especially the v-bar and one-hand lift. But the problem remains, something is wrong with my v-bar strength Today I almost missed all my attempts on a puny 120kgs... I am suspecting my LGC-replica to have become defect actually, since its beginning to rust very easily, especially where the chalk have been. A v-bar of this type will only degenerate significantly if it is kept in a moist environment for an extended period of time. If it rusts at its present location you should store it in a drier place. The steel-chalk-skin interaction is complex and dependant on relative humidity and temperature. In cold and dry air you should use a minimum of chalk, just enough to provide a thin cover on your hands. In warm and moist air you need much more chalk in my experience for best result. Dip you hand into the chalk bucket and don't brush it off. I don't want to be critical (big fat lie ), but you seem to find faults with the Euro standard equipment where no-one else does it. You described the pinch discs as pitted and degenerated (when I demonstrated consistent results by competitors from the start with the Euro set up) in general and now we have a defect v-bar. What's next? You will not advance in this sport if you give up so easily. Gains do not come easily for most when they have to add grip strength in five different events at the same time. Look at the Swizz who has added strength in a slow almost sneaky way without making much noise about it. Now he is suddenly one of the best in Europe after several years of experimenting and thoughtful planning of his training. Don't blame the equippment for poor results. I normally gain about 25k in total at competitions in the v-bar and this might apply for you as well. Experiment with the amount of chalk you use and keep in mind that you may get a big boost from being in a competition setting like I do. I think the chalk attracts moisture which makes it rust very fast, this may have made my replica extra slippery. At least it feels so, because I can´t understand where those 20kgs of my lift has gone I try to keep the volume rather high, about 5 max attempts, not including warmup. But I have also added one extra workout with the v-bar where I try not to max out and do lighter weigths and som other stuff. I really hope this will help, but I fear a last position in the v-bar event at the euros, that's at least where my confidence lies at the moment. Many thanks for your answers! ← Edited July 21, 2005 by Mikael Siversson Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mobsterone Posted July 21, 2005 Share Posted July 21, 2005 Ahh The Swiss (as opposed to Swizz - he he) - the man is an enigma and an inspiration. I have written as much elsewhere about attitude being as much a part of success as effort in the gym. While some are loud (who me? ) and others not so the one common denominator which all the top 10-20 or even 30 enjoy is a determination to over come hardship, pain and sweat in order to succeed. Also many here train on bars far more slippery than a actual v-bar. Mine is a power rack pin and every time I slide it in and out (oooo ) it scrapes off some chalk from the gripping point. The more you lift on a slippery bar the better you will be on a chalk encrusted official v-bar. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zakath Posted July 21, 2005 Author Share Posted July 21, 2005 Mikael, I have not given up, only temporarily lost the confidence in my v-bar skill And to defend myself against your ”accusations”, I did never call the pinch apparatus defect or anything like that, I was just curious about the more seasoned grip surface of it. To make myself clear I think it’s an excellent apparatus. I did not either call ”THE” LGC v-bar replica defect, I called ”MY” replica defect. And it is, since it’s rusted due to it being stored in an obviously too moist environment. You seem to think I have something against the Euro standard equipment, which I don’t have, I think the standardization is great! Just a small input, you say the v-bar replica is needed to be kept in a moist environment for an extended period of time. I can’t say I fully agree, since I found rust on my replica (note: MY) after just a couple of days, exactly on the spot where I had left several fingerprints with chalk when moving the replica (not on the normal gripping spot, but lower down, near the weights). Please try to understand I’m just a bit depressed over my v-bar results. I’m not starting a war or something. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zakath Posted July 21, 2005 Author Share Posted July 21, 2005 Mobsterone, I think you hit the spot. It may very well be my motivation, not much to do about it more than discussing and and thinking about it on the gripboard though J Usually that gets me my motivation back And Mikael, the thing you wrote about using different amount of chalk varying on the climate was very interesting! And that may actually have taken a few kilos away, since I’ve almost run out of chalk and have used it very sparsely. Well tomorrow I’m buying more, hope that helps! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mikael Siversson Posted July 22, 2005 Share Posted July 22, 2005 Just a small input, you say the v-bar replica is needed to be kept in a moist environment for an extended period of time. ← Read my post again. You should certainly not keep it in a humid area. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zakath Posted July 22, 2005 Author Share Posted July 22, 2005 Just a small input, you say the v-bar replica is needed to be kept in a moist environment for an extended period of time. ← Read my post again. You should certainly not keep it in a humid area. ← Sorry, I forgot to finish the sentence, the continue should be "...extended period of time to rust." My wrong. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the swiss Posted July 25, 2005 Share Posted July 25, 2005 Mikael and Steve thanks for the kind words. Zakath: the first time I tried the LGC bar I lifted 120kg. For the next 4-5 months or so I got 125kg a few times and 130kg once but no real progress was visible. I needed a lot of experimenting (and skin tearing) to position my hand correctly and find what suited me best, and found that competition adrenalin boosted my poundages a LOT. This lift is a strange lift for me. Now with a seasonned bar and clarified technique I find progress to be a little bit more consistent, but skin tears is always was is slowing me down. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zakath Posted July 27, 2005 Author Share Posted July 27, 2005 Mikael and Steve thanks for the kind words.Zakath: the first time I tried the LGC bar I lifted 120kg. For the next 4-5 months or so I got 125kg a few times and 130kg once but no real progress was visible. I needed a lot of experimenting (and skin tearing) to position my hand correctly and find what suited me best, and found that competition adrenalin boosted my poundages a LOT. This lift is a strange lift for me. Now with a seasonned bar and clarified technique I find progress to be a little bit more consistent, but skin tears is always was is slowing me down. ← Thanks for sharing. The problem for me is that my training weights have dropped (!) around 20kgs. For no apparent reason since all other grip training is going well. But I realise there is no gain in pondering more about this, I'll just keep training and we'll see how it goes at the euros Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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