heatwave13 Posted November 20, 2004 Share Posted November 20, 2004 I have been working on the COC #2 for almost one year now and I still can't close the fricken thing. I am sooo close but I just can't get that last 1/8th inch. All my other lifts have gone up, especially my squat and barbell presses. I also use kettlebells religiously. The only other grip stuff I do is the coc #2 a couple of times per week. I don't do pinch grip stuff or thick bar work, unless you count the kettlebell, and I probably don't practice the #2 often enough. Those are reasons why I have not closed the thing yet. My next plan is to order a #3 and practice on it. I've read here that it is beneficial to practice on the next gripper up. Other than what I have said, is there anything I should do to speed up progress? Thanks for letting me rant. FF Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ishred Posted November 20, 2004 Share Posted November 20, 2004 get yourself a #1 and do strap holds. I train my grippers everyother day or so. One day i'll do reps on grippers on i can close and attempts on ones i can't. another day i'll do strap holds. next session i'll do negatives or high volume with an easier gripper. I think if you got a 3, it will improve your sweep, but you need something to help that final crush....strapholds. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pdoire Posted November 20, 2004 Share Posted November 20, 2004 Get KTA You will not only close that one....you will be well on your way to the #3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mooinabc1 Posted November 20, 2004 Share Posted November 20, 2004 Get the KTA and you master the #2 faster then you thought possible it a kick ass program. And get the BB super advanced by weightlifter warehouse. File the the #1 about 1/16 inch at frist and if too easy filed 1/8 inch down. Donot make mistake of filing the #1 too far down but just 1/16 at a time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neilkaz Posted November 20, 2004 Share Posted November 20, 2004 Paul's right...get the KTA. I'm a new guy here, too, and have only been training with pro strength grippers for a month now. Fortunately, I'd done a few exercises and things thoughout my life to aid grip a bit, so I'm also a frustrating 1/8' from closing the #2. It sounds like you're stuck at a plateau and if there's one thing I've learned in over 33 years of sometimes quite serious weight training, it is that when you are stuck at a point, change some things in your workout. It seems to me that your close could use a bit of improvement and that will get the job done. There's so much good advice in the many threads here and I've read much of it and will do my best to summarize it and what I say will be along lines of what I'm doing. Do you have the #1 ? If you do, file the ends of the handle(s) so that when you close it, you squeeze it 1/4 in more..ie file down the ends of each handle 1/8 inch. This will force you to squeeze slightly past the point of normal closure and hopefully build up your closing strength. Do something close to a 7 second overcrush with the filed #1 where you squeeze it with all you got when it is fully closed. Also, do strap holds with the filed #1 to work on closing strength. Don't have the #1 and just have the #2 ? OK, to work on closing strength use a choker or hose clamp to squeeze the handles down to parallel or even closer to close and then see if you can close it, having saved strength from not doing the initial sweep. With the #2 you can do negative crushes. These have helped me to get from 3/4' when I pulled my large spread HG250 out of the package a month ago, to 3/16' now. Since you are only an 1/8 away, use your other hand on the #2 or press it against your upper leg when it is almost closed and force it fully shut and then pull it away from your leg or pull the other hand away and squeeze with all you've got with the one hand for about 5-7 seconds. Initially, it will likely not stay 100% closed, but squeeze it as hard as you can anyhow. Your goal is not to hold it in place, but to squeeze it as hard as you can in the closed or almost closed position. If you have the #3 you can do negatives with that, as well, but, if you're like me, you won't yet be able to get it even close to an inch from closure, and with 2 hands it stil won't easily close and will pop open almost instantly with one hand alone. This negative will help your sweep somewhat, IMHO. My HG300 (small spread) I think is about a 2.4 and I my best squeeze can get it about 5/8 in from a full close. To me this is an ideal gripper for me to use for negative crushes since I can close it two-handed and keep it within 1/2 inch of closure for a few seconds of very hard squeezing once my other hand is pulled away. I think that with a little change in your routine, you'll close that #2 in no time at all as I hope to, myself. The stronger more experienced guys here may also contribute some great advice. I'll close by again stressing.. get the KTA ! ..neilkaz.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt Van Weele Posted November 21, 2004 Share Posted November 21, 2004 For you guys suggesting KTA have you got good results using it yourselfs? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pdoire Posted November 21, 2004 Share Posted November 21, 2004 For you guys suggesting KTA have you got good results using it yourselfs? ← Matt, I started grip 9/27 and could barely squeeze 140ip ISG about equal to IM#1 I guess. Now I overcrush with the #2 (which was my original goal gripper) and have reset my goals to the BBSM...I am 1/8 away from that with 5.5 more weeks to go. I think that is a good result..So that is why I will always recommend KTA. I had no grip experience at ll prior to it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
timster Posted November 21, 2004 Share Posted November 21, 2004 For you guys suggesting KTA have you got good results using it yourselfs? ← I own the KTA program, and I will be honest. It works extremely well. I went from over a half an inch away on the #1 to 1/16 of an inch away on the #2. I had to rest from tendonitis for about 3 weeks and I enter my second week of KTA tomorrow... But I don't like the fact that the KTA program could not be printed out so I could read it in my chair with a beer.... Or carry it around and read it. I guess in a sense the grip world is very small so wannagrip can't allow it to be shared? In my opinion it is an unfounded fear. Allow me to give a personal example: I also purchased and own John Brookfield's book, "The Mastery of Hand Strength." I have read it from cover to cover many times and carry it around with me sometimes to reread. I have offered to friends of mine who are into grip and they have no interest in the book. This is a book that can be shared, copied, and carried around, yet no one I know wants to read it. However it doesn't affect me because I know how to print it out and carry it around anyways, and I have printed it out and I do carry it around, except for the videos. Trying to charge to access an online KTA forum is laughable. Many more "books" would have been sold if the that forum was free... So to conclude: I highly recommend KTA because it will ramp your strength up dramatically. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mooinabc1 Posted November 21, 2004 Share Posted November 21, 2004 Sorry Matt Van Weele I find your comment on the negative side with no motivation to help the gripper who just start or trying to find some find the best help possible. And find your comment in general. Do not critize the KTA program till you try it. I find it is the best way to get unconfused with grip training. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pdoire Posted November 21, 2004 Share Posted November 21, 2004 timster, I made the same mistake as you in your assumptions about the access to the KTA programs. I then found out that that revenue is what keeps this forum running. I humbly changed my tune.... mooinabc1, I don't think Matts reply was disrespectful in any way. There is so much talk about KTA on here...he may just have been curious about some "actual" results. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sybersnott Posted November 21, 2004 Share Posted November 21, 2004 My next plan is to order a #3 and practice on it. I've read here that it is beneficial to practice on the next gripper up. Other than what I have said, is there anything I should do to speed up progress? ← In addition to KTA, get and use a good grip machine; a basic plate loader like the NYB machine or the BB machine will help. You also must specialize - drop everything else grip and concentrate solely on your crush to bring it up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Piche Posted November 21, 2004 Share Posted November 21, 2004 "You also must specialize - drop everything else grip and concentrate solely <insert grip feat here> to bring it up." This is key and one of the keys to success in any grip feat IMO. Most must specialize in the particular feat to be at their best. At least that's the case for me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ironorr Posted November 21, 2004 Share Posted November 21, 2004 "You also must specialize - drop everything else grip and concentrate solely <insert grip feat here> to bring it up." Ditto! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
foggymountainmuscle Posted November 21, 2004 Share Posted November 21, 2004 Bill, if I recall right aren't you one of the biggest advocates on the board for the benifits of pinch training for crush? I know that many people have quick success with specialization with their grip goals but how do those two ideas fit together? Heatwave mentinoned how he did not train his pinch and I have not seen this suggestion to train it mentioned so far and I thought it odd... Two and one finger pinching helps my finger strength emensely. An obvious addition would be some extensor work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nagual Posted November 21, 2004 Share Posted November 21, 2004 Doing negatives and holds with a stronger gripper in a choker set at about parallell works best for me... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.