rfirment Posted January 13, 2005 Share Posted January 13, 2005 (edited) A little about me first: I just started grip training about a month ago after finding the IM site and seeing the grippers. I got the Trainer and found it respectable. I then ordered the #1 a few days later. After two weeks I was doing sets of 8 with the #1. I then ordered the #2 and #3 was wowed by their size. I can now close the #2 for 8 reps. I am about 1/2" away with the #3. As a test, I put one handle of the #3 in a vise and had my full weight pressing down on the other and almost closed it. I weigh 275 so it seems that this gripper is pretty close to the advertised 280. I am following the IM rules on setting. I don't have any weightlifting or sports background and have never been one with good gym strength (bench is 220) and workout rarely, need to start though. I have always had above average "practical" strength. I quickly found that training my grip every 3 days works for me. As a newbie I was unclear of exactly what a "set" involved. I saw a thread about the new IM certification rules that allows very little setting and how upset many people were about this. One video I saw was a slow, no-set close of a #3, which was very impressive. After seeing some other videos of closings I was surprised to see how far it was acceptable to use your other hand in setting the gripper. I don't mean to be disrespectful but it seems to me that this is cheating. Either you can close it with one hand or not. I understand that closing last inch or so still requires great strength. My closest analogy would be that when benchpressing you are not allowed to have help in lowering the weight. I am a rookie at this but that is my impression on the subject. Please don't flame me too hard. Age 40 Ht. 6'6" Wt. 275 Hand 8/3/4 Edited January 13, 2005 by rfirment Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Piche Posted January 13, 2005 Share Posted January 13, 2005 Welcome to the board! A new member comes on here and posts on a very controversial subject in their very first post. Just to let you know, and this is natural on discussion forums, alarm bells go off in people when someone does this. We also don't flame here on the gripboard or at least we don't condone it. So, you won't get flamed. I think a lot of members train with both a set and no-set. Some train with just a set. Some train and never set. There's also hand size considerations in setting versus non setting. Given two equal gripsters in strength, one has a 7 inch hand and one has a 9 inch hand, the 9 inch guy's no set performance will be better assuming all other things are equal. Yup, that's just the way it is. That's why you don't find too many 5'2" guys in the NBA. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
t_rex Posted January 13, 2005 Share Posted January 13, 2005 /me looks at 7" hands connected to 5'4" body. Lol. Setting is essential 80% of the time for me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rfirment Posted January 13, 2005 Author Share Posted January 13, 2005 I understand that for someone with smaller hands setting is necessary to some degree. Most of the videos I see are of big guys using the set when they don't need it. Setting to almost parallel, as I understand was allowed by IM, does seem a bit excessive though. I don't want to step on anyones toes, I was just trying to express my first impressions as a new guy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
t_rex Posted January 13, 2005 Share Posted January 13, 2005 I understand that for someone with smaller hands setting is necessary to some degree. Most of the videos I see are of big guys using the set when they don't need it. Setting to almost parallel, as I understand was allowed by IM, does seem a bit excessive though.I don't want to step on anyones toes, I was just trying to express my first impressions as a new guy. ← I know what you mean by that. When setting, I try to minimise the close as much as possible. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RSW Posted January 13, 2005 Share Posted January 13, 2005 I would say that setting is a partial ROM exercise, and a one handed close is the bonafide full ROM. With your handsize you should have no problem positioning a gripper with one hand. My hands are a little under 8" and I find that setting gives me ~15% more strength. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ishred Posted January 13, 2005 Share Posted January 13, 2005 i fall into the "have to set most of the time category". with smaller hands, its really hard to get leverage on the gripper. Also, no setting is not smooth with smaller hands. I can noset my #2, but i can't just put the gripper in my hand and close.....i have to fumble with it to position it in my palm correctly, then start pulling the gripper closed with 2 fingers, start to get other fingers on it, then start trying to wrap my fingers around the handle as it gets closer. It's very hard to be explosive when you have to keep adjusting your fingers on the gripper. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clay Edgin Posted January 13, 2005 Share Posted January 13, 2005 Welcome! My hands are 7 7/8" and I have relatively short fingers compared to my palm so I deep set the gripper because I'm stronger this way and the deep set strength actually carries over to the no-set or credit card set strength. To use the bench press analogy, I train the lockout of the gripper because I can handle more weight (spring tension), and that carries over very well to the full range gripper closes. In fact, just recently I've been training all my gripper squeezes with a choker on top of the spring, which holds the handles of the gripper about 1" apart so I don't have to set it at all. That way I can work on just crushing the crap out of it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
foggymountainmuscle Posted January 13, 2005 Share Posted January 13, 2005 When I was new to grippers I considered setting to be cheating too, but I found as I got into the stronger grippers that with no set I was unable to get my fingers in the proper position to crush the gripper, it felt like I had to push the handle closed with the ends of my fingers rather than crushing the handles together. Realize that torsion spring grippers are just springs with handles on them, they are not designed specifically to fit in the human hand and setting the gripper over comes this greatly by placing it in a less skewed position with the fingers actually wrapped around the handled, like the way you normally grip something. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Piche Posted January 13, 2005 Share Posted January 13, 2005 You won't step on toes. This topic gets discussed often. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danegarreau Posted January 13, 2005 Share Posted January 13, 2005 Personally, i like setting the gripper in a choker so that you can get good hand positon(this will vary person to person). I also like training deep sets and no sets. IMO, it will make you more well rounded if you do both. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Razorman Posted January 14, 2005 Share Posted January 14, 2005 Personally, i like setting the gripper in a choker so that you can get good hand positon(this will vary person to person).I also like training deep sets and no sets. IMO, it will make you more well rounded if you do both. ← My hand isn't even 7.5 in. It's above 7.25 but not by much. I need to set. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danegarreau Posted January 14, 2005 Share Posted January 14, 2005 Personally, i like setting the gripper in a choker so that you can get good hand positon(this will vary person to person).I also like training deep sets and no sets. IMO, it will make you more well rounded if you do both. ← My hand isn't even 7.5 in. It's above 7.25 but not by much. I need to set. ← My hand is 7.5''. So i need to set also to get the gripper in any kind of good position. But i feel by doing both set and no set closes my hands will become more well rounded and stronger as a whole. Not trying to be a set basher or anything, lol. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Razorman Posted January 14, 2005 Share Posted January 14, 2005 Personally, i like setting the gripper in a choker so that you can get good hand positon(this will vary person to person).I also like training deep sets and no sets. IMO, it will make you more well rounded if you do both. ← My hand isn't even 7.5 in. It's above 7.25 but not by much. I need to set. ← My hand is 7.5''. So i need to set also to get the gripper in any kind of good position. But i feel by doing both set and no set closes my hands will become more well rounded and stronger as a whole. Not trying to be a set basher or anything, lol. ← Well sure, but I ain't never closing the #4 no set. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bearcat 74 Posted January 14, 2005 Share Posted January 14, 2005 Snott, I deleted your post where you flamed rfirment. Calling people an idiot and being flat out rude to a new guy is no way to act. Way to keep up the integrity of the board......... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
climber511 Posted January 14, 2005 Share Posted January 14, 2005 I pretty much avoid the set - no set arguement. I use a deep set, then a little less set and so on as a training tool for closing harder grippers - with a no set or credit card set as an end goal with a particular gripper. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sybersnott Posted January 14, 2005 Share Posted January 14, 2005 Snott, I deleted your post where you flamed rfirment. Calling people an idiot and being flat out rude to a new guy is no way to act. Way to keep up the integrity of the board......... ← Because I used the word, "idiot"?? Is THAT being rude? HE IS ACCUSING US OF "CHEATING". What about that, Heath? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dave Posted January 14, 2005 Share Posted January 14, 2005 i personally train with a set 10x more than no set. i set the first gripper i was handed and wasnt "shown" it. just came natrual to put the gripper in the best leverage spot from the git go to me. i do occaisionally do the c.c set and a no set , altho it dont feel natural to me. i have larger than avg hands, not the biggest, but more bigger than most. in order to git my pinky on the handle i still have to set it. whcih naturally makes my no set not as strong. either way, set or no set, its all good to me Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bearcat 74 Posted January 14, 2005 Share Posted January 14, 2005 Snott, I deleted your post where you flamed rfirment. Calling people an idiot and being flat out rude to a new guy is no way to act. Way to keep up the integrity of the board......... ← Because I used the word, "idiot"?? Is THAT being rude? HE IS ACCUSING US OF "CHEATING". What about that, Heath? ← That has been said on here before by numerous people, John. Personally, I could give two piles of steaming donkey poo if someone thinks I am cheating by using a set. It's not like gripping is a major life changing event. Lighten up. If you look at it really, using a set would be like bench pressing half way because you have long arms and the guy you lift with has short arms. He's moving the weight 12" you are moving it 20", so you stop 8" short so you can be comparable. As for the word idiot. If I say, "I think anyone who gets on the internet and acts like they know everything is an idiot." That is a broad statement. If I say, "John Hicks is an idiot." That is a rude flaming statement and would probably get deleted. Incase you are just to shallow to see the difference the first one is a broad statement that is pointing the finger at morons in general, the second is a flame with the finger pointed at someone.............. Use a set, don't use a set. No sets are probably more benifical to total hand strength and will have more carry over I think. Setting a gripper will allow a bigger gripper to be closed in a short time. With work you can no set what you can set I think. Most new people that don't know what they are doing with a gripper will simply squeeze, they have no idea how to set or even position a gripper. Just to what you feel comfortable with and go with it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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