Skinbones Training Log

[skinbones]

Hi everybody, my name's Jared, and I'm a gripoholic. After lurking silently on this board for the better part of a year, I thought I'd get serious about my problem, and get it out in the open. About me: I'm a 20 y.o. student, 6 foot 170#, although I wouldn't mind an increase in those stats.

I like to lift, train grip, cook, and drink beers & single malt, that's about the extent of my hobbies.

Maybe one day I'll post a pic and get a quote under my posts.

[skinbones]

Lately I've been practicing my main lifting once a week on the weekend, and doing grip whenever I feel like it. I just got some CHALK from APT, and wow, that stuff is great! My grip seemed to improve by 10% instantaneously! I think the motivation carried into my other lifts.

For the last several months I've been only doing deads, HSPU's, and pullups, every day but Sunday, which I see as my "strengthening and thinning" program. Now it's time for some thickening out, and packing on some muscle.

Squat (Narrow stance, high bar, below parallel)

5 x 135#

5 x 180

5 x 225

5 x 270

3,5 x 325 (the second set was easier than the first for some reason)

Bent-over Row

5 x 90#

5 x 135

5,5 x 180 (just started doing these)

Dips

5 x bw

5 x 25

5,5 x 50 (just started doing these)

Random grip stuff I did:

Plate curl 35#

L: 1x2, R: 2x3

Pinching hex dumbbells by face (whole dumbbells stood upright, as I don't have my own weights and hacksaw for blobs) I will post measurements as I get them. Does anyone do these, or are the cut-up weights superior?

L: 5 x 45# for 5s

R: 5 x 45# for 5s

R: 50# broke from ground

Grippers:

R: No-set #2 several times, #3 attempt to ~1/4" with wide set

L: No-set #2 2x, then set and repped

Left chalk all over the damn weightroom

I just got the KTA e-book and I'm gonna start on Monday!

[Soilworker]

Plate curl 35#

L: 1x2, R: 2x3

Are these the wrist curls or biceps curls with the wrist kept straight?

[skinbones]

Plate curl 35#

L: 1x2, R: 2x3

Are these the wrist curls or biceps curls with the wrist kept straight?

They're bicep curls, I keep the wrist straight, i.e. a straight line from the knuckle to elbow, as one might throw a straight punch (not that I'd do that, ever). I think the limiting factor is my bicep strenght, as I can barely curl a 50#er, and the plate exerts more torque cuz of the extended center of mass. My wrist curls are quite a bit lower, I can crank out 10 or more with each wrist with a 25#.

Question: Doing the wrist plate curls on a bench, how low do you go? I try to go below a 45 degree dip, but not quite 90 (straight down) and then I come up as far as possible. This seemed to be how Rick Walker was doing them in that combat hands or somethingorather article he wrote (good guide, btw).

[Left Side]

Where do you hold the plate, at the hole or at the rim? If you are holding the plate by the rim that's quite a feat. A vid maybe?

[skinbones]

Where do you hold the plate, at the hole or at the rim? If you are holding the plate by the rim that's quite a feat. A vid maybe?

Hey, thanks. I hold it by the rim, just Brookfield says to do in MOHS. "If you can perform reps with a 35lb plate, you have very strong wrists" (55). Sweet, I've never been very strong at anything! There's a guy who curls 55#, but he bends his wrists back a bit, which I think defeats some of the purpose.

http://www.prowriststraps.com/plate_curl_f...finger_strength

Wrists are probably my forte, even though they're a tiny 7" (6.5 when I started training, believe me I measured). I can lever an 8lb front, back, and side to side as they say, and I'm guessing I'd be good for at least 12# to touch the nose. Not nearing any records, but decent I think.

I don't have a camera, maybe I could use my cell phone for a still. I'll get a camerawoman some time in a few months, and post some vids, hopefully I'll mash a #3 or at least a BBGM by this time.

[skinbones]

Today was awesome, and by awesome I mean totally sweet. After walking 1 1/2 miles to attend my 9am class, I felt I deserved some "ME" time, so I went to the weightroom. I wussed out and warmed my hands up in a hot bath, then proceeded to

Power clean and push press

5 x 135

Burpees x 20

Realising this sh** is for athletes or prisoners, I wisely moved on to some BB'ing, and, rolling up my sleeves, proceeded to

wrist curls, thumbless

45x20

reverse wrist curls

45 x 15

finger curls

95 x 20

concentration curls - "visualize the peak"

30x10 each arm

35 x 8 each arm

chins, just to, you know, stretch the biceps

1x5

barbell wheel rolouts

1 x 5

After this I proceeded to prance about the weightroom, wearing nothing but a pink thong, squeezing 5lb dumbbells so my shoulder and arm striations would be more apparent.

Then I went to my PO Box, and as luck would have it, the latest Cigar Aficionado was sitting right there for me to grab! This calls for a day of making some martinis, and sipping on overpriced whiskys, possibly even going to the cocktail bar to show off my huge guns..

{so maybe not all of this is true, but with all my new grip toys in the mail, I had to postpone starting KTA, and that made me feel like a jerk. but I'm getting: Ironmind bag of nails, BBSM, a dipping belt, a blob50, and a BBSE with extended handle for negs. saweeet!}

[Left Side]

I just hope the thong part is made up.

And you curled a 35 the right way, damn! That is strong indeed.

[skinbones]

I almost forgot the rest of my BB routine.

chest crusher

CoC #2

CoC#3 x 5 (first time its been closed I think)

Do I need to fully close it to season the gripper? I should be doing more crushes though, just to practice for when my nails arrive!

And tonight I'll be doing vertical thick bar work, using a beer bottlee at the WU-TANG CLAN concert!

Edited February 7, 2006 by skinbones

[Left Side]

Don't expect a CoC to season much.

[BigT]

I almost forgot the rest of my BB routine.

chest crusher

CoC #2

CoC#3 x 5 (first time its been closed I think)

Do I need to fully close it to season the gripper? I should be doing more crushes though, just to practice for when my nails arrive!

And tonight I'll be doing vertical thick bar work, using a beer bottlee at the WU-TANG CLAN concert!

nice job

Edited February 9, 2006 by BigT

[Left Side]

I didn't know the Wu Tang Clan was still around.

If you want to prepare for bending then get some lever in there fool!

[skinbones]

>>If you want to prepare for bending then get some lever in there fool!

Good point. I have a homemade sledge, made from a 6 pound brick, a broomstick, and duct tape. The stick is almost 4 feet long, so the torque is about the same as an 8lb sledge. But this thing is too easy for just about every direction I can level, so I will look for another brick. These things are actually hard to come by in a city.

I figure letting the "sledge" lever forward is best for DO bending? I do the levering pretty much every day.

Edited February 10, 2006 by skinbones

[Left Side]

All the lever movements help, I wouln't leave any out. But that one is probably the most beneficial yes.

[skinbones]

HOYLE CRAPPER THIS STUFF IS HARD.

I got my nails today and IM cordura pads. Now, granted, I wasn't at my strongest, but this bending stuff is hard. The white and green are pretty easy, but...

3 x white nail

2 x green nail

1 x white nail behind back

1 x yellow nail to 20*

That yellow attempt really beat me down. I did these bend DO, but I will have to experiment a bit. I actually got the yellow only by doing a reverse grip. I will try some DU, but I am pretty sure I will do best at DO once I get technique down. I'm pretty sure I could get that yellow on a good day.

I have a lot more respect for you 60d and red benders out there!

[chrisof4]

HOYLE CRAPPER THIS STUFF IS HARD.

I got my nails today and IM cordura pads. Now, granted, I wasn't at my strongest, but this bending stuff is hard. The white and green are pretty easy, but...

3 x white nail

2 x green nail

1 x white nail behind back

1 x yellow nail to 20*

That yellow attempt really beat me down. I did these bend DO, but I will have to experiment a bit. I actually got the yellow only by doing a reverse grip. I will try some DU, but I am pretty sure I will do best at DO once I get technique down. I'm pretty sure I could get that yellow on a good day.

I have a lot more respect for you 60d and red benders out there!

Great job on the whites and greens. Unless you are just a real strong guy, you might find the jump between the green and yellow larger than you think. It took me several months to make the transition myself (I advance much slower than the average bender on this board, however). You might make the jump very quickly, but if you don't, I recommend two very useful intermediate materials. I think timber ties are the next step up from the green. After the timber ties, I find 6" x 1/4" hex head bolts are a good step. Once you master these, you are very close to the yellow. Another step in between the hex head bolts and the yellow are 1/4" round HRS like you find at Lowe's or Home Depot. Cut these to 6" and 5" lengths and bend in volume. From there, it was a very short step up to the yellow.

Hopefully you will bend the yellow much faster than I did, but if not, don't get discouraged. The jump is larger than most people realize. Good luck!

Chris

[Left Side]

You've kinked the yellow already, you'll kill it in no time.

Chris's list is the perfect transition from green to yellow. Just be sure to get G2 hex head bolts, not G5. Those come later.

[skinbones]

Hey, I appreciate the advice! I will get on a bus to HD one of these days. Or maybe just order some bolts on the internet.

Edited February 12, 2006 by skinbones

[skinbones]

Maybe the bending beat me up, but I had a real crappy workout today, which I will list below.

Squats:

5 x 135#

5 x 180

5 x 225

5 x 275

3, 1 x 335

There was this other guy who came into the weightroom, and when I got under the bar, he stood like three feet behind me and four to the left, just staring at me. His eyes made my butt heavier. Just cause someone is squatting your best leg press, doesn't mean you need to stare them down!

So I was going for 2x5 and missed. Will get it next week!

Bent-over rows

5 x 135#

5, 5 x 185

Weighted Dips

5 x bw

5 x bw + 25#

5 x bw + 47

4 x bw + 70

Wide pinch:

L, R: picked up 40, 45# dumbbells, failed with 50#

2-hand pinch

100#

125

135

140, 140

145-fail

some plate wrist curls:

L: 5 x 25#

R: 5 x 25#

I'm gonna try some more bending, and grippers if the bending doesn't go well.

Last week I ordered a weight belt and BBSM, but I'm still waiting. I had to use an extension cord for the weighted dips, but hey, it worked.

[skinbones]

You've kinked the yellow already, you'll kill it in no time.

Chris's list is the perfect transition from green to yellow. Just be sure to get G2 hex head bolts, not G5. Those come later.

SWEET!

I loaded up the yellow I kinked from last night, and MASHED that SOB! Had to use a reverse grip. Maybe I will practice more with that style.

Edited February 12, 2006 by skinbones

[Left Side]

What I tell ya.

Good stuff man!

[chrisof4]

You've kinked the yellow already, you'll kill it in no time.

Chris's list is the perfect transition from green to yellow. Just be sure to get G2 hex head bolts, not G5. Those come later.

SWEET!

I loaded up the yellow I kinked from last night, and MASHED that SOB! Had to use a reverse grip. Maybe I will practice more with that style.

Great job on the yellow!

You will own them in volume soon. =)

[skinbones]

Huzzah! I got my package from weighlifter's warehouse today, including dipping belt and BBSM.

I REALLY like the feel of the Beef Builder gripper! The knurling is great. The spread is 2 15/16" as compared to 2 13/16" for my 2005 #2 and 3" even for my 2005 #3.

With that said, there is a slight problem. Although I promised myself I would wait till the weekend to do anymore grip, as my forearms and wrists are shot from bending, I had to try the gripper. I TNS smashed it right out of the package! Didn't try with lefty yet.

Sadly, I have to immediately order the GM. This one better last a bit longer. With the toughness of the new CoC grippers I will probably have to close an Elite before I can get certed on the #3!

[skinbones]

Workout February 15

I checked my mail today and I got my book from ebay:

HOW TO MOLD A MIGHTY GRIP By GEORGE F. JOWETT

It's pretty cool for something written in the 30's. Talks about musculature of the forearm, bending & horseshoes, a lot of exercises with lipped barrels, sledge levering, plate pinching, and lifting books on a desk with the fingers to work the scissors muscles. And of course feats of strength with these and other exercises. Adrian Schmidt, who could pinch the bottom of a chain link with one thumb and forefinger and thereby do a pullup. Also intersting is that Jowett claims it is easier to do a plate pinch (he means one plate which is smooth on both sides) with some space between the palm and plate.

Didn't really work out today. I hung off a 2" wide vertical bar for a few seconds with either hand, the width doesn't seem to hurt my v-bar. And I did a few bench presses for the hell of it, working up to 175#.

[skinbones]

Workout Feb.16

Bench Press negative: 225# ouch

Military press: 45# x 25 supersetted with 65 x 10

Deadlift (Why?): 225#, 315#; 405# failed to lockout

BO rows: 135# x 5, 185 x 5; 225 x 4 with some cheating.

Grip:

DO 2" handle snatch grip deadlift (using shrug bar): 135#, 225, 245

DO rack pull: 315#, 405

rack pull: 495# x 2, 585 x 2

I am sore this morning, mainly my traps from those rack pulls. Not really sure why I deadlifted, cuz I have to squat saturday. Didn't really exert myself too much, as I could've locked out the 405 if I tried.