My First Time With My New Formulator

[WildGorillaMan]

Based on commentary from FORMULATOR users on gripboard.com whose opinions I trust, I'm loading weight at the very end of the pin, to maximize the leverage disadvantage at the outset. Over time, as weight goes on, and loads down the bar, instead of up, progress won't grind to a screeching halt the way it does when you start training with the weight at the bottom of the pin, and laod upwards.

Wrist Extension: My goodness, this is a tremendous tool for hitting these muscles, without stressing out the thumbs. Believe me, I am going to be pounding the crap out of the tops of my forearms with this device from now on.

Wrist Flexion: While I was predictably weaker on the extension, and I had to load more weight to feel the burn on flexion, I didn't like the way the foam pad started to dig into the crease of my wrist at the end of every rep. Maybe I have the pad/handle too far down my hand. Some experimentation is in order. Still, once I get that ironed out, this move may also be a winner. As I type this, my forearms are swelling with blood, and it's getting harder to hit the right keys. On a positive note, the Wrist Curls exceeded my expections, as I can not do bench tip wrist curls with an olympic bar, due to the way my wrists bend at a funny angle. The shallow "V" shape of the FORMULATOR allows me to curl the weight up, without the grinding inside my wrists that accompany barbell table wrist curls.

Workout was short and sweet (cut and pasted from my log):

Extension: 5lbs x18/x20/x20 holy crap. sets done with forearms on a bench, and kneeling as if in prayer. totally strict, totally isolation. fantastic emphasis on the extensors!

Flexion: 12.5lbs x30 too easy/22.5lbs x12/x8 and I was done, done like dinner. I don't like how the foam pad digs into my wrist at the end of each rep. I'm going to have to figure something out.

I would certainly appreciate some constructive suggestions about the pad-digging-into-the-wrists thing.

WOOT WOOT DIGGY DIGGY!

[Rick Browne]

Try pulling your hands back so that the back edge of the pad sits about in the middle of the back of the hand. Or perhaps maybe an inch and a half forward of the wrist crease. Your fingers should still be able to just curl over the front edge of the hand bar. You may also have to adjust the pad down a bit to insure a snug fit.

With the edge of the pad wedged that far back, you could be compressing the 9 little wrist bones that lie just in front of the ends of the forearm bones or wrist junction.

Try and not squeeze the hand bar too tight with the fingers, more of a relaxed firm grip. Concentrate on the forearm muscle moving the hands and F.

[WildGorillaMan]

Thank you very much Rick/zcor, I appreciate that. I will experiment further!

[OldGuy]

What made you buy the Formulator rather than the Pegasus2?

[WildGorillaMan]

Politics.

[WildGorillaMan]

I'll tell you all right now, I'm going to retract the asinine comments that I have made about taking the thumb out of the wrist extension equation being for sissies. I don't advocate squatting on a wobble ball "to make squats harder" so why should the thumb hold you back from targeting the extensors? I feel way more impact in the extensor group with the FORMULATOR than I ever did with barbell reverse wrist curls.

So there. A Gorilla can change his spots, or whatever.

[Roark]

It has been a month, WGM. Any updates?

[WildGorillaMan]

It has been a month, WGM. Any updates?

At the moment, I've been slacking on it while I peak for a PL meet June 3rd.

Best sets so far have been extension with 10lbs for 9 1/2 reps, and flexion with 22.5lbs for 17reps, with the weight at the far end of the pin.

Woo, I'm setting the Iron Game on fire.