Guest yactoid Posted June 5, 2002 Share Posted June 5, 2002 I have a few questions about gripping. I know VERY little, and am not sure if I even want to persue it, but it seems like a lot of fun. First question - this is going to sound pretty strange, but when you work on your grip, do your hands become harder? - I have very soft hands, and while it may not be very masculine - I like them (and so does my girlfriend) - think of mice and men. Second. I once saw a feat performed, and it may have been a trick, but after finding this and other places, I thought it might be a grip-trick. Is it possible to rip an apple in half? The "trick" I saw was this, the apple was gripped with the guys thumbs on the top (almost IN the dip at the top), and forefingers curled at the bottom (second joint ON the bottom). Then he just pulled it apart. Third (Just thought of this). is it possible to crush raw egg or is this just impossible due to human limits? (not in crushing power, but in shape, etc) Thank you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nathan Say Posted June 5, 2002 Share Posted June 5, 2002 1. I think most guys have hands like an old leather boot. I want hands like that. No girly hands for me! :crazy 2. tearing an apple isn't very hard. I don't think there's even much if a trick to it, just keep digging yer thumbs into one side Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blueshadow Posted June 5, 2002 Share Posted June 5, 2002 Jeezuz,yactoid, If you like soft pretty hands and are not sure you want to train grip,you are in the wrong board! Look around I'm sure you can find one that is better suited to your tastes!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest yactoid Posted June 5, 2002 Share Posted June 5, 2002 I'm pretty sure I DO want to train grip, but I'm asking if its possible NOT to get hands all leathery... I started working with my old power-putty and that has no effect on hands (of course), but the CoCs seem to be VERY rough on the hands (I do not own one yet) Are soft hands and grip strength mutually exclusive? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roark Posted June 5, 2002 Share Posted June 5, 2002 If your hands become leathery, you will see it coming in stages- not all at once. And you can back off anytime you decide. I predict that that time will coincide with when you can close the trainer for about 8 reps. If you are serious about wanting to avoid roughened hands (and hardened forearms?) then truly you are in the wrong place. Just as walking barefoot for long periods of time will harden the bottoms of your feet, so will manipulating grippers harden your hand skin. A small price to pay for most of us here, but it is your call. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest yactoid Posted June 5, 2002 Share Posted June 5, 2002 I do want the hardend forearms - just not the rough hands - maybe gloves, or maybe nothing. I'll be purchasing a CoC trainer as soon as I get a bank account (or are there any stores that cary them?) In the mean time, I'll work on pinch and hanging from my chin bar, and of course still masshing that power putty... Thanks for the replies. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Jeff Roark Posted June 5, 2002 Share Posted June 5, 2002 My girlfreind says she loves my rough hands... she says she would think I was a p@$$y if I had soft little girl hands. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tou Posted June 5, 2002 Share Posted June 5, 2002 One of my tennis partner is a VERY hot 17 years old girl. And I mean very very hot girl. She asked me to put some solar cream on her back and made some nice remarks on the toughness of my hands. My fingers are not pretty (thanks to KTA !) but they are strong. The girl liked my hands even tough they are far from being good looking. If only she was a few years older ??? :crazy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roark Posted June 5, 2002 Share Posted June 5, 2002 Tou, Are you saying you have callouses older than she is? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Piche Posted June 5, 2002 Share Posted June 5, 2002 Are you a troll? If not, try Eskimo Mittens to avoid getting your hands all nasty and rough. Also, Jergen's Lotion applied at 1 hr intervals throughout the day will help keep them soft and lovely. P.S. I guess this means that bleeding fingers and nails probably isn't to the extreme you want to go to, where for most here it's "normal" or given casual thought. Then again, maybe not Snott. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Griparn Posted June 5, 2002 Share Posted June 5, 2002 I really want hard and rough hands. I don't want to have hands like women. Nowadays I try to work my hands every day.(don't mean train them) And I have seen that they have became more "hard", and that is good =) But this is my opiniun... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest yactoid Posted June 5, 2002 Share Posted June 5, 2002 I am really not a troll, I didn't think my question would get this much attention, I just wanted to know if it was possible to have both things, its not even that big of a deal (thanks for the mitten tip). Noone has anwsered my third question - about the egg, is it even possible (I know it is with a ring on - Thanks Mr. Wizard!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roark Posted June 5, 2002 Share Posted June 5, 2002 We thought it was a yolk- that you were egging us on- trying to crack our protective shell, fry us, or scramble our thoughts. We now return to sunny side up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blueshadow Posted June 5, 2002 Share Posted June 5, 2002 Yeah, it's over, easy!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sybersnott Posted June 6, 2002 Share Posted June 6, 2002 Wanna.... I SWEAR it's NOT me!! :p Uh, Yac (can I call you Yac?).... on this forum we grip train, and since most of us are training to close the #3, we are not that concerned with having "pretty hands". Hard grip training is brutal on the skin, and although hand lotion might help... it's not 100 percent. That being said, I ask you "Do you want strong powerful hands?". If the answer is "yes", then welcome - you've come to the right place. And that crushing eggs question.... GIVE ME A BREAK!!!! :crazy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aatu Posted June 6, 2002 Share Posted June 6, 2002 Yactoid, First of all, welcome to the board. If you are really worried about getting callouses and hardened/leathered skin on your hands from using the COC grippers, just put some tape on the handles. That way you won't have a problem with getting callouses and rough skin. You can't get certified with a gripper whose handles are taped, though. But if I remember you said you were going to order an Ironmind trainer so this won't be a problem for you for quite a while. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
James Anacleto Posted June 6, 2002 Share Posted June 6, 2002 Tou - How old are you? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul valpreda Posted June 6, 2002 Share Posted June 6, 2002 Bikini babes love tough, rugged, and very strong hands. It's as simple as that! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tou Posted June 6, 2002 Share Posted June 6, 2002 Just turned 24. I'm a teacher and that kind of flirting with too young girls could take me my job. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest map12345 Posted June 7, 2002 Share Posted June 7, 2002 Tou, you're only 24... and you pull a 400 and something deadlift, if I remember correctly? -map Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tou Posted June 7, 2002 Share Posted June 7, 2002 My best deadlift is 550 regular style and 585 sumo, done with a belt only. I also did 400 x 25 and 425 x 20 regular style. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mobsterone Posted June 7, 2002 Share Posted June 7, 2002 My hands are not leathery or calloused. I suspect that this iks down to the amount of reps I do. Recently Wanna made a case for structured over-training on the grippers. It worked for him and one or two others. The amount of work and reps involved would have toughened up any bodies hands including our newbies. I would also add that overly toughened skin can tear when subjected to competition level lifts. We have seen this every year at the Iron Grip competitions and even on the WSM comp. Do just enough reps to get what you want, keep callouses trimmed down, look after the skin on your hands and if need be a good hand lotion now and again (just like the cowboy in the book you mentioned - Mice and Men) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bearcat 74 Posted June 7, 2002 Share Posted June 7, 2002 Working grip will toughen your hands, the extent to which you work your grip will determine how tough. I have a few leathery places on my hands, but I work my grip hard. Sybersnott filed most of the knurling off grippers because they hurt him, maybe try that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest yactoid Posted June 7, 2002 Share Posted June 7, 2002 Thanks for all the replies, although I am unsure of why the egg question was just dismissed? I started grip 'training' last night along with my new training rutine (I trained in martial arts for years and am starting to realize how weak I've become over the past 5 years). I was able to pinch a 10lb plate (I have VERY few weights and only one barbell), for a minute both hands, and two 10s for only a few seconds (10?) at which point they fall out, partly from sweat. I don't think I worked hard enough, I"m not really sore in my forearms or thumb (where as my pecs are just starting to get tingly, and I can tell my lats will be there - DOMS takes me almost exactally 24hrs to feel). I can't afford grippers yet, but I may go to my local Sports Authority and see how hard their best gripper is, maybe pick those up if they're cheap and I can't close them easly - maybe do strap holds with them. Thanks again for the replies Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sybersnott Posted June 8, 2002 Share Posted June 8, 2002 Yac, Dig deep into your wallet, and get the money to buy the grippers. Believe me, it will be one of the best purchases of your life. I've had my original grippers for a few years now (I was lucky to get them all), and I haven't regretted getting them. You can take them anywhere, and they just improve your grip strength as you go on. Bearcat hit on the one thing I do to some of my grippers: since the knurling is sharp on some of the grippers, I took a sand block and took the sharpness off. This helped me a lot.... less pain meant more grip workout. Besides.... you'll need the grippers to tell you how far away you are from closing that ******* #3 gripper!!! 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.