Getting That #2 Shut

[Frank9]

Hello everyone, my name is Toby and I have been lurking around here for several weeks trying to absorb info and get ideas of how to best train with Captains of Crush grippers.

For the last week or two I have been trying in vain to get the #2 shut and have been to within 1mm. So wanted to do it today and even stood on the shower to get my hands real warm and loose. starting to get a little disheartened with this one!

As you can see in the link, I grabbed the best video frame I could find and ran it through Photoshop to get some contrast... is it shut? maybe not quite!

http://s462.photobucket.com/albums/qq342/D...current=Gap.jpg

Below is the grip workout I am presently doing every three days. I have been playing with grippers for about two and a half months and following a semi structured program for round six weeks. As I learn my workout content evolves. maybe this is the problem and I need to stick to the same thing....?

Well anyway:

I do pretty much the same workout for each hand as there isn't a great deal of difference in strength between them.

#T 1 single TNS

#1 1 single TNS

#2 3 single attempts MMS

#2 (dogleg away from palm) 4 single MMS attempts, each forced shut and attempted holds shut. I do these to train the close as I get little from doing negatives with a #2.5 past the sweep.

#2.5 3 single MMS attempts, each one is forced 1 cm closer with the other hand and I attempt to hold it in position, as a negative. I do these to train an explosive sweep.

I then do three sets of extensor bands on each hand.

I then do 5 pinch lifts with each hand progressing with added weight and finish off with 5 pinch negatives on each hand using a DIY clamp.

I was kind of hoping you good people could give me some ideas of where I am going wrong, or right?

Should I alter my routine in anyway or just stick to what I am doing now? or I need to somehow "shock" my hands more?

Thanks in advance,

Toby.

[knyaz]

do some penny holds with a griper below the # 2 take a penny and hold it shut for as long as you can, this will work

[Autolupus]

Your workout looks ok and the handles in the pic were shut.

You don't say how often you do your workout, 2-3 times a week would be about right.

There's no quick fix, it just takes hard work and with time your strength will increase.

[Guest indi]

getting that last little bit closed on grippers can get frustrating. ill jot down some stuff that helped me:

-as mentioned above, just squeezing it shut with both hands and then tryin to really hold it closed for lengths of time with the main hand. a penny within the handles works nice.

-something i prefer to the above are strap holds. a piece of string with weight attached..you simply squeeze the string between the gripper handles and lift the weight. if you dont squeeze hard enough, the weight falls. i prefer this to the penny hold.

-just attempting the gripper every now and then. try working on setting and ensuring you really explode into the close. once you close it, you'll know its possible and youll find yourself closing it more often soon after.

-rest. alot of the times i come back stronger after a weeks break, this especially holds true for grippers. many others have experienced similar effects.

hope this helps.

[oscar4883]

Here are a few things that I have found to work, for me anyway.

Only hit the grippers hard once a week. I have always done better with more rest.

Making sure my hands were good and warmed up. I always need to take quite a few sets with lighter grippers before I move on to the real work.

Choker work. This is something I have been doing lately and I find it really helps. From a mental aspect it is great to be able to close the gripper you are working on. Teemu has a great article on his blog I believe. If I had a clue how to post a link I would do so. LOL. Hope some of this helps.

[Frank9]

Thanks for those responses guys!

On viewing a clear photograph that I have of my #1 being mashed I noticed that even when shut there is a visible gap between the handles of some small fraction of a millimetre due to the knurling on the gripper handles.

http://s462.photobucket.com/albums/qq342/D...nt=IMG_0555.jpg

I think I am going to call this one "visually" closed but there is a difference between seeing a gripper and actually FEELING it close. The latter would obviously require a surplus amount of force to be applied for my hand to register the handles stopping.

At present I train my grip strength after three nights of sleep so a little over twice per week.

I have also tried penny holds on the #1 but I find them awkward and inconsistant due to the size of the coin and the rough surface on its face. Using string would solve this but after three atttempts on my goal gripper, even after 5 minutes rest my strength is dwindling. Perhaps I could replace my third attempt on the #2 with a weighted string hold on the #1?

My plan is to change my routine when I can FEEL the #2 shut with an MMS and do a higher volume program shown below for a few weeks until I can TNS the bastard... then unwrap my shiny new #3 I've been saving and use it for negatives in the KTA and go for the 2.5

High volume:

Max reps with #1 twice in a day

Three attempts with the #2 twice the following day.

Repeat the above and then take three days off.

Do the above every week til I can TNS the #2 on both hands.

I have thought about using the choker but it seems to be only of use for training the close and at the moment a backwards #2 is giving me plenty of pain... maybe one for the future...

Edited October 5, 2008 by Frank9

[dimmers]

file down your #1, so that you're closing the gripper beyond the normal range of motion.

then crush the handles together with everything you have.

you'll soon smash that #2

[pernicus]

something i did that i found helpful when i had a 1 and hadn't ordered my #2 yet

when doing reps with the #1 don't just go till closed, do a rep and try to move it a little at full closure, it will make kind of clicking noise between the two handles that is produced from grinding the grips together

[big nasty]

Take a piece of paper can't get much thinner than that good close congrad's !!!!!

[Mlstrass]

I agree on filing your #1 and also do some reps with it vs singles.

[layla]

cemery gave me a choker and within 1-2 weeks I was shutting it...owning it

[Frank9]

cemery gave me a choker and within 1-2 weeks I was shutting it...owning it

I promised Gripmasters a video this evening showing my progress on the #2 together with my setting technique but all didn't go to plan. After a long day at work I found myself plodding through my grip workout. You know, sometimes you are not in the mood and just go through the motions. today was one of those times!

I TNS the #T and the #1 like usual and give myself 3-4 minutes before my first attempt and.... SHIT! I am over a millimetre away

My hands don't in anyway feel fresh at the moment, I think they may be over-trained and in need of a week's rest. I persevered regardless and tried the left hand, not too bad, maybe 8-9mm.

I did my 3 attempts on each hand and then started my negatives and something inside me said "FOOK THIS!" I went into the living room and told my woman I needed someone to "showoff" to, that extra bit of motivation. I gave my hands a full 5 minutes to recover and psyched myself up. Set the gripper a few millimetres higher than usual so my pinky was barely clinging on and NAILED THE BASTARD!

I know I had them visually touch last week but this time I FELT it too. You know when the handle rub kind of sideways against each other. I quickly swapped hands and gave it all I had again with that high set and I think I was less than 5mm away with the left.

I think sometimes you just gotta throw away the workout and just go for it. I have tried to repeat this a good 6 times more this evening but to no avail. I know it CAN be done though so maybe tomorrow....

I think I could probably TNS a #1.5 now but I cannot get hold of one. Would you guys say that to MMS a #2.5 would mean having the strength to TNS close a #2?

I hope to me able to prove this soon but am confident noone will be calling BS on me!

[JasonL]

What worked for me to close the number 2 was alternate using the trainer, #1 and #2 gripper. All my other workouts would always be grip related first, such as towell pullsups, rows, clubbells, kettlebells, etc..

[Frank9]

What worked for me to close the number 2 was alternate using the trainer, #1 and #2 gripper. All my other workouts would always be grip related first, such as towell pullsups, rows, clubbells, kettlebells, etc..

Well it's been the greater part of a week since my breakthrough with the #2 but I at last managed to get it closed and on camera at the same time.

Couldn't quite manage it before as my crush grip is strongest with the elbow locked out but can now shut it with the arm bent whist checking my view finder

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=CaDDL9LNQIg

Assuming my left hand comes along as quickly as my right I am hoping for a double #2 MMS close with both hands in the next three weeks.

On another note, I unwrapped my #3 the other day to use for negatives to train to close the #2.5 with the right hand.... boy is it a beast!

Seems to me the jump from the #2.5 is huge and the #3 is all but but useless to me at the moment and for negatives I am using a#2.5 with the dogleg away from the palm.

Can you guys recommend a gripper to bridge the gap between the #2.5 and the #3?

Thanks again!

[vikingsrule92]

Do you know how to MMS Frank? If you learned you would be able to slam that #2.5 shut because those were at about CCS width.

[Frank9]

Yes thats what I thought I was doing... a wider than parallel set, or at least parallel.

No I am afraid I can't claim a CCS on the #2 as its around 6mm too narrow. I would like to TNS the #2 with the RH but I fear I'll need to close the #2.5 with a set first!

[vikingsrule92]

Yes thats what I thought I was doing... a wider than parallel set, or at least parallel.

No I am afraid I can't claim a CCS on the #2 as its around 6mm too narrow. I would like to TNS the #2 with the RH but I fear I'll need to close the #2.5 with a set first!

That was WAY wider then parallel. If you could set the 2.5 to parallel I'd bet that you could close it.

[Frank9]

Well I could give it a go but it will probably feel unnatural at first and kind of like "cheating".

Besides I've got nowhere to go after the #2.5 is closed at the moment as either my #3 is ridiculously hard (even to use for negatives and its spread is huge) or I have an easy #2.5 (its spread is actually 3mm NARROWER than my #2!)

Will probably concentrate on my weaker hand more until I decide between the BBSM and the RB240.

My hands are really beaten up at the moment but in 2-3 days I will give that parallel set a try.

Edited October 12, 2008 by Frank9

[matthcarl]

I have an RB 240N, RB 260N and an HG300 that are all between a #2.5 and a #3. I think an regular spread RB240 might be harder than a #3, though. I personally like the BBSM, though I don't own one.

[Frank9]

I was under the impression that the RB240 was just below the three and the regular RB260 was just above. I've read that HG grippers are of shite quality so I think I'll give the 300 a miss. So far Its looking like the Beefbuilder could be the one

[matthcarl]

I guess I couldn't say about the RB 240, but my 240N is definitely harder than a #2.5 and the 260N is clsoe to an easier #3 I tried. I'd skip the HG's as well...the 300 I have s one of the first grippers I got, and it just so happens to fall in a useful range for me right now, but I really don't care for the quality. Besides, you never know what you'll get. I've heard of some close to a #2 level and others harder than a #3.

[vikingsrule92]

I guess I couldn't say about the RB 240, but my 240N is definitely harder than a #2.5 and the 260N is clsoe to an easier #3 I tried. I'd skip the HG's as well...the 300 I have s one of the first grippers I got, and it just so happens to fall in a useful range for me right now, but I really don't care for the quality. Besides, you never know what you'll get. I've heard of some close to a #2 level and others harder than a #3.

Both of my RB240s are easier then a #3, but not by much. I'd recommend a SM, with how crazy hard the BB grippers have been I've heard the latest SMs are around an easy #3 or a hard #2.5, perfect for you.