Few Questions Before My Grip Training Begins

[TheAugustKid]

When it comes to grip training? How does progression work? Like in 5x5 programs, you would up 5 lbs every workout. Obviously you cant ramp up that much weight when it comes to working your hands, so where does the progression come from? Can you just keep doing the same weight and rep? Which one do you continually increase for max strength gains?

For instance with wrist curls, I'm doing 3 sets of 10 at 10 lbs to start right now. How long would I keep doing that? DO I up the weight once I can do 15 reps? How does this work exactly?

Also with static holds, do you progress in how long you hold the bar? or continually increase how much weight you are holding?

This is my program right now to give you an idea of what I'm doing.

First I start off warming up with my gripper doing a set of 10. (It's only about 50lbs of pressure to close it)

Then I use this one method I found of putting water/sand into a protein container and lifting it with your fingers spread out inside the container. Helps with strengthening finger extensions.

Plate pinch 3x10 seconds or to failure (whichever comes first)

Wrist curls 3x10

reverse wrist curls 3x10

3 sets on each hand, hanging from a pull up bar to failure

Then I use a small weight clamp to pinch with my thumb until failure for 3 sets.

To end it I flip my gripper upside down and do 3 sets of 5. And that's actually pretty difficult.

[mobsterone]

In as few words as possible. Progression in grip training works the same as any other body part or general training with weights. Muscles in different areas can and do have different ratios of muscle fibre types but aren't, for want of a better phrase, alien.

If, and it's only because I don't know for sure, you aren't training with weights for the rest of the bod you'll be missing out. Even with my focus on grip to competition level it's still only 50% at the most of my focus.

[TheAugustKid]

I do work my entire body. I have the last half year now.

But so to answer my question? How would you progress in weight? by workout? weekly? bi weekly? And also what about holds, prolong them more or add weight?

[mobsterone]

How and when do you progress on your usual training? As per my earlier answer use the same progression. The holds I'll let someone else answer.

[MalachiMcMullen]

It's a personal preference thing, I think, for the holds and adding weight. Whatever lift I do, I like to add weight as soon as possible. I like to go by the phrase "Fortune favors the bold" which basically means it pays to be ambitious. Get the subtle techniques of setting grippers(even no set has a technique) and of the other lifts down and then start adding weight. Also, with things like Pinch, thickbar, etc, you are training a static hold. It's an isometric movement which that you are building strength in a certain position. When it comes to isometrics, you'll literally feel like you're having the same workout several times and not making any progress, then you rest and hit it again and BAM!!! You're lifting more weight in the pinch or w/e. So don't get discouraged on that stuff, just keep going with it, that is how the progress comes.

If you like to add weight more than you like to hold for a bit more time, then add weight. If not, then reverse that and just go for more time. Set a goal time for yourself, adjust it to the activity being performed. Weighted hangs are good to shoot for 45-60 seconds while a gripper hold is good to have 3-5 seconds as your goal time(this is with the heaviest gripper you can close).

It sounds as though your reletively new to strength training in general, please forgive my ignorance if this is not true. If it is the case though, then just give yourself a solid few months of training whatever it is you want to train. Once the progress comes, you'll understand better where it comes from and how to get more

[TheAugustKid]

It's a personal preference thing, I think, for the holds and adding weight. Whatever lift I do, I like to add weight as soon as possible. I like to go by the phrase "Fortune favors the bold" which basically means it pays to be ambitious. Get the subtle techniques of setting grippers(even no set has a technique) and of the other lifts down and then start adding weight. Also, with things like Pinch, thickbar, etc, you are training a static hold. It's an isometric movement which that you are building strength in a certain position. When it comes to isometrics, you'll literally feel like you're having the same workout several times and not making any progress, then you rest and hit it again and BAM!!! You're lifting more weight in the pinch or w/e. So don't get discouraged on that stuff, just keep going with it, that is how the progress comes.

If you like to add weight more than you like to hold for a bit more time, then add weight. If not, then reverse that and just go for more time. Set a goal time for yourself, adjust it to the activity being performed. Weighted hangs are good to shoot for 45-60 seconds while a gripper hold is good to have 3-5 seconds as your goal time(this is with the heaviest gripper you can close).

It sounds as though your reletively new to strength training in general, please forgive my ignorance if this is not true. If it is the case though, then just give yourself a solid few months of training whatever it is you want to train. Once the progress comes, you'll understand better where it comes from and how to get more

Yes I am actually new to grip training. Also, what do you think about the program I have set up? Is it good to start out working the whole hand in one workout 3 times a week? Or better to split pinch, crushing, and holding into 3 different days. I kind of thought it was like working the body. It's always better to work the whole body than split it up as a beginner. So I thought it was probably the same.

[dageda]

Your program looks good. One question though, are you doing all your grip work on one day or are you spreading it out through a week? Are you doing grip in the same workout as full body movements?

One trick with grip training that I discovered early on is that the stronger your body gets overall (ie. heavier squats, heavier deadlifts, heavier presses ...etc) the stronger your grip will get. This is due to your Central Nervous System learning how to become more efficient at telling your muscles to contract. To find out what I mean, warm up and do a couple sets of challenging squats and then try closing grippers. You'll find that you're magically stronger, this is because your CNS is warmed up and it transfers to your grippers.

What I would recommend is that you not get too ambitious right away. Take a moment to think about why you're grip training and what you really want to get out of it. This is really the key. Once you figure that out, take 3 or 4 grip exercises and add them to your full body training cycle. Train your grip along with your body because they will be get stronger in conjunction. Make sure you choose exercises that will build a broad grip base before specializing in a specific area if you so choose. I would definitely split up the grip exercises and spread them out throughout the week so that you can take the time to focus each day on doing one or two grip exercises instead of 5 or 6 all at once 3 times a week. (Everybody is different, this is just my opinion).

As for progression, it's not as clear cut for grip as for your body. Your hand has a lot of soft tissue, ligaments and tendons when compared to your body as whole. You'll find that you'll need to toughen up this soft tissue to get stronger as well as strengthen the muscles of the lower arm. Don't be afraid to lay off grip work if you find your hand is hurting or seems to be really weak for no reason. It probably just needs to heal up the soft tissue.

Once you have these basic things in place, it's simply a matter of getting into the gym and "Just Doing It". As you gain experience, you'll figure how you respond to grip training and how hard to push yourself to make gains.

Another thing that really helped me start training my grip is to read the Workout Reports and Training section of the Gripboard. These are real live people doing the same things that you want to do. As you read about their successful and un-successful experiences with grip training you can incorporate their ideas into your workout scheme.

[matthcarl]

Just my thoughts...I can't claim to be an expert, but might be new enough to relate to some of your issues.

Getting a set of grippers, or possibly an adjustable gripper like the Vulcan is the only real way to progress in grippers, in my opinion. Sure, you can always add reps or do things to make it more difficult, but a single easy gripper won't get you very far. I don't consider myself much of a gripper guy, but I own 15 grippers now (acquired slowly) to create new steps to work with.

Wrist curls - I don't want to belittle your training, but 10 lbs is not much. I think you could probably up the weight considerably. I was doing 5 sets of 15 at 95 lbs (on an barbell) as a newbie, and was later convinced by a smaller guy (Bob...) that I was wussing out with that kind of weight. Just try some heavy wrist curls, and you'll probably surprise yourself.

Plate holds - what plates are you using? I started with two 25's, then two 35's until I could deadlift 2 45's and do holds with them. You can add time the easier it gets, and also move to one-hand pinching various plates.

[TheAugustKid]

Just my thoughts...I can't claim to be an expert, but might be new enough to relate to some of your issues.

Getting a set of grippers, or possibly an adjustable gripper like the Vulcan is the only real way to progress in grippers, in my opinion. Sure, you can always add reps or do things to make it more difficult, but a single easy gripper won't get you very far. I don't consider myself much of a gripper guy, but I own 15 grippers now (acquired slowly) to create new steps to work with.

Wrist curls - I don't want to belittle your training, but 10 lbs is not much. I think you could probably up the weight considerably. I was doing 5 sets of 15 at 95 lbs (on an barbell) as a newbie, and was later convinced by a smaller guy (Bob...) that I was wussing out with that kind of weight. Just try some heavy wrist curls, and you'll probably surprise yourself.

Plate holds - what plates are you using? I started with two 25's, then two 35's until I could deadlift 2 45's and do holds with them. You can add time the easier it gets, and also move to one-hand pinching various plates.

are we talking about the same thing? Are you talking about a full forearm wrist curl. Cause I mean the wrist curl as in just the wrist moving. I think 95lbs is a little much for that. And 10 doesnt feel like much anyway. I'm just getting into the routine. Don't want to start too high.

[mobsterone]

Careful reading of that part shows that he suggest you up the weight and a little AND THEN says what he was doing. You can up the weight but not to his level if it's too much. Bottom line: do not be afraid to put out some.

[matthcarl]

In a proper wrist curl, only the wrists are involved in the ROM. I use a barbell with the forearms resting on my knees. I am not saying you should try 95 lbs, but work up to where it's at least challenging.

[TheAugustKid]

In a proper wrist curl, only the wrists are involved in the ROM. I use a barbell with the forearms resting on my knees. I am not saying you should try 95 lbs, but work up to where it's at least challenging.

Well I'm starting out low cause its the first time I have ever done it. You were suggesting to make it more. I didn't. It's just like stronglifts 5x5 or something. Typically starting out low and moving up.

[matthcarl]

You were suggesting to make it more.

Definitely. I can understand wanting to avoid injury, but unless you're rehabbing, 10 lbs. is a little ridiculous. Say I want to do a 5x5 squat program. I don't do 5x5 with the bar and say "That was easy...Ill try 50 lbs. next week." I figure out where my limits are first.

[TheAugustKid]

You were suggesting to make it more.

Definitely. I can understand wanting to avoid injury, but unless you're rehabbing, 10 lbs. is a little ridiculous. Say I want to do a 5x5 squat program. I don't do 5x5 with the bar and say "That was easy...Ill try 50 lbs. next week." I figure out where my limits are first.

Well I had no idea how strong a wrist is and whats a good weight to work it. I have never worked my wrist before. But I'll start moving up.