Did I Lose It?

[arande2]

It's like this..

Back in elementary school (5th Grade) I used to climb the monkey bars a lot (and all that stuff) and had no problem hanging on one hand for a good bit (200-lb BW), then one day someone challenged me to armwrestling (I don't know why). Afterwards they said my grip hurt their hand really bad and then when I saw their hand it had indentations (and was red/white striped) where my hand had been.

Go forward to today (10th Grade). I've been training on grippers (and with sledge levering/plate wrist curls/pinching) for a few months now, and I feel I have a weak grip (#2 is my best close), and can't really hold myself up with one hand (260-lb BW) for more than a sec or two. The last time I armwrestled, their hand seemed fine afterwards. Otoh, my friend challenged me to mercy (he beat all my other friends) and he said I hurt his wrist from the force (but that's wrist strength, not grip) and it was pretty sore for a while (for some reason he hasn't asked to play again aha). Someone also asked me to grip their wrist (again, I have no idea why) as hard as I could, and I didn't hurt them at all (and didn't feel like I was squeezing hard at all).

So..I feel like my grip is weaker than it used to be. I'm pretty sure that it is weaker (why would I feel like it's weaker if it's not? maybe it's who I was A-wrestling).

I'm assuming GRIPPERS/sledge/pinch/plate wrist curl isn't working that specific part of my grip or whatever (maybe I'm just that weak! )

Would supporting grip be the key? (All I have to work with is standard barbells/hex dumbbells.) Is there anything else?

Anyone ever have some similar experience?

[kennykensworth]

sounds like you need some rest... sometimes less is more

[wscorpion]

Sounds like you've gained some weight and don't have the skinny hands anymore that you had back then.

If your hands are thicker then the force applied to something will be better divided and because of that probably less painful.

holding onto 200lbs with 1 hand is quite a difference vs 260lbs so I wouldn't bother too much about that.

[matthcarl]

If you think you've got a weak grip, pass that #2 around your friends

[Cannon]

If you think you've got a weak grip, pass that #2 around your friends

Arande, I just think you need some perspective. Matt touched on this as well. You've only been training for a few months and you can close a #2. You're doing better than most when they start out. Closing the #2 is a respectable feat of strength. Also, unless you're The Natural, everything isn't usually going up at once. Your levering, pinching, etc, is likely slowing your gripper gains, but you will be in an overall better place and your strength will be well-rounded. Read this.

[Cannon]

Also, it sounds like you were a big/strong 5th grader. 5 years later, your classmates probably caught up to you a little. I experienced this with basketball. I could whoop anyone in 5th grade. I was 5'8" and could dunk a tennis ball. By 10th grade, I couldn't make the team despite basketball being my entire life.

[arande2]

Sounds like you've gained some weight and don't have the skinny hands anymore that you had back then.

If your hands are thicker then the force applied to something will be better divided and because of that probably less painful.

holding onto 200lbs with 1 hand is quite a difference vs 260lbs so I wouldn't bother too much about that.

That makes sense. Okay I'll take your word for it

If you think you've got a weak grip, pass that #2 around your friends

Okay okay, I get your point. I might try that someday, when I can close it where it's not a visible effort. (You know, so if they ask can YOU close it?)

If you think you've got a weak grip, pass that #2 around your friends

Arande, I just think you need some perspective. Matt touched on this as well. You've only been training for a few months and you can close a #2. You're doing better than most when they start out. Closing the #2 is a respectable feat of strength. Also, unless you're The Natural, everything isn't usually going up at once. Your levering, pinching, etc, is likely slowing your gripper gains, but you will be in an overall better place and your strength will be well-rounded. Read this.

It's been driven into my head that #2 is good (relative to most people) now, but still, compared to all these people here...

I read that, and I might end up laying off grippers a couple weeks, just for recovery.

Also, it sounds like you were a big/strong 5th grader. 5 years later, your classmates probably caught up to you a little. I experienced this with basketball. I could whoop anyone in 5th grade. I was 5'8" and could dunk a tennis ball. By 10th grade, I couldn't make the team despite basketball being my entire life.

That's similar, and it makes good sense. Except... I can train my grip higher than my friends

[Grippster]

People hate armwrestling with me, I also give people those white and red lines lol.

oh btw, I thought I'd add that when ppl are younger they tend to be less tolerant of pain. Meaning that, although you still can put out considerable force they are more resistant.

Edited March 19, 2009 by Grippster