Anger Management.

[lloyd80s]

I can close my #3, it's average in feel, I've felt tougher and easier.

About 4 weeks ago I received a #3 from Tommy Heslep, it's HARD, very hard. To me it feels like my Elite which I still can't close.I've been trying to close this #3 since I got it and was falling short by 4-5mm with all of my attempts.

Yesterday I had a very heated argument which got to the point where I really got angry. I was at work so there was nothing I could do but get on with it and try and chill out. I left work about 20 minutes later and although I'd calmed down I still felt an adrenaline bulid up. I tried the #3 and got it closed first time, I was happy so 10 minutes later I gave it another try, this time from a MM set I got 2 reps and I got a good click on both. This was the best I've ever done on any gripper, a PR for me as I've not had this thing cal'd but it's over 150lbs easy.

Now I've tried that gripper today, I'm about 4-5 mm short as I've been for the last 4 weeks. I know the only thing that closed that gripper was my adrenaline pumping at the time.

If I or you guys could tap into that adrenaline everytime we gripped then loads more PR's would be hit. How can we tap into it, also have any of you guys hit PR's while angry or with adrenaline pumping?

[ealonzo]

I can close my #3, it's average in feel, I've felt tougher and easier.

About 4 weeks ago I received a #3 from Tommy Heslep, it's HARD, very hard. To me it feels like my Elite which I still can't close.I've been trying to close this #3 since I got it and was falling short by 4-5mm with all of my attempts.

Yesterday I had a very heated argument which got to the point where I really got angry. I was at work so there was nothing I could do but get on with it and try and chill out. I left work about 20 minutes later and although I'd calmed down I still felt an adrenaline bulid up. I tried the #3 and got it closed first time, I was happy so 10 minutes later I gave it another try, this time from a MM set I got 2 reps and I got a good click on both. This was the best I've ever done on any gripper, a PR for me as I've not had this thing cal'd but it's over 150lbs easy.

Now I've tried that gripper today, I'm about 4-5 mm short as I've been for the last 4 weeks. I know the only thing that closed that gripper was my adrenaline pumping at the time.

If I or you guys could tap into that adrenaline everytime we gripped then loads more PR's would be hit. How can we tap into it, also have any of you guys hit PR's while angry or with adrenaline pumping?

Heavy lifting makes me angry, so a set of snatches, then grippers works wonders.

[Mark]

I can close my #3, it's average in feel, I've felt tougher and easier.

About 4 weeks ago I received a #3 from Tommy Heslep, it's HARD, very hard. To me it feels like my Elite which I still can't close.I've been trying to close this #3 since I got it and was falling short by 4-5mm with all of my attempts.

Yesterday I had a very heated argument which got to the point where I really got angry. I was at work so there was nothing I could do but get on with it and try and chill out. I left work about 20 minutes later and although I'd calmed down I still felt an adrenaline bulid up. I tried the #3 and got it closed first time, I was happy so 10 minutes later I gave it another try, this time from a MM set I got 2 reps and I got a good click on both. This was the best I've ever done on any gripper, a PR for me as I've not had this thing cal'd but it's over 150lbs easy.

Now I've tried that gripper today, I'm about 4-5 mm short as I've been for the last 4 weeks. I know the only thing that closed that gripper was my adrenaline pumping at the time.

If I or you guys could tap into that adrenaline everytime we gripped then loads more PR's would be hit. How can we tap into it, also have any of you guys hit PR's while angry or with adrenaline pumping?

It is something I have done a lot of research on over all my years in sports and amoungst many psychologists and regular PHD's in psych. Never been able to channel it well on my own except for a few times, but I have an idea how the principle might be able to come about. I understand exactly what you mean about the strength from adrenalin. Being a manic depressive when I spike into a mania my nor-epinephrine is through the roof and let me say I have been my strongest during that time. Sometimes ALOT stronger than what I am when I am a normal resting pace.

The idea behind this goes off of learning to activitate and harness adrenaline or nor epinephrine. Nor epinephrine when it gets firing will tire you out very fast if its spiked for too. Example when mine is through the roof I have about 10-15 minutes of it surging before I wlll end up going to sleep for a period of like 12 hours. Mind you mine does not stop producing for that entire surge. You need to create it for a short burst. You need what many that I know in the psych field call a calm adrenalin rush, you need to spike the adrenalin while not producing it at to high of a level.

You can try this method, I have used it with myself to get moderate benefits and others to get extreme benefits. After years of being manic depressive my body has desentised itself to low levels of nor epinephrine. This will take time to learn its like a self hypnosis.

-Close your eyes for eyes for a few seconds. Totally relax let your mind and body go limp. Give it about 30 seconds to a minute. Imagine a light switch in the down position (a dial light switch if you will)

-Gradually I want you to imagine that dial, knob what ever it just needs to move in levels, turning on. While at the same time I want you to imagine a red (has to be red) hot wave starting to move through your body. Begin to imagine the body being to warm, let the body begin to tighten up a little bit. While breathing in and out of your nose at a slow pace. Feel strong imagine strength in the aspect you need it, imagine the activity being preformed. Your body should start feeling warm at this point. Keep the breaths calm with intensity if that makes any sence. You need to keep yourself from spiking the nor epi to high. Visualize the dial knob etc turning high and higher. As this happens imagine your self warmer and warmer stronger and stronger. Let the strength (the redness) flow your through your body moving at a faster pace. When you are ready breath in let your stomach expand. Grab what ever your gona do start the movement and then breath out as you feel fit.

A side note this breathing should be abdominal breathing let your stomach push and in with every rep throughout this entire process. Now when you finish slowly turn the knob back down, and let the wave move to a nice calm blue. Do this after every time you use it. You don't want to over fatigue your CNS and to much epi will.

Practice this every so often maybe once to twice a day for 5 minutes. It will condition the mind to be able to do this. The whole thing will eventually take you only 1 minute after a few months of work. When you get good only use it a few times week.

The idea behind strength and the mind though I am only working on my bachelors, I plan on covering for my masters thesis.

[mbcx6pmw]

Interesting stuff Mark.

I find couple of hard sets of squats helps.

Also - compete! that guarantees the adrenaline gets started, especially if there's a few 'names' present. You can tap into that a bit out of competition, just pretend mobster is standing there telling you to 'stop facking about and shat it' or similar

[mobsterone]

True I've used the analogy before but it was from a BB publication. A writer did a long piece on a workout he had with Ronnie Coleman and how it was the best workout he'd ever had. More because he wanted to show Ronnie he could 'hang with the big dog' than anything else. Others have used the 'and I bet you could have got my reps with a loaded gun being held against your head'. Most do not want to go to that level and so hold back.

[acorn]

There is definately an art to being able to harness an adrenaline rush at will. I can usually bring one on without too much trouble when needed. I think years of explosive heavy lifting, and throwing helped alot with developing that for me. Its part visualisation, and knowing where that switch is deep down to turn it on. For me the difference between when I'm at rest and that switch is thrown is pretty huge.

- Aaron

[Magnus]

Oh yeah, I've been there. Haven't tried it with grippers, but just lifting while angry over something...it works.

[fortes mãos]

I can close my #3, it's average in feel, I've felt tougher and easier.

About 4 weeks ago I received a #3 from Tommy Heslep, it's HARD, very hard. To me it feels like my Elite which I still can't close.I've been trying to close this #3 since I got it and was falling short by 4-5mm with all of my attempts.

Yesterday I had a very heated argument which got to the point where I really got angry. I was at work so there was nothing I could do but get on with it and try and chill out. I left work about 20 minutes later and although I'd calmed down I still felt an adrenaline bulid up. I tried the #3 and got it closed first time, I was happy so 10 minutes later I gave it another try, this time from a MM set I got 2 reps and I got a good click on both. This was the best I've ever done on any gripper, a PR for me as I've not had this thing cal'd but it's over 150lbs easy.

Now I've tried that gripper today, I'm about 4-5 mm short as I've been for the last 4 weeks. I know the only thing that closed that gripper was my adrenaline pumping at the time.

If I or you guys could tap into that adrenaline everytime we gripped then loads more PR's would be hit. How can we tap into it, also have any of you guys hit PR's while angry or with adrenaline pumping?

Yo im sure the adrenaline helped you smash it but, what kind of set are you doing? The PKS will help you close any gripper if your not using a great technique your wasting energy you could be using to smash it with. Grip strength is way different then lifting I think I mean your grip comes then sometimes you just use it all up on one gripper.

[Mark]

From my understanding lifting heavy before a set of grippers or any other exercise does not do it because of epinephrine but because it stimulates the CNS. Thought it should also increase epinephrine to a small degree, unless ur doing singles or 20 rep squats it will be much more. But over all I believe it is because it is stimulating the CNS>

[gazza]

Fo^%k Off with the squats an things get yourself really pissed off an nail it again then keep doing this and learn to harness that ANGER?

[BigJan85]

I can close my #3, it's average in feel, I've felt tougher and easier.

About 4 weeks ago I received a #3 from Tommy Heslep, it's HARD, very hard. To me it feels like my Elite which I still can't close.I've been trying to close this #3 since I got it and was falling short by 4-5mm with all of my attempts.

Yesterday I had a very heated argument which got to the point where I really got angry. I was at work so there was nothing I could do but get on with it and try and chill out. I left work about 20 minutes later and although I'd calmed down I still felt an adrenaline bulid up. I tried the #3 and got it closed first time, I was happy so 10 minutes later I gave it another try, this time from a MM set I got 2 reps and I got a good click on both. This was the best I've ever done on any gripper, a PR for me as I've not had this thing cal'd but it's over 150lbs easy.

Now I've tried that gripper today, I'm about 4-5 mm short as I've been for the last 4 weeks. I know the only thing that closed that gripper was my adrenaline pumping at the time.

If I or you guys could tap into that adrenaline everytime we gripped then loads more PR's would be hit. How can we tap into it, also have any of you guys hit PR's while angry or with adrenaline pumping?

It is something I have done a lot of research on over all my years in sports and amoungst many psychologists and regular PHD's in psych. Never been able to channel it well on my own except for a few times, but I have an idea how the principle might be able to come about. I understand exactly what you mean about the strength from adrenalin. Being a manic depressive when I spike into a mania my nor-epinephrine is through the roof and let me say I have been my strongest during that time. Sometimes ALOT stronger than what I am when I am a normal resting pace.

The idea behind this goes off of learning to activitate and harness adrenaline or nor epinephrine. Nor epinephrine when it gets firing will tire you out very fast if its spiked for too. Example when mine is through the roof I have about 10-15 minutes of it surging before I wlll end up going to sleep for a period of like 12 hours. Mind you mine does not stop producing for that entire surge. You need to create it for a short burst. You need what many that I know in the psych field call a calm adrenalin rush, you need to spike the adrenalin while not producing it at to high of a level.

You can try this method, I have used it with myself to get moderate benefits and others to get extreme benefits. After years of being manic depressive my body has desentised itself to low levels of nor epinephrine. This will take time to learn its like a self hypnosis.

-Close your eyes for eyes for a few seconds. Totally relax let your mind and body go limp. Give it about 30 seconds to a minute. Imagine a light switch in the down position (a dial light switch if you will)

-Gradually I want you to imagine that dial, knob what ever it just needs to move in levels, turning on. While at the same time I want you to imagine a red (has to be red) hot wave starting to move through your body. Begin to imagine the body being to warm, let the body begin to tighten up a little bit. While breathing in and out of your nose at a slow pace. Feel strong imagine strength in the aspect you need it, imagine the activity being preformed. Your body should start feeling warm at this point. Keep the breaths calm with intensity if that makes any sence. You need to keep yourself from spiking the nor epi to high. Visualize the dial knob etc turning high and higher. As this happens imagine your self warmer and warmer stronger and stronger. Let the strength (the redness) flow your through your body moving at a faster pace. When you are ready breath in let your stomach expand. Grab what ever your gona do start the movement and then breath out as you feel fit.

A side note this breathing should be abdominal breathing let your stomach push and in with every rep throughout this entire process. Now when you finish slowly turn the knob back down, and let the wave move to a nice calm blue. Do this after every time you use it. You don't want to over fatigue your CNS and to much epi will.

Practice this every so often maybe once to twice a day for 5 minutes. It will condition the mind to be able to do this. The whole thing will eventually take you only 1 minute after a few months of work. When you get good only use it a few times week.

The idea behind strength and the mind though I am only working on my bachelors, I plan on covering for my masters thesis.

This is great stuff Mark. I just finished reading a book about the mental aspects of sports and using imagery and visualization to perform at your best. There was a technique similar to your "red hot wave" one described in the book. I gave it a try when I was working grippers the other night and my closes felt as strong as ever. Now its just a matter of perfecting the technique through repetition and I feel like this will be a tremendous help to my training. I encourage anyone to try it.

[Pancake Sprawl]

i have something like this happen to me, except i can do it when i want to. the only thing is, it's hard for me to control my body ...it's like almost i'm going berserk? i can only think this is how hulk must feel when he changes into the hulk lol ...like i feel really strong but i don't feel coordinated. hard to describe.

[Grippster]

I can bring on something similar but it isn't adrenaline. It's a weird sensation of energy flowing down my legs, just like how water flows. I can't really make it go anywhere else other than to the muscles in my legs or lower back but it allows very explosive movements and I can really fight off muscle fatigue. It takes a lot of focus though and energy. I feel really tired if I do it more than a few times in the day and especially if I do it on more than 2 days in a row. My pupils also dilate quickly when this happens. I made a topic a while ago on it. But anyways, in terms of adrenaline I find that all you have to do is think of the most painful,enraging experience of your life and put everything you have into the load you're trying to move and your body will really give you more power. When it comes to negative holds I am very strong this way. I'm pretty sure I was holding my thick handled BC400 closed even before I could do one close with the 300. I simply refused to allow the handles to open. State of mind is sooo important when it comes to performance. I believe your strength is limited to how hard you're willing to try. You can't just flex the muscle until the golgi reflex causes muscle failure, you have to dig deep to find the true strength. What forces you to stop doing reps in a set of curls? Your arm is so tired and your body is so fatigued from expelling all that energy that after you can barely pull off the last rep you assume it's hopeless to go for another and so therefore put the weight down. It's very taxing mentally and physically, but I've done reps to the point where I experience true failure. My arm at this point is incapable of moving the weight without assistance from a performance enhancing hormone from the body. Sometimes this extreme exercise causes the body to stress and will sometimes produce endorphins or adrenaline to help you cope with the stress you've forced upon yourself. I also find that if I maintain a hard biking session and do not stop when I am exhausted, my body will release endorphins and I literally feel that the harder I pedal the more powerful I become. You know you've got the big rush when it feels like your strength is building, the same way an engine's power builds as it revs.

[Mark]

i have something like this happen to me, except i can do it when i want to. the only thing is, it's hard for me to control my body ...it's like almost i'm going berserk? i can only think this is how hulk must feel when he changes into the hulk lol ...like i feel really strong but i don't feel coordinated. hard to describe.

I would say that could be the sign of to much nor-epinephrine going through the system.

[gothrik]

I have always found that a minute or so of deep abdominal breathing, while focusing on the set I am about to do really kicks off the power. For instance say I want 8 reps or so I would repeat over and over in my mind "Crush IT!" and "8" over and over till I feel like either I am on fire, or have a feeling like laughing. Can't explain it, but sometimes I feel like bursting into laughter when I get really psyched up. Used to sometimes start laughing when I did competition fighting as the aggression peaked in me.

Though listening to metal also makes me get that "Laughing" feeling. Pantera, Metalica, Godsmack, and some other "styles"/artists. Anyone know why I often feel like laughing when really psyched up? Or after a really hard set? Mark?

[Mark]

I have always found that a minute or so of deep abdominal breathing, while focusing on the set I am about to do really kicks off the power. For instance say I want 8 reps or so I would repeat over and over in my mind "Crush IT!" and "8" over and over till I feel like either I am on fire, or have a feeling like laughing. Can't explain it, but sometimes I feel like bursting into laughter when I get really psyched up. Used to sometimes start laughing when I did competition fighting as the aggression peaked in me.

Though listening to metal also makes me get that "Laughing" feeling. Pantera, Metalica, Godsmack, and some other "styles"/artists. Anyone know why I often feel like laughing when really psyched up? Or after a really hard set? Mark?

I don't know for sure. BUT it is a common thing that after manic depressives go through a mania state (spiked nor epinephrine along with other hormones) there is a lot of laughing associated with it. Why this happens I have no idea. Now this does not happen with all manic depressives nor all people use nor epinephrine in the channeling way. So I think it may be unique to the person. A psychological thought and not a chemical thought is laughter, it is a thing that is built in our subconscious to break tension not because something is funny (bet you laughed at that not because its funny but shocking and subconsciously makes you nervous) but anyways. It could be your body trying to break the tension and stress that the extreme lift and tension the body has just went through. Both of these are just theories though.

[Pancake Sprawl]

that's exactly what i also do! i laugh at disturbing things also, not because i'm a jerk but it just is what i do. instead of cringing or getting disgusted i just laugh. like when people die in movies and stuff.

[lloyd80s]

What many of you say makes good sense but when I think about it now, there's no way I could reproduce that adrenaline at will. It was pumping through my body because I was ready to knock the guy out that I was arguing with, the feeling was one my body produces when it know's combat is on the way, it's a natural body reaction and as much as I could ever try I think it'll only happen when it needs to. Your brain isn't stupid and to kick in 100% adrenaline rush I think you need to be in a real situation for that to happen.

When I was a kid I used to be a good 100 meters runner but before every race I would shake, feel sick get butterfies in my stomach. I was even sick before races at times. As I got into my teens I started boxing but the same thing would happen but even worse, I'd feel sick, my heartbeat would be like thunder and I'd shake and be a mess before I got into the ring but as soon as the bell rang I'd feel great and it'd all go away. I think my body would produce adrenaline before these things as a result of nerves and give my mucsles 100 power when they needed it.

I now figure that yes, if you've got that natual adrenaline rush at any time then you'll set PR's in any sport but to trigger it your body needs to do it for real. For you guys that can do it at will then full power to you but for me.............next time I want to trigger it I'll have to try jumping out of a plane whilst trying to TNS a #4

[twig]

I've posted some stuff about what happens to me when the Red Mist takes over; it's good in the short term, but overall you'd wish it never happened.

[Grippster]

Thinking about a very painful experience can bring on the rush. You're not tricking your body, you are legitimately upset from the memory. It also helps you get over a tough time if you constantly use a particular memory to fuel your workouts. Eventually, it wears out and you don't feel so bad about it.

.next time I want to trigger it I'll have to try jumping out of a plane whilst trying to TNS a #4

If you're gonna jump off a plane you might as well try for the galaxy lmao. I'd like to die at least knowing I closed a gripper that will probably never be closed by anyone else Given the proper stimulation, the body can quite easily triple its strength. But you know, let's say someone closed a gripper that had never been closed before (let's use a completely unseasoned HG500) but it was only because their body was producing performance enhancing chemicals. Would it still count as a close? I never counted my BC400 closes until I could do it with an even temper. The rare time I could force it shut was only due to a bad day or a bad mood. btw, just a quick edit here; I wanted to add that I find gripping very helpful in relieving stress, more so than any other exercise for some reason.

Edited April 4, 2009 by Grippster

[cberg]

Cool story Josh. Ive had a similar experience while benching, put 10s on by accident instead of 5s when going for a max. It went up just the same. Gotta find a way to make that mistake every time!

[Grippster]

Yea, I can deadlift 1,245+lbs when I'm really pissed

That kind of stimulation in laughably inadequate. I could see about a 25% increase in strength from normal frustration or anger, unless that anger is rooted deep in your mind, then it would be more.

In response to the OP, I had a weird experience back in december that your story reminded me of. I was doing some IM wrap bending that day, and I was feeling quite strong. I did a 5/16" peice of 304 stainless easily, and than to finish the workout, I was going to bend a peice of 5/16" O-1 drillrod (noticeably easier than the stainless). I was very fatigued at this point from all the other bends, but my mind was ready. When I hit the steel, it moved, but not as easily as I thought it would have been. That pissed me off because I should have been bending it easily, so I continued to hit the thing untill I just ran out of steam a bit before 90 degrees (which is a spot that I never got stuck on). I unwrapped the peice, and looked at it closely. I felt a chill go up my neck when I realized that I had mistaken a peice of 21/64"x7" d-rod for a 5/16"x7" peice. The difference is substantial, with the 5/16" being a bit harder than a 480 lb bastard, and the 21/64" being around edgin level. I am fully convinced that I would not have been able to move that peice (in those wraps) if I had known what it really was, but I learned something invaluable that day that I can apply to any challenge that I face. It's not just anger that can raise your strength, it's having no respect whatsoever for the challenge, that can make you do things that would have been impossible otherwise. Just my two cents...

That's an interesting story, but unfortunately this never worked with grippers for me. Picking up a gripper that was harder than I thought yielded no exceptional results.

[Mark]

Cool story Josh. Ive had a similar experience while benching, put 10s on by accident instead of 5s when going for a max. It went up just the same. Gotta find a way to make that mistake every time!

this is very common. But now why it works for you and no thte guy using grippers is that is only a 10lb increase compared to grippers being much more. You cant trick the mind that more with this mental trick.