Reinard's Grip Training

[daniel reinard]

I just realized I've competed in grip at 83kg, 93kg, 105kg and will be at 93kg again for next weeks comp. Not sure if others have been in 3 weight classes let alone 4 class moves in 2 years.

I have trouble making up my mind, too, Daniel.

If the stars align and the wind doesn't blow me away in the meantime, I will compete at 74k next month. That would make three official weight class contests, and a total of four if you count the contests I did weighing over 200 prior to weight classes. You clearly have me beat in the time frame department, though. In powerlifting I competed in seven classes: 123, 132, 148, 165, 181, 198, and 220.

Haha, yeah dude 74?! Seeing how many classes you've been in I doubt you'll have too much an issue being the master of your body size. Pretty impressive to span such a wide range.

I started at 160# and just kept putting on weight until 215. It's just time for a fat cut so I happen to be sitting at 200 even right now. Maybe another month of this then I can go for 220 again. That's been the goal but it needs to be the good stuff, not a beer gut.

[EricMilfeld]

I hear ya. I've given up on the notion of being 190+ and lean. Mainly, besides wanting to be healthier and more fit, I'm dying to find out how much grip strength I can maintain at that emaciated weight.

[daniel reinard]

I hear ya. I've given up on the notion of being 190+ and lean. Mainly, besides wanting to be healthier and more fit, I'm dying to find out how much grip strength I can maintain at that emaciated weight.

I don't think you'll lose much. Will probably be a negligible difference.

[bencrush]

Looking very strong Daniel! Hope you tear it up at the contest man. Heck of a timed hold on the #3.5 too. I haven't used the Silver Bullet but it would be a beast with that RGC rating and for that time.

[daniel reinard]

Looking very strong Daniel! Hope you tear it up at the contest man. Heck of a timed hold on the #3.5 too. I haven't used the Silver Bullet but it would be a beast with that RGC rating and for that time.

Thanks Ben! I'll do my best at the comp. Pretty sure I'll be fighting for 2nd place heavyweights the way some guys are looking.

I just grabbed my biggest 3.5 and went for it. Pretty happy with that time considering I have used a Silver Bullet maybe 6 times since it came out. I actually like training with it even thought it hurts to squeeze that long. It makes for a good way to prime up the CNS with such long holds w/o doing a bunch of heavy gripper closes. Recovery rate seems faster which I am in favor of. The more I train grip the more I prefer to lower either volume of the day or intensity so I can keep the training frequency up. Too many rest days is a waste.

[Mikael Siversson]

I beg to differ. I think Eric will loose a significant amount of grip strength at 74k even if he is still not ripped at that weight. The main problem being that he needs to loose 13% or thereabouts of his bodyweight in just a month (and this well into his weightloss journey). As long as one is not super-ripped at a weight class limit one should not loose much strength if the weighloss is a slow process.

I hear ya. I've given up on the notion of being 190+ and lean. Mainly, besides wanting to be healthier and more fit, I'm dying to find out how much grip strength I can maintain at that emaciated weight.

I don't think you'll lose much. Will probably be a negligible difference.

Edited April 14, 2013 by Mikael Siversson

[daniel reinard]

I dunno bro. Maybe I tend to feel grip doesn't dissappear as fast as say squat power or general strength. I dropped 15# in 2 weeks and am feeling stronger than ever. Of course alot of that was food weight. Will def be a cool experiment regardless.

[daniel reinard]

Last grip day for a week.

Pullups

5x5. Man these are way easier lately at this BW.

Axle Curls, 20 rep sets

Hammer wrist tool.

Standing Ab Band Pulldowns

orange 20 rep

gray 20 rep x 2

black 20 rep x 2. Was very challenging especially going for that hold/pause at the bottom.

Inch Dumbbell

attempts

some band deloads

Negatives.

For some reason attempts weren't great but the negatives went great. Looking forward to some rest then a test on the RT.

[daniel reinard]

Made a vid last night just to show what I've been doing. I use a similar process for other feats/lifts as well.

Edited April 14, 2013 by daniel reinard

[jvance]

cool training methods bro, thanks for the vid

[hamwa11et]

Made a vid last night just to show what I've been doing. I use a similar process for other feats/lifts as well.

Where did you get your set of bands at?

[daniel reinard]

cool training methods bro, thanks for the vid

thanks bro. When I go full steam at a goal I like to create a heavy and light day of some sort then alternate them in for 2x/week work. Works everytime.

Where did you get your set of bands at?

http://www.flexcart.com/members/elitefts/default.asp?cid=495

I got the full pro pack (long bands) and the mini pack (short bands). I use the heck out of them for deadlifts and alot of grip work. I've tried them on the RT, Inch, and even grippers. Once I get the rack drilled for pins I can use them for squats and bench. Really helps mix up the training and hit certain areas.

[slazbob]

Yeah, I've lost 10lbs or so in the last month... And grip actually went up. Squat went down. Arms are about the same.

Like the band idea for the inch. Good luck.

[daniel reinard]

@slazbob right on man. Yeah my grip feels good and even my squats felt good today. So much that I went for a PR. Failed but it still felt good.

Today axle squats. Really feeling good so decided to try to PR. I'm also down to 198# BW, about 18# in 4 weeks. Was time to defy logic and PR on squats despite a diet.

110 2x6

160 1x6

200 1x3

250 1

270 1

295 1

315 1 added belt here

335 1

355 1

364 1

374 1

383 miss. This is 2# less than an all time PR.

386 miss. Was close. Felt good and wanted a tough mental and physical challenge. Would have been a PR.

Wide stance squats. Trying them out. Might try to go this route to see what happens.

110 1x3

200 1x2

250 1x2 pretty easy to do but more just testing wide stance mobility and comfort. Normally my hips are tight as heck but these felt great.

[Stephen Ruby]

I have dieted before and the first thing that goes down for me is squats so the fact your nearly at your same level from a fairly aggressive diet is very impressive. You are only about 20lbs from what you squatted today for a 2x bw squat which is elite level strength.

Have you experimented with low bar squats at all? From videos it looks like you have a regular high bar position, I can't get the hang of it personally but I've read it works ideally leverage wise with a wide squat position.

[Chez]

Strong squatting dude.

[daniel reinard]

Thanks guys. Just felt really good to go balls out knowing it may be futile to equal a 1rm while on a toug diet.

Stephen, I have tried low bar a few times and I can't get it either. I actually tried it again last night and it just seems like my shoulders and arms get in the way. The bar can't rest on my back. Maybe low bar doesn't work well for skinny guys? I dunno, it's just painful and unsafe whenever I try it. Highbar is more taxing in the squat but that's ok. My back can handle the extra leverage since my DL is so much above my squat. One of these days it would be nice to get coached on proper low bar. Maybe that'll work.

[daniel reinard]

Weighed 196# this morning. I'm down 19#.

[Shoggoth]

Weighed 196# this morning. I'm down 19#.

Just ribs and "rooster"

Edited April 17, 2013 by Shoggoth

[daniel reinard]

Weighed 196# this morning. I'm down 19#.

Just ribs and "rooster"

LMAO!

[daniel reinard]

Todays workout is cleaning, oiling and tagging all my grippers. And later is loading up all my plates and equipment. Ugh.

[daniel reinard]

My little writeup on my performance:

Grippers: Just a pathetic 150. Failed at 164 x2 and a 167. My set was just way off. My pinky came off on all those 3 misses and it was just a 3 finger attempt. I didn't train grippers at all and it showed on the 20mm deep set. Ok, I guess it really is time to do a gripper run.

2HP: tried 60mm for the first time ever. Actually felt good. I smoked 203. It was a decision from advice to stay low and not miss my 4th attempt by going to high. Good advice. In hindsight 213 should of went up too but I'm happy to test out the new width and smoke 203.

RT: Not training this at all really showed. I did the Inch for a month and was curious if it would carry over. NOPE. RT carried over to the Inch, but not vice versa. I was stronger on the RT months ago when I trained that one hard.

Sledge: I felt weak at it. I hadn't tried a 12# sledge before but looking at it I should have been able to do a few more inches, maybe 2 more at the least. By this time I was super tired from running the event, judging, loading/unloading, and even the rough days at work leading up to this. I'm glad I just relaxed and had fun with it, and got to try a few ideas out. Now it's time to get in serious mode. Here we go!

[Forever]

yesterday's training

deadlifts, sumo, DO grip

135

225

315

365

414

463 added belt

463 tried out my new modular blocks at 5.5". can go to 9".

514 mixed grip

grippers, 20mm block

#2

#2.5 filed RH, regular LH

#3 filed RH x2, regular LH miss x2

#3.5 179# silver bullit hold 23 seconds. video below

Slow workout. Getting back to heavy deadlifts. Been a really long time since I went over 500 for anything. Hammies still fried from last week and really felt they were weak this session. Back felt solid. I really need to work grippers after my comp next week. my 20mm and MMS technique is garbage. totally robbing me of power. Been a long time since I did a MMS gripper run. Too much CCS for the cert I guess.

The GF came over and wanted to hit the 2HP to dial that in before the comp. She wasn't happy with the way it felt at the AZ comp despite a 1st place win. We messed with different widths and when she found one she liked (smaller than what she used in AZ) we did some technique work. She fulled a few extra pounds than what she maxed at in AZ for a couple easy singles so she is looking forward to a a contest PR in a week. She also messed with the sledge lever just to get a feel of it and borrowed the RT to play with it. Anyways a chill workout to help her and for me to get back to intense deads and grippers.

[

These are the wrist hammer rotations I do just about every grip day. To date these are the best things I've done for slow strength gains, wrist and elbow health, and they are increasing my forearm size.

[

Nice on the deadlifting and cool on the 3.5 bullet hold...

[Geralt]

My little writeup on my performance:

Grippers: Just a pathetic 150. Failed at 164 x2 and a 167. My set was just way off. My pinky came off on all those 3 misses and it was just a 3 finger attempt. I didn't train grippers at all and it showed on the 20mm deep set. Ok, I guess it really is time to do a gripper run.

2HP: tried 60mm for the first time ever. Actually felt good. I smoked 203. It was a decision from advice to stay low and not miss my 4th attempt by going to high. Good advice. In hindsight 213 should of went up too but I'm happy to test out the new width and smoke 203.

RT: Not training this at all really showed. I did the Inch for a month and was curious if it would carry over. NOPE. RT carried over to the Inch, but not vice versa. I was stronger on the RT months ago when I trained that one hard.

Sledge: I felt weak at it. I hadn't tried a 12# sledge before but looking at it I should have been able to do a few more inches, maybe 2 more at the least. By this time I was super tired from running the event, judging, loading/unloading, and even the rough days at work leading up to this. I'm glad I just relaxed and had fun with it, and got to try a few ideas out. Now it's time to get in serious mode. Here we go!

Form of the day perhaps. Better luck next time, you've been hitting a lot of milestones lately I would say. Interesting about that inch vs. RT story. Wouldn't have thought that also.

[daniel reinard]

My little writeup on my performance:

Grippers: Just a pathetic 150. Failed at 164 x2 and a 167. My set was just way off. My pinky came off on all those 3 misses and it was just a 3 finger attempt. I didn't train grippers at all and it showed on the 20mm deep set. Ok, I guess it really is time to do a gripper run.

2HP: tried 60mm for the first time ever. Actually felt good. I smoked 203. It was a decision from advice to stay low and not miss my 4th attempt by going to high. Good advice. In hindsight 213 should of went up too but I'm happy to test out the new width and smoke 203.

RT: Not training this at all really showed. I did the Inch for a month and was curious if it would carry over. NOPE. RT carried over to the Inch, but not vice versa. I was stronger on the RT months ago when I trained that one hard.

Sledge: I felt weak at it. I hadn't tried a 12# sledge before but looking at it I should have been able to do a few more inches, maybe 2 more at the least. By this time I was super tired from running the event, judging, loading/unloading, and even the rough days at work leading up to this. I'm glad I just relaxed and had fun with it, and got to try a few ideas out. Now it's time to get in serious mode. Here we go!

Form of the day perhaps. Better luck next time, you've been hitting a lot of milestones lately I would say. Interesting about that inch vs. RT story. Wouldn't have thought that also.

I'm not worried about it. No sense in getting all wrapped up in my own comp when the main concern is running it and enabling everyone else to do their best and have fun. I didn't train for it and it showed. Two of the 4 events were experiments. I'd rather try them out at my event then travelling to do it. That would be a waste.