Quest For Gripstrength Starting With Gripper #3

[Geralt]

My elbows have made significant improvement with Blue Emu cream.

I've tried Penetrex as well, but the Emu is great.

Thnx for the tip, will need to look for a European version, I found the product, but not on Dutch websites. Will check this out further. I know the sort cream 'family' it belongs too. Will check that out further. Now you mentioned it, I also used White Tiger Balm in the past, those tiny little pots with great odour lol also worked good for relieving.

End of afternoon quick squat workout in the garage

(few warm up sets, working up to...)

1 x 10 @70kg/154.3lbs;

1 x 8 @95kg/209.4lbs;

1 x 5 @ 105kg/231lbs;

1 x 3 @ 110kg/242.5lbs;

1 x 5 @ 120kg/264.5lbs, really squeezed them out, but it is progress. PR

1 x 10 @102.5kg/225.9lbs

I am definitely not strong on squats but the way I approach stuff now I keep making progress. 150kg/330lbs will fall soon. I want a good squat without leaning forward and that stuff. Focus on good technique. The 8 - 10 rep range for squats really works good for me.

Leaving grip for what it is now, a bit earlier than planned but rather be undertrained than overtrained with painful joints. In the past I always pushed just that little bit further which got me injured every time.

Edited December 10, 2014 by Geralt

[Geralt]

Working at home today so I decided to use my freedom to place my work further on in the day and do my training first when fresh. Kept it within an hour and a half a got some nice work in.

Everything after warming up:

Squats :

1 x 10 @70kg;

1 x 10 @80kg;

5 x 5 @95kg, every rep 2 second pause at the bottom, A2G.

Because of the squats I felt my CNS had primed up. Sunday I had planned my gripperwork but why not go with the flow, since I felt strong now.

It turned out to be a nice session.

2 x 1 IM#3.5 (choked to parallel, guesstimated around 175 for sure, compared to my 176 Ghp8) ;

3 x 1 BBE (RGC 169 deep set and hold x 2, 162 MMS and try to overcrush)

Felt strong but a few of these take away strength pretty quick.

1 x 5 1.5" Blockset IM#2.5

1 x 2 CCS IM#2.5

A few heavy attempts and wide sets on lower grippers kills my hands. Anyway, last session with bigger grippers, now to focus from next week on to high volume repwork around IM#3.

Z-press for shoulders few sets (seated upright on the ground, legs straight forward, unracking from the low holding pins from my squat stands. Much more taxing and you need to focus really on form.

***

[Geralt]

Quicky before work, squats only:

10 x 50kg;
10 x 70kg;
5 x 95kg;
3 x 110kg;
3 x 125kg/275.5lbs; (had two more reps in the tank maybe but I am not going to grind them out. Not now)
8 x 115kg;
10 x 102kg.

Three weeks back I tested 130kg 1 rm 'easy', could have done 140 perhaps, so 150kg is very close.
Busy week, with finishing work, christmas celebrations etc. with kids' school etc.

[David Mitti]

Strong squatting !

150kg will be soon enough.

[Geralt]

Last two days flu/cold started playing up with me and my wife. Went to bed very early last night. That seems to have helped a bit. Since I wanted to do my goal for this week and I felt reasonable good, I went in for a short squatsession this morning, holding back on the reps. After my heaviest workset I got jelly legs very quickly so I was just glad I got my work in first thing this morning.

Worksets squats:

101kg x 5;

110kg x 3;

130kg 2 x 2 PR. Had to push them out from my toes...

120kg x 3

101kg x 5.

[Royz]

Hey have you become 'squatman'?

Seems lately all you do is squat.

Nice progress though!

[Geralt]

Hey have you become 'squatman'?

Seems lately all you do is squat.

Nice progress though!

Squatman nananananananana Actually no heh

Holidays are coming and you know how that goes, everything in personal life seems to be needed to be crammed in the last few weeks.

On top of that flu/cold hunting around which makes I need to focus my time and energy to specific goals.

I want to get stronger in squatting, so I put my effort in that, besides grip now.

When I have squatted 150 kg I will back off and switch do DL mode again for a cycle.

Specialized effort seems to be working the best for me, instead of having many different pots on the same stove. Besides the short term squat goal I want a 210/220kg DL next year. Grip is just coming along nicely and I can't predict how this will develop. I just do my best and put my efforts in. A 175lbs MMS close would be nice for grippergoals. 169lbs is in the bag. Once I can do that I will start working on CCS sets for the #3.

Edited December 18, 2014 by Geralt

[Geralt]

Started off with volume today. Although warmup felt fine, I just felt when getting around IM#3 level that my strength wasn't there were it should be. I don't think it's the squats, but remains of the cold that I have/had. Still wanted to finish this session since I started it up.

R: 16 fairly wide closes with IM#3 (149lbs), around or a little under 1.5". No blocksets, just concentrating

on closing the #3.

About 5 minutes in between these singles.

L: Sets and reps with IM2.5. Lefty felt very off today.

Wide set work depletes my strength much sooner than 20mm blocksets. Gotta work on that.

Off to choir with my daughter for christmas celebration.

Just one of these days. I'm on holidays now from work till January 5th so time and more freedom enough to get some good gripperwork in.

Edited December 19, 2014 by Geralt

[Geralt]

Finally holidays have started for me. With more time to train now. This morning additional gripwork.

Wanted to start DL's with FG's but I decided to put that in my training when I start with DL's in regular training. Using them in warming up.

Started with IM#3 overcrush and hold;

FG Extreme bodyweight and weighted hangs followed by chinups (haven't done those in a long time);

EZ bar curls with FG's to finish the arms after the chinups;

Standing wristcurls with fatbar extensors and flexors;

Wrist work, hammerlevers;

Fingerwalks with hammer.

Edit: 2015 I will start with the MM ladder, why not. Time to start working more goal orientated.

Edited December 20, 2014 by Geralt

[Chops]

Nice, you will destroy a few MM certs pretty quick.

[Chez]

Edit: 2015 I will start with the MM ladder, why not. Time to start working more goal orientated.

That is awesome. Knocking out certs is a great way to stay motivated. You have been ready for the MM1 and MM2 for a long time now

[Geralt]

Thnx man. True perhaps, but first need to close them. MM2 was somewhere low 160's guesstimated I believe?

Edited December 21, 2014 by Geralt

[Chez]

Thnx man. True perhaps, but first need to close them. MM2 was somewhere low 160's guesstimated I believe?

ya, MM2 is like 163 or 164 from what I remember.

[Geralt]

Last Saturday's gripsession with chins really got my upper back sore. Also freakishly sore lower arms. Don't know if there's correlation but squats went so bad I quit after three sets. Tomorrow free form work so I'll test some shoulderstuff. Otherwise I will take the rest of the week off from any lifting. Saturday grippers. That's training: one moment I steam like a train, next session is 180 degree the other direction.

Edited December 22, 2014 by Geralt

[Geralt]

Last Saturday's gripsession with chins really got my upper back sore. Also freakishly sore lower arms. Don't know if there's correlation but squats went so bad I quit after three sets. Tomorrow free form work so I'll test some shoulderstuff. Otherwise I will take the rest of the week off from any lifting. Saturday grippers. That's training: one moment I steam like a train, next session is 180 degree the other direction.

Yesterday I decided to go for another attempt on the squats to see if I was just having a bad day before that. Went to the precinct in Zwolle and had a much better session for deload.

Squats after warming up:

3 x 6 @ 100kg;

3 x 3 @ 80kg.

All sets performed with pause in the hole. Actually a pretty big guy was coming up to me and complemented me on my form and that I looked strong, which was very nice.

3 x 10 legextensions, complete weightstack;

4 x 8 shoulderpress @ 45kg;

2 x 8 flat benchmachinepress;

2 x 8 incline benchmachinepress;

Some assisting work for triceps.

Rest till after christmas.

MERRY CHRISTMAS

Signed up for the MM1, Bob v. Genugten my fellow countryman also did that so were going for a double cert. Don't know how we are going to put this into practise though.

Also bought a new double pulling handle for lat pulley, I am going to use it for chinups with Fatgripz and for barbell rows.

I am also looking into ways to put a squatcage in my garage. Safer for squatting and mental help when going for max attempts.

Edited December 24, 2014 by Geralt

[Geralt]

Check! Bought myself a new squatcage. Going to pick it up next Tuesday probably.

Edited December 26, 2014 by Geralt

[Royz]

Check! Bought myself a new squatcage. Going to pick it up next Tuesday probably.image.jpg

Nice!

So where are you gonna park your car now?

[Geralt]

Check! Bought myself a new squatcage. Going to pick it up next Tuesday probably.image.jpg

Nice!

So where are you gonna park your car now?

Lol measured it out and my wife's car will still fit in. Win win situation. Edited December 26, 2014 by Geralt

[Geralt]

Back to grippers today. My lower arms still have been sore since last gripsession till one or two days ago, so really need a lot of recovery after intense sessions before I can reap te benefits of supercompensation. I need to steer away from heavy lowerarms work because it kills my gripperwork when I want to train once per week good quality.

Left hand (off hand) felt literally off but got in work and just need to start from here with my volume work.

TImespan roughly one hour:

R: IM#3 (149lbs) 18 closes, doubles (20mm blockset) and singles (MMS) in 12 sets total, 3 sets (singles were missed by a mm but forced closed and hold) after that (15 sets total) there was no point in continuing.

L: IM#2.5 10 closes MMS, mostly singles with overcrush.

Vulcan level 12 (gold spring 4-4) MMS, 3x3, 1x2, 2 x 0 level 13 in between (messed up set).

Thumbwork and expand your hand bands.

[Geralt]

Squats, easing back into it.

bar 1 x 10;

50kg 1 x 10;

70kg 1 x 10;

95kg 1 x 5;

105kg (231lbs) 2 x 10.

Next workout starting with 5,3,1 for squats.

Next workout trying to get a rep total with 115kg .I thought I had loaded the bar last set to that weight but I was so caught up talking to one of my daughters who was coming into the garage to tell me about her bear that I completely lost my focus on the barbell lol Oh well.

Strict shoulderpress lots of light reps, ending with 50kg 4 x 5. Shoulder is starting to feel better! Movement is feeling less and less painful.

Narrow grip pullups with V handle. First time trying these, have to get used to the chains turning a bit when hanging.

Feels good since I can now hang freely under my carport instead of doing chinups with a bar very close to a wall.

Very weak on this one. Will be a nice assisting exercise next to trapbar.

[Geralt]

My homegym just got better with this new squatrack. Saved up for a lot of stuff this year, including a trapbar and kettlebells.

And my wife's car still fits in lol

Edited December 30, 2014 by Geralt

[JoshW]

Looks awesome

[RTvG]

Great cage!

[slazbob]

Can't beat a cage. Very nice

[Royz]

Great cage Geralt! So usefull for a lot of stuff! Your training will benefit from it I'm sure.