jpprice Posted July 13, 2007 Share Posted July 13, 2007 Alright, so I got over-eager and posted about equipment before my introduction... can you blame me for being excited?! As for me, 23 y/o male, 280lbs, 5'11" Goals: for now, weight loss, started at 330lbs in march 07 and initial goal is 250lbs (we'll see after that). As for grip, my grip is not as good as I'd like, my DL is at 575lbs. and I feel it'd be in the 600's easily with more grip strength. I'm athletic for a big guy, former college football player, now I mainly stay in ballistic movements and some sprinting and mainly kettlebell weight training (which is really helping my grip as well). Seeking: advice on equipment and grip specific exercises. If buying my first "grip tools" I don't want to start below where I am now and waste money, but I need a lot of direction (I love reading so book recommendations are great) and advice on what to buy to be efficient in grip strength. Thanks all, right now my grip is shot from sledge hammer work today! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rippedchick Posted July 13, 2007 Share Posted July 13, 2007 Hi all. My name is Bobbi and I'm taking a little trip over from my home at www.discussbodybuilding.com where I mod. I'm 5'6" 120lb female and I have come to realize that my wrist/grip strength is bringing down other lifts. I also play women's american football and I need to strengthen my wrists to prevent injuries during blocking and tackling. I've read the post in FAQ for begginer grip training and hopefully I'll be able to stick with it. If I ask silly questions please forgive me, I'm just trying to learn! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vikingsrule92 Posted July 13, 2007 Share Posted July 13, 2007 Welcome aboard everyone! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ihvpcinhm Posted July 14, 2007 Share Posted July 14, 2007 Hello all, My name is Darryl. I have been cruising the site for the last couple of weeks learning about gripping, etc. I have been working out for one year now, and have seen some gains. I want to however develop strength in all areas. I would like to close the coc#3 eventually. Other goals are hitting a 300lb bench and 400lb squat by Christmas. I have now been incorporating gripping workouts twice per week along with my other workout. (Push/pull split.) I ordered the #1 and the trainer about 3 weeks ago. They came last week. (Pretty quick.) I was able to close the #1 ten times in each hand. I have now ordered the number two. I think I have some hand strength from the years I spent stacking bags in a feed mill. I also want to get into bending and ripping. I have been able to rip a deck of Walmart cards. (Crowns.) I will hopefully work up to Bee's and Bicycle's. I also ripped a white pages yesterday on demand of some of the clients I work with. (I am a Chaplain at an inner city mission - I preached on how to build a strong grip last Sunday and related it to building a strong spiritual life.) I also have bought some steel. I am taking it real easy here. Once per week I think I will bend steel. (On one of the 2 grip workouts.) I bent a 3/16 piece of steel at 7". Tonight I will try 6" and then maybe move up to a 6" grade 2 bolt. Currently I am beginning my workout with some card rips to warm up (half deck) then I move onto a couple of bends, then some sledge hammer levering(not full the partials to the front and rear), and then plate pinching. I am sure there needs to be some modification here. I am however feeling like I am getting stronger in my hands, so I must be doing something right. I am enjoying the form, and finding lots of usefull information. Thanks Gripboard, Darryl. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChristopherHein Posted July 15, 2007 Share Posted July 15, 2007 Hello, My name is Christopher Hein. I am an Aikido instructor in Fresno California. I got interested in grip strength via my martial art. In Aikido we grip the wrist to prevent our attacker from using a weapon against us. In our drills and training practice it is very difficult to hold someone who is trained in methods to release themselves. I'm looking to improve my grip strength to help me hold on longer, and better. -Christopher Hein www.centralvalleyaikido.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ox3782 Posted July 17, 2007 Share Posted July 17, 2007 Welcome Chris you have found the right place for grip strength increase info.Aikido thats what Segal practices right? Brendan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bowermdw@yahoo.com Posted July 18, 2007 Share Posted July 18, 2007 Hey All, This is my first day here. I saw this pinned so I thought I'd post an intro. My name is Doug. I'm 5'9", 180lbs, and I'm 31 going on 32. Still young right? I'm married and have a son. I live in IN, work in Indy. I got starting with grip work in college. I bought some Nolan Ryan grippers from the sporting good's store. When I was frustrated I'd pace back and forth smashing it shut. I then created goals like 200 reps, how many seconds can I hold it shut. Eventually the spring broke. Luckily the package had 2 grippers in it! After I graduated and was bored I'd smash that gripper. It was really easy and I found myself hunting for a challenge. I had no idea that grippers like Ironmind's CoC ever existed. I was so happy when I found them doing internet searches in like 1998-9. I got my money order and sent it to them. I got the Trainer and #1. I crushed them for a year or so, and I got the #2 for my birthday. I was stunned that I couldn't close it. I tried for months working and couldn't do it. I had it down to the width of a coin, and then never again. Fast forward to this past weekend. I was looking at other websites about gripping. There were articles about blobs, hexheads, plate pinching, and so on, which was confusing. So I did some researching. I stumbled up the gripboard.com name while doing this and so I signed up. I'd like to close the #2 someday, but I have many interests. I work hard, so I do nothing when I have a chance. No ambition. My only questions right now, which will probably be answered upon reading are: Why the fascination with blobs? Why not pinching same size with same weight materials? How about bricks? I have some bricks and I can tie them together. These might sound silly, because I have the John Brookfield Grip Master Manual and his DVD. But, there are many articles about using very expensive blobs. Well that's enough for now. Doug Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vikingsrule92 Posted July 18, 2007 Share Posted July 18, 2007 Welcome to the board Doug. Pinching in any way is good but blobs are considered to be signficantly better because of the way they are shaped. Because they slope instead of being straight like plates they seem to work a lot better for overall ahdn strength. maybe someone else can explain this more proficiently I just know that they are in fact better for hand strength than regular plate pinches. Oh and as far as bricks go, yeah they'll work, get a couple of them and tie a bucket or something to hold weights on them and pinch away. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mitch1963 Posted July 20, 2007 Share Posted July 20, 2007 Hello everyone. My name is Mitch and I am from Iowa. I am a designer and fabricator. Since I was a small lad I have always been interested in strength training. I am a former amature powerlifter. What got me interested in grip strength was when I started incorporating deadlifts into my workout again and realized my grip was my weak link. I found this site and within the last 3 weeks I have built a selectorized forearm machine similar to the one Atlantis sells. Then I ordered the CoC grippers and built pinch blocks, a hub and a 2.5" and 3" fatbar dumbbell. I will be 44 in September. I'm 5'8" and weigh $1.95. My goal at this point is to close the 1.5 CoC. This is an awsome site full of very mature professional posters. This grip training is becoming addicting but I realize starting out one must be very careful not to injure your hands. I hope I can be some help in the future. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crobb1320 Posted July 21, 2007 Share Posted July 21, 2007 welcome guy's,you have definitely come to the right place,there is a wealth of info here and lots of good people that will help you. good luck with your training and welcome aboard. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
matthcarl Posted July 25, 2007 Share Posted July 25, 2007 Hi all I have been into weightlifting for several years, but only recently got interested in grip strength. I am a 25 year old male, 5'7" 210 lbs. I was surprised to see so much information online and I'm looking forward to all the advice I'm sure you're brimming with. My experience so far has mainly been doing heavy wrist curls and doing 100+ reps with my cheap hand grips. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dimmers Posted July 25, 2007 Share Posted July 25, 2007 Hi allI have been into weightlifting for several years, but only recently got interested in grip strength. I am a 25 year old male, 5'7" 210 lbs. I was surprised to see so much information online and I'm looking forward to all the advice I'm sure you're brimming with. My experience so far has mainly been doing heavy wrist curls and doing 100+ reps with my cheap hand grips. welcome! hope you enjoy your grip training! ditch the cheap hand grippers though, and get some heavy duty ones if you can. Heavy grips do a good starter set for a good price. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
matthcarl Posted July 25, 2007 Share Posted July 25, 2007 ditch the cheap hand grippers though, and get some heavy duty ones if you can. Heavy grips do a good starter set for a good price. Thanks. I do have a set of Heavy Grips on order. I figure I'll see how those work and maybe shell out for some Ironmind grips eventually. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scorpner Posted July 29, 2007 Share Posted July 29, 2007 Hi, my name is Terry. I'm 5' 7" around 150-160 lbs. I was into lifting in my early 20's (my max on bench was around 290, squat 390). But I have developed tendinitis in my arms over the years that have limited what I can do. I'm 42 now. I would like to return to lifting despite the fact I was told I could not. I'm hoping to find information on overcoming this as I haven't found much from the doctors and physical therapists I have encountered. Basically my grip sucks big time and I figure if I can strengthen my grip, I can lift again. I'll check out the site a little more and do some searches to see if I can come up with some ideas, but if anyone has any advice I'd appreciate it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Okiegrip Posted July 31, 2007 Share Posted July 31, 2007 I am an Oklahoma transplant living in LA (not by choice, Uncle Sam knows best). My grip training has not been serious to this point...that's why I'm here. I began by purchasing the COC#1. When it arrived I could only close it 3 times. After working my way up to closing the #1 for 10 reps I purchased the COC#2. I can now close the COC#2 for 3 reps. The only other grip training equipment I have purchased are the ironmind close the gap straps. My interest in grip training began as a result of a career in Law Enforcement. I attended a street survival seminar where the COC's were being sold. I decided strong grip strength was a good quality for a LEO to have. My ultimate grip goal would be to close the COC#3. I am 6'00", 230 lbs, 18% body fat (just got hydro tested at work). I am currently working my way up the simplefit workouts before moving on to crossfit. I will browse the forum for a while before I ask stupid questions. Thanks for allowing me to play. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Molla Posted August 3, 2007 Share Posted August 3, 2007 Hi everybody, I've been lurking round the board for a month or so now and thought I'd finally unmask myself! I'm 31, been training for a few years, mainly on abbreviated routines and have recently discovered the addiction of grip and bending workouts. I often use a homemade thick bar in training and also enjoy working pinch grip, but nothing beats bending for sheer animal satisfaction in my opinion! At this point, I think it's traditional to post some PRs in the three powerlifts, but I don't want to embarrass myself just yet. My best bend is a green nail, which I can do pretty easily, but I'm having real problems with the yellow (can't even get a decent kink). I've tried to get hold of some bending stock here in Norwich (England) but we don't seem to have the variation and quantity that exists in the States. If anyone has got any ideas about where to obtain nails, bolts etc and their thicknesses/difficulties, I'd love to hear from you. Anyway, it's good to be on board; respect to all. Tom Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pascal Posted August 5, 2007 Share Posted August 5, 2007 I am 15 about 5' 2" and roughly 115 pounds. I have always been interested in strongman feats especially ones that involve the grip. I have done small amounts of grip training but overtrain because I have weak hands with no base of strength. A longstanding goal of mine has been a one arm chin up witch I should acheive in a few months and i think this will be the perfect time to do the beginner routine from this board. The reason i am going to start training seriously now is i have become very interested in nail bending and have seen a few videos of frying pans being rolled up and would one day like to acheive this i also have always had weak hands and wrists and hate being bad at anything. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GetAGrip87 Posted August 5, 2007 Share Posted August 5, 2007 Welcome to the Board guys!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
matthcarl Posted August 6, 2007 Share Posted August 6, 2007 I've always wanted to be able to do a one-armed chin-up as well...ever since I heard only 1 in 500,000 people can do one. Of course I'm fat enough that I'd be lucky to do a single two handed chin-up right now. Anyway, I just want to plug David Horne's grip program for beginners, which is pinned on this board. It seems to be working well for me, especially the wrist curls with the bar firmly gripped...I used to keep the fingers loose and could do lot more weight, but it doesn't hit the forearms nearly as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pascal Posted August 6, 2007 Share Posted August 6, 2007 I've always wanted to be able to do a one-armed chin-up as well...ever since I heard only 1 in 500,000 people can do one. Of course I'm fat enough that I'd be lucky to do a single two handed chin-up right now. Anyway, I just want to plug David Horne's grip program for beginners, which is pinned on this board. It seems to be working well for me, especially the wrist curls with the bar firmly gripped...I used to keep the fingers loose and could do lot more weight, but it doesn't hit the forearms nearly as well. The most important things for training for it are 1. Get your reps up to at least 15 before you start going to 3 rep maxes and below. I should be cranking them out by now but went to heavy to soon I could do chins + 60% bw and negative one arms but got tendinitis I did not do this. 2. Work your triceps or you will get elbow problems 3.Take a lot of fish oil or eat many walnuts for omega 3s it is massively helpful on your elbow joints because tendinitis is chronic inflammation and omega 3's are anti inflammatory. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alawadhi Posted August 7, 2007 Share Posted August 7, 2007 Welcome Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rubberchicken Posted August 8, 2007 Share Posted August 8, 2007 G'day all, I'm 34, 6.1 and about 200lbs. I am a beginner to grip training. Due to a dodgy back and knees I can't really lift too much anymore so I want to concentrate on stuff I enjoy and am still able to do. Hence I have started the Armstrong Chinup program, mostly bodyweight circuit and tabata type training and grip work ( ideal to do at my work whilst on shift) Goals are to get some serious reps on chins, eventually a one handed chin, stay lean and wiry ( not so easy as you get older and work in an office ) and see how far I can go on this grip thing. Also would love to be able to do chins with a pinch grip. I will probably lurk a bit and try some stuff before I post much unless something comes up I can't figure out or find. Really appreciate the board and the info, thanks all! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
axolotl66 Posted August 14, 2007 Share Posted August 14, 2007 (edited) Hello all, My name is Graham but people call me aXe. I've been into strongman for years, but only as a spectator. I took a liking to all things grip because it is an often neglected aspect of strength training and used to get Dave Horne's Iron Grip magazine. I reckon if you can't grip it, you can't lift it, so work that grip! The endless variety of ways to work your grip is a constant motivation, as is big JB and the CoCs! I've worked out for years, but only recently (the last couple of months or so after re-reading "Dinosaur Training") started training for strengh and concentrated on grip work. My regime? Early days yet, but at the moment using the Ivanko Supergripper and IMTUGs to work towards closing CoC No2 (5 x low rep sets and plenty of rest!), thick bar deadlifts and a weekend of moving 7 tonne of rough sandstone wall! Also anything that takes my fancy on the day, pinch lifts, thick bar dumbell swings, and hammer curls are a favourite too, as are sandbags. Age: 40 Weight: 103kg Height: 183cm Coc: Number 1 for 5 reps (left and right) Cheers, aXe Edited August 14, 2007 by axolotl66 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pdfk20 Posted August 14, 2007 Share Posted August 14, 2007 Welcome to the board aXe Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GetAGrip87 Posted August 14, 2007 Share Posted August 14, 2007 Welcome Guys!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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