Guest sjeff70 Posted March 11, 2003 Share Posted March 11, 2003 Amoungst other reasons, I've ordered a loading pin to assist my training in tearing cards and phone books. I'm going to have two blocks cut: one the size of a deck of cards and the other a 2" thick phone book size. If I wanted to be able to do both feats without focusing my attention on both blocks, would the strength carry over from the 2" thick block to the card block? It's the same strength analogy as 3" thick bar training carrying over to 2" thick bar training. What do you think...am I using my noggin??? Jeff Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnimalCage Posted March 11, 2003 Share Posted March 11, 2003 Jeff, In my limited experience, I have found the two to be entirely different. Card tearing is entirely in the fingers, where phone book tearing works your full hand pinch and forearms. My advice: either focus on one, or train for both separately. Alan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amaury Posted March 11, 2003 Share Posted March 11, 2003 phone book tearing works your full hand pinch and forearms I concur, and it requires some upper body strength too. Technique is essential IMHO so you should perhaps focus on it. I don't think you really need to do anything else than tearing phonebooks to be good at it. Again it's just MHO. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest sjeff70 Posted March 11, 2003 Share Posted March 11, 2003 I agree with you guys. My plan is to drop conventional pinching methods and switch to pinching as if I were holding a key to open a lock. This would give me a better base for tearing than if I were to stick with a conventional plate pinch. I got to thinking...what good is plate pinching unless you are training to rafter chin??? What good is any plate loading work unless you are going to perform a fun feat of strength with it? With this in mind, do you guys think the thick pinch work carries over to thinner pinch work performed in the same manner? Jeff Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnimalCage Posted March 11, 2003 Share Posted March 11, 2003 Jeff, Before giving up on plate pinching, consider how well it translates into functional strength. There's a whole lot more than rafter chins out there. If your focus is tearing, then train for tearing. But don't count out the benefits of a massive pinch grip! I think a thick pinch indirectly carries over to a thin pinch, and vise versa. Either way, you are strengthening your pinch grip. However, at some point, when you want to focus on a particular goal, you will have to adapt your training accordingly. Alan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jonathan McMillan Posted March 11, 2003 Share Posted March 11, 2003 Jeff, Also remember when performing book and card tearing you are using both hands...so when you start your pinching training that is more specific to the tearing sizes, I think a good idea would be to pinch a block in each hand. I brought up this point in the crushing can thread a while back. There's plenty of Coc's that can generate the force to do it but they haven't trained to do it with both hands at the same time. Jon@han Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest sjeff70 Posted March 12, 2003 Share Posted March 12, 2003 Oh yea, both hands will get their equal share. Are either one of you tearing now? Here's my plan: I'll hold the block on its side like I would tear a phone book. I don't know how things will go but I figure at each 5 pound increment I'll give a phone book a good session. I'll start with 1 1/4" thick and add pages as I go. 1" is pretty easy and I'm thinking 2" will come in short order, once I get used to the new pinch style. I tear from the top to limit fanning. I'm hoping the post office can give me a bunch of old phone book they don't want. I've been saving a bunch from friends and family. Thanks for the input guys. I'll take all the advice I can get. Jeff Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnimalCage Posted March 12, 2003 Share Posted March 12, 2003 I did a deck of cards two weeks ago. Haven't done a phone book for a few weeks. I've been focusing on grippers. My hands ache too much when I try to do all of it together. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jonathan McMillan Posted March 12, 2003 Share Posted March 12, 2003 Jeff, I do a little tearing of stuff but not as a routine, 30 card deck is the most I've done successfully and a Chatelaine magazine. I've tried a phone book on a few occasions ...but to be honest I haven't studied the technique and didn't get a tear started even Jon@han Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest sjeff70 Posted March 13, 2003 Share Posted March 13, 2003 Tearing cards is pretty tough! I respect 30 cards, it's more than I can do. I have pretty long hands and holding a deck to tear is pretty akward. I'm hoping the thick work will carry over but specificity is more important (AnimalCage). How's that #2 coming, Jonathan? I'm less than 3/16" ...still a bit to go. I got screwed because I've had to pinch rubber plates at the gym I'm forced to go to. It's effected my crush workouts because I have to pinch heavier weights. To top that off one of the owners said I can't use chalk anymore because it gets all over the weights! Since when are gyms allowed to care more about themselves than the customer? It just goes to show that all they care about is bullying poor suckers into a contract you can't get out of. Then you play by their rules and you don't matter!!! What really erks me about it is they have a cleaning person whos only job is to come in and clean the machines and weights! I hate to beat a dead horse but the guy comes over with this attitude like I can't believe this idiot dirtied up my weights and caused me to have to put you in your place. Sigh...can't wait till my power rack arrives. Jeff Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Black Posted March 13, 2003 Share Posted March 13, 2003 I’ve been waiting for this thread to develop before adding my two cents, it seems I should because my name has been used in vain! I certainly did advocate pinching for tearing, but I must admit, not with much evidence, other than my observation that while ripping you are holding the book or cards in a form of pinch grip. As many people have pointed out to me over the last few years, they have a very good pinch (and usually better than mine) but can’t seem to do much with a phone book or cards. Thus, there must be some other factors that I did not consider before. I think wrist strength and arm strength must both be factors. Toughness of your hands is another, and I think there is a pattern on the board that people who first bend then rip have an easier time ripping because the hands become tougher from the bending. I tend to agree with amaury above that “I don't think you really need to do anything else than tearing phonebooks to be good at it,” but since I am an advocate of total body and total grip training, I would rather see people achieve a balance in their strength. While the results may be slower coming, in the end you will be the better for it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Page Posted March 13, 2003 Share Posted March 13, 2003 SJEFF70 You must belong to a Bally's! I know how you feel. How I long for my old "real" gym. Chalk everywhere! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest sjeff70 Posted March 13, 2003 Share Posted March 13, 2003 Tom (Taz), that's probably where this guy learned to do business! The first time I tried a 1" phone book I nearly threw my shoulder out, and I developed and rubbed a blister completely off my left index finger. Did I mention I almost ruptured a tendon in that finger too? I have to be more careful when doing this stuff. I find myself so involved in the task, I completely disregard my own personal safety. I tore the phone book a week later and with no problems. I'm looking for pinch variety at this point and there doesn't seem to be much difference in the two pinching styles. The thumb gets good work both ways. Thanks everyone for your input and advice. Jeff Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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