Thoughts On The Zenith For Training?

[canthar]

Now that it has been out a bit what is everyone's thoughts on their place?

I've basically used mine for no set warm ups at this point. Roughly 7 1/4 in hands so it feels nice and comfortable for that purpose.

[gm1swm]

I use mine for solely TNS reps around the 10-25 rep range for volume.

[canthar]

Been right around ten reps here so similar thoughts I see.

[Brett H]

Can these grippers be used for lower reps or is it not possible with the smooth handles?

[Jedd Johnson]

Are any of these actually hard to close?

[Chez]

The hardest one (Z #3) isn't even that hard. I think between a COC #2 and #2.5 from what I hear since I have never tried it. I tried one at a competition a little while back. I think it was the Zenith #2 and it was incredibly easy. I could have sat there all day closing it and that was after a competition.

[Mephistopholes]

I have little experience with these...

However, a few months back I ordered the lightest one they make (the agility, I think) as a gift for a friend of mine (a girl) who wants to improve her grip strength but couldn't even close the regular guide gripper. I of course played with it a bit, and of course it was super super super easy. However, it felt great in my hands and it occurred to me that it would be a good recovery tool, and I bet the same could be said about the heavier models.

[Mephistopholes]

But I think what you have to keep in mind is that theyre really not made for us. At least that's the impression I get. Theyre not made for the hardcore lifters and strongmen and gripsters who want things to be super hard and brutal and don't mind their skin getting torn and callused from the knurling, and who like the primitive look of axle and barbells and rusty weight plates and heavy torsion spring grippers.

Primarily, I think, they are made for crossfit people, and triathalon people, and people who feel it is necessary to wear brightly colored designer spandex outfits to the gym, where all they'll use is light weight. They need pretty things workout with, and they can't be too hard.

Not that there is anything wrong with that. Ironmind should tap into as many demographics as it can. But the point is, I think we are a different demographic than what the zenith has been designed for.

[Electron]

Are any of these actually hard to close?

I can close the Z3 pretty easily. So no.

The lack of knurling and the weird shape get to me a bit, but I guess it works the set a bit extra.

As for the features it had for the crossfit people, I've heard regular people say that the gripper slips too much.

I wonder if the zenith grippers will die out quickly, soon becoming collectors items?

[gm1swm]

I use them to push volume when the soft tissue gets too mangled on my fingers

[speedy]

Are any of these actually hard to close?

My thoughts exactly. I would have gotten one if the spring has the same resistance of a COC but with the smooth handle. I never bothered when I carefully read their descriptions of the grippers on Ironmind. Anyone regret buying it?

[slazbob]

I think the handles feel great... And coc feel easier after using it. The thumb has to hold it in place or it wants to go deep. But I didn't need chalk.

Jedd-

The Z4 is around a 3.5 with fat handles.

[Cannon]

Are any of these actually hard to close?

I think the Z3 takes about the same amount of "effort" as a 120# standard TSG.

I have not seen the Z4 yet.

[bencrush]

Are any of these actually hard to close?

I think the Z3 takes about the same amount of "effort" as a 120# standard TSG.

I have not seen the Z4 yet.

I have the Z3 and it would challenge many guys to close itTNS because of the smooth, fat handles. It is the first gripper I've closed in quite a while. 10 months, actually. If you don't get your hand tackiness right, it gets very hard to TNS close.

[Tedch]

I have Z1. It is a quality gripper for high volume work. I do 50-70 rep range TNS. Great for cardio and to finish off a arm workout. It's a great tool for bottom three fingers training in a hook position. Bent wrist pretty much takes out the index finger from the equation of closing the gripper. Works fine with thumbless grip and keeping the wrist straight for AW specific training. I like it!

I find the approach of how hard it is to close totally wrong. Find out what you can do with it to benefit your training and do more reps until exhaustion. JMO

[Anthony t]

Well I just got my z4 and can't close it but I can close my filed #3 and ghp 7

[eastNYgoon]

I bought a Zenith Agility and #2. They are well made, real solid and pretty heavy. For some reason I thought the handles would be hollow but they are definitely solid. The Agility is fun, a good recovery tool I guess. It would also be a good pinch tool for anyone just starting grip training. I just recently closed a GHP 6, to put my strength into perspective. So the Zenith #2 is a pretty easy close for me but I do notice some differences between it and normal grippers. High rep work with it definitely pumps up my thumb pads. I guess it works the pad harder because the thicker, slick handles are always slipping back, making the pad work much harder. You can't rely on the friction from the knurling on the skin to hold it in place anymore. Like with the Rolling Thunder, chalk is like a double edged sword, you need just the right amount. Too much and it seems to make the handles more slippery. I'll be buying the #3 soon.

[Randall Strossen]

Are any of these actually hard to close?

The hardest one (Z #3) isn't even that hard. I think between a COC #2 and #2.5 from what I hear since I have never tried it. I tried one at a competition a little while back. I think it was the Zenith #2 and it was incredibly easy. I could have sat there all day closing it and that was after a competition.

Zenith is a strength and conditioning gripper with a different feel, so most guys will probably still want to reach for a trusty Captains of Crush gripper for their 1 RM, but having said that, a Zenith 4 is not a pansy gripper—it was designed for guys who have certified on the CoC No. 3 or beyond, although, of course, anyone can use it if they want to.

[Randall Strossen]

But I think what you have to keep in mind is that theyre really not made for us. At least that's the impression I get. Theyre not made for the hardcore lifters and strongmen and gripsters who want things to be super hard and brutal and don't mind their skin getting torn and callused from the knurling, and who like the primitive look of axle and barbells and rusty weight plates and heavy torsion spring grippers.

Primarily, I think, they are made for crossfit people, and triathalon people, and people who feel it is necessary to wear brightly colored designer spandex outfits to the gym, where all they'll use is light weight. They need pretty things workout with, and they can't be too hard.

Not that there is anything wrong with that. Ironmind should tap into as many demographics as it can. But the point is, I think we are a different demographic than what the zenith has been designed for.

The part about the CrossFitters, etc. compared to the guys who eat rusty nails for breakfast cracked me up and I can understand where this POV comes from but if you were around when IronMind took the original Iron Man grippers from the 1960s and evolved them into first Silver Crush grippers and then Captains of Crush grippers, you might remember that we said the same thing about ourselves at the time—hoped we were not ruining something that although kind of crude looking, was something we loved. Guys must have liked what we did because look at how many grippers now try as hard as they can to look like that are CoCs and how many try to look like the original Iron Man grippers.

Still, I have to say that I think Zenith grippers are drop dead gorgeous—hope that's ok!

I use them to push volume when the soft tissue gets too mangled on my fingers

That's a great application for them—Zenith grippers were designed for that kind of workout, and that's how they work hand-in-hand with CoC grippers.

[Bill Piche]

Right from the get go I was thinking they would have direct application for high volume training without turning the skin to a bloody mess. As most of you know, I am an advocate of controlled and periodized high volume workouts. Frankly, I never once thought of them to be used by someone who might not like the bite of normal knurling. I was always thinking in the 'hardcore' direction and application.

I also thought that by the non-knurling it makes it "harder" to close due to lack of friction in the hand. "Harder" is always a good thing in my mind.

[mightyjoe]

As a collector they are IMO a beautiful gripper and a unique gripper as well!

As a user I find several advantages that I like, 1) the smooth handles are easy on the hands if used for recovery.

2) the slickness of the handles make them challenging if a little imagination is used in your training. 3) the geometry of the gripper due to the larger OA diameter torsion spring gives the close a different feel that possibly

hits the muscles slightly different which is a good thing when it comes to variety!

[windoughboywin]

The Zenith seem to be more of a money making thing than anything else. I can easily do rep work with my CoC trainer or CoC #1. I don't really see a valuable purpose in these.

[Tom Scibelli]

The Zenith seem to be more of a money making thing than anything else. I can easily do rep work with my CoC trainer or CoC #1. I don't really see a valuable purpose in these.

I use to not see the value of these grippers either, but now I do. You can use them for more rep work without tearing up your hands because they have no knurling. It's also a different kind of close because the spring is bigger. Any different kind of gripper workout you can do is good.

Edited August 1, 2013 by Tom Scibelli

[Randall Strossen]

The Zenith seem to be more of a money making thing than anything else. I can easily do rep work with my CoC trainer or CoC #1. I don't really see a valuable purpose in these.

I guess that's one way to look at it, but Zenith really does things differently than Captains of Crush (or any other) grippers.

You might not be interested in higher repetition work, an extremely comfortable handle and a spring with a different feel, for example, and that's fine, but a lot of guys will be, and they will find that Zenith, especially because it's what IronMind calls CoC compatible, is the perfect adjunct to their primary gripper training.

[Brett H]

Just got a Zenith #2 today as one of my 50th birthday presents. My personal opinion; I love the thing!! It just feels great in my hand (I actually liked the absence of knurling more than I had thought I would) and it closes smoothly. Another thing I notice is that my pinky stays completely on the handle which is not usually the case with a Captain of Crush gripper. I am just so pleasantly surprised by this gripper.

I do have one question for those who have used this gripper with regards to the gripper strength. I had thought that this would be something I would work up to. I recently started training again after a long layoff and in the past I was one of those people who could not even close a #1 without training (I think I could barely close the trainer when I first started and I am not even certain of that). Currently I am not even close to closing my COC #2 and I cannot yet fully close my COC 1.5. However, I closed this Zenith #2 for 3 reps straight from the package? Now, I have read on this board that the Zenith is a little easier than its COC counterpart but this thing is honestly slightly harder than my COC #1? Has anyone else found this to be true?