Road To Mm0, Race To The Red Nail, And Beyond

[JaredWith1R]

So after a few posts on the board, JHenze646 has convinced me to start logging my training over here. Went with just a gripper workout today so I can give a little more rest to my hands for bending in the coming week.

I only have a few grippers, so my workout is a little short. I get a good warmup with both hands on the Trainer and #1 sets, but I could use a little more work on my offhand. I'm looking to pickup a #1.5 eventually to help bridge that gap. In the meantime, I'll do negatives with the #2 and time holds on the #1 after rep sets. Maybe a choked gripper would be helpful, too.

Grip Training

Grippers

-Right Hand

T CCS, 3x10

#1 CCS, 3x10

#2 CCS, 2x3, couldn’t complete 3rd reps

#2.5 MMS, 2 attempts

-Left Hand

T CCS, 3x10

#1 CCS, 3x8, couldn’t complete 10

#2 CCS, 1 attempt

Bending

O1 Drill Rod A x 6”

Just for fun, no effort (1/10)

Thanks to everyone for checking out my training. I am receptive to any and all criticisms.

[Jared Goguen]

Awesome! This will be a good log to follow.

[JaredWith1R]

Awesome! This will be a good log to follow.

Thanks man. I expect to update it quite frequently.

[Jüri Sankman]

Will be interesting to follow!

[Jose Cabrera]

Youve got a very high starting point with your grippers, i will be watching this avidly, maybe you should take a little break from bending and kill an MM0 at least, then go for the Red. I cant close my 2.5 yet , and honestly dont expect to close it this year. Good stuff brother.

[JaredWith1R]

Youve got a very high starting point with your grippers, i will be watching this avidly, maybe you should take a little break from bending and kill an MM0 at least, then go for the Red. I cant close my 2.5 yet , and honestly dont expect to close it this year. Good stuff brother.

Thanks for the support. I've been casually using the grippers for about a year (only had the T and #1) and have recently gotten back into them.

This might not be a terrible idea, I have a feeling my bending power will increase substantially if I can put on some extra muscle mass first. But, I am in a race!

[JaredWith1R]

Got in a half workout yesterday. I wanted to have a great bending day, but from the moment I started my Hangboarding, I knew it was gonna be a slow day.

• Climbing
  • Hangboarding
    • 6 rounds of Beginner routine
    • Felt tired, wanted to save some energy for Grip
  • Push Ups
    • 8, 10,8,10,8
    • Total: 44, Best:10
• Grip Training

  • Bending

    • O1 DR A x 6”

      • Easy (2/10)

      • 0.234”, 1.49” final bend

    • D x 6” (1/2)

      • A little more difficult than usual (3/10)

      • Horribly off center Right

      • 0.245”, 1.89” Final bend

    • D x 6” (2/2)

      • A little more difficult than usual (3/10)

      • Horribly off center Right

      • 0.245”, 1.95” Final Bend

    • G x 7” (1/2)

      • Went a little slow (6/10)

      • Had a good set on the kink

      • 0.2605”, 1.90” Final Bend

    • G x 7” (2/2)

      • Much better (5/10)

      • Real fast transitions, don’t let it cool down

      • 0.2605”, 1.60” Final Bend

    • H x 7”

      • Harder than usual (7/10)

      • Something didn’t feel right today, not a lot of power

      • 0.265”, 1.60”

Thanks for following along!

[JaredWith1R]

Just wanted to try one more bar, but got hooked and did 4 Gs. I have more G and H stock coming in today, but I might need to take a few days to let the hands recover. Have some minor discomfort in both Pinkies first joint and Thumb pads.

• O1 DR G x 7” (1 / 4)
  • 6/10
  • Started to feel discomfort in Left Pinky first joint. Aggravation of some discomfort after last nights workout.
• G x 7” (2 / 4)
  • 6/10
  • Took too much time between kink and sweep. Need to work on better transition and sweep method
• G x 7” (3 / 4)
  • 5/10
  • Better, faster transition. Trying to get that downward rotation on the kink. Don’t seem to have enough flexibility.
• G x 7” (4 / 4)
  • 5/10
  • Much better, kept the bar closer to the chest, and high under the throat. Speedy transition and explosive power into the sweep is KEY to getting through to the crush. (Channeling my inner EJ)
  • Lots of hand pain. Through with workout for now.

Cheers.

[Jüri Sankman]

Be careful, dont hurt yourself!

[JaredWith1R]

Be careful, dont hurt yourself!

Word. I'm going to take a strict week off from bending. My hands need the break.

[bencrush]

Nice work with the grippers.

There is a very cheap alternative for making your #2 slightly harder. And closer in strength to the #2.5. So in training, you can use this device to get yourself closer to CCS closing the #2.5. And on a side note: can you close your #2.5 with a parallel set? Just curious. If not, I would recommend doing some MMS (Mash Monster Set = parallel set) training, along with your CCS work.

The cheap alternative is the simple hose clamp. Tighten a small hose clamp around the spring of the #2. Now close the #2 and feel the difference. The hose clamp prevents the spring from spreading, and that makes it quite a bit harder to close. There are entire topics based around this, but it is cheap, and is very useful if you don't have another gripper that is in between the #2 and the #2.5 right now.

I'm actually surprised more guys don't use the simple hose clamp in their training.

[JaredWith1R]

Incoming order from CPW of a rated #1.5 and GHP 5. Thank you, holiday bonus, for helping out my grip training.

[Jüri Sankman]

When I had only one gripper, for making gripper more harder I just grab it higher

[Jared Goguen]

Are you doing any kind of extensor training?

[JaredWith1R]

Are you doing any kind of extensor training?

I've got some Expand Your Hand bands that I throw in after a few workouts. I haven't done it in a little while, so I gotta get back on that.

Nice work with the grippers.

There is a very cheap alternative for making your #2 slightly harder. And closer in strength to the #2.5. So in training, you can use this device to get yourself closer to CCS closing the #2.5. And on a side note: can you close your #2.5 with a parallel set? Just curious. If not, I would recommend doing some MMS (Mash Monster Set = parallel set) training, along with your CCS work.

The cheap alternative is the simple hose clamp. Tighten a small hose clamp around the spring of the #2. Now close the #2 and feel the difference. The hose clamp prevents the spring from spreading, and that makes it quite a bit harder to close. There are entire topics based around this, but it is cheap, and is very useful if you don't have another gripper that is in between the #2 and the #2.5 right now.

I'm actually surprised more guys don't use the simple hose clamp in their training.

That sounds like a pretty good idea. How much harder would you say it made the close?

I plan to work towards the #2.5 MMS before I go for CCS for sure.

[bencrush]

Are you doing any kind of extensor training?

I've got some Expand Your Hand bands that I throw in after a few workouts. I haven't done it in a little while, so I gotta get back on that.

Nice work with the grippers.

There is a very cheap alternative for making your #2 slightly harder. And closer in strength to the #2.5. So in training, you can use this device to get yourself closer to CCS closing the #2.5. And on a side note: can you close your #2.5 with a parallel set? Just curious. If not, I would recommend doing some MMS (Mash Monster Set = parallel set) training, along with your CCS work.

The cheap alternative is the simple hose clamp. Tighten a small hose clamp around the spring of the #2. Now close the #2 and feel the difference. The hose clamp prevents the spring from spreading, and that makes it quite a bit harder to close. There are entire topics based around this, but it is cheap, and is very useful if you don't have another gripper that is in between the #2 and the #2.5 right now.

I'm actually surprised more guys don't use the simple hose clamp in their training.

That sounds like a pretty good idea. How much harder would you say it made the close?

I plan to work towards the #2.5 MMS before I go for CCS for sure.

It's really hard to say, since I never (wish I had, looking back on it) RGC rated a gripper after putting a hose clamp on the spring. Probably made my 110lb #2 into a 120lb gripper, is my best guess. 10lbs is quite an increase.

[JoshW]

I used a hose clamp for 6 weeks on a #3 and opened it up each day. Took off the clamp and closed the #3 the next few days after!

Definitely worth a try!

[bencrush]

I used a hose clamp for 6 weeks on a #3 and opened it up each day. Took off the clamp and closed the #3 the next few days after!

Definitely worth a try!

Yeah, hose clamps are way underrated for training grippers. I used one and did the same thing you did with a #3, and then progressively harder Elites.

JoshW, do you know that the suggestion I gave Jared on hose clamps was not the same as opening it up progressively though? On the one I'm referring to (with Jared), you look the hose clamp THROUGH the spring, instead of looping it AROUND the spring for the other progressive distance training.

[JoshW]

Damn, must have misread that. Sorry dude. Either way both of those methods are most definitely underrated!

Never heard of the one you mentioned, learn something new everyday!

[bencrush]

Damn, must have misread that. Sorry dude. Either way both of those methods are most definitely underrated!

Never heard of the one you mentioned, learn something new everyday!

No problem man. You ought to give it a try though. It really is great for making an instant stair step gripper to the next level.

[JaredWith1R]

I used a hose clamp for 6 weeks on a #3 and opened it up each day. Took off the clamp and closed the #3 the next few days after!

Definitely worth a try!

I would like to give this a try, as well. Seems like a good way to get to my goal. I thought I read recently that leaving a gripper choked like that can reduce the spring strength over time. Did you notice this at all while using it as a distance trainer?

[JoshW]

I left it in a choker for 6 weeks to test this out and what I found was the set on the gripper felt slightly easier afterwards. Only about a loss of a few pounds of strength on the gripper.

You can open it up to 20mm block sett level or 50mm+ for ccs closes. Give it a try, I'd love to see you close the 2.5 and 3 soon!

[JaredWith1R]

Picked up a 6# sledge from the hardware store yesterday, and gave a new workout a try.

• Sledge - 6#

  • Pro/Supination

    • R: 3x5 - 12”

    • L: 3x8 - 8”

  • Finger Walk (# of steps)

    • R: 31, 40, 40

    • L: 31, 46, 38

  • Vertical Radial/Ulnar Deviation

    • R: 3x5 - 18”

    • L: 3x5 - 18”

  • Horizontal Radial/Ulnar Deviation

    • R: 3x5 - 12”

    • L: 3x5 - 12”

  • Quarter Deadlift

    • R: 3x5 - 18”

    • L: 3x5 - 18”

Planning to get in a gripper workout later as well. I also picked up 15 6" x 60D spiral spikes, and they seem pretty weak, so I think I have to send them straight to hell soon.

I don't know much about sledge workouts, so if it looks like I'm missing anything, or should make any volume adjustments, please let me know!

[JaredWith1R]

Did some extra sledge work on Saturday that I forgot to log. I'm not sure how much this will do, but I know it got tough to finish off the last few reps, and my forearms have been sore for 2 days now.

• Sledge 2 - 6#

  • Overhead Press - Backhand

    • R: 3x9 - 12”

    • L: 3x9 - 8”

  • Standing Row - Forehand

    • R: 3x9 - 12”

    • L: 3x9 - 12” (Did Not Finish)

  • Forward Lift - Forehand

    • R: 3x9 - 8”

    • L: 3x9 - 8”

  • Reverse Curl - Forehand

    • R: 3x9 - 8”

    • L: 3x9 - 8”

I think I will work on this tonight as well before a little light bending. Maybe just a half dozen G size or so. I picked up some spiral 6" x 60D from Home Depot the other day, and I have no clue what they rate at. It feels like it must be in the 100#s tops, not much of an effort at all.

Thanks for reading.

[JHenze646]

The spiral 60D or timber ties are good for when you try new techniques or different positions. I have a box of them.