wobbler Posted December 9, 2015 Share Posted December 9, 2015 Let's say grippers, do you wait 3 days until you're not sore to train again, or do you wait 4-5 days until you're completely fresh and can close heavier grippers? What does everyone think? If I feel alright I go for it, but it sucks to miss stuff you know you can get. Block weights, pinch, and hub I think you have to wait, but grippers you can just get more reps with something lighter. My goal is really just overall hand strength so I'm not too upset missing on specific grippers, but if I can't pick up a blob or if I'm down 5 lbs on the hub then it's pretty discouraging and I question thee benefit of the workout. Trying to fit it all in and figuring out what order to work on things is tricky. There's obviously no right answer other than focus on specifics, but I'd like to hear everyone's random comments. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
avasatu Posted December 9, 2015 Share Posted December 9, 2015 (edited) From the few months I have been doing it, I like 7 days between grippers, but my thumb seems to be able to handle, and even prefer, 2-3 times per week, provided each day is governed by a different type of pinch (hub, block, key, etc.) and the volume/intensity isn't too crazy. Edited December 9, 2015 by avasatu 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silverbackgrip Posted December 9, 2015 Share Posted December 9, 2015 (edited) Let's say grippers, do you wait 3 days until you're not sore to train again, or do you wait 4-5 days until you're completely fresh and can close heavier grippers? What does everyone think? If I feel alright I go for it, but it sucks to miss stuff you know you can get. Block weights, pinch, and hub I think you have to wait, but grippers you can just get more reps with something lighter. My goal is really just overall hand strength so I'm not too upset missing on specific grippers, but if I can't pick up a blob or if I'm down 5 lbs on the hub then it's pretty discouraging and I question thee benefit of the workout. Trying to fit it all in and figuring out what order to work on things is tricky. There's obviously no right answer other than focus on specifics, but I'd like to hear everyone's random comments. I train once a week with grippers and if I'm feeling amazing... twice a week, but that's very rare. Edited December 9, 2015 by Euclides 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Justin Matney Posted December 9, 2015 Share Posted December 9, 2015 Once a week is all I can handle on grippers. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
diesel Posted December 9, 2015 Share Posted December 9, 2015 I am once a week with both grippers and bending. anything more and i am noticeably weaker and can't get through my desired workout. while i am personally a big believer in volume training and, to an extent, forced adaptation, adequate rest and recovery is critical for me to maintain healthy hand muscles and tendons (i.e. avoid injury). 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HandsMcHanderson Posted December 9, 2015 Share Posted December 9, 2015 Right now I'm doing RRBT which means DAILY high volume gripper work. It's doing good things for my endurance and my CNS is adapting. I really think there is something to that as a training program. I also think once or twice a week works wonders for a more typical and long term approach. Everyone is a bit different, everyone recovers differently and different frequencies of training will be beneficial over time. If I gave myself time off to recover I would crush some PRs right now, I can tell that just by what I'm closing while worn down but I couldn't do this volume forever. Different methods will fit people differently and different methods will work better or worse depending on what else you are working on. There is no one size fits all or one frequency is best for life. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jared Goguen Posted December 9, 2015 Share Posted December 9, 2015 I train grippers twice a week. One day is high volume with really easy grippers the other day is more heavy singles and doubles. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slazbob Posted December 9, 2015 Share Posted December 9, 2015 I'm actually stronger with 2 days between grip work, than 4 or more. If you're sore it's probably going to hold you back...even if it's mentally and not that you're not recovered enough. Sore, to me, means rest. Grip is funny...training the same time of day, or night (as close as I can get it) gives me one variable I don't have to think about...then I can look at rest/volume. If I did well at 6:00, with a good day of eating 2 days ago, and I do poorly under the same conditions, then, I can fix my plan. I think it helps. That regimen won't work for a lot of people...some train when they can. But just like waking up the same time of day all the time...you eventually wouldn't need an alarm. And working out the same time, every time, your body knows it's time to train. and it will probably be at its best. A little nutty, yes...but I believe it! Haha Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fist of Fury Posted December 9, 2015 Share Posted December 9, 2015 I think it depends on what level you're at. The heavier grippers you use the more rest you'll need. When I started out I trained three times a week and it worked very well. Once I got a little stronger and was closing in on the #2.5 I started to do two times a week, one light day and one heavy. Then people are different, you'll need to figure out what works best for you. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KapMan Posted December 10, 2015 Share Posted December 10, 2015 (edited) I've been resting 1-2 days between grip work. One session usually consists of 2 types of work vbar/hub or DBB/Crusher for example. Ones heavy the other is moderate to light. (Main lift/aux lift setup) then I do grippers (only recently) then a break. Seems to be working. Edited December 10, 2015 by KapMan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vickg Posted December 11, 2015 Share Posted December 11, 2015 I try to wait at least every other day. You prevent injury and stay fresh. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wobbler Posted December 15, 2015 Author Share Posted December 15, 2015 I'm all over the place anyway. I'll plan to do hub one day and it feels super weak, but blocks weights feel good so I roll with it. Heavier grippers aren't gonna happen so do wrist work instead. Maybe I'll find the right order but not holding my breath. The main question was do yo wait the extra day or two so you know you're 100%, or do you just put in the work and deal with slow but steady progress. For the long run I think the second scenario is best, but I'm not sure. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterSweden Posted December 15, 2015 Share Posted December 15, 2015 I'm all over the place anyway. I'll plan to do hub one day and it feels super weak, but blocks weights feel good so I roll with it. Heavier grippers aren't gonna happen so do wrist work instead. Maybe I'll find the right order but not holding my breath. The main question was do yo wait the extra day or two so you know you're 100%, or do you just put in the work and deal with slow but steady progress. For the long run I think the second scenario is best, but I'm not sure. I've tried training grippers twice a week for a while now and it worked great the first month but then I got worn down and started stalling. Now I go for once a week. I think it all depends on how heavy you go and how much work you do in one session. RRBT worked for me but it was with lighter grippers. I want to get used to setting heavier grippers while training and also RRBT was too painful. It took all the fun out if training. If I wait and train more seldom I feel motivated. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wobbler Posted February 2, 2016 Author Share Posted February 2, 2016 No grippers for awhile because of an index finger injury, a few moths ago I got some sort of pulley problem pulling weeds, it hurt to pull up my zipper. Had been ok but hurt it again working on plumbing pinching a flat tape snake pushing in/out trying to get through a clog. I've been doing palm/thumb closes of a harbor freight spring clamp with a rubber band on it, and also extensor bands, every day at work for a few months now. Meant to work blobs this weekend but got busy, just hit them today and the difference was huge (no grip stuff at work today.) Clean/press, curls, and index/middle lifts of 35lb fatman. Index only and middle finger only 30lb fatman. 4 out of 5 good lift with 40 lb 2nd Gen that I had been maybe getting maybe 1 out of 5 last weekend. Face lifts 35lb fatman (which I hadn't tried before, but just barely got them.) Still no go on blob50 of course, but everything else was new ground for me. So for blobs at least, the extra recovery is definitely worth the wait. I bet mostly from the constant high volume thumb work. My girlfriend also asked me today what was wrong with my hands today, because apparently my thumb pad has gotten noticeably larger. I'll have to get a pic of the spring clamp tomorrow, cheap black plastic from harbor freight, you can push out the pins that hold the orange plastic pieces and put a rubber band folded in half twice across them. Even without working grippers, I guess if my thumb pad gets big enough they should improve. But I'm getting there with the blobs which has been my real focus lately. Just thought I'd update, good day today. Things were going great so I had a 3 beer workout instead of a 2 beer workout. I'm 5'10 175 lbs little over 7.5" hands, so pretty happy at the moment. Try resting a day or two longer and see what happens! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mac Posted February 4, 2016 Share Posted February 4, 2016 I currently train grippers every 3 to 4 days. This is a high volume press and crush routine. If I'm sore I wait an extra day. I've been doing this routine consistantly for 2 1/2 months and have progressed from a COC 2.5 to a GHP level 7. Taking a joint supplement has greatly helped with recovery time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mac Posted February 5, 2016 Share Posted February 5, 2016 I used to train grippers just one day a week. I was stuck at a COC 2.5 for the longest time. Due to a lower back injury I was unable to train anything but grippers. I switched to training grippers every 3 to 4 days and my strength went through the roof immediately. In 2 1/2 months I went from a COC 2.5 to a GHP 7 with a MMS. More volume and more frequent really worked for me but grippers is all I'm doing at the moment. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mikael Siversson Posted February 5, 2016 Share Posted February 5, 2016 I train grippers once a week. Anything more than that and it will have a negative effect on my overall grip strength (interfering with recovery for other grip stuff). Gripper specialist tend to never win high calibre grip contests that's for sure. At the last LGC competition two new guys demolished us all in the grippers only to end up at the bottom of the ranking in the end. Pretty sure it was an eye opener for them and that they will adjust their training accordingly. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wobbler Posted February 6, 2016 Author Share Posted February 6, 2016 Yep, I feel a bit silly spending almost a full year doing basically just grippers. Some extensor and dexterity balls too, tiny bit of sledge, but no pinching at all. Haven't tested max grippers in awhile but hand dyno going up slowly but surely since I started blobs, hub, rolling handles, dynamic thumb work, more sledge and a bit of wrist developer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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