"You've Come a Long Way Baby" - and now your a Crushing Success!

[richcottrell]

I am looking to start yet another Gripper thread...
sorry....  
But "You've come a long way baby".

If you google that phrase, a famous ad campaign from Virginia Slims pops up [1968].  I was not even born till the mid 70's but i guess that phrase still permits the membrane here in the USA..

Anyway, Just this week I was looking at my rated gripper collection and thinking about "gripper goals" as well as my self imposed limitations. That got me thinking.  It might be cool if there were a thread where you could read about some of the people who have gone onto massive crushing strength, yet who started with very poor performance on grippers.  

I am not talking about someone who could not close a CoC1 the first time they saw it but certed the CoC3 just a year later, instead I am talking about the guys who could not close say a CoC1 or CoC2 at first, but they keep training month after month and year after year, until not only was that CoC2 a toy for them, but they were closing CoC3s or even climbing up the Mash Monster ladder.

I am looking at my current pathetic crush, and I am thinking if i can persevere, maybe I can not only start this new topic, but maybe someday with hard and more hard work, I can be on it.

When you search the archives will you find some of these guys, but my idea was to create something more substantial.  It is not just the question as to how guys trained, but it is even more helpful to hear what keep someone mentally motivated to stick with the Grippers for the long hall.

Humble beginnings; rags to riches; Cinderella; Pull yourself up by the bootstraps; 
either way "You've come a long way baby" and not only should you be proud, but we can learn much from your journey.  Please tell us a little about your failures and what helped drive you to Crushing Success!

thanks,
rich cottrell
Pennsylvania

 

Until some humble grip monsters make this thread real, here are some quotes on Perseverance that I think apply:

“It does not matter how slowly you go as long as you do not stop.” 
― Confucius

“It always seems impossible until it's done.” 
― Nelson Mandela

“Many of life's failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up.” 
― Thomas A. Edison

“The difference between a successful person and others is not a lack of strength, not a lack of knowledge, but rather a lack in will.” 
― Vince Lombardi Jr.

“Continuous effort - not strength or intelligence - is the key to unlocking our potential.” 
― Winston S. Churchill

“Courage is not having the strength to go on; it is going on when you don't have the strength.” 
― Theodore Roosevelt

 

[MRabich]

I feel you with the grippers, I'm in similar position there, though I'm finally learning the set, maybe some progress will come but it be very incremental.  To give you hope I deadlifted 496 lbs in 2007, did not pull 500 till 2011, some of that were injuries, but gains became very hard.  Not only I hit 500, I went 55 lbs beyond that, keep fighting!

[canthar]

I'm rebuilding now. I went from barely closing a 1 to never missing my number 2 years ago. Some problems later and I was not even able to close my 1 and the trainer hurt my hand. Now I am holding the one shut and getting closer to that same number 2. 

Difference is now for me, I enjoy training again. While there is a goal in itself with grippers there are other goals and I am not in any kind of hurry to get there. 

I will never be as strong as I was whole body wise. But my grip should be able surpass where I was and even more importantly I can do it while being healthier.

[Fist of Fury]

My crush isn't "massive" in any way but it's decent. I'm not sure where I was when I started. If first got the Trainer and the Point Five and was able to do around 10 reps with the Point Five. Got the #1 a month later and was able to do 10 reps with that one. Got the #2 two months later and was able to do 5 reps with it. Bought a RB210 (which was harder than 130 pounds) two months later and was missing it with 1-3 mm, did braced closes with it and got a #2.5 around three months later and was able to close it out of the package. Then I did the mistake and made way to many attempts on those grippers so I completely stagnated there.

Did RRBT and my strength went from 125'ish to 140'ish in two months. Didn't train so much with grippers for a few months, got back to it a few months ago and got back to where I'm at now, around 143-145 pounds. The goal is obviously 150 pounds. I'm sure I can reach it within a year since I've learned a lot along the way, I know whats working for me much better now. It's important to try all different tricks with grippers to find out which method is the most effective for you.

 

Edited July 15, 2016 by Fist of Fury

[MRabich]

Those quotes are epic

[richcottrell]

OK here is one of "those guys" who came a long way...
 

Take  Chad Woodall as our first example.  He once said this:
"I got interested in grip after I competed in Tennessee’s Strongest Man in 2003.  I met a man by the name of Dave Morton there and he was destroying the CoC grippers!  I tried the grippers and I could close the #1 and I was about a 1/8” from closing the #2.  I was a little frustrated that I could not close the #2…so I got to work immediately and I bought the Trainer through the #4 set. I started my journey from that point."

Chad went on to cert the MM6 in 2009.  

If you look at the CPW averages, the CoC#2 is around 107lbs.  
Chad could not close that gripper at first, but he went on to cert the Mash Monster 6! 
That MM6 gripper os somewhere around 80lbs more then that CoC#2 that he started off trying to slay... so here is one of those guys who "Came a long way baby"

so for someone like me, who has yet to even close anything over 103lbs... even if I could work towards 1/2 of Chad's "progress" I could get close to 140lbs someday...
but I have to do the work first...
but then again -- why settle for just 1/2?  A CoC3 should be just past that right?  
Maybe i will log off the internet now, and just work out.

Edited July 16, 2016 by richcottrell

[vickg]

Even though hitting pr's is exciting and great lets not forget the best part is the journey to get their. I look forward to all my training sessions and can't wait till I have recovered and keep training hard while being free of injury.

[Fist of Fury]

8 hours ago, richcottrell said:

OK here is one of "those guys" who came a long way...
 

Take  Chad Woodall as our first example.  He once said this:
"I got interested in grip after I competed in Tennessee’s Strongest Man in 2003.  I met a man by the name of Dave Morton there and he was destroying the CoC grippers!  I tried the grippers and I could close the #1 and I was about a 1/8” from closing the #2.  I was a little frustrated that I could not close the #2…so I got to work immediately and I bought the Trainer through the #4 set. I started my journey from that point."

Chad went on to cert the MM6 in 2009.  

If you look at the CPW averages, the CoC#2 is around 107lbs.  
Chad could not close that gripper at first, but he went on to cert the Mash Monster 6! 
That MM6 gripper os somewhere around 80lbs more then that CoC#2 that he started off trying to slay... so here is one of those guys who "Came a long way baby"

so for someone like me, who has yet to even close anything over 103lbs... even if I could work towards 1/2 of Chad's "progress" I could get close to 140lbs someday...
but I have to do the work first...
but then again -- why settle for just 1/2?  A CoC3 should be just past that right?  
Maybe i will log off the internet now, and just work out.

Stuff like that is really inspiring. If you miss the #2 with just 3 mm first time you try grippers, assuming you haven't done any type of strength training before I would say that is a very good start though.

[richcottrell]

Fist of Fury,

You make a good point about being close to the CoC#2 at first is a big head start.    I could not my close a CoC1 at first (75-81lbs) but remember that that initial start from Chad was from a guy who was doing Strongman competition already.  I have no idea how long he was doing that before he "met" grippers, but the point is he was not your typical guy off the street.  He was a strong guy already, just new to grippers.

That said, I will keep searching for examples of "you've come a long way baby and now your a crushing success."

i am sure there are people who had more humble beginnings then Chad. While they might not have reached as high as MM6, I look forward to finding them so I can motivate myself, and hopfully help inspire others.   

MRabich's story about just trying to add 5lbs to his deadlift is exactly what I was thinking about.  Thanks for telling us about your fight.   

Rich

[anwnate]

 

Barely closed the 1 righty and no where near lefty.  Closed the 2 like 2 weeks later (assume it was a low one).  Fast forward 5 years and have closed 159 lefty mms, 183 righty mms (162 ccs).  I had a 10 month layoff in there and a 18 month on off again pinky injury, but most people get sidelined in their grip pursuits so I can stick to the 5 years. Barring death or catastrophic injury, I'm convinced that the 4 mms is possible for me.  However...I'm currently sidetracked (by choice) with bending....so who know when I'll get back on the train.  But, I tried a 162 mms cold the other day and slammed it pretty easily, so my top end isnt terribly off.  

Rich...I think people give up too easily...success isn't linear.  Also, people switch up there programs too frequently due to impatience.  I think you have a ccs cert in you if you are diligent and willing to put the time in.

[Cannon]

I hope Acorn posts. I believe he could not close the #2 to start either. He went on to close the MM5 and a #4. 

[Fist of Fury]

55 minutes ago, Cannon said:

I hope Acorn posts. I believe he could not close the #2 to start either. He went on to close the MM5 and a #4. 

Since you're posting, where did you start?

[Cannon]

1 hour ago, Fist of Fury said:

Since you're posting, where did you start?

I originally bought the #1 and #2. I could close the #1 right away and was 1/4"-ish off in the #2. It took me about a month to close the 2 and then maybe about another 30 months to close the #3. It never occurred to me that body weight made any difference. I just figured if I kept training then the gripper would fall. My strategy was to become a student of the craft. I tried to read anything and learn from anything I could find. The thing that ultimately worked the best for me was negatives on a BTR gripper that I could ALMOST shut.  It was all about the quality of the negative. The ideal BTR gripper would pop open less than 1/8" after forced shut. Then I would hold it until it opened to about 1/2" and end the rep there.  Consistency was key. In roughly 6 years of frequent training, maybe 3-6 times per week, I rarely missed a single workout.

 

[Forever]

On 7/16/2016 at 6:38 PM, Cannon said:

I originally bought the #1 and #2. I could close the #1 right away and was 1/4"-ish off in the #2. It took me about a month to close the 2 and then maybe about another 30 months to close the #3. It never occurred to me that body weight made any difference. I just figured if I kept training then the gripper would fall. My strategy was to become a student of the craft. I tried to read anything and learn from anything I could find. The thing that ultimately worked the best for me was negatives on a BTR gripper that I could ALMOST shut.  It was all about the quality of the negative. The ideal BTR gripper would pop open less than 1/8" after forced shut. Then I would hold it until it opened to about 1/2" and end the rep there.  Consistency was key. In roughly 6 years of frequent training, maybe 3-6 times per week, I rarely missed a single workout.

 

That's dedication 

[Chez]

Love the thread because as everyone knows, I love grippers. When I first tried grippers, I closed my coc 2.5 which I later found out rated 133 which is high for a 2.5 and it's a high starting close. I couldnt quit close my coc 3 which I found out rated 149 and I had nothing In between so I was some where between there. I worked hard and certified on the coc 3, ghp 7, mm6, ghp 8 and at my peak closed 2 coc 4s the same night ( one of which I closed twice that night so 3 total #4 closes that night) but I got distracted by other goals, life got busy and I got injured. After surgery, the #1 was challenging so that was humbling. I'm heathy again and rededicated. Currently back up to a 186 close and I plan on going even further this time. This was all by grinding out small goals and progressing little by little. I knew the journey would be long and challenging but I embraced that and loved every accomplishment along the way. I believe in finishing what I start and I still need to add the MM7 and coc 3.5 certs to my list. It will happen but again it will take hard work and patience. 

Edited December 8, 2016 by Chez

[bencrush]

I was able to close the Trainer for about a dozen no set reps both hands when I first got it in early 2000.  Same with the #1 when I bought it a few months later.  But the #2 stopped me cold for about 9 months after that.  I later found out it was quite a bit harder than the average #2.  But, it was about 3 years later when I closed an easy #3.  Then things went a bit faster due to some high volume TNS training and MMS work added to the mix.  Certed on the #3 in 2005.  Did a CCS close with both hands, then went right into a TNS close with both hands at the cert.  Have gone beyond that, but it's been about 8 years since I was at my peak gripper strength.  I have closed (mostly MMS, but a lot of CCS and TNS in the mix) over 100 #3s during 2004 to 2008.  I won't detail here how I had access to that many #3s, since it's been covered before. 

For those that feel like they will never get their goal gripper shut - keep on pushing!  Stay healthy and stay active.  Try new training methods, but not until you've exhausted or at least given one method a fair shake. 

[Geralt]

Ha! Where should I start. I want that damn cert so much. I have thrown everything in but the kitchensink. Got inured along the way for a long time, accumulating non improving trainingtime with that. always though more would be better. Forcing the body to adapt through heavy negatives and partials would be better. Slowly it sank in by guys like Nate, and some many other guys over here that were very helpful, that I in the end really have to find my own way. A lot of helpful guys were willing to tell me how they worked up to their cert. I tried all those methods. Some just did not suit my body. Other did but I stalled soon. Got dissapointed and sidetracked. But I kept kicking myself in my garage everytime, every week. One day I will get it. I know now that if I keep training like this, the cert will fall. I approached gripper the wrong way for a long time. Biggest mistake for me: concentrating to much on MMS. Note: MY experience. And I know it differs a lot from what a lot of big guys preach. But it does not apply to me.  Attempted a cert in 2014. Missed by a hair. Got a very stiff gripper, definitely not an 'easy' 3. So I got to be ready to destroy a heavy one. That is in my mind.  Btw, I could close the #2 first attempt from a pretty wide set. The 2.5 barely. Closed my #3 in 2010 first time. Overtrained. Always focused on training heavy with that #3 everytime. Only recently I learned that it is rated @ 157lbs.

Keep every aspect of grippertraining open, i would say. Do not forget wide set training. Focus on teaching the hands quality closes and no misses and negatives and stuff to early on in the game. 

 

Edited December 7, 2016 by Geralt

[acorn]

On 7/16/2016 at 1:34 PM, Cannon said:

I hope Acorn posts. I believe he could not close the #2 to start either. He went on to close the MM5 and a #4. 

Just saw this.

When I first started I just barely closed a #2 from essentially a close to parallel set RH. LH I closed the Trainer but not the #1. My bests are MM5, 194# #4 in competition and hair miss on 199# #4 in competition RH. LH my best has been a low #3.5 close. I'm working on exceeding those now with new training tool.

-Aaron

[Paul Savage]

For me I tried a #1 of my friends in college, came pretty close to closing it with my right hand, that was the start. From there I seen marunde on wsm 2005 shortly after this, was inspired by him, searched and found that he certed coc #3 as teenager and that's when I started grip training. My parents didn't hand everything on a plate, they only helped me find my way so I didn't have any spare money at that point and couldn't afford the grippers, or really to eat much of anything hahs so I got a job part time when I wasn't in college. A few months later I got coc trainer, #1 and #2. During those months I'd done grip hangs with towels, plate pinch and a store sports gripper which I'd do under water and do as many reps as I could in 30 second bursts if I remember right. When I got the ironmind grippers I closed the #2 pretty quick, was repping it no set within few weeks right hand but left was way behind, was stuck on the trainer, couldn't do the #1. Took me 5 months to get #2 either hand, think 2 years for #3 and possibly another 2 years for my first #4 close but not sure, would have to check old logs. Now a decade after starting have managed medium-wide closes on #4 either hand. I've always had the goal to cert the #4 and frustratingly enough I've been stuck at the last 1-2mm for years, keeping getting injured in the build ups. Currently working with the vulcan gripper as it's hard through sweep and to hold in position (a problem with #4 for me), trying to get level 20 ccs at the moment but getting tendon pain in arm. My left hand has definately came on the most, ccs closing a hard #3.5 at strongest, which is purely due to less injuries. I think for me at this point the key is to get as strong as I can in other aspects of grip and overall strength before starting a build up for the #4 as there's definitely a time limit on how long I can push the grippers these days. Still think it will happen, as I did a decade ago.

Edited December 8, 2016 by Paul Savage

[Buccos1]

Very cool to read everyone's experiences!  Despite weight-training (heavy and consistent) for about 20 years at the time, my grip-strength was pathetic.  Never gave it much thought until the first time I tried a CoC #1 and couldn't get it halfway.  This was about 10 years ago and, at the time, I didn't have much of baseline or point-of-reference with grippers or hand-strength.  I did some closes each week, slowly making progress with the #1 and eventually the #1.5.  It took me about 2 years before I was able to close the #2 (later rated at 102lbs.).  I bought a #2.5 (later rated at 123lbs.) and set that as my long-term goal.  It took 6-7 years before I was able to close the 2.5.  (The timeline is approximate without going back into my older logs.)

When I finally closed the #2.5, I thought that would be it and continued to focus on bending.  But since becoming more active on the Gripboard the past few years (after BendersBattlefield folded), I became extremely motivated with grippers, being around like-minded people.  It is almost impossible not to get caught up in it!  So, I began to have my growing collection of grippers rated and got some grippers in the upper-120s/lower-130s which I turned my focus to.  As these grippers began to fall, and I started KTA and RRBT, I finally closed the CoC #3 this past year, after having trained them mostly consistent for almost 10 years.  

When I think back to those early days, I didn't think it was possible to close the #3 (or the 2.5).  But it is definitely possible if you commit to a program and push yourself to the limit, with consistent, focused training.  Most of my reps are 20mm block or MMS, but I have closed my easy #2.5 with close to a CCS.  If a 40+ year old guy with sub-7.5" hands can close a #3, it can be done by a lot of people who might not think they can get there!   

[Anton.Torrella]

I agree its very cool hearing everyone's experience in gripper journeys - I'm also inspired hearing alot of very accomplished guys started humbly with great struggle and slow gains - makes me feel like I can get there too! - then theres Chez... - I remember Nate first giving me a filed down Coc1 about 5 years ago that I managed to close after 2 or 3 weeks - I still have friends and other guys who first try grip with me try it out as a base line - I think it took me about 10 months to close my first Coc2 after that - I remember struggling with a ghp6 for a long time til I got it then ultimately closing it for 8 singles one night and being very surprised and proud when it happened - I remember exactly where I was and what was happening that day I got those 8 singles - the Tetting GM cpw139 was my next big close and my first rated gripper close that I trained after and got then i got some persistent pain in my elbow and had to cool it down for a while - I got a Coc3 cpw145 pretty solid and did 2 mm0 attempts at Nate's SJ2 with a Coc3 cpw143 that I got in front of a bunch of people in a row but unfortunately the video wasnt clear enough for either close to submit - I filmed a few more mm0 attempts with my Coc3 cpw145 but none of the closes were clear enough either - after that I got my current best close on a ghp7 cpw151 that I got two separate times in the summer of 2015 - since then I've been very focused on getting the red nail cert but grippers are still the thing that got me into strength training and hold a very special place in my heart and mind - the diligence, focus, and desire that I first applied to my gripper training and technique later helped me in powerlifting, steel bending, and life in general  - it was the first feat of strength I did that really captivated me - to generate that much force in one hand is still awesome and I'll keep training them as long as I have hands

[temmmeeee]

Really enjoyed reading these. Great gripper backstories guys, thanks for sharing!