The Ghost of Gripmas Yet To Come: A Short-Term Training Log

[Tom Flesher]

I'm running this training log between now and Gripmas to keep track of the workouts I do to prep for Chris's event. Not all of the training will be Gripmas-specific (I'm programming at least one bending day a week for Don's competition next May and I'm still dead serious about cardio and middle distance running) but my focus is on tracking and improving the three contested events at Gripmas and my progress toward the Red Nail.

Today was a pre-designated light day for recovery from King Kong. The plan moving forward is to work Fatgripz deadlift, 2HP Flask, and squat using a 5/3/1-style program with a bending day and some accessory work focusing on the back, chest, and shoulders.

Jogging: .5 slow to warm up, 1 mile tempo pace, .5 progression back to jogging pace + 5 minute walking cooldown (25 minutes all told)

DO Deadlift (Olympic bar): 5x135, 5x165, 5x195.

DO Fatgripz Deadlift: 225x2. I've pulled 303 on Anton's stubby axle before so I was surprised at how difficult this was this morning. Possibly my hands were fried - not sure what the issue was. I'm using 303 as my

Flask 2HP: I don't own a Euro so I'm using the Flask to work 2HP. My numbers have traditionally been a little higher on the Euro so this seems adequate for weekday work and I can tighten up on the Euro with the Astoria guys.

5x77.25, 5x97.25, 5x117.25, 5x122.25, 5x127.25, 5x132.25, 1x154.5. Plan was to keep adding 5lbs for progressive sets of 5 and see how far I could go. I've torn my thumbs a couple of times and wanted to stop short before I had another Flask Reps Incident™ so I loaded up to go straight for a new training PR. I've previously hit 152 on the Flask and 155 on the Euro, so I loaded up 155 (so I thought). After pulling it, I weighed it and found out I was a half pound short. Oh well, still a 2H Flask PR for me.

Moving forward, I have a bending day scheduled for tomorrow. I'm planning 3 bends DU, 3 reverse, and 2-3 heavy-for-me DO bends. I've been off bending to focus on King Kong for a couple of weeks and I'm itching to get back to it.

I haven't planned any grippers yet, but I will - I'm planning to review Chez's video about training grippers and build from there. Grippers aren't my best event so I'm going to be happy to get any improvement. I've closed a 118-rated gripper at SJ4forFeb this year and that's about it, not even a 2.5. They're just not on my radar, but I guess they will be for this comp!

Happy for any advice, encouragement, or harassment.

[Tom Flesher]

Very short bending workout this morning to try to get my hands back in condition. 

Warm up with resistance bands (lateral raises, curls, front raises)

Reverse bent two timber ties past 90 degrees

Double underhand bent two timber ties with underhand chest crush

Double overhand isos with rewrapped failed bends. 

Wrist mace pronations and supinations

[Donc101]

Tom,

Its great to see you doing this log.  I look forward to following along and seeing your progress. Its also great you plan on coming to the contest next year! It is going to be a blast and I think we are going to get a great turn out!  I saw you are doing the steel shredder contest. It is always a lot of fun and cool to see how you stack up against people from all over the world. 

Don

[Chez]

Great to seeing you starting a log. Vinnie and I hit grippers together at Anton’s training session. You are always welcomed to join. I can take you through my whole routine. You will def PR. Vin did after just a couple sessions.

[climber511]

Love it!  But man that's a lot - when an old man like me reads that I have a heart attack LOL

[JHenze646]

Fat grips are 2-3/8” in diameter. An axle is 1.9-2”. It makes a difference. Also fat grips have some movement and squish which make them different (harder/easier) than a metal axle.

[Tom Flesher]

Oh, interesting. For some reason I'd thought they were 2" and never bothered checking. That's definitely enough to make a difference.

44 minutes ago, climber511 said:

Love it!  But man that's a lot - when an old man like me reads that I have a heart attack LOL

Definitely more on the Flask than I'd planned! I hadn't hit it two-handed for a while and expected to top out faster.

1 hour ago, Chez said:

Great to seeing you starting a log. Vinnie and I hit grippers together at Anton’s training session. You are always welcomed to join. I can take you through my whole routine. You will def PR. Vin did after just a couple sessions.

Looking forward to it! I'm fortunate Anton and everyone else is so generous with all this equipment.

[Tom Flesher]

Active rest today - I popped out a couple of warmup sets on grippers (sets of 5 on Ironmind Trainer, 0.5, 1.0, set of 4 on an RGC 89 Heavygrips 200, set of 3 on an RGC 95 Triceratops, single on Ironmind 2), did an ugly tear of a deck of Mavericks, and did 3x10 on a pony pinch kit.

Edited November 1, 2018 by Tom Flesher

[Tom Flesher]

Because of my work schedule, today's all cardio: 3 sets of .25 slow/.5 race pace for 2.25 miles in 22 minutes this morning, plus a 5-minute regressive walking cooldown.

I have long slow distance cardio and a bending day scheduled for tomorrow. My plan is to go primarily braced and do a 2-3 bends each DU and Reverse to keep those muscles working. Depending how I feel, I may throw in some DO work.

On 10/30/2018 at 10:36 AM, Donc101 said:

I saw you are doing the steel shredder contest. It is always a lot of fun and cool to see how you stack up against people from all over the world. 

Don

I'm excited about it! I have no delusions about winning it but I picked some bars that I expect to be challenging but bendable for me. I've been too focused off braced bending recently and every time I go off on a different grip tangent I wind up being frustrated that I haven't been bending enough.

[Anton.Torrella]

This is great that you got your goals and work out plan set out - also my axle that you lifted 303lbs on is the same IM apollon axle we're using at gripmas and I got no doubt you can bust out another 303lbs lift on that on command - and its only going up! 

[Tom Flesher]

Today was a bending day. I warmed up on the treadmill and then did some reverse and DU timber ties, 18x1/2 and 28x5/8 A36, a grade 5 DO and then a SCFUL 2 into a question mark. It’s Chris Schoeck’s signature shape but I think it’s a fun one to steal considering my occupation. 

 

[Tom Flesher]

This morning it was:

Cardio: Jogged .25 slow/.5 race pace, .25/.5, .25/.75 for a total of 2.5 miles in 24:19 plus a 5-minute cooldown.

Fatgripz Deadlift: warmup with 5x135 olympic bar

5x175

5x205

235x2 (floated reps 3 and 4 but couldn't lock them out)

Flask 2HP: 5x102.5

5x119

134x6

Overhead Press: My weakest lift! 3x5x105. Pretty sure the old man who asked me what in the hell the Flask was could have outdone me on this, but it's always been a crap lift for me and I'm building it up.

Grip felt pretty good today overall.

 

 

[Tom Flesher]

Man, I hate to add a second workout, but I felt like I still had something in me so I did two braced bars this afternoon. Nothing too crazy: I did a resistance band warmup for 1/2x18 and 5/8x30 A36. These were mostly just to go through the motions of what bending with good habits looks like (with the 30” bar I was working the elbow sweep technique for example) to nail things down before my Steel Shredders bars get here  

 

Edited November 5, 2018 by Tom Flesher

[Tom Flesher]

Wednesday 11/7: 2.5 miles running in 23:45. .25 slow, 1.0 at race pace, and repeat. Extrapolates to about a 29:27 5k, about a 10-second improvement on my PR. 

Thursday 11/8: Bendorama! This morning I had planned out a workout before work. I warmed up with resistance bands as usual and hit a 1/2x15 HRS bar, but it took me so freaking long that I had to cut the workout after that! I did a few quick isos and then had to shower and head off to teach. (Can you believe that crap?)

I definitely don’t want to do two sessions habitually (or really ever) but I’m heading to Timmy’s comp this weekend so I couldn’t let today die after the morning bend.

This afternoon I did a full warmup with resistance bands and then started bending. 

Reverse in IMPs: four timber ties

Braced: 5/8x30” HRS focusing on good sweep technique

Double overhand in IMPs: all 1/4x7” bolts. Two grade 5, one black grade 8. 

Wrist mace: pronation/supination, front choke, rear choke each hand

 

[Tom Flesher]

Quick gym trip today before Tim’s comp tomorrow: 1 mile on the treadmill at slightly faster than race pace, with a warmup and cooldown on either end, and then 3x5x315 Olympic bar deadlift (first set DO, second and third sets alternating grip).

Also pony pinched for 3x10 with a highly scientific selection of “that looks like enough rubber bands.”

Edited November 9, 2018 by Tom Flesher
Hamhock -like hands

[Tom Flesher]

SATURDAY was Tim's competition and some pretty heavy post-comp lifts including a 54kg circus bell.

Today:  Bending only for recovery. I'll do my thickbar and pinch later this week - hands aren't in condition after this weekend and they're telling me they need to rest a little.

Warmup: 1/4x1x14 flat bar

Working bend: 1/2x1x48 flat bar. Kinked easily. Sweep was touch to figure out at times but it was easier to leg crush than I expected. I have three more of these and I expect them to get easier. I think the next stop will be 1/2x1.25x48 so as not to push too fast, but Goliath is hanging out in my home gym like all "I defy the ranks of Israel" and "Give me a man to fight" and stuff, so I think I'll need to shut him up pretty soon.

 

 

[Anton.Torrella]

Don't let that Philistine trash talk you in your own house! You bend him! You bend him good!

[Tom Flesher]

Today’s workout was all about short bending. All bends are in IMPs unless otherwise stated.

Double underhand: 2 timber ties with chest crush and isometric hits on a bright 60D. (It wobbled a little but not much.)

Double overhand: 3 7” grade 5s. Isometrics on a double wrapped 8” harbor freight wrench. 

Key pinch: Dube Cube coin lift 5x 22lb3oz, 1x27lb2oz each hand. 

Ball bat breakers Helper isos: kink and sweep

Wrist mace: wrist curls, front chokes, rear chokes, pronation/supination (each hand)

[Tom Flesher]

Morning bends before work:

1/2x1x48 flat bar (moved a lot more quickly than Monday's bar, felt very good - the angles are feeling more natural now)

Knee kink isos on a 12" wrench (kinked the flat on my left knee, wanted to work the right one too)

SCFUL1 into a heart (hadn't done a shoe in a week or two so this felt pretty good)

---

I'm trying to nail down what feats I'm doing for my students on 12/20-21. I teach three classes and like to do three distinct feats so students who take me twice don't get overlap. In Macro I've generally done horseshoes (no reason to change that one, but I'll be hearting SCFUL2s instead of just bending them past 180). I usually do braced longer bars for Micro - I may do a long flat bar this time or if I can get the feel right I may do a wrench braced. For my Current Economic Issues class (aka Fun with Econ, you provide your own crayons) many of my students are in the automotive tech program so I like to do something on theme. Imay do a wrench there if I can get it down. My current plan is to do a 5/8x8 Grade 2 bolt.

[Tom Flesher]

Short bending today. Warmup wasn’t really sufficient; I didn’t use the resistance bands and decided instead to use the timber ties as the warmup, more or less. I had trouble getting loose to set up on my DO bars. Learned something about my warmup needs.

Reverse: 2 timber ties in one IMP (both past 40*)

Double underhand: 3 timber ties in IMPs touching in the middle. Really felt this in my pinkies, which makes me think I’m doing something right. 

Double overhand: 1/4x7 grade 5 bolt. Wrapped and hit a piece of L drill rod expecting it to go; I punched myself in the jaw twice and moved it about 10*. Pretty surprised and disappointed by that since it shouldn’t be that much harder than the 1/4x7 grade 8s I’ve been doing as working vends. Not sure if I’m just a bit fatigued, if the lazy warmup was biting me, or if the L will be isometric for now but I plan to stay on it.

 

[Donc101]

I definitely feel DU in my pinkies and sometimes feel like that is the limiting factor, pinkie toughness. Heavy DU can beat the shit out of the pinkie. 

[Tom Flesher]

Saturday 11/17: great workout with @Anton.Torrella and @Anyonecanhappen

Warmed up on grippers. Closed a 96 right handed and 79 left handed. Not a gripper guy and working on setting.

Went to euro next. Did some progressive lifts and got 163.5 up. Floated 173.5 and 168.5, then dropped down to (I think) 140 with bands to work the top of the range.

Interlude: helped Justin’s friend with a bit of short bending and bent a 3/16 barehanded to show reverse positioning and be a bit of a jerk.

Finished with axle. Worked up to 263 and then did rack pulls without and then with bands. Absolutely brutal at the end. 

[Anton.Torrella]

Great time as always Tom - we did both work up to 283lbs on the axle, quite solidly I'll add - love that band work - lookin forward to 300lbs at gripmas!

[Tom Flesher]

Thanks for the correction!

Monday 11/19: Thorough resistance band warmup, then 1/2x1x48 flat bar (3 of 4). Really working the crook of the arm on the sweep. Short and sweet! Ready to move on to the next size up after I finish my fourth of these.

[Tom Flesher]

Big bending day today. I lost some time to a trip to see my family (bent one horseshoe on Thanksgiving) and then to a chest cold that left me basically unable to do anything but teach and sleep. Today I got back on it (with plans to do the Gripmas events tomorrow with the Astoria crew).

mix of braced and unbraced bends: