Hand gripper review: Captains of Crush

[DevilErik]

7 minutes ago, Vinnie said:

My hands are only 7.5 inches.

If you certify no set, even though you think that is easier, it will impress everyone who sees it as being harder!  Good luck.  I would like to do no-set closes with my easiest COC 3s, but I am not there yet.  I can TNS close my hardest 2.5 any time (RGC 132), but I haven't hit over 140 yet.

Tnsing a 2.5 is pretty impressive! I am sure you will get that light 3 as well

Thanks man I will try my very best!

I have actually tried TNSing the highest setting on my ivanko as well which is 180 rgc and it seems like there isn't really a difference between my TNS and no set on this particular gripper.

I don't know how the ivanko compares to something like a CoC though.

Some people say that 2 settings below the max on an ivanko is equal to a light CoC 3 and other people say that it's equal to an average CoC 3 but I have no idea because I have never touched a CoC gripper.

Edited December 15, 2021 by DevilErik

[Vinnie]

3 hours ago, DevilErik said:

You definitely showed that age is just a number when it comes to grip.

Hard to say exactly how age figures in.  I never worked out until I discovered grip in my late 40s, so I am improving in strength and grip at 52, but that does not mean I wouldn't have done more at 30 or 35.  I'll never know.  What I do know is that with moderate workouts and gradual progress -- not really hitting things that hard or that often -- I am stronger at 52 than I ever was before, when I never worked out.  And still improving.  I don't know when I will hit my lifetime best and start to drop off, because that does have to happen to us all.  Just not yet, and hopefully not too soon or too rapidly.

I do notice that I am much slower speed-wise, and get winded faster, then when younger.  But most of grip is not speed or endurance oriented.  So I do think one can maintain one's grip well into one's 50s, if not beyond.  I plan to!

[Vinnie]

6 minutes ago, DevilErik said:

there isn't really a difference between my TNS and no set

Aren't TNS and no-set really the same anyway?  I know there is a formal difference because table-no-set means it cannot touch your other hand at all and you have to pick it up from the table and close it only ever touching it with one hand, but if you close it from a fully open position with one hand I'm not sure it is really different how it got there.  Having used the other hand to position it you may have saved yourself some time that you would have had to fiddle with it with the one hand, but in the end, either way, you are closing it from fully open.  Right?

[DevilErik]

2 minutes ago, Vinnie said:

Hard to say exactly how age figures in.  I never worked out until I discovered grip in my late 40s, so I am improving in strength and grip at 52, but that does not mean I wouldn't have done more at 30 or 35.  I'll never know.  What I do know is that with moderate workouts and gradual progress -- not really hitting things that hard or that often -- I am stronger at 52 than I ever was before, when I never worked out.  And still improving.  I don't know when I will hit my lifetime best and start to drop off, because that does have to happen to us all.  Just not yet, and hopefully not too soon or too rapidly.

I do notice that I am much slower speed-wise, and get winded faster, then when younger.  But most of grip is not speed or endurance oriented.  So I do think one can maintain one's grip well into one's 50s, if not beyond.  I plan to!

Awesome man you have my respect!

Progress is all that matters whether it is slow or fast that doesn't really matter.

I don't think grip strength will drop off just look at Odd haugen for example.

Grip isn't like normal resistance training I personally believe that you can keep improving endlessly especially on grippers because of the huge CNS component.

Keep up the good work man!

[DevilErik]

1 minute ago, Vinnie said:

Aren't TNS and no-set really the same anyway?  I know there is a formal difference because table-no-set means it cannot touch your other hand at all and you have to pick it up from the table and close it only ever touching it with one hand, but if you close it from a fully open position with one hand I'm not sure it is really different how it got there.  Having used the other hand to position it you may have saved yourself some time that you would have had to fiddle with it with the one hand, but in the end, either way, you are closing it from fully open.  Right?

It depends really some people think of Table no sets as picking it up with 1 hand and then fiddling it around in their hand until it's in place doing this is pretty much the same as No Sets.

I try to pick it up and then close it from the disadvantageous position.

So once I have picked it up I am not allowed to adjust it.

This is crazy difficult and allows you to build strength in the most awkward positions which then carries over to your No Sets.

 

 

[Vinnie]

5 minutes ago, DevilErik said:

some people think of Table no sets as picking it up with 1 hand and then fiddling it around in their hand until it's in place doing this is pretty much the same as No Sets.

Yes, I agree that this is what I was thinking.  Yeah, if you just grab and close no matter the position, that will be different every time and much harder, I agree.  Hadn't thought of that.  I should try it.

[DevilErik]

Just now, Vinnie said:

Yes, I agree that this is what I was thinking.  Yeah, if you just grab and close no matter the position, that will be different every time and much harder, I agree.  Hadn't thought of that.  I should try it.

The only problem I  have had was that the gripper would turn in my hand while closing it which is not a good thing but my grippers don't have knurling.

I think CoC grippers will be perfect for it because of the knurling let me know what you think!

[John Knowlton]

Yes I agree, you can never have enough grippers. My wife says why do you need another set of grippers I say why do you need another pair of shoes.

[Vinnie]

1 hour ago, DevilErik said:

I think CoC grippers will be perfect for it because of the knurling let me know what you think

GHP has even sharper knurling than the rest of them, but COC, Standard, Tetting, and GHP are all pretty good in my opinion.  Less so HG.  Baraban and Grip Genie have decent enough knurling but I am a little put off by the different sized handles.  I don't dislike them, they are well-made grippers, but it seems that being off from standard size makes them harder to figure out how they compare.  My Grip Genie rated 155 is easier than my COC rated 145.

[DevilErik]

23 minutes ago, Vinnie said:

GHP has even sharper knurling than the rest of them, but COC, Standard, Tetting, and GHP are all pretty good in my opinion.  Less so HG.  Baraban and Grip Genie have decent enough knurling but I am a little put off by the different sized handles.  I don't dislike them, they are well-made grippers, but it seems that being off from standard size makes them harder to figure out how they compare.  My Grip Genie rated 155 is easier than my COC rated 145.

I would love to try them all.

I know Cannon sells them but shipping them to the Netherlands is way too expensive.

I don't think I'd like the different sized handles either so no Grip Genie or Baraban for me.

 

 

 

 

 

[DevilErik]

My next grippers are going to be CoC and then I will probably stop buying grippers.

I can't say for sure though it's kind of an addiction.

Edited December 15, 2021 by DevilErik

[Terry Conjugate Iron]

On 12/15/2021 at 3:53 AM, Busa said:

Terry I will have to post some pics have a few interesting grippers you will love. First I need to brush up on my photo skills I made the one post on insta and felt disappointed by the pic. 

Your UTube posts make it look so easy you are a natural. Keep up the good work spreading the word.

Yeah man it takes a little bit to get the angles right. It started when I wanted to film my lifts so I can check my form in competitions. That was 8 years ago, almost 9.. 

Hardest thing for me was putting my face out there and talking. That took a few takes lol... It was Stan Efferding who convinced me to do it as I was starting my channel. 

 

Thanks! 

[Terry Conjugate Iron]

15 hours ago, DevilErik said:

It depends really some people think of Table no sets as picking it up with 1 hand and then fiddling it around in their hand until it's in place doing this is pretty much the same as No Sets.

I try to pick it up and then close it from the disadvantageous position.

So once I have picked it up I am not allowed to adjust it.

This is crazy difficult and allows you to build strength in the most awkward positions which then carries over to your No Sets.

 

 

Wow I never thought of that.... And it's in the name.... Table NO set haha..... And that's a great point, which I actually tell my athletes man. Train your weak points and the strong ones will get stronger 

[Terry Conjugate Iron]

12 hours ago, DevilErik said:

I would love to try them all.

I know Cannon sells them but shipping them to the Netherlands is way too expensive.

I don't think I'd like the different sized handles either so no Grip Genie or Baraban for me.

 

 

 

 

 

I almost closed the deal with Cannon on here but customs will eat me alive. What a shame. Cannon and GHP are top on my Gripper Bucket list 

[Jermiah Merciconah]

Just now, Terry Conjugate Iron said:

I almost closed the deal with Cannon on here but customs will eat me alive. What a shame. Cannon and GHP are top on my Gripper Bucket list 

Me personally my opinion on GHPs has kinda soured as of recent, Got injured while using my GHP 8 because of that rounded edge at the bottom of the handles, If you're deep setting it can be super easy to slip off and give yourself an extensor injury

[Terry Conjugate Iron]

13 hours ago, Vinnie said:

GHP has even sharper knurling than the rest of them, but COC, Standard, Tetting, and GHP are all pretty good in my opinion.  Less so HG.  Baraban and Grip Genie have decent enough knurling but I am a little put off by the different sized handles.  I don't dislike them, they are well-made grippers, but it seems that being off from standard size makes them harder to figure out how they compare.  My Grip Genie rated 155 is easier than my COC rated 145.

I really like aggressive knurling. My 'nearly 20 years of manual labor' hands demand it lol... 

I hate slippery handles. And I do have plenty of those. Great to train yes but I do enjoy super sharp knurling the most. 

[DevilErik]

3 minutes ago, Terry Conjugate Iron said:

Wow I never thought of that.... And it's in the name.... Table NO set haha..... And that's a great point, which I actually tell my athletes man. Train your weak points and the strong ones will get stronger 

Training your weakpoints is super important.

Some people actually hang a gripper from the ceiling by a string and then they try to close it by reaching and grabbing it but "my" method is pretty much the same thing but a lot easier to set up.

Edited December 16, 2021 by DevilErik

[Terry Conjugate Iron]

12 hours ago, DevilErik said:

My next grippers are going to be CoC and then I will probably stop buying grippers.

I can't say for sure though it's kind of an addiction.

"I will probably stop buying grippers" 

The fact that you wrote "probably" means one thing. You won't stop. Accept it Erik. 

You're hooked... 

Welcome to the void hahaha

 

[Terry Conjugate Iron]

21 hours ago, DevilErik said:

Most people swear by MMS but setting hurts my finger joints even when I am doing it right.

Also it just feels like I am handicapping myself I know that the last part of the range of motion is the most difficult but no matter what I do I just can't get used to setting and the close feels awkward as well.

Also my fingerjoints were hurting for 2 days straight after setting my vulcan and for some dumb reason it also zaps my  closing strength. 

Setting grippers actually hurts my closes despite setting with the opposite hand.

I am just a special little snowflake it seems lol.

 

 

 

Nah man... We're all different. Some are stronger with CCS, others with the MMS. I'm weak in all techniques. 

So my strong point is my PMS hahaha

[DevilErik]

1 minute ago, Terry Conjugate Iron said:

Nah man... We're all different. Some are stronger with CCS, others with the MMS. I'm weak in all techniques. 

So my strong point is my PMS hahaha

True I guess but I have never heard of anyone having the same thing as me.

Like how is my no set stronger than my CCS lol.

Edited December 16, 2021 by DevilErik

[DevilErik]

19 minutes ago, Terry Conjugate Iron said:

"I will probably stop buying grippers" 

The fact that you wrote "probably" means one thing. You won't stop. Accept it Erik. 

You're hooked... 

Welcome to the void hahaha

 

I am definitely hooked lol I even think about grippers on my off days.......

It probably also has something to do with me figuring out  the most optimal programming for myself.

I took someone else's program and altered it and now it's perfect.

It took me a long time to figure this out.

I would stall after 1 or 2 weeks no matter what I would do but now I am finally making progress every single workout.

Edited December 16, 2021 by DevilErik

[Terry Conjugate Iron]

23 hours ago, DevilErik said:

True I guess but I have never heard of anyone having the same thing as me.

Like how is my no set stronger than my CCS lol.

Could it be that you train TNS more than CCS? Or have done so in the past? 

[Terry Conjugate Iron]

23 hours ago, DevilErik said:

I am definitely hooked lol I even think about grippers on my off days.......

It probably also has something to do with me figuring out  the most optimal programming for myself.

I took someone else's program and altered it and now it's perfect.

It took me a long time to figure this out.

I would stall after 1 or 2 weeks no matter what I would do but now I am finally making progress every single workout.

I got the same issue. I think of grippers daily and I feel guilty for training the other Armlifting handles for a month except for grippers lol. It was for an online contest. 

That's good that you have laid out a good program, having a plan is important for longevity 

[Terry Conjugate Iron]

23 hours ago, DevilErik said:

Training your weakpoints is super important.

Some people actually hang a gripper from the ceiling by a string and then they try to close it by reaching and grabbing it but "my" method is pretty much the same thing but a lot easier to set up.

By the ceiling? Never heard of that before... Then again I'm fairly new still.. 

I'm sure there are more ways to close the gripper besides the few that I practice 

[DevilErik]

2 hours ago, Terry Conjugate Iron said:

Could it be that you train TNS more than CCS? Or have done so in the past? 

I started with an ivanko super gripper and used that for like 9-10 months before I got my vulcan and you can only do no sets or table no sets with it so I think that's the reason.

I got to one setting below the max on it before I got injured and I didn't have my Vulcan back then.

I have been trying to train with the Vulcan but it is just too difficult for me to set even ultra wide sets.

I can't set it properly so no matter how hard I squeeze the handles won't move.

I am going to get the orange spring and train No Sets with it.

 

This is the Ivanko Super Gripper.

Edited December 17, 2021 by DevilErik