matek Posted March 1, 2022 Share Posted March 1, 2022 Hi all, I'm Matek. Welcome to my training log. I just started grippers two months ago so you won't see anything impressive for a while, but I'll do my best to improve. As for now, I'm doing grippers 3x per week, and have a few fat grip exercises on my back day in the gym. I plan to start pinching as well (maybe once per week), but my thumbs tend to hurt from grippers so I will take it easy. Currently, I do my programming based on my general strength training experience. I usually respond really well to high to moderate intensity with a relatively lot of sets. Since I'm at the beginning of my grip journey, I still try to follow a linear progression, without deloads. This will probably change in the future. I write sets first, reps second: e.g., 5x6 means 5 sets of 6 reps. I won't log the warmup. If I hit a non-grip-related fitness goal I might write about that as well. I have two main purposes with writing this log here (and with reading others' logs): 1. choose appropriate difficulties for my workouts based on my log, 2. learn from fellow Gripboard members; consider different approaches, tools, and exercises for training. Any comment, advice, criticism is welcome. 8 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
matek Posted March 1, 2022 Author Share Posted March 1, 2022 2022/03/01 Gripper narrow day 5x1 Standard Fe @134 parallel choked Fairly easy with right hand, but I barely missed two (maybe 1 mm) with left. 5x2 GD Iron 90 difficulty/width/handle length: Level 5/narrow/pinky just below extension line I really like using this tool for my training. The easily adjustable handle width and the optional handle extensions offer so many possibilities. The downsides that I have to make notes even about what length I used (I measure it based on where did I put my pinky), and I have no idea about RGCs. These sets were okay, but first I was too ambitious where to put my pinky- how much should I use from the extensions. 4x3 GD Iron 90 difficulty/width/handle length: Level 5/narrow/pinky almost at the bottom with the extension Here I choose pinky position well, felt just hard enough. 4x4 GD Iron 90 difficulty/width/handle length: Level 4/mid width/without using extensions Since it felt too easy, I didn't position my pinky as low as possible to make it harder. The skin on my fingers got pretty thick and resistant to abuse during these two month, but around the center of my palm it still tears sometimes... 7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stranger Posted March 1, 2022 Share Posted March 1, 2022 Nice work man! Closing at gripper at that rating is good, especially for only training two months. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
matek Posted March 1, 2022 Author Share Posted March 1, 2022 14 minutes ago, stranger said: Nice work man! Closing at gripper at that rating is good, especially for only training two months. Thank you very much @stranger! I hope I can keep progressing in this pace for a while and MMS close something near @150 in a few months. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
matek Posted March 2, 2022 Author Share Posted March 2, 2022 (edited) 2022/03/02 Pinching, wrist and forearm conditioning I've tried pinching one time, but my thumbs tend to hurt from grippers and the tendons near my left brachioradialis hurts from fat grip work and the large volume of weighted pullups I do. Thumbs are better now (less volume, contrast baths), and my tendon doesn't hurt that much if I do the pinching with my arm bent. So I did my first proper pinch workout today. As for now, I only have one pinch block (60mm). With carabiner, the whole implement weighs 731g/1.61lb. I did the workout at home where I don't have plates or dumbbells, so I used my 20kg weight vest in my trekking backpack. 8x LH 4sec | RH 5sec lift and hold, 60mm/2.36inch pinch block, 21.33kg/47lb Interestingly, it kept getting easier and easier. Probably I should warm up better. I could have gone for more sets, but my right thumb started to hurt around the MPC joint so I stopped. Also, I will have to buy some weights if I want keep doing pinching at home. High rep wrist and forearm conditioning with resistance bands 2 sets each: flexion, extension, radial deviation, supination, pronation. Nice pump. Edited March 2, 2022 by matek 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
matek Posted March 3, 2022 Author Share Posted March 3, 2022 (edited) Just a little update: I "strained" my left hamstring yesterday while squatting. It was a similar feel when I've torn my hamstring when I was doing powerlifting, so I stopped immediately. It hurts, but there is no internal bleeding/bruising yet, which is a good sign. I'm on a caloric deficit so I wasn't even squatting heavy (7x5 185kg/408lb), I warmed up, and it happened without signs during the 4th set. It's a bummer because it influences a lot of exercises, and I also wanted to go to the mountains in the weekend. Note to myself: don't go lower than 8-10 reps of squats (with the appropriate weight) when on a strict caloric-deficit diet. On another note, looking at other Gripboard members' logs and other threads, I got interested in bending. I went to the hardware store after work and picked up a few steel rods. Three d=6mm/0.24inch and one d=9mm/0.35inch rods, 910mm long each. For now, I just choose the cheapest steel I found (there was a coated version and also stainless). Just out of curiosity, I bended the 6mm rod a little bit with bare hands and it was super easy, so I think I will cut 150mm or 160mm pieces from that. No idea about the thicker one, but I think I definitely need to make longer pieces. Or I was too naïve to buy a 9mm thick steel? It was super cheap anyway, and there was no 7mm or 8mm option... Opinions? Edited March 3, 2022 by matek Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
matek Posted March 4, 2022 Author Share Posted March 4, 2022 2022/03/04 Gripper wide day 4x2 CPWxGG4 @115, CCS RH: Missed the last rep of the last set by ~1-2mm. LH: For me, it's much harder to set the gripper into my left hand properly. It always slips down for wider sets. I missed the second rep with a few millimeters in all sets. Still a good practice. 4x3 ISG replica | not setting handles but holding the frame: springs at 2,11 The RGCs are obviously not the same, but I'm using CPW's ISG chart to set the difficulty. According to that, this setting would be @99, and I don't have the experience to tell if this is close or not. I think it's tougher for me than a same RGC torsion spring gripper would be. The start is considerably harder, and the handle with is quite wide if you don't set it. The way I find this gripper the most beneficial for my training is not setting the handles with the other hand, but keeping the frame in place during the crush. This way I can concentrate purely on finger strength from a wide position. 5x4 GD Iron 90 difficulty/width/handle length: Level 4/widest/without using extensions I opened the gripper fully for every rep, so it kept slipping down a little bit. I didn't miss a rep, but I think LH went better than RH, maybe because my LH is bigger. 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
matek Posted March 5, 2022 Author Share Posted March 5, 2022 (edited) I wouldn't call this a training, but I tried bending for the first time. I'm glad I didn't buy a lot of steel rods and bolts, because my choices were completely off. I bended these first (and actually a few other but I didn't even write it down): 150mm/5.9" x 5.2mm/0.2" nail 155mm/6.1" x 6mm/0.24" steel bar 130mm/5.12 x 6mm/0.24" steel bar 105mm/4.13" x 6mm/0.24" steel bar 180mm/7.1" x 6mm/0.24" bolt 160mm/6.3" x 6mm/0.24" bolt 150mm/5.9" x 6mm/0.24" bolt I bended all in a few seconds while sitting. The nail is just too thin, and the steel bar and bolts felt too soft. Here is a picture of a few. I was disappointed so I tried bending two of the 150mm/5.9" x 5.2mm/0.2" nails at the same time. This was too hard for me now. DO was uncomfortable for my shoulders (probably have to work on mobility) so I didn't push it, I don't need another injury. I tried the "reverse bending" technique for little bit less than a minute and managed to bend them a little (second picture). I didn't try to do it more because the wraps I made from DIY shop leather are fine, but the leather is ~3mm thick and I cannot get it tight enough around the steel, and it falls out if I'm not careful. I should buy 2mm leather. I didn't try DU, next time I'll give it a shot. Overall, it was interesting. Just have to buy steel that would be appropriate for me. Edited March 5, 2022 by matek 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
matek Posted March 5, 2022 Author Share Posted March 5, 2022 2022/03/05 Grip-related exercises at the gym 5x4 weighted neutral grip full range pullups, 36kg/79.4lb, grip is thicker than a normal pullup bar 5x5 weighted neutral grip full range pullups, 31kg/68.3lb, grip is thicker than a normal pullup bar 5x6 weighted neutral grip full range pullups, 26kg/57.3lb, grip is thicker than a normal pullup bar I didn't increase the weights from last week. But now the 26kg sets (when I'm already getting somewhat tired) felt lighter. Shoulder health: I warmed up my shoulders properly with side raises, and increasing the pullup weight until main sets. Only the first main set hurt. The horse balm with chili speeds up the warmup process significantly, I should keep using this. Left elbow tendon: Still fine. Maybe hurt a little bit at the last two sets. 10x14 rowing on the Nautilus compound row machine, 110kg/242.5lb, Fat Gripz EXT on the handles, grip is cup Instead of gripping it normally, cupping saves my left elbow tendon somehow. After this however, I did 5 sets of lat pulldowns, and the tendon started to hurt much much more. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
matek Posted March 7, 2022 Author Share Posted March 7, 2022 2022/03/07 -8x1 GD Iron 90 difficulty/width/handle length: Level 5/narrow/pinky touching the extension line, but technically below it Didn't go for parallel choked singles this time, wanted something a little bit wider. I missed 2 reps with LH. -High rep wrist and forearm conditioning with resistance bands 1 sets each: flexion, extension, radial deviation, supination, pronation. Then I tried bending for the second time with the useless steel I bought I watched some videos of experienced people to learn how to DO and reverse properly, so I think I performed better. But I'm still struggling to find a good position for my shoulders in a DO position if I put the bar to my neck/chin. -Two 180mm/7.1" x 6mm/0.24" bolts at the same time (At least it supposed to be. After measuring the c and dividing by pi, it was more like 5.8-5.9mm d. But I need to buy a caliper.) -Two 160mm/6.3" x 6mm/0.24" steel bars at the same time Now these were significantly harder (especially the steel bars) than one at a time, but still manageable relatively fast. I started them with reverse, then after I got an angle, I did DO at about chest level, finishing with a chest crush. I think I found a way how to utilize the steel I have, but I have some SS400 (very similar to A36), and stainless SUS303 and SUS304 coming in the next few days. I read the guide at the bending subforum, but here in Japan, you can't find 60d or 70d nails (and they don't really have an equivalent), and the bolts also have different standards. So A36 and stainless bars are probably the best option. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stranger Posted March 7, 2022 Share Posted March 7, 2022 Nice work man! Yea, DO was really uncomfortable for me at first too but it's something you'll get used to. My advice is to bend longer bars and it'll make shorter ones feel better in my opinion. Also, this video helped. 3 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
matek Posted March 7, 2022 Author Share Posted March 7, 2022 Thanks for the advice and the video! Working my way up in length so the shorter ones feel more comfortable seems like a good approach. My shoulder mobility is pretty bad. I grab the bar almost the widest when squatting, have to warm up a lot for weighted pullups, etc. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
matek Posted March 8, 2022 Author Share Posted March 8, 2022 (edited) 2022/03/08 I tried the 1.5"/38mm block set (the GHP block width). I don't own a GHP gripper now, but maybe I'll try to certify in the future when I'll be stronger. - Standard Fe @134 RGC choked to 1.5"/38mm block RH 5x1 Missed the last rep with RH (I should have rested for one more min). LH 5x1 - aiming for 6mm open gripper. Missed one rep. Not bad with RH, but I'm not satisfied with my left. - CPWxGG4 @115 RGC 1.5"/38mm block set RH 4x2 LH 4x1 Felt a little bit tired after the Standard Fe, so I didn't try anything crazy. RH was easy, LH was still clean but the closes could have been faster. - GD Iron Grip 90 Level 5/narrow/pinky just below extension line RH 5x3 LH 5x3 Missed one with both RH and LH. This gives me some confidence that my left isn't lagging that much behind my right, it's just the torsion spring (and maybe lack of dexterity to set) with traditional grippers. Edited March 8, 2022 by matek 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
matek Posted March 9, 2022 Author Share Posted March 9, 2022 2022/03/09 Some singles with a short product review I bought this parallel adjustable gripper (without a spring, basically just a U-shaped bar). Has this arbitrary scale from 80kg to 180kg, but a guy measured the RGC, and it's supposed to be 128lbs at the bottom. There is 30mm/1.18" between the handles, so it's not like a normal gripper from parallel. The knurling is better than I thought it would be, I don't think the grip is worse on it than on a CoC (not as good as CPW Standard though). Since there is no scoring on the steel bar, adjusting the handles with the hex screws can be annoying (you have to use the scored cardboard that came with the gripper), but not that bad. Because there is no spring, the beginning is easy then it gets super hard super fast. I would describe the feeling as a parallel choked gripper but wider, where the beginning is easier so you don't have to be explosive but around 10mm it's a sudden brick wall if you're not "prepared". I'm not sure if that measurement of 128 RGC is correct or not, but the end of the crush certainly feels a little bit harder than the CoC #2.5 I did a few weeks ago (I don't own one, but my gym has all). So for now, I will believe that RGC and use the tool in my training according to that measurement. Based on that RGC at the bottom, I calculated the RGCs to other handle positions using the scored cardboard. According to that, I did it with @133 RGC today, and I can tell the final crush indeed feels really really close to the Standard Fe @134 RGC I have (rated by CPW). Overall, it was worth the 27$ I paid for it. There was no shipping cost, which is big because that's usually the same money as a gripper for me... U-shaped gripper ~133 RGC RH 8x1 No misses, solid reps. LH 8x1 as far as I could I closed only one, all other reps were open a few millimeters. 10x12 wrist radial deviation with resistance bands 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
matek Posted March 10, 2022 Author Share Posted March 10, 2022 (edited) 2022/03/10 Not grip related, but I kinda reached my BW goal. As I didn't go to the gym for 1.5 years until 2021 mid October (pandemic...), I gained a few kgs of fat and lost muscle and strength. Now after ~5 months of diet with logging my food and training again, I managed to lose 20kg/44lbs. My current BW is 99kg/218lbs (I'm 190cm/6'3"). I wouldn't say I'm weak but my strength obviously suffered from the weight loss. I worked my way up to a strict OHP triple with 92.5kg/204lbs today, and it was quite heavy. As for grip, it was pretty much rest day. I finished bending the steel I got from the hardware store, but as I mentioned earlier, the stuff I got is completely useless. I bended them two of a time, reverse and DU. But no challenge at all, and not because I'm strong. I've already ordered some proper, harder hot rolled steel and stainless stuff so I can start training properly. Edited March 10, 2022 by matek 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
matek Posted March 11, 2022 Author Share Posted March 11, 2022 2022/03/11 Felt strong today so I went after the parallel choked CoC#3. When I put the choker on it in mid-February, I could barely move it. Now I can do it with my right for several sets. I was a little surprised (I was super hyped-up for the first attempt), but also happy that I could do it. Unfortunately I don't know its rating, I just know it feels much harder than my 134 RGC Standard Fe. RH 5x1 parallel choked CoC#3 (RGC unknown) LH 5x1 parallel choked Standard Fe @134 RGC All five sets were clean both hands, but there was no way I can do the parallel CoC#3 with my left, so I used the Standard Iron. RH/LH 8x5 GD Iron Grip 90 Level 5/narrow/almost fully utilizing the handle extension Recently I don't really go above 4 reps (besides warmup of course), so I figured why not. Felt good, but I had to reposition the gripper at the 3rd rep at almost all sets, because when I open it fully and loses tension, it just slips. Maybe next time I should use the middle width, and release the gripper to the same width as now. Or same narrow width, but only opening it to parallel. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
matek Posted March 12, 2022 Author Share Posted March 12, 2022 2022/03/12 Only somewhat grip related I did today is weighted pullups. Full range neutral grip weighted pullups (grip is somewhat thicker than a conventional pullup bar) 5x4 38.5kg/84.9lbs The last two sets felt heavy. I probably can't go higher at my current strength level with the same set x rep range. Going heavier but doing 5x3 can be a better option from next week. 5x5 33.5kg/73.9lbs These felt the best. 5x6 28.5kg/62.8lbs Not bad for volume, but felt light even with the fatigue. Overall, 5x3, 5x4, 5x5 with appropriate weights would be better. I should try next week. After these, I did all pulling with straps because it's really high time to do something about my right elbow tendonitis. For the same reason, I decided it's the best if I don't start pinch training yet after all. Patience, patience... 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nuttgens Posted March 12, 2022 Share Posted March 12, 2022 59 minutes ago, matek said: 2022/03/12 Only somewhat grip related I did today is weighted pullups. Full range neutral grip weighted pullups (grip is somewhat thicker than a conventional pullup bar) 5x4 38.5kg/84.9lbs The last two sets felt heavy. I probably can't go higher at my current strength level with the same set x rep range. Going heavier but doing 5x3 can be a better option from next week. 5x5 33.5kg/73.9lbs These felt the best. 5x6 28.5kg/62.8lbs Not bad for volume, but felt light even with the fatigue. Overall, 5x3, 5x4, 5x5 with appropriate weights would be better. I should try next week. After these, I did all pulling with straps because it's really high time to do something about my right elbow tendonitis. For the same reason, I decided it's the best if I don't start pinch training yet after all. Patience, patience... Very strong pull ups man. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
matek Posted March 12, 2022 Author Share Posted March 12, 2022 8 minutes ago, Nuttgens said: Very strong pull ups man. Thank you! I want to get to 5x5 with 50kg/110lbs. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nuttgens Posted March 12, 2022 Share Posted March 12, 2022 That’s awesome. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Viking Posted March 13, 2022 Share Posted March 13, 2022 Awesome to see you're getting into bending! Finding the right strength bars is essential and it must be a mystery in Japan since most of the calibrated steel (Check out http://az-grip.com/calibration.php ) is for US/Euro steel. That might nevertheless give you an idea about what your working with. Of course, quality of the steel is a huge factor. Some bending suppliers, such as FBBC and Horrido, attempt to standardize the strength of their bars as much as possible, but even still, different batches present different difficulties. I would think those 9mm bars you've got are monsters. The only 9mm stock I've bent was aluminum... and that's like tissue paper. Hot rolled steel will tend to be easier than cold rolled steel. Stainless will be tougher than CRS. You mentioned that you've ordered some steel. Curious to see how that goes! You can also get some from FBBC that would be appropriate, if that's not already where you've placed your order. I wanted also to relay a Beyond the Bend tip video that helped me a lot in developing my bending technique. Very much related to what stranger posted above. Hope it helps and I'll be keeping an eye out for future bends! 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
matek Posted March 13, 2022 Author Share Posted March 13, 2022 (edited) @Viking Thank you for the kind words and suggestions! I looked up the composition of different steels and checked what are "equivalents" here. SS400 is pretty similar to A36, SUS303/304/316 are the same. Edit for clarity: Apparently the story is more complicated. There are HR and CR versions of SS400, so not necessarily very similar to A36. I found drill rods as well, but tend to be more expensive, so I think I will stick to the CR version of SS400 and the stainless for now. I ordered some of these for now from an industrial steel supplier (just had some problems so it will be delayed), as the shipping would be too much from FBBC, Horrido, or Eatchalkgetbig. I will order from these places only for certs; if I'll like bending. Unfortunately, nails are out of the question, it's extremely hard to find anything >d=5.2mm. You're right of course. Even if it's softer steel and the d=6mm was nothing, the 9mm was probably waaay too much. I couldn't even cut it with my manual steel cutter (the tool's handles are just too short), so I didn't try bending it. As for now, I just cannot imagine putting the steel under my chin and actually being able to generate force from my upper body. My forearms and biceps are quite big and my shoulder mobility is terrible. When I tried with my soft steel, I just ended up bending them with my wrist. I will probably have to work months on my shoulder mobility before being to able to do DO. But DU and reverse seem fun as well, so I don't mind it particularly. Edited March 14, 2022 by matek Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
matek Posted March 14, 2022 Author Share Posted March 14, 2022 2022/03/14 Just some wrist work with resistance bands. Somewhat high intensity as well, but lots of volume. 6x8 ulnar deviation 6x20 ulnar deviation 6x8 pronation 6x20 pronation 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
matek Posted March 15, 2022 Author Share Posted March 15, 2022 I've got a new gripper: Standard adjustable Titanium, filed @180 RGC First of all, this idea is genius; you get an adjustable gripper with a torsion spring. If you're not familiar with it; basically you can move the handles to modify the difficulty, and there are pre-scored levels on the spring (if the gripper is rated, you'll know the RGC of the pre-scored levels). Additionally, you can choose from normal, smooth, long, and filed handles. The knurling is super sharp as expected, just perfect for my taste. I never had a filed gripper, but the filing job looks super clean. I have two main goals with this tool: 1. I suck at setting grippers and using a lower level results in a really wide spread (obviously). Picture is at Level 3, spread is 87.3mm/3.44" (with the filed handle, but you get the idea). I hope this will teach me how to set grippers properly. This is my main use case for now: I want to be able to properly set harder grippers. 2. Now that I tried, BTR training with the filed handle is super hard for me. As the gripper slides down, I get into a position where I just cannot crush anymore. Same RGC but not filed is much easier for me now. I suspect this is also because of not setting the gripper properly. Overall, I'm really glad I got this gripper because I can work on my weak points strategically. 2022/03/15 Standard adjustable Ti with filed handle, Level 3 RGC 135 RH/LH: 6x only setting and holding for 5 secs The hold was not hard, the point was to practice the set. U-shaped parallel gripper (spread is 30.3mm/1.2"), RGC 128 RH 6x2 , LH 6x1 Nice, all sets felt OK. ISG/SILARUKOV-1 replica | not setting handles but holding the frame: springs at 6,9 RH/LH 6x2 Missed the second rep in two sets with LH. The strange angle from an essentially no set position definitely gives a good workout for my extensors, probably the best in this aspect among all grippers I own. However, I'm starting to understand that the carryover to torsion spring grippers is not very good (and the main reason is not even the springs). But I still like the feeling. GD Iron 90, Level 5, mid width, fully using the extensions RH/LH 3x3 Missed a few reps with like a millimeter, but I was already tired. 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
matek Posted March 16, 2022 Author Share Posted March 16, 2022 (edited) Not grip, but I finally did some squats today. Warming up properly, and being really careful with my left hamstring. 7x6 with 145kg/320lb so pretty much like a HIIT cardio workout, but I didn't use a belt so at least could feel it in my lower back (+ only 2x breathe/set). Next week I should do the same just 7x7. Also did 5x20 wrist curl and 5x20 reverse wrist curl at the morning before work. And they shipped the steel I ordered yaay. Can't wait to try bending properly. Edited March 16, 2022 by matek 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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