Gripper Training Progress Slowed/ Plateaued. Need Advice Please!

[fraivillig]

Hi all, I'm new to the Grip Board and I'm certain this topic/ similar topics have been covered extensively on this forum. Regardless, I wanted to get y'alls advice. 

I'm relatively new to grip in general and started messing around with CoC grippers about a year ago. I started out being able to close a trainer but failing on the Coc #1. From then I've worked fairly consistently and am now closing the CoC #2.5 two times consecutively, which is definite progress from where I started, but I've noticed my progress slowing down considerably over the last several months.

Below is an example of my current gripper workout. This of course has changed over the course of my progress.

Warm up w CoC #1 x 5. 

Warm up w Standard Gold x 5

Warm up w Coc #2 x 5

Maximum Reps with Coc #2.5.. (currently I can do 2 reps)

1-2 Working Sets w Standard Platinum till failure

1-2 Working Sets w Coc #2 till failure

(May possibly do an additional working set after these with the Standard Gold if I'm not satisfied with my other working sets. Although, I try to limit to 4 working sets total)

Cool down with Coc #1 till failure

When I started out, I would do this workout 3 times per week. But within the last several months I've dropped it to 2x per week, bc I felt I wasn't getting enough recovery. 

As far as other training, I use a pinch block that I'll do after my gripper workout once per week. I'll also use a fat bar wrist roller once per week after my gripper workout. Additionally, I do weighted pull ups or kettlebell swings typically before my gripper workout, which I know may interfere with my gripper gains slightly. On my off days, I'll lap swim to keep up some CV fitness.

Anyways, that's it for the longwinded post. Any general advice would be greatly appreciated! 

[DoctorOfCrush]

I’m no big closer, so take that for what it is. 

Two things:

1) Your progress will naturally slow down a bit as you start closing heavier grippers. What do you mean by it slowing down? Like you’re not advancing on reps? Do you have grippers heavier than your 2.5 that you are attempting?

2) Weighted pull ups plus KB swings would fry my grip before grippers, especially if I was pushing them at all.  I would try to move that around and see if you feel fresher. 

 

[dubyagrip]

As you approach the #3, you'll find that you'll need to make grippers your priority.  You need to decide how bad you want to continue to progress and pick some things to go on the back burner until you reach your gripper goal.  Grippers are very demanding.

[Busa]

Maybe try a Bumper to give a slight jump instead of going for the next jump in gripper do you have RGC for them? As is often mentioned you could have a hard CoC2.5 and a weak CoC2 the gap could be just too much.

[fraivillig]

28 minutes ago, DoctorOfCrush said:

I’m no big closer, so take that for what it is. 

Two things:

1) Your progress will naturally slow down a bit as you start closing heavier grippers. What do you mean by it slowing down? Like you’re not advancing on reps? Do you have grippers heavier than your 2.5 that you are attempting?

2) Weighted pull ups plus KB swings would fry my grip before grippers, especially if I was pushing them at all.  I would try to move that around and see if you feel fresher. 

 

- Yeah that's what I figured just wanted to make sure there's not some glaring mistake with my training regimen.

For clarification: I'm not advancing on reps as quickly as I once did. And no, I don't have any grippers heavier than the 2.5. I try to advance grippers once I'm able to do 5 reps of a certain gripper, that way I can avoid injury.

[fraivillig]

8 minutes ago, Busa said:

Maybe try a Bumper to give a slight jump instead of going for the next jump in gripper do you have RGC for them? As is often mentioned you could have a hard CoC2.5 and a weak CoC2 the gap could be just too much.

I have an RGC for my Standard Platinum (118) and CoC #2.5 (123). I don't have an RGC for my #2.

Not looking forward to the next jump after the #2.5. There's not a whole lot of options in the ~130 lb range. Ideally I would get a GHP 6 but there doesn't seem to be a whole lot of them on the market. The next easiest would be a Standard Fe which averages around 137 lb, which will be a pretty difficult jump.

[DoctorOfCrush]

9 minutes ago, fraivillig said:

- Yeah that's what I figured just wanted to make sure there's not some glaring mistake with my training regimen.

For clarification: I'm not advancing on reps as quickly as I once did. And no, I don't have any grippers heavier than the 2.5. I try to advance grippers once I'm able to do 5 reps of a certain gripper, that way I can avoid injury.

 

3 minutes ago, fraivillig said:

I have an RGC for my Standard Platinum (118) and CoC #2.5 (123). I don't have an RGC for my #2.

Not looking forward to the next jump after the #2.5. There's not a whole lot of options in the ~130 lb range. Ideally I would get a GHP 6 but there doesn't seem to be a whole lot of them on the market. The next easiest would be a Standard Fe which averages around 137 lb, which will be a pretty difficult jump.

It is a tough gap to find.  Unfortunately, there was a time that a GHP6 might work for it (RIP).  However, it's not uncommon to find 2.5s quite a bit higher than your own, so watching for a heavier 2.5 to come along might be a good option (my heaviest 2.5 is a 130, but they can be higher occasionally).  Then you could bumper that a bit when it's too easy and you'd be getting into light Standard Fe territory (I have a 132 Fe, for instance). 

I don't know that I would consider goal gripper attempts too injurious if you're doing them infrequently and they are not massively outside of your current strength (e.g. you can get them quite a bit deeper than parallel). It can be another way to gauge your progress. Plus you can get a post-activation potentiation stimulus that can up your reps on your rep gripper. 

 

[fraivillig]

5 minutes ago, DoctorOfCrush said:

 

It is a tough gap to find.  Unfortunately, there was a time that a GHP6 might work for it (RIP).  However, it's not uncommon to find 2.5s quite a bit higher than your own, so watching for a heavier 2.5 to come along might be a good option (my heaviest 2.5 is a 130, but they can be higher occasionally).  Then you could bumper that a bit when it's too easy and you'd be getting into light Standard Fe territory (I have a 132 Fe, for instance). 

I don't know that I would consider goal gripper attempts too injurious if you're doing them infrequently and they are not massively outside of your current strength (e.g. you can get them quite a bit deeper than parallel). It can be another way to gauge your progress. Plus you can get a post-activation potentiation stimulus that can up your reps on your rep gripper. 

 

Thanks those are great ideas!

I do not own a bumper but will probably purchase one in order to better fill that gap.

[Slipshod]

Interesting that you do them 2x a week. At current I'm only doing one grip workout a week, to try and avoid tendon issues, plus I feel that recovery is better between the workouts that way.

Perhaps you could try doing one heavy and one lighter day in the week. If you swiftly see some progress it could just be that you are pushing it too hard.

I also tend to end my workout with a dropset which is usually:

2.5, Standard Pt, 2, Standard Au, 1.5 each for as many reps as possible. I have a 1 and 0.5 on the way which are literally only for warm up and drop sets.

Currently depending on how I feel and what set I use I do between 3-5 reps of the 2.5. Once that starts dropping to 2 then I move down to the Standard Pt. Once that isn't comfortable I do the aforementioned dropset.

I have the Standard Fe at 134, 2.5 unrated (probably average so 125), Standard Pt 114, 2 average, Standard Au 95 so I have most of the gaps filled. Arguably a 130 and 120 would be helpful.

Hopefully you can break the plateau!

[dubyagrip]

Get a choked Standard Fe, you could likely close it choked from 20mm already, unless you're only doing deep set closes with your 2.5.

[fraivillig]

6 minutes ago, dubyagrip said:

Get a choked Standard Fe, you could likely close it choked from 20mm already, unless you're only doing deep set closes with your 2.5.

Every rep I do is from about a parallel set. But yeah a choked Fe is a great idea also. 

[fraivillig]

12 minutes ago, Slipshod said:

Interesting that you do them 2x a week. At current I'm only doing one grip workout a week, to try and avoid tendon issues, plus I feel that recovery is better between the workouts that way.

Perhaps you could try doing one heavy and one lighter day in the week. If you swiftly see some progress it could just be that you are pushing it too hard.

I also tend to end my workout with a dropset which is usually:

2.5, Standard Pt, 2, Standard Au, 1.5 each for as many reps as possible. I have a 1 and 0.5 on the way which are literally only for warm up and drop sets.

Currently depending on how I feel and what set I use I do between 3-5 reps of the 2.5. Once that starts dropping to 2 then I move down to the Standard Pt. Once that isn't comfortable I do the aforementioned dropset.

I have the Standard Fe at 134, 2.5 unrated (probably average so 125), Standard Pt 114, 2 average, Standard Au 95 so I have most of the gaps filled. Arguably a 130 and 120 would be helpful.

Hopefully you can break the plateau!

Thanks! Curious how long do you take breaks in between each of those sets?

I'm normally fried after I do the #2.5, and take a 2 min break in between each set.

[Slipshod]

4 minutes ago, fraivillig said:

Thanks! Curious how long do you take breaks in between each of those sets?

I'm normally fried after I do the #2.5, and take a 2 min break in between each set.

There's no set time, basically as long as it takes to feel decent again. Probably around 5 minutes at current as my cardio is shot due to back issues. Obviously on the dropset it is just back to back until I cant do a single rep on the lowest.

Also since you mentioned that you do reps from parallel, perhaps you could try widening your grip as a midway progression between grippers. This would make even the same number of reps cause more work for your grip. Food for thought.

Edited January 8 by Slipshod