Hello,
Just a question for you all. I recently pushed my DL from 435-515 over a ten week DL program. Now, at my new training percentage, 85% (435), my grip completely fails after 2 sets of 3 reps.
Should I start using straps or will my grip strength eventually catch up?
(I use double overhand till 405 then a hook mixed grip above 405)
Use straps as needed for your deadlifts, then do some static barbell holds afterwards without them. Your grip should improve pretty quickly.
[quote]Btale wrote:
Hello,
Just a question for you all. I recently pushed my DL from 435-515 over a ten week DL program. Now, at my new training percentage, 85% (435), my grip completely fails after 2 sets of 3 reps.
Should I start using straps or will my grip strength eventually catch up?
(I use double overhand till 405 then a hook mixed grip above 405)[/quote]
Are you using chalk and or a shitty bar? I couldnt double over hand 405 to save my life but I can hold onto mid 600s with out a problem under over.
If you arent using chalk use it… If you cant use straps.
If you are on a good bar with good knurling and are already using chalk then squeeze harder.
Chalk and an over under grip is the way to go. If you rely on straps your grip will never improve.
Ask on a strongman/powerlifting thread too, those guys have a few tricks to train your grips. In my gym we used to have a grip competition every couple of months.
Thanks guys. I think I will try a non hook mixed grip next time. If that fails, I will use straps on my sets once my grip gives out. I appreciate the help.
Andy Bolton.
I strongly disagree with any advise suggesting you incorporate straps. So, let’s say you start using straps and your deadlift goes up. If you compete, and aren’t allowed to use straps, you just blew all those gains. Your limiting factor will always be your grip. I used straps a long time ago, for deads, rows, pulls, everything, and my grip suffered terribly. Once I ditched them, my grip caught up with my strength.
[quote]Antman517 wrote:
I strongly disagree with any advise suggesting you incorporate straps. So, let’s say you start using straps and your deadlift goes up. If you compete, and aren’t allowed to use straps, you just blew all those gains. Your limiting factor will always be your grip. I used straps a long time ago, for deads, rows, pulls, everything, and my grip suffered terribly. Once I ditched them, my grip caught up with my strength.[/quote]
As someone who only pulls with straps and has never had grip issues deadlifting, I have had a different experience.
I’m curious what sort of grip training you did when you were pulling with straps? I find that the biggest issue is that grip training tends to be neglected, when it’s a pretty crucial element to include. I’m a big fan of double overhand holds and Captains of Crush gripped timed holds.
Bolton’s grip routine looks quick and effective. I like how it includes the pinch-holds. The thumbs are really important to your grip.
Big Pun, your training is so well thought out. I’ve always found it hard to develop or stick to any kind of effective plan or routine for the C.O.C. grippers. Do you have any insights, or have you come up with a good way to progress on these things?
[quote]FlatsFarmer wrote:
Big Pun, your training is so well thought out. I’ve always found it hard to develop or stick to any kind of effective plan or routine for the C.O.C. grippers. Do you have any insights, or have you come up with a good way to progress on these things?
[/quote]
I’ve done millions of different approaches with the CoC. Having them readily available at work can help, or at home while watching TV or something, because then you can really screw around without cutting into actual gym time.
The most EFFECTIVE way I have found to use them in terms of helping holding grip (versus crushing grip, which is more what they are designed for) is to do timed holds. Squeeze it until the two ends touch, and then hold for time. Depending on the gripper level, there are a few ways to go about this.
1: Just squeeze and hold until you run out of gas. Try to beat this next time.
2: Do some reps with the gripper, but with each rep hold the squeeze for 5 seconds or so.
3: Do like 2, but hold the very last rep of the set for some sort of longer amount of time. If you do multiple sets, hold the very last rep of the very last set for as long as possible, after having already done timed holds with every other rep.
You can see the pattern. I also like repping out with the gripper on occasion, but that’s more a forearm pump sort’ve thing versus really getting that holding grip.
Thanks man. Holding those things closed is good. We used to do “strap holds.” You hang like a 5 pound plate on a shoe lace, then hold the other end of the shoelace, or " strap" between the gripper handles. I feel like it really helped me to overcrush, or kinda focus on the last tiny part of the close.
I was hoping you had some cool prgression system I hadn’t imagined. I think I will break down and get a couple of those inbetween or “.5” grippers.
[quote]FlatsFarmer wrote:
Thanks man. Holding those things closed is good. We used to do “strap holds.” You hang like a 5 pound plate on a shoe lace, then hold the other end of the shoelace, or " strap" between the gripper handles. I feel like it really helped me to overcrush, or kinda focus on the last tiny part of the close.
I was hoping you had some cool prgression system I hadn’t imagined. I think I will break down and get a couple of those inbetween or “.5” grippers.[/quote]
Yeah, strap holds are a good approach too. You know for sure if you let go or not.
As for “progression system”, it would depend on the goal. What I mentioned was about using the grippers to become a better deadlifter. I was chasing the #3 for a while, but I noticed that a lot of the energy I spent on getting better at the grippers was taking away from my ability to be a better lifter in total, and it became one of those forest for the trees sort of moments.
When I was trying to get better for the grippers themselves, I would alternate between heavy work with timed holds and light work for max reps. I also liked doing gripper ladders with the heavy gripper.
Close for 1 rep
Switch hand, close for 1
Switch hand again, close for 2
Keep switching hands and adding reps until you can’t, then rest for a little bit and start over again.
“Overcrushes” were also pretty helpful. Take a gripper that’s too tough to close, close it with both hands, then hold it in the closed position for as long as you can with 1 hand. Kind of like a heavy forced negative.
Some other things I did was burnout sets. Start with your heaviest gripper, do as many reps as you can, then keep moving down on lighter grippers.
Pretty much anything that works for lifting worked for grippers.
Were you close to getting the #3? You should do it! Immortality!
[quote]FlatsFarmer wrote:
Were you close to getting the #3? You should do it! Immortality! [/quote]
I could get the 2.5 for reps, but the 3 was still a beast. I’m sure it’s something I could do if I was willing to dedicate myself to it, but I’ve got no interest in being a grip athlete.
Haha! The worst thing about training your grip is being associated with “grip athletes.”
Thats why I love Magnus Samuelsson. If you’re a farmer you’re gonna be a strong dude and have a strong grip! So why not also be a tough arm wrestler, and the World’s Strongest Man? And also mash the #4 on the side?
Back then I never did much grip work, maybe some wrist rollers. Once I ditched the straps, my pulling work suffered for a bit because I didn’t have that crutch, but my grip eventually started catching up. I began doing wrist curls and bought a few levels of the CoC grippers. Grip is fine now and on par with all my pulling movements.
[quote]Antman517 wrote:
Back then I never did much grip work, maybe some wrist rollers. Once I ditched the straps, my pulling work suffered for a bit because I didn’t have that crutch, but my grip eventually started catching up. I began doing wrist curls and bought a few levels of the CoC grippers. Grip is fine now and on par with all my pulling movements.[/quote]
Ah, yeah, I definitely agree with you in that regard. If you’re going to use straps and not train grip, you’re going to be very disappointed when the straps come off. Much like how one needs to still train abs when wearing a belt, grip needs to be hammered hard when straps are being worn.
[quote]goochadamg wrote:
Use straps as needed for your deadlifts, then do some static barbell holds afterwards without them. Your grip should improve pretty quickly.[/quote]
Second that, i do 1 set of barbell holds to failure a week and it’s stupid how much my grip improved in a few weeks since i started training my grip this way
Do note i pull and train with a hook grip … don’t know if it would work for over/under
[quote]StupidNumber13 wrote:
[quote]goochadamg wrote:
Use straps as needed for your deadlifts, then do some static barbell holds afterwards without them. Your grip should improve pretty quickly.[/quote]
Second that, i do 1 set of barbell holds to failure a week and it’s stupid how much my grip improved in a few weeks since i started training my grip this way
Do note i pull and train with a hook grip … don’t know if it would work for over/under[/quote]
Holds work for any type of grip. Kroc rows took care of my grip weakness a long time ago and I haven’t had to do grip work since.