Are you looking for ways to improve your performance with grippers? Do you want to certify on the Captains of Crush, or finish higher at Grip Contests? Then, you should check out my Gripper Training Instructional Video.
Here is a review of the DVD, from Bill Long.
Thanks to Bill for his outstanding review.
When I designed this DVD, I wanted to make it very detailed so that you could literally follow along with the video improve your technique. Everyone has certain portions of gripper technique we need to improve.
Here are some common areas of opportunity that I often coach people on in their gripper training technique:
Gripper Placement
Where you place the gripper in your hand is very important. If you get this part of it wrong, then it has the potential to throw off everything else involved in closing the gripper. Closing big grippers is just as much about technique as is having a smooth jump shot in basketball or having a sweet homerun cut in baseball.
Thumb Training
Believe it or not, the thumb is also very important with grippers. The thumb acts as a base or foundation during the gripper close. Many of the guys closing the big grippers have big, meaty thumb pads which helps keep the gripper in position. But those with thinner hands can close big grippers, if you use your thumb properly, which is something I cover in detail in the video.
Last Two Fingers
Recently, I have read comments, messages, and emails from people discussing how much success they are seeing in their gripper training by putting more focus on training their last two fingers which help finish off the sweep of the gripper handles. Tools are sold to help train these fingers specifically, but I also show a couple of drills we have used in the past for last two finger training. One of them, you can make for about $5. The other one uses block weights. Both are easy to implement in your training without having to move a bunch of stuff around in your training week or having to play around with your volume. Most people will be able to just plug them into what they are already doing.
Mindset / Visualization
Right before you squeeze a gripper, do you think, “Man I hope i close this,” or even worse, “I probably won’t get this, but I will try anyway?” If so, I have some Mindset training at the end of the video that will really help you out.
Grippers are by far the most popular form of grip strength. Grippers are not only used by grip enthusiasts, but also strongman competitors, football players, track and field throwers, and the list goes on. With CRUSH, all of them can take their gripper training to another level.
And remember, Grip Training is multi-beneficial. Not only do you improve your hand strength for better performance on the field, but you also improve your hand strength for the rest of your training, and when you improve your numbers in the rest of your training, that will increase your sporting performance even more.
If you’re going to train with grippers, invest in something that will show you how to do it the right way for the maximum benefit.
This is a combo article from me and my buddy, Mike Rinderle. Mike is Mash Monster Level 2 Certified, and rarely trains grippers due to all the bending he does, YET, has found that he maintains his gripper strength very well, again, because of all the bending he does.
**IMPORTANT** Be smart about your training. If these are new tactics, work them into your training slowly and don’t go overboard. Everyone is at a different stage of development with their CRUSH training, so be sure to train wisely, and if you have any questions, please feel free to ask.
Isometrics for Gripper Strength
What we are going to look at today is Isometric and Near-Isometric Work that you can do with your Grippers in order to strengthen the end range of the close, or the Finish.
Training the Finish of the close is important. You can have a strong set, and monster sweep strength, but if you die at the end of the range, then none of that really matters.
After all, the objective is to close the gripper, not sweep it down to 1/4 inch…
What Are Gripper Training Isometrics?
Isometric exercises involve ranges of motion during muscle contraction which are very small or non-existent. They permit maximum exertion over a very short distance (or statically). They build stronger tendons, the ability to fire your CNS more efficiently, and increased time under tension, driving strength gains.
The three types of isometrics used to increase gripper strength are static, short concentric (positive), and short eccentric (negative).
Over-Crushes
Overcrushes (static): Use a gripper that you can close and hold for at least a few seconds. Close the gripper and squeeze as hard and as long as you can.
Take note that the objective here is to squeeze like you are trying to flatten the handles together, using more force that is necessary to hold the handles together.
When you hit 15 seconds, it is time to move up a gripper level. Do no more than 3 of these per hand to prevent over-training.
Don’t just touch the handles together – squeeze with everything you’ve got until the gripper starts to open up. This is not a negative! Doing a negative after a hard overcrush can injure you, so do not try to resist the handles as they open.
Choker Closes
Choker closes (concentric/near isometric): This technique is done with the purpose of shortening the stroke of the gripper handles and focusing just on the last portion of the range. These are also generally done with explosive power in order to train the CNS to power through until the handles touch.
Get a sturdy hose clamp, tape the tops of the gripper handles and clamp your goal gripper to parallel or closer (whatever width you need to close it). Remember to perform explosive singles with this technique. Explode into the close and click the handles as fast as you can.
Wait until you recover and do another one just as hard and as fast as the last. Once the closes start to get a bit slow, or you can’t touch the handles anymore, STOP. PERIOD. This means your hands are fried and going further with this technique will teach you to be slow.
If you can get more than 5 – 7 of these then it is time to open the clamp up slightly wider or use a harder gripper next time. My gripper was too light to be effective for my crush, BUT it was the only one I had with a choker on it, so I used it for the demonstration)
Bounce Force Negatives
Bounce Forced Negatives (BFNs) (eccentric): Use a gripper one level higher than your goal gripper. Use your leg, or off hand to cheat close it and then fight to keep it from opening. When it gets to parallel, use your other hand (or leg) to force it back shut and fight again to keep it shut. Repeat one more time when it gets to parallel. That’s one set of 3. Do no more than 2 sets.
Also, this will be a bigger gripper than you are used to and if it has sharp knurling you need to not just let it spring open after the last negative gets to parallel, or you could lose some skin. Open it slowly.
Conclusion
These three gripper techniques are much more demanding on the CNS and the soft tissues of the hand, so we advise to only perform one of these gripper training techniques per workout. In other words, don’t do three sets of over-crushes, followed by some BNF’s and top it off with some choker work. That is a sure-fire way to make your progress go backwards, or worse yet, get you hurt.
Also, alternate these high-intensity techniques for best results. Each movement trains the muscles, tendons, and CNS in a slightly different way. To get the most out of these techniques, you can incorporate one of them at a time on a regular basis and see how your Crush improves, then try the next technique.
Of course, these are advanced gripper training techniques. If you don’t already have a solid grip on the basics of gripper training, then you might not be ready for these techniques.
Important Gripper Acronyms / Terms Featured in this Article:
TSG – Torsion Spring Gripper(s) – Grippers like the Captains of Crush Grippers
Straight Coil Spring Grippers – Grippers like the Vulcan or V2
RGC – Redneck Gripper Calibrator, a device which Rates Gripper Strength at Close
Richard MacLean – Person who pimped out his RGC to rate Vulcans
HG – Heavy Grips Grippers
CoC – Captains of Crush Grippers, registered trademark of IronMind Enterprises
#3, #4, etc – CoC Grippers from IronMind
Level 3, Level 4, etc – Settings on the Vulcan or V2 Gripper
Black Spring – Current spring issued with V2 Grippers. Equivalent to Gold, Silver Black Dip, possibly others.
How to Compare the Vulcan / V2 to Torsion Spring Grippers
There has been a decent amount of information put out regarding the strength levels and the ratings of Torsion Spring Grippers like the IronMind Captains of Crush and other similar grippers. With the development of the RGC device which is able to rate these grippers by testing how much weight it takes to touch the handles together, we are now able to compare grippers from different companies, despite the different numbering systems that the companies use.
In the following video, I talk at length about the results that we have found from rating grippers using the RGC device.
This video is LONG, but it is also LOADED with Info to Help You Understand the Process
However, with all of the information out there for TSG ratings, where this type of information has fallen short is with the Vulcan V2 Gripper, and many people want to understand this better. They want to know where the various levels of the Vulcan V2 Gripper stand against the Torsion Spring Grippers.
Below is a chart that was put together by Richard MacLean. It shows strength ratings of the springs on the Vulcan V2 Gripper across various settings. But, before you check it out, you must understand a few important points…
Important Details about Gripper Strength Ratings
1. All springs vary somewhat. Some springs can be just naturally harder than others, even springs from the same batches. Frequent use, stretching the springs out on the hardest settings, and poor care or irresponsible use can all have an effect, but for the most part these numbers can be used to judge what you have as well.
2. Torsion Springs (regular hand grippers) act differently from Coil Springs (Vulcan). With Torsion Spring Grippers, when you squeeze them, there is also some twisting that can take place, so you have to redirect force in order to make the handles move together. With Coil Springs, they primarily just stretch and lengthen. The point is, the springs act differently, so you have to take that into consideration as well.
What is Included in the Table
So, let me explain exactly what the table below shows. In Column A, you will see the ratings results from Richard M. on a fresh spring with very few closes on it. He tested the spring all the way out to Level 24. In Column B, he tested the same spring again, this time going all the way to 27.
You will see that the strength levels dropped at almost all of the settings on the second time through, most likely because going out to Level 24 weakened the spring somewhat, dropping the numbers.
This spring weakening (to this degree) will most likely not take place in your training with the Vulcan or V2 because there will be no need for you to go out to Level 24. Also, if you do go out to Level 24, you won’t be holding it there for an extended time, which may have taken place during the strength rating process. Upon writing this article, I know of NO ONE in the world who has ever closed this Gripper at Level 24.
Long story short, to get an estimate of the strength level of your Vulcan and Spring, provided you have not use the spring way out on the ends and done foot stomping or chest crushing, and as long as you aren’t hanging weight off the spring to deliberately weaken it, your spring is probably closer to the first run of numbers that Richard produced.
Also, take note that Richard used a Silver Black Dipped Spring on his V2, which has been rated equal in strength to the Black Spring and the Gold Spring. So if you have those springs, you can bank on very similar strength ratings.
Rich MacLean’s V2 RGC Ratings Results
Here are the numbers that Richard MacLean found during his testing.
Big thanks to Richard MacLean for not only producing these results, but also for letting me post the results here.
Comparing Vulcan V2 Ratings to Torsion Spring Grippers
Unfortunately, if you are looking to use those numbers as direct comparisons to Torsion Spring Grippers, then you are out of luck. With the Vulcan, the force at close reads out much lower than with a torsion spring gripper.
For instance, the bolded numbers above are the ranges that I usually equate to the feel of a #3 Gripper, levels 13 to 15, depending on the stiffness of the spring.
David Horne has pointed out in many cases I have read that with the Black, Gold, and Silver Black Dip spring, level 13 is right near the difficulty of a #3, when the spring is fairly new.
Now, if you have used the same spring on a Vulcan, a V2, and a Wrist Developer and do one of those movements every workout, then the strength of the spring might be a bit reduced due to all the use, and so the squeeze may not feel like #3 strength until you get up around Level 15.
Either way, that range is what you want to shoot for if you are gearing up for closing the #3.
Other Comparisons and Estimates
We can also assume that a Level 22 is also pretty close to a #4 Gripper close. This is based on the fact that I have seen video of Paul Knight closing both a #4 and Vulcan Level 22. Harder #4′s would be up in the range of Level 24 or higher. These are just my personal estimations.
David Horne lists the following estimates on his site:
#2 = Level 7-8
#2.5 = Level 10-11
#3 = Level 13-14
#3.5 = Level 17-18
#4 = Level 20-21
Remember, these estimations are for the Black, Gold, or Silver Black Dip springs. There may indeed be other springs that are equal in strength that I am not familiar with. I am just going on my own experience with them.
In addition, if you do not have IronMind CoC Grippers, in order to estimate where your Vulcan closing strength lies against Torsion Spring Grippers, you can use the estimates above and compare them against results taken from testing done with other similar Grippers.
For instance, if you know that your Beef Builder Elite Gripper rates at 159 on an RGC, then that is slightly above most #3 grippers, which these days come out around high 140′s and low 150′s. A 159 TSG would probably be around a Level 16 on a Vulcan (estimating).
I hope this post has been helpful for you. If you are in need of any further explanation, please let me know – since this topic has been such a source of confusion for so many people, I would be glad to go back and add in details where they are needed. Please just leave a comment below.
Thanks and all the best in your training.
Jedd
Discover EVERYTHING You Need to Know about Gripper Training with my Definitive Gripper Training DVD, CRUSH: Total Gripper Domination.
This is a video I shot as part of an article for my buddy, Murph, recently on what to do with lighter grippers you might have laying around, especially if you have family members like I do, that don’t quite understand what it is you do in your Grip Training.
Check it out.
Taking requests for upcoming videos – anybody got anything they want to see?
Thanks,
Jedd
Discover EVERYTHING You Need to Know about Gripper Training with my Definitive Gripper Training DVD, CRUSH: Total Gripper Domination.
Each and every day I get new visitors to my site. If you are new, I want to welcome you.
Please take the time to put your email into one of the boxes to the right. You can get some of my free reports, sign up for the RSS feed, and get email updates every time there is a new post.
I want to share with you some of the most popular videos I put up last year.
I looked at all of my videos on YouTube that I uploaded last year and grabbed the top 10 most popular ones and pasted them below.
As you will see, I have three main focuses in my training.
First and foremost is Grip Strength. I work to develop as strong of a Grip as possible for the Grip Contests I compete in and because I have seen the benefits of a strong grip in my other training. Also because I love Grip Training and Grip Sport so much, I love talking about it here on the site, sharing my experiences and helping others succeed.
Next, I love Strongman Training, both Strongman like the competitions involving Atlas Stones, Log Lifting, and Odd Objects, and Strongman style training involving Feats of Strength such as Bending Nails and Tearing Cards.
Finally, I do a great deal of training with the objective of building muscle and strength. While I am not the biggest, most muscular, or strongest, I am very well rounded and understand the proper technique of lifts and want to make sure readers do lifts correctly and safely so that they can enjoy their training and see benefit.
It’s really all about helping others succeed in their goals. Much of what I post is based on questions I get from readers who are shooting for goals and want to know how to get there. Helping you attain your goals is awesome for me, so keep me posted on your journey.
So, again, make sure to subscribe to my newsletter and make sure to subscribe to my YouTube channel, so that you are always up to date on what is going on here at DieselCrew.com.
Grippers are easily the most popular form of Grip Training and one of the biggest events at Grip Competitions. Unfortunately, there is not nearly as much good information about Gripper Training as there are people trying to sell them, so I put out this and many other Gripper Training videos last year.
Of all of the Grip Strength Challenges I ran last year, this one was perhaps the most special, because it was devoted to Slim “the Hammer Man” Farman, who was recognized by being inducted into the York Barbell Hall of Fame Last Year. The Slim Lever is a very intense sledge hammer lift, and if you can do it by the rules described in the video below with a 16-lb hammer or heavier, then you are the freakin’ man!
For this one, I wanted to figure out a way to replicate some of the effects of the Glute Ham Raise, if you don’t have one. This variation is something that someone can do to blast the posterior chain until you save up your loose change to get the real thing.
This video was a submission for one of David Horne’s many lists of Grip Performances. Because one edge of a Blob is straighter than the other, it can make the lift much more difficult to perform when you put your thumb on the rounder edge, as in this video.
I hate when I see exercises being done incorrectly on the web. It’s one thing to do them incorrectly if you have been training for many, many years. However, when new trainees see long-time veterans doing movements on-line incorrectly and they try to replicate that form, the new trainees can get hurt pretty badly. Since Rows are such a beneficial movement, I wanted to put this one out there and people seemed to get a lot of value out of it.
