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.
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.
In just a few short hours, CRUSH: Total Gripper Domination will be available.
But now is the time to discuss the winner of the Free DVD Essay Contest.
The rules were simple. Write an essay with 100-words or more describing why you should win a free copy of the CRUSH DVD.
There were many entries – 40, to be exact, and they included many names I recognized from past emails, purchases, Facebook, YouTube, and more, as well as many new names I have not seen before, which was cool. Thank you to all who participated. For such a small window of just 24 hours, I thought the response was pretty darn impressive!
Within the essays, I was impressed by the wide array of background each of you come from. From Martial Artists, to Strength Enthusiasts, to Teachers, it was AWESOME to see such the diversity.
Of course in a contest such as this, it is tough to decide on a winner and it would be the easy way out to just do a random drawing, but I said I was going to choose a winner, and that is what I am going to do.
As I had said previously, the winner would be the person who deserved it the most, and with so many deserving people, I decided to choose the person whose essay conveyed, in my eyes, the most passion in their essay.
With that in mind, my choice is Mike Watson. I chose Mike because when I read his essay about his love and drive for wrestling, it really resonated with me and I saw similarities with how I feel about the sport of Grip.
Below is his essay:
“First off I need help getting my grip power up for wrestling. I love wrestling more then anything, and nothing has been able to stop me from doing this sport, which I love. The key things you need in wrestling is: grip, neck strength, speed, technique and endurance. Each part is very important, grip is essential for performing moves and starting off in the match. I have wrestled in Japan for almost 3 years before I had to come back to the states. This sport means the world to me. It keeps me out of trouble, keeps my grades in check, keeps me fit and keeps me disciplined. People can talk about why they want it, but they don’t live and breathe something everyday. If you love something as much as I do, you would understand why I want help with my grip. Wrestling isn’t a sport, you don’t play wrestling. Wrestling is a lifestyle and you respect your opponent and yourself. It isn’t a game its life, and life isn’t something you play with. Thank you for your time to read this I hope I get this DVD would help me in my wrestling career in life.”
Mike, I thought your essay was great. Thanks for posting it and make sure to send me your address so I can get the DVD to you.
There were many other great submissions. Thanks again to everyone who posted.
I am running a 24-hour contest to choose a winner of my new DVD, CRUSH: Total Gripper Domination.
You can enter the contest for free, and there is no purchase required.
All you have to do is write out an essay of 100 words or more telling me why you should win the free copy of the DVD and I will make a selection and announce the winner tomorrow, during Monday Night RAW.
This video will describe the process in more detail.
You must post your comment in the comment section below.
Grippers are one of the most popular forms of Grip Strength Training.
I’d say that Grippers and Bending Steel get more people involved in Grip as a practice and as a sport than any other aspects.
This might be because the concept is so simple. You put the gripper in your hand and you close it.
And while the concept is simple, if you want to close upper level grippers, then you need to get serious about it and dedicate yourself to mastering them.
The problem is, people sometimes do things that seem to make sense at the time, but in the long run don’t do much toward helping them improve on Grippers.
If you like Gripper Training and want to get the most out of the time you put into it, then check out the free video I just made by clicking below.
Avoid all the mistakes that beginners make and learn from someone who has been in the trenches.
