Gripper Training

Gripper training continues to be the most popular form of grip training.

Gripper training has often been labeled the “gateway drug to grip sport” because once people get their hands on grippers, they often get hooked, and want to try out many other types of grip training, as well.

Once you get serious with your gripper work though, it’s time to start doing things the right way, and that means optimizing the way you train with grippers.

Gripper Training Frequency

It’s no surprise that many people want to know how often to train grippers is best. After all, lifters love the idea of closing big grippers.

However, if you’re not careful, you can really overdo it with your gripper training and make your finger skin and your hand tissues very sore.

Plus, with too much volume, or too frequent of training, you generally end up stalling on grippers or even sliding backwards.

Today, I share my views on the optimal frequency for gripper training in the video below.

How Often Should I Train with Grippers?

Gripper Training Programming

Hopefully, the video above makes sense for you. Doing anymore frequent training has never been effective for me, and generally it throws a monkey wrench into the rest of my training when I try to push the frequency.

In addition, approaching Gripper Training frequency with a 2-day-per-week program has been effective for close to 100% of all the people I’ve coached as well.

On top of that, I’ve received lots of feedback from customers who’ve bought my Cadence Based Gripper Training Program, who have said that the 2-days-per-week has been great and helped them make good strides in their gripper training.

In my opinion, based on my own training results, and the results of people I’ve designed programs for directly, and those who’ve followed my gripper products, 2 days/week is the DEFINITELY the way to go for grippers.

Gripper Training Technique

It should be noted, however, that if your gripper technique (placement and set) are not optimized, it’s likely that no matter how often you train them, you’ll never see much improvement past a #2 gripper.

Large-handed and naturally strong-handed individuals will be able to overcome grippers up to about the #2 through plain brute strength and raw power, but to go beyond that will require you to develop your technique.

Therefore, I recommend anyone who wants to seriously attempt to climb the gripper ladder get my DVD, CRUSH: Total Gripper Domination, so they can properly iron out their technique for maximized crushing power.

Wrap Up: How Often To Train on Grippers

I love hearing you guys tell me about hitting PR’s and smashing bigger and bigger grippers.

That’s why I put out all the gripper training information I do.

If you’re just starting out with grippers, do yourself a favor and get the best resource in the world on gripper training technique and drills: CRUSH: Total Gripper Domination

And if you’ve got a good handle on the proper gripper mechanics, then it’s time to formalize your training over the next 8 weeks with this solid program: Cadence Based Gripper Training.

All the best with your gripper training.

“Napalm” Jedd Johnson

A few weeks back, I released my first full-length Gripper Training Program, called “Cadence Based Gripper Training.”

And ever since it came out, the positive feedback has been rolling in.

I am PUMPED to share it with you.

Just finished reading your Cadence Based Training ebook, it has to be one of the best out there for improving gripper strength. I’m going to note down a few things from the book and implement when I start training hand grippers after King Kong… While going through CBT, I couldn’t help but notice something very interesting, that there is some similarities that is also in an experimental program I’ve been working on. Like volume and having the pr syndrome. Any how, it was a very good read and I’ll use a number of the ideas presented in there.

-John McCarter-

Loving it so far!

-Don Bentley-

I’ve been plateued for awhile on grip so I’ll see what your program does for me. I’ve dabbled in things like hose-clamped grippers, but have noticed how in many cases you end up holding the gripper slightly differently then you normally would which probably changes the strength curve and subsequent training effect. I’ve considered holding closes and it’s nice to find a program from someone with years of experience who has experimented with the concept.

William Bradt

Great e-book Jedd. It contains a lot of good information… I think the the most important factor in closing grippers is holding them in the closed position, preferably slightly (just 2-3 millimeters) beyond the range. That is what i started experimenting last Monday.

Jorg Keilbach

A little over a month ago I couldn’t quite close my 124 CoC 2.5. I have now closed my 132-rated #2.5 and my GHP 6 which is rated 132 as well. Both with a block set.

-Chase Scott-

Cadence Based Training is my new secret weapon to finally get certified on the COC 2.5. Much of my baseline grip strength has come from years of training holds for time on a variety of events, both grip and strongman. While that approach has been highly effective, it’s now become my limitation. Cadence Based Training, not only integrates this concept, it provides detailed structure and direction to gripper training which WILL get me certified on the COC 2.5. Thank you for your direction, expertise and passion.

-Amy Wattles-

I am really excited to have received this feedback from so many different customers. Lots of my products are geared towards complete beginners ONLY, but in the case of Cadence Based Gripper Training, it is something that has appealed to many seasoned veterans as well, so it is nice to know this ebook is helping people at all levels of Gripper Training.

For instance, Amy Wattles is a certified Women’s Captain of Crush for the #2 Gripper. She is REALLY close to becoming the 1st Woman to certify on the #2.5. I truly feel the principles of this program are going to help her out toward finally certifying on the #2.5 and getting that monkey off her back.

Also, John McCarter just recently certified on the Mash Monster Level 3 Gripper, a gripper that I have failed on about 10 times, so to get the feedback from him that I did was really exciting.

But perhaps the best feedback I have received so far comes from Chris Andrade. He has been a member of both my members-only site, The Grip Authority, and my on-line one-on-one coaching, Grip Task Force, so I am very familiar with some of his frustrations.

After working so closely with him for so many months, it was awesome to get this from him the other day:

This program is the sh*t my man. I’m MANHANDLING grippers that were busting my balls a few weeks ago. Did my week 4 workout today and then did an attempt on my #2.5 and was a few mm from closing it. MILES better than my last attempt a few weeks back. I gotta thank you again brother man.

-Christopher Andrade-

Chris, it is AWESOME to hear it my man! That #2.5 will go down soon, brother.

Diesels, one thing you need to know about Chris. This dude is a worker. Believe me – he NEVER misses or blows off a workout and is willing to put in work in order to progress. He doesn’t let stuff bother him, or get in the way of his focus. He trains his ass off. I know, because he has been here and trained with me and he doesn’t just “try to close” grippers. He attacks them. It’s just a matter of time until he smashes that #2.5 and starts working toward the next gripper in his collection, and he’s got a lot of them!

Listen DIESELS, if you want to improve your grippers, get this program. That’s all there is to it.

Pick up the Cadence Based Gripper Training Program by clicking this link

All the best in your training.

Jedd