My Grip Training Log - 2010 Edition

[MANTHOS]

I came fairly close to shutting my BB Elite on the first workout with it yesterday. My goal of shutting the BB Elite by Labor Day seems more and more realistic.

Nice job! Keep it up!

[Joefrey]

Great job ! You'll close the elite in no time !!

[MVillani1985]

I'm actually tempted to take a video of my #3 close for MM0 certification, but I'm a very cautious person by nature, and I want to wait until I can TNS my #3 before even thinking of doing that, since I don't want to risk submitting a video of a #3 close that's essentially "redlighted" or worse yet, turning out to be a miss, and looking like a fool as a result. Tonight or tomorrow I'm going to do a workout with my grippers and see how close I can get my Elite.

[MVillani1985]

Earlier today I had a workout so good that it had to have been a fluke. I closed the BeefBuilder Elite with my right hand once and closed the BeefBuilder Grand Master with my left hand twice. I'm pretty sure it's a fluke because I think it'll be a good while before I can do this again. However, right now I'm just happy to have done it.

Edited May 31, 2010 by MVillani1985

[Joefrey]

Good job with the Elite !!

[MVillani1985]

I know that I've already closed my abnormally hard #3 and just recently managed to tackle my Elite, which is a 3.1 compared to my #3 and #4 (I initially thought my Elite was a 2.9 until I got better at closing grippers and noticed that only the sweep was easier, the close is noticably harder so that made it a 3.1), and am working on my Super Elite, which I consider a 3.4 or so (my Grand Elite is a 3.7 compared to my #4, BTW, and it's an average or even slightly tough Grand Elite), but closing a gripper on camera is a bit different. I'm going to take three attempts at closing the #3 on camera successfully tonight and applying for MM0 (but I'm going to wait a good while before even thinking of doing the MM1 and beyond, I don't want to risk messing up, but I'm going to do the MM0 now just to become eligible for later on). I just hope I don't mess up, I know that just because one can close a gripper during a workout doesn't mean they can do it on camera.

[MVillani1985]

Nevermind, missed both by a country mile and I don't think I'll try this again for at least a year or so, getting it on film is something else. Which means I probably won't get on the #3 cert list until 2013 or 2014, and the #4 cert? Maybe in 2025.

Edited June 21, 2010 by MVillani1985

[MVillani1985]

With the new grippers I bought, the BBSM and BBGM with narrow handles, and I'll be buying a BBE with narrow handles soon as well, this should help my problem of having minimal finishing strength with grippers. However, what also needs to change is my state of mind with filming, I just can't tap into that killer instinct I have during workouts to get it on camera. Here's a frustrating account of the discongruity between workouts and filming it. I can easily close the #3 during a workout, I can close the BB Elite during a workout, and I can almost close the BB Super Elite during a workout. And I can even come respectably close to shutting the BB Grand Elite if I'm in that kind of mode. Yet I can't close the #3 on camera for some reason. I figure if I have enough overcrushing strength from BTR training, it should become a non-issue. However, I still can't understand, how can I almost close a gripper that many rate a 3.8 during workouts, yet often miss a much easier gripper on camera? The biggest gripper that I can at my best close on camera is my MM1 replica, which I rate at a 2.8 or a 2.9.

Edited July 1, 2010 by MVillani1985

[MVillani1985]

I know that few people train chest crush outright, but I've found it useful for helping with the little nail bending I do (I need to do more of it, though), bench pressing, and wrist strength. The movement reminds me of bench press lockouts. I just today chest crushed the BB World Class for the very first time. I felt especially proud because the spread is almost 4", making it extra tough. I then tried chest crushing the Galaxy for fun, only got it about halfway.

[odin]

Do all your gripper work on camera.

Cultivate an attitude of "If there is no credible witness or video, it didn't happen."

You will be forced to improve.

[MVillani1985]

Doing it all on camera will be pretty tough due to the angles of filming, the fact I can't just do it, and the mental pressure on me to get it, plus my mind's in a different state when I'm closing it on film versus just up and doing it, since I'm giving the introductions and all. It's amazing how there can be that much discrepency, a struggle with a #3 on camera, but off camera I can close my MM1 replica with a very wide set, wider than CCS width, but it's not a typical #3 by a long shot. I've closed it many times during workouts so I know I can do it, but I might give some filming of a close on camera a go again soon, now that I closed (but just barely) my Super Elite during a workout, although I'm convinced it's a fluke. The other four attempts were misses by 1 mm to 1/16", but now I have the confidence to take a go again at the #3 on camera. I'm going to film it sometime soon and I'll let everyone know once I got it on camera. But if I don't, that's what the narrow handled grippers are for, they'll help me so that I squeeze so hard and far naturally it'll seem like I have further to go squeezing a regular gripper.

Edited July 11, 2010 by MVillani1985

[IROC-Z]

I don't mean to sound negative here, but I have to say - if you're claiming to have closed a SE, you should be repping that #3 on camera like it's a toy. Set up the video camera, and get your MM0 cert done.

[Bigdeze]

Gotta agree with IROC Z, if you can close a SE, a #3 would be a warm up gripper. Just set the camera up and do your closes in front of it.  The camera has nothing to do with closing the gripper, if you can close it, you can close it.  The only problem you'd have with the camera is getting a good angle to catch the close with, but you shouldn't be "missing" because the camera is on.  Don't worry about introductions,, just experiment with where to set the camera, where you stand, and lighting. Good luck.

[odin]

I don't mean to sound negative here, but I have to say - if you're claiming to have closed a SE, you should be repping that #3 on camera like it's a toy. Set up the video camera, and get your MM0 cert done.

Can you get a 3x25 or 2x45 pinch on camera?

Again, just use video on any notable attempt in training. You might as well get used to it. I am still pretty lousy at gripper videos, but keep trying as I know that down the road I will need to send one in if I'm going for MM1, etc. I understand what you are saying about it being a distraction, but you won't get better at it by avoiding it. You can always practice with an easy gripper as well. Cannon told me to put the camera in a lower position pointing up at the handles, which helped me. Don't worry about the intro; you can always add that later.

You sound like a very cerebral guy and are an excellent writer. It would be great if you could post some video and show up at a grip contest, even if it was just to watch and mess around trying the items afterwards.

[MVillani1985]

I don't mean to sound negative here, but I have to say - if you're claiming to have closed a SE, you should be repping that #3 on camera like it's a toy. Set up the video camera, and get your MM0 cert done.

Well, I last tried awhile back, when I was nowhere near the SE, and as I mentioned before, my #3 isn't an average #3, I can rep my GM on camera like it's a toy, for example, and my MM1 replica I got from Wade is actually noticably easier than my #3 (I can close it with a set wider than CCS), but still, even though it is about an Elite equivilent #3, I should be still closing it on camera. I think what messed me up before was frame of mind, I was too much into the formalities of it all. And besides, the BBSE close was a maybe (I saw the handles touch but I didn't feel that "THUNK"), I might have missed it by an eighth of a millimetre or something, but I'm giving it to myself as credit for the psychological benefit, and to be honest, I think that I did get it, but it was a royal fluke and I probably won't see that happen again for a long time. I have yet to try again on camera, but I think it was that I couldn't get my mind in the state I get it during workouts at daybreak. I seem to be like Superman during workouts. I think what I need is to play around with the #3 and have someone film me Candid Camera style or something. Or maybe what I need to do is find something to sit my camera in and practice, practice, practice, because last time I got someone else to film me. I think I was in the wrong frame of mind last time.

Edited July 16, 2010 by MVillani1985

[MVillani1985]

Gotta agree with IROC Z, if you can close a SE, a #3 would be a warm up gripper. Just set the camera up and do your closes in front of it.  The camera has nothing to do with closing the gripper, if you can close it, you can close it.  The only problem you'd have with the camera is getting a good angle to catch the close with, but you shouldn't be "missing" because the camera is on.  Don't worry about introductions,, just experiment with where to set the camera, where you stand, and lighting. Good luck.

The problem is, my camera is one of those tiny digital videocams that unless I can rig up a stand for (will be working on that), I need to get someone else to hold it. This may sound stupid, but psychological factors really mess with my results, good or bad. For example, if I'm bench pressing, and my first set goes sour for some reason (hits the pins or goes unbalanced) and I don't get all my reps, it entirely messes up the other four sets. That seems to be my biggest barrier.

[MVillani1985]

I don't mean to sound negative here, but I have to say - if you're claiming to have closed a SE, you should be repping that #3 on camera like it's a toy. Set up the video camera, and get your MM0 cert done.

Can you get a 3x25 or 2x45 pinch on camera?

I don't know, I have yet to try. But here's my guess: 3x25 possibly, 2x45 probably, 5x10 definitely, 6x10 almost assuredly not (did it for a split second after four failed attempts).

Again, just use video on any notable attempt in training. You might as well get used to it. I am still pretty lousy at gripper videos, but keep trying as I know that down the road I will need to send one in if I'm going for MM1, etc. I understand what you are saying about it being a distraction, but you won't get better at it by avoiding it. You can always practice with an easy gripper as well. Cannon told me to put the camera in a lower position pointing up at the handles, which helped me. Don't worry about the intro; you can always add that later.

You sound like a very cerebral guy and are an excellent writer. It would be great if you could post some video and show up at a grip contest, even if it was just to watch and mess around trying the items afterwards.

Thank you on both points, for the compliment and for that advice that really helps. I did the GM on camera before and looked great doing so (this may have been what killed my #3 attempt, my "warm up" with the GM about ten minutes beforehand). Maybe I could try practicing with my BBSM or BBGM, those are nice easy grippers for me. I'd love to be able to post a video of it, perhaps during this week I'm taking off from working out due to helping out my mom after she goes in on Tuesday for surgery. If I can get this, then I'll FINALLY get that monkey off my back, if not, then I'm going to start looking to see if anyone can sell me an easy #3 (my #3 is almost as hard as my Elite).

[MVillani1985]

Once again, thanks everyone for the comments and advice regarding the video close. I know it seems shocking that I could ever miss a #3 if I even fluky closed a SE (although my camera misses of the #3 were a month before I got the SE), but believe you me, nobody is more befuddled than I am. I guess all I can do is rig up some kind of stand to hold my camera in, find a time when I'm feeling great, but forget all the introductions and all that (although I certainly can't edit videos so I'll have to send them in two parts and let someone else fix that issue, I may be young-ish, but I'm like a stereotypical 90 year old when it comes to technology, I'm just glad my hands aren't like a stereotypical 90 year old's). I'll do it sometime this week probably, since I'm taking a week off from working out (actually nine days, even longer than a week), meaning I'll be FRESH whenever I try it, which can only mean one thing, GOOD RESULTS.

[Bigdeze]

Gotta agree with IROC Z, if you can close a SE, a #3 would be a warm up gripper. Just set the camera up and do your closes in front of it. The camera has nothing to do with closing the gripper, if you can close it, you can close it. The only problem you'd have with the camera is getting a good angle to catch the close with, but you shouldn't be "missing" because the camera is on. Don't worry about introductions,, just experiment with where to set the camera, where you stand, and lighting. Good luck.

The problem is, my camera is one of those tiny digital videocams that unless I can rig up a stand for (will be working on that), I need to get someone else to hold it. This may sound stupid, but psychological factors really mess with my results, good or bad. For example, if I'm bench pressing, and my first set goes sour for some reason (hits the pins or goes unbalanced) and I don't get all my reps, it entirely messes up the other four sets. That seems to be my biggest barrier.

The problem is the closes you are claiming are World Class gripper closes. I think it's disrespectful to the members here that put in a lot of hard work and time into their achievements to not back yours up with some video evidence (even a crappy video is better than no video) Where do you live? You can probably find somebody on the board close enough to have a grip together and catch some of your feats on video. Hold the camera in your off hand and TNS a #2 or #2.5. I hope you can make the closes you claim and wish you no ill will but I'm skeptical.

[MVillani1985]

In case anyone wonders what became of me the past month, I came down with a really nasty illness, not sure what it was, but I'll spare you the details, but it sucked so much energy out of me that while I was will, I was so weak that I needed two hands just to keep a glass of water steady. Now I'm recovered, but I noticed that some of my strength dropped off, tried the Super Elite close again recently and missed it, so sadly it looks like I won't get to prove that I really was doing amazing things. However, I'm a little confused. I'm not sure how I'm being disrespectful of the grip giants, I've always said great things about those who have done wonderful things. In truth, if I'm ever mentioned in the same paragraph as one of the grip greats, past or present, it would be a great honor, but I know that will never happen. But there is a bit of good news, I did get a few things on camera recently, like a no-set close of the BB Super Master and a two finger close of the CoC#1. If anyone's interested in seeing the videos of those, even though they're third rate grip feats, feel free to let me know. I'm using that as an opportunity to get my confidence boosted for the MM0 certification.

BTW, there will be no further updates to this blog until I actually get the MM0 certification, because not only am I leaving myself open for skeptical criticism (which is of course only natural) but that is my next real goal, it doesn't matter what I do in my own workout environment with grippers until I can get that monkey off of my back.

Edited August 20, 2010 by MVillani1985

[odin]

Gotta agree with IROC Z, if you can close a SE, a #3 would be a warm up gripper. Just set the camera up and do your closes in front of it. The camera has nothing to do with closing the gripper, if you can close it, you can close it. The only problem you'd have with the camera is getting a good angle to catch the close with, but you shouldn't be "missing" because the camera is on. Don't worry about introductions,, just experiment with where to set the camera, where you stand, and lighting. Good luck.

The problem is, my camera is one of those tiny digital videocams that unless I can rig up a stand for (will be working on that), I need to get someone else to hold it. This may sound stupid, but psychological factors really mess with my results, good or bad. For example, if I'm bench pressing, and my first set goes sour for some reason (hits the pins or goes unbalanced) and I don't get all my reps, it entirely messes up the other four sets. That seems to be my biggest barrier.

The problem is the closes you are claiming are World Class gripper closes. I think it's disrespectful to the members here that put in a lot of hard work and time into their achievements to not back yours up with some video evidence (even a crappy video is better than no video) Where do you live? You can probably find somebody on the board close enough to have a grip together and catch some of your feats on video. Hold the camera in your off hand and TNS a #2 or #2.5. I hope you can make the closes you claim and wish you no ill will but I'm skeptical.

re: your sig:

2010 goals - here's some of them

Close the BB Grand Master - DONE 3/12/10

Close the Ironmind #3 - DONE 5/15/10

Close the BB Elite - DONE 5/30/10

Close the BB Super Elite - DONE 7/11/10

Close the BB Grand Elite

Close the Ironmind #4

Close the BBSM left handed - DONE 5/21/10

Close the BBGM left handed - DONE 5/30/10

Close the Ironmind #3 left handed

Close the BBE left handed

Pinch five 10s - DONE 3/27/10

Pinch three 25s - DONE 6/11/10

Pinch two 45s - DONE 4/7/10

Pinch six 10s - DONE 7/9/10

Pinch three 35s with two hands - DONE 5/4/10

Pinch three 45s with two hands - DONE 5/4/10

Lift 50 lbs on my Ironmind Blockbuster - DONE 6/8/10

Lift 55 lbs on my Ironmind Blockbuster

Use 75 lbs on my wrist roller

Chest crush the BB Pro - DONE 3/23/10

Chest crush the BB World Class - DONE 7/1/10

Stay injury free (that's always a goal every year) - NOT QUITE

Close the BB Super Elite - DONE 7/11/10

Beef Builder Super Elite Close (Gripboard Set)

Patrick Gansel

Wes Peart (Witnesses: Greg Allen and Walter Crews)

Martin Arildsson

Ben Edwards

Paul Knight

Pinch three 25s - DONE 6/11/10

Pinch two 45s - DONE 4/7/10

Pinch six 10s -DONE 7/9/10

Six 10's Pinch

Wade Gillingham

Heath Sexton

Richard Sorin*

Jedd Johnson

Rex Hubbard

Ryan Johnson

Laine Snook (Six 5-kg plates)

*+1.25lb Plate Mate

Obviously the 6x10 pinch and the SE close are world class (please see GB Rule #4, re: World Class feats in posts without proof) and the 3x25 and 2x45 are great. No disrespect intended, you are obviously very intelligent and certainly must have some inkling that you are the only active poster claiming to be able to do these feats with no video or GB witnesses. You might be the next Heath Sexton, Tommy Heslep, Dave Morton or Paul Savage and shoot a good video and/or show up at a grip contest and do one or more of the four feats I quoted above from your signature. If so, let me send my advance congratulations.

[IROC-Z]

I hope you didn't mistake my comments as criticism. I was only trying to provide you with motivation to get your MM0 certification done. Although, I will agree with the others who have commented about closing a SE.............unless you have a super weak SE, that would definitely be considered a world-class close.

Best wishes for nailing that MMO certification!

[MVillani1985]

Gotta agree with IROC Z, if you can close a SE, a #3 would be a warm up gripper. Just set the camera up and do your closes in front of it. The camera has nothing to do with closing the gripper, if you can close it, you can close it. The only problem you'd have with the camera is getting a good angle to catch the close with, but you shouldn't be "missing" because the camera is on. Don't worry about introductions,, just experiment with where to set the camera, where you stand, and lighting. Good luck.

The problem is, my camera is one of those tiny digital videocams that unless I can rig up a stand for (will be working on that), I need to get someone else to hold it. This may sound stupid, but psychological factors really mess with my results, good or bad. For example, if I'm bench pressing, and my first set goes sour for some reason (hits the pins or goes unbalanced) and I don't get all my reps, it entirely messes up the other four sets. That seems to be my biggest barrier.

The problem is the closes you are claiming are World Class gripper closes. I think it's disrespectful to the members here that put in a lot of hard work and time into their achievements to not back yours up with some video evidence (even a crappy video is better than no video) Where do you live? You can probably find somebody on the board close enough to have a grip together and catch some of your feats on video. Hold the camera in your off hand and TNS a #2 or #2.5. I hope you can make the closes you claim and wish you no ill will but I'm skeptical.

re: your sig:

2010 goals - here's some of them

Close the BB Grand Master - DONE 3/12/10

Close the Ironmind #3 - DONE 5/15/10

Close the BB Elite - DONE 5/30/10

Close the BB Super Elite - DONE 7/11/10

Close the BB Grand Elite

Close the Ironmind #4

Close the BBSM left handed - DONE 5/21/10

Close the BBGM left handed - DONE 5/30/10

Close the Ironmind #3 left handed

Close the BBE left handed

Pinch five 10s - DONE 3/27/10

Pinch three 25s - DONE 6/11/10

Pinch two 45s - DONE 4/7/10

Pinch six 10s - DONE 7/9/10

Pinch three 35s with two hands - DONE 5/4/10

Pinch three 45s with two hands - DONE 5/4/10

Lift 50 lbs on my Ironmind Blockbuster - DONE 6/8/10

Lift 55 lbs on my Ironmind Blockbuster

Use 75 lbs on my wrist roller

Chest crush the BB Pro - DONE 3/23/10

Chest crush the BB World Class - DONE 7/1/10

Stay injury free (that's always a goal every year) - NOT QUITE

Close the BB Super Elite - DONE 7/11/10

Beef Builder Super Elite Close (Gripboard Set)

Patrick Gansel

Wes Peart (Witnesses: Greg Allen and Walter Crews)

Martin Arildsson

Ben Edwards

Paul Knight

Pinch three 25s - DONE 6/11/10

Pinch two 45s - DONE 4/7/10

Pinch six 10s -DONE 7/9/10

Six 10's Pinch

Wade Gillingham

Heath Sexton

Richard Sorin*

Jedd Johnson

Rex Hubbard

Ryan Johnson

Laine Snook (Six 5-kg plates)

*+1.25lb Plate Mate

Obviously the 6x10 pinch and the SE close are world class (please see GB Rule #4, re: World Class feats in posts without proof) and the 3x25 and 2x45 are great. No disrespect intended, you are obviously very intelligent and certainly must have some inkling that you are the only active poster claiming to be able to do these feats with no video or GB witnesses. You might be the next Heath Sexton, Tommy Heslep, Dave Morton or Paul Savage and shoot a good video and/or show up at a grip contest and do one or more of the four feats I quoted above from your signature. If so, let me send my advance congratulations.

I should probably ask with the plate pinching so that I don't risk looking like a fool in the future, should I put an asterisk plus explanation at the bottom beside the ones that I didn't lift all the way from the ground? The six dimes I only got up once under true control, and very briefly at that, from a table. The other attempts they cleared the table briefly but that was it. Even the three 25s and much of the time the two 45s are done from some kind of stand (but not as high as the one I used for the six tens). I know that most of the attempts I saw on the internet were done from the ground, so I'm wondering if maybe I should asterisk these feats or even uncross them.

The Super Elite, well, I think I have an easy Super Elite and that was a pure fluke, as I haven't done it since, and even then, I might have actually missed what I thought was a "close" by half a millimeter. My best attempt during my last workout got it down to 1/4".

[MVillani1985]

I hope you didn't mistake my comments as criticism. I was only trying to provide you with motivation to get your MM0 certification done. Although, I will agree with the others who have commented about closing a SE.............unless you have a super weak SE, that would definitely be considered a world-class close.

Best wishes for nailing that MMO certification!

I think I have a fairly easy SE based on the fact that I can't even get my GE to parallel (or get my #4 much past halfway). Anyways, thanks for the motivational comments, it'll be the greatest feeling in years if I get this MM0 monkey off my back.

Edited August 22, 2010 by MVillani1985

[MVillani1985]

Well, since I may have counted some things that were done wrong, I decided to just wipe the signiature list completely clean and since these are considered world class feats (and I forgot about the rule that members must have video evidence of all claimed grip feats) this will be the last update of the blog until I get some kind of video.

Edited August 22, 2010 by MVillani1985