Gs1:
NG chins: bw, 5, 10, 15, 20, 25 X 3, 40, 40kg X 1
Seated ohp (no back support): 20, 30, 40 X 3, 50, 60, 70, 80, 85kg X 1
Ab roll: 5 X 8 sets
Banded jumping jacks: 8 X 8 sets red band
Gs2:
Ng chins: 10kg X 8, 5, 5
Seated ohp (no back support): 67.5 X 6, 5, 5
Ab roll: 5 X 3 sets
Banded JJs: 8 X 3 sets
Emoms
Blue bands + 67.5kg bench - 10 sets in 5 mins due to time constraints.
I started this session by accidentally od’ing on citrulline (issues table spoon guestimates and being a distracted dad & husband) literally doubled that and beta alanine, felt very sick, had a lie down and nap, got up mowed lawn then trained. Got through set 2, then had to run in doors, laxative effect of citrulline is real!
OHP is a generic pr - never done that movement before, but 85 was absolute pr and 6 was absolute rep max on 67.5.
Today’s cardio was survived by:
It’s like holding on when my grip is lost was so apt forearms where on fire. Everything about the conditioning sucked. The main work was great.
3.5k cals - ignore the generic goals for % - aiming for roughly the opposite of what I got fat/pro wise yesterday 45-50/35-40/20ish, but to be fair as long as I hit 200g pro and make cals I’ll be happy.
Forum collective wisdom wanted: forearms - mine seem to hate me doing any sort of action that requires more than 30 secs of work. Rowing machine is always a pain in the forearms, but what trigger me to think to post was steam mopping the floor, literally just 10 mins of using a steam mop my forearms were complaining.
It’s like they’re undergoing bodybuilding work, like the muscle endurance is being challenged, which with rowing makes sense I suppose, but come on Steam mopping the floor?!
Grip strength has never been a issue (probably due to being weak everywhere) I don’t use straps outside of bent over rows and I mix grip deads.
My question is multifaceted: given that it’s never affected my lifting, should I be bothered about this weakness? Should I just accept it’s more endurance than strength? If I address it, how should I address it? Should I just carry on rowing and let that address it or should I be intentional?
Anyone feel free to offer an opinion or tag someone who’s particularly knowledgeable on grip (thinking @T3hPwnisher)
Jokes aside (only half a joke though). It is affecting your lifting if you mix-grip and use straps. Not to say it isn’t alright that you do these things but that’s two lifts then where your weak link is your grip.
With rowing machine do you mean the cardio equipment? Because that is weird and to me suggests something funky with your technique. Like overgripping. Mopping the floor, maybe overgripping. Are your forearms stiff? Wrist mobility?
Guru is a pretty strong word, I do have good news though.
Alex, your grip/forearms are probably not extra weak, they’re probably just tired. Lately you’ve done kettlebell swings and power cleans. The weights may seem light but the way you snap and accelerate the bar/kettlebell makes it “heavier” in your hands. Like the speed of the implement increases the force your hands fight against. Everybody who tries the kettlebell swing challenge mentions how the swings smash their grip.
You deadlifted vs bands, that’s also hard on the grip. The bar is pulling out of your hands harder and faster the higher you get off the floor. It’s extra tension/force to deal with.
Possible Voodoo: If you believe in CNS fatigue, one of the indicators is a drop in grip strength. So if you train hard for awhile and get a little run down your grip strength will suddenly drop off, like you just can’t make yourself squeeze anymore. You’ve been on a Tough program, maybe you’ve built up enough CNS or “general” fatigue to weaken your grip, in addition to the direct beating your hands are taking.
I think if you just fight on till the end, then recover after this extreme program your grip will be stronger. In the meantime, stretching your forearm flexors (the bottom of your forearms) like Chicken Little mentioned can help loosen things up. Also working your extensors (the muscles on top of your forearm) can kinda counteract tight flexors.
Yes cardio machine rowing, I don’t think my forearms are stiff or wrists immobile. I’ll see if I can hold the tower a bit looser and see if that makes much difference here.
(Edit: forgot to say it’s mixed grip or straps not both).
Thanks for the detailed response, I do love this forum, full of knowledgeable and generous people!
Your 100% right on the style of training, kB swings total 100+ every time I do row/swing intervals, plus pre deads swings usually 5s for 10 ish total sets so maybe upto 250 swings a week and power cleans pre squat, those are movements I’ve done very little of, coupled with the fact that as you say I’m on a fairly demanding program.
I shall take this advice as it’s not inhibiting me, just painful in a muscles are tired but push through kind of way.
Hand in a bucket of rice and extending the fingers is a common one, and just putting a rubber band around your fingers and extending them can help. I’m sure there are others though.
These are good. Has the advantage of strengthening the collateral ligaments in the fingers too.
@alex_uk with the rubber bands you can also target each finger individually. I recommend doing this at times.
Usually, with climbers, one holds the finger a little bent and maintains an isometric hold for the average duration they spend on a hold which depends on their preferred style of climbing.
Another idea is grabbing a thing thick enough that you essentially have to pinch it (imagine a really hefty book with a wide spine. Lord of the rings thick) and attaching a weight to that and hold statically. This’ll train the extensors as coantagonists to the flexors.
People do the hands in rice and opening fingers vs rubber bands. If your messed up enough even spreading your fingers while you pull your knuckles back towards the top of your wrist 20 times might be enough to get some relief.
I saw Martins (current World’s Strongest Man) do really light dumbbell reverse wrist curls (knuckles up) with his forearm flat on a table and his hand hanging off.
My personal favorite is the wrist roller, rolling backwards to hit the extensors. I get a nice pump without dragging out buckets of rice.
Thanks, I’m imagining I could coble together a wrist roller! Or just do some reverse wrist curls, I’ve got some of the Mrs 4kg kbs lying round the house!
- pushups!