I have the Ironmind #1 gripper and can close that for 5 repetitions so I am going to move it up a notch. However, I do not like the tough knurling the Ironmind grippers have, as it scrapes my hand from time to time. Are there any grippers in the 180-220 lb of pressure range that aren’t knurled so toughly?
Checkout this review on Heavy Grips:
I agree that the knurling on the Heavy Grips is not as rough. However, they are way easier to close than the Ironmind. For instance, the HG 200 is roughly between an IM Trainer and IM #1. To be fair, I don’t know if “200” means it’s supposed to be rated to 200 lbs. of force or it’s just a model number, but considering that the IM #1 is rated at 140 lbs., no way the HG 200 is 200 lbs. Similarly, the HG 250 is between an IM #1 and IM #2. These are good quality grippers and I actually like the fact that they provide the “in between” resistance to the IMs.
[quote]KombatAthlete wrote:
I have the Ironmind #1 gripper and can close that for 5 repetitions so I am going to move it up a notch. However, I do not like the tough knurling the Ironmind grippers have, as it scrapes my hand from time to time. Are there any grippers in the 180-220 lb of pressure range that aren’t knurled so toughly? [/quote]
Just use some chalk. I’m sure that your hands are tough enough already from deadlifting. The only times my hands hurt from the knurling on the grippers is when I have ripped a callus or they are sensitive.
[quote]KombatAthlete wrote:
I have the Ironmind #1 gripper and can close that for 5 repetitions so I am going to move it up a notch. However, I do not like the tough knurling the Ironmind grippers have, as it scrapes my hand from time to time. Are there any grippers in the 180-220 lb of pressure range that aren’t knurled so toughly? [/quote]
If I was you I would stick with the ironmind grippers as I have found them to be the best quality.
If knurling on a coc grippers is too tough for you I would not like to think what would happen to your hands when you deadlift!
[quote]MikeTheBear wrote:
I agree that the knurling on the Heavy Grips is not as rough. However, they are way easier to close than the Ironmind. For instance, the HG 200 is roughly between an IM Trainer and IM #1. To be fair, I don’t know if “200” means it’s supposed to be rated to 200 lbs. of force or it’s just a model number, but considering that the IM #1 is rated at 140 lbs., no way the HG 200 is 200 lbs. Similarly, the HG 250 is between an IM #1 and IM #2. These are good quality grippers and I actually like the fact that they provide the “in between” resistance to the IMs. [/quote]
Where did you hear that the 200 heavy grippers are easier than the number 1’s?
I have tried both and can tell you that the number 1’s are easier than the HG200.
[quote]tmay11 wrote:
KombatAthlete wrote:
I have the Ironmind #1 gripper and can close that for 5 repetitions so I am going to move it up a notch. However, I do not like the tough knurling the Ironmind grippers have, as it scrapes my hand from time to time. Are there any grippers in the 180-220 lb of pressure range that aren’t knurled so toughly?
If I was you I would stick with the ironmind grippers as I have found them to be the best quality.
If knurling on a coc grippers is too tough for you I would not like to think what would happen to your hands when you deadlift!
[/quote]
The bar I use to deadlift has a towel wrapped around it because I got tired of consistently shredding my hands doing pulling exercises.
[quote]KombatAthlete wrote:
The bar I use to deadlift has a towel wrapped around it because I got tired of consistently shredding my hands doing pulling exercises.
[/quote]
Bro I like you, like your posts, like that you’re a young guy trying to learn shit to make yourself better, and I like that you’re looking to make your grip stronger. That’s all cool. But stop being a pussy. Take a look at your screen name and tell me if what you’re saying is truly representative of a “kombat athlete”.
And if you’re worried about your girlfriend seeing your fucked up hands, guess what? It doesn’t matter. My girl hates that my hands are torn all to hell but you know what, I don’t give a shit. I take pictures.
I hope this causes you to re-think what you’re saying and in the long run, helps ya.
The knurling on the CoC grippers are a bitch at first, but your hands will eventually get used to it. My pinkies used to get blistered up like crazy, but I can’t say that my hands are bothered by the grippers at all anymore.
Just got my #2 gripper in the mail this week, and it’s a tough step up!
[quote]carter12 wrote:
KombatAthlete wrote:
The bar I use to deadlift has a towel wrapped around it because I got tired of consistently shredding my hands doing pulling exercises.
Bro I like you, like your posts, like that you’re a young guy trying to learn shit to make yourself better, and I like that you’re looking to make your grip stronger. That’s all cool. But stop being a pussy. Take a look at your screen name and tell me if what you’re saying is truly representative of a “kombat athlete”.
And if you’re worried about your girlfriend seeing your fucked up hands, guess what? It doesn’t matter. My girl hates that my hands are torn all to hell but you know what, I don’t give a shit. I take pictures.
I hope this causes you to re-think what you’re saying and in the long run, helps ya.
[/quote]
It is not because I care what my girlfriend thinks about it or I give a shit when my mom tells me girls don’t like calloused hands like mine. I have dealt with those comments for the past year. However, when the condition of your hands becomes the limiting factor on almost all your physical activities (grip training, wrestling, lifting), it becomes less a matter of image and a matter of function. My hands take enough abuse and are heavily callused already, if I abuse them more than they are it starts to impede performance. Besides, the only exercise I use the towel-wrapped thick-bar for is deadlifts unless I am specifically doing a thick-bar exercise.
[quote]KombatAthlete wrote:
carter12 wrote:
KombatAthlete wrote:
The bar I use to deadlift has a towel wrapped around it because I got tired of consistently shredding my hands doing pulling exercises.
Bro I like you, like your posts, like that you’re a young guy trying to learn shit to make yourself better, and I like that you’re looking to make your grip stronger. That’s all cool. But stop being a pussy. Take a look at your screen name and tell me if what you’re saying is truly representative of a “kombat athlete”.
And if you’re worried about your girlfriend seeing your fucked up hands, guess what? It doesn’t matter. My girl hates that my hands are torn all to hell but you know what, I don’t give a shit. I take pictures.
I hope this causes you to re-think what you’re saying and in the long run, helps ya.
It is not because I care what my girlfriend thinks about it or I give a shit when my mom tells me girls don’t like calloused hands like mine. I have dealt with those comments for the past year. However, when the condition of your hands becomes the limiting factor on almost all your physical activities (grip training, wrestling, lifting), it becomes less a matter of image and a matter of function. My hands take enough abuse and are heavily callused already, if I abuse them more than they are it starts to impede performance. Besides, the only exercise I use the towel-wrapped thick-bar for is deadlifts unless I am specifically doing a thick-bar exercise.
[/quote]
If your hands are truly “heavily callused” I doubt you would have much of a problem with the grippers or much problem doing deadlifts. I don’t like to question what people are saying in a situation like this but I use the coc grippers 3x week plus deadlift 1x and have no problem with it whatsoever so I find it hard to believe that your hands are as tough as you say they are. I think if you just delt with it for a little while the skin on your hands would adapt and I think you would be better off in the long run.
Why not just wrap some hockey or electrical tape around the knurling once?
That way you can still get a good hold on the grippers without tearing your hands up.
[quote]carter12 wrote:
KombatAthlete wrote:
The bar I use to deadlift has a towel wrapped around it because I got tired of consistently shredding my hands doing pulling exercises.
Bro I like you, like your posts, like that you’re a young guy trying to learn shit to make yourself better, and I like that you’re looking to make your grip stronger. That’s all cool. But stop being a pussy. Take a look at your screen name and tell me if what you’re saying is truly representative of a “kombat athlete”.
And if you’re worried about your girlfriend seeing your fucked up hands, guess what? It doesn’t matter. My girl hates that my hands are torn all to hell but you know what, I don’t give a shit. I take pictures.
I hope this causes you to re-think what you’re saying and in the long run, helps ya.
[/quote]
I also dig your posts, Kombat, but I agree with Carter here.
I work at a stone yard besides working out, so by June I have thick callouses all over my hands. It gets to the point where you can stick the point of a knife into the center of my hand, and I don’t feel it unless you start digging; there’s a pad there, kind of like a dog’s.
I always figure that the women that bitch about this kind of thing don’t want a guy like me anyway…there are plenty of cool girls out there that like knowing that they’re actually with a guy.
Don’t worry. Like anything else, you build up a tolerance.
Sorry but you’re being a wuss.
If you build up callouses the protect your hands from damage & pain. If you persue tougher grippers the pain can stop you closing a tough gripper even though you’re strong enough to close it.
You can use tape to cover the knurling (DON’T be tempted to file it down, you’ll regret it later). Best thing is to develop the callouses THEN when they get rough file them with coarse sand paper (safer than trimming them with scissors or knife).
I’ve found that rolling the sandpaper around a half inch diameter dowel or similar gives the ideal size for this.
Girls / ladies don’t mind callouses if they’re smooth, it’s the roughness they object to; especially over their softer / more sensitive areas.
Check the web for specialist grip sites and you’ll find a host of info regarding hand care, grip development and grippers that will be suitable to use as inbetweners to get you to the next COC.
BTW my favourite grippers are the Robert Baraban (RB’s for short)grippers- REAL QUALITY!
Dax
- buy some sandpaper
- sand the grip until it is not as rough
geeez people these days want to “buy” a solution to everything
personally i am not keen on the ironmind grippers for many reasons that i cannot bother outlining, again.
I love my IM grippers and though I have developed a funky little callous on the outsides of my pinkies, it doesn’t bother me or my girlfriend (yet). Have noticed improvement in things like bent rows and all the deadlift variations when going for reps, especially when using the hook grip.
To keep my callouses down to a reasonable size and so they don’t inadvertently tear off as they have done, I shave them with a cheap disposable bic razor about every two weeks. They’re sensitive for a day then fine and dandy and i don’t hear complaints about them anymore.
The blue springs for adding resistance are great, too, and worth the bit of dough.
Remember if you ever want to certify on an IM gripper you arent going to be able to use “electrical tape” or whatever to help close it.I’d like to see the reaction of the guy certifying you when you tell him the knurling hurts your hands.
Twice a week I use grippers, wrist roller, and wide pinch with the blob. Then I pull every 2 weeks and play softball in the summer as well. Everything I do makes its own little callous on my hand for that particular activity. Its part of lifting. I use scissors to cut them out about every 2 weeks. Your just gonna have to deal with it.
By the way, when the gripper gets easier, you dont notice the knurling as much.
[quote]Julius_Caesar wrote:
MikeTheBear wrote:
I agree that the knurling on the Heavy Grips is not as rough. However, they are way easier to close than the Ironmind. For instance, the HG 200 is roughly between an IM Trainer and IM #1. To be fair, I don’t know if “200” means it’s supposed to be rated to 200 lbs. of force or it’s just a model number, but considering that the IM #1 is rated at 140 lbs., no way the HG 200 is 200 lbs. Similarly, the HG 250 is between an IM #1 and IM #2. These are good quality grippers and I actually like the fact that they provide the “in between” resistance to the IMs.
Where did you hear that the 200 heavy grippers are easier than the number 1’s?
I have tried both and can tell you that the number 1’s are easier than the HG200.
[/quote]
I have an IM #1 and an HG200 and the HG200 is easier to close. Maybe I just got one with a bad spring.
[quote]
I have an IM #1 and an HG200 and the HG200 is easier to close. Maybe I just got one with a bad spring.[/quote]
From my own experiences, the HG150 is comparable to the IM #1. I have noticed that the IM ones can be made farther apart though.
[quote]MikeTheBear wrote:
Julius_Caesar wrote:
MikeTheBear wrote:
I agree that the knurling on the Heavy Grips is not as rough. However, they are way easier to close than the Ironmind. For instance, the HG 200 is roughly between an IM Trainer and IM #1. To be fair, I don’t know if “200” means it’s supposed to be rated to 200 lbs. of force or it’s just a model number, but considering that the IM #1 is rated at 140 lbs., no way the HG 200 is 200 lbs. Similarly, the HG 250 is between an IM #1 and IM #2. These are good quality grippers and I actually like the fact that they provide the “in between” resistance to the IMs.
Where did you hear that the 200 heavy grippers are easier than the number 1’s?
I have tried both and can tell you that the number 1’s are easier than the HG200.
I have an IM #1 and an HG200 and the HG200 is easier to close. Maybe I just got one with a bad spring.[/quote]
I got the HG200 and it’s just about the same as the Ironmind #1.