Lat Pull Downs(To front of Chest) 6x4x90
4 Cable Rows 1x8x90
I have been trying to not use my straps as much as I have been while doing DL. and for 2 sets I managed it but by the 3rd I couldn’t hold it any more with out help. Unfortunately this kinda ruined my grip for the cable rows and I had to break my Lat pull downs into smaller sets. The good news is that I am getting a stronger grip, my hands hurt right now, but there was a time when I couldn’t do DL’s with 155 w/o straps
Lat Pull Downs(To front of Chest) 6x4x90
4 Cable Rows 1x8x90
I have been trying to not use my straps as much as I have been while doing DL. and for 2 sets I managed it but by the 3rd I couldn’t hold it any more with out help. Unfortunately this kinda ruined my grip for the cable rows and I had to break my Lat pull downs into smaller sets. The good news is that I am getting a stronger grip, my hands hurt right now, but there was a time when I couldn’t do DL’s with 155 w/o straps
[/quote]
Great job. Your grip will catch up with your stretch.
Lat Pull Downs(To front of Chest) 6x4x90
4 Cable Rows 1x8x90
I have been trying to not use my straps as much as I have been while doing DL. and for 2 sets I managed it but by the 3rd I couldn’t hold it any more with out help. Unfortunately this kinda ruined my grip for the cable rows and I had to break my Lat pull downs into smaller sets. The good news is that I am getting a stronger grip, my hands hurt right now, but there was a time when I couldn’t do DL’s with 155 w/o straps
Great job. Your grip will catch up with your stretch.
Glad your wrist is feeling better.[/quote]
Thanks Claire!
Once my grip strength catches up to everything else I think I will be able to make much more progress.
Have you ever tried plate pinches or plate flips for your grip? The pinches are easy, just pick up a 5 or 10lb plate and hold the edge in-between your thumb and fingers for time. You can do sets and work on increasing your time.
Plate flips are a little harder. Grab the same 5 or 10lb plate in-between your fingers and use your wrist action to flip it over and catch it with the same hand.
These both really helped me work on grip strength. Here is a dude demonstrating it for you.
If you want a better grip for deadlifts, you need to practice with a weighted barbell.
Load your DL max and put the bar on a rack a little over your knees. Pick it up and hold it for 30 seconds, a couple sets, once a week. When you can go 30 seconds easy, add more weight.
My first trainer had me doing this and after a month I never had a grip issue.
You have to train your grip with the equipment that’s failing you. I now have trouble holding on to 50lb DB’s for my BO rows and am thinking of using 100lb DB’s just to hold for time.
sic and c.
that’s awesome grip stuff! I knew about the pinches from Malinda but the other tips are new. I’m going to add those holds into my program, my grip strength bites right now.
db
Close Grip Bench Press 1x10x45, 1x8x65, 2x5x75, 1x5x85
Seated dip 2x10x100, 1x8x120
I tried regular dips, or at least as close as I can get to them which is more like slowly declining and then falling. Well I tired but a pulled muscle (lats on the right side) protested so I went with the seated ones. Unlike other young people my age I shall be home with icy hot and motrin until the stabbing pain in my side goes away of the motrin puts me to sleep… maybe wine will help
What are lumberjack squats? There are so many variations out there these days that I’m getting left behind.
Another thing I used to do for grip work was dumbbell walks. It’s exactly like it sounds, grab a heavy ass dumbbell and walk for as long as you can before your grip starts failing on you and you have to put it down. Oddly enough, doing these made me hold the weight a lot longer than lockouts. Something about wanting to make it to the end of the parking lot or one more turn around the benches. Your fingers will be white before you put the db down. Fun stuff.
[quote]c. wrote:
If you want a better grip for deadlifts, you need to practice with a weighted barbell.
Load your DL max and put the bar on a rack a little over your knees. Pick it up and hold it for 30 seconds, a couple sets, once a week. When you can go 30 seconds easy, add more weight.
My first trainer had me doing this and after a month I never had a grip issue.
You have to train your grip with the equipment that’s failing you. I now have trouble holding on to 50lb DB’s for my BO rows and am thinking of using 100lb DB’s just to hold for time.
c.[/quote]
Holding DBs would be great. Like sic I walk with them.
c. - When I do BO rows, I will sometime use straps for my last set because my grip is already exhausted from dling. I don’t want my back developement to be held back by my grip.
[quote]sic wrote:
What are lumberjack squats? There are so many variations out there these days that I’m getting left behind.
Another thing I used to do for grip work was dumbbell walks. It’s exactly like it sounds, grab a heavy ass dumbbell and walk for as long as you can before your grip starts failing on you and you have to put it down. Oddly enough, doing these made me hold the weight a lot longer than lockouts. Something about wanting to make it to the end of the parking lot or one more turn around the benches. Your fingers will be white before you put the db down. Fun stuff. :)[/quote]
These are lumberjack squats, they really help you with squatting form
[quote]cvb wrote:
Holding DBs would be great. Like sic I walk with them.[/quote]
I like that idea! It will be a good excuse to get some farmer’s walks in for the strongman I want to do that no one will let me do. But I will
Well that does make some good sense. But I can’t tell you what Don would say to that…only because he’s a sick puppy.
HEY, speaking of Sick Puppy, I gotta see where the heck she is.
That pulled muscle I have in my back kinda shut me down on one arm rows but other then that I was able to get through everything, even if it was slightly less wieght then usual.
Hi Ronda
270 lbs on a machine squat! Is that like a Smith machine thing, I’ve never tried machine squats before.
I’m sure you will be able to hold the bar with a heavier load, your back and legs must be strong from the deads.
Squats also make me sweat, but I am happy that my coach finally is letting me do them!
db
Ronda,
I have a feeling that once you get comfortable with back squats, your weight is going to shoot way up.
Are you staying really tight when you squat, regardless of the weight? Sometimes its easy to fly through the lighter sets, and form suffers because they’re so easy.
[quote]dianab wrote:
Hi Ronda
270 lbs on a machine squat! Is that like a Smith machine thing, I’ve never tried machine squats before.
I’m sure you will be able to hold the bar with a heavier load, your back and legs must be strong from the deads.
Squats also make me sweat, but I am happy that my coach finally is letting me do them!
db[/quote]
By squat machine I mean this http://www.pro-fitness.com/angled_leg_press_pro.htm
My trainer kinda hates the Smith machine and has taught me to point and laugh at those using it (j/k) The only reason he had me using this was because I was having positioning difficulty with back squats and wanted me to at least do something until I was able to meet w/ him.
I am hoping some to leave the machine squats behinds and focus completely on the regular squats. For now the most awkward part of the squat is holding the bar against my back, but I suppose I will get used to it.
Was there a reason why your coach didn’t want you squatting before?
[quote]buckeye girl wrote:
Ronda,
I have a feeling that once you get comfortable with back squats, your weight is going to shoot way up.
Are you staying really tight when you squat, regardless of the weight? Sometimes its easy to fly through the lighter sets, and form suffers because they’re so easy.
Oh, and I get pretty sweaty from squatting too.
Keep up the good work![/quote]
I think your right about that, my quads and glutes have alot of potental once I get comfortable, lol.
I noticed when just using the bar I was tending not to stay tight and have positional problems because I was just to light and I had to make sure each time I was staying tight. I am really bad at staying tight once I reach the top, I need to make a focused effert to remember that each time. When the weight got heavier it was easier to keep my posture correct.
It’s good to know that I am not alone in the sweat aspect, lol.
[quote]rondastarr wrote:
Was there a reason why your coach didn’t want you squatting before?
[/quote]
Well, actually I was doing a lot of squats, just not the kind that I’m used too. I started out my o-lift program doing a TON of drop squats. That’s when the bar starts on your shoulders, and you jump into a full squat while pressing the bar overhead. Then another ton of technical snatches, where you start with the bar at your knees or on blocks, jump and press overhead while dropping into a full squat.
So I was squatting, but with light weight in oder to get the form correct. Pulling even the bar overhead while dropping has to be very fast or that bar just won’t go up. And it hurts.
Now I get to do real ones and it’s much easier to handle heavier weight without throwing it over your head! I’m aiming for BW (130) squats in the next 5 or 6 weeks, I’m hoping I can make it happen.
db
