Grip Training: COC vs. Fat Gripz vs. Other

James Fuller

James Fuller

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Ok fellas had a question here. I have a bit of luxury money I wanted to blow on some grip strength tools. And currently I am looking at a couple of different options; the COC grippers #1 and #2, a set of "fat gripz" or I was thinking of investing in a book/dvd resource such as functionalhandstrength.com

A couple questions:
1. Which of these would you recommend, understanding I have a little money to blow?
2. It seems I could manufacture a fatgripz style apparatus at home. Does anyone have any ideas? Have done a towel before and it just doesn't cut it. If so I could just get the COC and be done with it.
3. If none of these ideas sound appealing to you please tell me something else that you have found to work such as a specific set of lifting exercises, climbing ropes, levering (sp?)

also I live with my twin brother who is also a fighter so if you have any partner drills too... that is feasible for me to do.

My concerns with the bar thickeners is getting in the way of my strength development by limiting the amount I can deadlift with them. Is this valid?
 
Towel Chins is another great one.

If you ever figure out how to make hobo-Fat Gripz, do share. Those plastic handles are expensive as shit.
 
I see you're an amateur fighter so I'm going to assume you're interested in developing strength thats useful for grappling. Fat Gripz are so convenient and "functional" in that sense, I'm going to say go with those. Just doing farmers walks once in a while with them lately has improved my wrist control strength noticeably. You can throw em on a pullup bar, barbells, dumbells and most cable attachments in the gym. You could build something just like them but there pretty cheap and bulletproof and don't look like grabage when you're pulling them out of your gym bag.
 
I would think that for a BJJ guy fat gripz would be a good investment since they would help work your support grip i.e. your ability to hold onto something like a barbell or your opponent.
 
good ideas so far, to be honest I am surprised more haven't come out in favor of the COC considering how staunchly it seems advocated elsewhere on the forum.
 
The CoC's are great, but they won't really do much for wrist strength per se. You'll be able to squeeze the fuck out of their limbs, giving them no hope of escape, but that's about it.

Another thing to consider is a wrist roller.
 
I think the COC grips are great. I don't know how your strength is, but you might want to start with the trainer and #1 if you go in that direction. I would bet even if you can close them, you wouldn't be able to rep them. Plus it'd probably be a while until you get to #2.
To work on forearm strength, I put a piece of 2" EMT (conduit) over my pull-up bar so it spins and makes it hard to hold on. With tape on it so it doesn't get slippery, most people can't even hold on, let alone do pull-ups on it, but it works great for the same type of pulling motion you'd use when pulling someone into you while grappling.
 
The CoC's are fun, but I agree with what some of the other guys have posted, won't translate 100% to grappling. I'd recommend planning something that trains wrist & forearms as well as pinch & crushing strength.

Here's a good simple beginner's workout from gripboard.com. I like this a lot, doesn't require fancy equipment & is easy to load. This uses barbells to work both hands equally, which is also important.

Do all exercises 3 sets, 10-20 reps, 2-3 times per week:

- 2-hand plate pinch (20-30 seconds)
- 2-hand overhand grip, barbell finger curls
- 2-hand barbell wrist curls, palms up
- 2-hand barbell reverse wrist curls (palms down)

* for the wrist curls, grip with thumb on same side as fingers so it's not in the way.
** also for the wrist curls, don't roll the bar down into your fingers, you already did finger curls.

As far as a purchase recommendation, I'd go with the book or the fat gripz if you want something more functional. Get the CoC's if you want something fun. If you haven't done them before you will find the #1 very hard - it will probably be tough to close.
 
I own a good selection of grip tools, including:

several CoC style grippers (and once actual CoC #2)

Fat Gripz

Tyler Grips Elite Fitness Systems

and Grip 4orce Home

What I have found is that I consistently use the Fat Gripz and Tyler Grips the most, and feel like they carry over well not only to grappling, but other gym endeavors better than the other products. The nice thing here is that you do not need to set aside any extra training time, and while 10 minutes of extra grip work (with CoC) does not sound like a lot, speaking from experience it is very easy to skip it. With the FG and TG, you simply use them during the training sessions that you are already doing, and in that sense are more likely to get good use LONG TERM out of them.

Here is a brief comparison between the two (from my experience):

TG has a cone shape, which more closely resembles a wrist or ankle that you might control during a match/fight

TG's cone shape seems to make my major muscle groups get more work than they normally do during a traditional exercise. For example, my lats work much harder during pull ups, probably because my arms can not compensate/take over since they are struggling just to hold on.

FG has a much better texture (TG are quite slick) and they stay put on your bar or DB much better than the TG. Not only will they not move around nearly as much, but they stay closed better than the TG.

Hope that helps.
 
You can have pinch grip comps with your bro. Who can pinch grip 2 twenty five lb plates the longest, who can leverage the most weight, who can close the number 1 CoC the most times in one minute, etc.
 
You could drop 20 bucks on a sledge hammer and do some levering. Fore, aft, and rotating levering really builds some functional strength. Get one that's tough to do with the fore and aft movements and you can choke up for the rotational movements. If there's money to be spent its 20 bucks that you won't even notice gone.
 
Good stuff, everyone.I am listening to what you are saying and taking it into serious consideration. The workouts suggested i.e. the forearm curls etc. make me feel good because it was what I have been doing for it but as of right now I am thinking of doing fat gripz over tyler grips simply because I have lifting buddies that are a bit less experienced than me in the weight room and I think they might feel a bit overwhelmed trying to use the tyler grips. Now I have enough to buy either COC #1 or a sledge hammer. Now I love the idea of grip training at home when I am bored or pumped up from watching MMA on TV (yes I am a MMA nerd, the only reason I fight is because I was a fan originally) but from what I have seen levering can be done in my apartment as well.

So now S&C the question is...which is best for supplementing my grip training; COC #1 or a sledge hammer/levering?
 
James Fuller said:
Good stuff, everyone.I am listening to what you are saying and taking it into serious consideration. The workouts suggested i.e. the forearm curls etc. make me feel good because it was what I have been doing for it but as of right now I am thinking of doing fat gripz over tyler grips simply because I have lifting buddies that are a bit less experienced than me in the weight room and I think they might feel a bit overwhelmed trying to use the tyler grips. Now I have enough to buy either COC #1 or a sledge hammer. Now I love the idea of grip training at home when I am bored or pumped up from watching MMA on TV (yes I am a MMA nerd, the only reason I fight is because I was a fan originally) but from what I have seen levering can be done in my apartment as well.

So now S&C the question is...which is best for supplementing my grip training; COC #1 or a sledge hammer/levering?
Click to expand...

They are for 2 completely different things, so it depends on what your goals are. If you want to improve your crushing strength, get the CoC. The levering probably translates better to grappling, but be careful when you start it. Most grip gurus don't advise starting levering unless your forearms and wrist already have a strength base from doing wrist curls or similar exercises - which it sounds like you've been doing. For levering, choke up on the sledgehammer, be patient & start slow, wrists are easy to injure - and then slow to heal if you're grappling regularly. Also, whatever you do, make sure you continue to train the other aspects of grip as well.

Here's a link to the levering FAQ: http://www.sherdog.net/forums/f13/lever-shot-smashys-illustrated-guide-levering-813568/
 
gracias. Levering looks cool and if it translates better to grappling then thats what I have to do. I will check out the FAQ now.
 
James Fuller said:
Good stuff, everyone.I am listening to what you are saying and taking it into serious consideration. The workouts suggested i.e. the forearm curls etc. make me feel good because it was what I have been doing for it but as of right now I am thinking of doing fat gripz over tyler grips simply because I have lifting buddies that are a bit less experienced than me in the weight room and I think they might feel a bit overwhelmed trying to use the tyler grips. Now I have enough to buy either COC #1 or a sledge hammer. Now I love the idea of grip training at home when I am bored or pumped up from watching MMA on TV (yes I am a MMA nerd, the only reason I fight is because I was a fan originally) but from what I have seen levering can be done in my apartment as well.

So now S&C the question is...which is best for supplementing my grip training; COC #1 or a sledge hammer/levering?
Click to expand...


Levering for sure. I never got much out of grippers in terms of grappling strength(no gi) despite being able to close the #2 for 10 reps. Levering on the other hand has made a noticeable improvement in my wrist strength which helps me on the mat everytime I roll.
 
Include one of these in your collection:

Amazon.com: Gripmaster Pro Hand Strengthening System, Extra-Heavy Tension (11 Pounds per Finger): Sports & Outdoors

There are various exercises you can do with those.

It targets each finger as well. Pay attention to your pinky when you use it :wink: .

For maximum effectiveness, use only the pad of your finger (i.e. the first joint).

To clarify, use the distal phalanx:

http://www.eorthopod.com/sites/default/files/images/hand_finger_joint_anat01.jpg

This would be the best supplement and complement to your overall workout.
 
You may want to get an extension based gripper like Devils Advocate for working crush strength. With 2 or more springs you can make smaller increases and its so much cheaper over time. Unless you want to certify on COC they are not worth the cost.

If you want grip specific training to MMA then you should focus more on thumb work especially with block weights, levering of all sorts to strengthen wrists, and other things like towel pull ups.

You may also want to look into fingerboard to strengthen fingers.
 
Too easy. 11lbs per finger?
Click to expand...
Do you have amazon prime? If so, buy one and try it out.

Pay attention to your pinky and ring finger when you squeeze it.

If you're still not convinced you can return it for free.
 
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