perhaps the best gripper idea ever

ok, so like a good grip junkie you went out and bought a gripper or two or three, but you're stalled. You've been grinding the gripper handles down to extend range of motion, chopping off the handles to decrease leverage (not something I think I reccomend any more since it effectively reduces the range of motion by chopping off the outtermost part of the sweep and therby reduces specificity to closing heavier grippers), and have been looking for other ways to enhance your gripper's difficulty without buyting other costly grippers... FEAR NOT SHERDOGGERS! Frome the bowls of another board I bring you: The hose clamp!
http://www.grippermania.com/uploads/1120647103/gallery_110_27_95490.jpg

Seriously. As soon as I saw this I ran out to my garrage gripper in hand to try it out. I wrenched down a hose clamp on the spring on my number two and was then 1/4" off from closing it (previously my number 2 was at least a 5-6 rm for me right handed). By not allowing the spring to expand laterally, a single pipe clamp can add a SIGNIFICANT amount of difficulty to any gripper. Those of you who only bought one gripper (the number one most likely) here's a way to add more resistance! Best of all, it costs less than a buck. BRILLIANT!!!

 

i don't train grippers but that's pretty awesome urban, thanks

 

Cool, I'll have to give that a go.

About the second gripper in that picture, has someone just restricted the range of motion on the gripper to make it easier to set? because I've never seen that before and was wondering why they'd done that.

 

I'll pick up a clamp on the way home. The gripper I keep in my truck is getting way too easy. Thanks man.

 

Definitely a good idea. The hose clamp originated as a cheap alternative to the PDA chocker - which is very expensive. Please be careful as there are reports that the clamps have broken. Congrats on your progress Urban!

 

no offense but don't you have anything better to do? i'm being completely serious.

 

I think you're looking at the wrong gripper in that pic, unless I totally misunderstand the term choker. I'm refering to the one on the left with the hose clamp going through the spring.

I suppose I could go express my ignorance and lack of understanding about numerous topics by posting in threads I'm too shortsighted to see the point of. It's difficult to supress the urge to reach accross a table and strangle somebody when they asks a question like this in real life. I guess technically, yes I do have better things to do. Time spent on grippers might be better spent working with block weights, but they're not as readily available while I'm sitting at my desk. But that's not really what you meant is it? you're wondering why anyone would want to spend time on training like this at all. IMO if you don't get it, you don't get it. nothing I say is going to change that. but here's a fun article anyways: http://www.t-nation.com/readTopic.do?id=874080 The short answer is: no, I want to improve.

 

This is S&P. People around here care about strength and power. If you don't, why don't you leave without a trace?



Good find Urban. Definitely worth trying. Keep us posted.

 

For once I can't claim "Larkin did it" like I usually do.

It's sort of like the episode of S&P where Prof. Chaos continually discovers his plots have already been played out on the Simpsons. "Simpsons did it!"

 

But that's only because in Don Larkin's day they didn't even have hoses OR running water. You had to carry water from the river in your mouth back to your house, then spit it on or in things. Up hill both ways none the less. You have no idea how long it takes to fill a bathtub in this fashion.

To make matters worse, Don would occasionally have to fight off bridge underdwellers in order to get some water.

 

Excellent use of poor taste. Bravo

 

Yeah, that idea was set up (as I believe) by a guy who originally had a clamp laterally across the spring and a tiny additional spring that "increased the tension" of the gripper (the second spring was parallel with the real spring to increase tension). So, people realized that the increase in difficulty was due more to the hose clamp than the 2nd spring.

The other picture has a hose clamp to keep the gripper more closed. This is very useful to increase the crushing power, but be careful, it'll take away all you power to "set" a gripper. I could close my IM3 in a hose clamp easily, for reps, yet couldn't do a regular close becaue I never learned how to set it. So now I have a very hard IM3 in a hose clam (for close work) and an easier 3 to work with for doing the actual set and close.

Lastly I think cutting off the ends of the handles is a great way to increase the difficulty of a gripper. The huge increase in difficulty for a 1/8 cut greatly overcomes the decrease in the spread of a gripper. I dunno why nobody ever thinks of this. Instead of complaining about inbetween grippers of the 2 and 3, get two two's and cut off 1/8 of one of them and you are set. With another 1/8 you should be at 3 level.

 

My bad Urban - good info!

 

i didn't know how to say it without being blunt. sorry if i hurt your feeling. now i'll dissapear without a trace. have fun with your gripwork i'm sure it will serve you well and you will be glad you did it in 10 years

 

yeah, good idea, I'm in the process of making a new wrist roller with some really thick pipe, so I'll pick one of those up when I get that stuff...

 

In a decade when I've accomplished more feats, when I've learned more, when I've made bigger strides towards my conception of the platonic ideal of greatness through my work in a gym than you will from any facet of your life in twice the time, I'm sure I will look back and be VERY glad I started ten years ealier.

Fuck off and take your snide, cowardly attitude with you, I have no time for your horse shit any longer.

 

Off topic but I love guys who think that saying "no offense" makes everything alright. "No offense sir but your mother is a cocksucking whore."

 

"Yeah ... well, I lost my job, too ...." - Harry

"Hehehehe, you are one pathetic loser ... no offense." -Lloyd

"Oh, no. Non taken." -Harry

 

Sorry man but what the hell did Urban say that was so wrong???

Wolverine
///

 

Wearing work gloves while trying to close grippers makes it more difficult. I heard this one from a john brookfield article.

Personally I find it feels adds aprox. 25-40 lbs of difficulty. It gives you a nice full range of motion.

Hose clamps are great for setting a tough gripper.