Which grippers should I buy?

I noticed alot of you seem partial to the ironmind coc grippers, but lately I've also been hearing good things about the HG series. Right now they have a special where you get five grippers (HG 100, 150,200, 250 and 300) for 70 bucks, and don't pay for shipping, so the price is right. My only gripper training up until now has consisted of a pair of plastic grippers from kmart I used to fuck around with a few years ago. Any feedback on either company, or any other brand of gripper worth checking out, would be greatly appreciated.

 

the HG series are quality grippers and it looks like you are getting a very good deal on them if you buy from that certain distributor, I have seen much higher prices for those in store.

 

Yea thats a damn skippy deal man. I don't know anything about the lower tension grippers in the HG line, but I have the HG300. I was told it's between an Ironmind number 2 and 3. I'm about a centimeter from closing the HG 300, but no where near closing the Ironmind 3. If you're going to get serious about gripper training, you'll probably end up buying both Ironmind and HG eventually. Both are really high quality, my only beef is Ironmind's a little pricey.

 

RizRan, that's just the price I got off their website http://www.heavygrips.com/order.html. It says its part of a "summer special", so I have no idea if the offer still stands.

So far, it looks like the concensus is that both companies offer good quality, so if it is just a matter of bang for your buck, the hg offer looks like a good bet. I'm guessing 5 grippers should keep me busy for quite a while, so unless anyone has anything else to say on the matter, I'll probably just buy the hg's and get an ironmind #3 if and when I close the 300.

 

HG grippers are all over the board in terms of difficulty, they season incredibly fast and a lot of them have extremely narrow spreads. The only thing they seem to have going for them is that they are cheap. A buddy of mine has an HG 250 and 300 that have seasoned to under a 2 inch spread and seem to be getting easier and easier.

Ironmind on the other hand, while more expensive are far more durable and rugged.

 

I didn't know that about the HG's Sonny, I haven't broken my 300 in enough to know how much it can take. How close are you to getting the #3 under certified conditions, I believe I read you closed it with a deep set a couple times.

Morgan, I would buy the Special pack if I were you, once you get to the 300 you'll be ready for some IM grippers. Even if they do break down quickly, once you're using a gripper that tough, the lower grippers will be pretty much for a warmup, and I really don't think it'll matter that they aren't as hard as they once were...

 

Agreed, I got the HG 100 and 150 on a deal from a British site when I started doing grip training and found that the 100 was frankly pathetic and the 150 wasnt much of a challenge either.

I've now got the CoC #2 and 3 and the quality is far superior.

 

I'm not even close to closing the #3 with a credit card set so who knows really when I'll be ready to certify. Even with a deep set I can only close it here and there, nothing I would really call "consistent."

Not all HG's are bad, some of them are more durable and season less quickly and THEY ARE cheap so you're not gonna end up homeless if you buy a few. Sooner or later though, you're gonna have to get the COC's!

 

I think this is a situation that proves the old adage "buy cheap, buy twice" nothing really wrong with HG but if you are serious about grip training you'll end up getting the CoC as well.

 

I think the CoC's are better. I bought some CoC's and then got HG 200, 250 and 300. My 250 and 300 were real easy. Now I have a buddies 300 and it is quite a bit harder, along the lines of a CoC3.

I only use my CoC grippers now (traded my 250 for a filed 2 and my 300 for a PDA280). I don't like how their knurling is very minor. I don't like to use tons of chalk so its hard to get a grip on them. Also I don't like how the sweep is not that hard but the close is incredibly hard. At least for my grippers that is how it is. The CoC's have a much uniform sweep/crush that I like more. Now, that last statement is personal preference, they will help someones crush.

Bite the bullet and get a CoC T, CoC1 and CoC2. CoC3 if you have the cash or already have strong hands. That will keep you busy for months. These things last a long time.

 

Yes, and the COC's are the grippers everyone relates their strength too. If you tell someone you can close the #2 they'll most likely have somewhat of an idea as to how hard that is. Most people won't even know what a beefbuilder super master is or an RB170!

 

I found the sweep really easy on the HG's as well. I just thought it was because of the narrow spread! I want to get some PDA grippers but it's a pain in the ass to order from PDA in Canada!

 

I'm gonna get the CoC's in a couple days...I have good grip strength, which is the one that will last me a while...in terms of not being too easy....

 

how do you go about using grippers?
sets/reps for different intervals?
holding it for as long as possible?
what?

 

Thanks for the feedback. I'll probably still end up buying the hg grippers just for the price. I'm guessing that with my level of training, 5 grippers will keep me busy for a while even if there are some inconsistencies in quality and they turn to shit after I start closing them consistently. Down the road, I will definately look into ironmind's product line, but as everyone has already mentioned, the price is right.

Sonny, forgive my ignorance, but what do you mean when you talk about the "sweep"?

 

You could start by doing a search here, or just following either of the links in sonny's sig. Most of the sites that I've been to that sell grippers also have training tips.

 

I hope sonny doesn't mind me stepping in here. The "sweep" is the first phase of the movement. It is from when the gripper is open to around when the handles are parallel. The "close" is from parallel to handles touching.

Some grippers (grippers vary a lot, even from the same batch of springs that are made) have an easier sweep and some have an easier close. HG's in my opinion have a very easy sweep, so the really hard close kinda sneaks up on you and its hard to get some momentum from the sweep. CoC's have a sweep that is, IMO, much more similar to the close and I find them easier to work with.

 

Beefbuilders have easy sweeps as well!

 

Shut up, old man. Your powers are weak, and you lack the testicular fortitude to give grip advice.

mhm

 

I don't have any grippers and when I finally get around to saving some money for those bad boys I think I'm going to go with the CoC series.