Dunkster

[Steve Gardener]

It is fun but in order to get to be the best you can be - esp in competition - stick to the plan. Or else allow for a day where you do what you like just for the sheer hell of it.

[dunkster]

Targets for BIG 2006

Grippers - BBSM or RB210

2/H Pinch - 85kg - start at 70kg - add 1kg a week

O.H.L - 225kg - start at 150kg - add 5kg a week

V Bar - 132.5kg - start at 80kg - add 3.5kg a week

TTWC - don't know yet haven't been able to determine my base level with the wrist pain, but I'll keep on training my wrists and forearms to build this up until I can.

I now have 17 weeks/training sessions left on each event, bar grippers that I do twice a week. But i want to aim for the 15 week mark to hit these just so I know i have them.

I havent tried to work something out like this before so if it looks wrong or if there is a better way to do it please let me know

[Steve Gardener]

Aim for 2.5-kilo for multiple singles on the V-Bar. That translates into a 1 rep max on the day of competition of at least 5% more. Use 1 rep max calculators like www.bodybuilding.com/fun/1rm.htm to get a rough idea. As us lifters tend to do low rep set working towards our maxes the calculator is better for bodybuilders but will give you an idea.

See my log re my 2 Hand Pinch rep range change of plan. 6 singles works better for me. No more wrisr roller as it takes too much out of my hands as well. Ditto bar bending for you.

The one hand lift may be better once we get the proper bar as our form and stance will be better. It could be as much as 40-kilos better.

[dunkster]

Cool I'll look into it more.
I thought I'd use my time productively this afternoon as I wasn't training and make some more training gear in the garage.

I built my work bench/ grip bench first using a kitchen worktop I scrounged off the council fitters and my large wooden farmers(like railway sleepers) for legs, cut down a few inches-



I also cut the ends off my damaged ez curl bar, part straight/part angled, and drilled through the legs and mounted these through one each end of the table to do left andd right severe negatives and inverted negatives -





And I made my own adjustable lever with my pick axe handle and the bit of steel I had left from making my vbar -





And as an added bonus where I used the farmers for legs the bottom half of the legs still had the 1" steel through so I am able to stack my smaller weights on these.

[dunkster]

WEEK 2H PINCH VBAR 1 HAND LIFT
1 60% 3x8 51 80 135
2 65% 3x6 55 86 146
3 70% 3x5 59 93 158
4 75% 3x4 64 100 169
5 80% 3x3 68 106 180
6 85% 2x2 72 113 191
7 90% 1x1 77 120 203
8 70% 3x8 59 93 158
9 75% 3x6 64 100 169
10 80% 3x5 68 106 180
11 85% 3x4 72 113 191
12 90% 3x3 77 120 203
13 95% 2x2 81 126 214
14 100% 1x1 85 132.5 225

[dunkster]

With this program I will reach my 1 rep maxes 4 weeks out. Allowing me to get them consistent or even better by the comp. This will give me a good psychological boost come comp day. Fingers crossed ;D

[dunkster]

I sat down and worked out all my other main exercises, bench press, squat, shoulder press, 18" deads, curls, triceps and bent rows, into the same 14 week 1 rep, predicted, max program. I will start it all going tonight. This will be an interesting 14 weeks if the program works. And for the first time ever I will be working to a set program not just going by what I feel like on the night. I'm hoping for big things.

[dunkster]

Monday

Bench Press

20x10
60x8
80x8
90x8
90x8
90x8

18" Deadlift

60x10
100x8
140x5
180x8
180x8
180x8

Shoulder Press

40x10
60x8
60x8
60x8

2 Hand Pinch - with work gloves and straight thumb

24x10
36.5x8
51.25x8
51.25x8
51.25x8

TTWC

Not happening, still too much pain in the right wrist.

1 Hand Lift

80x8
115x6
135x8
135x8
135x8

Oh my god!!!! My back has never felt so shagged! I think my deadlift program can wait until after the Iron Grip as I think it might affect my progression on this too much, and just in case I have a clanger on the TTWC I need all the points I can on the other 4 events.

[dunkster]

Tuesday

Grippers

Set up my #2.5 and HG300 choked to parallel with jubilee clips to use for forced reps right and left. Thought I would just try and close them unassisted and did PB . So I thought while I was on a role I would see how far I could take it.

R/H 2.5# 1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,3 reps, 3reps PB

L/H 2.5# 1,1,f,f PB HG300 1,1,1,1,1,1,

I then choked down my 2.5# to 10mm and did the same to my 3# and went at it again. I was feeling focused

R/H 3# 1,1,1,1,vvn,vvn PB

L/H 2.5# 1,1,1,vvn,vvn,vvn PB

Now I know these aren't full range movements but I f**kin' shut the 3# from 10mm 4 times ;D ;D ;D ;DAnd repped the 2.5# from parallel, and closed it with my left. This has to be my most monumental gripper night ever.
I spent all day reading the COC book between jobs and thinking about the things in there and how the Holle boys do there workouts so I though I'd attempt that sort of thing tonight. I'm glad I did. I'm gonna use this approach for a while and open up the brace a few mm every session until I have the 3# done. And maybe throw in a few 4# negatives on my 'ez bench'(patent pending) after.

Sledge lever front and back 7lb

Front 12" from end
4x10
Back 16" from end
4x10

[dunkster]

Thursday

Squat

60x8
60x8
100x8
120x8
120x8
120x8

Still tough. I fucking hate squats. That's probably why I'm no good at them, always avoided them.

Bent DB Rows

20x10
30x8
35x8
35x8
35x8

Felt easy. Getting the 60kg strict at the end will be piss.

EZ Curl

38x8
38x8
38x8

Again felt like warm up.

EZ Tricep Ext

38x8
38x8
38x8

See above.

Body Weight Dips

3x5

Preacher Hammer

20x10
20x10
20x10

V Bar

40x5 b/h
60x5 b/h
80x8 b/h
80x8 b/h
80x8 b/h

Lost a flap of skin on rep 1 of set 5 left hand and rep 3 set 5 right hand. But just used a plaster as a barrier as I was setting my hand and got on with it. In fact it made me grip harder so that the plaster didn't reduce the friction.

[Steve Gardener]

For others: like myself Dunc doesn't count the weight of the pin nor did he note the additional weigh of a 1.25-kilo disc I added so he could try another technique I've used in the past.

[dunkster]

Saturday

Unable to train down the unit today as my wife is going away next week so we spent the day out with the kids. Good job I've got some stuff at home. And while we were out I deliberately took the route home past B&Q and picked up some 2x4 and made my self a 2 hand pinch block. I also had a new metal closure plate in my van so I cut it up and stuck and screwed this on both sides making it exactly 49mm wide Then put a 8" eye bolt through and voila! me own pinch block.





Then I've just done some grippers as my hands were too shag*ed last night to do them.


Grippers

Warm up

R/H 2.5# Choked to parallel 1,1,1

L/H HG300 Choked to parallel 1,1,1

R/H 3# Choked to parallel 1,1,vvn,vvn PB

L/H 2.5# Choked to parallel 1,1,vvn,vvn PB

B/H 4# Negatives on the EZ Bench 1,1,1,1,1

I just noticed last time i did grippers I wrote braced to parallel but I meant choked. Still getting used to these terms.
And I've noticed that I only get one good gripper workout a week due to fatigue maybe because I train two or three days in a row. Got to address this.

Sledge levers 6lb

Front 16" 3x8
Rear 21" 3x8

[dunkster]

Monday

Bench Press

60x8
60x8
97.5x6
97.5x6
97.5x6

2 Hand Pinch

24x6
36x2
46x2
55x6
55x6
55x6

Dumbell Wrist Curl

20x10x4

Dumbell Tricep Extension

20x8x3

Body Weight Dip

5,5,3

Shoulder Press

20x10
65x6
65x6
65x6

1 Hand Lift on the snazzy new bar

40x6
80x6
120x3
147.5x6
147.5x6
147.5x6

All are each hand and they don't include the bar and bits.

I also closed my #3 twice with a MM set. As it is grippers day tomorrow I will try again and see if I can get it on video as I like those Mash Monster tshirts but will only get one if I can say I've earned it. ;D

[dunkster]

Tuesday

Following yesterdays session I have lost another piece of skin on my left hand. I felt it move a bit yesterday but it ripped off at work today.

This somewhat prevented the gripper sesh I had in mind so I did my video of my #3 close for the MM0 cert attempt and did a high rep set with each hand as the harder grippers just caused too much discomfort to concentrate fully.

Grippers

R/H #3 mm-set 1,1 PB

B/H HG100 1x60 rep set

Sledge levers

Front - 5" from end 3x8

Rear - end 3x8

Also after reading Mobster's Brookfield book I drilled a hole in a 2pence piece and put a loop through it and tried some finger and thumb pinches with ten kilo. I only did a couple but this will be part of my thumb training now as it seems to get a good squeeze.

[cougarman]

Fair play mate that looks painful. You are well up for this British grip contest.