Advice on closing grippers

[jijin]

This is embarrassing. I got myself a set of Ironmind #1 grippers and I am no where near closing them. So I went on to get the Ironmind Trainer grippers. I just got them today and I could ALMOST get it to close for one rep. Just about half an inch left before the two sides of the gripper touch.

Anyone out there can point me in the right direction to try to get these grippers closed?

[Mister X]

Be persistent. Treat it like any other weight program, and make sure to give yourself rest between sessions. Closing with both hands and doing negatives helps. I struggled with the 1 for a week before closing it, and the 2 was about the same. I'm not bothering with the 3 or 4, though I hear they're necessary steps to developing the true Vulcan death grip...

[Adam425]

That's not embarrasing at all! Now you know how your grip compares and you can set new goals for yourself.

I was embarassed that I couldn't close the #2 when I bought it, but I've worked from the Trainer up through the 2 in just a few months. When I bought the Trainer around Thanksgiving, I started using it for 5 sets of 10 reps in every upper body workout. I soon bought the 1 and found the same routine difficult, but do-able. I now do 5 x 10 with the 1.5 in every upper body workout and just very recently closed the 2 for the first time.

I say all this to give you some idea of how the grippers related to each other in my own experience. I expect that when I can close the 2 for 5 sets of 10 reps, I'll be able to close the 2.5 (which at the moment seems almost impossible). I'd like to close the 3 by the end of the year.

If I were you, I'd probably buy the guide or the sport and incorporate 3 to 5 sets of 5 to 10 reps in your workout just like any other exercise in your routine. I expect that as you continue to use them, you'll find that your closing that #1 within a couple months.

I think grip training is essential for truly functional strength. There are no functional movements involving the upper body that don't use the hands. They are the weak link in many people's pulling exercises, and in real life, they are always the bodypart that gets tired first when you're helping a friend carry a mattress or a couch or dresser up to their new apartment.

Best wishes,
Adam