“Zero Equipment Grip Training” :
In 2015 I did a lot of this stuff ;
•open the hand for high reps
•open the hand and flex, trying to made your hand as wide as possible
The high rep hand opening is good for getting blood flow into the forearm, which means down the limb – blood flow at the extremities from ankle or wrist movement is a prehab/rehab thing too for the joints up the chain.
It’s supposed to be good for joint health to train the hand extensors in addition to all the closing that is grip training, lifting, calisthenics, training in general
•levering
•wrist curls
•reverse wrist curls
These can be four directional flexing or can be done as manual resistance, one hand pressing against the lever/curl of the other.
•fist – make a tight fist
•pinch/squeeze – can flex at any hand angle
Honestly you’ll be able to improvise stuff here, doorways, random stuff in the house (initially I meant to isometric squeeze against, but I had fun for a time doing a martial arts inspired thing with a wok that looked kinda like kettlebell juggling).
•squeezing the thumb – against manual resistance, against a desk,
And no one does enough hangs or hanging hand walks.
…..
“Thoughts On Steroids & Potential” :
You can only take accusations of steroid use as a compliment, as really what the accuser is saying is that you’re so awesome they don’t think you could do it on your own.
Personally it bothers me how quickly this accusation can be made, as it’s said more often about people that don’t look like ronnie coleman in his prime than do.
The bar for the accusations is incredibly low.
The potential for human performance is so much greater.
See, while most aren’t all that impressive – this isn’t a lacking of genetic potential it’s a dysfunction in lifestyle, choice and action.
Every living, breathing human COULD be able to jump at a decent level, sprint at a decent level, and lift full body workouts, maybe not at a powerlifter 800lb raw squat level, but decent levels of strength shown on a train every day basis.
“You can’t ___ every day.”
You can’t unless you try.
I prefer daily lifts, always have – and it seems I’ve never shriveled up from overtraining either.
Years ago I wrote (paraphrased) “I’d love to be the only natural training with those on steroids – I’d take it as a personal challenge to try to run THEM into the ground with volume, work pace/training density, high frequency”.
My sentiments haven’t changed.
Go be better than you are!
Our ancestors got us here, means we all have caveman blood!
We all, naturally, are ruggedly vital.
Act like it.
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Random Jots :
I realized I could muscle out weight plates, as an old timey, high activation exercise.
…..
I pressed a rock.
It was a harder, long way, one arm press.
(this was at the local dump, the older woman next to us got a kick out of it I’d say – it was more rounded, thus easier, even if a tad heavier than my yard rock – no clue the weight, I’ll never see the rock again – I also shot put a 8ish lb rock left handed too – even stevens lol)
…..
I juggled my 12lb shot put, throwing and catching it in alternating hands from a curl.
Did 4x :30 work/:30 rest and just held the shot for the rests from the top sort of like a pinch grip.
(some doms from this late night btw – I may include it regularly for a time)
BUC&P
25x16kg right
27x16kg left
I love this manner of training, it’s just an honest moment of work that I enjoy – the right hand set I tried not counting seeing where I’d naturally stop with forearm fatigue, the left hand I counted reps to guarantee a PR for the camera.
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Soccer Ball :
After I uploaded the day’s lift.
Less than five minutes, stopped for ten, did a couple more then…
Drink a can of iced tea.
Took out the barbell 😁👊👍
95lbs
Let’s mix this with one arm snatches…
And put on the beatles.
Let’s have some fun with this!
(this is the forte of at home training – kettlebell, soccer ball, one arm barbell, rocks, etc – mixing it all by feel)
10×1/side on those one arm snatches
That was good for another forty or more minutes outside, switched from beatles to a 2015 country music playlist, and I just had a blast with the barbell and soccer ball.
2015 country music seen here :
little bit of you – chase bryant
Got a laugh out of a couple walking by, they said “oh, gym outside” and “nice set up”, my reply “state of the art” with a big smile on my face.
And why wouldn’t I be smiling?
I was having a blast, music going, a bit of a sweat going under my hoodie, kicking around a soccer ball, and hitting some one arms snatches thinking to myself “I could get this to 185, 225lbs”, just in an absolutely good place enjoying myself in the moment.
…..
I realize that it’s not far for me to have a handful of performing strongman abilities.
•bottoms up press
•kettlebell juggling
•sledgehammer levering
•handstand (develop freestanding hspu and hs walk AT THIS SIZE)
•barbell one arm snatch
As I get those things developed more ; then add more, frying pan rolling, card tearing, etc
I realized with the barbell one arm snatch today, that I play with 95lbs and have done 135lbs on a handful of occasions.
A year or so back I’d bought a barbell and bumpers to be able to make 165lbs with this as one of the things in mind.
It makes sense to train these frequently, for power, and to start getting up there in poundage.
95lbs to 165lbs is a 70lb difference.
At a jump of 5lbs a week it’s 14 weeks, while upping the weight 10lbs a week is 7 weeks.
Sample Session Idea ;
•one set/side high rep, light, buc&p 16kg
•barbell one arm snatch, 5-10×1/side, long rest periods mixing in soccer ball dribbling
•handstand practice, maybe soccer ball mixed in, and this with optional heavy kettlebell – front squats, 2h swing, bottoms up clean
Handstands and 2h swings seem a good pair, like pullup training without the pullups.
Persistence & Tenacity
P.S. After lots of lifting I typed a bunch with intermittent sets of strict pushups throughout.
I say the overhead pressing and pushups feed into each other nicely.
(a lot of pics in this one 🙂)