Resolutions - beware

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HAPPY NEW YEAR

That is the nice and friendly bit. Now sit down as we need to talk.

So it is 12 hours before the clock strikes and 2012 fades into 2013. This also signals a fresh start for many people as they finally decide that this magical day will be the one that starts their journey of success, achievement and fulfilment.

STOP

OK, put the kettle on and then come back in a few minutes as we need to get serious

Ready?

Good!

Being as nice as I possibly can without clumping you around the head with a radish the fact that you even entertain resolutions tells me something very powerful about you and hopefully I can offer some help to fix this. We could trawl through all the quotations in the world and fancy statements that make you feel good (for 30 seconds) and then realise that normal life just kicks right back in and we revert to being us. The danger of the resolution is that the idea of empowering a single day on the calendar with the ability to "fix" aspects of your life that you have either neglected for many years or avoided doing is a recipe for failure for many people. You almost end up playing resolution Groundhog Day. If it is not this year then it will certainly be the next one!

One thing you need to understand is that there is no right time and there will never be a right time until you realise that NOW is where everything happens and always will. We have a constant choice nearly every minute of every day to continue as we are, grabbing random moments of happiness, suffering the rest of the time and trying to keep it all together. This is until we realise that within us is the capacity to be truly amazing. Consider the people that you look up to in any areas and then ask yourself what stops you being exactly the same? When you realise that they are just people that had a dream, set a journey to achieve it and then rolled their sleeves up and consistently chipped away until they arrived you can put the whole thing in perspective. Life goals are exactly the same. As a fitness professional I can only really speak for my own field. However, having studied psychology, philosophy and qualified in NLP you realise that the situation is not what is important, it is the individual and their relationship to it. Therefore you realise that it is really all the same. You either do or you do not do. So from the industry I am sure you can appreciate that literally millions of people worldwide will hope that 2013 will be the year where they become healthier, go to the gym and get in shape. The problem inherent in this resolution is that if you do not nail it down with coherent steps and a game-plan to achieve it, failure is imminent. For example, if you tell me you want to get in shape or lose weight I should chase you around for a few hours with a pointed stick. Not to help you get fit, but to help you realise that this non-specific half-arsed, vapour of a goal is what is causing all the problems in the first place. If you go for a random walk with no particular aim or destination you can probably appreciate you might not get there. If that lost you then see what the mind has to deal with when you state non-specific and wishy washy goals such as "I want to get in shape". You already have a shape and it is not one that you can either get in or out of - it is you. Now, should you want to change that you have to set a specific journey with measurable gaols that you alone are answerable to. Something like -

I want to lose 3 stone and I am planning on 2kg each month by going to the gym and changing my diet and I will monitor this every week and check my progress.

You could even post this as a training thread on a forum and make yourself socially accountable - nothing like peer pressure and accountability to nuke your comfort zone!

That is specific and can be nailed down. It is tangible and has progressive steps that are both visible and can be realistically achieved. A note of caution is that in the deep recesses of your grey matter are all the promises you have ever made and all the things you were going to do. The brain makes no distinction and files them all away. However, those that are not achieved reside in the subconscious and poke you forever more. This is not a good way to ensure mental health. You must be willing to do whatever it takes and this is more apparent the more times you have previously tried this resolution and failed. The day is not important. What you are willing to give in order to achieve is the deciding factor. If you complain about your weight yet have a poor diet, do not exercise and watch TV for 3 hours every evening then you should realise that you are your own problem. No-one ever wished they had spent more time in front of the TV when the family gather around them to say their last goodbyes. People wish they had achieved more, taken more risks, had more fun, told people they loved them and kicked the clowns and time vampires out of their life. It may be that you need to change more than just going to the gym. They say we are the sum total of the 5 people closest to us - if that is the problem - change them as well. The only thing you have to lose is your total future happiness and achievements so maybe 3 hours of TV every night and the pub every weekend are the best options. I can't do it for you. I can only poke you a few times and hope the bubble bursts. You have a choice and that choice is to accept that the rest of your life will be exactly the same as all that has passed, or you can choose to join those that have woken up and are sick and tired of playing the game and conforming. The warriors that will not accept anything less than success, regardless of what they have to do, who they have to say no to and how tough the journey ahead may get.

Every year that passes is not another opportunity, it is another sacrifice that has been thrown away.

Do it now, do it once, do it with conviction and a sledge hammer - be amazing being you!

Beginners Guide To Sandbag Training - Matt Palfrey

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In strength and conditioning, we can all be found guilty of over complicating our programming from time to time. With the vast array of options available to us itʼs hard not to get overwhelmed with what is right for us and our goals. The sandbag is proudly lowtech but high on results. And when you see what it can do for you it may just become your new favourite training method...

Sandbag Training History

Sandbag training has undoubtedly been around for a long time, but itʼs perhaps only in the past century when it has been recognised as a legitimate form of strength and conditioning. There are certainly numerous records of the sandbag being used for structured training as far back as the 1890ʼs, most notably by Indian Wrestlers. They continue to be used by combat athletes today but more and more people, irrespective of any sport specific benefits, are recognizing the sandbag as a serious strength and conditioning tool.

I have only been training with sandbags for 3 years or so and they have transformed the way that I approach my programming.

I train exclusively with the Brute Force Sandbag but itʼs entirely possible to develop your sandbag training program with a homemade bag. The important message here is that you neednʼt let your budget dictate your potential results. As a strength coach, this is one of the reasons that I am so passionate about sandbag training - anyone can start right now with the very minimum of investment. I started with an old duffel bag and 100lbs of sand that cost me less than $5.

No matter what type of sandbag you use, the basic qualities remain the same:

• Sandbags are tough to work with. While you can certainly develop a more efficient lifting style with practice, the sandbag will always punish poor technique. Itʼs awkward and has a constantly shifting load - this adds up to a serious challenge, even for advanced lifters.

• The sandbag is a real life object. It can be used as a representation of another person -

this is perfect for anyone involved in contact sports and those in the armed forces, police, firefighters and many more occupations.

• You cannot lift a sandbag without working your grip. In fact, this is what many new trainees notice first. Any sandbag workout is also a grip workout. This further adds to the functional nature of the sandbag as a training tool.

• Training with sandbags develops mental conditioning as well as physical strength. There are few tools that can break an athlete as quickly as a sandbag. In fact, just getting the sandbag into position or transitioning between exercises is a challenge in itself. This builds serious mental toughness.

• Itʼs important to develop strength and competency throughout all three movement planes (sagittal, frontal and transverse). This is an important facet of training for sports and daily  life but also as a means to prevent injury and maintain general structural health. Besides movement in these planes of motion, itʼs also important to consider the practice of “stressing” these planes. The sandbag and its permanently off-centre load automatically stresses the body in a true multi-planar fashion.

The Sandbag Trained Athlete

While body type, diet and a range of other factors will dictate what an individual looks like, there are a number of key competencies that athletes who train with sandbags exhibit.

• An Iron Grip. Holding onto a sandbag develops an amazing grip, especially if you utilize an “handleless” bag. And grip isnʼt just reserved for the hands, wrists and forearms - bear hug, shoulder and zercher grips develop a whole range of “gripping” muscles. If your sport or daily life requires a strong grip then you need to train with sandbags.

• Brute Strength. Strong legs, shoulders and backs are an unavoidable result of sandbag lifting. It is possible to develop an efficient sandbag lifting style but it will never be an olympic or power lift. The sandbag just wonʼt allow you to apply the same biomechanical principles. When things start getting tough youʼre going to need to dig in and work hard.

• Serious Stabilizers. Lifting a constantly moving object like the sandbag requires and develops your stabilizing muscles like few other things. You simply cannot underestimate the balance and control required to lift a heavy sandbag overhead. Regular sandbag lifting builds a strong, stable musculoskeletal system.

The Sandbag Lowdown

Like most training tools, you can use the sandbag as a substitute weight for traditional resistance options like barbells, dumbbells or kettlebells. You can follow standard strength programs like Starting Strength or Wendler 5-3-1 with a sandbag. The sandbag works perfectly well for Deadlifts, Squats, Cleans and Presses. But if this is all you ever do with your sandbag then you are missing out on some of the key benefits to this method. The sandbag is an unstable, awkward load with “built in” instability. The further away from your center of gravity that load is, the harder you will have to work to stabilise it. So exercises like the sandbag deadlift donʼt have that inherent instability factor. My advice is to focus more heavily on a range of “unique” sandbag exercises - things that just arenʼt as effective with traditional resistance tools. For me, that means lots of overhead work and utilizing a range of different grip positions. The key exercises that you need to follow in any sandbag training program are:

• Sandbag Shouldering.

• Sandbag Clean and Press.

• Sandbag Bear Hug Load Carry.

• Sandbag Overhead Press.

These fundamental movements will give you a strong foundation of strength and conditioning. Furthermore, they all combine some of the best that the sandbag has to offer. For more experienced sandbag trainees, the following advanced exercises will further develop your skill with the bag. And regular practice will build brute strength, agility and an iron grip.

Some advanced sandbag exercises to try:

• Sandbag Overhead Walking Lunge.

• Sandbag Windmill.

• Sandbag Get Up.

• Sandbag Bear Hug Squat.

You can learn technique tips for many of the key sandbag exercises here:

Beginner Sandbag Workouts - taken from The Complete Guide To Sandbag Training

Beginners Workout 1: Sandbag Basics

800m run

30 Sandbag Clean and Press

800m run

Complete as fast as possible. Men aim for a 60lb sandbag; women aim for 35lbs.

Beginners Workout 2: Jump, Pull, Press

25 Box Jumps

25 Sandbag High Pulls

25 Sandbag Push Press

25 Sandbag Shouldering (alternate shoulders)

Complete 3 rounds as fast as possible. Men should aim for a 60lb sandbag; women aim

for 35lbs.

Beginners Workout 3: The Sandbag Milo Protocol

This training protocol is inspired by and named after Milo of Croton. A greek wrestler from the 6th century BC, Milo was famed for lifting a calf daily until it reached maturity. This was perhaps the first recorded instance of a linear progressive resistance training program. Take a handleless sandbag and fill it with between 25-50% of your bodyweight in sand. Perform a single ground to overhead lift. This is probably best achieved as a clean and press.

To get an idea of how sandbag training works check out the video below -

Repeat this daily, adding 1-2lbs of sand before each lift.

Advanced Sandbag Workouts - taken from The Complete Guide To Sandbag Training

Advanced Workout 1: Legs On Fire

100m Sandbag Bear Hug Load Carry

10 Burpees

10 Box Jumps

Complete 10 rounds as fast as possible. Men should aim for a 100lb sandbag; women aim for 60lb.

Advanced Workout 2: Boulder Shoulders

100 Sandbag Overhead Presses. Take a 100 Skip penalty for every rest that you need to

take.

Complete as fast as possible. Men should aim for a 80lb sandbag; women aim for 45lb.

Advanced Workout 3: The Centurion

100 Sandbag Push Presses

100 Sandbag Zercher Squats

100 Sandbag Get Ups

Complete as fast as possible. Men aim for a 80lb sandbag; women aim for 45lb.

Summary

The sandbag is an exceptional strength and conditioning tool that, when used effectively, will help you to develop great strength and conditioning. Take a structured approach to its use and include a wide variety of standard lifts (like Deadlifts and Squats) alongside a range of other “unique” lifts like Bear Hug Squats and Shouldering.

To book yourself on to the UK sandbag masterclass with Matt click HERE

To check out Matt's website click HERE

To buy pro grade sandbags click on the image below -

How to train your grip for kettlebell sport - snatch

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This article was inspired by a kettlebell snatch test and my love of grip training.

I have always realised the importance of grip training for success with kettlebells. However, as a strength athlete that mostly put my training at the heavy side of the resistance scale and rarely training with light weights for reps. While I have done many endurance kettlebell marathons in the past, none of these were completely grip determined and took me to absolute failure where you simply cannot hold the weight for another rep. There is always merit in training specifically for the sport. For example, if you want more reps in the snatch – train the snatch more and work volume with occasional tests to failure. However, as a coach there is also dynamic correspondence that replicates part of the action (in this case the weakness – high rep grip endurance) and can address it in isolation.

From the anterior superficial view on the left - or supinated position - we can see that flexion of the fingers will relate in concentric actions of the following muscles -

Palmaris Longus

Flexor Carpi Radialis

Flexor Carpi Ulnaris

Flexor Digitorum Superficialis

When training to failure you will often see that the last few reps have a few things in common to dramatically change the downward force and grip requirements of the snatch -

• The knees now bend into a squat to decelerate the weight
• The thumb faces forwards and the elbow is slightly bent - this could be to incorporate brachioradialis which is a powerful elbow flexor and rarely engaged when the arm is extended other than to a very low degree isometrically as a synergist. The slight elbow bend will recruit this muscle and transfer some of the load from the forearm flexors. However, by this time they are often so fatigued that additional reps are only few in number
• There is a deeper squat after the snatch pull. Having to travel less distance to lockout means less force is required and the lifter may add a few reps based on extended work capacity.

The part of the kettlebell snatch which leads to grip fatigue is the transition between the eccentric and concentric phases as the kettlebell is free-falling and you are required to grip tightly in order to decelerate and pull it up again. The grip action for this will always be more than the weight of the kettlebell based on gravity and acceleration. As this directly correlates with crush grip it can easily be replicated with a good pair of hand grippers. Moreover, hand grippers can be chosen that will replicate the amount of PSI required for a specific kettlebell weight. No grand machines or calculations are required. If you understand hand grippers you will know what I am talking about. Basically, the heavier the kettlebell, the harder the crush action for the snatch and therefore the stronger the gripper you train with.

To take dynamic correspondence a stage further we can add 3 components to further enhance the carryover of this methodology –

1. The repetitions are performed at the same tempo as your snatch set training speed
2. The crush is held for around 1 second to mimic to time under tension required for the eccentric/concentric switch and allow the weight to be effectively pulled for the next repetition
3. The hand gripper is never fully open, or relaxed, and this will correlate to gains in the slight isometric wrist tension required to avoid hyperextension in the lockout phase

Similar to kettlebell training progress there should be a direct relationship between the number of snatches you can perform on a kettlebell and the number of repetitions you can achieve on a gripper that is a similar resistance to the snatch pull of your training weight. At the lighter weight Vo2 max and isolated muscular fatigue is rarely a problem and most people simply burn out in the forearm not having worked for a very high rep capacity.

Like any good researcher I am trying this myself and will retest my numbers at the beginning of 2013.

For a free beginners grip guide check the link below -

FREE grip training eBook

SEO for beginners

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Whether you are new to the online world or you've been here for years, things are changing. There have been some dramatic changes in SEO recently. In addition, there have been some changes in the online climate as well as in the way in which things are accomplished. People may tell you that SEO is dead and buried and that no matter what you do, it's not going to make a vast difference in the outcome. 

Realistically, nothing could be further from the truth. SEO is alive and well, but it is most assuredly a different ballgame. The various components of SEO that mattered once still do matter today but the way in which we accomplish it is unique and different. In order to stay abreast of the algorithmic changes which Google, Bing and other search engines have made, we've had to make our own changes in our methodology. For the beginner, some of these changes are difficult to understand. Further, it's quite difficult to discern new information from old when you are delving into the online world seeking out good SEO advice. Many of the postings are from years past, still more are from website owners and SEO's who are lost in that past and will send you out to accomplish things that simply won't help you or your website.

The moral of the story is to seek out a good SEO in whom you can place your trust to do what is good for your site, or failing that, to use common sense and good judgement to accomplish the rudimentary SEO yourself.

Backlinks-Do They Still Count?

The answer is a yes, qualified by some mitigating factors. If you're looking for a wide range of page rank to come to you from your inbound links, you need to ensure that your links are both relevant to your site as well as honestly come by. Trying to game the system and to set yourself up with purchased links or links that use only high money keywords as anchor text, or you have inbound links that number in the dozens coming in every day, the search engines see those as unnatural. They will engender penalties rather than higher traffic or page rank for you.  That said, page rank is not the be-all and end all. Yes, it's nice, but as the saying goes, you can't eat page rank. If you have to choose between links that will offer you page rank or links that will send you well targeted traffic, the best option will always be the traffic. Page rank doesn't guarantee conversions.

If you can get solid, relevant inbound links that afford you good traffic and reasonable page rank, brought about by guest blog posts or other methods, carefully check out the site that offers the link and determine that it will give you what you want before you accept it. Offer guest posts that will benefit the site which is linking back to you rather than to simply write an article that benefits your site and you.

Conversely, if you see someone linking to your site who is offering more than one link, do follow links on a sidebar or in the footer, ask them, as politely but as firmly as you can to please remove the inbound links to your site. This kind of link doesn't offer you quality and can net you a penalty over time.

Social media-What's the Score?

Google, Bing and some other search engines have begun to take social media and social signals into account when looking at your pages. If you've got thousands of people visiting every day, but no one is talking about you anywhere else, such as the main social media sites like Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Wooxie.com, you're going to be less visible in search and less noted. Social signals count. Make your presence felt in the main social media sites. Get custom Twitter pages, set up a Facebook page, and start a Pinterest account and work them at least weekly. Get noticed in social media and you'll get noticed in search.

The importance of content-The biggest and most important part of any website is what you offer to your customers. The reason they came is to buy a product or a service and to learn how to use it. This means that your content is more important than any other part of your website.  Make sure that you are writing or buying quality content. Get light keyword use, incorporate LSI, create content with good grammar, good spelling and good quality. The difference that the content alone will make to your website will be nothing short of amazing to you. Add ten articles to your website and watch your rank and traffic rise.

Black hat/white hat-Not everyone knows what white hat and black hat seo is. The difference is how ethically you or your SEO company do your SEO. Black hat includes trading links, buying links, spamming email and other sites, and a wide range of less than ethical methods of gaining links. Google in particular, with Panda and Penguin, addressed how well that worked and many sites fell because of it. White hat SEO on the other hand, tends to be an ethical and natural method of arriving at new inbound links and offering quality content. If you're asked or offered something less than ethical, look at it like a roulette game. For a while you may win, but losing is losing in a big way.

Helpful websites for Beginners

There are a few websites that can help you to find the right keywords, the right rules, the right content and the right methods. Most of them offer free tips on SEO and search engines, some give you free SEO tips, while others offer you quality website content writers for a very good price. Among those which are going to be helpful to you are these:

Googlekeywordtool.com

A free keyword tool to help you to find the best and most useful keywords for your site.

Seoprofiler.com

View your website competition and get a complete guide on what to do to get on the first page of Google.

NeedanArticle.com

Quality website content which starts at just a penny a word.

Seomoz.org

SEO tips that can be a big help in getting you started on the right track.

NoGravityConsulting.com

No Gravity is an SEO and consulting company that offers low priced SEO help as well as free tips on the way to accomplish your own SEO. Additionally, they help you to determine by a free website audit if your site can benefit from additional SEO and free SEO articles.

Google alerts are also a great way to keep up with what is happening related to your specific area of business. Setting up alerts for your keywords and main business focus can lead to daily opportunities for blog and forum posts as well as comments of high PR newsfeeds and articles. Using Google Alerts in conjunction with netvibes and hootsuite for Facebook and Twitter keywords and phrases will also add to your campaign strength.

Website submission sites like Yell and Freeindex provide you with a business profile and also social media links and links to parts of your business for products and services. There are a few good ones that are free and worth the 5 minutes it takes to fill the details out.

The Golden Rules of SEO

There are no strict rules from or for SEO, but the single most important aspect of your SEO and your site has always been and should remain, to build for the customer first. If you are creating a site that you are proud of, which offers good information and quality services to the customer, and you offer it good rudimentary SEO, and the important basics such as your sitemap, easy and clean navigation, and outstanding content, the search engines will note that and your rank will rise. 

Your SEO is an important part of your overall site, but your first and most important task will be to ensure that after the basics such as metas, keywords, robots and sitemap are accomplished, is that you attend to the needs of the people who will be visiting and viewing. If you do that you're going to have the kind of site that need not worry about changes in algorithms. Your quality will speak for itself.

The Kettlebell Weight Guide

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Remember that these are just guidelines. An elderly woman looking for some gentle activity will probably be better off starting with basic movement patterns, bodyweight and resistance bands. Likewise a competitive strength athlete would be better on the platform with a weight set. 

6KG

The 6kg is the baby of the family and recommended for the following groups –

• ·         Women that have never trained or used a gym for a few years
• ·         Women using resistance machines or cardio equipment that are over 50
• ·         People looking to rehab minor injuries through low intensity and functional movements

8KG

The 8kg is a perfect start for most women that are already following some type of training routine either cardio or weights based in the gym. It offers a broad range of exercises that can easily be progressed when the weight does not stress the system enough. For example, after a few months of training you may well be able to two hand swing for high numbers, but still find pressing quite a challenge. You can move on to one hand swing and still get maximum use for the 8kg before progressing to a 12kg.

12KG

The 12kg is for women already resistance training or familiar with weight training workouts on a regular basis. While these weights are not challenging for single lifts, the aim is to lift them multiple times by performing set workouts in a certain time period. After 20 minutes the 12kg will feel heavier than it did at the start!

The 12kg is also a good starting weight for men that have not been training for some time or those over 50. It will provide many months of challenging exercise routines until you can progress to a 16kg

16KG

The 16kg is the entry level weight for most fit and active men. It will provide and challenging mix of cardio and strength training and very noticeable gains in these areas in a matter of weeks. Regardless of how strong you are, it is important to learn with a weight that does not challenge you or cause your technique to break down over time. So unless you compete at worlds strongest man a 16kg will do the job nicely.

20KG

The 20kg pretty much bridges the gap between the standard competition weights of 16kg and 24kg. The 8kg jump is a bit of a shock for most people and so the 20kg eases this into smaller steps. As a very general rule of thumb, if you can snatch a 16kg 20 times per arm or press it 10 times per arm with 1 hand change then you are ready for the 20kg. If you numbers are higher than this the 24kg may be a better choice.

24KG

The 24kg can be regarded as the “getting there” kettlebell. If you can use this comfortably then you have strength and fitness levels well above average and are approaching the area of “athlete”. However, just because you can 2 hand swing it a few times does mean you will be able to do much else with it. And remember, there are ways to make even a 16kg near impossible for some exercises!

28KG

Like the 20kg the 28kg bridges the gap between the competition standard weights of 24kg and 32kg and makes the jump more manageable. This will be a very challenging weight for most average gym users and if you are at this end of the scale then you know what you can and can’t do.

32KG

The gold standard of kettlebell training for competition events. The 32kg is the “target” weight of most aspiring male kettlebell lifters and you should only really be looking to purchase this if you have a long history of kettlebell or related strength training as there is no point just using it for squats or 2 hand swings. Mastery of the 32kg speaks for itself when you can snatch, press, windmill and perform controlled get ups on demand.

What type of kettlebell do I need?

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Cast iron vs. Competition Steel kettlebells

The kettlebell required will almost always be dictated by the group of people using them. Competition steel kettlebells have a larger shape ball with square handles. They are used in competitions and as the lifter increases their numbers and the weight of kettlebell lifted no technical modifications are required for technique based on dimensional changes in the kettlebell. They are also used exclusively for the competition events which are 1 hand snatch and 2 kettlebell clean and jerk for the biathlon, with the other event being the long cycle clean and jerk. Women use a single kettlebell for both events and they are still single handed. This means that no exercises are performed with 2 hands holding the kettlebell handle. Potential problems then arise when competition kettlebells are purchased for the public as the foundation exercise to correctly set up the movement patterns for the clean and snatch are the 2 hand swing and then 1 hand swing. Most men are not able to properly hold a competition kettlebell with 2 hands based on the handle measurements. It is here that cast iron kettlebells are more suitable for bootcamps, personal training and gym class use as they allow for a more comfortable grip and also are less demanding to control in the lighter weights for women new to kettlebell training (an example being that an 8kg competition weight would be the same physical size as a 40kg cast iron weight, or almost a basketball). As a lifter I exclusively train with competition steel. When I run classes I usually find most people use the cast range for the reasons described above. While you can 2 hand swing comp bells – you will be short changed in both strength and endurance based on grip compromises. Not everyone that uses kettlebells ends up on the competition platform and the general public will benefit from the cast iron range. If in doubt, try them as it is usually down to personal preference. The cast range could be the stepping stone to get people into comp training at a later stage that may have been put off otherwise. No rules, no regulations, just advice that may help.

                          Competition Steel                                                     Cast Iron

Types of Grip Strength

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This article is aimed at clearly addressing and explaining several different types of grip strength and ways of improving them.

Whatever your chosen sport or hobby, an increase in grip and general hand/wrist strength can be enough to give you the edge over others or to continually set new personal bests. Whether you are swinging a golf club, climbing a rockface, entering a grappling competition, training with kettlebells or just trying to close a certain strength handgripper, just a few weeks of working your grip specifically and with a balanced and progressive routine can yield good- to great -results for nearly every one of us. The training sessions don’t need to be long, just effective, quite challenging and above all- consistent! 10 minutes 2-3 times a week is more than enough to develop serious grip strength with several months of training.

Crushing Grip:

Crushing grip refers to a squeezing action where the hand makes, or tries to make, a fist. Probably the best way to train this type of grip strength is with hand grippers- not any old hand grippers! But real, strong, metal grippers that are tough and take time and effort to close. There are many types of grippers to choose from: Captains of Crush grippers, Heavy Grips, Robert Baraban grippers, Beef Builder grippers etc. The good thing with different types of grippers is that some sets fall nicely into the places between the grippers of another set. This has the advantage of acting as a stepping stone to the next gripper in the collection you are trying to close.

 

Training Crush Grip:

There are several ways of using hand grips to improve your crushing grip. Included here is information on terms you may come across to help you progress with your crush grip training:

1.       Cheat/forced close-squeezing the gripper as far as you can with one hand then using the other hand or a push against the hip to finish the close 

2.       Close-when the handles of the gripper touch or the last part of the squeeze action-after the sweep 

3.       Dogleg-the part of the spring leg which is straight compared to the other

4.       Filed gripper-filing down the inside of one of the legs of a gripper. The purpose of this is to increase the range of motion and therefore the difficulty on a gripper you know you can already close

5.       Grind-when closed, rotating the hand to cause the handles to scrape or grind against each other 

6.       Hold-when the handles touch, keeping them together for any length of time 

7.       Inverted rep/close-closing a gripper with the spring facing downwards 

8.       Negative-using a cheat close then trying to stop the gripper from opening or allowing it to open as slowly as possible 

9.       No-set close-using only one hand to set and close a gripper without assistance 

10.    Overcrush-when then handles touch, continuing the squeeze as hard as you can 

11.    Setting-using the other hand to position the gripper and often to assist in the initial part of the close. the hand must then be removed for any certification attempt and be more than 12 inches from the closing hand on the last 1 inch of the close attempt 

12.    Strap hold-placing a weighted strap between the ends of the handles and using an overcrush to keep the strap between the handles for as long as possible or for a set time until the weight falls 

13.    Sweep-the first part of the range of motion of a gripper. this is the larger action which takes the handles from the start position up to a nearly closed position 

14.    Timed hold-holding a gripper shut for a timed duration

Pinch Grip:

Pinch grip is a squeezing action similar to that of a crab’s claw- the fingers and thumb move together to clamp on either side of an object before lifting. The most common types of pinch grip training are plate pinching and block weight lifting.

Training Pinch Grip:

1.       Plate Pinching-a good test of pinch strength is to see how you rate against some Olympic plates. Place the plates upright and together (smooth sides out) and pinch on to them from the top, then squeeze and try to lift them. Try 2 x 20lb plates then work up. The pinch can be trained close grip (2 plates) or wide (several small, lighter plates-usually 10lb). Passing plates you can lift from hand to hand is a very good workout and requires good pinch grip endurance. The aim of many people who train their pinch with plates is to lift the infamous 2 x 45lb plates!

2.       Block weights-the most common types of block weight are usually the ends of cast dumbbells believe it or not! The bar is removed leaving 2 block weights and a small bar that looks nice. Block weights are a superb way to train the hands as they can be lifted from the face (wide side) or top (thinner side) and also thrown about. You can spin and catch them, throw them hand to hand, drop and pick them out of the air and so on. With heavier block weights the only way to really lift them from the floor is with the pinch action, or a claw action of you lift from the face of the block. The heavier the block the wider it is so the pinch gets worked at different angles. Block weights are also referred to as “blobs” and “the blob” is ½ of a 100lb cast dumbbell, or a 50lb block weight. Lifting this weight from the floor is the aim of most people who train with heavy block weights. For an adjustable block weight a pinch block can be attached to a loading pin and loaded with weights for a similar style of training.

Thick Bar Grip:

Thick bar refers to training 1 arm (dumbbell) or 2 arm (barbell) lifts where the thickness of the handle is much wider than normal-usually 1 inch. The bar diameters can be anything from 1.5 - 4 inches and sometimes even more.

Thick Bar Training:

Thick bar training can easily be implemented on standard training equipment by using a sleeve to place over the handle of a normal dumbbell bar. Another adjustable thick bar tool is the Rolling Thunder by Ironmind, which is a revolving 2.5 inch handle that attaches to a loading pin. One of the most famous thick bar training tools is the Thomas Inch dumbbell. It weighs 172 pound (nearly 12 stone) and has a handle thickness of 2 3/8 of an inch or about 60mm. The thickness of the handle is what stops it ever leaving the floor for most people. Many people that train thick bar regularly have the Inch dumbbell as their desired lift. Recently, a new monster has emerged-the Millennium Dumbbell (228lb). This beast has the same stats as the Thomas Inch dumbbell, but weighs 25kg more and so far has only fully left the floor for a handful of people!

Leverage:

Leverage refers to the use of training tools where the weight is displaced to one end-like a sledgehammer-rather than balanced like a standard barbell or dumbbell. Leverage mainly works the wrists but is also a great way of training the grip as an incredible level of crushing power is needed to counteract the torsion produced by the displaced weight.

Leverage Training:

Probably the most common form of leverage training is the sledgehammer or steel/wooden club. These training items can be used in such a way that a very high level of tension is placed on the grip and wrists just to maintain control of them. They can be held as far from the weighted end as possible and either rotated side to side in front of the body or held out at arms length to the front and side of the body and lowered towards the nose-a true test of wrist strength and grip confidence!

Active recovery:

Active recovery is an often overlooked part of grip training and can be a real bonus to your gains. The idea is to train lightly so you still maintain what you have developed but not to the extent where fatigue sets in or injury risk is a possibility. Some really great training tools have been developed specifically for active recovery and intense grip training alike-depending how you use them: the Snowball and the gyro Roller Ball.

1.       The Snowball can be used to work the various muscles of the hands in a soothing way after grip workouts or as part of an active recovery programme on your days off. It can also be used with force for working various aspects of grip (the crush, pinch, finger training, thumb training etc.) as well as for warming up the hands or cooling down after a grip training session

2.       The Roller Ball is a gyroscope that rotates with slight wrist movements and can reach speeds of over 8000 revolutions per minute. Similar to the snowball, it can also be used for active recovery at low revs or intense training at higher revs. Roller balls have the advantage of keeping the hand muscles under varying tension depending on the speed of the gyroscope while keeping the wrist continuously moving. Because of this combination, at lower speeds these devices can provide soothing rehabilitation to: Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, Repetitive Strain Injury and Arthritis.

Grip Training- where do I start?

The best idea would be to ask yourself what you actually want before you decide what to do-unless your aim is just general grip strength. If you want to shut a certain gripper, base most of your grip training around the grippers, if you want to pinch heavy plates, base a lot of training on plate pinching and block weight lifting and so forth. Start off with some basic equipment:

1.       2-3 grippers

2.       Block weight

3.       Sledgehammer or club-a dumbbell loaded one end only can also do the same job!

4.       Some active recovery equipment

5.       Chalk

This is just a basic example for someone who is serious about improving their grip-if you want less get less, if you want more, get more. These items will allow you to train your grip from several angles and allow for good, general grip progress if used properly and consistently. If you already follow a training programme then finish the routine with 5-10 minutes of grip work. If your training is mainly with free weights, then place the grip session at the end of your normal routine as fatigued or even moderately trained grip will have a negative effect on your lifting. If you are worried about your grip training always being less than your best as it is only trained after a good workout then test your personal bests on the grip items you use before your workout, then after your weight training hit the full grip routine. An alternative would be to train your grip on alternate days to your other forms of training or at different times in the day-weights in the morning and grip in the evening- when reasonably fresh again.

To start your journey our free hand gripper training routine can be downloaded in the link below -

http://thestrengthacademy.blogspot.co.uk/2012/11/hand-gripper-training-free-ebook.html

My favourite poem - Ulysses by Tennyson.

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Ulysses - Lord Tennyson

It little profits that an idle king,

By this still hearth, among these barren crags,

Match'd with an aged wife, I mete and dole

Unequal laws unto a savage race,

That hoard, and sleep, and feed, and know not me.

I cannot rest from travel: I will drink

Life to the lees: All times I have enjoy'd

Greatly, have suffer'd greatly, both with those

That loved me, and alone, on shore, and when

Thro' scudding drifts the rainy Hyades

Vext the dim sea: I am become a name;

For always roaming with a hungry heart

Much have I seen and known; cities of men

And manners, climates, councils, governments,

Myself not least, but honour'd of them all;

And drunk delight of battle with my peers,

Far on the ringing plains of windy Troy.

I am a part of all that I have met;

Yet all experience is an arch wherethro'

Gleams that untravell'd world whose margin fades

For ever and forever when I move.

How dull it is to pause, to make an end,

To rust unburnish'd, not to shine in use!

As tho' to breathe were life! Life piled on life

Were all too little, and of one to me

Little remains: but every hour is saved

From that eternal silence, something more,

A bringer of new things; and vile it were

For some three suns to store and hoard myself,

And this gray spirit yearning in desire

To follow knowledge like a sinking star,

Beyond the utmost bound of human thought.

         












This is my son, mine own Telemachus,

To whom I leave the sceptre and the isle,—

Well-loved of me, discerning to fulfil

This labour, by slow prudence to make mild

A rugged people, and thro' soft degrees

Subdue them to the useful and the good.

Most blameless is he, centred in the sphere

Of common duties, decent not to fail

In offices of tenderness, and pay

Meet adoration to my household gods,

When I am gone. He works his work, I mine.

        








There lies the port; the vessel puffs her sail:

There gloom the dark, broad seas. My mariners,

Souls that have toil'd, and wrought, and thought with me—

That ever with a frolic welcome took

The thunder and the sunshine, and opposed

Free hearts, free foreheads—you and I are old;

Old age hath yet his honour and his toil;

Death closes all: but something ere the end,

Some work of noble note, may yet be done,

Not unbecoming men that strove with Gods.

The lights begin to twinkle from the rocks:

The long day wanes: the slow moon climbs: the deep

Moans round with many voices. Come, my friends,

'T is not too late to seek a newer world.

Push off, and sitting well in order smite

The sounding furrows; for my purpose holds

To sail beyond the sunset, and the baths

Of all the western stars, until I die.

It may be that the gulfs will wash us down:

It may be we shall touch the Happy Isles,

And see the great Achilles, whom we knew.

Tho' much is taken, much abides; and tho'

We are not now that strength which in old days

Moved earth and heaven, that which we are, we are;

One equal temper of heroic hearts,

Made weak by time and fate, but strong in will

To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield.