Does anyone here train with captains of crush grippers? Or train grip at all? Grip and forearms are my favorite to train.
I'm an avid powerlifter, so grip can be very important. Then again, I've never actively trained my grip or forearms, the grip strength just comes with repetition. I also don't compete in raw, so I'm allowed to use wrist straps when deadlifting.
How long have you been a powerlifter? I’m training to build a strong base to join a powerlifting federation next year. Would you say more lifters compete raw or equipped? And yes my goal is to have the strongest grip in the world, and to pass up Kirill’s bench record.
@Kevin Teichman I personally see more people competing raw, though I should have been more specific. I technically compete in raw, but it's not really raw in my eyes. I see traditional raw as being "true raw," as raw allows you to use straps and belts whereas traditional raw doesn't allow for any equipment. To answer your initial question, I've been a powerlifter for about four years. My brother got me into it, and currently holds two national powerlifting records in the AAPF for his weight class: The deadlift record, and the overall record.
I have this... Bison-1 Because I like crazy Russian inventions. I also have some Captains of Crunch lying around, but haven't used them much. Monkey bars are fun; I try to go back and forth a couple of times whenever I go for a run cos there's an outdoor "gym" by the track. But that Bison thing is also a lot of fun.
When I was younger all the hockey players did a drill to improve their grip strength (and therefore their ability to hold onto their sticks under duress) by just crumpling newspapers one handed (you could do both hands at once but they couldn't help each other). Just get a sheet of newspaper, hold it at one end and use your fingers to pull it in and crumple it up. Shake it out, do it again, and again, and again... I was amazed by how few times I could do it before my forearms would be on fire. It doesn't seem like it should be difficult, but it was, at least for me.
Based on what I can do with captains of crush grippers (compared to others), my grip is 3x stronger than that of an average fit man.
Individual fingers are so often dismissed when it comes to grip strength. Train with a bass or guitar trainer, or any grip trainer with independent springs for each finger......working on the one or two that are lacking can make a huge difference, when compared to "rigid" grip trainers.
Something like d'addario varigrip (numerous other versions available) offers 2 versions in one trainer. Individual springs for each finger helps prevent letting the stronger fingers compensate for the weaker ones. Reverse it and you can use it as a "whole hand" trainer, if you desire.