45-lb Plate Flip -- First Attempt

[Goose102]

A little background about myself:
-I am not a power-lifter per-say, but am very interested in improving my grip strength.
-I have been bodybuilding seriously for about 2-3 years. Although I did have a bit of a long break from it (had a long-distance girlfriend), I am now fully back on my game.
-I work for my university in a Health and Fitness lab, doing exercise testing. I am also a certified personal trainer through NASM, and am a PT here at my University.

I started seriously training my grip/hand/finger-strength a little under 1 month ago.

I discovered plate flipping somewhere here on the internet, and have implemented it into my grip training.

Here's a video of the very last set I did with my left (weaker) hand. I can do sets of 12 reps with my right (Now I can but not when this video was taken), but only 8-10 with the left:

By the way, just in case you don't read everything below, I have a crappy video of my first attempt at closing the CoC #2 on youtube. Check it out!


Does anyone here have a plate flipping routine? Any tips on improving my form? I need some honest opinions on this exercise.

Some other things I do for grip are:
-Work with a 10lb sledgehammer.
-Work with a Captains of Crush (CoC) # 2 (Check my other video on youtube. There's one of myself testing out the #2) I can close it for reps of 4-5 now (right hand only -- the left is still far behind). I've been doing negatives with the CoC #2. I use the hand that's not holding the gripper to assist myself in closing it fully, then after taking the assisting hand away, I slowly release under a 2-3 second count. Sometimes holding for as long as I can, then letting nature takes its course. The gripper always wins haha.
-I just ordered a 1.5 CoC to prep me a bit more for the #2.
-Heavy barbell holds/rack-pulls (I have been wrapping 2 thick hand towels around the bar [Instant fat grips] to make it significantly harder).
-Plate curls (Using a 25-lb plate) I grip these on the flat parts. It puts a significant amount of pressure on the finger tips (Under the pate), then clamp the thumb down on top.
-When doing hammer curls, I wrap the hand towels around the dumbbells for a fat grip, once again.
-I also do the above with hammer-grip pullups.
-Occasionally, I do some kettle-bell work (overhead pressing and such) for wrist strength.
-I've been arm-wrestling with a guy who works at my university's gym as well. We've been looking for the blueprints of an arm-wrestling table. Eventually, we are going to build a table and start up a club.

-I've been trying my best to train my grip 3 times a week. I'll do grip work at home 1 or 2 of these days, which only include working with the CoC and Sledge-hammer. Is this too much? My hands seem to be recovering well.

I have a new year's resolution to close the CoC #3 and become certified (What an awesome thing to put on a resume, right!?)

Let me know what you guys think. I'm mainly looking for tips on things I should be doing more of/less of.

Thanks!

[Goose102]

I actually just decided to make a Journal out of this. It can be found here:

http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showth...hp?t=151795723

[skrebs01]

I actually just decided to make a Journal out of this. It can be found here:

http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showth...hp?t=151795723

Good luck with the COC #3 cert. Just a warning, there is a big difference between the #2 and #3.

If you can, try to throw in some work with a solid thick bar and pinch work with with different thicknesses (pinching plates, block weights, blobs, etc). Building up your thumb strength and the thumb pad muscle will help with your gripper training.

Also, if you are not already, join up on gripboard.com. There is some great information on there and that is the home of the Mashmonster certifications.

[Goose102]

Thanks for your reply and the help! It is much appreciated.

I actually am a member of gripboard. It's a great website with a wealth of information.

Check out my Log that I just made!

[Goose102]

Good luck with the COC #3 cert. Just a warning, there is a big difference between the #2 and #3.

If you can, try to throw in some work with a solid thick bar and pinch work with with different thicknesses (pinching plates, block weights, blobs, etc). Building up your thumb strength and the thumb pad muscle will help with your gripper training.

Also, if you are not already, join up on gripboard.com. There is some great information on there and that is the home of the Mashmonster certifications.

Also, do you do any plate flipping? Is there a proper name for it? If so, how's my form looking?

Thanks!

[HamburgerTrain]

With a 3 inch rubber coated 45lb:





This is a fun circus lift but does very little for the powerlifts.

[Goose102]

With a 3 inch rubber coated 45lb:





This is a fun circus lift but does very little for the powerlifts.

You just shat all over me.

Great stuff man!

What other grip-related things do you do? CoCs?

[HamburgerTrain]

You just shat all over me.

Great stuff man!

What other grip-related things do you do? CoCs?

Yea, man. The COC's are nice. Again, more of a circus lift than anything. The only stuff I've experienced that actually tranfer to the competition lifts are deadlifting without straps and fat bar deadlifts. Plate pinches have a limited carryover. One of the best things you can do is train with a bar that is a couple mm thicker than a competition bar.

[GuinnessStrong]

Definitely gotta try this next time I'm around bumpers. Goose get a set of Heavy Grips off Amazon (I think $60 for a full set) and use them as quarter steps between the Captains. They're scaled by a different tension test but they fit in well. I'd say if you're at 4-5 reps on a 2 you could probably use the HG "250" to do some higher volume (8-12s) at just below that tension. I feel like the Heavy Grips aren't as even in tension as the Captains. I close a 2 and I feel it pretty equally on every finger, but I close the HG250 and I feel a major strain on the ring-pinky sweep to finish the close. I've closed the HG300 but I keep straining something in my palm or knuckles when I get to consistent closes there. A huge part of grip is connective tissue strength so time off really does help (repairs and adapts much slower than muscles). Also if you don't have Expand Your Hand bands I'm a big fan of those. Once you can stick that red on and spend a few minutes straight just expanding smoothly you won't really need them, but until then they help a ton with loosening up and rehab/prehab. I went up .5 on Captains for a single just by using those regularly with the same amount of reps at less tension as before.

[CROMAGS1985]

I've always liked Farmers Holds or overhand Axle deadlifts for working grip. I've held 340lbs per hand for time on Farmers and I can barely close one of those sports store hand grippers. Not much carry over IMO...

[PhreEkGarden]

With a 3 inch rubber coated 45lb:





This is a fun circus lift but does very little for the powerlifts.

I know what I'll be trying tomorrow, lol.

[blkbelt42]

Yea, man. The COC's are nice. Again, more of a circus lift than anything. The only stuff I've experienced that actually tranfer to the competition lifts are deadlifting without straps and fat bar deadlifts. Plate pinches have a limited carryover.

One of the best things you can do is train with a bar that is a couple mm thicker than a competition bar.

would fat gripz accomplish the same thing?

[HamburgerTrain]

would fat gripz accomplish the same thing?

Kinda. If you have the option, nothing beats having a competition spec bar, a 32mm bar, and a 2-3inch fat bar.

[blkbelt42]

Kinda. If you have the option, nothing beats having a competition spec bar, a 32mm bar, and a 2-3inch fat bar.

thx dude.

I assume with the fat gripz I can put them on any bar and benefit, whether it's a pull or push movement?

[HamburgerTrain]

thx dude.

I assume with the fat gripz I can put them on any bar and benefit, whether it's a pull or push movement?

I think they are great for dumbbells. They feel funny for barbell movements. Just less natural than a bar that is built thicker.

[blkbelt42]

I think they are great for dumbbells. They feel funny for barbell movements. Just less natural than a bar that is built thicker.

thx dude.



thx to OP for the thread

reps to both of ya

[Goose102]

No problem at all, thanks for contributing!

[LessThanLuke]

Yea, man. The COC's are nice. Again, more of a circus lift than anything. The only stuff I've experienced that actually tranfer to the competition lifts are deadlifting without straps and fat bar deadlifts. Plate pinches have a limited carryover. One of the best things you can do is train with a bar that is a couple mm thicker than a competition bar.

This isn't just a powerlifting forum....things don't HAVE to transfer over to the powerlifts.

[Rusty56]

completely off topic but hey hamburgertrain... was 56 your Number when you played football or are those just a pair of sweats you own. cuz 56 was my number too!
LT>Hamburgertrain>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>M e!

Also the plate flipping this is pretty cool. i'll have to try that. I tried balancing a 45 on my head and walking tonight like women do with books or whatever. didnt work though cuz my head is shaped like a house roof.....