Which CoC gripper to get?

Howard Wilcox · 06-04-2007, 06:36 PM

Hello folks,

I'd kinda like to get a Captain of Crush gripper for the truck/cube for fun. But I'm not sure which to get. I'm torn between the trainer model and the No 1.

I know what it says on the ironmind website but I'm still not sure. Does anyone have any experience with these things?

The No 1 is 140lbs and the trainer is 100lbs. Those both seem quite strong, but I have no reference point.

Any help is appreciated.

Thanks...

howard

Kurtis Bowler · 06-04-2007, 09:32 PM

Try ours out next time you stop by. We have a trainer, 1, 2, 3, and 4. If you were only going to get one I would recommend the 1.
Kurtis

John McEneany · 06-04-2007, 09:52 PM

I would get a #1, I have 8 years experience with grippers and grip training in general.

Roark Marsh · 06-05-2007, 07:41 AM

I'd say the 1. I got the trainer, and almost immediately found myself pounding sets of 10+ either hand.

That would be assuming your hands are reasonably close strength-wise. My brother picked up the 1, and though he can squeeze out a few right handed, he can't manage any left, so maybe he's have wanted to start with the trainer, and work up equally.

All about your goals with it.

James Besenyei · 06-05-2007, 08:38 AM

If it's only for fun get the trainer, if you're really gonna train grip strength get the trainer & the no.l, then pick up the 1.5. And if by fun you mean just something to do while you're waiting to get loaded/unloaded (just guessing here) definitely get the trainer, simply because the no.1 & up CoC's are much more serious training implements and will wear your hands out a bit, a nasty side effect if you're pounding out numerous sets while at work. Just my 2 cents.

Howard Wilcox · 06-05-2007, 08:55 AM

Thanks folks.

I took advice from the gun world when people ask which gun to get. The answer is usually to get both. So I ordered both. At $20, that's not too bad.

What's weird is reading around the web (crossfit and other places) about overtraining with these things. That just doesn't seem possible. I wouldn't have thought the CNS stress would be enough (what I think of as overtraining). I guess you could overstress the tendons or something. Still, it seems weird to me.

howard

Roark Marsh · 06-05-2007, 10:49 AM

Overtraining is too much training, not enough recovery. The CoC grippers are hard enough you can work your hands just like you can any other muscle group in your body. Too little recovery -> overtraining.

They're a far cry from sports grippers. 100, or 140 lbs is a lot more than the usual 30.

Don Stevenson · 06-05-2007, 05:54 PM

Just wait till the knuckles in your hands swell up from too much gripping and the tendons in your thumb feel like they are about to tear, then you'll understand the overtraining.

Overtraining doesn't have to be CNS it can be site specific!

Jeff Edmonston · 06-05-2007, 07:11 PM

"The answer is usually to get both." Arfcom?

If you spend a lot of time in the truck, you are probably thinking about higher reps, which is harder to do with the COCs. When I used to have a long car commute I kept an Ivanko supergripper in the car.

Glenn Pendlay · 06-06-2007, 09:03 AM

It is possible to "overtrain" the CoC grippers if you are as brain dead as I am.

I had a job once in the early 90's where I was driving a truck and unable to train properly, and I decided to try to do some endurance type hand training since there was little else I could do.

I started out with the #2, which was not overly hard as I had previously done 28 consecutive reps on it with my right hand. My goal was to see how many total reps I could do during 8 hours of driving... just do small sets of 5 or so reps every few minutes and mark them down on a dry-erase board I had in the cab. To make a long story short, the next day I could barely move my hands and it took 4-6 weeks for the tendons/ligaments to stop hurting! I also had visible bruising at the base of my thumb for several weeks.

After that, I went to the #1, and never had the problem, even though several times I did reps numbering in the thousands during an 8 or 12 hour time period. I did eventually go over the line with that one also though. I had a run from Mcpherson Kansas up to Devils Lake North Dakota, which is about an 18 hour drive, and I was going up and coming back wihout stopping, enough to give me a solid 24 hour time span to see how many reps I could get total in one day. That also took about a month for the pain to go away. Only lots of ibuprofin allowed me to button my own pants during the 3-4 days following this stupid stunt.

So... if you are going to do endurance type training while driving, which i assume might be the case from your post, I would recomend going a bit on the light side in your gripper choice! Any gripper heavy enough that you can only close 10-20 times is NOT suitable for fooling around with daily while driving!

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06-04-2007, 06:36 PM	#1
Howard Wilcox Affiliate Profile: Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Forsyth GA Posts: 780	Hello folks, I'd kinda like to get a Captain of Crush gripper for the truck/cube for fun. But I'm not sure which to get. I'm torn between the trainer model and the No 1. I know what it says on the ironmind website but I'm still not sure. Does anyone have any experience with these things? The No 1 is 140lbs and the trainer is 100lbs. Those both seem quite strong, but I have no reference point. Any help is appreciated. Thanks... howard

06-04-2007, 09:32 PM	#2
Kurtis Bowler Affiliate Profile: Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Tacoma WA Posts: 147	Try ours out next time you stop by. We have a trainer, 1, 2, 3, and 4. If you were only going to get one I would recommend the 1. Kurtis

06-04-2007, 09:52 PM	#3
John McEneany Member Profile: Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Hollywood Florida Posts: 232	I would get a #1, I have 8 years experience with grippers and grip training in general.

06-05-2007, 07:41 AM	#4
Roark Marsh Member Profile: Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Cambridge MA Posts: 124	I'd say the 1. I got the trainer, and almost immediately found myself pounding sets of 10+ either hand. That would be assuming your hands are reasonably close strength-wise. My brother picked up the 1, and though he can squeeze out a few right handed, he can't manage any left, so maybe he's have wanted to start with the trainer, and work up equally. All about your goals with it.

06-05-2007, 08:38 AM	#5
James Besenyei Member Profile: Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Cleveland Ohio Posts: 588	If it's only for fun get the trainer, if you're really gonna train grip strength get the trainer & the no.l, then pick up the 1.5. And if by fun you mean just something to do while you're waiting to get loaded/unloaded (just guessing here) definitely get the trainer, simply because the no.1 & up CoC's are much more serious training implements and will wear your hands out a bit, a nasty side effect if you're pounding out numerous sets while at work. Just my 2 cents.

06-05-2007, 08:55 AM	#6
Howard Wilcox Affiliate Profile: Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Forsyth GA Posts: 780	Thanks folks. I took advice from the gun world when people ask which gun to get. The answer is usually to get both. So I ordered both. At $20, that's not too bad. What's weird is reading around the web (crossfit and other places) about overtraining with these things. That just doesn't seem possible. I wouldn't have thought the CNS stress would be enough (what I think of as overtraining). I guess you could overstress the tendons or something. Still, it seems weird to me. howard

06-05-2007, 10:49 AM	#7
Roark Marsh Member Profile: Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Cambridge MA Posts: 124	Overtraining is too much training, not enough recovery. The CoC grippers are hard enough you can work your hands just like you can any other muscle group in your body. Too little recovery -> overtraining. They're a far cry from sports grippers. 100, or 140 lbs is a lot more than the usual 30.

06-05-2007, 05:54 PM	#8
Don Stevenson Affiliate Profile: Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Sydney NSW Posts: 1,038	Just wait till the knuckles in your hands swell up from too much gripping and the tendons in your thumb feel like they are about to tear, then you'll understand the overtraining. Overtraining doesn't have to be CNS it can be site specific!

06-05-2007, 07:11 PM	#9
Jeff Edmonston Member Profile: Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Concord CA Posts: 8	"The answer is usually to get both." Arfcom? If you spend a lot of time in the truck, you are probably thinking about higher reps, which is harder to do with the COCs. When I used to have a long car commute I kept an Ivanko supergripper in the car.

06-06-2007, 09:03 AM	#10
Glenn Pendlay Member Profile: Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: wichita falls texas Posts: 684	It is possible to "overtrain" the CoC grippers if you are as brain dead as I am. I had a job once in the early 90's where I was driving a truck and unable to train properly, and I decided to try to do some endurance type hand training since there was little else I could do. I started out with the #2, which was not overly hard as I had previously done 28 consecutive reps on it with my right hand. My goal was to see how many total reps I could do during 8 hours of driving... just do small sets of 5 or so reps every few minutes and mark them down on a dry-erase board I had in the cab. To make a long story short, the next day I could barely move my hands and it took 4-6 weeks for the tendons/ligaments to stop hurting! I also had visible bruising at the base of my thumb for several weeks. After that, I went to the #1, and never had the problem, even though several times I did reps numbering in the thousands during an 8 or 12 hour time period. I did eventually go over the line with that one also though. I had a run from Mcpherson Kansas up to Devils Lake North Dakota, which is about an 18 hour drive, and I was going up and coming back wihout stopping, enough to give me a solid 24 hour time span to see how many reps I could get total in one day. That also took about a month for the pain to go away. Only lots of ibuprofin allowed me to button my own pants during the 3-4 days following this stupid stunt. So... if you are going to do endurance type training while driving, which i assume might be the case from your post, I would recomend going a bit on the light side in your gripper choice! Any gripper heavy enough that you can only close 10-20 times is NOT suitable for fooling around with daily while driving!