Captains of Crush Grippers: What's your grip strength?

[ER_STL]

Necro post

So I took txdpd's advice (and wtturn's elsewhere) and avoided the CoC's after starting this thread, instead I just focused on building strength. For the last few years I've been lifting very regularly, mostly under the guidance of a good trainer. I also took up gymnastics and was doing that up to 4x a week. Then, last year around this time, I dislocated my strong-side shoulder and tore my labrum. Surgery and rehab brought me to New Year's. Then, I broke my weak-side wrist. For the past few months I've been rehabbing that. The only time I got to see a therapist for the wrist (a few months ago), they measured my crush grip at 116 lbs strong side and 90 lbs weak side. The strong side number matches up with my memory and journal from around the time of this thread. They gave me a plastic gripper, some theraband, and told me to buy a powerball. I got the NSD Titan and have been working with that and the plastic gripper since then. After the pandemic started, I got a set of rings for my pullup bar, since I haven't been able to return to gymnastics since my injury.

Discouraged that my measured crush grip didn't seem to have improved, I decided I'd probably give the CoC a shot. Now that the plastic gripper has gotten easy, I bought a set. The 0.5 through 2 arrived today, and I'm waiting on the G through T. My plan is to start with the G and work up very slowly. Nonetheless, when I got the 0.5 through 2 today, I couldn't help but give them a shot. I was shocked. Right out the gate I closed the 1 with each hand. After a couple of failed attempts, I'm pretty sure I closed the 1.5 strong side, and I got extremely close weak side. I tried the 1.5 again strong side to confirm but failed, tapped out. I haven't tried the 2, and I'm satisfied for now to quit while I'm ahead....my weak-side wrist was already bitching a little after each attempt.

I definitely think there's a bit of technique involved, particularly for the last little bit. I had one or two failed reps on the 0.5 out the gate, but after being totally sure I closed the 1 (and having warmed up properly) I went back to the 0.5 and closed it. I find the positioning techniques described in this video help https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5pJcRDSqOIs, but I'm not setting them at all, I'm starting completely open, and I can close the 1 right after picking up the gripper and grabbing naturally with some sticking out the bottom. So, I don't know, maybe I'm "cheating" a little by moving low on the gripper, maybe the ones I got are a little weaker, or maybe something was off in my technique 3 years ago, but hand on metal today...it does seem to me like getting stronger over the last few years has made a difference.

Thanks again to everyone who chimed in and the various people I've gotten advice from on PF about strength training!

There most definitely is technique involved, especially if you're simply going for max leverage against the gripper. In that instance, having your hand as low as possible on the gripper without losing your pinky finger's contribution is the way to go.

As you already know, just be careful with them. People have a tendency to overwork themselves on CoCs to the point of developing tendonitis, which likes to hang around forever.

[Gio]

FWIW, I still train CoC grippers regularly. I treat it like a heavy lift and do it once a week. I also do other grip exercises like rope climbs, farmers carry, plate squeeze carries, etc. I work the extensor muscles as well with the CoC rubber bands. I can currently close a 2.5 and get a 3 about 1 cm from closing.

I still believe having higher maximum grip strength helps you control recoil more. I don’t squeeze the pistol with 100% of my strength, its probably more like 50% of my weak hand strength and 30% of my strong hand strength, but those percentages will translate to a lot more actual force than someone who doesn’t train grip strength at all. Most people think they grip the gun pretty hard, but if you put them on slow motion camera you’ll actually see the gun shifting in their hand quite a bit.

I also still believe that this is way down low on the list of things that result in measurable improvement. I made GM long before I even picked up a CoC for the first time, but subjectively, I do think my recoil control is better now than it’s ever been.

[dustyvarmint]

Pretty old thread here found by searching but it gave me a lot of what I'm looking. Good discussion overall. Glad I searched first before asking. I'm resurrecting in the case it might help others.

-Been using CoC since training with Vogel many years ago.
-Have plateaued at about 95 lbs (between Sport and Trainer) with support hand and 110 (between Trainer and .5) with primary hand.
-The CoC come with instructions that say not to over do it, so I've been cautious from the start.
-Archery did the elbows worse than CoC have ever done. GI BJJ aggravates the fingers, thumbs, and elbows way more than CoC has ever done.
-56ish years old, 145 lbs, 5' 6".
-Regular bodyweight and dumbbell workout practitioner.
-The Ron Avery video among the threads was extremely helpful.
-The PowerBall tip from TCinVA was quite helpful. Gonna give that a try as well.

happy shooting, Jerry

[GJM]

I am convinced Captains of Crush are a major competitive advantage for Vogel. He gets other people using them, and then they screw up their elbows and have trouble shooting.

[John Hearne]

IIRC, crush grip strength over 145 lbs puts you in the top 95% of the male population without adjusting for age.

[theJanitor]

I've been fighting pain and reduced strength in my strong hand for the past year. It culminated with a cortisone shot in my middle finger to suppress "trigger finger". I "feel" like I've lost 40% of my hand strength and I have a hard time making a strong closed fist. But because of this thread popping up I grabbed a CoC #2 and just squeezed it, so maybe it's not as bad as I thought it was

[1slow]

Pre arthritis I could close a #2 with either hand.

Post arthritis #1 with either hand.

As others have said :
COC grippers 1-2 times a week, treat like a heavy deadlift.
Rubber band 5 finger extensions.
Farmers walks.

[Le Français]

As others have said :
COC grippers 1-2 times a week, treat like a heavy deadlift.
Rubber band 5 finger extensions.
Farmers walks.

A dead hang from a bar is also good for grip strength (and for shoulder health).

[JHC]

I am convinced Captains of Crush are a major competitive advantage for Vogel. He gets other people using them, and then they screw up their elbows and have trouble shooting.

Back years ago when they were the hotness for improving pistol shooting I gave them a go and quit them pretty fast. I think there is more that is unknown about grip strength than is known. I think individual anatomy is a big factor is closing a CofC device. At that time I was doing pull ups with an 80 lb dumbell tied to my waist for reps and the grip was never the failure point. Couldn't fully close a Trainer though.

Now I've concluded the crazy crush grip of the dominant hand is not as important as it was once thought during crush grip's 15 minutes of fame. @Clusterfrack thanks for all your posts on that topic. Learning happened.

[Spartan1980]

I stopped at the Trainer, so I don't really know what I can close. I can do reps with the trainer though. Usually do 4 to 5 sets of 5 when I break them out. I might, maybe can close a 1.0 but am confident I could close a .5. I don't use them often anymore due to pain in my strong hand that is probably arthritis. Voltaren gel seems to help. I'll think I'm getting weaker and then break them out to find that I can do as much as ever, it just hurts more. For now...