bencrush
Level 5 Valued Member
Recently I've had an increase in blog and email inquires about whether GTG "works" or not. Well, most likely everyone who has spent time here knows that it works quite well. And likely has for millenia for various physical pursuits. But the first time I read about it was from @Pavel writing.
I fully credit GTG-style gripper work for my Captain's of Crush #3 certification in 2005. For a few months before certifying in May of that year with IronMind, my workouts were GTG and a relatively high volume of singles. At that time, I worked 12 hour night shift in a jail. So after the inmates went to sleep, my grippers came out and I began work. I'd write down every single rep I did. And for that period it was entirely singles for my work sets with my #3 gripper. I could only handle about once per 5-7 days doing 100+ singles (no set - just picking it up with one hand and closing it) with both hands with my #3. A few times I'd switch to 500+ singles with my #2. Or crazy high singles with my #1 or Trainer. But the vast majority of the training was very specific. The #3 for about as many singles as my skin would tolerate, or as many as I could "comfortably" do during my shift. Obviously I had to do other things at work besides close grippers. But it gave me plenty of rest between singles at time. It could vary between literally 1 minute between singles (pretty rare, I enjoyed resting) to 30 minutes or more if I was busy.
I've never been stronger than when I was doing GTG with grippers.
I'm going to add to this post when I have time, possibly tonight. It will be GTG - Part 2: Unbraced Steel Bending. Then GTG - Part 3: Vertical Bar Deadlifts. Then GTG - Part 4: Plateau Buster One Hand Deadlift.
I fully credit GTG-style gripper work for my Captain's of Crush #3 certification in 2005. For a few months before certifying in May of that year with IronMind, my workouts were GTG and a relatively high volume of singles. At that time, I worked 12 hour night shift in a jail. So after the inmates went to sleep, my grippers came out and I began work. I'd write down every single rep I did. And for that period it was entirely singles for my work sets with my #3 gripper. I could only handle about once per 5-7 days doing 100+ singles (no set - just picking it up with one hand and closing it) with both hands with my #3. A few times I'd switch to 500+ singles with my #2. Or crazy high singles with my #1 or Trainer. But the vast majority of the training was very specific. The #3 for about as many singles as my skin would tolerate, or as many as I could "comfortably" do during my shift. Obviously I had to do other things at work besides close grippers. But it gave me plenty of rest between singles at time. It could vary between literally 1 minute between singles (pretty rare, I enjoyed resting) to 30 minutes or more if I was busy.
I've never been stronger than when I was doing GTG with grippers.
I'm going to add to this post when I have time, possibly tonight. It will be GTG - Part 2: Unbraced Steel Bending. Then GTG - Part 3: Vertical Bar Deadlifts. Then GTG - Part 4: Plateau Buster One Hand Deadlift.