HALP! Heavy Lifting Made Me SUPAH Bulky!!!

So in an update to my grip issues, I've developed mild arthritis in my thumbs - I've resorted to some straps! Tried out today, they're great! Should have done it ages ago!

nossmf wrote: »

Jacq_qui wrote: »

I'm struggling with my grip at the moment, it keeps giving out at 60kg deadlifts, I get about five reps in and my fingers loosen up - any tips?

I'll assume you use a double-overhand grip, with the palms of both hands facing you on the bar. Many lifters who get close to max weight switch to a mixed grip, with one hand still facing "down" and the other hand twisting to face "up." This way if your right hand starts to tire and the bar rolls away from the palm, it's now rolling INTO the left palm, and vice versa. Making this switch can easily add another 10%-20% to how much you can lift...personally I swap when I get above 75% of my 1RM.

Now, which palm up or down? Totally a comfort call on your part. Try both, see which feels more natural for you. Just be extra careful to make sure BOTH elbows are straightened out before you initiate the pull, else you risk tearing a bicep.

Should you go back and forth, swapping the over/under hands every week/set/rep? I've seen arguments for yes and for no. If you're competitive bodybuilding it may be a good idea to ensure even development on stage, but for a person like me who just lifts for fun and fighting off age, I warm up with double overhand, swap to my preferred mixed grip, and use it exclusively.

Never thanked you for replying to this - I use this mixed grip for all my warm up weights now - straps for heavy lifts

This looks like the place for inspiration!

@springlering62 yes!! I love my Versa Grips! Let us know how you like them!

I’m just getting back to MFP after taking a break but not a break from lifting-just online break. Happy to see you and sone others are still crushing it!

🙂

How about a five-month Versa Gripp update? 😇

I love these things. My grip is so much better, it’s given me confidence to go up in hand and machine weights. My bare hands would get sweaty on knurling and I’d lose my grip. Not with these!

For things like pull-ups I don’t have to use a death grip. I wrap the tongue around the pull-up handles, can put all five fingers in the same direction and the grip of the tongue keeps me on.

Helps me keep my wrists in position so they’re not flopping or bending.

I don’t know how to explain this, but when grabbing things, my wrists no longer feel like they’re coming out of the sockets, instead they feel strong and reinforced. The pulling is pleasant, even.

When doing the back extension “machine” with a plate held to my chest, I have great grip on it. Same with goblet squats, skullcrushers, and “round the worlds” with a dumbell.

You do have to take care to position your hands for kettlebell swings, but it’s worth it because you (me!) dont have the fear the bell will come loose and hit a mirror or person. It’s just glued to your hands. Kettlebell rows are flipping awesome with it. For some reason, the grip on the rows is so vastly better, we’ve been able to go up quite a bit on those.

Even bench dips are better because sweaty hands don’t slide off the bench.

I have abused these things beyond belief. I always forget to wipe them down with windex, as recommended. I usually do muscle madness, training, or gym (often a combination) before going straight to the pool for laps or aquafit. I fling them in my bag with my wet goggles and aquabells.

ya’d think if the chlorine does that much damage to my hair that it’d be hell on the Versa Gripps, but they still look brand spank new.

1,000% recommend. Have made my gym experience soooo much better. And yes, I do use them in Muscle madness now. Have gotten much more adept at grabbing weights and flipping them into position. Has helped me go up in weights in class, too.

nossmf wrote: »

Curious. In addition to providing secure grip, I wonder how much cushioning they provide. As the weight goes up, sometimes the bar can begin to pinch the hand/fingers, so I wonder how much these things spread that weight out to remove the pinching sensation.

I don’t do anything super heavy, so not sure what you mean by pinching. I’m not in the market to let weight training injure me annd interfere with my yoga. 🤷🏻‍♀️

But if I can explain this poorly, the pulling taut of the “tongue” creates stability. Kind of an equal pull in both directions. All the stress goes in the middle, almost like a fulcrum of effort.

Like if I’m doing a deadlift, I wrap it under the bar and grip over. The tongue is wrapped around the bar and stuck snugly to my palms. When I pull, instead of feeling my wrists pull apart, I get the sensation of the bar coming up with me at the same time it’s pulling down on my wrist. It’s an oddly pleasant sensation, very comfortable? Almost masssage-like sometimes, and I suck at describing it.

It’s a stupidly simple idea, but it works. It would not work without their proprietary sticky grip surface on the tongue. That’s the key bit.

And it only “”sticks” when and where you want it. It’s not like it sticks to fabric or picks up icky bits from your gym bag or random hair or gym dust.

@springlering62 I had looked into these last year and ended up going with a cheaper Amazon version with the longer strap that you have to wrap around. Did its job, but I'm intrigued by your review of versa gripps and I think I'm going to try them out! Especially because the longer strap I currently have is a real pain for pull ups. These look like they would work way better. Thanks for sharing!

Easy to picture that way.

claireychn074 wrote: »

Still bulky 🤣

*badass 😍

Bum pads? Who would do that?!

Wow So glad I don’t kowtow to influencers. I wouldn’t even know where to find one lol.

Bump ❤️

I don't seem to recall this thread being in the Success Stories category.

Anyway,

I’d really appreciate guidance from you ladies. I’ve been steadily getting into lifting weights (I only have access to dumbbells), specifically wanting nice arms. The physique I’m aspiring to is well defined middle deltoids (rounded and visible from all angles) and nice biceps. The general consensus for middle deltoid development that I could find, with dumbbells, were lateral raises. I’m not sure if there are any other efficient movements for my goals.

I’m at goal weight, but identify with the skinny fat look in pictures that I’ve seen. Always had less fat on my arms than most everywhere else though, so if I gain any muscles on my arms they’ll look defined in no time, I bet.

My question(s) is, what is the recipe to bake this cake? KG per dumbbell, that I should work my way up to? The heaviest I have access to is 5 KG, I’m still fairly new and use 3 KG for lateral raises.) How many reps and sets, per week, am I realistically aiming for?

I also have a chin-up bar that I use alongside the dumbbells for the biceps.

TIA

@nossmf No, not at all, thank you very much for your advice. I really appreciate it.

Making notes,
2-3 times per week, starting with 2
Rest days in between, ideally 2-3
3-4 sets of 8-12 reps
Choose a weight that offers a challenge, but isn’t too heavy that you can’t complete the workout.

Thank you for this formula, and for the link!

One other thing that I get stuck on is, which movements to keep and which to drop, as there is overlap in quite a few. For example, an overhead press and a dumbbell front raise, they both are said to target the front deltoid muscle and doing both during the same workout might be unnecessary? My inclination is to keep the overhead press, as the movement seems to recruit more muscles overall, compared to the front raise. Going from information I’ve found online, at least. Or, this is just overthinking everything and in the end it doesn’t matter which movements we go with as long as they target the muscles we’re going after.

@nossmf That all makes sense.

I’m going to keep this especially in mind,

Does this mean the front raise has no value? False! People rehabbing from an injury often find value in doing isolation movements (ones which work a single muscle at a time), as do people looking to refine the shape of a muscle (think bodybuilders).

And adopt this,

Which should you do? Whichever one you think feels best, as in lets you work the muscle without injury, and just as important you enjoy more (or hate less). You can do both, you can do just one, you can alternate (one exercise one day, the other the next).

👍️